Toria Arbias

"*Tell me, why do you serve me? Surely it can't be for glory. There are plenty of other commanders you could pledge to. Nore for the country. Brother Calgar is much better suited for that. It couldn't be for me, giving my... Interesting reputation. So tell me. What is it you wish to gain by serving me?*"

— Toria to her followers.

**Toria Arbias** is a warrior of New World, and one of the four generals of the kingdom of Lazuli. Though the youngest of the kingdom's four generals, she also has one of the most fearsome reputations. Story's of her flying into a mad rage in the middle of a battle have spread far and wide, though this is underlined by some genuine skill as a warrior and tactician. None the less, outside of the regiments she can take control of by virtue of her station, Toria as a small handful of loyal followers, who commonly are referred to the "Cub's of Toria". Her rage, however, stems from a deeply fractured personality, birthing a second personality that comes out should a battle break out. Xerius Arbias, the king of Lazuli, is aware of this, and as such steers her away from matters of court, preferring to utilize her as a weapon to unleash on the kingdom's enemy's.

## Appearance

Toria is average height woman, standing five-foot-ten-inches, and of a slender but athletic build despite her unnatural strength. In her youth, she possessed jet black hair just like her father, but began to grow in silver after her second personality awakened, only ever growing dark patches and tufts in it's original color. Because of this, she rarely styles it. She roughly cuts it to just longer than shoulder length, and trims the bangs to keep them out of her face. Her eyes are bright yellow, and often seem blank, however in battle they become hollow and sunken, her often taking on a deranged look to them.

Being a general of Lazuli, and also a representative of the royal family, Toria's manner of dress keeps both a practicality and formality in mind. A blend of both light armor and ceremonial robes, her most prominent article is a long, two part white robe that has been modified as to not restrict her movement. The lining is a vibrant red, and often trimmed with Black stitching. The top is worn like a jacket, cutting off just under her chest, but with wide, flowing sleeves. The lower half hangs like a skirt down to the backs of her calves, but open at the sides to almost her hip and opens at the front like a robe. overtop of this, she dons her Ebony Armor, a one-piece suit on her torso, a pair of yoroi on each shoulder, a thin Plackart, narrow gorget, and thigh and shin guards, and all sewn with red cord. She accessorizes with a pair of fingerless gloves, low ankle riding boots, and a flowing yellow sash wove through her armor and robe around her midsection.

## Personality

At first glance, Toria appears as any other noble from Lazuli, just another general acting to better her kingdom for the king. In reality, she feels little emotion, and displays fold, calculated reactions based on what others expect of her. At a funeral, she will appear somber and quiet. In a formal gathering, she will appear upbeat and overly polite. If provoked, she can feign anger or outrage. This is not to say that she does not feel emotion, only that she only ever feels a stunted form of it, and has just learned to present herself in whatever way would be appropriate for the situation. Genuine reactions for her are few and far between. Despite this, she is quite cunning, using her reputation to keep strangers at arm length, and taking in small details that many might overlook. Though not a genius, it isn't uncommon for people to underestimate her intelligence, and often pay for it should they be placed at odds. In typical fashion for Lazuli royalty however, she prefers to deal with problems herself, be it matters of combat or politics. She rarely uses delegates, preferring to attend any noble gatherings in person or deliver messages herself. In battle she is often the first to jump into the fray, often outrunning her vanguard to do so. This is half because she has trouble trusting those who are not part of her inner circle, but also mostly because she does not like receiving information second hand and become restless if she finds herself with nothing to do. If there is a task that, for whatever reason, she cannot perform herself, she often relies on her direct underlings, the Cubs of Toria, to do so in her stead.

   However, despite her cunning and distrust, Toria's reputation is not un-earned. apart from her incredible strength, those closest to her are aware of a second personality that appeared during her youth, and often will reappear should she enter combat. Toria has since come to name this personality Kore, a ruthless, bloodthirsty version of Toria who takes joy in destroying her enemies. Though opportunities to converse with Kore are rare for outsiders, though a few consistent mannerisms have been observed. First off is Kore's habit of laughing in the midst of battle, even if injured or overwhelmed, she seems to feel no pain. Another is a habit of taunting her enemies, often asking for more skilled opponents to present themselves before her, or becoming irritated if the battle becomes overwhelmingly one sided in her favor. These traits, and Kore's personality as a whole, do not effect Toria's intelligence, and she has notably never been blinded by her blood rage, though many, even among the Cubs of Toria, accept that while Kore is in control, Toria is to be given a wide birth. It's not known exactly what causes Kore to become the dominants personality, though some have theories. One is the sight of blood, though this has been proven to be on a case by case basis. Some believe it is when Toria herself is injured, though again this is not always the case. Another is that it has to to with her heartrate, though this is arguably the hardest to prove. The reality is that, if there where truly a way to call Kore out on command, only Toria herself is aware of the method.

For Toria's part, she seems to see Kore as a necessary evil. On rare occasions, she could be caught conversing with herself, and if pressed, claim Kore is her twin-sister, and that both their souls occupy a single body. It's unknown if she truly believes this, or it is just a story she uses to scare people, as she often takes on a joking tone when she says it. The truth is likely a projection of herself, as Kore only emerged following the loss of one of her half sisters, Daria Arbias, the twin of Astra Arbias, whom Toria felt a connection with since the twin's birth. Though it is entirely one sided, Toria saw the twins as her only joy in life, in a world of political scheming and high expectations. As such, the loss of Daria effected her greatly, and it was then that Kore began manifesting.

It is for this reason that Toria secretly despises the royal family, and the nobles that congregate around the king. Even as a general with access to the whole of Lazuli's military, she prefers to operate solely with her personal legion, the Cubs of Toria, a group of around three-hundred highly skilled warriors that swore loyalty to Toria herself, and not the kingdom as a whole. All of whom are people Toria has a close relationship with, and whom she trusts fully. This group share the same goal and motivations as Toria herself, having been spurned by the king or the royal family in some way, and are seeking an opportunity to rid the world of Lazuli's immortals king. Outside of this, and her sister Astra, Toria holds o love for her fellow royal offspring, but especially holds a grudge against Veirs Arbias, whom she sees as being partially responsible for the death of her dear Daria. Of all her half siblings, Toria's one wish is that, should Veirs parish in battle, she be the one to deliver the deathblow.

## Background

Born to the king of Lazuli, Xerius Arbias, Toria was groomed from a young age to follow the tradition of those born to the king, the King's game. Even from a young age, her unnatural strength was obvious to those around her, and as such, her upbringing mostly revolved around preparing her to wage warfare. Toria went along with this for a time, not really knowing much else, and showed incredible promise as a cunning and ruthless warrior. The truth however, that none other than her father seemed to notice, was the reason fir this. Namely, how Toria seemed to express almost no emotion. When bid, no mater how horrid, she would fulfil any test put to her. Questions of morality never seemed to even register to her, so she was taught to prioritize the betterment of her country above all else. However, at the age of seven, she was gifted with a pair of twin sisters, Astra Arbias and Daria Arbias. In truth, The royal family had dozens and dozens of half siblings, born to the king and his harem. However sharing birthmother made them full siblings, and for the first time in her life, Toria felt something akin to affection for the twins.

Though, this manifested in odd, often disruptive ways for all three sisters. Toria began shirking her lessens to spend time with the twins, often bragging of her strength or bringing them trophies of her hunts. This however, more often than not would cause the twins to fear her, though Toria was often oblivious to this. She knew she was different from them, unable to feel fear or express emotion. None the less, she continued to watch over the twins, even as their mother passed on from illness. However, the twins lessons and her own would often force a wedge between them, leading Toria to miss her siblings. Years of lessons and no personalization led Toria to realize very few of the royal court cared for her. to them, she and her siblings where just tools to get close to the king. Realizing that this meant it was the same for the twins, who very much did feel fear and resentment towards there predestined lot in life.

When she turned fifteen, it became time for her lot in the king's game. She was to be sent to Galena, set to run the city for a time before returning to the Capital to serve the king directly. At this time though, she learned that the twins had attempted to run away. Of course, they where caught and returned to the king's court by another stepsibling who had already completed his King's game, Veirs Arbias. Toria flew into a rage, demanding to sea the twins but was denied by the king, stating that the stronger of the two would make a better teacher for Astra and Daria. Confident that her strength would carry her to victory, Toria then challenged her half brother to a duel to take custody of the twins. And despite being recognized as the stronger combatant, Veirs' skill and experience one him the battle. Toria was then quickly ushered off to Galena, and swore that she would return for her sisters, and dual Veirs again, this time to the death.

And so, Toria's trial began. however she immediately hit a snag as, while she excelled in combat, she knew very little of governance. Right away this became a problem, as Galena was isolated from much of the country by mountains on all sides and near a foreign border. Lack if social skills made it difficult for her to maintain order, and soon those around her began to realize this over the years. Support within her court faltered, and nobles began hiring bands of brigands and pirates to attack the city in private, hoping to eventually kill Toria, or drive her away. These efforts where unsuccessful however, and eventually this would lead to an open rebellion. At the same time, Toria learned that the twin's king's trial had begun, and that Daria had been made head of the nearby city of Uradori. Though she wished for nothing more than to see her sister again, Toria's attention was held by the rebellions', so for now, her family would have to wait.

Unfortunately, this did not go well for her. Galena did not have any standing army, often leaving Toria to fend off attacks single handedly, or with only a small squad of solders at her side. It was on one of these occasions where she was ambushed on her way to intercept another force. Forced into a bottleneck, her small force was desimated, leaving her to single handedly battle both the ambushing force, and the brigand army that was marching on her. She fought for days, slowly accruing wounds and inflicting more casualties than any could have predicted. As her body began to give out, something within her awakened. Facing down the army, a second personality awakened in her, one that was much more wild, deadly, and bloodthirsty. Thirty-six hours later, Toria collapsed, having slain or broken the spirits of the attackers. She woke a week later inside Galena, having been retrieved by a band of hunters. Though she had survived, she awoke to news that one of the twins, Daria, had passed away. She was devastated by this, crying for the first time in her life and wishing to have been left on the battlefield to die. Daria was gone and Astra was on the other side of the country. If she couldn't have her sisters, the only ones she truly cared for, she didn't want to live anymore.

However, her show of emotion, not to mention nearly dying protecting her city, awoke a fierce loyalty within the people of Galena. As Toria greaved, the citizens went on organizing a city watch, hunting down the nobles and pirate Capitans that had besieged them. It wasn't untill they began dubbing themselves as "The cubs of Toria" and pledged themselves to Toria alone and not the kingdom, did she finally leave her bed. Seeing their resolve, Toria realized that she and the twins were not the only ones disillusioned by the king's talk of a united country. She swore that one day she would bring down her father and be reunited with her dear sister, and that any who got in her way would burn for it.

As such, she went on to complete her trial, using her now fractured personality as a weapon to destroy her enemies, and slowly build up retainers from all over Lazuli. She returned to the capital and was granted the title of royal general by the king. In the years since, she has worked behind the scenes to weed out corrupted nobles and bring order to Lazuli, while at the same time keeping up a front of a loyal general among Lazuli's royal court. At the same time, she keeps a close eye on Hashigin, the city where her remaining sister was sent for her trial. She and Veirs still butt heads, but Toria has learned to ignore his jabs. Though she never forgot his promise to him, that they would dual again one day, and that only one of the would be left alive by the end.

## Skills and Abilities

 **Job Level** | * Knight (6)
* Cavalryman (4)
* Valkyrie: Spear (2)
* Berserker (8)

* **Silver Spear** - A simple thrusting attack Toria performs with her spear. Usually on horseback, but it can be used while on foot, though to a lesser effect. The attack possesses incredible piercing power, capable of shattering stone, or even passing through multiple armored opponents. Adding to Toria's already inhuman strength, Toria has been known to smash clear through castle walls with this skill.

* **Mad Stampede** - A flurry of attacks utilizing any of Toria's weapons, often multiple at once and switching on the fly. Despite the seamingly sporadic nature of the attacks, each is well calculated, flowing into the next flawlessly. For ten seconds, it boosts Toria's strength.

* **Insanity Aura** - A skill that inflicts a fear effect in her enemies. The effect will last for one minute, and any who see her will be effected by the skill, friend or foe. Those under the effect of fear will be slower, more likely to flee, unable to use magic of tear two or lower. It has no effect on those of a higher level than her, or those who have the fearless trait. Usable only while Kore is the active personality.

* **Trail Blazing Charge** - A skill Toria will use while on horseback, utilizing the speed of her mount to unleash a flurry of attacks into an enemy formation. Using her cavalry sabers, Toria will charge into an enemy line and rapidly slash at her foes. Doing this will carve a path through the formation, where the skill gained it's name. Likewise, the skill can carry on for as long as Toria requires, and she can even double back and run through the same formation again. The only downside to this skill is, more often than not, repeated uses of it will overwork her mount, and she has lost more than a few horses in this manor.

* *Inhuman Strength* - The main thing Toria has become known for is her seamingly inhuman strength. Even from a young age, she was far stronger than the average human, being able to fell fully armored knights by the age of twelve. Now in her prime, she is able to pick up and throw a fully grown human, crush bone in her grip, and even bend metal between her fingers. This allows her to wield enormous weapons with a single hand to devastating effect, becoming a true force of nature on the battlefield.

* *Master spearmen* - Though trained in multiple weapons and fighting styles, Toria favors the spear over all else. Likewise, she has become a master of it, on both foot and on horseback. Her fighting style is an odd mix of flourishing, war dances, and strong, sweeping strikes to capitalize on her strength. What initially looks like the brutish flailing of a madwoman are in fact a carefully planned assault meant to overwhelm an opponent with blows. This likewise extends to he use on horseback, where she is arguably more deadly, giving her mount's added speed. This, combined with the reach her spear allows, makes her an absolute terror on the battlefield.

* *Keen Insite* - Though often overlooked by onlookers, given her blunt affect and rather brutish mannerisms, Toria possesses a keen eye for detail and quick whit. This makes her a very talented commander, able to make quick, decisive decisions and issue orders even in the stress of battle. Not to mention, she makes an excellent liar, being able to pick up on small details others will often overlook. Her flat affect and fierce reputation aid her in this, making it all bot impossible to tell what she is thinking at any given time.

* *Master Rider* - Being skilled in many forms of combat, Toria found she prefers to enter battle via horseback. While she doesn't keep a favored mount, she can adapt to any mount, ranging from horses, beasts, and even winged creatures on occasion, though she has said she prefers to remain on the ground where she can. Often wheedling a weapon in one or both hands, she is able to steer her mount with verbal commands, nudges, leaning her weight, or other forms she deems necessary. At times, she has even been seen holding the rains of a horse in her teeth while battling.

## Equipment

* **Spear of Galena** - A cross spear crafted by the smiths of Galena, Toria's home city. It possesses a black, wooden handle, ended with a large gold pommel that acts both as a counterweight, and a bludgeoning weapon. The head of the spear is narrow, enabling her to utilize it as a lance while on horseback, but framed by a set of wide blades that hook forwards, making the weapon somewhat resemble a trident. Though intended to be used as a cavalry weapon, Toria favors her spear even while on foot. Likewise, it was built with Toria's inhuman strength in mind, and able to flex slightly to compensate and not break mid battle.

* **Twin Cavalry Sabers** - A pair of riding sabers she received when anointed as one of Lazuli's generals. The blades are long, enabling her to utilize them on horseback, but are thin. they both have a golden handguard, which encompasses the handle from tang to guard, and are adorned with red tattles on the end. Though not as favored as her spear, she is no less skilled with them, and Toria will often wear them during formal events.

* **Zweihander** - An enormous sword Toria received as a piece offering while quelling a rebellion. The blade is over seven feet long, with a black wrapped cross-guard and ornate skull handle. Though not as used as her other weapons, Toria still keeps the weapon like a trophy, as she is able to use it with one hand, and she saw it as a tokin of respect for her strength.

* **Ebony Armor** - A lightweight set of armor Toria weares most times, consisting of a pair of yoroi on each shoulder, a thin Plackart, narrow gorget, and thigh and shin guards. The armor is all black, outlined with gold, and the yoroi each have 3 charms hanging off the end of the same make and color. While equipped, the armor increases Toria's speed, while also offering her a magical barrier against arrows.