Benalish Jenkins

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## **A new soul**

### **Benalish**

"Ben" Jenkins, born to mother Kalia Burudi Jenkins and late father Asan Jenkins, who let his arrow hit his last target during the Sironian Ytharian civil war, defending the holy Sanctum of the Mother Asala, onto which arrows rained, almost ending the Jenkins line, if not for his wife bearing his child. She fled the holy city of Asalath to the north Holy Peninsula, wandering the area and villages until she wandered into the freshly built village of "[Redacted]" (due to explicit name), Settling there and bringing Ben to the world of Rathnir.

Kalia spent 10 years at the village, caring for the old, young, the wounded and maimed people after the civil war, she left us in her early fifties, leaving Ben in his 15th year to carve his own path.

### **Omverlon**

The village slowly started to grow and got renamed to Omverlon, Ben spent his first 10 years as a carpenter, helping build the new High quarters, made of slate taiga mansions and the new Holy Fire Temple of Sakrelith. Dark haired, tall and a strong imposing figure, due to his hard work, most would probably look away from, but for those who know him, he is a caring and gentle soul, always looking to the reasonable and realistic view on the world, but not a pious and zealous person.

### **Flaming faith**

During the construction of the Temples higher parts, he fell down onto the prepared bonfire, the 30 ft drop should have left him broken, but only a small cut was left on his palm, people gathered and saw the droplet of blood turned blue, the builders got him off the wood, tended to the cut and continued their finishing work on the roof, minutes later the bonfire would be lit, but it didn't catch fire, 3 times they tried and helplessly watched at the sparks not catching onto the fat prepared.. They remembered the old stories of Sironian natives flailing to burn the fire in front of their temple before they felt the Creators will... until one spark flew onto the now dried blue blood droplet and a blue fire sprung up, lighting the bonfire. All others looked in wonder, and fell to their knees, chanting the creator's and prophets names. Ben stood there, gazed on the fire, he looked down on his bound palm, slowly removing the band, and seeing that the cut already healed. From that day Ben has been a devout follower of Sakrelism.

### **Proving himself**

On his 25th birthday he was granted a permit to rebuild the Holy town of Asalath, that fell into ruin, forgotten. Gathering his carpentry crew and departing Omverlon, With the grant of Asalath in his hand and a backpack over his shoulders.

Next 5 years were spent building up Asalath and re-naturalizing the area of the Sanctum, as well as the Magranon's Valor Arena. For the first time in 30 years pilgrims started returning to the Sanctum, and visitors started arriving to the arena for its First monthly opening games, first a ice boat race was held, with Ben taking third place.

As a representative of Sironia and a Keshra of Asalath, he attended the coronation of Caeron Shae "sami". and other smaller neighboring events during the Astyllean empires era, mostly short visits due to the massive workload still upon Asalath

Founder of the Sironian Trading company with its headquarters located in his town, the area flourished, for no house was without food, clothing and money for small luxuries most Rathniri could only dream about, Ben took up Scribing down old Sakrelith texts and scrolls to sell and spread the word of the Creator, and the books were searched for, many orders awaited delivery, 2 complete volumes needed to be finished, one for the Sironian capital Azethvir and one for the Theio-Sakrelist ring city of Xom.. but the prosperity didn't last and the works never finished...

### **Beginning of the end, the second fall of Asalath**

Not long after, Mercenaries arrived at a old fort nearby, naming the claim Free Castle. all diplomacy with them failed, not yielding a lot information for the Sironian government to their reason of being there. Citizens were warned on when the mercs planned to loot the area, by a whistleblower, they fled the town leaving no real valuables behind. On the day of the attack only Ben stood at the bridge separating the castle and Asalath, no army was sent either by Sironia or the Ukain alliance. Mercenaries advanced slower than expected over the bridge, probably puzzled by why only one person was on the other side, perhaps expecting a diversion and ambush, but nothing came, they sped up towards Ben, clashing into his shield, the narrow bridge not letting them pass by. It did take them less than a few minutes to get trough him for he was only one against four dozen attackers, with arrows and cuts all over his shield and armor, he laid on the ground still grasping his sword, but Maynophobias' and Blaniis' feet held him down, but no killing blow came. Ben prayed to the Creator to accept his soul and grant him passage to the light, for his deeds to Sakrelith were just... nothing happened, and he opened his eyes, the two mercs stood there for a few seconds, and pulled Ben up, puzzlement in his eyes, they said to him "You are worth more in life than death, may your god take you another time, for it is not now." They led him away from the now burning city and laying him besides a tree where somebody would find him. Grateful for their mercy, he did not seek revenge upon them.

### **A life saved**

Looking down on Asalath, he swore to himself he could not lay another brick at that town, for he felt deserted in his greatest time of need, not a single sironian foot stepped near for days, already starving, Ben awaited his judgement, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep due to exaustion and hunger... A sharp thud awakened him, he was he laid in a wagons back, only one person in the riders spot, the persons head turned and Ben noticed familiarity, it was a old ex-Sironian named Red, for now, he was a admiral in Borhammar, and its honored citizen. the ride to New Loria City took a long time, and Red convinced Ben to seek refuge in Borhammar for they needed a person of his skills. Ben accepted since nothing else waited for him anywhere else, all his work burned, the holy town, sanctum, gardens and books now ashes and ruins.

Quickly he was accepted in Borhammar, for word spread fast that the Builder of Asalath, BridgeShield, Defender of light, was amongst them. Work flooded Ben's table for many wanted his help both in construction and leadership, the second he left behind, but a roof, he would always build. His mother received one when she needed one, so Ben made it his life decision "Until my last breath, I will give a shelter to any person needing one, may no soul roam without shelter and warmth".

In the outskirts of Loria, near the construction sites, Ben met a woman, with a child, of no house like himself,remembering the way how his story started. Slowly they warmed up to each other and began a relationship, around the time construction finished, a marriage was planned, quickly all came to be, they got married and Ben gained a son, Ben junior, called Greymane due to inherrited gene, his hair and brows a light gray colour.

### **Jones**

On the fields of battle, Borhammar suffered attacks both from Segra and the coalition, torn between them, its citizens, in the middle of it all stuck together like a family. For they were a family, a few of them at it, one stood out to Benalish, it was the Jones family, they laughed and cheered even though doom was looming, like a drunken bunch at a inn after a days work. Late was the hour after the battle for Borhammar City stopped, bloodied and wounded, he was approached by a few people, recognizing then after he stood up, and started chatting, tending to wounds, quickly he became fond of the warriors who he fought besides with. After some time Benalish was presented with adoption papers, confused at first reading his name as a son, he thought about it and accepted it, the drunken bunch was drunken on life, and on a bit of alcohol of course at times. A month went by, as did works on his lifes work, the Jones mansion, a massive building on the outskirts of Loria, near the neighborhoods he already built, a tree was planted and helped grow with magicka unknown to him, turning into a beautiful big blossom tree.

### **Regency**

For a while, no word reached him about Sironia, thinking nothing off it untill one day a messenger, dark & hooded, quickly dropped a satchel at his feet. After picking it up & opening it, there was a letter, and a marked stone, to which he did not pay much attention, the letter was more intriguing, inside written was why he has not heard anything from his homeland. Taken into anarchy and tyranny by its regent archon, half of its land sold or stolen, and people in dissaray, in need of help from anyone willing to fall or rise with them. Ben laid the letter on a nearby short wall, taking the stone to inspect the marking, recognizing it imediately due to chiseling thousands of such into the renewed walls. With a quick step, to the council chambers he went, to inform the town of his imediate departure back to Sironia. For on the stone carved was a leaf within a heart, mark of the prophet Asala, Asalaths protector.

Arriving at court in Azethvir, anxious eyes fell on him, awaiting, greeted coldly at first but quickly everyone heartened to him, plans to fix the mess from the last regent were laid out on the table, a whole stack of paper and maps. Ythar took Benalish to the side to talk first, the rest stirred in place. Voices soon began rising and lowering in the conversation between them, but everyone knew what was coming. a good part of Sironia was sold off and another part was threatened by invasions, and due to Ythars sickness he could not deal with it, a new regent was to be chosen amongst the candidates, but the voices overwhelmed the room with a name, Benalish.

A lowborn, working class man, like himself at first did not know what to think of it, but Sironia needed a helping hand so there was no other way, no denying the offer, Benalish became the regent archon. In the meantime Ytharashrek fell to rebels, and southwest from Asalath a new city sprung up, on a land sold, breaking all our sacred laws, Galadonn. The northern province of Kalasirol was sold also, but their forces have not arrived at the shores yet, Benalish knew that the Galadonn area was lost, people already settled, walled in, he accepted it, Ytharashrek was leaning to anarchy and a place of ruins by now, not to be helped, but, the northern province was to be saved. Benalish went back to Borhammar to plead for help, and got it, Emissaries were sent to the north, to stop the ships sailing towards Kalasirol, breaking the falsely signed contracts, and by that, successfully.

Work was begun all around the land, farms and roadworks, buildings sprung up, and areas protected, for a short time all went well. At first, not thinking much of it, his body trembled, day by day stronger and stronger, until one day he could not get up, Benalish was struck down by illness, medics rushed the same day to him, but in the end, his own stubbornness costed him his life, too long he hid the trembling, too long he worked more than he could and should. On a summers end day Benalish was burried under the blossom tree at the Jenkins mansion. fortunately his line not end, Ben, his son, still lived within the walls of Loria, carrying on his fathers work after he left back to Sironia.

### **Summary on Ben**

On Benalish Jenkins: A tall man, Dark-haired and a workman's body, every woman looked his way, while every man looked away, for his figure was imposing. Sharp-witted and bright of mind, every task could be handled quickly and efficiently. Stubborn he was yet laid back, for many epithets adorned his name. Builder of Asalath, Mothers chosen, Blue-Flame, Bridge-Shield, Third-Life-Ben or simply Ben, for he chose simplicity for life should be taken easily yet firmly grasped, for life was wonderful and he has been granted it for the third time.

## **Shorts and Encounters**

November, 2021. Ben joins Omverlon as a certified citizen, beginning his journey on Rathnir.

2nd of January, 2022. Ben joins into the greater Sironian conversation, binding with other towns and companies.

3rd of February, 2022 Ben gets the permit to Asalath, becoming it's second keshra, the true journey starts.

15th of March, 2022. Benalish finds a new innkeeper for his tavern, Irodias an his friend join Asalath, putting it on the travelers bucketlists once more, being renamed from Saixhreak inn to Drunken Bunch inn.

3rd of April, 2022. Power of flow. A deep and thunderous sound shook Asalath and the surrounding area, rumbling has been reported near the river separating Sironia from Carn, upon further inspection, it has been revealed that the river didn't cut itself off but actually cut a path trough earth and stone, going under the mountain and connecting itself towards the swamp delta, the rumbling was revealed to have been the mountain pass collapsing into the river formed caves, letting the river flow above the ground again, millennia has passed since it was last reported in this state, the Carvir Cod can swim freely once more Locals suspect that the recent roadworks pushed the first stones of the collapse, triggering the fall during the night, no person has been injured.

7th of April, 2022. Surveying the land around Asalath and ytharas, Ben encountered a new building being erected on a small river island, confused about it since no messengers brought word of any construction going on around that place, he went in to investigate. Once inside, with a confused look on his face, he went up the shining floor, blinded by rapid changes in lighting, he spotted a person in the middle of the room, Nugget danced and drank, not paying attention to new newcomer, Ben approached and hailed him, Nugget reacted enthusiastically, greeting and inviting to dance and drink. It was a disco, Nugget told Ben about their plight from a few other nations, not being accepted, nobody wanting to disco party with them. First thought on Bens mind was to go to the archon and holy synod to look into adopting them under Sironias wing, happily they accepted. The nation disco partied for a full month, but after the battle of Asalath, Nugget decided that Sironia is not fit for disco party, and he took his party onto the nomads way once more.

12th of April, 2022. Asalath opened up the Sironian Trading Co. to the public, with a store on the southern part of Asalath walls. unfortunately the downfall of Asalath also ruined any progress on the Trading Co. sending it to the forgotten realms.

(lack of time for shorts, sorry)