Alara Cenág

Mural of Alara Cenág, found on the "Remembrance of Heroes" in Ciranmyna

**Alara Cenág** was a Wood Elven leader who served as the Ceanna of Salla Cenág. She unexpectedly inherited the role as leader of her clan when her brother, Belarion Cenág, died after an ambush led by Oubblig. As Ceanna, she spent much of her time in leadership defending Salla Cenág from goblin attacks by Oubbligsband, and its successor Oubbligschild from the west and orcish aggression from the north by clan Sapchopper. She is well remembered for her support of Narawen Drennen's Verdant Pact, whose creation would change Wood Elven history forever.

## Early Life

In her youth, Alara was known for being particularly brash, loud, and direct. These aggressive qualities left many worried that she be without a spouse, and thus no heirs in the future. Unexpectedly, these fears would come simultaneously true and not at the same time. Alara would not find a husband in her years as a young adult, but rather a lover in the form the mild mannered Lanhara Ayeth.

The unorthodox union between the two women would be tolerated in thanks due to Lanhara's influence bringing out the better qualities in Alara. The elven warrior grow from being a careless warrior to to a bold and decisive leader for the clan's soldiers. There she found her place as her father's and later brother's glaive and shield as they led Salla Cenág.

## Reign

### Becoming Ceanna of Salla Cenág

For a time, it seemed Alara would live her life happily serving in her position as head of her clan's army. However, this would all be turned upside down when Alara's grand-uncle Arun Drennen seemingly murdered her younger brother Eledas Cenág during an experiment to tear down the Verdant Veil. Before Arun could be judged, the errant mage escaped imprisonment and fled to Salla Drennen. Together with her brother, *Ceann* Belarion, the two siblings marched with an army on Salla Drennen to demand Arun back.

However, this march was interrupted by an unexpected and bloody fight with the orcs of Sapchopper Clan. Confused and battered Cenága forces retreated from the Thorn Grove to regroup. During this retreat, the warlock Oubblig along with his newly formed clan struck the elves. Unprepared and caught in disadvantageous terrain, the already exhausted Cenága forces were crushed, facing numerous causalities. Chief amongst them was Belarion. The remaining elves survived only thanks to a bold charge through the goblin line lead by Alara.

Upon her return to Hofónn and news of her heirless older brother Belarion's death reaching the clan, Alara found herself declared *Ceanna* of her clan.

### Defending Against Oubblig

Uncertain of what to do as her clan unraveled, Alara leaned heavily on Lanhara for advise. Together, the couple determined to save their clan by leveraging the best of the strengths together. Alara would stall Oubblig's advance with hit and run tactics while Lanhara moved to secure an alliance with her clan of Salla Ayeth.

The strategy would prove successful. While Oubblig managed to advance further into Cenága territory, Alara's raids with remaining Cenága army made holding these advances untenable. The later addition of Salla Ayeth's aid and support convinced a frustrated Oubblig to abandon his ambition to secure the entirety of the Bone Grove. The warlock left further fighting to his lieutenants while he turned his ambitions elsewhere.

Soon after the worst had passed, Alara would learn that Arun Drennen had died alongside *Ceann* Celadil Drennen at the hands of the orcs. The news came as little comfort for Alara who would stoically spend the ensuing years largely on the battlefield defending her clan against further incursion.

### Conclave of Elynáile

By the time of the Conclave of Elynáile, Salla Cenág and Alara had slowly been making progress against the goblins after Oubblig's death and the break up of Oubbligsband. Unfortunately, it was also about this time that Sapchopper would return and set her efforts back and force her war-weary clan back on the defensive. When messengers from her cousin Narawen Drennen arrived bearing news of a conclave of all the clans, Alara adamantly refused the invitation. Both the sin of Salla Drennen hosting Arun Drennen and the grief from her two brothers' deaths caused directly and indirectly by Arun Drennen were still fresh in Alara's mind even after the many years. This stubborn refusal would change to grudging agreement after a bitter argument with Lanhara that the conclave could secure Salla Cenág's survival.

### Aiding Corin's Escape

For much of the conclave, little would get done. Alara, for her part, took every opportunity to squabble with Narawen despite the Drennen *Ceanna* being as accommodating as possible. This routine would continue until the conclave was interrupted by the wayward human Corin and her party of followers who had come seeking aid against what she called the true Greentide. Corin's plea fell on deaf ears and guards were ordered to arrest the party. However, as a scuffle was about to break out, Arun Drennen revealed himself and aided in Corin's escape. Furious that Arun still lived, Alara declared her involvement with the conclave over and left to hunt her traitorous grand-uncle down.

Alara's hunt would end before it began when Narawen revealed she knew where Arun was later that night. Mistrustful of her cousin, Alara nevertheless followed. True to her word, Narawen led to where Arun, Corin, and the rest were hiding. Before Alara could strike Arun down, her grand-uncle revealed the truth about the Verdant Veil and how her younger brother Eledas died due to an ancient archfey known as the Eldest. Arun then explained that only Corin, as an avatar of a god, could avenge Eledas and free the elves of the Verdant Veil by striking down the Eldest. The collective revelations come as a shock to Alara. But, by the end of the night, she agrees to work with Narawen to allow Corin, Arun, and the rest safe passage in the hopes of avenging Eledas.

### Verdant Pact

Reconciled with Narawen, Alara became a fervent supporter of the Verdant Pact much to the surprise of the other clans. While her actual role in leading the conclave would be minor, her role as a symbol was far more significant. For the various Ceanns and Ceannas present, she represented the possibility that no matter what the past was, the clans could make amends with each other and form a united front.

## Relationships

### Arun Drennen

Alara and Arun's relationship was a complicated one. Growing up, they played playful role of devious duo of grand-niece and grand-uncle. However, the death of her brother Eledas drove a wedge between the two. It was said that when news of Arun's apparent death reached her, Alara shed no tears, at least publicly, but showed bitter relief. It wasn't until the Conclave of Elynáile that two would reconcile. Unfortunately, that would also be the last time they ever saw each other alive as Arun would die in the fight with the Eldest.

### Narawen Drennen

Born several decades apart, Alara and Narawen were not particularly close before the Conclave of Elynáile, with the two cousins only interacting on rare occasion. Upon taking up the role of Ceanna of Salla Cenág, Alara was well known to look down upon Narawen due to conflict between clans and Alara pinning fault of her siblings' deaths on Salla Drennen and its members. However, after meeting Arun and reconciling with him thanks to Narawen's intervention, Alara's attitude toward her cousin abruptly changed. From then on she is known to refer to lovingly refer to Narawen as her "little sister".

## Legacy

Her most prominent bits of legacy include her ability to hold Salla Cenág together during times of crisis, notably the many attacks it faced during her time of leadership, and her crucial support for the Verdant Pact.