Kyemen & Sierthra

[Angmor]

Name: Kyemen
Race: elf
Age: 164

Appearance:

While not unattractive, Kyemen’s face does not possess the same striking sharpness that most of his fellow elves can claim. It is however is still slimmer and more angular than most humans, and his ears still possess their distinctive elven tapering. Although he could have altered these features with magic, he could never work up the nerve to completely sunder himself from his race, even if it would have helped in many ways at many different times. After a lifetime of travel, Kyemen’s skin is tanned and weathered, giving him a rugged, experienced look and serving to further destroy the aloof, ethereal vision of an elf. A product of a hundred years of wandering the Empire, everything about his features and manner identifies him as more human than elf, from the range of his facial expressions to the cut of his short, raven black hair. Standing at a distinctly average height, Kyemen’s build is lean and supple, suggesting an active lifestyle, even if not strikingly muscular. His preferred style of fighting has led him to value precision and agility over the normal warrior’s mastery of brute strength, and continues regular exercises to keep himself limber. Being a creature of magic however, he is still several times stronger than an average human, augmenting his agility to make him a powerful fighter.

At most times, Kyemen garbs himself in practical, loose tunic and breeches made from neutral gray cloth, preferring not to stand out with brighter colors. Over this he wears a rough, weather-beaten cloak, which has been much repaired after the many adventures through which it has seen its owner. This is off a darker gray than the rest of his clothing, creating an ensemble that provides a reasonable amount of camouflage in any environment, from thick forests to stone cities. To protect his hands while fighting or climbing, Kyemen always wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves. These now also serve the double purposed of covering the silvery Gedway Ignasia on his left hand, so that the glow that results from magic use does not alert enemies, or the more mundane purpose of hiding his identity from the public when Sierthra isn’t around.

Due to his role within the Varden, Kyemen has very little use for possessions of his own, and generally just takes what he thinks he will need for a particular purpose and returns it afterwords. He prefers not to be held down in any particular location, so he continues the habit of traveling light, much to Sierthra's relief. Most of his personal loadout comes in the form of a variety of weapons, a habit now reinforced by his more dangerous position. Whereupon leaving his home, Kyemen took with him a pair of matched longknives, a combination that he finds both very portable and highly effective. One sheathed on the left side of his belt, the other over his left shoulder, the blades are placed ideally for a swift draw with either hand, which has saved his life on many occasions. From the tip of the blade to the pommel of the slightly curved wooden hilt, these knives measure twenty-one inches long, a length providing unmatched lightness and speed, which allows for deadly accuracy in close quarters. Like many elven weapons, these are sharpened only on the downward edge, and made to be wielded in quick slashing and stabbing motions. In addition, he carries a series of small daggers, which he uses primarily for throwing, often concealing as many as eight at any given time, even while sleeping. However, the most conspicuous feature of his appearance lies in a larger weapon.

In the first few months of his wanderings, Kyemen was an earthbound witness to a battle between Morzan and a young Dragon Rider, not fully understanding what he was seeing. While the stricken body of the young dragon finally landed many miles away, drawing off the first of the Forsworn, Kyemen was able to recover the Rider's sword, which was dropped during the course of the battle. While at first guilty for taking the blade, and often anxious at the risk while being seen carrying it within the Empire, the quality of the craftsmanship and the rightness of its balance and feel soon dispelled any doubt, and he now counts it as the most valuable of his possessions.

Measuring at forty inches long from point to pommel, this sword a simple affair among Rider's blades, but possesses a deadly beauty that transcends that of more common weapons; a relic from a passed age. Culminating at a vicious point and possessing an pitilessly keen double edge, the blade is straight and slender, slim enough to find weak points in the fullest armor, yet stout enough to hack through it depending on the situation, making for a very well-rounded weapon. Fullered down most of its length to conserve weight, it is light enough to be wielded by one or two hands, and yet, by the skill of the elven smith Rhunon, is almost completely unbreakable. In keeping with tradition of the old order, the color of the blade matches the dragon of its previous owner, in this case a very dark shade of red, deep enough to almost appear black depending on the light, creating a somewhat menacing aura. Set beneath the blade itself, the crosstrees are made of a strong black metal, fashioned subtly in the shape of a hawk's wings. While very unusual for Rider's weapons, the pommel is merely a simple teardrop shape of onyx, matching both the metal of the guard and the dark leather binding of the hilt.

While doing little to conceal the splendor of the sword, Kyemen stores it in a simple steel and black leather scabbard, which he purchased from a merchant soon after recovering it, and it has since become worn and travel-stained, even if the weapon it protects remains untouched by the hand of time. Kyemen normally straps his sword against his back, keeping it out of the way while running or jumping, to be drawn over the right shoulder whenever stealth or negotiation fail.

Personality:

Outwardly, Kyemen has a very temperate disposition. He is usually very calm and collected in his actions, not often prone to extreme emotions one way or another. To almost anyone except Sierthra, his is very quiet and reserved, far preferring to stay in the background than to being the center of attention. This leads him to be very flexible within the Varden ranks, simply trying to quietly complete the tasks assigned to him, performing any role that is needed. However, a certain amount of casual disregard for the rules often puts him at odds with Varden leaders who are obsessed with protocol and chain of command. He has learned quickly that it is far easier to seek forgiveness than permission from most of the Varden command structure. He holds little regards for the roundabout politics in which his position sometimes forces him to take part, instead cutting right to the point whenever possible.

Inwardly, Kyemen is different. While he holds a complete and total sense of indifference on most subjects, sometimes to the frustration of his friends, there are still a select few matters about which he feels very deeply. Having spent a whole century simply wandering the Empire, seeing the corruption in all its forms but choosing to do nothing, he knows that he has it within him to fall into a state of indifferent complacency. He is constantly on guard against this darker nature, carefully assessing his actions against it. After his encounter with Galbatorix opened his eyes to the concept of good and evil, he has devoted his life to the service of others, counting every life as greater than his own. He has made it his mission to save as many lives as he can, even those of his enemies. He feels this is the least he can do to atone for his years of foolish ignorance, and this sense of guilt often drives him into dangerous situations that might otherwise have been avoided, much to his dragon's frustration.

History:

Born in Ellesmera, Kyemen's parents had great hope for his future. They wished him to be a scholar, to learn great wisdom for the elven people. However, it became apparent from an early age that he had a natural talent for fighting. This quickly became his greatest passion, and he did his best to learn from anyone willing to teach him. His parents did not wish him to be a warrior, but their protests fell on deaf ears. Kyemen quickly became very skilled, and began feeling the call of adventure outside the forests of his home. Finally, only two years before the fall of the riders, he left the guarding forest to wander the world. After this, his family cursed him, vowing to forget his name, saying that he had betrayed his people. For more than a hundred years, Kyemen wandered most of Alagaesia, never staying in one place for very long. He learned many things about humans and their customs, eventually coming to speak their tongue as fluently as that of his people. He witnessed all the brutal oppression of the empire, but still he remained detached from the war.

All this changed when the empire discovered the full extent of his activities. He was captured by a dragon rider and taken before the king himself. He was able to escape, but after seeing the full evil of Galbatorix first hand, he decided to lend his skill to the varden. Shortly afterword, he fought in the battle of Melian, helping to defend the town from the full might of the imperial army. He survived that ordeal, but out of sheer good fortune. After the battle had ceased, he spend a good deal of time thinking, and eventually decided to see if his fate was to become a dragon rider. To his joy, an egg hatched for him, a female spring green dragon. It was a glorious time, sharing all of his knowledge and teaching her the meaning of words in both languages. After several options were dispelled, he named her Sierthra.

She grew very quickly, and was large enough to be ridden after less than three months. After this, they made the journey back to Kyemen's homeland and began training. He learned many new skills and abilities, and became much stronger in magic. After completing the training, they returned to the varden to assume they're duties. They now conduct missions of surveillance and sabotage, putting Kyemen's extensive knowledge of the empire to good use.

Other:

He has the ability to use magic, but was not very good with it as elves go. However, after becoming a rider, his ability increased ten-fold, and he began to use it far more than before.


Name: Sierthra
Race: Dragon
Age: Recently hatched
Allegiance: Varden

Appearence:

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The first thing one normally notices about Sierthra is the vibrant spring green coloration of her scales, and they certainly are noticeable. Each one is as a dwarven jewel, flawless and unmarred. Sometimes while flying in daylight the glint of them can be seen from almost half a mile away, and she is very proud of their shine. But she acknowledges that this is not always to her advantage, and is not completely above dulling them with dirt when stealth is needed. While beautiful, her scales also serve for protection. Each one is interlocking and harder than any coat of mail, and far lighter and less restricting. While almost impervious to most blades and shafts, she prefers not to rely totally on it or Kyemen's magic to protect her, and strives never to be hit at all.

She is about average size as dragons her age have been known, and her limbs and tail are well-muscled and strong. Her form is however more lithe and streamlined in nature, making her movements fluid and elegant. She is more built for travel than battle, and prefers to take on enemies from the air. Although disadvantaged by lack of brute strength, she more than makes up with her blinding speed.

Up close, her wings are easily the most distinguishing feature of her appearance. These can fold neatly against her flanks while on the ground, but her true magnificence is shown when they are unfurled for flight. They are more then twice the length of her body, and are unusually muscled and strong. Given structure by light fingers of bone, these bat-like and translucent emerald membranes are shot through by delicate veins that mostly find their source at the wing's muscular leading edge. Combined with her streamlined body, these abnormally powerful wings can propel her through the sky far faster than any living dragon. This is true both for short range sprints as well as covering long distances, and her first crossing from Du Weldenvarden to Surda took slightly less then four days, and this at a leisurely pace. She uses this ability to her full advantage, using hit and run tactics to wound more powerful enemies and then get out of range before retaliation can be made. She specializes in outmaneuvering her enemies, using her talents to the fullest to cover her weaknesses. She especially avoids being cornered, because most of her maneuvers need larger area to be made at full speed. She has recently learned to breath fire, but was rather disappointed when she did. Even with extensive practice and wishful thinking, she is unable to maintain her jade-colored flame for anything longer than thirty seconds.

Starting at the base of her skull, a row of curved ivory spikes runs down her back, creating a hazardous ridge down her entire length, save for a hollow at the base of her neck where her rider can sit. Her legs are well proportioned, ending with four-clawed talons. Of the same color as her back ridges, these thin talons are wickedly curved, possessing a dangerous serration on the inside running down a third of their length, and are sharp enough to shear bone and hard enough to gouge rock without damage. The digits these talons are connected to are dexterous, working much like the claws of a bird of prey to grasp and tear.

Her head is roughly triangular in shape, although slimmer and more angular then some male dragons. She does not have the crowning horns that some of her race possess, giving her face a somewhat more feminine appearance. Filled with fearsome teeth that can bite through tough armor with ease, her mouth possesses two especially long fangs at the front that protrude even when closed, making her look hostile and frightening when she wants to be. Her eyes make all the difference between the appearance of a fearsome warrioress or a gentle friend. Sparkling like the deep forest wells, her eyes are a deeper shade of green then the rest of her body, like young leaves in spring. They are always indicative of her emotions, whether narrowed in anger or softened in pity.

Personality:

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Of all the words that could be used to describe Sierthra, 'gentle' would not be one of them.
Fiercely task-oriented, she views that world through the lens of What Needs to be Done, swift in action and bold in execution.
Ever since the day she hatched into the hands of her chosen Rider, she had her priorities decided, and care for the feelings of others did not factor very highly on that list. Her view of the world is one of fine lines, black and white distinctions in people and in situations.
In her mind, people fall into one of two categories; allies, to be protected if possible, and avenged if not, and enemies, to be eliminated without mercy. Apart from a very small group of friends within this first category, she shows what might be called a polite tolerance, holding very little patience for the fools and egotists within the Varden ranks. Although she has never admitted it to anyone besides Kyemen, she would dispense with politeness altogether if it was not strictly necessary to her goals. She is adept at cutting straight to the heart of an issue, never one to waste time with circular politics and moral gymnastics.

To those within the second category, she shows nothing but death.
After parsing the knowledge gleaned from her Rider's memory, as well as the ancient ancestral knowledge of her race, she has come away with a deep-seated hatred for the Empire and all that it stands for. Galbatorix is nothing less than the single greatest abomination in the entire history of Alagaesia, and he and all those who swear allegiance to him are beyond redemption. She has made it her task in life to bring down the Empire and bring freedom back to Alagaesia, meting out a swift death to anyone standing in the way. It is over this issue that she often stands at odds with her Rider's penchant for forgiveness, one of the few things on which they stand apart.

This driven, straightforward philosophy halts, however, in regard to her friends. While there are very few that she titles with this distinction, she is fiercely protective of this elite few. It is with these that she actually makes an effort to be gentle and considerate, even going as far as outright affection for some. Her relationship with her Rider especially is one of respect for his strengths and fierce love in the face of his faults. She is even more sure now that she chose Kyemen well than on the day she hatched, knowing that he is her perfect counterpart.

History:

Although she has very little memory from within her egg, she does remember the sense of constant expectation. After many years, she remembers feeling the touch of another being, and knowing, unlike all the others, that this was the one. After a few tense moments of struggling to break through the emerald wall of her egg, she finally pushed herself into the world for the first time. She felt a surge of icy energy pass from herself to Kyemen, and knew they’re minds would forever be linked, a bond that would never be destroyed.

After nearly three months she grew large enough to be ridden, and the pair began the long journey to the guarding forest to begin training. They spent a great deal of time there, learning not only new skills, but about the responsibility of they’re role.

After completing the rigorous training, they returned to the varden to assume they’re duties. They now carry out missions of scouting and sabotage, using Sierthra’s speed to stay hidden until the moment is right, then vanishing quickly. [/Size][/blockquote]

Note: Dragons are only available through the Destiny board.