Alma

Grand Warlord

The first and current ruler of Almina'val, Alma took the unprecedented steps of both uniting the constantly-warring Elven clans and turning their attention to naval power just in time for the appearance of Breaksky Island.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Alma's origin is steeped in myth and mystery. Reportedly, she is half-Wood Elf and half-High Elf, though some detractors claim this was just political posturing.
Nonetheless, multiple sources confirm that her early childhood on the Ghazain Steppe, born to the clan matron, was marked by suspicion thanks to her Wood Elven physical features. In response to these challenges, she turned her attention to the sorts of endeavors that her clan valued; namely, the study of magic, and the crafts of war.

Sexuality

Alma's approach to sexuality is hard to pin down, as she appears to tailor her presentation to either impress or intimidate her company based on whatever may be most politically profitable.
When it is advantageous to present herself as prude or "respectable," Alma often wears clothing that speaks to no gender identity at all, and forces her compatriots to do the same. There is an account of Alma arriving to a rival clan with "a retainer of 6 elves, all dressed plainly and identically, in such a fashion that their gender and status were indiscernible, and only her commanding presence allowed the rival warlord to pick Alma out of this cohort of androgyny. This stood in contrast to the clan leader, who had, perhaps to intimidate or embarrass her (then a girl no older than 16), stripped bare his chest, and ordered only the women among his bodyguards attend, each in as little clothing as each could bear. When he, leering, offered Alma the hospitality of companionship for the evening, she merely laughed, spat at his feet, and said, 'when I return, you will wish you had presented a... larger offering.' When she returned to sack his village, she had him imprisoned in the dog kennels (sans clothing) for his 'cur-like' behavior."
On the other end of the spectrum, Alma's sexual appetites could stretch to the obscene. She would reportedly host orgies around towering bonfires that would rage for days, entertaining consorts of all sorts as she observed the festivities. When a Gimmelan dignitary visited to document "traditional Elvish Arcana as it approximates Basic Wizardry", she apparently hosted such a show of debauchery that the young gnomish scholar remarked in his journal, "I do not think I will be able to understand these Elven studies, for they seem to switch wildly between acts of fighting and acts of fornication as to make any careful study of their purported magical talents hard to credit, let alone witness and understand."
Rumors of non-monogamy, carefully-orchestrated monogamy, asexuality, rabid sexual appetites, and everything in between circle around Alma's persona. The best anyone has been able to figure out is that, perhaps, that's exactly how she likes it.

Education

In the midst of her High Elf upbringing, Alma proved a natural at martial study, favoring the sword and bow. She picked up tactics quickly, but more importantly, her understanding of clan politics was particularly shrewd.
She picked up magical study better than some of the other children her age, but never appreciated its theory in a vacuum; rather, she sought out its practical uses, whether for battle, survival, or subterfuge. While many other High Elven warrior-mages might take to Evocation studies, Alma became more interested in the ways in which magic might fool an opponent, or manipulate the conditions of battle to her advantage.
By the age of 14, Alma had a more well-rounded understanding of Elven political, martial, and magical affairs than all but the eldest of her clan.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Elven Unification

In 809 C.Y.  , at the age of 14, Alma takes primary political control of her clan after a number of disastrous raids by her (unknown) predecessor. Her first official act is to pressure three of the neighboring clans, one of which is a Wood Elf clan, into an alliance with her own.
From there, Alma was able to run a mixture of military and political campaigns that any self-respecting world leader would envy. Running on a tremendous cult of personality, Alma enticed a large number of clans with promises of spoils from their neighbors.
Geographically, she began by seizing enough territories in the Ghazain Steppe to provide a buffer, and then began to raid through the Kearlet Wilds. The resources of the slightly-more-sedentary Wood Elves in the forests proved a tempting bounty for what highland clans still evaded her control.
In addition to military intimidation, Alma also knew the power of family to influence clan and tribe politics; she convinced/coerced a number of children of allied and conquered clans into marriages with relevant political partners as a way of bringing more territory under her control. She was fond of saying, "A wedding banquet is just as important in war as the battlefield."
On the First of Splitwood Moon, 814 C.Y., Alma captured the last holdout of the major fishing towns in the Kearlet Wilds bordering the Magarene Ocean. In a move that was baffling to her besieging forces, she forbade the customary pillage, and instead issued a decree to all her territories:
"All Elves are now united under my rule, and I, Alma, deem you my people, we Almina'val. We do not fight each other, for that would weaken us; instead, we will take from the weaker races, who shame us with their imperial pillage, who take more from the seas than their puny acts of war should merit. We will meld the supple woods of the Kearlet Wilds and the strong sinews of the Ghazain Steppe, and we will show those of weak arm and weak will what we elves may accomplish upon the waters."
With that, Almina'val became functionally unified, and the wars of Elven Unification came to an end.
Scholars have debated whether Alma truly believed in this sort of Elf supremacy; certainly, in her political dealings with other world leaders in the future, she would exhibit a humility that would defy the bluster of her declaration. However, none debate its efficacy in uniting the highly disparate clans under her control against a common (if nebulous) foe.

Almina'val as a Naval Power

Alma's declaration was promptly obeyed. Shipbuilding knowledge was bought from Gimmela, and then improved upon by the Wood Elven knowledge of fine woodcraft. A flowering naval empire sprung onto the world scene, seemingly out of nowhere.

Social

Religious Views

Publicly non-affiliated, but wields a sword bearing the symbol of Cevena.
Rumor has it that she personally received Cevena's blessing for the grand unification of Almina'val, and that the god's personal guidance was responsible for her decision to turn Alminan global strategy towards the maritime; these reports are generally unconfirmed.

Species

Elf

Ethnicity

Wood Elf

Year of Birth

795 CY 104 Years old

Birthplace

Ghazain Steppe

Eyes

Light Green

Hair

Dark Brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tanned

Height

5'7"

Weight

145lb

Known Languages

Common, Elven, Undercommon, Gnomish