Calahad Kral

> "*Arrogance is the bane of triumph!*"
> ― Calahad Kral to his soldiers.
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Wall mural of Calahad by Mars Estion in the Galleries of Mars

War Conductor

Prelate

Caldonil (Brother)

**Calahad Aelosryn Kolvar Kral**, more commonly known by his first name and honorific, **Calahad Kral**, is the current Prelate of the armies of Selthan Dorei and the Blade of the Forest. Calahad is referred to as 'the perfect knight' be even his enemies and is a masterful swordsman, military tactician and leader. Calahad is known as the strongest, noblest, most disciplined and steadfast of the war-elves of Selthan Dorei and a magician with a sword.

Calahad was bestowed with the Mark of Pyros, which he uses to set his blades alight, wreathing them in flame, to cause further chaos and devastation on a battlefield. The flame he uses to cover his blades is the reason for their naming, 'Flamelight' and 'Flare'.

Calahad worked his way up the ranks of the Elven Army and reached the pinnacle of the Elven Army after he slew the Dragon Psaum the Terrible, an enormous, towering beast, in single combat.

## Appearance

Calahad is a middle aged man, considering elven aging he only resembles a man of two thirds of his age with a face that conceals its own age. Calahad has bone white and short cut hair and is clean shaven, with very striking and piercing yellow eyes.

Calahad wears a suit of highly ornate plate armour named 'Tidebreaker' because of its multiple design features making blades slide off the most vital areas of his body, keeping him secure. Over his shoulders he usually wears a woolen pelthe has cut from a Slate Bear, one of the strongest and most dangerous predators in the Forest of Akine.

## Personality

> **Syndra:** "Do not fear my friend and trusted blade, Calahad. He may seems fearsome because of his reputation and stature but he carries no ill will"
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> **Calahad:** "Precisely. Even if I were to try to strike you, this room is much too cramped to get a killing blow"
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> **Syndra:** "That was rather inappropriate, Calahad."
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> **Calahad**: "Apologies, my lady"
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- Syndra trying to reassure one of her clerics.

Calahad is a very calm and composed individual, rarely showing excessive emotion during or outside of combat because he views being consumed by emotions as the anathema to a good soldier. Calahad speaks only when it is absolutely necessary, thinking through his words with great care and attentiveness.

Calahad is referred to as 'the perfect knight;' because of both his abilities with a blade but his rigorous adherence to a code of honour that is typically elven: 'fight with honour and grace but if your opponent does not, strike him down with no mercy'. It is this dogmatic adherence to this code of honour that presents his flaw, his inflexibility that has nearly lost him many duels and lost some battles.

Despite Calahads intimidating stature and his powerful aura he does his best to ensure other soldiers and elves feel at ease around him making an attempt to make a joke to ease tension, however considering his lack of a good sense of humour, they can come off as misplaced or offensive.

## Abilities

### Sword Skills

Calahad is indisputably the most talented swordsman in the entire Elven Kingdom, bering colloquially referred to as the Bladedancer or War Conductor, Calahad has abilities with a sword that are the stuff of legends and fables. Being able to slay a dragon is an impressive feat in and of itself, however considering the calibre of dragon that Calahad slew, and with the fact that he was injured at the time, is a testament to his skill and bravery.

Calahad is also a master of the three disciplines of Elven swordsmanship: Kars, Vara and Baesobu. Calahad utilised the Kars discipline, typically characterised by use of a single hand and nimble footwork, to defeat five veteran elven duelists during a civil dispute with a single arm while the other was broken. Furthermore, he used the Vara discipline, typically characterised by use of both hands and more aggression and speed, to fend off talon strikes and slay the legendary dragon, Psaum the Terrible. FInally, Calahad has used the Baesobu discipline, characterised by use of one's surroundings instead of a blade to overcome a foe, to blind and cripple the legendary female elven assassin, 'Scissor' with little more than sand, branches and boulders.

It is spoken of that Calahad has never had to dispatch of a foe with more than ten strikes of his sword and he has never lost in a duel. The first fight he has ever had was with a Slate Bear at the age of eight which he managed to slay with his father's combat blade.

### Strength

Calahad is incredibly strong, having a genetic predisposition to maintain highly tightened and condensed muscles instead of more clearly bulky ones like Reptar Kral. It is often stated that even though Calahad is clearly shorter and thinner than him, he is stronger than Reptar and is able to beat him in most forms of competition. This becomes significant when Reptar has been able to rip through castle walls and bend and break metal plating and blades.

### Intelligence

Calahad is a very intelligent and curious man, being a very quick learner and very rarely forgetting something, be it a name, face, location, tactic or enemy. Having a mind that is described as being 'built for battle', Calahad is most at home and becomes his true self when on a battlefield and commanding warriors. Then he becomes a hyper-intelligent, efficient leader and a fearless and incredibly skilled combatant.

### Mark

To increase the dread he brings to a battlefield, Calahad often sets his swords ablaze during duels to confuse, terrify or distract his enemies as a main purpose, actually burning them is a secondary concern for him however he is not above doing so.

## Forces of Prelate

### Sons of Fire

Having achieved the rank of War-Prior, Calahad is entitled to a troupe of Honour Guards, called Glade Stewards by the Elves. At the rank of Prelate, Calahad is entitled to have a larger force to his name comprised of warriors across all eight War-Houses, Calahad's formation is called the Sons of Fire. The Sons of FIre are thirty elite warriors of the Elven armies and are some of the most talented and creative warriors that have practiced for decades in a myriad of different combat styles. Upon all of their back-mounted banners they bare the Golden Storm, Calahad's personal symbol high and proud, denoting their allegiance.

## Personal Heraldry

Calahad adopts his own personal Heraldry that is present among his bodyguards as well as many members of his War House. The iconography is dubbed the *'Golden Storm'* and includes a royal blue sheet of Fabric cleaved with a Thunderbolt above of a flight of three golden birds, below which is the name 'Calahad' in elvish script. In the heart of the centremost bird is the Sigil of his War-House. Calahad's personal banner features additional elvish script and further details. The three golden eagles on the banner represent Calahad's adoration of birds and avian creatures of the forest, keeping one as his familiar and the Royal Blue background and the bolt of thunder represents his mount, Calides the Kirin a noble and enduring steed imbued with the powers of lightning and storms.

## Equipment

* **Tidebreaker** - Tidebreaker is a suit of master-crafted plate armour that is structured in such a way that allows blades and arrows to be harmlessly deflected off of his plating making it vastly difficult to pierce it.
* **Flamelight** - A long, waving, flambard blade functioning as a symbol of status for Elven military officers as well as a devastating close-combat weapon. Flamelight allos Calahad to, with the curving of the blade, shake and shudder the weapons out of his opponents hands.
* **Flare** - Calahad's smaller support weapon that is customary of an Elven War-prior, being a smaller rapier used for close quarter battle and functions as a knife.
* **Thunder Banner** - Calahad's Sashimono-style banner mounted on his back, displaying his personal heraldry, a Blue flag bisected with a white lightning bolt and three golden bird silhouettes, featuring his own name in Elven script beneath.
* ***Calides*** - Calahad's steed, a majestic Kirin with a snow-white mane, piercing amethyst eyes and scaly, draconic skin. Calides is the greatest of the Kirin and is used primarily by Calahad but also by Syndra if she is on a royal procession or march.
* ***Comet*** - Calahad's animal familiar an Auric Eagle native to the forests of Acathon. Comet is a great winged bird of prey, being able to seek small prey from miles away and carry off Goats and even Wolves and can, in groups, even neutralise Slate Bears. Comet has been Calahad's pet for over four decades and is his loyal familiar.