Full Name: Kalis of Aressa
Nicknames/Aliases: Bladeless Kalis
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Occupation/Class: Wolf Knight
Kingdom of Origin: Aressa
Description: A glance at Kalis reveals very little about her appearance, aside from general build. A slender, somewhat gangly figure of middling height. Ever inch of skin on the knight's body however is covered by clothing or armour, allowing very few features to be visible to those around her. She never removes her helmet.
Equipment: Kalis' wolf knight armour is one of her most notable possessions. Made of light but durable metal and leather binding, it is segmented to allow for unrestricted movement in battle. Neither bulky nor slowing, this does impact its protection in some ways. Whilst it is adept as blocking sword strikes it will do little to distribute the forces of a blunt strike, and an adept swordsman might find a gap between the segments to stab a blade into the users' body.
Kalis' armour has clearly seen better days, bearing the signs of tarnish and rust, as well as the carbonized scorching indicating fire damage.
Also notable is the knightess' sword.
Or, rather, what was once her sword.
Her commonly known nickname 'Bladeless Kalis' stems from what clearly had once been a two-handed sword, but which is now a blunt and mangled chunk of metal that the Aressan carries with her. This ruined weapon still serves its function of fighting, however now in a far more grisly fashion. The blunt sword crushes and cleaves poorly, using its weight and force to devastating and often messy end.
Personality: Stubborn may be the main word that comes to mind with Kalis. Only a stubborn person would be dragging useless weapons around somewhere so dangerous.
Kalis is quiet, generally quite soft-spoken and fairly polite to people. She's not one to boast of her abilities. However, when in battle the woman is utterly brutal and ruthless, to the point that it has passed what should have been in keeping with her order.
Skills: Kalis, even with the evident handicap of a ruined weapon, is very adept in battle. She's quick and very aggressive in her strikes and shows little fear in the face of terrifying opponents. Kalis alos appears to have a good knowledge of tactics, and basic first aid, the sort of skills one would need to organize troops on the field of battle.
Weaknesses: Kalis can be something of a glass cannon, quite easily throw by a strong attack. Additionally she is very averse to magic, even working in her favour, and won't accept and sort of aid from such forces. This often sets Kalis at a disadvantage.
Fatal Flaw: Wrath, violence.
Brief History:
Kalis of Aressa was born into some level of status, as the only child of Knight Voryn, on of the famed Wolf Knights. As such, she was in a comparatively comfortable position throughout much of her childhood. Before the encroachment of other nations upon Aressan soil, the Wolf Knights had served the purposes of dealing with threats to the greater population. Bandit Gangs, barbarous folk, and, more crucially... things that clambered over the wall. From time to time something monstrous would drop from the heights of the Elidian Wall, and begin stalking or slithering towards one of the villages or farms.
The Knights were charged with dealing with these horrific things, and as such the job was fraught with danger.
In that matter, it was not unexpected when, at age twelve, the young Kalis received grim news, along with her father's sword, and his helmet, charred with fire and smelling of burned hair, along with an order that, as Voryn's sole heir, she was to be delivered to the Wolf's Keep in three day's time to begin her education
in the art of armed combat.
For a number of years, Kalis trained to take up the title, as well as acting as a squire to her uncle, Kerr of Aressa. It was there that she learned how to wield a sword, how to keep on a galloping horse, how to wear the armour of the order, and the fundamentals of military tactics. It was also in that time that she saw an Elidian monster for the first time. The first time, it terrified her. For weeks she suffered nightmares about the foul, unnatural thing.
As time went by however, Kalis learned how to face things that were frightening. In time, she also learned how to beat them. By the time of her promotion to a full knight, the young Aressan was well known for feats of bravery in combat. She had earned the respect of her fellows.
However, bravery could only take you so far when faced with the might of other nations, especially Yulia.
Aressa held out for two long years against the invasion, and the Knights played key roles in the defence. They were fast and mobile, and would outflank Yulian shieldwalls on horseback to descend upon the weaponless mages behind with swords. Kalis was not exactly overjoyed at such...unseemly tactics, and the losses were quite terrible but it spared their men from the death those accursed magic types rained down on them.
Whatever the Knights did however, it was not enough to hold back the tide after the death of the King. The armies began to collapse into disorder and split apart, and Kalis, still young and relatively inexperienced, found herself cut off from here fellows, holed up in some small defensive tower with a small band of soldiers. With no contact and no way out they had no idea that ost had long surrendered as they attempted to wait out a siege by Yulian forces in vain hope of rescue. Soon they were left starving. Anyone so much as peeping their heads over the parapets would be set aflame by Yulian magefire.
It was at this time that the young knight earned her name, and the infamy that came near it.
Knowing that the game was up, and knowing they all faced imprisonment or death at the hands of the invading army, Kalis sent out one request.
They would hand themselves in willingly.
If she was permitted to duel the Yulian Brigade's leader in single combat.
The leader of the Brigade, the imposing General Garech, a well-known and respected Yulian Knight, was highly amused by the outlandish request. He was, after all, known throughout his lands for his skills with a sword, and saw no reason why some young whelp was going to defeat him. Especially not a woman of all people.
However, as he awaited the duel at first light, Sir Garech became...concerned, and decided that perhaps it was important that such a duel was held in accordance with the Yulian Code. Would not do after all for a man of his station to face a woman shamelessly swinging a blade. So, he awoke the brigade's smith and asked for a favour.
As such, when Kalis arrived for her battle, she discovered her beloved sword had been ruined, the blade ground nearly flat, the tip broken off and hot iron poured over it to leave some irreparable mess that could never be called a sword.
General Garech stepped forward and explained that, of course, it would be unseemly for a woman to take part n a battle with swords, and that he had done her the service of avoiding inquisitional inquiry into her breaking of the Yulian Codes. Of course, if in these circumstances, she would like to cancel the duel then he would, in his benevolence, gracefully allow her to do so.
The Yulians were laughing at their lord's ruse, and were laughing even harder when Kalis politely refused to withdraw her challenge.
They were not laughing, however, when as soon as Garech drew his sabre Kalis smashed him across the face with the ruined sword, flinging off his helmet and knocking out two of his teeth, before knocking him to the floor with another heavy sweep to the neck. From there the Wolf Knight, living up forever to her animalistic title, sprang onto his chest and smashed the hideous piece of iron again and again into the Knight's head, until there was little left of Sir Garech's head than a pool of blood and jagged chunks of skull.