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Araya
Araya is a Seventh Age Imrhys woman who became ruler of Arathea and one of the premier healers on the Achar.
| History | Physical Descriptions | Writing for the Character |
| Models and Color Palettes | Gaming Statistics |
History
The Seventh Age (15,001-17,500 AI)
Early Life
Araya is born on Juni 30, 15709. She is the eldest child of the king and queen of Arathea.
In 15713, Araya's parents are killed in a 'hunting accident', leaving her three uncles (triplets) to fight over the throne. The eldest triplet, Jordenor, believed in industrialization and spent much of his time on the throne working towards that goal – which meant razing the beautiful forests of the Arathea to the ground. The second uncle, Jejan, believed all three brothers should work together as a regency council until Araya came of age to inherit her birthright. He did not believe in extreme industrialization, but believed in the traditions of his people: peace, knowledge, and art. The third uncle, Jacren, was vain and easily swayed by flattering words. He desired the throne only to be adored for his beauty, and was effortlessly manipulated by the leaders of the Merchant Union, which desired to control all of Arathea's lucrative trade.
The one person other than her uncle Jejan that Araya could count on and love was Nursey, her nurse, bodyguard, and eventual weapons and combat instructor. Nursey was not always with her, however, because Nursey was loyal to Jejan, and both Jordenor and Jacren would attempt to take her into custody of the nation for period. During these times she often fled into what remained of the forests, leaving Araya lonely for a period. While the young princess would occasionally be called to court at the Royal Palace, which was separated from the capital by a wide, straight rode that crossed over Arathea's main river, Araya spent most of her childhood at the Royal Retreat, located almost two hundred miles away, situated above the Cliffs of Araynor. The Retreat was alternately a prison and playplace, depending on which uncle was currently in control and who would be appointed to care for the young girl.
The uncles also differed on what lessons the young princess should learn. Jordenor kept her busy at tasks like sewing, music, art, and dancing, feeling they would make her easy to marry off in her teenage years. Jejan instructed Nursey to put her through rigorous training in hand to hand combat as well as writing and reading. Jacren usually didn't bother with her education when he would gain control (which was rare), and so Araya usually continued whatever lessons had been set down by the uncle previously in power.
Over time, the lush, forested paradise of Arathea began to look like a barren wasteland. The plains of nourishment weren't touched because of their intrinsic value as the main source of food for the island nation, but nearly all forests were thinned or cleared. The skirmishes and battles of constant fighting began to reshape the land as well.
In 13726, Jordenor made his run at power. Nursey and Jejan had to go into hiding, while Jacren fled directly into the hands of Amaralina Darren. Araya became essentially a prisoner in her own palace.
Awakening
By the advent of Araya's twentieth birthday, her uncle Jodrenor had gained nearly permanent control of Arathea. Araya was brought to the throne room. Jordenor threatened Araya and told her that if she wasn't a good little girl and get married off, he would kill Nursey and Jejan, whom he had captured. She stood up to him, and he lost his temper and orders to kill Nursie. Araya Awakened, turning her uncle and all of his supporters – wherever they were – into trees. These trees become the parents of the forests that would soon begin to grow at an accelerated rate throughout the island of Arathea.
In 17091, Araya was traveling in the far east and north when she sensed an Imrhys Awakening. She felt the rage and the magic the neo-Imrhys was undergoing. She went to Mirrim, and found the raging Yuuri Harkinlindor destroying the town he had loved. Sensing the emotion magic used on him she battled through both his physical and mental defenses and used her own magic to calm him. When Yuuri woke back up, he was sprawled in the town square in the center of town. The entire town was razed to the ground, and it seemed the entire town was dead. The only thing still standing in town was a black tree by his parents' house.
Araya tried to teach Yuuri Harkinlindor control, but as soon as he can, he rushed off to find what had driven him insane. He discovered the eight-legged creature was the Dathrys Lord Bakon the Manipulator.
Araya followed Yuuri, but he had already beaten back the Dathrhys Lord Bakon. She worked a little with him a little, but soon had to get back to Arathea.
The Mammotherium
In 18030 AI, Zierath and Memon visited Araya in Arathea so Memon could learn more of the healing arts. While they were there, they received word that a powerful new Type V Dathrhys had come into being. Zierath, Araya, and Memon travelled to Archaeron, joining the ruler Taladon and his teacher Torilena. On Toberary 32, the five Imrhys meet the Mammotherium midway between Port Bald and Delmont, and engaged him in battle. Araya and Lord Zierath step forward first, as the eldest of the group. Showing more intelligence than credited with, the Mammotherium did not even try to engage them in battle. Instead he picked up the over-confident lord, throwing him three miles out to sea, and then shook an avalanche down upon the fastidious queen, eliminating them for the time being. Torilena and Memon, not wanting the young Taladon to engage the creature again, sent him back out of the immediate battle area. Though slightly less arrogant after seeing their elders dealt with, Torilena and Memon still believed they were good enough to take on the dathrys. Memon was dealt with first; the Mammotherium takes his polearm and uses it as a giant club, bashing Memon several hundred feet down into the sand. Torilena is left standing alone against the monster, and Mammo decided it was more fun to play bouncy ball with her than to deal with her in a manner similar to the other three Imrhys. Taladon was not pleased at his teacher’s treatment, and summoned his magic, jumping out of his hiding place, and grabbing his teacher made an enormous leap, landing over a mile away. By the time Taladon made it back to the fight area, the Mammotherium had rumbled on along his way, and Araya and Memon are digging themselves out. Araya healed Torilena, and Zierath joined the group again shortly.
The chagrined Imrhys prepared for the next stage of battle, a little wiser and a bit less confident. On Wantober 7, the Arachareon army failed to stop the Mammotherium, but it gave the the five Imrhys a chance to catch up. This time they worked as a team. The five combine, sending one blast of magic at the gigantic dathrys, and it is blown across the channel into neighboring Khitania, landing against a mountain and breaking into seven pieces. When the Imrhys find it, they all examine it for signs of life and magic. Finding none, they bury the pieces under the mountain to avoid them ever re-combining. Memon, Torilena and Taladon, being the young Imrhys they are, immediately claim souveniers: for Taladon, the tusks (attached to part of the skull); for Torilena, the trunk is the souvenier of the day, and for Memon only a claw will do. Zierath and Araya debate the wisdom of taking such a souvenier, but their love of education and giving sage warnings eventually wins out, and Zierath takes the tail, and Araya one of the giant rubies which had been the Mammo’s eyes (purely for educational and academic purposes, though Araya does quite love pretty things, and has the ruby placed on top of her scepter). Taladon’s tusks are placed in the same museum as the Mammo’s weapon, and Memon gives the claw to the ruler of his nation. Archareaon throws a great party for the five heroes, and Khitalina is quietly informed of the dathrys buried in her land.
In 18063, the tail in the Zierathan History Museum disappeared. No trace of it could be found.
In the year 18081, Teeya led an army from the country of Selasor into Lutzovitch. The Field General is force to retreat from Little Port. King Lutz was in conference with his guest Queen Araya of Araythea. When he was informed of the invasion, he was enraged. He left the Field General in charge of the defenses of the capital city of Elkader. Araya became concerned that the angry king might do something foolish – such as challenge the much older and more powerful Teeya to combat. She followed Lutz west. Lutz snuck into Teeya’s camp. He crept to her tent which was set back from the encampment. With no preamble, he leapt into the tent screaming “Death to you, Teeya!” Teeya ran out of the tent using indigo (emotion) magic, making him feel indecisive. He hesitated, and she tried to get the King of Lutzovitch to stab himself with his own sword. He fought off the compulsion and managed to slice across Teeya’s midsection. Teeya screamed and hit Lutz with both her sword through his left shoulder and with the full force of her emotion magic – reducing him to a child-like state. Teeya raised her sword to finish Lutz when Araya appeared. Using her Life/Green Magic, she made a large thorn bush grab Teeya from behind, pulling her away from the fallen king. As Teeya struggled free of the thorn bush, Araya was able to flee with the mind-fried king to Luny Tia, where King Yorve would be able to protect them.
Araya sent out a call for help, and many Imrhys allies of Lutz arrived to aid him. These allies took out most of her Dathrys and Vampire supporters. Towards the end of 18081, Teeya was getting desperate. Winter was coming, and Josse, Kofoot, and Mira had disrupted her supply lines from home. Most of her generals had been either deserted, been killed or been neutralized. She decided to make a full attack on the capital city of Elkader to take their massive stores of food.
The two armies met on the Great Jeremy Plains. The armies were evenly matched, and the tactics led to a stalemate.
The difference was the number of Imrhys that Lutz had on his side. Sending the elder Imrhys off to deal with the powerful Dathrys lords still helping Teeya, Lutz took the younger Imrhys – Yorve, Sila , Tiffaura, Benster, Chellerose, Araya, and Volderacula to track down Teeya. They found her in a wooded grove.
The eight Imrhys fight through her bodyguard to get to her. Teeya, a Fourth Age Imrhys, is much more powerful and experienced than the eight Seventh Age Imrhys. The one-on-eight battle was legendary. Teeya was a nimble and fast fighter with great energy attacks. The eight were run ragged. Araya, as healer, was kept very busy magically healing the cuts, bruises, and abrasions.
Benster and Volderacula were stunned simultaneously by a thunderbolt, and Teeya moved in for the kill. Sila intercepted her, cutting at the elder Imrhys with her massive sword. Teeya narrowly avoided losing her head, but her long hair was sliced off. Teeya knocked Sila back as Chellerose moved in. Of the eight Imrhys, Teeya hated the deserter Chellerose more than any of the others. Teeya blasted Chellerose with pure energy, knocking the Queen of the Horselunds deeper into the woods. She collided with an oak tree, shattering the trunk and making the tree fall on top of her.
Teeya moved in towards the unconscious Chellerose, but before she could, the recovered Lutz and Tiffaura forced her away from the fallen queen. Teeya dodged and parried the attacks, unaware she was being herded to a trap.
Using his green magic, Yorve caused the root of a tree to erupt out of the ground and grab onto Teeya’s leg. This severely limited the elder Imrhys’s maneuvering ability. Before Teeya could tear her leg away from the root, Tiffaura managed to use one sai to pin Teeya’s sword arm to a tree and used the other sai to twist the sword out of the elder Imrhys’s hand. Araya made the tree grab Teeya and immobilize her. Teeya forced energy out of her with explosive force, knocking Yorve, Araya, and Tiffaura back and destroying the tree. Drained from the successive attacks, Teeya wavered slightly.
Lutz had been waiting for such a moment. Weathering the explosive blast, he strode forward, swung his long sword precisely, and beheaded the powerful Imrhys woman.
With the death of their queen, the troops retreated in disarray. Lutz’s forces had won. The War of 18081 was finished.
Araya returned to Arathea
The Return of the Mammotherium
In 18123, Taladon sent out word that the Mammotherium had reappeared. Araya returned to Khitania, and proceeded to fight alongside Zierath, Taladon, Yorve, Firnadra, Elana, Sashkay, Pain, Duna, and Brotaod against the Mammotherium Prime and many of its descendents. Araya personally fought Medley, Moon Unit, and Mirna. Mirna pummeled Araya, driving her back and down. Mirna spoke about the healer scoffingly. Araya stated that she is a healer by choice and that she could be plenty dangerous. Araya summoned her aura and focused all into her hand, and then proceeded to punch through Mirna's chest. Mirna exploded. The Mammotheriums were enraged, and Secondus and Tertiary charged Araya. Zierath and Firnadra came to her rescue.
While a few of the Mammotheriums escaped, most were destroyed.
The Invasion of the Hidden Lands
The Eighth Age (17,501-20,000)
The Fifth Gnarrhys War (18829-)
The Future
Models and Color Palettes
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Gaming Statistics
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