Arael Asteria

Physical Appearance

• Long dark brown hair usually worn up in an ornate ponytail with braids, trails to mid-back when up and to hips when loose
• Pale golden eyes
• Brown skin, warm skin tone
• Medium in height, 5'9"
• Relatively fit with a toned build
• Tattoos on face, backs of hands, feet, and back
  • Appears black normally and glows golden when rifting
• Four piercings per ear; 2 upper, 2 lower
• Notably long and full eyelashes

Clothing Style

Arael always dresses in a refined manner befitting of their royal status, often opting for outfits that cover their entire body. They usually dress in the colors of their kingdom, which consists of primarily white, black, and silver with some gold accents. Their outfits always tend to look rather warm, especially since many of their cloaks also have fur accents to them, usually white. While at home in the palace, they tend to wear ornate tunics or robes, and when outside the palace they will sometimes wear armor depending on the circumstance. Rael always has their hair up in some kind of ornate hairstyle, and they always are wearing some amount of jewelry. They are essentially never seen without wearing at least their royal circlet, earrings, rings, and a necklace, and they usually wear golden jewelry but will sometimes wear silver or a mix of gold and silver depending on their overall outfit composition.

Rael's standard outfit during their narrative is their armored outfit for their presence on or near the battlefield. It consists of a black underlayer, a white and gold overskirt with a black sash belt, black gloves and boots, and silver armor pieces with gold accents. Their armor pieces include a chest piece with a modified Jha'Lenan crest, spaulders (covered by their cloak), wrist guards, tassets (covered by their overskirt), and legguards. The cloak they wear is mostly black, and it has a black and gold shoulder design along with a gold chain that connects in front across their chest. The cloak also includes white fur on the shoulders and the same modified Jha'Lenan crest on the outside. Rael's accessories include their circlet, earrings, and rings. As their narrative goes on, they do have several outfit changes depending on the location and circumstances.

Personality

Arael is the level headed and serene heir to the kingdom of Jha'Lena. Often referred to as the crown prince, Rael takes their responsibilities to their kingdom seriously and has trained themselves to be a cunning and vigilant royal. They are intellectual, open minded, and equally skilled in speaking and listening to others, and they always work to make well thought out decisions while considering the needs of as many people as possible. Their subjects have described Rael to be a down to earth and welcoming prince who is eager to lend their ear to the concerns of all in the kingdom. Despite the fact that Jha'Lena is a primarily human kingdom and has always had pure-blooded humans on the throne for all its history, Rael is a well-loved and accepted heir to the kingdom and is determined to continue Jha'Lena's long-lasting peace and prosperity.

On the surface, Rael appears very composed, well mannered, and eloquent, and they lend themselves a demeanor that is both confident without being overly intimidating. On a personal level, Rael can be more demure and gentle with their emotions, and they aren't much for breaking rules or acting spontaneously. They may seem a little boring at times since they rarely seem comfortable with cutting loose and trying new or unusual things, but Rael is always easy to approach and pleasant to speak with. They have a sense of maturity and serenity that seems beyond their years, and they are selfless in lending aid or advice to those in need. Their greatest weakness, however, is their lack of experience in the real world. Rael can stand their ground in any political, tactical, or academic standing, but they are still inexperienced on the battlefield despite their clear skill with a sword and magic. They have not been in enough physical conflicts to have built up the nerve or instincts to fend for themselves well, especially if they are caught on their own or disarmed. They tend to freeze up when in impending danger, and they also are easily flustered by rough conditions or people that don't act according to standard noble etiquette. They can keep composed well with commoners in a diplomatic setting, but Rael would not know how to react if left to traverse the real world on their own. Although it hasn't affected their humility, it's obvious that Rael has grown up in a very spoiled and pampered setting, and they are still naive and vulnerable to the risks outside the palace.

Abilities

• Lyte rifting - rank 4/5
• Skilled at swordplay, particularly with rapiers
• Skilled at horseback riding
• Trained in strategy, diplomacy, leadership, and public speaking along with other skills/tasks required as the sovereign heir

Strengths

• Eloquent, down to earth, and selfless
• Clever, well-read, and calculating
• Composed, level headed, and responsible
• Open minded, a good listener, and easy to approach

Weaknesses

• Although confident enough with a sword, they are inexperienced on the battlefield and can easily lose their nerve when disarmed or cornered
• Generally inexperienced in the real world and is easily flustered by rough people/conditions
• Somewhat naive and overly trusting, and betrayals tend to cut them deeply
• Their strengths shine in speech and strategy, otherwise they are skittish about new environments and tasks

Backstory

Arael was born to the human king of Jha'Lena, Levian Asteria, and an elven mother from the northern mountains, Gemmara Tansi. They lived a rather pampered life in the palace while being tutored in various subjects, particularly strategy and the skills necessary to one day ascend the throne. Jha'Lena has always been a primarily human kingdom, but they have a peaceful and welcoming relationship with the diverse races that live across their lands and in the surrounding regions bordering the kingdom. Rael is considered to be the beloved prince of the kingdom and will make their mark in history as Jha'Lena's first ruler who is not entirely human.

In recent times, Rael has become engaged with a Jha'Lenan noble of house Juneas, a man named Enoch. Rael is expected to ascend the throne as king relatively soon after their marriage, although uncertainty looms on the horizon for their thus-far peaceful kingdom. Jha'Lena has always had an alliance with the human kingdom of Kenadrie, which is located across a mountain range to the east. Unknown to them, Kenadrie has built itself into an empire with unprecedented technology and weaponry, and although they are aware Kenadrie has developed this technology they are ignorant to Kenadrie's merciless conquest of the surrounding lands on their side of the mountain range that has only recently spilled into the western forest kingdom of Rulvian, which borders Jha'Lena to the south. Their attention has been inadvertently diverted from Kenadrie's atrocities by the sudden conflicts raised in Jha'Lena by the deep forest witches of Rulvian, seeking justice against Kenadrie's invasion and believing Jha'Lena to be complicit in their conquest.

Arael has focused most of their attention on formulating strategy for Jha'Lena's troops in repelling the witches' attacks from the kingdom. Unbeknownst to them, their Imperial allies are conspiring against them, believing the notion of a "half-breed" on a once-pure human throne would sully Jha'Lena and stain the alliance between the kingdoms. During one successful skirmish against the Rulvian witches, Rael was thrown from their horse and knocked unconscious. When they finally came to, they found their royal guards dead around them and their supporting Imperial troops slaughtered by a handful of orcs from the northern region. Neither Rael nor the orcs are capable of communicating with each other due to a language barrier, and Rael is under the impression that the orcs are now kidnapping them, although for what reason they are uncertain.

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