Captain Ankara

"The sticken captain" Ankara

"We have shamed our people, and lost his trust. For this failure, the entire expedition is damned, and our people lost. Stripped of our names, not even history will remember us. Perhaps in this way, we might be spared from our failures."
Found in an observatory, Suzy has decrypted the memories of this woman yet a monumental shame shadows most of them.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Born under the auspicious sign of a wandering Dragon, The lady captain was trained from birth amidst the finest warriors of the Eläin; her early life is a cyclical experience of weapons training, magic training, and reading.
The weapons training of the Eläin was strange, in their innate abilities to interface with jadetech, they often had weapons of multiple forms, such as greatswords that could be shifted into large bows, spears would could fold their haft into hilt and become shortswords, with many variances in between. Due to rigorous training, there was not a weapon amongst them that one of the warmaidens would find themselves at odds using, and for Ankara, her favored weapons was a longsword-spear, and a caster's gauntlet-crossbow, as she the ability to switch between all roles in combat.
To initiate her magic practice, the Eläin would first start with a period of meditative focus; a focus dedicated not to cultivated the "ki" of a monk, but rather an energy inside of herself, one that was living and breathed like a second respiratory system inside her body - an energy which, as it grew would awaken the true power behind her jadetech weaponry, but also enable a communion with the Dragon's jade embedded into her armor.
As the energy grew, in consequence, the urges of the body would fade - food, drinking, and rest would all become inconsequential whilst maintained, yet it would quickly become exhausted amidst the frequent usage in manifesting magical phenomena. The period used for training changed into a cycles of meditation, and performing the various kata that would cast the spells needed such that it could be fluidly worked into their own combat style. Though flexibility was required, Ankara would find an especial specialty in enhancing her body and weaponry, as much as manipulating space, allowing her to fluidly slip in and out of combat as she needed.
This constant expenditure of energy however, meant that no matter how well trained a warmaiden became while still in training, her basic needs would require satisfaction at the end of the day. Allowing for communion between her and her sisters, as they would engage in verbal games of strategy, or manipulation and deception. For while it was considered improper for one Eläin to attempt to deceive another, each one of these warriors knew that every advantage that could be taken, should be taken. as - for immortals, no life was considered "easily replaced." Especially not one under their ward.
Despite this, even their lunch halls were not impermissible to the occasional rumor, and one particular popular was a rising sun within the ranks of the Eläin, notable in that they were a male, and whilst there was no reason for why a male would be banned from ranking highly amidst the Eläin, it was still considered odd amongst the warmaidens that such a brash creature would have the required patience, technique, and responsibility to merit anything, and many amongst them supposed that his only saving grace would have to be a particular charm or good looks.
The captain Ankara, however, found such topics a waste of quality time. Politics? Charm and attractiveness? Knowing her role as an explorer, she knew she would leave the city under the sea, and wander the land and thus found no fancy in such things. Eating her food, before returning to her bunk bed in order to sleep and rest her overtaxed body in order to repeat the patterns of the day again and again.
Clearly, to Eläin, the passage of time was of little consequence. So it was many decades later that Ankara's reverie within her training would be interrupted. The warmother of the training hall would call them all together for a trial for those under the wandering dragon, which present the future captain with a few of her sisters. Their tester; a hooded figure whose face was hidden in darkness.
In order to test them, a tournament fight was held between them. With each of the Eläin having their own point to prove in this glorious combat, Ankara was pitted against those she trained against; with each one of them knowing them just as intimately as they knew themselves. Battles lasting as long as minutes as countless feints were swapped between one another with nary a gap left as an opening, or as short as seconds as only the most minute faltering of focus was exploited and then used to enact a crushing defeat.
Amongst her peers, Ankara was neither the best, nor the worst. Failing to make it to the finals, she would nevertheless remain hopeful in her abilities to prove her own worth, as the next challenge would be one of strategy, each one of them would be tested across historical battlefields, in order to create their own solutions. Yet; her hopes would be ruined by a particularly devious plan from one of her sisters early on would remove her from the tournament immediately.
Disappointed, but not ashamed, She would return to the audience. Watching as mutely as the hooded figure had been observing the tourney. Eventually, clapping politely as it would inevitably reach it's apex, and then end. Formality would indicate that whomever it was that the hooded figure was, presumably she would speak to the warmother in private, and thus all of the trainees went to rest for the evening - the day's training having been canceled in favor of the tourney.
Her time thus freed, Ankara simplistically went to her bed, and returned to her meditations - though she had won neither form of competition within the tournament, she had done her best and found satisfaction with that, as she could fight another day. Yet - as the moon rose high overhead, the voice of the war mother would call her from her room. and would instead enter the front office.
Thinking that it was to review her poor performance, Ankara quietly steeled herself in cool emotionless, which would result in her successfully maintaining a stone faced gaze, when she entered the room and saw both the warmother and a lanky, long limbed Eläin, whose strangeness was most strongly defined by their chameleon features, and their unmistakably masculine features.
Though no shock broke across her face, Ankara's heart fluttered and skipped a nervous beat - was she being selected to work with this man as her leader? Was she finally leaving the city? Though many might have regrets and fears for working under one of the more duplicitous of her kind, the future captain felt no such uncertainties, and instead felt a strange burgeoning joy. One that remained even as circumstances explained that while she was not the favored one of her sisters, none of those most truly valued would be sacrificed on what was determined a "mission most likely to end in failure"
The reason why it had received such indifference was that the man was chasing some legend amongst her people - speaking of the star blooded, a secret bloodline of peoples who could influence the world around them unlike any other. Though they were supposed a panorama of races; they had a history unlike any other. However, every rational mind would immediately discount the existence of a rumored race of rumored people from a rumored place who had a rumored uniqueness. But exploration was its own merit, and she was all too willing to leave at the earliest.
In order to allow for concise planning, the initial group that would be sent out would consist of 12 members in addition to both the leader, and Ankara - second in command, with a perfect balance between genders to allow for the potential of settlement, and the tools and supplies to deal with any "fortunate" accidents that occurred on the road. Even if not fully desired, mistakes would happen, and for the exhausting journey up ahead, physical needs would still need to be met.
it was in the nature of the Eläin to prepare, and with lives as long as theirs, few things would be left completely untouched, in this way Ankara was well-gifted for companions, for while the threats of the mainland would torment them unceasingly, she found few foes that all would needs flee from and even amongst those the prodigious skill of her leader, meant that the only thing they could not overcome was a threat due to numbers.
Eventually, reaching the heart of the continent, her leader would bid that the party stop - for the land bore relics of one of the lands of before. "The territory of the Noscios family" he had described it as, speaking in strange words that she had known as one of the old tongues. This was where he wanted to do the most of his investigations, although she and he both would go to visit what would most likely be the ruler of this territory.
Entering into its volcanic home, they would encounter a massive primal lava dragon, whose body was as big as a barn house, and required deference and respect for his draconic heritage. With the leader to speak, he would bring offerings unto the dragon, and the promise of the guardianship of the Eläin outside his home to add a 'layer of protection' so that he would be able to rest without fear of interruption.
both aged, and young, naively, and wisely, the dragon had accepted such offerings, and the volcanic mountain would be dug to have its belly secreted away with the constructions of the Elain. Allowing the leader to befriend it and know it best, but leave the captain to her work amidst those that had followed them on their way there. The first matter would come to be the construction of a village, the second, the harvesting of the land, and more - the defense of her people. Through their efforts, a quiet oasis would be built, hidden away by constructions of jadetech, and serviced by the same automata. The captain would be offered a small reprieve from her daily duties that had been ever-present since her childhood.
Without her fellow Eläin needing her direct intervention, the captain next spends years traveling the lands and exploring the nearby territory, returning after weeks in order to visit her new 'home', and enjoying the fruits of the labor of her people, even going so far as to enjoy the pleasant company of one of them, whom had taken up a hobby of brewing the various fauna that they had found was "safe to eat", and whose exotic drinks were a leisurely past-time to the travel worn woman.
Eventually, the good captain found herself growing distracted; she would wander still, but wander less. Instead, she found herself teasing her newfound compatriot. Enjoying making him blush, and the way his raven wings would flutter whenever he was too badly embarrassed. Eventually resulting in a breach of her own personal etiquette - as she would find herself kissing the man upon the cheek - only to reel back in shock as she realized what she had done.
Her? Trained from birth? a guardian? Seeking the company of a man? Hurriedly, she found herself doing more than just retreating - for once she fled, and relied upon her internal energies to let her wander far far from away from the settlement. Never once returning - not even as years passed, and she remained in solitude, a solitude which ate at her. gnawed at her. At every tired moment - she would see his face. At every chilling night, she would imagine his warmth... and at every hungry morning she would imagine the taste of his lips.
The mainland was an unforgiving territory. The days would wear long on the captain, and unable to take a break, her energies would grow lower and lower with every action and every cast. Until she was so exhausted, she had no choice but to return to her people. Weary, her heart was lifted to see how far they had come - their village even grown, as the 12 that had been reduced to 8 had become more. Yet, one face - the one that had haunted her mind relentlessly stuck out far more than any other.
and at that worried look on their face that so clearly turned to relief, a great fire ignited in the captain's stomach and heart. Though she politely received her peers' respect, she would somehow find herself face to face with the man she had so desperately avoided for so long, and before she even realized it. She had picked them up by the collar, and satiated her innate hunger for a taste of his lips, yet such an act left her fire all the stronger, and for her partner - the night all the longer.
Though the Eläin present would consider this a blessing, none of them knew what a devastating consequence would unfold - as without the captains constant scouting, someone - something, would sneak amongst them. Hunting for prey. Yet it's prey would not be anything among the Eläin directly, but rather directed itself towards a new father, the most important amongst Ankara and her leader's duty both to protect.
But hindsight was a gift only offered in retrospect.
Motherly duties were the most joyful thing the captain experienced. The raising of another life filled her heart with a feeling wholly unfamiliar and completely joyous, and as years passed further, the village would grow peacefully, until things would be forever shattered. A dragon's roar - violent and enraged echoed in a piercing rage that shattered glass, and broke stone. A volcano's eruption, powerful and unceasing, would cloud the sky with smoke, drawing she and her leader's immediate attention.
Approaching the dragon's home, Ankara and her leader would nearly immediately be overcome by a gigantic wave of magma - as the dragon's body had only grown with the years, and it slammed against them with rage. Demanding to know where it's daughter had gone, and why she was missing. Demanding her return and threatening them with a fate worse than death.
Yet, despite being it's guardians, neither knew - nor could find the tracks of what had stolen the creature's daughter, and they could only plead for the relief of time to be offered unto them to give them some opportunity to find them. Though the leader's request was in truth a lie, he had found no such evidence of an intrusion, and knew not how such an event possibly could have occurred. This lie was instead to buy them the opportunity to request help from the City of the Eläin.
Ten years was the time they were given. A single decade of peace - where the mountain's heart was stilled, and they could yet desperately look to find the child. A decade was no time however to an Eläin and it passed by like the turning of a wheel that had lost its axle and was freely spinning away down a cliff. In the end, their only hope would be for the return of the runner they had sent off to their home city.
Yet, they would bear no pleasant news. Instead, they were deemed as failures. Having in all their centuries - found no presence of the star blooded, having broken the contract, they were now the shame of the Eläin, and as punishment, 13 of the original Elain had had their name stricken. A punishment reserved for crimes of which could not be repaid in a single life, with only one spared on account of a special exemption.
For this reason, though she knew herself as Ankara, she could call herself that no longer, and for that reason - none other of her people would be named. Could be named. Despair was the only feeling that remained, as their deadline came due - and their lives were the debt to be paid. As the year ended, the dragon's ire spread from the volcano from which it was bound. Turning each piece of jadetech against them. The constructs, and everything found from the leyline breathed with the same rage as the dragon's ire, and a slaughter occurred.
Ankara knew her leader would be first to sacrifice themselves. Not dying by anything other than his own blade, she had one task yet to perform. although she had failed, Eläin preserved knowledge above all, and although they would have preferred her leader pass his on, she - second favored yet again, would fight to the observatory in which a brilliant jadetech engineer had finished his designs for her final resting place.
Overwhelmed by the automata that had meant to protect them, Ankara would witness the lives she loved and cared for being ripped from her one by one, until finally, the life she was most desperate not to release - fell underneath the uncaring blade of a jadetech knightmare. Broken, her energy ripped through her body, breaking through her upper limit as it tore through her organs. She banished the knightmare away - unknowing of where - in a massive explosion of energy that left her near to lifeless and collapsed upon the ground.
Dully, her fading heartbeat thudded in her ears.
Dully, the tramp of magitechnomechanical feet trudged in the distance.
Dully, her last moments...
faded from her grasp.

Age

1963

Date of Birth

Unknown

Date of Death

Unknown

Circumstances of Death

Death by Jadetech Automata

Pronouns

She/her

Sex

Female

Gender

Woman

Presentation

Feminine

Eyes

Red

Hair

White, Long

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale, scaled

Height

7'11''

Weight

362

Belief/Deity

Purity of Body, Soul, and Mind