The Alliance

[Cindella]

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Long ago, there were four races ruling in harmony with one another; Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Orc.
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But a day came when the Orc Leader wished to have more power. So he teamed up with the Giants, Goblins, Ogres, and many other creatures of the night to attack their fellow leaders. However, it would not be that easy. Instead of killing all three leaders, Only the Elvhen leader had fallen... leaving the other two in chaos.
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They had no clue if the other races helped the Orcs or not, and none would stay to listen.
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So the Humans barricaded their forts, and the Elvhen their forests, while the Dwarves disappeared underground. Within years, the Orcs had gained control of most of the land, save manned Human strongholds, and the wild forests that were tended by the Elvhen.
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For over a century, this is how they lived... in fear, and hatred, of one another.
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Will they be able to see reason, and unite against the darkness that is plaguing the land? Or will their pride get the best of them?
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[coold00d12]

King James the Valiant


Demographics
 
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Spoiler

Full name: James de Serjo

Nickname/Epithet: James the Valiant

Age: 28

Gender: Male

5'11|147 lbs|Hazel eyes|Dirty Blonde

Personality
 
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Spoiler

Warrior's Spirit: James is a warrior at heart. He never desired the crown, but took it to defend his people. James fleeing from battle is almost unheard of, as his thirst for battle is insatiable.

Noble's Etiquette: Under his father's orders, James went through various etiquette lessons. James hates the formalities of court, but observes said formalities so he does not offend possible allies.

Tactician's Mind: James observes the world as if he were planning a war, which he is. Everything from meeting with nobility to war, he plans it carefully. This also leads to his more ruthless side, as he is willing to sacrifice almost anything for victory.

History
 
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Spoiler

   James was born to King Henry de Serjo II, a kind and easy-going man. By the time James was six, he wanted to be a warrior. He pleaded with his father to train him. His father was no warrior, but he was too kind to say no to his only son. At age seven, he began training with his father's most trusted bodyguard.
   At age fourteen, he was able to defeat most of the palace guard in battle. As he became bored with dueling the palace guards, he begged his father to allow him to become a soldier and fight for the kingdom. His father denied him, of course. However, on James' nineteenth birthday, his father officially knighted him, surprising many within the court. James then left the life of royalty, traveling around the kingdom, battling bandits and the like. It wasn't real warfare, but James was content. James was determined to win every battle, earning him the epithet " the Valiant" from the peasantry.
   On his twenty-sixth birthday, he received a letter informing him that his father had died. On that day, James began to ride for the palace, leaving hundreds of dead bandits in his wake. By the time he arrived, a noble had placed himself on the throne, claiming to represent a council of the nobility who would assume control of the kingdom from now on. James decided to arrange a meeting with this noble, which the noble accepted. Mere second after the noble had greeted James, James had parted the noble's head from his body. This effectively scared the other nobles into submission, assuring that no one would object to him taking power.

 

[Cindella]

  

 
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Spoiler

Full Name: Inari OdirthvenNickname: InariAge: 24Gender: Female5'2 | 103 lbs | Green-Brown Eyes | Red Hair
Scar Running from Throat to Behind the Left Ear
Freckles
Branch-like Facial Tattoos
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Spoiler

| Cautious | Fiery | Brave | Curious | Loyal | Opinionated |
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--- Cautious


When not in the safe confines of her city, she's often roaming the forests, heeding the signs of the land around her to prevent from being spotted by Humans or Orcs.


--- Fiery


She's not one to back down from a fight, no matter what the odds are.


--- Brave


Often she will stand up and do what no one else will, despite the consequences, as long as it's for the good of her people.


--- Curious


Despite having been told that Humans were terrible all her life, she still finds them fascinating; as they are complete opposites of the Elvhen.


--- Loyal


Nothing can turn her against her friends, not even extreme torture. She would rather die, than turn on someone whom she calls friend.


--- Opinionated


If she believes there is a better way to do something, think someone is wrong, disagrees with someone's opinion, then she will make it known.

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Spoiler

Inari grew up hating the humans, for supposedly doing nothing to prevent their leader from being killed over a hundred years ago. However, that didn't stop her from always being curious about their short eared friends. Humans were so different compared to the Elvhen. Where Elvhen were narrow, humans were wide, where they were slim, humans were bulky, where they were lean, humans were thick, where they were elegant, humans were rugged. The human males were a different beast altogether; they exhumed a masculine, powerful virility. Their jaws even- square, prominent, masculine and strong... whereas Elvhen men’s were long, smooth, curved. It was like comparing a smooth stone in a riverbed to a cliff face.

That curiosity got the better of her one day and she had been caught while spying on a group of human male warriors. She was barely ten and two at the time, but plenty old enough to understand what was happening. Instead of also being friendly towards her, as she had tried to be upon being found, they were rough and cruel. To this day she could still feel their calloused hands on her arms... the knife pressed against her throat. She was lucky that her Clan's Keeper even found her alive at all. Had it not been for the human being bad at slitting a throat, she would have been dead. But, as fate would have it, she survived. Since then, she's harboured fear, and anger, towards the humans, not only for what happened a hundred years ago, but more for what happened to her in the forest, just ten years ago.

Now, she's being trained as her Keeper's First. Meaning that she will take over the leadership role in her clan one day. But for now, she serves her clan by scouting and hunting. Any human she came across met the sharp end of either her arrow, or her dagger.
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[coold00d12]

   Marching could be heard in the Elven forests. Three hundred human soldiers would be marching, along with twenty knights and their king riding. " I still don't think this is a good idea..." said Sir Locke, King James' most trusted knight and body guard. James would nod, " I wish I didn't have to go begging to the elves, but when it comes to battle, it's best to have numbers on your side." The group of knights would murmur agreement while scanning the treeline. Meanwhile, ahead and behind the small army, ten scouts would fan out and search the road and the surrounding forest.

 

[Cindella]

Inari frowned as she watched the humans scouting through her people's forests. Her nose scrunched in disgust. How dare they march, with an army no less, into their forests! She knew this could only be bad, the humans never seemed to have any regard for them. All they wanted was to use them. Dropping down from the tree she had been perched in, she squatted low to avoid being seen. A few scouts had pushed past her spot, never seeing her, so now she had to slip past them. Her hand brushed briefly over the long scar that extended from behind her ear, all the way to the hollow of her throat. The way she saw it, they were no better than the band that had given her the scar. It was true, the Elvhen had knowledge of quick healing, but she chose to bare the scar in reminder to not trust humans. Turning to leave, she found her face only a few inches from the tip of a broadsword. Her green eyes flicked up to the scout that had her at the end of his blade.

"You better remove your sword from my face, shem." She snarled at him, then when he didn't listen, she sprang forwards.
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She latched onto the male, scabbling to rip her dagger free from it's sheath on her thigh. However, he was much to quick for her and had her pressed to the ground in seconds, his own dagger hovering just above her scar, by her ear, where the scar started. She breathed heavily, angry that she had been bested by a shem no less. However, he didn't move to kill.

"Stop moving, I'm not here to kill you." He said, his voice gravelly.
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She relaxed, for just a hair of a moment, letting him believe she had submitted to his control, then she lunched back at him, having worked her dagger free from her leg. She could see in his eyes the moment that he realized she would rather kill him than figure out why he was here. Growling, he easily flipped her off of him and pressed her back to the ground, this time on her stomach.
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"Get off you filthy shem!" She hissed, struggling to break free as he pulled her arms behind her back.
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"Not quite..." He said, his voice focused on another task. "There."

She felt the familiar bite of rope against her wrists and then his weight leaned off of him. He sat back, panting heavily.
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"Damn, You elves are fast." He said with a breathy grin.
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Her green eyes narrowed at him as she watched him, listening. She knew he had her at an advantage. With no way to get herself up quickly, he would be able to easily take her down again. So for now, she stayed still.
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"Still, I can't let you go running off, to attack the rest of our men. We're just coming to talk."

"With an army? Do we look as stupid as you sound?" She spat, her eyes ablaze.
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"It's not that simple..." He said, his eyes dark.
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[coold00d12]

       The army would continue forward, the knights conversing casually. " How far was it again, Sir Locke?" Asked King James. Sir Locke would reply, " About an two hours ride, your highness. However, with an army in tow, it should be six hours." King James would frown, then look to the knight, " I know you think meeting with the elves is a bad idea, and that bringing an army is an even worse idea. However, if they decide to attack us before we can reason with them, I'd like to have an army at my back. Besides, three hundred isn't even that much of an army."
       The two would continue to converse, seemingly at odds. It would only seem this way to outsiders, however. People who know the two well, know that this is the entire reason four their friendship. The only reason Sir Locke is King James' most trusted companion is that they have differing opinions, yet they still get along famously, allowing them to learn the other side, while still being able to trust each other's advice. The two would then stop conversation as one of the scouts reported back, claiming that the scouts were bringing something back to the king. The king would then look into the sky, seeing how it was darkening. " Might as well make camp for a bit. Tell the men to make camp, we'll continue moving in three hours," he would say to Locke, who would nod and ride off to inform the army. The king would then construct his own tent, as he refused to bring servants with him.

 

[Cindella]

"You think that I'm going to trust a Shemlen like yourself? Saying there's an army at your backs and all you want is peace talks?"

She actually started laughing at how stupid it sounded. He looked upset at her laughter, but didn't say anything, knowing that it was probably as insane as it sounded. However, he knew that they had to try if they were going to survive the Orcs and their dark races. Sighing, he glanced up at the sky, seeing that it was starting to darken.
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"I honestly don't know what to do with you. If I let you go, you'll tell your people and they'll attack us on sight, but if I keep you captive, King James might have my head for it." He said, standing up and pacing.
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Inari watched the human male pace, a flame of curiosity flickering back to life. Angrily, she bit down on her bottom lip, drawing blood, as she attempted to distract her thoughts. Humans were part of the reason they were in this mess. Another sigh from the male brought her gaze back to him.

"I guess I'm going to have to risk my head." He said, worry etched in his face.
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Humans were so easy to read. Aside from their brash personalities, they were very expressive. Suddenly she was airborne and standing on her feet. The male gave a grunt of surprise.

"Wow I didn't expect you to be so...." He said trailing off, not thinking that was a good sentence to finish, then piped up again, "Don't run, please. I'm not here to hurt you. We aren't."
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---
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An hour later the sounds of human voice filled her ears. She knew that they were about half a mile away from the camp. She'd already tried escaping a handful of times, leaving both of them bruised and battered. He had a split lip, a darkening right eye, and a slight limp. She had a scrape on her cheek, on the strange tree branch-like markings on her cheeks. His were caused from her attacking him, whereas hers was more for being tripped when she ran. When they finally reached the camp, she felt herself become more afraid, but she didn't let them see that. Instead she strode into the camp, a few paces ahead of the scout, with her head help high and a murderous glare in her green eyes.
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Quite a few of the soldiers stopped what they were doing and stared at the red haired elf passing through their camps. More than anything, a majority of them despised her while the remaining few found her kind graceful. She met the eyes of those who stared, until they looked away. The man behind her, Kristoff, held tightly to her wrist restraints to keep her from running off. He knew a great many of the people here would prefer to see her dead. Still, they pushed through the throng of tents until they reached the middle, where the King's tent would lay. No doubt that word would have already spread since they entered camp. He just hoped that he wouldn't be reprimanded too harshly for his actions.
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[coold00d12]

   The guards outside the tent would part to allow them entrance. One of the guards would then pull the flap of the tent open, revealing James sitting on a wooden chair. The tent contained a surprisingly meager environment, as it consisted of a small table, three wooden chairs, and a bedroll. As the two walked inside, James would look to Kristoff, then quietly speak. " Report to Sir Locke, immediately."
    He would then turn to the elf, shaking his head as he dropped into a low bow. He would then stand, " I hate that you had to be taken prisoner, I truly do. I'm sure he had good reasons, however." He would then walk over to the table, picking up a pitcher of water and pouring a cup. " Are you thirsty, madam?"

 

[Cindella]

Kristoff nodded, and bowed before he turned to Inari with an apologetic smile.

"I am sorry. I do hope that you can forgive me." He said, dipping out of the tent.
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Inari narrowed her eyes at him as he left, trying to figure out how being nice to her would earn him any favor. However, her thoughts were interrupted by their King himself bowing to her. She scoffed at his words while subtly trying to work her hands free of the restraints that kept them tied behind her back. 
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"As if I would take drink offered to me by a shem." She growled, her green eyes narrowed at him. "I'd rather not die of poison."
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[coold00d12]

     James would shrug and down the water himself. After placing the pitcher and cup back on the table he would motion to one of the chairs, " Please, sit. I do not wish to harm you, nor your people. I'm only here to meet with your leaders." He would then sit in one of the chairs himself, " Perhaps I should introduce myself, my name is James de Serjo, king of men. Care to introduce yourself?"

 

[Cindella]

Her gaze followed his gesture towards the chair, only to return to him as she frowned. She ignored his question completely, only noting down his name and face in her memory, in case she had to kill him later; if he wronged her in any way.

"It's sure hard to sit comfortably and talk when your hands are tied. Afraid of a little girl?" She taunted, venom in her tone.
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It was one of her worst traits, to dig the hole she had herself in deeper than it was with her words.
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[coold00d12]

    James would begin to chuckle, " Little girl? You put up quite a fight against one of my scouts. I'm honestly surprised that one of you isn't dead right now. I've seen the man fight, and he's no easy man to battle. As to the fear part, I have a small army outside, should you kill me, you won't get far." He would then stand and draw a dagger, " I'll make you a deal, you tell me your name, and rank if you have one, and I'll cut the ropes. What do you say?"

 

[Cindella]

She did have to admit, his scout was a worthy opponent. He had her bested tenfold, but she didn't mention this to him. She shifted her weight to her right leg as he spoke, giving her quite the ultimatum. However, she wasn't quite done razing him yet. So instead she turned, her green eyes still on him, as she walked towards the table, glancing down at the various objects and papers on the table before she spoke.

"You say you're here to speak of peace. Show it now and unbind me." She said, turning to look at him before adding. "And I'll promise not to try and kill you."
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[coold00d12]

   James would frown, twirling the knife in his hand. " I don't recall that being the deal. You're not exactly in a position to negotiate here, being the one who is bound and all. I'll unbind you as soon as you give me your name and rank, as I have done for you. After all, it's common procedure to exchange these formalities when meeting with someone you haven't met." James would then look to the elf, a confident look on his face.

 

[Cindella]

She smirked, enjoying as she caused him discomfort. Returning her gaze back to the papers on the table, her eyes danced over the words, taking in something about an Orc threat to one of their cities. As much as she understood the plight they were going through, she still couldn't get past her ingrained hate for them. However, a look at his smug face lit the fire in her belly again.
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"It sure would hurt your so called peace talks for them to learn that you kept one of their own as a prisoner." She said, her lids slightly lowered as her green eyes caught his hazel ones.
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[coold00d12]

     James would shrug. " It's war. Besides, you assaulted one of my men. Were one of my people to assault one of your people and be captured, they'd be imprisoned or worse. I have full rights to take you as a prisoner in this case." He would then sit back down, laying the dagger on the table in front of him and pouring another cup of water. " Now, name and rank?"

 

[Cindella]

"Your man had me at the end of his blade, I had every right to defend myself."
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Had her hands been free, she knew she would have attempted to strangle the human right then. However, being that her hands were currently tied, and it didn't look like they would be released anytime soon, so she couldn't. However, she knew that he wouldn't get anywhere with her name and rank anyways, so she would revel in that pleasure.

"Inari Odirthven, no rank." She said, a smirk on her face. "Now if you don't mind."

The female would then turned her back to the male, hoping that his quest for peace would be more driving than his want to have her killed.
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[coold00d12]

    James would smile, then pick the dagger back up. " One moment please." He would walk over to her and cut the elf's bonds, taking a couple steps back. " Thank you, Lady Odirthven. Now if you'd have a seat, I'd like to speak with you." He would then sit down and look to the elf expectantly. 

 

[Cindella]

Upon her hands being freed, she brought them to her front, rubbing the raw ringlets that were left on her. Just another mark a human has left on me. She thought darkly, her mind thinking about the long scar that graced her from throat to ear. Making her way to the chair, she turned it so the chair's back was facing the human then sat down on it backwards with her chest against the back of the chair and her arms resting over the top of it as she watched him.

"Of course, because helping a shem is all I've ever dreamt about." She said coldly, "What makes you think that I'm going to talk to you about anything?"
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[coold00d12]

    James would shrug. " Maybe you'd rather not be bound again? Whether you answer or not, I'm still going to ask. First, is there anything I could get you? Within reason, of course. Second, I'd like you to define shem. I assume it's a slur, and if so, I'd like you to refrain from directing it at me. Third, I'd like you to confirm a map's accuracy." He would then point to a detailed map of the elven territories, labeling several cities and villages.

 

[Cindella]

She quirked her brow at him at the second offer to have something fetched for her, but she only ignored it. However she answered the second question, or rather... statement.

"Shem, or shemlen, is what we call humans. It means 'quickling' or 'quick children.'" She said, surprising herself for revealing this bit of knowledge, "You humans have such short lifespans, it was fitting."
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She didn't meet his gaze upon telling him what it meant, feeling torn at letting a human know something about her culture. However, that was forgotten as he showed her the map. Looking back up at him, she searched his face for meaning as to why he had a rough cut map of where various Elvhen cities were located.

"Why do you need me to validate this?"
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[coold00d12]

     James would nod as she defined shem. " Ah thank you." He would then lean forward and point to the nearest Elven city. " That's our destination. We hope to stop there and seek shelter while meeting with the local leaders. We also hope to find a messenger that would be willing to take a letter to the capitol, as our messengers never returned from their journeys. I just want to be sure that we're on the right path, as a local you should know the area. I'm just hoping Locke didn't get us lost again." The main purpose of his question, however, was to test her. The map was actually drawn by an elf, and validated, before being bought in order to guide their journey.

 

[Cindella]

"The Council more than likely thought that your messengers were spies. Without accompaniment by another elf, they were probably shot down on the spot." She said, no remorse in her voice. "The only way you're going to get a messenger into the city is with one of my kind at your side. There has been too much blood shed between our races, that if you tried to go it alone, it would not end well."
 
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She looked closely at his map, It was pretty accurate to what she could remember of the maps in the Great Library. They had the layout of the more important cities, but a few of the smaller ones had been left off the map; probably since they aren't as essential to his so called plan for peace. However, she did have to admire how accurate the parts that were on the map, running a hand over it as a thought came to her.
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"Who helped you create the map? I can't have been a human." She questioned, turning to look at him, her eyes narrowed in curiosity.
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[coold00d12]

   James would nod solemnly as the elf mentioned the likelihood of the messenger's deaths. " Could've at least heard them out." Then, as she asked about the map, he would grin. " I assume it's accurate then? As to your question, a man must keep some professional secrets, mustn't he?" The man would then stand up and walk to the entrance of the tent. He would whisper something to one of the guards, then sit back down. " Now, you mentioned that we won't be able to gain an audience without one of your people, correct? I think I already know your answer to this, but I'll try anyway. Would you be interested in accompanying us and assisting us in our negotiations? You'd be rewarded of course, not to mention that you would be helping stop the deaths of thousands of both of our peoples."

 

[Cindella]

She rolled her eyes as she moved away from the map, crossing her arms as she looked at him.

"For the most part. What's on there is accurate. But there are a few cities not listed. I assume because your representative didn't think them worthy to be placed."

Her green eyes followed him as he moved past her and towards the tent's entrance. Her skin prickled, thinking that he was probably asking a guard to have her detained once more; now that she seemed to be useless. However, that was not the case as he sat down and asked her a question, she thought he never would. She burst out laughing, her laugh sounding like bells, as she doubled over. When her laughing calmed down enough that she could right herself, she wiped her eye, a smile on her face.

"That's a good one, I thought you might've actually meant it there for a minute. Who knew humans had a sense of humor."
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But, one look at his face, told her that he was speaking plainly. The scowl returned to her face as she looked at him hard.

"Even if I did agree to this, there's no way your entire army could accompany you. Ten men would be pushing it." She informed.
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