Commander Valkyrja Varsig

<a href="http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=792696" rel="nofollow">http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=792696</a> Valkyrja Varsig is a high ranking tactician of the armies of Kron, having been blessed by the god himself after proving her merit and commanding capabilities, which are enhanced by her psionic abilities, which allow her nearly flawless coordination any troops placed under her command. (will post more later, don't want to potentially spoil anything for the sess later)

Fears Object/animal: disease carriers (a pragmatic fear) Environment: Complete and absolute isolation (no matter how far she stretches her mind, she can't even hear a whisper of another being) Event: Being forced to choose between the wellbeing of&nbsp;her squad (collective, party, etc (just people she cares for and knows personally)) and of a larger group of people (strangers) [good on a micro/macro scale, friends vs strangers kind of thing, I guess] Monster: none specifically, but those that she doesn't know anything about she has a healthy fear of

look at this!! my friend is great I would Kill for her. (its a wip)

now with more colors

Valkyrja's motivations for stopping Carvex: He's committing genocide (like idk how else to put it but ill expand a little i guess??) she doesn't agree with civilian casualties also trying to take over the world see: killing everyone to take over the world His reasons for the war are not logical conclusions see: hates gods, wants to kill them/dethrone them to become a greater one wants to dethrone gods in order to unite living beings he caused a hugeass war and is killing legit hundreds of thousands of people in order to unite them. like. ??? Personal issues with past events involving the shenanigans he's caused was a prisoner of war whole squad killed by his forces probably legit tortured for information for god knows how long Conditioning has been in service of Kron for multiple decades likely trained for years in a unit of strongly established worldviews lived on Kron's plane, lets be real there was probably a good amount of propaganda-like shit going on (or at least a kind of black/white worldview)

(also more fun stuff, mostly for me to see this list more [will likely change as things go on]) Valk Character Flaws Because I'm good at it (significantly less pronounced since entering the fey wild/leaving the plane of light) does job because she can do it well, regardless of whether the job is ethical Blind obedience (see note above) follows authority without regard to the authority's fallibility or morality Guilt complex (mild concerning the party. significant with what happened to her squad) blames herself for everything Married to the job so devoted to her career that it seriously affects her ability to hold a relationship outside of it Workaholic compulsively works hard and long hours Emotional bottler bottles up negative emotions to not burden others/to seem reliable and dependent&nbsp; PTSD poor sleep/nightmares guilt and loneliness mistrust and anxiety/fear see: bottler

here, have some miscellaneous writings about valk About Valkyrja's Career - the failed fey wild offensive (probably unlikely that anyone would have gotten this shit out of her in character, but we will see) For... the longest time, I would have done anything Kron asked of me, no questions asked. All I needed to hear was that it was on his orders. For his glory. I... was never asked to do anything actively or overtly cruel. And so I did as I was ordered -- without fail. I-I loved my work; I would go out of my way to take on any voluntary tasks, to file reports so detailed and organized -- I would lose sleep over my work. I loved it. I... truly believed that what we were doing and how we were doing it was the best - or eve the only truly right and just and good - way to do things. Of... not getting involved in the affairs of mortals. But... I suppose that the world can't be so black and white. My unit was - we were assigned a scouting mission in the fey wild. Word from Nekla and our agents there had grown scarcer than ever. We had only heard whispers and rumors of drow activity in the area. Where such rumors came from... I know not. I asked no questions once I received my orders. And so we ported out to the fey wild, with orders to gather information, and to stay hidden. the legion had not entered the war at this point, so any military activity would have led to suspicions and complications to be cast upon Kron. We had orders to... get rid of... any sentient that recognized us. We were authorized to use whatever means we deemed necessary. I did not question it. It was the method that Kron had seen fit to use. There was no need for questions. The only time I started forming questions... well, by that point it was too late. We -- we were ambushed as we moved through the wilds. They took out both of my forward scouts within seconds. The - the pain of losing a member of the collective -- the feeling of&nbsp; - of having a blad driven through your mind, and having a piece of it forcibly torn from you -- let alone two, near simultaneously, along with the mental impact of knowing for a fact that they had been killed... Well, needless to say, we were had a huge disadvantage. The drow forces fell upon us in chaos, from every direction. They gave us no time to respond, no route for us to escape. We could hardly react. There was no mercy to be had that day; my unit was cut down ruthlessly. I was the only one left - surrounded, body broken, mind reeling,&nbsp;and ready for death. I did not prepare enough. What they did to me... was unspeakable. Death would have been preferable for most. They did not let me die. They wanted what I knew, but... I managed not to break. Not like that. They were not pleased. When they realized their current methods were insufficient, they decided to move me. I'm sure I was meant for... somewhere even I would have dreaded, but it was also then that I was able to escape from them. Quotes aka shit that younger valk probably&nbsp;would have said "I am the sword of Kron, I act as his justice." "My will is unimportant in the face of the will of Kron." "Faith is my shield." "The righteous fear no darkness, as Kron will guide their hand." "I am the sword in the darkness." "The tide of evil will break upon us - the shield of Kron." "All you have followed me into the heart of darkness -- you look upon the face of death, and his hand is upon your throat. But fear now no darkness! We are the light of the righteous, stood against the tide of evil. The blessing of Kron is upon us, and we are his sword. We are his shield upon which our enemies will break!" About Valkyrja - her unit's thoughts of their commander aka some general ideas about her relationship with her subordinates in the career setting, as a dialogue between a newer and older member of her unit. "The Commander is pretty amazing, isn't she? I was just thinking that after seeing her up close the past few weeks." 'Amazing? That's for sure. But don't become blinded by her radiance. She'll never requite your feelings. I doubt she'll even notice them." "I - what?! I-I don't - I hope you're not implying --" '-- I am. I know. The rest of the unit knows. Am I wrong?' "I... no... But how did you...?" 'It's not easy keeping secrets in this unit, especially not when it has to do with another soldier in with us. It's... in the way you think. It's hard to suppress a feeling that's both conscious and unconscious. Not to mention you hung on her every word like a lifeline, and you can hardly take your eyes off of her.' "I... see. It really was that obvious then... But if that is true, why has the Commander not said anything about it? Surely she would have something to say about propriety and regulations..." 'You're... not the first to be enthralled by the Commander, and I'm sure you won't be the last. As for why she hasn't said anything though... I'm relatively certain that, for her, such feelings are... difficult... to discern.' "What do you mean? The way you said it, it sounded as though it was glaringly obvious." 'It is. But... the Commander - well, as you've obviously seen, she's always working, or thinking about work Those feelings are not a factor in her work, so I'm sure she hardly spares them a moment of thought.' "But surely she takes into account our feelings and morale. She has to, I've seen how she cares for her subordinates. Even caring about proper regulations is relevant to her." 'She does care for us, and very deeply. She knows that units perform best when there is mutual trust and good morale. Bit I think part of the reason as to why she may never even acknowledge your feelings... well, I think she thinks of herself first and foremost as the sword of Kron. Who could ever have feelings for a tool?' "She... how could you think that? What kind of tool cares so deeply, works so hard --" '--that's just it. You're still relatively new, but have you ever seen the Commander take a day off? Is there ever a time when you knew her to not volunteer for an extra task or mission, unless it was out of concern for us?" "I-I, well... no." 'Have you ever known her to disobey or even question a direct order from the top?' "No..." 'Our Commander... I think, subconsciously, she thinks of herself more as a weapon than a person. And... how could a weapon ever comprehend something like romantic affection?' "..." 'That you have those feelings toward her... it is fine. Just don't resent the Commander for her not acknowledging them. We... love her, everyone in her unit; it helps remind her that... she is still a person, even if she may act as the sword of Kron. And.. in her own way, she loves us, too. Each day she does she becomes more... human." Quotes (again) this time featuring quotes from valk's unit about her "She may still act as Kron's sword, but... she has learned mercy." "Don't be blinded by the Commander's brightness. Don't think that she is without flaw. She is a person, just like the rest of us. We cannot let her forget that." "In the field, she defends us, she keeps us safe or gives us the means to protect ourselves. It is our job to protect her from herself, to give her the means and remind her to take care of herself." "I thought that we were sure to be sent out on another mission right away." 'I heard the Commander demanded at least a few days rest, for us. She didn't back down for one moment, not even against Kron's emissaries.'

well this isn't the shit about romantic relationships but idc ill do that later probably Valkyrja's covert ops squad: Commander Valkyrja Varsig (f), psionic tactician -- commander, strategist, and battle-tactician Lieutenant Commander Mikail Vidarr (m), magus -- second in command, all-around Captain Pahaliah Eir (f), [utility caster, healing (bard/hedge witch/cleric/investigator/inquisitor)] -- utility caster, healer First Lieutenant Nakir Freyr (m), rogue (scout) -- forward scout, technician, dungeoneer Sergeant Major Cassiel Gersemi (f), ranger/slayer -- forward scout, tracker, survivalist First Sergeant Maalik Mimir (m), [monk/brawler??] -- combat utility, combat maneuver master Chief Azrael Herja (f), fighter -- combat damage dealer, muscle Staff Sergeant&nbsp;Harut Baeldagg (m), wizard -- damage caster, lorekeeper (I wasn't sure what kind of rates/ranks to use so I just did whatever I wanted lmao I tried to keep it relatively in order but lmao. there will probably be more on them later)

also I made a playlist for valk <a href="http://8tracks.com/aegyokimchi/valkyrie" rel="nofollow">http://8tracks.com/aegyokimchi/valkyrie</a>

Valkyrja's Thoughts on War War is a necessary tool in the arsenal of any nation or large organization&nbsp;to Valkyrja; regardless of how skilled a plane's diplomats, there are always some disagreements that cannot be solved through words alone, regardless of how much better &nbsp; doing so would be. Some people cannot be convinced, and some demand compromise on values that should be steadfast -- some things are worth fighting for, Valk knows this to be true. Even though Valkyrja sees war as a necessity, she disapproves of any general that would see fit to use mass casualties as a tactic to force the other side into submission. War is those fight for the conviction of their ideals. Civilians that did not see fit to volunteer to fight as soldiers should be left out of it. Valkyrja believes that to go to war the majority of the people - if they have adequate information - must support doing so; war is total - militant, diplomatic, covert, economic. War is conviction, and sometimes, conviction is the only option. Valkyrja's Thoughts on Carvex Valkyrja is convinced that what Carvex is doing is wrong. The end for which he is doing wrong, however... Valkyrja has yet to collect her thoughts completely on such. She knows that Carvex should be stopped, but after speaking to him... Valkyrja thinks that some of his points, at least, had some weight to them -- the gods were distant, they were not helping the material plane (Valkyrja painfully and personally knows this to be true, having seen Kron withhold his legions), and everyone needs to unite to face the Endless Ones. However, Valkyrja fiercely opposes how Carvex is seeking change, forcing it, coercing it; she also believes that an alliance with Carvex may be the only option if they seek to withstand the assault of the Endless Ones. (aka valk is conflicted and has a lot to stew on. doesn't help she hasn't talked to kron in ages) Valkyrja's Past Love Life (lmao) Despite having had several suitors, Valkyrja has never been in a long -term relationship. Her over-diligent nature and tendency to put work above all else make her see such relationships as a luxury for those with time to devote to such (not to mention shes emotionally stunted lmao love that child soldier upbringing), and often broke off her relationships - which she accepted out of politeness - very early, as she believed herself unable to reciprocate the possible depth of her partner's feelings. As such, she has little interest in sexual escapades, personally thinking of them as time she could be spending doing something more productive, such as training, writing reports, gathering intel, or so on. She is not, however, completely ignorant of such relations (ty child soldier upbringing for sex ed lmao. not to mention being in the literal army for life lolol). [if u want some names for the suitors (they were actually so insignificant to her its funny) here u go: Sadalphon Braggi, Zadkiel Delling, Sif Phenmue, Katim Kvasir. if u want more ask and u shall receive]

The Fall of House Bethele (some snippets from one of valks... earlier... missions......... [I might write more in depth about this later but for now I don't feel like writing a whole narrative]) One month of watching, judging. Two of planning, of making connections. Three of execution. --- House Bethele, once loyal devotees to Kron and all His glory, had strayed from the path of the righteous – so far so that they had even begun collecting tithe in His name, demanding payment, land, wealth, women, for themselves. For himself. The Lord Bethele himself had grown a taste for the extravagant, even more than what he had already been blessed with, and had begun accumulating wealth, scheming, reaching for power, and doing so using his house’s history of having the Light’s favor. A true heretic, calling to be put down. “Smite down the lord of Bethele for his transgressions against me and my followers. Use whatever means you deem just, for his actions are unforgiveable.” “Yes, Your Glory.” --- “You thought to use Kron’s name, His glory, for your own perverse, material desires. But what of them now?” She cast her icy gaze upon the Lord as she advanced upon him. “Your wealth?” A step. “Squandered by the reckless confidence Lord of Bethele, riches of man beyond measure, wasted away upon fancies untold.” A stumble back. “Your land?” Another step. “Woe to the Lord of Bethele, who could not defend his lands from the onslaught of orcish raiders, razed to the ground.” Feet tripping over one another in their retreat. “Your slaves?” Two steps, in quick succession. “Oh, great Lord of Bethele, befell by his own cruelty, his purchased humanity risen against him.” Falling back – crawling, scrambling, scuttling back; back against a wall. “Your family? ” A step, the sound of broken glass crunching beneath. “Oh, the tragedy of House Bethele, beset upon by their own Lord in his madness of his trappings crumbling around him.” The smell of smoke, the sound of cracking and groaning wood, the glint of fire in ice cold eyes of gold. “ Do you understand now, my Lord ? You are merely a pawn who thought to make himself a king. But now you’re surrounded. There are no more moves left for you to take. You cannot escape justice any more than you can outrun your own shadow. So whose justice will it be?” She pulled a dagger from its sheath, and drove the blade home into the fine wood of the wall, staring down upon the quaking mortal. “That will be your last choice.” And the Commander turned her back on him, stalking off, before disappearing into the smoke. --- Several days later, a guard patrol dispatched by the city Trent, came upon the ruins of the Bethele manor, collapsed and dilapidated. Upon further inspection, they found every member of the family dead not to smoke inhalation or burns, but to the blade; they found the Lord Bethele himself dead to either blood loss or fire, countless nonlethal stab wounds to his chest, his hand still gripped around the dagger. An official investigation of the situation was launched by the city, and came to the conclusion that the Lord Bethele, considering recent events surrounding his holdings, as well as his past history of decadence, had gone mad, burning down the manor and killing his family, along with himself. The lands were left alone, and the manor never rebuilt. It is said that the ghost of mad Lord Bethele still haunts the grounds of the once great House.

(timeline fun) Valkyrja Varsig, 124, peri-blooded Aasimar 6 years old - Psionic powers begin to manifest in full 7 years old - Given to the Holy Legion for training 24 years old - Begins service 64 years old - Promoted to Commander, commands with zeal 68 years old - The fall of House Bethele 84 years old - Significant world experience accumulated, more mature; commands with moderation 120 years old - First drow incursion 122 years old - Fey wild intelligence offensive launched, squad wiped out, taken captive by the drow 124 years old - Escaped drow captivity, continuing to campaign against Carvex with the party for now Also, as a note, her mother is a paladin of Kron, and her father a priest of Kron, so during her training she would have trained with them as well, so she was not completely cut off from her parents by the Legion.

Rates and Ranks of the Holy Legion: Breakdown of the Legion Enlisted Rates: E-1 - Recruit E-2 - Private E-3 - Private 1st Class E-4 - Petty Officer E-5 - Legionnaire E-6 - Staff Sergeant E-7 - Chief E-8 - First Sergeant E-9 - Sergeant Major Officer Ranks: O-1 - Ensign O-2 - First Lieutenant O-3 - Captain O-4 - Prefect O-5 - Lieutenant O-6 - Lieutenant Commander O-7 - Commander O-8 - Brigadier General O-9 - Lieutenant General O-10 - General [O-11 - General of the Army (*special, only in times of war)] Structure of The Holy Legion: Breakdown of the Legion Starting with the smallest denomination and growing Soldier - one being enlisted in the Legion, of any rate or rank (1 soldier) Squadron - eight to ten soldiers, commanded by a Legionnaire or Staff Sergeant (8-10 soldiers) Legend - 2-4 squadrons, commanded by an Ensign or First Lieutenant (16-40 soldiers) Century - 3-4 legends, commanded by a Captain (62-190 soldiers) Battalion - 4-6 centuries, commanded by a Lieutenant (300-1,000 soldiers) Cohort - 2-5 battalions, commanded by a Lieutenant Commander (3,000-5,000 soldiers) Division - 3-4 cohorts, commanded by a Brigadier General (10,000-15,000 soldiers) Corps - 2-5 divisions, commanded by a Lieutenant General (20,000-45,000 soldiers) Field Army - 2+ corps, commanded by a General (60,000-200,000 soldiers) Army Group - 4-5 field armies, commanded by a General (400,000-1,000,000 soldiers) Army Region - 3+ army groups, commanded by a General [or General of the Army] (1-3 million soldiers)

Hierarchy of Celestials: Breakdown of the Plane of Light Starting with the highest denomination and going down First Sphere: Seraphim - domain: light and life. The caretakers and guardians of Kron. Cherubim - domain: knowledge and wisdom. The keepers of the Library of Heaven, and the guardians of other holy relics. Thrones - domain: authority. They present&nbsp;to Kron&nbsp;the prayers of mortals. Second Sphere: Dominions - domain: justice. They regulate the duties of lower celestials. Virtues - domain: courage and virility. They manifest signs and miracles on the material plane. Powers - domain: order. The warriors that oppose and detain evil, and oversee the distribution of power in mortals. Authorities - domain: harmony. The bearers of conscience and keepers of history, they supervise the movements of the heavens. Third Sphere: Principalities - domain: authority. They protect and guide nations, groups of people, and institutions, and bequeath blessings to the material plane Rulers - domain: authority. They are educators and guardians of the material plane, and inspire art and science. Archangels - domain: unity. They are the envoys and messengers of Heaven, and occasional guardian of all aspects of a nation (trade, politics, etc) Angels - domain: revelation. They are the messengers to mortals. (when I say material plane that can mean any plane but idk how important the other planes are to kron so)

Clarification list for the breakdown of the Legion and the hierarchy of celestials. Your standing in the hierarchy of celestials does not have a significant effect on the rank and duties you may attain in the Holy Legion Not all denizens of the Plane of Light are in the Holy Legion at a given time Service, however, is mandatory for 10 years (about&nbsp;3 years, for a human) Service does not have to be active in the Legion (you could be a lorekeeper, or work miracles and blessings) There are 7 Seraphim all of the Seraphim are Generals in the Holy Legion they rotate their duties to Kron and the Legion there are never less that 2 Seraphim guarding Kron There are 13 Cherubim they do not serve in the Legion they guard the Tree of Life, along with other holy treasures, and supposedly, secrets... There are 24 Thrones they do not serve in the Legion they are the mediators of prayers, delegating easily resolved and worth requests, and taking note of the general trend of the content of prayers they present the most dire or important, prayers to Kron, along with the prayers of mortals deemed worthy About half of the Dominions serve in the Legion they report to and&nbsp;take orders directly from the Seraphim, or via Archangel courier Most Virtues do not serve in the Legion they report to, get information from,&nbsp;and take orders from the Thrones they often travel to the material plane to bestow miracles they rarely physically manifest themselves to mortals they may delegate more minor messages to Angels The majority of Powers serve in the Legion they report to and take orders from the Dominions they act as the guardians of Heaven Many Authorities do not serve in the Legion they report to and take orders from the Dominions they maintain and update the Library of Heaven, which is guarded by the Cherubim they may also take orders directly from the Cherubim concerning matters of knowledge (though it happens very rarely) Only some Principalities serve in the Legion they report to and take orders from the Virtues they spend a good amount of time on the material plane they often work together, sometimes with Rulers Some Rulers serve in the Legion they report to and take orders from Virtues they spend a good amount of time on the material plane they will often work with Principalities Many Archangels serve in the Legion they act as messengers and envoys to and from other celestials they will sometimes work with Rulers and Principalities on the material plane they report to Virtues or Dominions, depending on their duties Many Angels are not in the Legion they are the largest denomination of the denizens of Heaven they sometimes act as messengers to those on the material plane they are the most easily recognized by mortals, as they physically manifest themselves most often some may act as guardians to assigned mortals they report to and take orders from Virtues The Hierarchy is only a general overview of the duties each person has Obviously, within these there are people who have regular jobs, such as being a shopkeeper or blacksmith Your standing in the Hierarchy does not significantly &nbsp;affect your career choice the lower you are in the Hierarchy, however, the more flexibility you have You are born into a tier on the Hierarchy, and stay there until it is decided what you are good at or what you want to do It is possible to change your place on the Hierarchy If your parents are of different tiers on the Hierarchy, you are considered part of both until yours is decided Only the First Sphere is unchanging and fixed there have been times when some of the First Sphere have been killed, but by and far it is almost always the same Race is not significant to your tier in the Hierarchy

On Valkyrja's Place in the Hierarchy and the Legion Valkyrja's mother is a Power, and her father an Authority, so as such, she was considered both until she joined the Holy Legion. Once she was taken in for training, she was designated as a Power. When she was promoted to Commander, she was redesignated as a Dominion. Due to her unique circumstance as being a psionic, Valkyrja's position in the Holy Legion is nonconforming to the usual standards. As a Commander, she is officially in charge of leading a Division. However, as her abilities are most effective when utilized in a small, effective group, she also commands a covert ops squadron, for which she does most of her field missions with. The squadron, being covert ops, is much more experienced than the average squadron, and each member has unique specialties and abilities that allow them to function for extended periods of time away from any other support.

(uh just some info on valk's parents and some more on the plane of light) Valkyrja's mother is Sergeant Major Rhea Palatine, an active member and veteran of the Holy Legion. She is a devoted paladin of Kron, and a champion raised of her own will and valor. Rhea Lac&nbsp;was originally of a human family that claimed distant celestial ancestry, to the disdain of many others around them. So she began searching for any records that would be able to confirm the claims, praying and devoting herself to Kron, and holding fast to her faith in darker times. In her search, Rhea was taken far and wide over the material plane, tracing whispers of the past into dark, dangerous places. To defend herself in her travels, Rhea took up the sword, and found she had the ability to call upon the miracles of the heavens in battle. So she forged on into darkness, her path lit only by her sword, slaying all evil that crossed her path. Eventually, Rhea's travels brought her to what seemed to be the edge of darkness. She stood alone against a great evil, a restless demon from ages past. Valiantly, Rhea stood her ground against the demon, standing fast despite her growing weariness, knowing that if she fell, this evil would be unleashed upon the rest of the plane. So as it was, just before Rhea was about to be struck down, the light of Kron shone upon her in the darkness, raising her to be his champion, and she managed to slay the demon. Upon the demon's demise, she collapsed, unconscious both&nbsp;from the wounds of her battle and the stress upon her body of her newfound powers. When she awoke, Rhea found herself on the Plane of Light, before the very beings she had devoted her faith to, and her life to finding out the truth of. Rhea Lac was finally able to confirm her family's ancient heritage. And it was so that as a champion of Kron, she was offered a place in the Holy Legion, to fight against evil. And she accepted. Valkyrja's father is Lieutenant Quirinas Aventine, a priest of Kron and a Seeker of the Library of Heaven. Quirinas was born of his half-angel father and Aasimar mother, a native to the Plane of Light. Ever since he was a child, Quirinas has shown an inquisitive nature and a devotion to knowledge. As such, he was educated far more extensively than the usual for a child of Heaven. As soon as he was of age, Quirinas began an apprenticeship for the scribes at the Library of Heaven. However, this did not sate his curiosity and adventurous heart, so he instead began an apprenticeship for the Seekers of Knowledge, a subgroup within the Library -- those that go to the ends of any plane in order to search for lost knowledge. It was among the Seekers that Quirinas truly found his calling, and it was among the Seekers that he first met Rhea. Oftentimes, the Seekers are escorted by squadrons of the Holy Legion, for protection against the forgotten beasts that lay at the end of civilization. More info on the Plane of Light Surname Customs on the Plane of Light: Spouses do not take each other's last name Some spouses may adjust their names to be similar Children do not take either of their parents' surnames Children begin with no surname Children are presented with their surname when they come of age at 50, or when they choose a path/career (if they choose before 50) Surnames are chosen based on how they have lived and what they want to do in the future

What Lurks in the Shadow of Night (Or valk has a lot of issues) Darkness -- complete, and absolute. They had taken her sight this time. Leg... still broken - shattered, more like, her burns still fresh, blood still oozing with poisons. "Come now, girl, you're doing this to yourself at this point. No one is coming for you, and you know it. If you keep this up it'll only be worse for you." She started at the suddenness of the voice, and turned her head away from where it had come from. A harsh jerk on one of the bindings on her neck - she let out a strangled grunt, gasping for air. The binding tightened, each breath a struggle as her broken, bloodied hands scrabbled at her neck, pulling, clawing, anything so she could breathe. "It's your own fault, girl. If only you were as obedient as to your false master," the voice sneered at her, mocking her. A heavy boot to her stomach -- she gagged on blood and spit, choking on her scream, her hearing growing muffled as she fought for breath. Suddenly, the pressure on her neck released, and she gasped for air -- only to be nearly drowned by a long dousing of an icy chemical brew, burning, burning - freezing, burning. "It really is your own fault, girl. If only you would obey us..." She started awake at the sound of the first lash, breathing heavily, covered in cold sweat. It was dark -- too dark, her body shaking, and she tensed for the blow that... surely should have fallen by now. Her shaking grew less intense, and slowly, she recognized the quiet hum of a latent psionic link. She took a deep breath, and slowly opened her eyes. It was... not what she was used to: lavish ornaments adorning the walls, glittering gold, soft - almost too soft - bedding beneath her. She shivered, and closed her eyes again, focusing on the link. She was not alone. She was not captured. She was safe... for the moment. "I am... Valkyrja Varsig. I was - am a Commander in the Holy Legion. I am a Dominion. My mother is Rhea Palatine. My father is Quirinas Aventine. I am Valkyrja Varsig..." she whispered to herself, only just barely audible, a chant - a prayer for only her to hear, to remember. She was Valkyrja Varsig... and she had failed. Her squad... all of them - gone. Suddenly -- flames, burning, licking, consuming, burning burning, the sound of pained, panicked, insane shrieks -- sinking, suffocating, falling, choking, choking -- smoke and fire, fire and death, screaming, screaming crying begging -- lash, lash, lash -- choking, gasping for breath only to be -- burning, burning burning -- With a start, Valkyrja jerked back to herself, suddenly, on the floor, wrist twisted and forced to unnatural angles, nerves screaming at her. How long she stayed like that - trembling, frozen, breathing shallow - Valkyrja did not know, but... after a while, she remembered -- no, she felt the psionic link, quiet, latent with the members asleep, but still there. Not alone. Not alone. Not alone. After a moment, she tentatively reached out her mind, tugging, - gently - making certain the link was truly there. Reginald. Venin. Varnell. Asher. All of them, still there. Not alone. After a few more moments, and taking a few steadying breaths, Valkyrja sat up, hardly registering the tears that wet her cheeks as she reached for her wand of healing, holding fast to the link as if it were her lifeline. She whispered the word to activate the wand, barely audible, absent-minded. She was not alone against so many enemies. Not alone. Not... alone. Right...? But what if they -- could she trust them? What if this was just another trick, another way to try to shatter her will? Was this even real, or was this all a fabrication of some drow spellweaver? She couldn't - they were -- or were they? They had believed her when she spoke, they bore no arms against her. They allowed themselves to have their minds linked. But -- what if they did that just because they already knew? That the drow had already filled them in about her? How had they known about the attack in the first place? Did they get outsiders to find out? A spy? A traitor? Who were these people, really? How, how could she believe what they said? Did they really mean to stand against the Endless Ones? Were they just pretending? Working for Carvex? What if... -- but... why would they lie? Paladins could not lie, she knew that much from her mother and her time in the Legion. They had wanted to reveal the plotting of the drow in Ellodah... Valkyrja drew a deep breath and stood, looking out the window to the view that overlooked the city. She wiped her eyes and looked to they sky, almost as if looking for her home. Valkyrja had to continue her work, more now more than ever, with what information she had uncovered about the Endless Ones. These people had shown coinciding goals, and had proven reliable enough allies. She was not alone, and she could certainly not afford to show such weakness -- she had much more important issues to deal with. She was fine. She had a job to do. Taking one more deep breath, Valkyrja began to ready herself for the day, meeting the first rays of dawn.

Quotes From Rhea Palatine (aka valk's mom) "The sun may always rise, but if no one is there to enjoy it's warmth, then what reason does it have to rise?" "Sometimes to defend those you love, you must fight." "Why would the gods wast their time solving problems we could solve ourselves?" "I fight so that others do not have to." "Perhaps this way I will not ever be able to rest, but... for me it is no different than when I made the choice to become a paladin, or when I chose to fight that demon. How I ended up here... was just a culmination of my choices -- the choices I made because I want to be able to protect those from evil that cannot protect themselves. If I truly believed that I could not go on without rest... I would not have called out to Kron for aid. I was aware, at least generally, of what would be expected of me if He answered my prayer. I may never be able to rest... but my vigilance will ensure that others will be able to."

The other Valk pic from my friend that I would Kill for

Map of the Plane of Light

will I ever stop writing for Valk? (unlikely) just a little I wrote about her and how she feels about the party/why she stayed. Mostly just as an exercise for me to make me think about it more in sessions lmao Perceptions of the Party Varnell Valkyrja notes Varnell's proficiency in combat magic and general ability, but distrusts him. She has seen his tendency to put himself first, and has seen his thirst for power and how far he'd go to get more. While Valk realizes that Varnell's best interest lies with the goals of the party, she is prepared for betrayal if the occasion arises. For as long as Varnell is with the party, Valk has little issue with the party being able to make use of his skills. Felix Valkyrja distrusts Felix, due to his allegiance with the Ellodan Pharaoh, especially since he was an assassin (and maybe just a little bit because he's a Tiefling, but Valk knows better than to make too strong of an assumption based on that alone). Valk does not know Felix's intentions, if he even has any of his own, and she knows not If he is loyal to the Pharaoh, or to the drow that had been manipulating the Pharaoh. While she realizes that Felix has helped the party in combat, and can appreciate that, Valk still feels suspicious, if only because she has a hard time believing that&nbsp;a trained and career assassin would have so simple and transparent a motivation as just&nbsp;wanting to save the world, with no ulterior motives. Kayle Valkyrja distrusts Kayle, as she hasn't know him long enough to see if he is truly an autonomous being come back from death, or some sick experiment by the Ghouls gone wrong. However, she thinks him necessary because of his familiarity with the Ghouls and the Black City, and his connection to the resistance. Reginald Valkyrja feels... disdain for Reginald, or at the very least, for how he treats her and others, and how... tactlessly he tends to handle situations. She dislikes his hardheadedness and his constant jabs at the Holy Legion and her home, and she hates when he speaks poorly of the Champions of Kron. At the very least, Valk thinks that his intentions are fairly straightforward, and that he is not lying as a paladin (even if she may not think he's the most paladin-like of paladins, though she has not complaints about his martial skill). Tl;dr: Valk likes the party well enough, but doesn't trust them, and she trusts Reginald well enough but doesn't like him. Oh, and being a prisoner of war for two years probably because of a betrayal does not do nice things for your ability to trust people. Reasons for Staying When she originally joined the party in the Fey Wild, Valk stuck with them out of necessity and similar interests. She needed to travel with others as the Fey Wild was dangerous enough, even without the drow running around. She was also cut off from what had been happening for the last two years, and decided that it would be best if she could get a feel for what was going on, and to still be carrying out her orders for gathering information, at least to an extent. Upon leaving the Fey Wild, Valk was preparing herself to be able to return to the Holy Legion. However, with the attack of the Father (that bigass dragon I'm pretty sure that happened right when we got out) and the peripheral damage caused and monsters spawned, she stayed to help right her, and the party's mistakes. Soon after that, while staying in the Pharaoh's palace, Valk was visited by one of Kron's emissaries, giving her orders to watch over Venin. Even with Venin and Asher's disappearance, Valk continued on with the party to retrieve Aza-Karak's gauntlet, as she saw the benefit of having Ellodah's forces on their side in the fight against the Endless Ones. In terms of Venin and Valk's orders, he and Asher had left the collective, and had left no clues as to where they went. After the fiasco at Aza-Karak's tomb, Valk continued back to the Ellodan capital in order to right the wrong that she and the party had released onto the citizens by letting Aza-Karak escape. Even after Iyd's declaration that Valk should start gathering and commanding forces of the Material Plane (forget when exactly this happened, but it was around Aza-Karak), Valk felt that she had to take Carvex's deal after facing Morganith. At the rate things were going, Valk wasn't sure if the Material Plane would be able to hold out, and decided that it would be her best course of action to pursue the Well of Souls in order to drive back the Endless Ones, if even for a short time. Valk and the Plane of Light Valkyrja is so invested in the safety of the Material Plane because she knows how important it is in anchoring all of the other Planes. Even so, Valk worries over the state of her home. She tries her best to push away any such thoughts, but the knowledge that her home is having issues, in addition to her suspicion of betrayal that led to her capture and her squad's deaths, gives her a bad feeling. However, she knows that the Material Plane has to be safe in order for the Plane of Light to be safe, so she will first work to secure the former, and maybe then return home to see what she can do to help.

The Arrival of the Endless Ones & Loss of Mythic Power To Valkyrja, the arrival of the Endless Ones was another task to complete - though vastly more difficult and more influential than anything she has had to deal with before. However, Valkyrja has next to no capacity for despair (and many other emotions....), and all she knows is that she must find a way to drive them back. While she does believe that they should eventually help clean up the mess they started in Ellodah, Valkyrja knows that there are much more important tasks to be attended to -- such as accessing the power of the Well of Souls (so important that it has been demanding all of her attention away from her worries about the Plane of Light). When it comes to their tenuous alliance with Carvex, Valkyrja knows that it is most certainly the only path to defeating the Endless Ones. It would not be possible to defeat such a foe as a fragmented and warring people. She knows this, yet is still relatively unsettled with the ease that which Carvex relieved them of their mythic abilities. While she knows that it was a necessity to reach the Well of Souls, Valkyrja is not quite sure whether she thinks Carvex will actually return that power to them afterwards or not. She has a feeling of discontent in the lack of power, as she knows how much more efficiently they would be able to pass challenges with them, and, to top it off, she believes that the power was not hers to give in the first place, as it originally was bestowed upon her by Kron.

In Response to the News of Heaven As Ionus's voice and presence faded from her mind, Valkyrja inhaled deeply, remaining in her seated position, though her fingers curled into fists upon the ground.&nbsp; 'This is my fault. My choices led us to this - to the ruin of Heaven and the enslavement of those below.' The thoughts wouldn't leave her as she sat, still as the stone of the statue of her now dead god before her. Slowly, Valkyrja rose, opening her eyes to gaze upon the abandoned shrine before her, dust motes dancing in the sole ray of light shining in from above. Deliberately, - almost mechanically - Valkyrja began brushing away all of the dust, of making as clean as she could the last link to her home, of forcing herself time to digest what she had just learned. That's what she did. That's what Valkyrja did. She jolted to a sudden stop at that thought, her hand slowing from it's near obsessive dusting of the statue before her. That's what Valkyrja always did - that's what this &nbsp;Valkyrja must have done when making her choice, that's what she did - in the Legion, with Bethele, in the Fey Wyld. That's what she was trained to do, and that's what she did. But they were still gone - dead, or worse. The thought struck her hard, and she could feel a tight constricting in her chest. Valkyrja took a deep, shuddering breath, slowly leaning her forehead down to rest upon the statue of Kron before her, clenching her hand into a fist, nails digging into her palm. Her mother, her father, Iron, Mikail, Pahaliah, Azrael, Nakir - everyone she knew from her home, gone. And this reality was the only solution? Valkyrja couldn't help but out a half-bitter laugh, half-sob. This reality was not hers. But it was Valkyrja that had made the decision that led to this - ruin. This reality could be called nothing less than that, but Valkyrja was at a loss as how to help it. At the very least, if she could not learn from her own mistakes - even herself from another reality - then she was not worthy to be called a tactician. Valkyrja opened her eyes once again, and raised her gaze to the light above her, silently swearing to herself, to Kron, to anything that was left to listen, that she would not let her reality become what this one had. And to do that, Valkyrja would need to know everything about what had happened in this reality. Quickly, she turned around to Fi. "I need you to take me to the library, or any of your scholars or historians that know the details - any details of what happened during the war with the Endless Ones. Swiftly."