✵APPEARANCE
Tall and broad, Vali possesses a warrior's physique, shaped over years of training. Grey eyes and blond hair accompany a light complexion and strong features. Unlike many warrior men, Vali wears little facial hair, mostly due to the fact it doesn't grow in quickly or well. In the past, when he was still in the service of the King, he wore his hair in tight braids and was somewhat meticulous about his appearance. Now, however, his long hair tends to hang free and coarse. Instead of his warrior's armour, he wears mainly leather and furs, supplemented with salvaged or crudely-made armour that has been put together piecemeal. Any remnant of the man who once served the King is now hidden under dirt and furs and scars.
✵PERSONALITY
Cynical and aloof would be fair descriptions of Vali's general demeanor. There is, of course, much more to him that his outward manner, but most have neither the opportunity nor the desire to get close enough to him to experience his better side. So thoroughly disenchanted with the Kingdom he once served, Vali refuses to aid their cause—but neither does he want to aid the tribes. His refusal to assist has led him to spend most of his time alone, ranging the mountains and wilderness, which has done little for his social niceties. Deep down, he wants the fighting to end, but feels helpless to do anything about it, which tends to make him bitter.
✵BIOGRAPHY
Vali was, by and large, graced with the pleasant childhood of one born into a small village. While his father had died in a battle only two months before his birth, Vali never went without. His mother, along with his aunt and uncle, provided for him and taught him. He sparred and hunted with other village children, and, not surprisingly, aspired to one day be an imperial warrior like his father had been. Though his uncle tried to sway him toward becoming his apprentice, crafting fine bows and tools, Vali's ambition could be assuaged by no other profession.
Years of hard training and dogged perseverance saw him to his goal, and he steadily climbed in skill and rank. He pushed himself as hard as he could, trained long after others had stopped, and shouldered his way ever forward, unyielding in his determination to be of service to the King.
His effort and skill did not go unnoticed, and Vali eventually found himself the leader of a small warband. The engaged in routine scouting missions, marking out the movements and locations of the Tribes along the southern reaches of the Spine. As time passed, however, the King began ordering them further and further north and into the territory of the Tribes. Their orders turned from scouting and keeping the Tribes at bay to full-on assault.
Vali had dismissed the orders as necessity, that they needed to prevent the Tribes from taking hold—to drive them further and further north... Though part of him disliked the idea. It was true that the Tribes held barbaric practices, but it was also true that they had been driven from their lands. He did not question his orders. With the King's increasing concern and temper, no one questioned him, but Vali found himself dwelling on the rising conflict.
Finally, the King ordered a full-on attack on the Tribes. Vali's band was sent far into the heart of the mountains to lay claim to Tribal lands. As expected, they were met with equal hostility and a bloody battle ensued. And that's when it happened. There were only a handful of warriors from either side when it appeared, and the demon tore through the fighters without discretion. Everyone fought against the monster, but only Vali survived the attack. In the instant he struck the fatal blow, the creature's claws rent his armour apart, leaving him gravely wounded and touched by curse.
Even now, the memories of what occurred following his injury are difficult for him to recall. Two people had come to his aid, had saved him and somehow removed the curse from him. Even then, some traces of the curse remained—though he could hardly now call them a curse. As a result of being touched by the demon, he found he possessed heightened strength and endurance, though he had lost the will to fight. The demon had been drawn to the conflict—and he knew there would be more of them. He'd seen what the violence yielded, and he was so repulsed for ever having been a part of it.
No one had come looking for survivors, and Vali had never returned to the King. Instead, he distanced himself from the conflict in the only way that he knew how.
Now, he survives isolated in the Svala wilds. He tracks demons when he can, but his efforts have been largely in vain, and he becomes more disillusioned with each passing day.
✵SKILLS AND SHORTCOMINGS
· Skilled warrior; most proficient with longsword and bow
· Adaptable huntsman and survivalist
· Heightened physical strength and endurance
· Knowledgeable of Svala's terrain and locations
· Reluctant and stubborn; not given to compromise
· Blunt and somewhat severe; can be harsh in his words
· Sees only the bad in the Kingdom and Tribes
· Has a largely pessimistic worldview
✵MISCELLANEOUS
While Vali kept no pieces of his armor after the attack, he did retain his longsword, which he still carries. The longbow he uses is of his own make.