Badass mute warrior
- Many say that Ran Tash the Cold’s soul has been stolen by a black kitsune. A woman who was once a stalwart Commander is now a smitten plaything of the Lady of the Night. Many believe this woman to be Kotonaru and they say if you question their relationship you will eventually end up missing or dead.
- Ran rose to power via a coup, took control of a city, and sent the Hands of Fate off onto their life-changing mission to Bal Darul. She is rumored to be a grand agent of an unknown deity who is simply disguised as a human. Many find her position of power to be too coincidental and that she is just puppeteering all around her for a greater plan.
- Many speculate that Ran Tash is a kitsune herself; never showing her real form even to her kitsune lover, Kotonaru. With the recent development of being able to use magic it only strengthens these outlandish claims.
- Ran is a fierce commander who fights on the front lines with her troops and is said to have an amazing prowess in battle and leads with confidence. However, some believe her confidence gets more men and women killed in battle due to her brutally effective strategies.
- If its to be believed; Ran has earned her power by corrupt dealings with many of those in power. Rumor has it that she did not rise to power with honor or hard work but by the manipulation and coercion of others.
- Eyes
- Hazel
- Hair
- Red
- Skin Tone/Pigmentation
- Pale
- Height
- 5'6"
She commands the entire guard of the town of Elexsa and is rumored to be quite a hard-ass. She is incredibly competent, intelligent and skilled in her work. Elexsa’s guards are fiercely loyal to her and if asked would vouch for her capabilities.
She is a fairly straight-forward woman, who doesn’t tolerate attitude from anyone. She stomps through the bush, brushing aside emotion to be blunt and to the point. Though she is fairly collected and rarely suddenly rises to anger, a few choice words do tend to set her off quicker than kicking an owlbear.
Rumors:
She is a fairly straight-forward woman, who doesn’t tolerate attitude from anyone. She stomps through the bush, brushing aside emotion to be blunt and to the point. Though she is fairly collected and rarely suddenly rises to anger, a few choice words do tend to set her off quicker than kicking an owlbear.
Rumors:
Appearance
Physical Description
A strongly built human woman with red hair and tanned skin. Her eyes are of a hazel color and her face looks like it has a permanent scowl.
Mentality
Personal history
Life was simple, easy, as any farm life of a child. Ran grew up playing in the fields, learning what your families duties were along with growing up with your siblings who were just a couple years older than her. The farm was a small simple wheat and barley farm, growing up with a family of all sisters they all learned how to help their parents work the fields and do what was needed to help and ensure ends were met.
It was a simple life until Ran turning the age of fourteen when everyone changed. It was midsummer's day, just several years after Edward Conthur had taken control of the command of Elexsa. The town had ceased their patrols into the neighboring farmlands and banditry was on the rise. Their demands became more on the level of extortion for crops and supplies. This led to extra hours upon the farm, trying to expand and meet up with the demands of Elexsa. It was during this time that the family were working the field when a group of bandits rode in. Ran's father approached them, trying to pacify the hostile men but things had soured quickly. One of the men were twitchy and careless, tiring of the slight resistance from the man he struck Ran's father down.
It was a careless action that immediately turned what was a once beautiful day into one that changed everything for Ran. A deep-seated regret settled into her heart as it begun to ice over. Just that day she and her father had just gotten into terrible arguments, cold words thrown at her father in a fit of teenage youth before storming off. Her last moments with him, were one of grief and anger.
The bandits, green as they were, fled after killing her father. She tried to pursue them with the scythe she was using on the harvest but her mother had to pin her to bring her out of her fury, her foolish attempt in chasing the bandits fruitlessly while he sisters Eletrana and Syla screamed in anguish.
Ran Tash has embodied the anger and fury that her sisters and mother lacked, stuck in their grief she had taken one of her horses and rode to Elexsa pleading for help. She had only met cold stares and brutalization from the guard. No one would aid her, and she only met spittle and kicks for her pleads. This is when she began to see the corruption that was rampant with the guard as they idly drank and gambled at the gates, unfairly extorting travelers and merchants.
Helpless, she swore vengeance, swore that she would change things when she was old enough. Cursing the world, the people and everyone who refused to help her family, cursing the very gods she once believed in. She returns home, shouldering the responsibilities and the task at hand to keep the farm running and her family fed. This grueling work made her tireless, determined, and strong. When she wasn't working and helping her sisters and mother, she was training with wooden swords she had carved herself.
About a year later, Ran had grown stronger, but not enough as the bandits had returned. This time with plans to extort, preying on a fatherless family. The sun was just setting while Ran beset herself to her training regime once more, only to be called back to the house by shouts and yells. When she saw the bandits and felt emboldened, as she believed she could show them this time around. But young minds often wrought many delusions of strength and capabilities and Ran was of no exception.
She attempted to prevent the bandits from taking from her family once more, but this time her foolishness caught up with her. The bandits didn't see her creeping up from behind as they cornered her family. Suddenly she attacked them with her wooden swords. She managed to get a bandit to drop their weapon before promptly picking it up with both her hands and taking a swipe at him.
The swipe of the blade carved a path through the man's stomach, disemboweling him on the spot. Though Ran was quickly overwhelmed and subdued, the bandits thought it prudent to teach her a lesson and murdered her family while forcing her to watch before giving her a lethal wound to bleed out and die. The bandits left her, after taking everything they could from the farm and rode off with their ill-gotten gains.
Ran had nothing left to lose, her family dead and nothing left for here there. She tried to make to the city but collapsed from blood loss on the way. An elderly man by the name of Urigard found her on the side of the road and took her in, taking care of her wounds. Shortly when Ran had some decorum of strength left they returned to the farm to bury her family with Urigard's help.
The crotchety man took her in as his own and helped raise her. With Rans resolve to join the guard of Elexsa and eventually rise to the top to make a change, Urigard helped ensure she could get there. Ran's life was beginning to become enveloped in vengeance and anger and the old man saw what she needed to help her stay out of a cell. Immediately he began to get instructors in the way of swords and battle. Over the years she trained as much as she was capable until she was able to join the guard.
The years slowly passed by, immediately dedicating her life to the guard and moving up the military ladder. As she rose she had made friends and allies, one in particular note was Rothillion. A like-minded elf who saw the corruption within Elexsa and wished to change it.
Rothillion became instrumental to Ran, as he was the temper to her steel and helped her succeed in her goals. For all of Ran's tenacity, she was short on temper and Rothillion helped her guide her blade, helped her stay her hand and was the natural diffuser to any tense situation. It was a painstaking process, earning the respect of her peers and to gather a strong rapport with her fellow soldiers who believed in the changes she desired for.
She quickly earned the title of Ran Tash the Cold, as she began to rise in the ranks many men saw her promise and tried to court her which would be quickly rebuffed with lack of heart or warmth, cutting any advances as a butcher. Though despite all this, the officials who were running the show took a shine on her.
Ran saw her opportunity, to pretend to be one of the top echelons and make them trust her to avoid suspicion. It took a year to gain their trust, to weasel her way into the inner workings of the city and be able to mark all those who had to go. Planning and plotting consumed her time then, trying to wait for the opportune moment to take control and act.
That time came when Vuld Whitepeak and his motley mercenary band was just beginning to form the Fremen Guard showed up at Elexsa as they were chasing the bandit gang that had grown from her past. Ran and Vuld met due to Ran having to intervene with a standoff between Vuld and the Guard who were trying to extort them with gate tolls. After preventing a short skirmish at the gates Vuld and Ran had become acquainted over at the Sleeping Giants Inn, where she learned of his goal and why he was in the town with his heavily armed mercenaries.
This is when she saw the opportunity to get what she needed. She pledged her sword and some of her men to aide in the extermination of the bandits with the request he helped her with her purpose. And so the deal was struck and they ventured out and took down the bandits. It was only when they were well out of Elexsa did Ran explain the situation of the cities upper echelon and her intents.
With the bandits taken care of, plans for the coup were in motion. Her army was ready, they had the numbers and the element of surprise. In a half years, time Ran and Vuld separately built up their forces for the fateful day. And when Vuld returned, he had over one-hundred sword arms and Ran had secured about half the garrison in loyalties. When it happened, it was quick, efficient and brutal. No quarter, no mercy as the moon reached its apex they purged the garrison of the corruption, cutting it from its roots and burning its leaves and seeds.
It was a bloody night, but one that Edward and his men had coming for a long time. Due to the suddenness of the coup, they could not form any sort of solid resistance and had to flee the city. With victory secured Ran had quickly become the Commander of Elexsa and immediately began to work hard to regain the favor and trust of the citizens in Elexsa.
Years of hard work came, as Ran became a quick, efficient and non-lenient commander. Her laws were fair, she did not bend to corruption or looked over any slight in favor. Slowly the townspeople saw her as a protector and a guardian, the lion of the city.
Her life remained steady for years to come as the Commander of Elexsa, until the pivotal day where Kotonaru had shown her compassion she had never received before, which changed the entire direction of her own life. A simple gesture, a moment of compassion and willing to speak to the woman and leaving a feather token from her spirit guide Umbra had left an everlasting impact on Ran Tash. It was shortly after the attack on the city by an army of goblins and a mysterious necromancer who seemed to try and turn the city and it’s citizen into unwilling undead servants.
Kotonaru had shown her hope again, a chance to make the world better. Opening her eyes to the dangers that began to grow, despite the tiredness she had felt over the events and recovering of the aftermath of the night assault of goblins.
The Hands of Fate were just beginning to form and venture out on their grand adventures before an army of Stibewall has appeared. The army was led by the very man she despised, Edward Conthur, who she had ousted from Elexsa so many years ago. The city became surrounded and besieged and the threat of a full-on assault by the much larger army loomed over the city. Kotonaru led the Hands of Fate to assist Ran Tash in diplomatic talks to attempt to delay the inevitable assault. The discussions were terse but they succeeded in which was largely Kotonaru’s aid, her allies at the time were quite ridiculous and idiotic by Ran’s opinion and were completely useless.
With time secured, Ran requested the Hands of Fate to fetch aid from the Fremen Guard and Aviatra’s Edge. With the Hands of Fate moving to secure their aid, Ran Tash attempted to shore up their defenses. It, unfortunately, wasn’t enough as Edward fell back on his agreement and assaulted the city a day early before the Hands of Fate were able to return with reinforcements.
The city was ablaze, the walls assaulted as they attempted to rebuff their attacks, Ran leading the forces and trying to prevent the gates from being breached but there was one thing no one was expecting as the skies turned red with blood and demons began to fall from the heavens. Hell was literally raining upon her and her soldiers, the gates falling as soldiers broke through.
Edward led the first assault, breaking through their defenses and penetrating deep into the city towards the temple which housed a secret temple he had built during his time. Ran gathered her closes soldiers and gave pursuit, giving chase as blood was spilled all around. She had to trust the Hands of Fate would return but she had a duty to do.
Putting her life on the line she delves into the sanctum of blood underneath the city after Edward’s bloody path, her soldiers with Rothillion staying behind to try and fight the demons that were rampaging through the city and killing innocents. The fight was brutal but Edward bested her as she became trapped in a chamber. It wasn’t long till the Hands of the Fate showed up, freeing her and her men from their imprisonment and heading in to face off against Edward.
The battle was ruthless and dragged out, but in the end with Kotonaru’s help with attempting to direct her incapable allies in the fight, she was able to slaw the man who brought so much death to them.
It was after this battle, another aftermath and the city was struggling to survive where time began to become a blur. But she knew that her life was owed to Kotonaru, her fate was tied to her somehow as she found herself desiring to be by her side all the while she was here. She grew intimately close with Kotonaru, being able to form a relationship she never thought she could even have in her entire life.
Time eventually came where Kotonaru had to leave to venture into the world to stop the growing evil and it left Ran a desire to improve. A desire to become strong and capable enough to be out in the world with her. Thus she went back to training, pushing herself harder and harder. An alliance in the Free Lands were forming and she took control of it, solidifying a united front against the growing dangers of Stibewall. Leading any skirmishes along their borders with the neighboring city herself.
She continually put her life at risk to better improve, to see her soldiers fight alongside her. To find that flame of leadership and worthiness once more, even as far as pushing her abilities to cast magic and find a way to work it in with her melee fighting style. The process was difficult, but she was excelling, awaiting the day she returned.
Ran never liked Kotonaru’s companion who purchased land outside of the city had already seized it, speaking with the leaders of all the neighboring cities and towns that Kotonaru had personally helped began to construct a fortress upon the land secretly while she helped Kotonaru create a refuge for her kin. She already had plans to build a fortress for the future of Kotonaru and herself. She felt something guiding her, which she attributes to her gut instincts, her intelligence. Though she was blind to the guiding hands that were directing her to do such a thing. A woman who has no belief in the gods above was being guided by them to become an instrument for Kotonaru.
Before long, the Starlight Citadel had been built and the Heralds of Light have been named not more than close to two years since the return and break of the Hands of Fate from Bal Darul. With the dwarven city rediscovered and their entire race making a come back, the members of the Hands of Fate split but Kotonaru, Clicker and Ran were the ones to shepherd the coming of the new order. To undergo the proving, and to become the Heralds who will fight the coming tide of darkness and prevent the catastrophe of an ancient god from being resurrected.
It was a simple life until Ran turning the age of fourteen when everyone changed. It was midsummer's day, just several years after Edward Conthur had taken control of the command of Elexsa. The town had ceased their patrols into the neighboring farmlands and banditry was on the rise. Their demands became more on the level of extortion for crops and supplies. This led to extra hours upon the farm, trying to expand and meet up with the demands of Elexsa. It was during this time that the family were working the field when a group of bandits rode in. Ran's father approached them, trying to pacify the hostile men but things had soured quickly. One of the men were twitchy and careless, tiring of the slight resistance from the man he struck Ran's father down.
It was a careless action that immediately turned what was a once beautiful day into one that changed everything for Ran. A deep-seated regret settled into her heart as it begun to ice over. Just that day she and her father had just gotten into terrible arguments, cold words thrown at her father in a fit of teenage youth before storming off. Her last moments with him, were one of grief and anger.
The bandits, green as they were, fled after killing her father. She tried to pursue them with the scythe she was using on the harvest but her mother had to pin her to bring her out of her fury, her foolish attempt in chasing the bandits fruitlessly while he sisters Eletrana and Syla screamed in anguish.
Ran Tash has embodied the anger and fury that her sisters and mother lacked, stuck in their grief she had taken one of her horses and rode to Elexsa pleading for help. She had only met cold stares and brutalization from the guard. No one would aid her, and she only met spittle and kicks for her pleads. This is when she began to see the corruption that was rampant with the guard as they idly drank and gambled at the gates, unfairly extorting travelers and merchants.
Helpless, she swore vengeance, swore that she would change things when she was old enough. Cursing the world, the people and everyone who refused to help her family, cursing the very gods she once believed in. She returns home, shouldering the responsibilities and the task at hand to keep the farm running and her family fed. This grueling work made her tireless, determined, and strong. When she wasn't working and helping her sisters and mother, she was training with wooden swords she had carved herself.
About a year later, Ran had grown stronger, but not enough as the bandits had returned. This time with plans to extort, preying on a fatherless family. The sun was just setting while Ran beset herself to her training regime once more, only to be called back to the house by shouts and yells. When she saw the bandits and felt emboldened, as she believed she could show them this time around. But young minds often wrought many delusions of strength and capabilities and Ran was of no exception.
She attempted to prevent the bandits from taking from her family once more, but this time her foolishness caught up with her. The bandits didn't see her creeping up from behind as they cornered her family. Suddenly she attacked them with her wooden swords. She managed to get a bandit to drop their weapon before promptly picking it up with both her hands and taking a swipe at him.
The swipe of the blade carved a path through the man's stomach, disemboweling him on the spot. Though Ran was quickly overwhelmed and subdued, the bandits thought it prudent to teach her a lesson and murdered her family while forcing her to watch before giving her a lethal wound to bleed out and die. The bandits left her, after taking everything they could from the farm and rode off with their ill-gotten gains.
Ran had nothing left to lose, her family dead and nothing left for here there. She tried to make to the city but collapsed from blood loss on the way. An elderly man by the name of Urigard found her on the side of the road and took her in, taking care of her wounds. Shortly when Ran had some decorum of strength left they returned to the farm to bury her family with Urigard's help.
The crotchety man took her in as his own and helped raise her. With Rans resolve to join the guard of Elexsa and eventually rise to the top to make a change, Urigard helped ensure she could get there. Ran's life was beginning to become enveloped in vengeance and anger and the old man saw what she needed to help her stay out of a cell. Immediately he began to get instructors in the way of swords and battle. Over the years she trained as much as she was capable until she was able to join the guard.
The years slowly passed by, immediately dedicating her life to the guard and moving up the military ladder. As she rose she had made friends and allies, one in particular note was Rothillion. A like-minded elf who saw the corruption within Elexsa and wished to change it.
Rothillion became instrumental to Ran, as he was the temper to her steel and helped her succeed in her goals. For all of Ran's tenacity, she was short on temper and Rothillion helped her guide her blade, helped her stay her hand and was the natural diffuser to any tense situation. It was a painstaking process, earning the respect of her peers and to gather a strong rapport with her fellow soldiers who believed in the changes she desired for.
She quickly earned the title of Ran Tash the Cold, as she began to rise in the ranks many men saw her promise and tried to court her which would be quickly rebuffed with lack of heart or warmth, cutting any advances as a butcher. Though despite all this, the officials who were running the show took a shine on her.
Ran saw her opportunity, to pretend to be one of the top echelons and make them trust her to avoid suspicion. It took a year to gain their trust, to weasel her way into the inner workings of the city and be able to mark all those who had to go. Planning and plotting consumed her time then, trying to wait for the opportune moment to take control and act.
That time came when Vuld Whitepeak and his motley mercenary band was just beginning to form the Fremen Guard showed up at Elexsa as they were chasing the bandit gang that had grown from her past. Ran and Vuld met due to Ran having to intervene with a standoff between Vuld and the Guard who were trying to extort them with gate tolls. After preventing a short skirmish at the gates Vuld and Ran had become acquainted over at the Sleeping Giants Inn, where she learned of his goal and why he was in the town with his heavily armed mercenaries.
This is when she saw the opportunity to get what she needed. She pledged her sword and some of her men to aide in the extermination of the bandits with the request he helped her with her purpose. And so the deal was struck and they ventured out and took down the bandits. It was only when they were well out of Elexsa did Ran explain the situation of the cities upper echelon and her intents.
With the bandits taken care of, plans for the coup were in motion. Her army was ready, they had the numbers and the element of surprise. In a half years, time Ran and Vuld separately built up their forces for the fateful day. And when Vuld returned, he had over one-hundred sword arms and Ran had secured about half the garrison in loyalties. When it happened, it was quick, efficient and brutal. No quarter, no mercy as the moon reached its apex they purged the garrison of the corruption, cutting it from its roots and burning its leaves and seeds.
It was a bloody night, but one that Edward and his men had coming for a long time. Due to the suddenness of the coup, they could not form any sort of solid resistance and had to flee the city. With victory secured Ran had quickly become the Commander of Elexsa and immediately began to work hard to regain the favor and trust of the citizens in Elexsa.
Years of hard work came, as Ran became a quick, efficient and non-lenient commander. Her laws were fair, she did not bend to corruption or looked over any slight in favor. Slowly the townspeople saw her as a protector and a guardian, the lion of the city.
Her life remained steady for years to come as the Commander of Elexsa, until the pivotal day where Kotonaru had shown her compassion she had never received before, which changed the entire direction of her own life. A simple gesture, a moment of compassion and willing to speak to the woman and leaving a feather token from her spirit guide Umbra had left an everlasting impact on Ran Tash. It was shortly after the attack on the city by an army of goblins and a mysterious necromancer who seemed to try and turn the city and it’s citizen into unwilling undead servants.
Kotonaru had shown her hope again, a chance to make the world better. Opening her eyes to the dangers that began to grow, despite the tiredness she had felt over the events and recovering of the aftermath of the night assault of goblins.
The Hands of Fate were just beginning to form and venture out on their grand adventures before an army of Stibewall has appeared. The army was led by the very man she despised, Edward Conthur, who she had ousted from Elexsa so many years ago. The city became surrounded and besieged and the threat of a full-on assault by the much larger army loomed over the city. Kotonaru led the Hands of Fate to assist Ran Tash in diplomatic talks to attempt to delay the inevitable assault. The discussions were terse but they succeeded in which was largely Kotonaru’s aid, her allies at the time were quite ridiculous and idiotic by Ran’s opinion and were completely useless.
With time secured, Ran requested the Hands of Fate to fetch aid from the Fremen Guard and Aviatra’s Edge. With the Hands of Fate moving to secure their aid, Ran Tash attempted to shore up their defenses. It, unfortunately, wasn’t enough as Edward fell back on his agreement and assaulted the city a day early before the Hands of Fate were able to return with reinforcements.
The city was ablaze, the walls assaulted as they attempted to rebuff their attacks, Ran leading the forces and trying to prevent the gates from being breached but there was one thing no one was expecting as the skies turned red with blood and demons began to fall from the heavens. Hell was literally raining upon her and her soldiers, the gates falling as soldiers broke through.
Edward led the first assault, breaking through their defenses and penetrating deep into the city towards the temple which housed a secret temple he had built during his time. Ran gathered her closes soldiers and gave pursuit, giving chase as blood was spilled all around. She had to trust the Hands of Fate would return but she had a duty to do.
Putting her life on the line she delves into the sanctum of blood underneath the city after Edward’s bloody path, her soldiers with Rothillion staying behind to try and fight the demons that were rampaging through the city and killing innocents. The fight was brutal but Edward bested her as she became trapped in a chamber. It wasn’t long till the Hands of the Fate showed up, freeing her and her men from their imprisonment and heading in to face off against Edward.
The battle was ruthless and dragged out, but in the end with Kotonaru’s help with attempting to direct her incapable allies in the fight, she was able to slaw the man who brought so much death to them.
It was after this battle, another aftermath and the city was struggling to survive where time began to become a blur. But she knew that her life was owed to Kotonaru, her fate was tied to her somehow as she found herself desiring to be by her side all the while she was here. She grew intimately close with Kotonaru, being able to form a relationship she never thought she could even have in her entire life.
Time eventually came where Kotonaru had to leave to venture into the world to stop the growing evil and it left Ran a desire to improve. A desire to become strong and capable enough to be out in the world with her. Thus she went back to training, pushing herself harder and harder. An alliance in the Free Lands were forming and she took control of it, solidifying a united front against the growing dangers of Stibewall. Leading any skirmishes along their borders with the neighboring city herself.
She continually put her life at risk to better improve, to see her soldiers fight alongside her. To find that flame of leadership and worthiness once more, even as far as pushing her abilities to cast magic and find a way to work it in with her melee fighting style. The process was difficult, but she was excelling, awaiting the day she returned.
Ran never liked Kotonaru’s companion who purchased land outside of the city had already seized it, speaking with the leaders of all the neighboring cities and towns that Kotonaru had personally helped began to construct a fortress upon the land secretly while she helped Kotonaru create a refuge for her kin. She already had plans to build a fortress for the future of Kotonaru and herself. She felt something guiding her, which she attributes to her gut instincts, her intelligence. Though she was blind to the guiding hands that were directing her to do such a thing. A woman who has no belief in the gods above was being guided by them to become an instrument for Kotonaru.
Before long, the Starlight Citadel had been built and the Heralds of Light have been named not more than close to two years since the return and break of the Hands of Fate from Bal Darul. With the dwarven city rediscovered and their entire race making a come back, the members of the Hands of Fate split but Kotonaru, Clicker and Ran were the ones to shepherd the coming of the new order. To undergo the proving, and to become the Heralds who will fight the coming tide of darkness and prevent the catastrophe of an ancient god from being resurrected.
Ran's Reflection
The smell of oak was strong, the smell of whiskey stronger. The chair creaked slightly in protest as a woman leans back in it with a soft sigh. This was going to be the last night Ran Tash would spend in her old quarters. It’s been a while since she had time alone within the circular chamber. Her eyes travel over the tapestry of the heraldry of the city; the Per Pale of white and light blue with the regal lion outline upon the crest. The symbol of Elexsa, of her, and all that she really had come to know. Her life had changed so much over the last three years, in a direction she never could have predicted.
A hand comes up to brush a stray strand of red hair from her face and tuck it back behind an ear. She picks up a small glass that was half filled with the last of the whiskey from the bottle that sat empty in front of her.
“It’s kind of poetic really,” she says with a slow chuckle, “That the last drop comes upon the last day here.” She shakes her head slightly, that chuckle rolling from her chest. Raising the glass to her lips she takes a small sip, savoring the taste of the liquor upon her tongue. She had always enjoyed the casual drinking of whiskey, it always brought her a source of warmth within this office. It was also the place she had found much solace in during those long months of being apart from Kotonaru when she had left to Bal Darul.
That thought caused her to move her attention onto the feather that twinkled with little specks of light mirroring the night sky. She picks it up gently with one hand by the stem and holds it in front of her, rotating it slowly between her thumb and forefinger. It felt like yesterday when she was given this by that clever kitsune.
The knock on the door rang in her memory, followed by that soft honey voice, “If I could have a moment of your time, I have something I’d like to say to you.” Ran smiles softly as the memories flooded back. Kotonaru had returned to her office after the plucky heroes had their misfortune of riling her anger. It was a lovely chat she had with her, surprisingly so. For some reason, the kitsune’s actions resonated with her on a deeper level. In the discussion that followed she gave an apology for her thick-headed adventuring partners, and discussed the events of the preceding days. It had barely been a week after Elexsa was assaulted by an army of goblins and had lost hundreds of villagers to an attempt to devastate the town and turn it into a city of undead horrors.
An impression was left on Ran from that day forward, slowly becoming enraptured by the kitsune and all of her valiant efforts to assist her when no one else bothered to step up to the task. It was only natural that feelings of affection would develop for her. The feelings caused her surprise though, as she had never truly felt anything of the sort for anyone. She had accepted that she would be alone in the path she walked, but the gods above seemed to have a different idea in mind.
A soft sigh left her lips, her eyes reopening as she looked back at the feather. “Sacrifice, commitment, pain, loss, pleasure, happiness, joy…” a soft smile pulled at the corners of the lips then. “Did you plan for this? Or was it truly just fate that decided our lives were entwined?” Her question hangs in the air for a moment as she continued to stare at the feather. “I can hardly believe it… where we are today and where we have come from.”
The power she had amassed while Kotonaru was away on her adventures to Bal Darul was almost frightening in and of itself. A leader of the Fremen, Commander of Elexsa and the Stone Guardian Alliance. People trusted her with the fate of the Free Lands and to control every aspect of the war with Stibewall. It felt good to be in such a powerful position, but also frightening. She could’ve easily maneuvered and began to consolidate even more power. Easily leading a conquest of the Free Lands herself, to take control and establish a new Realm within the world. The temptation was there, it always had been.
The darkness stirred beneath the many layers; the thought of being able to deal with the idiots of the world and secure the Free Lands into being a truly safe region, unified against all external threats. It would be easier than dealing with delegates from all the city-states, dealing with pompous nobles who thought they knew war. How many shouting matches happened due to the unwillingness of the other cities in the Free Lands to dedicate resources and military. Where she was putting her neck on the line and leading battles against Stibewall’s growing military while the nobles, the people who made the calls sat safely in their keeps.
The memories, the thoughts caused her anger to boil. It would’ve been easy, simple really. She had almost the strongest military in the Free Lands during that time, Aviatra Edge had already pledged their allegiance and there were offers from some of the smaller villages nearby to join Elexsa and establish a larger territory. Others followed her almost blindly and that just made things oh so much more tempting. Ran almost did it as well, she was near a breaking point after a battle was lost against Stibewall. The forces from Rivai never showed and the forces Ran had command over were outnumbered. She had lost half her soldiers during that battle, forced into a fighting retreat. The disrespect those nobles showed when the next assembly was in session nearly sent her into a flying rage. She lost good men and women, a village was burned to the ground and its citizens were either dead or captured. They were only concerned over the cost of the troop replacement.
That darkness clawed at her soul, her mind. It told her to take control, that no one else could be trusted to do the tasks that needed to be done. She was the one who was training every waking hour, mustering troops, and drawing battle plans. Half the nights were spent awake or with only a couple of hours of rest. She could’ve taken control of everything. She was contemplating it that night, sitting in the very office she sat now. The only thing that kept her from doing so was the feather that was still between her fingers. This feather, the reminder of why she was doing this. A reminder of the people’s lives at stake. Part of her didn’t want to relinquish control to the council, she couldn’t trust the fools to operate a military correctly. It’s why she still remained as a military advisor, she had no faith that the Stone Guardian Alliance would withstand anyone else's leadership but at least Kotonaru was on the council as well. She knew she had to release some power, to let some of it go when the founding of the Heralds of Light came.
Ran had stopped twirling the feather by this point, her thumb turning white just ever so slightly by the grip she had on it. Her anger burned hot and the torrent of thoughts quickly shifted to the man who had threatened her relationship with Kotonaru. The man in question was Loren Edel, who had initially purchased the lands that the Starlight Citadel from Ran herself, no less. She had never trusted him. He seemed slimy, a weasel that would only bring about trouble with whomever he traveled with and trouble he did bring upon her dear Kotonaru, her Kuroi Hoshi. The man had a penchant of being a self-righteous prick who only deemed it okay to screw with others, but when the tables turned he threw a tantrum like a spoiled child. Kotonaru had told her everything of the man; how they eventually grew closer, their intimacy and proposal. Just the memory caused her heart to ache, and a pit to grow in her stomach.
Ran’s teeth clenched, anger flashing from the feelings that were suddenly flaring wildly. But as soon as it began to consume her thoughts, a voice deep within her spoke. ‘He’s no longer a concern.’ The anger quickly vanished and a devilish smile scrawled across her lips. “Damn right he’s no longer a concern…” she spoke into the silence.
That was a secret that Ran kept, even from Kotonaru. The man who had almost ended their relationship, who was a cause of so much strife in her lover’s life, the one who abandoned them at the most arduous time in their travels; had found himself six feet under in an unmarked grave somewhere in the Free Lands. Ever since his abandonment of Kotonaru after what he had done, she had made sure to eventually find him and exact her vengeance. The man couldn’t avoid her forever, he had a tendency of making many enemies through his travels so finding him was just a matter of time.
She lets out a slow, steady breath before closing her eyes for just a moment to recenter her thoughts. It took her a couple of minutes before her mind was cleared and refocused upon the real situation at hand. The Heralds of Light and the construction of the Starlight Citadel.
For some reason the idea of constructing the fortress while Kotonaru was gone just… came to her. A dream perhaps? She would rather contribute it to a gut instinct, her natural intelligence and insight into what the future needed. But that belief was now fading with how often had Kotonaru spoken of the god's interference in the adventures she had. Was a god behind all of Ran’s actions? Was all she had done predestined and pre-determined? The question left her unsettled, she was never a religious person as she never saw the god’s hands in anything within the world. But that staunch belief was shaken now, she wasn’t sure anymore.
The only thing she was certain about was that a new military force the world has never seen would be erected; a self-governing body to fight the creatures that poised to try and destroy the world as they knew it. Something that wasn’t beholden to the whims of the nobles, something that acted on its own. She had every confidence that Kotonaru had it in her to lead and to choose the right path to take. Which Ran herself knew was getting harder for her to determine which path was truly the right one. Her part would be in commanding the troops, something she knew intimately and which had consumed her life.
“As long as I have you, I know I’m walking the right path…” Ran whispers to herself, the grip on the feather lessening as she focused on relaxing her posture. ‘So I can’t lose you,’ the thought invaded her mind. She would be lost without Kotonaru, the beacon of light that helped that darkness stay far away. She felt like her life was supposed to go in a different direction, and that constant darkness in her mind was a reminder of it. Those feelings fade when she was around Kotonaru though, when Ran was with Kotonaru she forgot what chased her in solitude. ‘I won’t lose you,’ her conviction spoke at last.
She often found herself promising that in these quiet moments. The number of times she had secluded herself her for a moment’s breath, a break from the world and to visit her own mind. She couldn’t keep track of how many times she had found this small office comforting. Today was no different. She was trying to save up her energy for what was ahead. The snow had already fallen, the weather turned sour and if one was to read into omens, she did not have a great feeling for what lay ahead.
Shaking her head she looks around at the room one final time; taking in the garrison stone walls, the tapestries, the crackling fireplace in the corner that was now just coals, and remnants of the logs she had placed there before. Taking a deep breath she took in everything, committing it to memory. She was nervous, scared almost as she was preparing herself to leave the office to another. She wasn’t giving up her command at Elexsa, this city was still hers and she would never let that go. It was time to relocate her offices to the Starlight Citadel. The constant change was now a common occurrence like everything that was happening in her life over the last two years.
The Starlight Citadel was going to become her new home, where many more things would require her attention and presence. As the days went on there were less pressing matters to attend to within Elexsa as it began to flourish without much guidance from her. It was bittersweet; seeing an assembly crop up to deal with the public issues and the civil side of the management of the city. It had to come up sooner or later with her fighting on the front lines, she needed someone to ensure the city could function without her presence from time to time. It almost made her sad to know that things were changing yet again.
But as the seasons change, so will her life. The future was going to be tumultuous, filled with events that she cannot truly prepare for. Despite this, she was trying even if she knew they would be facing the unknown.
The glass was empty now, much like the bottle before her. Ran stares at the glass one final time before slowly pushing herself up from the chair. The legs scrape against the stone floor with a bit of protest. She moves to stand before the dying fire, eyes on the flames that struggled to find something more to burn. Ran tucks the feather into her shirt, keeping it close to her chest while she turned on the fireplace and began to pick up her things. Most of the items she desired to keep were already in a pack ready to go, but there were just a few more things she had to gather. She took her time, her movements slow and careful. A part of her didn’t want to leave, and she knew that part would be left behind as soon as she walked out that wooden door.
It caused Ran to pause in her packing for just a moment before a smile formed on her lips, “I don’t need indecision. I don’t need remorse for the past or what could’ve been. I know who I walk alongside and I know what the battles ahead might be. That is good enough for me.” A soft chuckle leaves her, deep and rich as she puts the last item into her bag. Standing up she throws it over her shoulder and turns to look at the room. Taking a deep breath, she lets it out slowly as she prepares herself for the next moment ahead. Pushing the doubts and worry out with that breath she could feel the excitement to begin to bubble up. Particularly over the idea of forging into the darkness with that one woman who had changed everything for her.
With that she turns on her heel and marches out of the room leaving behind everything that might’ve been, could’ve been, and what won’t be. She had made her decision and now she will see where it goes.
‘As long as I’m with her. It should stay away.’
A hand comes up to brush a stray strand of red hair from her face and tuck it back behind an ear. She picks up a small glass that was half filled with the last of the whiskey from the bottle that sat empty in front of her.
“It’s kind of poetic really,” she says with a slow chuckle, “That the last drop comes upon the last day here.” She shakes her head slightly, that chuckle rolling from her chest. Raising the glass to her lips she takes a small sip, savoring the taste of the liquor upon her tongue. She had always enjoyed the casual drinking of whiskey, it always brought her a source of warmth within this office. It was also the place she had found much solace in during those long months of being apart from Kotonaru when she had left to Bal Darul.
That thought caused her to move her attention onto the feather that twinkled with little specks of light mirroring the night sky. She picks it up gently with one hand by the stem and holds it in front of her, rotating it slowly between her thumb and forefinger. It felt like yesterday when she was given this by that clever kitsune.
The knock on the door rang in her memory, followed by that soft honey voice, “If I could have a moment of your time, I have something I’d like to say to you.” Ran smiles softly as the memories flooded back. Kotonaru had returned to her office after the plucky heroes had their misfortune of riling her anger. It was a lovely chat she had with her, surprisingly so. For some reason, the kitsune’s actions resonated with her on a deeper level. In the discussion that followed she gave an apology for her thick-headed adventuring partners, and discussed the events of the preceding days. It had barely been a week after Elexsa was assaulted by an army of goblins and had lost hundreds of villagers to an attempt to devastate the town and turn it into a city of undead horrors.
An impression was left on Ran from that day forward, slowly becoming enraptured by the kitsune and all of her valiant efforts to assist her when no one else bothered to step up to the task. It was only natural that feelings of affection would develop for her. The feelings caused her surprise though, as she had never truly felt anything of the sort for anyone. She had accepted that she would be alone in the path she walked, but the gods above seemed to have a different idea in mind.
A soft sigh left her lips, her eyes reopening as she looked back at the feather. “Sacrifice, commitment, pain, loss, pleasure, happiness, joy…” a soft smile pulled at the corners of the lips then. “Did you plan for this? Or was it truly just fate that decided our lives were entwined?” Her question hangs in the air for a moment as she continued to stare at the feather. “I can hardly believe it… where we are today and where we have come from.”
The power she had amassed while Kotonaru was away on her adventures to Bal Darul was almost frightening in and of itself. A leader of the Fremen, Commander of Elexsa and the Stone Guardian Alliance. People trusted her with the fate of the Free Lands and to control every aspect of the war with Stibewall. It felt good to be in such a powerful position, but also frightening. She could’ve easily maneuvered and began to consolidate even more power. Easily leading a conquest of the Free Lands herself, to take control and establish a new Realm within the world. The temptation was there, it always had been.
The darkness stirred beneath the many layers; the thought of being able to deal with the idiots of the world and secure the Free Lands into being a truly safe region, unified against all external threats. It would be easier than dealing with delegates from all the city-states, dealing with pompous nobles who thought they knew war. How many shouting matches happened due to the unwillingness of the other cities in the Free Lands to dedicate resources and military. Where she was putting her neck on the line and leading battles against Stibewall’s growing military while the nobles, the people who made the calls sat safely in their keeps.
The memories, the thoughts caused her anger to boil. It would’ve been easy, simple really. She had almost the strongest military in the Free Lands during that time, Aviatra Edge had already pledged their allegiance and there were offers from some of the smaller villages nearby to join Elexsa and establish a larger territory. Others followed her almost blindly and that just made things oh so much more tempting. Ran almost did it as well, she was near a breaking point after a battle was lost against Stibewall. The forces from Rivai never showed and the forces Ran had command over were outnumbered. She had lost half her soldiers during that battle, forced into a fighting retreat. The disrespect those nobles showed when the next assembly was in session nearly sent her into a flying rage. She lost good men and women, a village was burned to the ground and its citizens were either dead or captured. They were only concerned over the cost of the troop replacement.
That darkness clawed at her soul, her mind. It told her to take control, that no one else could be trusted to do the tasks that needed to be done. She was the one who was training every waking hour, mustering troops, and drawing battle plans. Half the nights were spent awake or with only a couple of hours of rest. She could’ve taken control of everything. She was contemplating it that night, sitting in the very office she sat now. The only thing that kept her from doing so was the feather that was still between her fingers. This feather, the reminder of why she was doing this. A reminder of the people’s lives at stake. Part of her didn’t want to relinquish control to the council, she couldn’t trust the fools to operate a military correctly. It’s why she still remained as a military advisor, she had no faith that the Stone Guardian Alliance would withstand anyone else's leadership but at least Kotonaru was on the council as well. She knew she had to release some power, to let some of it go when the founding of the Heralds of Light came.
Ran had stopped twirling the feather by this point, her thumb turning white just ever so slightly by the grip she had on it. Her anger burned hot and the torrent of thoughts quickly shifted to the man who had threatened her relationship with Kotonaru. The man in question was Loren Edel, who had initially purchased the lands that the Starlight Citadel from Ran herself, no less. She had never trusted him. He seemed slimy, a weasel that would only bring about trouble with whomever he traveled with and trouble he did bring upon her dear Kotonaru, her Kuroi Hoshi. The man had a penchant of being a self-righteous prick who only deemed it okay to screw with others, but when the tables turned he threw a tantrum like a spoiled child. Kotonaru had told her everything of the man; how they eventually grew closer, their intimacy and proposal. Just the memory caused her heart to ache, and a pit to grow in her stomach.
Ran’s teeth clenched, anger flashing from the feelings that were suddenly flaring wildly. But as soon as it began to consume her thoughts, a voice deep within her spoke. ‘He’s no longer a concern.’ The anger quickly vanished and a devilish smile scrawled across her lips. “Damn right he’s no longer a concern…” she spoke into the silence.
That was a secret that Ran kept, even from Kotonaru. The man who had almost ended their relationship, who was a cause of so much strife in her lover’s life, the one who abandoned them at the most arduous time in their travels; had found himself six feet under in an unmarked grave somewhere in the Free Lands. Ever since his abandonment of Kotonaru after what he had done, she had made sure to eventually find him and exact her vengeance. The man couldn’t avoid her forever, he had a tendency of making many enemies through his travels so finding him was just a matter of time.
She lets out a slow, steady breath before closing her eyes for just a moment to recenter her thoughts. It took her a couple of minutes before her mind was cleared and refocused upon the real situation at hand. The Heralds of Light and the construction of the Starlight Citadel.
For some reason the idea of constructing the fortress while Kotonaru was gone just… came to her. A dream perhaps? She would rather contribute it to a gut instinct, her natural intelligence and insight into what the future needed. But that belief was now fading with how often had Kotonaru spoken of the god's interference in the adventures she had. Was a god behind all of Ran’s actions? Was all she had done predestined and pre-determined? The question left her unsettled, she was never a religious person as she never saw the god’s hands in anything within the world. But that staunch belief was shaken now, she wasn’t sure anymore.
The only thing she was certain about was that a new military force the world has never seen would be erected; a self-governing body to fight the creatures that poised to try and destroy the world as they knew it. Something that wasn’t beholden to the whims of the nobles, something that acted on its own. She had every confidence that Kotonaru had it in her to lead and to choose the right path to take. Which Ran herself knew was getting harder for her to determine which path was truly the right one. Her part would be in commanding the troops, something she knew intimately and which had consumed her life.
“As long as I have you, I know I’m walking the right path…” Ran whispers to herself, the grip on the feather lessening as she focused on relaxing her posture. ‘So I can’t lose you,’ the thought invaded her mind. She would be lost without Kotonaru, the beacon of light that helped that darkness stay far away. She felt like her life was supposed to go in a different direction, and that constant darkness in her mind was a reminder of it. Those feelings fade when she was around Kotonaru though, when Ran was with Kotonaru she forgot what chased her in solitude. ‘I won’t lose you,’ her conviction spoke at last.
She often found herself promising that in these quiet moments. The number of times she had secluded herself her for a moment’s breath, a break from the world and to visit her own mind. She couldn’t keep track of how many times she had found this small office comforting. Today was no different. She was trying to save up her energy for what was ahead. The snow had already fallen, the weather turned sour and if one was to read into omens, she did not have a great feeling for what lay ahead.
Shaking her head she looks around at the room one final time; taking in the garrison stone walls, the tapestries, the crackling fireplace in the corner that was now just coals, and remnants of the logs she had placed there before. Taking a deep breath she took in everything, committing it to memory. She was nervous, scared almost as she was preparing herself to leave the office to another. She wasn’t giving up her command at Elexsa, this city was still hers and she would never let that go. It was time to relocate her offices to the Starlight Citadel. The constant change was now a common occurrence like everything that was happening in her life over the last two years.
The Starlight Citadel was going to become her new home, where many more things would require her attention and presence. As the days went on there were less pressing matters to attend to within Elexsa as it began to flourish without much guidance from her. It was bittersweet; seeing an assembly crop up to deal with the public issues and the civil side of the management of the city. It had to come up sooner or later with her fighting on the front lines, she needed someone to ensure the city could function without her presence from time to time. It almost made her sad to know that things were changing yet again.
But as the seasons change, so will her life. The future was going to be tumultuous, filled with events that she cannot truly prepare for. Despite this, she was trying even if she knew they would be facing the unknown.
The glass was empty now, much like the bottle before her. Ran stares at the glass one final time before slowly pushing herself up from the chair. The legs scrape against the stone floor with a bit of protest. She moves to stand before the dying fire, eyes on the flames that struggled to find something more to burn. Ran tucks the feather into her shirt, keeping it close to her chest while she turned on the fireplace and began to pick up her things. Most of the items she desired to keep were already in a pack ready to go, but there were just a few more things she had to gather. She took her time, her movements slow and careful. A part of her didn’t want to leave, and she knew that part would be left behind as soon as she walked out that wooden door.
It caused Ran to pause in her packing for just a moment before a smile formed on her lips, “I don’t need indecision. I don’t need remorse for the past or what could’ve been. I know who I walk alongside and I know what the battles ahead might be. That is good enough for me.” A soft chuckle leaves her, deep and rich as she puts the last item into her bag. Standing up she throws it over her shoulder and turns to look at the room. Taking a deep breath, she lets it out slowly as she prepares herself for the next moment ahead. Pushing the doubts and worry out with that breath she could feel the excitement to begin to bubble up. Particularly over the idea of forging into the darkness with that one woman who had changed everything for her.
With that she turns on her heel and marches out of the room leaving behind everything that might’ve been, could’ve been, and what won’t be. She had made her decision and now she will see where it goes.
‘As long as I’m with her. It should stay away.’
Employment
Commander of the Heralds of Light
Commander of Elexsa
Councilmember of the Stone Guardian Alliance
person.sexuality
Homosexual
person.gender_identity
Female
Known Languages
Draconic
Personality
Virtues & Personality perks
Honorable, Devoted, Resilient, Decisive, Witty, Ambitious
Vices & Personality flaws
Impatient, Rude, Abrasive, Unforgiving, Vengeful
The major events and journals in Ran's history, from the beginning to today.
The list of amazing people following the adventures of Ran.
Social