Varalia Earthhaven

Varalia Earthhaven
Profile
Status:	Alive
Age:	112
Race:	Elf
Gender:	Female
Class:	Warrior
Nation:	Remon
Faction:	Clergy of Nergal Fang (formerly) Grey Cult (formerly) Yamato Empire (formerly)
Era:	Third Age

"The most effective way isn't always the most honourable way."

—Varalia Earthhaven

Varalia Earthhaven is a cleric of Nergal and mother of Ildor Earthhaven and Unithien Greyrain. She used to serve Yamato during the Great War and was once a wielder of Dawn. After the Cataclysm, she sided with the Grey Cult although she later abandoned the cult as well to return to her clergy. Her path has often led her in conflict with the Grand Alliance.

Biography

Early Years

Stolen Innocence

Varalia Earthhaven was born in Folsworth Woods in Remon and was raised to be a pacifist in an elven village which was close to the forest border. Her mother, of the minor House of Earthhaven, had married an elf who claimed to be from the House of Greyrain who had travelled to Remon from Mori'Taure in Aison. As Varalia grew up, she befriended another elven girl, Minuial Moonglade, and they grew close, becoming best friends. Their relationship grew and they had a brief love affair which was disapproved by their conservative parents much to their dismay.

One day human marauders led by a blond nobleman and his witch ally attacked the elven village and slaughtered everyone except Varalia who was saved because of her beauty. The reason for the attack remained unclear to the victims, and the village was burned down after the massacre while Varalia witnessed the murder of her parents and Minuial. Varalia was sold to slave traders who in turn sold her to a Yamatian lord named Hiroki Hyuga who kept her as a sex slave.

Shedding Blood

"I do not want to suffer like I did when I was a pacifist. I know now that only the cold steel of the sword can bring all sorrows to an end and bring peace to the world."

—Varalia

After years of abuse had passed in Hiroki's estate in Ryugashi, Varalia gave birth to a baby girl whom she named Unithien. Eventually Varalia felt that she could not take the abuse anymore. She found the longsword Caraxa in Hiroki's treasure chamber, struck it through the lord's torso the night he came to her chamber, and escaped with their daughter.

Unithien was kidnapped by Yamatian slave traders some time later while the two were on the run, and Varalia tried to search for her daughter everywhere but in vain. Varalia was angry at herself and decided to train herself so that she could defend herself and find Unithien. It was at this time she attracted the attention of the Clergy of Nergal who taught her how to fight. She took the mark of Nergal, the God of War, and committed her life to serving him. She wore a white armour and a white helmet in battle and became a mercenary, earning the nickname 'Sapphire Ghost'.

She searched for her daughter for a while but all leads led to dead ends, and eventually she came to accept the fact that Unithien might be dead or that she'd be unable to locate her, considering that Unithien could've been sold anywhere. Still, she held hope that one day she could discover what had happened to her daughter as the memory of losing her haunted her as much as the memory of losing her parents and Minuial did.

Rose of the Desert

See: Rose of the Desert

During the events of the Rose of the Desert, Varalia travelled to Libaterra as per orders of the high cleric of Nergal and worked in the mercenary group Fang led by Koba. During this time she also came to blows with the young Count Belial de Ardyn who was visiting the kingdom.

She ultimately helped shift the balance of power in Libaterra, which led to the downfall of the House of Locken through the murders of the king and queen, an act which sparked the Libaterran Civil War between the Locken Loyalists and the Rebels. Despite suffering some setbacks, Varalia's overall mission turned out to be a resounding success, and she returned to Yamato to set the next phase of the clergy's plan in motion.

Distreyd Era

Serving the Shogun

"I used to be a mercenary but then I realized that it would not lead me anywhere. Being in the army is different. I have responsibility for many lives and I feel that I can finally accomplish something."

—Varalia to Hiroshi Takamoto

Varalia eventually joined the Yamatian army because she felt she could serve Nergal better that way. Shogun Masamori Hyuga was impressed by Varalia being female and a skilled warrior and eventually made her a captain. The elfess also befriended a young Yamatian officer named Hiroshi Takamoto at the time, and the two became close friends because they realized they had much in common even if Varalia saw Hiroshi as somewhat idealistic.

Varalia was one of the officers leading Yamatian forces when they invaded other countries, but then the Shogun became ill. She was sent to Myridia as the Shogun's representative after Admiral Yasuo Fukuda had died under mysterious circumstances. Her objective was to keep an eye on Zarnagon whom she hated with passion and to inform the Shogun of what the Clergy of Mardük was up to in Aison. She was glad to see Takamoto in Myridia as well: she knew she would have at least one close ally nearby if something went wrong in Zarnagon's decadent court.

Adela al-Saif, the high cleric of Artemicia, came to see Varalia one day and gave her a magic sword called Dawn. Varalia heard that Dawn's twin sword Dusk was wielded by a man who travelled with the Grand Alliance in Remon and that someday she might meet the man. If Varalia could defeat this hero of the Alliance and take his sword, Nergal would reward her. She wanted to please her god and agreed to challenge the wielder of Dusk to a duel once their paths would cross.

As the Great War began, Varalia plotted with Takamoto to get rid of the increasingly paranoid Zarnagon who had begun killing competent officers, which she and Takamoto saw as endangering the cause of the Yamato Empire in Aison. Varalia and Takamoto gathered an inner circle that planned to assassinate Zarnagon, but their plan was revealed, and Zarnagon sent his agents to dispose of the traitors. Varalia and Takamoto were lucky to survive from the Great Purge as Zarnagon could never prove their involvement in the conspiracy, but he sent Takamoto away from Myridia to Torrent in order to both take back a powerful talisman stolen by the Dwarven Triad but also to separate Takamoto from Varalia.

The War Reaches Aison

"It's time to wipe that arrogant smile off your face, my dear. Let me show you what real power is like!"

—Kareth d'Zarnagon to Varalia before raping her

Zarnagon grew increasingly frustrated when he heard that Remon and Maar Sul had been liberated by the Alliance, but he was also suffering from constant nightmares. One night he was having a fit and invaded Varalia's chambers, catching the elfess completely by surprise. Zarnagon subdued Varalia with his magic and raped her, and Varalia had to live through the trauma of abuse once more.

It was then that unexpected visitors appeared: a group led by Axikasha Keiran had infiltrated the castle and stolen Dawn. Varalia was too shocked to do anything, but Zarnagon and the palace guard gave chase, killing several of the heroes in the process. Ax and a few others managed to escape with Dawn, however, and the army of the Grand Alliance boldly attacked Myridia only a few hours later. The Alliance managed to catch the Yamatians and clerics of Mardük completely by surprise, and it also helped that Zarnagon had killed off many of his senior officers and that the majority of the Aisonian army was besieging the Magestar at that time.

Zarnagon retreated to his tower, and Varalia recovered enough to put on her armor and lead what forces she had to repel the Alliance soldiers. The battle was fierce, and Varalia even saw a man wielding Dusk leading the opposing army. She eventually heard that Zarnagon had fled Myridia with some unknown person, and she realized that the battle had been lost. She took some of her most loyal subordinates and retreated northeast while the Alliance continued its attack and proceeded to beat down the Yamatian army that was besieging Magestar.

Aison was liberated surprisingly quickly, and Varalia and her few remaining men retreated to Yamato. She tried to search for Takamoto but in vain as the battlefields of Yamato were nothing but chaotic as the Alliance appeared in Yamato and stormed through the empire's archipelago surprisingly quickly.

A New Path

"I will purge your heart from fear and make you anew. Cast aside your doubts and provide this world with the kind of tomorrow that the coming generations deserve to live in."

—Xerathas d'Zarnagon to Varalia

When the Godslayer and the demons appeared and Nergal and the other gods fled in the ensuing Cataclysm, Varalia realized that Yamato was a lost cause. She fled back to Aison, considering her survival top priority. However, she had another reason, too: she had realized that she was pregnant, so she had to think of her baby's well-being as well.

Varalia travelled to Myridia and was surprised to find Zarnagon's son Xerathas preaching about the Lord of Emptiness. She soon discovered that the lord was none other than the dreadful Godslayer. She was about to flee but was too weak to do anything as she was in later stages of pregnancy.

Xerathas approached her and promised to keep her and the baby safe is she decided to join his Grey Cult. Seeing no other option, Varalia agreed and gave birth to a half-elven boy named Ildor. She kept her promise and helped Xerathas stabilize Aison, but she also did this in order to keep Ildor safe. Her loyalty pleased Xerathas who eventually made her the captain of the palace guard.

Godslayer Era

A Game of Deception

"So that's the name of the wielder of Dawn: Ax! I shall memorize it. I look forward to getting back that blade which she stole from me during the war."

—Varalia about Axikasha Keiran

When Xerathas received a vision from the Godslayer, he took Varalia and the Shadow and travelled to Remon in 1017 AE. Varalia located both Marcus Sarillius and Axikasha Keiran, and she helped Xerathas and the Shadow kidnap Marcus. She did not treat Marcus kindly once they reached the Ruined Kingdom because she still had memories of the Second Battle of Myridia in mind. She and Xerathas left the Soap behind to stall an Alliance group which they knew would arrive later to rescue Marcus.

Echoes of War

"Mother?"

"Daughter! Unithien!"

—Unithien Greyrain and Varalia

The rescue party led by Ax eventually reached the temple where Marcus was held, and Xerathas was willing to let Marcus go free if he got Ax's sword Dawn. This infuriated Varalia who had wanted to settle her score with Ax, but she had no choice but to obey. When it turned out that Dawn was only a fake copy, Varalia became even more furious. When Ax's group had to retreat back to the grand hall inside the temple because of the sudden appearance of Totenkopfs, Varalia was consumed by the anger she felt for Ax and she immediately attacked her.

The two warriors had a fierce duel, and Ax kept mocking Varalia constantly, hoping to gain an upper hand. Varalia had managed to calm herself enough by that time, though, and kept her cool even though Ax's insults became more and more brutal.

The battle probably would have gone on for quite some time if Jacob Seneron, a Totenkopf possessed by Nergal, had not appeared. Varalia as a cleric of Nergal instantly recognized the aura of the God of War and backed away in fear for the first time since the rape in Myridia. Varalia realized that Xerathas had been knocked unconscious, and she decided to hurry to his side and wait to see who would win the battle.

Ax and the other heroes eventually succeeded in defeating the possessed Jacob with help from the gods Hephaestus and Shakkan. Ax then pointed her blade at Varalia, giving her a chance to either join her as a prisoner or remain in the temple and perish. Seeing no other sensible option, Varalia became a prisoner willingly and followed the heroes out of the temple. She even pointed out a path that would take her and her capturers out of the Ruined Kingdom, because she did not want to stay there any longer.

While they were outside, Varalia heard a very familiar melody sung by one of the white mages who had accompanied Ax. She responded to the melody, and she suddenly realized that the half-elven white mage was none other than her long-lost daughter Unithien. Both she and her daughter ran into each other's arms, babbled in Elvish and hugged each other, still numb by this sudden revelation. Their reunion did not last for long, though, because they were brutally separated by the minions of Belial de Ardyn who had been travelling with Ax.

Varalia decided not to comment on the following arguments between Refan d'Zarnagon and Belial. She kept Xerathas safe and forced herself to swallow her pride because she had finally found her dear daughter and nothing else mattered. She did not even react to the arrival of the Shadow because her mind was only on Unithien. After all these years of suffering, she had finally found a glimmer of light from the darkest depths of her tortured soul.

A Crimson Dawn

"Our part in this story isn't over yet."

—Xerathas d'Zarnagon to Varalia

Ax's group joined the main army of the Grand Alliance and continued the journey to Maar Sul. Varalia, Xerathas and the Shadow remained as prisoners but it didn't matter to Varalia who was now eagerly chatting with Unithien. The mother and daughter talked for hours and shared each other's experiences on life. Varalia hadn't felt such happiness since the day Ildor had been born.

A few days later the Grand Alliance reached Maar Sul City which had recently driven off a Proninist attack. While the Maar Sulais celebrated the arrival of the heroes by having a grand ball at the Citadel, Varalia and her two companions were taken to prison.

Varalia soon noticed that Xerathas was already planning something, and her suspicions grew even more once she saw Marcus talking to Xerathas some time later. Xerathas manipulated Marcus to help him by promising to change Marcus into a different person so that Marcus could see what people really thought about him. Marcus accepted the deal, and Xerathas transformed him into a mustachioed man who was given the name Noche.

They escaped from the cell soon after but left three illusions behind to fool the guards into thinking that they were still locked up. While Varalia went to steal horses, Xerathas and the Shadow infiltrated the Maar Sulais Citadel and replaced King Gerard Aurelac with a clone of the Shadow. Gerard was tricked into changing his wolf form and could no longer change back thanks to Xerathas's magic. This wolf form of Gerard was given the name Lobo.

The group, which now consisted of Xerathas, Varalia, the Shadow, Noche and Lobo, headed for Jardine which was the next destination of many heroes of the Alliance. They entered Jardine after the Alliance had liberated it from the Proninists and then they stowed away on the heroes' ship, the Hiltraud, which began its long voyage to Libaterra soon after.

Tears of the Sun

"Are you willing to throw away the chance Lord Xerathas gave you, a way to discover your true self? You could've had it all!"

"I've made my decision. It's time for me to stop running away, and I'll face my demons with my head held high from now on!"

—Varalia and Marcus Sarillius

Dealing with Lobo's peeing problem turned out to be anything but pleasant so Xerathas and his minions had to get on deck so that Lobo could relieve his bladder. The heroes of the Grand Alliance were surprised to see Xerathas's posse onboard the Hiltraud but the sudden arrival of the Fellowship of Maar Sul from the portal helped to draw attention away from them for the time being. Xerathas managed to convince the heroes to take them along to Libaterra and Ax, although suspicious, wasn't going to return to Jardine anymore and thus reluctantly accepted Xerathas's posse as new crew mates.

Two Coalition warships spotted the Hiltraud and the heroes used rowboats to reach the Libaterran shore while the ship itself drew the Coalition's attention to herself. Khalid al-Saif arranged everything from camels to supplies, and the heroes began the long journey to Vanna, capital of the Sultanate of Karaganda. During this journey they happened upon a lone wanderer who turned out to be Jono Renfield, an old ally of the Alliance. Jono tagged along, and the heroes reached Vanna soon after.

Khalid led the heroes to the throne room where they confronted Sultana Adela al-Saif, Grand Vizier Iblis al-Djinn and Captain Razoul. Khalid immediately accused his aunt Adela of usurping his rightful throne, and the two had a war of words as they tried to discredit one another. Adela also used the opportunity to openly mock Varalia for losing Dawn and Ax for being unworthy of wielding Dawn. Varalia remained quiet, not wishing to provoke anyone, although she was surprised to see Adela after all these years.

Khalid seemed to have a trump card when he claimed that the massage he had done to Ax the previous night had made them a married couple as per Sarquil customs. However, the plan backfired when Adela presented to him a boy who he claimed was her son. Khalid could thus not use his wife clause because Adela's supposed son nullified it.

Khalid became openly hostile when he realized he had to improvise from now on. He thus failed to see that he was in fact falling for a delicate prestige trap: once he would insult Adela enough, she could order his execution by claiming that he had dishonoured her in the eyes of her court. Khalid was saved just in time by Ismail who appeared in the court to put an end to the schemes of Adela, Razoul and Iblis.

Things turned more complicated when the goddess Artemicia appeared and openly challenged Khalid who was too blinded to realize what he was getting into. Artemicia suggested that Khalid and Adela could settle the dispute with a game, and Khalid agreed. As soon as he finished speaking, he found himself trapped in a giant magical hourglass with Xerathas.

Artemicia gave the heroes an ultimatum: they had a week to find the lair of the Sirithai and bring back the head of their leader to Vanna. If they did not get back by then, Khalid and Xerathas would drown in sand. If they got back in time, Khalid and Xerathas would be set free, and Khalid could legally challenge Adela without worrying about angering the nobles.

The heroes had no other alternative than to accept the rules of Artemicia's game and packed for the long journey to the hostile Sirithai lands in the middle of the Libaterran desert. Varalia was distraught by Xerathas's imprisonment and she promised herself to return as quickly as possible to save him.

During the journey sand gnomes ambushed the group. Luckily the sand gnomes were easy to deal with, and soon the heroes roasted them on a bonfire. However, the Sirithai appeared all of a sudden and captured Varalia, Refan, Ariadne and Greg. The captured four were taken to Xibalba where the Sirithai tied them to four poles in the middle of a huge underground arena. Varalia knew that something bad was about to happen and for the first time she actually hoped that the others would reach her and the other captives in time.

Ax led the remaining heroes to Xibalba soon after and went to talk with Qadohi and Shakkan who turned out to be a deity of the Sirithai. Shakkan promised to let the captives go free if the heroes defeated his fearsome creation, Plushiebunny. During the battle Noche willingly decided to use the full powers of Dusk and turned back into Marcus. Varalia was horrified by this, claiming that by turning back into his original self Marcus would never be able to find out if people really respected him or not. Marcus simply stated that he finally knew who he was and that he wouldn't hide behind a false identity any longer.

The combined forces of the heroes, including Ax and Marcus with their powered Dawn and Dusk, eventually slew Plushiebunny and released Varalia and the others. Refan temporarily lost control of his demonic side and tried to rape Ax, but Varalia saved her by knocking Refan unconscious. She remarked with bitterness that at least she knew when to help a woman in need--unlike Ax who had left her to be raped by Zarnagon in Myridia years ago.

The Sirithai were impressed by the heroes' bravery. Just as the negotiations between the heroes and the Sirithai could properly begin, Awar, one of the heroes, betrayed the group. Before anyone could react, Awar trapped Shakkan within a shard of Krystallopyr and escaped while a group of Sarquil warriors led by Obama attacked the heroes and the Sirithai. The heroes managed to defeat Obama's squad, and Fel Ridoon managed to capture Awar in the ensuing chaos.

Ax proposed that the Alliance and the Sirithai would join forces and travel to Vanna to free Shakkan from the Krystallopyr shard. Then they would free Khalid and Xerathas and put an end to Adela and the Clergy of Artemicia who had terrorized the Sirithai. After pondering her options, Qadohi agreed to join forces with Ax. The combined forces of the heroes of the Alliance and the Sirithai began the journey back to Vanna to confront Adela.

The Winds of Wrath

"When I was serving Nergal, I was told that one day I would fight against the bearer of Dusk. It seems that time has finally come! If you try to stand in my way, I'll just have to strike you down!"

—Varalia to Marcus Sarillius

The heroes returned to Vanna, this time with Qadohi seemingly as their prisoner. They met Miraj al-Zarar along the way, and he warned them that Adela and Iblis were planning to do something once the heroes reached the throne room. It was clear that it was a trap but the heroes had come so far and were not willing to give up. Miraj suggested that the heroes go meet his nephew Azriel al-Zarar in the city. According to him Azriel was not sympathetic to Adela and might be willing to help the heroes dethrone her.

The group reached Vanna a few days later and met with Harrad U'niviel, a representative from Alent, who told them how he had tried to free Khalid and Xerathas but had failed. While the heroes tended to the wounded Harrad, Ax and Ismail went to see Azriel who joined their cause and promised to rally support in case Adela tried to do something dirty.

Once in the throne room, the heroes presented Adela with Qadohi and demanded that she would now set Khalid and Xerathas free as she had promised. However, to their dismay Artemicia showed up and said she had only manipulated the heroes to bring Qadohi to her and Adela and that she would now get rid of them all. Just when Khalid and Xerathas were about to drown in sand in the giant hourglass, Hephaestus appeared and released them, reminding Artemicia that she would keep her end of the bargain whether she liked it or not. The angry Artemicia challenged Hephaestus to a duel, and the two gods retreated to the High Plane.

Khalid openly challenged Adela to a duel, accusing her of murdering his mother. However, Adela suddenly shielded herself with a boy she claimed was her son, thus forcing Khalid to choose whether he would strike down a child in his quest for vengeance. Before Khalid could make the decisive move, three ominous figures calling themselves the Vulfsatz appeared and snatched the boy away. It turned out that the boy wasn't Adela's son but Hannibal Losstarot, the master of the Vulfsatz and the son of the Coalition leader Glaurung Losstarot.

Seizing this new opportunity, Iblis declared that the heroes were conspiring with the Vulfsatz and had become a threat to the Sultanate of Karaganda and should be eliminated. The clerics of Artemicia, the Black Guard and Totenkopfs attacked the heroes and the Vulfsatz.

The heroes had anticipated that things would turn sour, however, and the Sirithai soon emerged from their underground tunnels while Azriel rallied many citizens of Vanna to help the heroes. The Battle of Vanna between the heroes, Adela's supporters and the Vulfsatz had begun. Jono actually stumbled on Varalia who promised to handicap him even further if he ever touched her again. The memories of Hiroki's and Zarnagon's assaults were still fresh on her mind, and the last thing she needed was another aggressive man in her life.

Adela, Iblis and Awar used the ensuing chaos to their advantage and kidnapped Qadohi who was carrying the Krystallopyr shard. They fled to the tower where they were planning to perform the ritual to make Krystallopyr whole. A group of heroes chased the villains up the tower and confronted them there but were too late to stop Iblis who managed to stab Nalaen Silverpond with the shard of Krystallopyr and charged it with her lifeforce.

Adela took the shard from the limp body of Nalaen and was about to place it into the Black Stone when she was interrupted by Xerathas who revealed his true colours to her and the heroes. Xerathas had only been co-operating with the heroes out of necessity and was now trying to take the Krystallopyr shard from Adela in order to use the shard for the benefit of his Grey Cult. He revealed that he had only manipulated Marcus to work for him and had never had Marcus's best interests at heart. He also wanted to take Dawn and Dusk from them in order to prevent them from ever using the blades again.

Xerathas's betrayal forced the heroes to divide their forces to face both Adela's and Xerathas's posses. Varalia tried to snatch the Krystallopyr shard from the stone but was stopped by Marcus to a duel. The two warriors began a duel, and Varalia pondered if Marcus, the wielder of Dusk, would indeed be as strong as Adela had once told her years ago.

While Xerathas and the heroes were busy fighting, Awar picked up the shard and placed into the Black Stone where it began its slow transformation into the full magical blade. Meanwhile Adela tried to attack Qadohi but Ronove stopped her from killing her. Things escalated even further when Iblis transformed into a terrifying demon and challenged the heroes to a brutal battle. He ordered Adela to return to the throne room to finish Khalid off; if Khalid died, the Alliance couldn't take over Vanna legally anymore.

The reforging of Krystallopyr was almost complete. Noticing that both Iblis and Xerathas wanted to have the shard for themselves, Daventhalas de Mont Hault shot at the Black Stone. Varalia saw it and abandoned her duel with Marcus, trying to save the Krystallopyr shard before it would be destroyed. However, she was too late and the stone exploded, and the released magical energy of this shattering was so powerful that it made Varalia fall into coma. Lobo transformed back to Gerard, and Xerathas and the Shadow teleported away before the heroes could capture them.

Sowing Season

The battle of Vanna had been won but with a great cost. Awar and Iblis had turned out to be agents of the Southern Horde and had escaped, Xerathas and the Shadow were still somewhere out there, and the Black Stone of Vanna had been destroyed and thus the demons could finally invade Libaterra without worrying about the stone's magical power anymore.

Realizing that forming new alliances was more crucial than ever, the Grand Alliance decided to send a group led by Dieter von Waldheim to Alent with the enemy prisoners which included the still comatose Varalia. They hoped that presenting the Alentians with these valuable prisoners would persuade them to consider an alliance with the Grand Alliance. Only the combined armies of Alent and the Grand Alliance would stand a chance against the threats of the Crimson Coalition, the Grey Cult and the demons of Yamato.

Waldheim's group reached Alent some time later. The Vulfsatz were put in prison and Varalia was taken to the infirmary although the chances of her recovery from coma seemed quite slim.

More info later.

Devourer's Reach

More info later.

The Point of No Return

More info later.

Defiler's Touch

More info later.

A Cry in the Dark

Varalia covertly aided the Vulfsatz in their mission and even impersonated an Alentian officer in order to free Unithien and Ferron from Alent's clutches. She tried to reason with Unithien to make her side with her, particularly by mentioning that Unithien's brother Ildor would be waiting for them to return in Myridia. Varalia's words seemed to resonate with Unithien until she realized Unithien had used illusion magic to disappear and go find Refan who was rampaging through the city. Varalia became angry at her daughter's stubbornness and asked her companions to locate Unithien and bring her to the Vulfsatz hideout so they could plot their escape from Alent.

In the end one of her comrades, Saleos, located and brought Unithien back to the hideout where Varalia learned what had happened between her daughter, Nesa and Refan. Varalia found out how her daughter had sacrificed her love for Nesa to spare the Alliance of the Blood Fever and helped capture Refan before she had deserted the Alliance in order to be reunited with her family. Mother and daughter were reunited, this time seemingly for good, and Varalia did her best to comfort her devastated daughter and reassured her that she had made the right choice.

Deceiver's Gambit

More info later.

Heart of Darkness

More info later.

Despair's Wake

After entering the portal, the group found itself being teleported into Yamato. Being in a potentially hostile territory full of demons, they had to act fast, but it seemed some of the group members had already taken everything into account. They ended up locating and boarding what initially appeared as a merchant vessel but which later turned out to belong to pirates aligned with the Blue Dragon pirates. Varalia and the others had no choice but to follow the pirates' whim as they took them to their lair, Shipwreck Cove, although Varalia suspected that not all was as it seemed.

During this journey they were introduced to a couple of the pirates, one of whom introduced himself as Susumu Kawamoto. Susumu had gotten interested in Varalia and flirted with her much to Varalia's disdain. She began wondering if relying on outside help had been wise after all even though she was now far away from the wrath of Alent.

The group entered Shipwreck Cove, witnessing the clever way it had been hidden behind treacherous reefs, illusion magic and huge boulders movable by what appeared to be bardic magic sung by a woman in white atop a cliff. As soon as the ship had docked, however, the group, including Susumu, were taken to meet with Kuro Tori, the Pirate King, for trespassing in his waters.

Varalia was on the edge, close to attacking any pirate who tried to harm her or Unithien, but Susumu wisely advised her against it as they would be overwhelmed quickly. As annoyed as Varalia was about the direct words of the pirate, she too realized that the only thing she could do for now was to bide her time and hope that Louhi and the others, who seemed surprisingly calm considering the circumstances, would talk their way out of the mess they had ended up in.

The meeting with Kuro Tori in his shipwreck palace was tense, and the Pirate King showed an interest in several of the women in the group. What made matters worse--and surprising--was when Varalia saw one of the slaves serving the Pirate King. She could hardly believe her eyes when she came face to face with a shadow from her past: the slave was none other than Hiroki Hyuga, the Yamatian lord who had once held her captive and fathered Unithien. Varalia couldn't understand how Hiroki, who she had run through with a sword and left to die, could've survived after all this time and look exactly the same he had done all those years ago.

Kuro Tori heard the travellers' stories and, after pondering their fates for a while, ordered them to be taken to the nearest inns and "prepare" them for later. Varalia didn't like the ominous tone of the Pirate King but the order gave her a chance to get her and Unithien away from Hiroki; her mind was still racing, and she tried to figure out what was going on. Not only was she associating with a group of people she knew little of, but she had seen them negotiate somewhat successfully with the Pirate King as well as present him with two captured demons who had been travelling with the group.

Varalia and Unithien were taken to one of the inns where they found the room already prepared as well as a pair of what looked like exquisite and expensive silk dresses. Although Unithien showed interest in them, Varalia forbade her to dress in them lest they arouse the pirates. She wasn't willing to accept any gift from the Pirate King or anyone else, and she began planning a way to escape in case their secretive companions chose not to help them do so. She couldn't forget that they had originally promised to take her and Unithien to Aison, and she intended for them to keep their end of the bargain after she had helped them subdue Marcus in Alent.

Varalia took Unithien out of the room, and they decided to head downstairs to get something to eat or drink to ease their minds for a while. What they ended up witnessing instead was a spectacular musical show hosted by Madame Alicanto Ke, head of Kuro Tori's concubines. They and several pirate patrons watched a performance by an energetic bard identified as Velvet, and Varalia was secretly amused by how the bard's sultry act even caught Ferron off-guard.

What the elven captain had hoped to be a quiet evening never came to pass, however, because the group were soon joined by a pirate woman who introduced herself as Uminoko Kawamoto, and other pirates also joined the table, including Susumu who still tried to flirt with Varalia, as well as Madame Ke and Velvet. Discussion quickly took flight, and the group ended up talking about even fanficul things like a mythic bird known as the Phoenix, which Varalia believed to be nothing but hogwash despite Madame Ke's insistence on believing the tales to be true.

It was during this conversation that Varalia and Unithien found out that the inn they were in wasn't just any inn but also a brothel. Varalia quickly figured out that the dresses had been put in their room for a specific purpose, especially when she saw Kuro Tori and his entourage drinking at one of the tables. The Pirate King had set his eyes on Varalia and Unithien, and intended to have his way with them, which is why he had mentioned something about "preparing" them for something earlier.

Fed up with everything she had to experience in the Cove coupled with the most recent shocking revelation, Varalia decided to let off some steam and took Unithien with her as they went to walk outside. They ended up being accompanied by Uminoko, which didn't please Varalia one bit, but she didn't argue against it. While walking down the alley, they were ambushed by a group of pirates led by Kusotare who wanted to have their way with them. A fight broke out, and the women ended up being aided by, of all things, a Scun named Wes.

Garden of Fear

Wes, a paladin named Oscar Locke and eventually Hiroki himself entered the fray just as the pirates were about to outnumber the women, forcing Kusotare's crew to flee. Oscar, revealing himself as a healer, then asked the group to accompany him to his infirmary so he could tend to their wounds. Although Varalia was suspicious of the paladin's motives and the timely arrival of Hiroki, she decided to go inside the infirmary if only to get away from the danger the streets posed to her and Unithien.

More info later.

A Gathering Storm

More info later.

Chaos Descends

Varalia cut her hair, donned blue robes and began using the name 'Rei' as part of her cover as a cleric of Tiamat aboard the Moldy Crow. The first two weeks of the voyage had been more or less eventless, and she slowly got used to spending time with Uminoko and warming up to her.

Aliases and Nicknames

Rei

An alias Varalia used while posing as a cleric of Tiamat aboard the Moldy Crow.

Sapphire Ghost

A nickname given to Varalia during her years as a mercenary. She was so fast in battle that many of her enemies fell before they knew what hit them, and yet she was gracious while she did it. Another possible meaning behind the name is that her white and blue themed armour makes her opponents think of a ghost, hence the name.

Appearance

Varalia is quite tall and has a curvy body. She is dressed up in a white elven-made armour and has a white skull-like helmet which she often uses to intimidate people. She also has a white cape that has blue stripes on it and a symbol of a sapphire in the middle. She has dark hair and used to have green eyes when she was younger, but her eyes now have a brown colour.

Personality and Traits

"She seemed fairly harmless."

"As harmless as a distracted dragon."

—Balthazar Bannock and Harrad U'niviel about Varalia

Varalia is very arrogant but does not dislike humans as some elves do. She respects those who are cunning and powerful and despises those who are weak although the sole exception to this rule seems to be her daughter Unithien who she doesn't want to become like her. She does not trust men as much as she trusts women, though, because of what happened to her in the past. Despite her often icy exterior, she does have some kindness in her heart and can sympathize with people, especially with parents and children who have suffered losses.

She used to feel flattered whenever people considered her beautiful, but she did not feel ready for a relationship due to her bad experiences from the past. However, the rough years since have turned her even more jaded than she was, and now she even views most compliments with suspicion. To her relationships are now a means to an end even if she can't help but feel some connection with the kinder people she's been with. She loves her family more than anything and is willing to go to any lengths to keep them safe from harm, even if it means death and betrayal. Lately she feels more committed to Nergal's cause than before, believing that strife and promoting the God of War's cause are the only ways for her to grow stronger as a person and as a warrior.

A little known fact is that Varalia really likes candy even when she pretends that candy holds no sway over her.

Powers and Abilities

Varalia is a skilled swordswoman but does not possess any magic. She is quite strong and surprisingly agile, and she knows how to fight dirty, a fact which other elves often shun. She, however, has no illusion about honour in combat, because the only thing that matters to her in battle is her survival and victory if it can be achieved reasonably enough without endangering herself too much in the process.

Relationships

Axikasha Keiran

The rivalry between Ax and Varalia has been intense ever since Ax stole Dawn from Varalia. The two women have often bickered and fought for the possession of the blade. Ax did show some kindness towards Varalia when she let her stay with Unithien for a short while, and this act puzzled Varalia who had to reconsider what kind of person Ax really is.

Hiroki Hyuga

Hiroki abused Varalia as soon as he bought her from slavers. He used her as his sex slave for many years, which resulted in Varalia giving birth to their daughter Unithien. Eventually Varalia just snapped from all the abuse and used a sword from Hiroki's treasury to strike him down before escaping from his estate.

Hiroshi Takamoto

Hiroshi was the first and only man Varalia had ever truly cared for. He was rather awkward around her but was willing to learn, and Varalia appreciated his earnestness and vitality. Both of them were fond of the Yamatian cause, although Hiroshi showed loyalty while Varalia remained more sceptic. The two eventually had an affair which ended up quickly as Zarnagon separated them in the aftermath of the purge of Myridia. Varalia and Hiroshi did not see each other again as the Great War soon entered Aison and Yamato.

Ildor Earthhaven

There has been some confusion whether Ildor's father is Takamoto or Zarnagon, although most assume the latter because the half-elven boy does not seem to have any Yamatian facial features. Although Ildor's origins were somewhat unfortunate as he seems to be the result of Zarnagon raping Varalia, he is nevertheless dear to Varalia who raised her the best way she could. Ildor loves his mother dearly and has shown skill in arts although he is less interested in learning combat skills.

Kareth d'Zarnagon

Zarnagon and Varalia could not stand each other. Both were stubborn, arrogant and intelligent although they worked for different factions. Zarnagon was not happy about Varalia being an agent of the Shogun, and Varalia did not like Zarnagon's constant scheming and distrust. Things turned worse when Zarnagon began having fits of rage out of the blue, and it eventually led to him raping Varalia in a brutal manner. This traumatized Varalia, and she has still not gotten over it, although as a result of that night she gave birth to Ildor who is dear to her despite his unfortunate origins.

Masamori Hyuga

Varalia respected the Shogun greatly. She understood his vision and sought to make it true as she hoped for a world ruled by a benevolent dictator. However, the Shogun fell ill and his ambitious plans fell with him. Varalia lost a great foundation in her life after the Shogun disappeared but she has promised to continue fighting for the same ideals in this World of Ruin. She is greatly offended whenever anyone accuses her of being the former Shogun's lover.

Uminoko Kawamoto

Although Varalia was initially put off by Uminoko's boisterous attitude, she eventually warmed up to her somewhat, sympathising with her being a woman among pirates. Likewise, Umi seemed to enjoy Varalia's company and liked to flirt with her. The two ended up stuck together when Varalia escaped from Kuro Tori's captivity and found herself in Uminoko's cabin outside all of the ship cabins she could hide in. In exchange for hiding her, Uminoko wanted them to become intimate, and Varalia agreed to the terms, hoping to use the pirate's infatuation with her to her advantage. However, things didn't go exactly as planned as Varalia found herself liking spending time with Uminoko much to her surprise, although she tried to justify it by Uminoko reminding her of her lost childhood friend Minuial.

Unithien Greyrain

Unithien is Varalia's firstborn and thus very special to her. They only spent some time together before Unithien was kidnapped, and it would take a long time before they were finally reunited. They share a close bond even after years of separation, and they love each other deeply as a mother and a daughter.

Xerathas d'Zarnagon

Varalia was indifferent to Xerathas until he approached her after the Cataclysm and asked her to join the Grey Cult. Since then Varalia has noticed that Xerathas is a wise leader even if he is cold and distant at times. Xerathas is different than his father Zarnagon and actually shows some kindness, and Varalia has found a new purpose serving under him as she sees it the only way of keeping something from the old world alive after the Grand Alliance and the demons crushed Varalia's world. Xerathas considers Varalia a useful servant although he is confused whenever he sees Varalia acting in a loving manner around Unithien.

See also

• Caraxa
• Dawn
• Fang
• Hiroshi Takamoto
• Hyuga Clan
• Ildor Earthhaven
• Kareth d'Zarnagon
• Minuial Moonglade
• Rose of the Desert
• Unithien Greyrain
• Uminoko Kawamoto
• Xerathas d'Zarnagon