Clay

**Clay** was born into a common household, but after joining the Southern Mountain Corps as a teenager he soon distinguished himself in battle greatly, which came with a number of promotion up the ranks. The young warrior and spearman soon earned the nickname of the "Clay the Fearless."

## First Invasion of the Queendom

When the first invasion of the Queendom of Falena occurred in 441, he fought on the front lines with his spear harder than anyone in his battalion. The only time, it was said, he lost a fight on the battlefield was when he tried to challenge the new Commander of the Queen's Knights, Ferid, to one-on-one combat. He fought bravely, but he was no match for the foreign commander and husband of the new queen.

Shortly after this duel, a brilliant new tactician from the House of Godwin joined the Falenan war effort and the gains taken by the New Armes Kingdom were lost very quickly. Clay had no choice, but to retreat with the rest of the soldiers.

After the war, he spent the rest of the 440s perfecting his skill with not only the spear, but other weapons as well, all while finally being promoted the rank of Captain, the highest a man of common birth could achieve in the Southern Mtn Corps. He hoped to one day again challenge the mighty Commander of the Queen's Knights to another duel.

## Second Invasion and Exiled

Commander Maha Sparna, leader of the Darja Clan, had plans to attack Falena once more in 449 by making secret deals with the Barows and then later with the Godwins to enlarge her own land holdings. However, Clay had enough of nobles and their schemings to enrich themselves, while he and his fellow soldiers only got the scraps that fell from their tables. He refused to fight and help invade the Queendom again.

For his refusal to follow orders, he was dishonorably discharged from the Corps and exiled from Darja by General Jidan Guisu his commanding officer. From exile, Clay watched as his former allies returned home disgraced and humiliated in another failed plot to invade the Queendom, this time losing to Ferid's son, Prince Frey. Now Clay was furious and he had had enough.

## Clay's Rebellion

When he learned that General Jidan was dead and that Maha had been executed for her failures, he knew this was moment to strike. The exiled spearman, snuck back into the barracks to convince his former fellow warriors that this was their chance to overthrow the yoke of corruption and harsh rule by the Sparnas.

Clay's strength and leadership on the battlefield had long since gained him the respect of many soldiers in the Corp. Thus, many joined his cause instantly. Together they started a rebellion that would later be known simply as Clay's Revolt. Only one low level and opportunistic aristocrat in the whole Clan sided with Clay's men and that was Nahum Saboor.

After many months of bloody fighting against most the Darja nobles, he and his 6000 diehard followers had won the uprising. Clay now found himself ruler of the whole Clan of Darja and Commander of the newly formed Liberated Mountain Corps.

However, following the war, Clay was uncertain of what the Grand Council of Chieftains and King Jalat would do about his treasonous actions and execution of so many New Armes nobles. Knowing he could not defeat the other clans on his own, The new leader waited to see what they will do first. While he was waiting, he received a secret message from the most unlikely of people, the former and exiled Prince Astor. The message asked for a private meeting to take place between Clay and the former prince, himself, in the Darja city of Kantara at Sparna's old family mansion.