Vale
3rd level
Appearance
Compared to his compatriots, Vale has more of a leaner frame. His time in the academy and training had given him an athletic form and instead of relying on strength, he relied on his speed and agility to navigate situations. Vale stands at about 6'1, a tall stature that goes along with his lean frame. Usually, his hair is loose, it ending around his shoulders but he has sometimes been seen to use a bun or ponytail. His hair used to be the color black but after years of magic use, it had turned to a stark white. There is a scar over his right eye from a training session but he is still able to see out of it.There are a couple of runes on Vale's body. One is placed on his neck, one on the left side of his ribs, and another on the outer bicep of his right arm. Under most circumstances, these are kept hidden from view except for the one on his neck as the edge sometimes sticks out from his collar. When dealing with courtly business, Vale has no problem changing to attire that's more luxurious than anything else to keep appearances. However, when not dealing with the court or highly sociable events, he wears armor that is more suited for mobility instead of direct protection. The armor can absorb a few blows but not constant attacks.
Skills and Abilities
Uncommon as well from most of the other Dreadlords, his primary magic is that of Shadowmancy. The shadows beckon to his call and he even has the ability to create them from thin air if needed. However, this is incredibly taxing on Vale and prolonged use would cause visible effects to happen to him amongst other harmful things. Instead, he relies on the use of shadows in his near vicinity, able to shrink them, enlarge them, aid him in his movements and even use them as eyes and ears. Vale is even able to create weapons made out of shadows but again this is a somewhat taxing ability that he uses whenever he truly needs it. While he has a natural affinity for this magic, he is still attempting to master it and find new methods to enhance his abilities.Because of his time spent in the Academy and the daily training that is required from his position, Vale is a highly-skilled fighter and is still highly dangerous without his magic. As normal with every Dreadlord, he was taught the basic magic and an array of weaponry. A sword will always be Vale's preferred weapon but he can handle nearly all martial weapons with enough skill to inflict damage and protect himself.
Personality
Vale has quite a reserved personality, choosing to observe before speaking and acting. Dealing with the powers of Shadowmancy, he learned quickly that patience and observation can yield quite a few benefits. Despite his naturally reserved personality, he knows how to act cordial and finds it quite easy to etch a smile on his face or any other emotion to convey what he wants. If someone does befriend him or get close, they will find that he is fiercely loyal and will remain by their side until he is betrayed by them or given no other choice. Vale can even be quite outgoing when he is able to lower his guard among those he would consider his friends.Biography & Lore
Vale like every Dreadlord was born in the city of Val-Anir, living just well enough with his family to not be considered poor but basically were. His father was a blacksmith and both his mother and him were basically assistants to him, helping in the forge or just crafting weapons. During Vale's early years, nothing was special about him until one day he noticed the shadows around him playing tricks on him. At first, he thought it was his own imagination but as time passed, it became worse and worse, and eventually, they claimed they were speaking to him.He told his parents of it but they shushed him instantly and told him to never speak like that again. They both kept a cautious eye on him after that, believing their son was losing his mind in front of their own eyes. They still loved him but they distanced themselves from him, not knowing what could possibly be happening to him. When Vale was older, he woke up in the middle of the night to find the shadows in his parent's room had wrapped around his mother's throat and nearly killed him. When Vale rushed in, it stopped immediately and his two parents flew into a rage, throwing him into a cellar and claiming that he was a demon straight from the pits.
The very next day, the Dreadlords arrived and took Vale off his parent's hands and gave them a hefty sum for it. They happily accepted it and erased their child from their minds again. After that, it was the typical Academy life for Vale as he was trained in the basic forms of magic and was taught the art of war. Throughout his time in the Academy, he received strange glances and was often peered at for his magical ability. Most of his peers believed that Vale had aligned himself with the deity, Eleth, and was untrusting of him because of that reason. It wasn't the truth. As far as Vale was concerned, he had woken up one day and just discovered he had magical abilities.
Being honest with himself, however, there was very little he knew about how he acquired his powers and it was a question that nagged him constantly. Had he somehow been touched by Eleth? Was that why he had been able to hear the shadows talk? It was an answer he was afraid to find but constantly searching for.