Baralei Athreale

"'Let us show this world the mettle of the Asur, for it has been tested in the flames of war for years uncounted. And if these are to be our final days upon this earth, then let the peoples of this world gaze upon the ruins of Ulthuan not with wandering questions, but with awe. Let that be our legacy."

- Baralei Athreale, addressing the Council of Princes.

Baralei Athreale (1799 - 2949 I.C), also known as 'Silverspear' or 'Lord of the Dawn' or the 'Heart of Barbs' by his Druchii enemies, was a Prince of Yvresse who was reputed for his loyalty, sense of hope and skill at arms. He was regarded to be one of the prominent spear masters in all of Ulthuan, said to rival the martial skills of Eltharion himself and was particularly loved by the common elves of Yvresse. Baralei was unique in the fact that he was a common-born Prince, earning his station through the inheritance of the enchanted spear 'Vigilance' - a weapon from the time of Aenarion. His life was mired by the political machinations of Ulthuan's courts, filled with those who refused to accept an elf of such low status as a Prince, however he gained power for himself through his own political maneuvering and sometimes ruthless will. Baralei's dream for Ulthuan, as he called it, was to see become a major player in the world, to see it embrace the cultures of the world and all they had to offer. The technological advances of other races was of particular interest to him, he had seen the race of men triumph with this open-minded attitude and he envisioned a similar fate for Ulthuan. Born to Dale, a modest Sea Master and Nerith, a simple seamstress - both killed by marauding Dark Elves. Baralei married Alma, the daughter of Milamber Alentyr, who tragically met her end at the hands of Tharlien, a fearsome Druchii assassin. They bore a son and daughter, Amras Athreale and Lirien Athreale, who would go on to be great servants of Ulthuan and her interests. Baralei was 723 at the time of the Storm of Chaos. The elven prince would meet a tragic, premature end at the hands of those he considered his allies, Baralei was 1150 at the time of his death.

Personality and Appearance
Baralei possessed the elegant and refined features that all his race carry, his most notable feature was his fine, silver hair which hung lazily just at his shoulders, however in battle he would often tie it back into a ponytail. The Prince's eyes were a remarkable deep blue that carried an air of determination within them. This was complimented by his narrow, angled eyebrows which hung close above his gaze. Overall, he was considered exceptionally handsome amongst his people, his duality as a frontline hardened soldier with the elegance of a Prince made him an appealing figure for many. Baralei was of an average height for an Asur, standing at about 6'4".

Baralei's personality differed greatly from when he first took up the mantle of Prince to his final days. He began as a dutiful soldier, more concerned with fulfilling the orders of his superiors to the best of his ability; Baralei was known amongst his comrades as an elf who took his duties very seriously, committed to ensuring that all who could return home alive were able. Sometimes called overly-serious by others, to those he trusted he showed his more jovial side, however he had been called to possess a 'hero complex' and saw all situations around him as his responsibility to fix - and ultimately took the blame to heart if he could not. In his time as a Prince however, he was initially given to fits of despair as he found himself powerless to make the changes he wanted to, it was the influence of Baralei's loyal allies; Milamber Alentyr, Amras Nolinde and the Prince's wife, Alma and many others, whom all contributed to Baralei's desire for restoration of the High Elves to their former glory. At his peak, he was marked amongst his kin for his eternal optimism and desire to see Ulthuan as the most formidable power in the world, it was as his life drew to a close that this optimism became jaded and ultimately turned to fear of losing the lives of those around him. Baralei was able to keep a brave face for the world, however it was but a mask for a morbid sense of guilt that plagued him until his death.

With the Dwarfs
Baralei encountered a great deal of foes and allies alike in his many years whilst fighting for the Phoenix King and the people of Yvresse. The Prince, ever seeking to usher in a new age for Ulthuan, attempted to reinvigorate relations with the Dwarfs after encountering King Dwalin Mikir. The two came to meet whilst Baralei had been sent to deal with a greenskin force that had threatened Ulthuan's interests, during this time the Prince received word that there was a Beastmen force nearby that planned to raid a Dwarfen supply line. Whilst some of Baralei's officers advised that the Dwarfs were not the concern of the High Elves, the Prince would not hear it and marched to intercept. The High Elves arrived just as the fighting had begun, the Beastmen were scattered and not a single dwarf life was lost. The Dwarfs reluctantly offered their thanks and said that their King would wish to thank them personally, for their cargo was precious indeed. Baralei almost refused for he did not aid the Dwarfs for their thanks, but the chance of meeting a Dwarfen King excited the curious elf. This was how Baralei and Dwalin came to meet.

The two became close companions, Baralei was even permitted a tour of the dwarf's ancestral hold, Karak Thingaz. The elf saw in Dwalin a weathered soul, one that had borne more pain than any should, yet still the dwarf led his kin with wisdom, strength and a calm resolve - this resilience was worthy of respect in Baralei's eyes. The Yvressian had sought to perhaps convince his people to explore the idea of incorporating some of the Dwarfen people's technological advances into high elf culture. Barelei began to dream of his army wielding dwarf forged spears and armour, backed by a cadre of unstoppable war machines. These dealings however would not never bear fruit, much to the pain of Prince Baralei. His own people's arrogance and pride would not allow them to accept cultural innovations from their ancient enemies and likewise, many dwarfs were loathe to share any of their technological secrets with the elves. Baralei remained fast friends with Dwalin for the rest of their lives but the political pressures upon the Prince did not allow him to visit or see him as much as he would have liked. When the day came that Baralei learned of the dwarfen king's death, the Prince travelled far to Karak Thingaz and paid his final respects to his old friend. The elf had known of Dwalin's love of elven music and left a finely crafted ocarina at his tomb that bore an inscription:

"Sleep now and rest, old friend. Your duty is done, your song is ended yet your melody lingers on."

With the Bretonnians
Baralei also had many dealings with the kingdom of Bretonnia, particularly that of the coastal city of L'Anguille. The Prince often allied with the formidable human armada against naval threats and together, they were a mighty force. Baralei also fought abroad with the Bretonnians on land, allying himself with the grail knight, Lord Cyris deLonse on several occasions. The elven prince and the human lord never enjoyed a great relationship despite Baralei's attempts to reach a friendship with the knight - it seemed Cyris possessed his own prejudices that causes him a great suspicion of the elf, the reason for this was forever unknown to Baralei.

The Defeat at Amaranthine
One of Baralei's most infamous accomplishments occurred twenty years prior to the Storm of Chaos when Baralei was called to defend one of the ancient sites of power within the Old World. Milamber Alentyr, with his impressive scrying abilities, saw that a great force of the dread followers of Chaos was on route to despoil and undo the powers of the sacred site. The elven host travelled far across the sea to defend Ulthuan's interests and came to battle with courage in their hearts. Sadly, it was not enough for they were dreadfully unprepared for the sheer strength of the Chaos forces. The enemy general, a foul lord of Chaos, rode upon a terrifying dragon which had been tragically mutated in body and mind by the dark powers. The lord's greatest warriors rode upon fearsome chariots and a great many beast followed them into battle. The High Elves fought with valor but it was not enough. Baralei watched in horror as the famous Swordmasters of Hoeth were cast aside in an instant by the enemy's chariots and for every elf that perished Baralei's fury grew. Soon, few High Elves remained on the field and just as the Prince was to call a retreat one of the enemy's leaders, a champion of Chaos crashed into his spearelves with reckless abandon cutting down many of the elf's comrades. Making a prayer to Khaine, Baralei cried forth a challenge to this tainted warrior who quickly accepted, seeing the lithe creature as easy prey.

The chariot crashed towards the Prince who simply stood, waiting for the right moment, just as the enemy thought his victory sealed Baralei swiftly dodged the charge and brought his spear about in a deadly arc. The chariot rode harmlessly past the elf, the Chaos champion's head falling to the ground. Before Baralei could celebrate his victory there was a terrible crash behind him, the sounds of fear-stricken elves filling the ear. The Prince turned to see the enemy general and his dragon, bellowing a challenge to the elf. Refusing to give into the absolute terror that threatened to overwhelm him, Baralei simply flourished his weapon and ran headlong at his foe, much to the detestations of his soldiers who yelled for him to flee with his life.

Summoning all the courage and skill he could muster, the Yvressian leapt atop the dragon's neck and came before the Chaos lord who was caught momentarily off guard by the Prince's audacity but this was no ordinary warrior, this was a dread servant of the Dark Powers who bent men, beasts and demons alike to his will. There was a flurry of blows faster than the eye could follow, the Dragon trying to crane its neck and attack the elf to no avail. All who watched knew they were in the presence of two master combatants. In the final blow however, it was Baralei who prevailed, piercing his foe's neck. With it's master slain, the Dragon went berserk, killing many elves in its rage. Baralei jumped from the beast and landed amongst his allies who looked upon him with awe, in a matter of minutes their leader had slain both of the enemies most ferocious combatants. However, it was a phyrric victory at best for while the enemy generals lay dead, the elven host was soundly beaten, with a heavy heart Baralei ordered the reteat. Chaos had won the day, but the heart of their force had been torn out; now leaderless, they were forced to abandon their push into the south and returned to their foul wasteland.

The Battle of the Blooded Plains
One of Baralei's most terrible encounters was against the vampire lord Ishavor, it occurred when the creature brought his bloody ambitions and undead minions to the shores of fair Yvresse around a decade after the Storm of Chaos, Ishavor used powerful sorcery to navigate past Ulthuan's barrier of mists. He had come in search of a true challenge and when he found only the meagre coastline defenses of an unprepared Yvresse, he sunk into a cold rage and began rampaging the countryside, slaughtering any who stood in his path. When word came to Baralei of Ishavor's ravages, he realized that the vampire would soon enter his own domain and thus the extermination of this foe fell to the hands of House Athreale.

Ishavor, having bolstered his own relentless forces with the fallen elves he had already slain, mustered an impressive force. Baralei responded in kind, calling on all the allies he had to strengthen his army and so it was that the two met upon a great plain. The forces were both great in number, the glittering Asur clashed against the fearsome, unyielding undead; the elves fought with fear in their eyes as they were forced to cut down the remains of their kin - forced into battle and servitude by necromantic magic.

As the battle raged on, Baralei caught eye of the vampire lord, Ishavor, he was a terrifying, imposing figure who tore through the high elven warriors as though they were children. From his appearance, it seemed he was once a man of Cathay but any allegiance he may have once held to that place had long vanished. Baralei sent his greatest warriors, Valour's Heart - a regiment drawn primarily out of Chrace - to vanquish the Vampire and to the Prince's horror, Ishavor leapt into combat with the elven veterans alone. With a cry of relief, Baralei knew such foolhardiness would only result in death for the undead creature - no lone opponent could prevail against a unit of such skilled warriors.

Baralei felt his heart sink then, when he saw the smoke clear and Ishavor standing victorious against the defeated elves. The elf made a prayer for his brave warriors and then let a great cry of rage tear forth from his very soul. Ishavor leapt atop a nearby hill, calling out a challenge to any worthy enough. Baralei had stood shoulder to shoulder with a company of spearelves for the battle but as he looked upon the fearsome form of Ishavor, he knew what he must do. The elven prince broke ranks, charging from the protection of his soldiers - the pleas of his officers for him to stay were not heard by the determined elf.

Baralei came atop the hill and with a flourish, met the vampire's challenge. Battle continued to rage all around the two leaders as they stood face to face, both knew that whoever prevailed here would be the victor of this fight. To the elf's surprise, Ishavor saluted his enemy to which Baralei did the same, then battle was joined.

As soon as the first blows were exchanged, the Prince knew he fought a foe unlike any he had ever faced, his strength betrayed his fairly slim frame and he moved with a speed that matched the elf's own. Baralei expected that Ishavor's overconfidence may he his only true weakness, the Prince inflicted many wounds that would have killed or seriously injured a mortal being but the vampire shrugged them off like they were mere grazes. Baralei did not share the nigh-invincibility of his enemy and it quickly became clear that he was being worn down, blood poured from numerous vicious wounds where Ishavor's blade had broken the elf's defenses. Baralei looked for any openings, any weaknesses, anything that he could exploit and he saw nothing, save a small crimson gem that hung shining from the Vampire's neck. The elf knew his only chance at victory was to make a dangerous gambit and hope that gem was somehow connected to Ishavor's power. In an attack that left the elf open - upon which Ishavor instantly capitalized, causing a gash across Baralei's stomach - the enchanted spear Vigilance caught the gem as it hung in the air and with a violent thrust the spear's tip pierced the gem and then the chest of the Vampire. Ishavor let out a roar, stepping back, his talisman shone furiously now and it seemed as though it was straining to activate the magic within but could not for the blade that had cracked it. As Ishavor knelt, Baralei could feel the tremors of magic pulsing from within the creature and he saw the undead army begin to falter, their movements becoming sluggish and weak - some even crumbling to the ground in an instant. Baralei, through laboured breaths, moved to finish his foe but Ishavor was not to be slain that day, the creature shut his eyes and suddenly vanished, the sound of a fading laughter ringing in the air.

In an instant the undead army was no more, the foes who didn't simply crumble to the ground fled in a frenzied panic. Baralei raised his spear in victory, a great cheer erupted from his victorious force, the Prince finally succumbed to his grievous wounds however, tumbling to the ground. Loyal officers raced to his side and quickly saw that their lord was taken to the Athreale manor where his wounds were seen too. Baralei did not recover fully for several months, such was severity of his encounter with the vampire lord. Had it not been for that gem's power failing, he would have fallen that day. For the rest of his life, the Prince always called Ishavor the single most skilled foe he had ever faced in single combat.

Ishavor did not return to Ulthuan but it was not the last time Baralei would encounter the undead lord. However, none of their battles were as fierce as the famed Battle of the Blooded Plains.

Early Years
"They were gone - just vanished. Perhaps though the winds carried my tears to them, wherever they were."

- Baralei remarking upon the death of his family.

The horrors of war had long scarred Baralei even before he begun training as a simple archer. It was when he was a mere nine years old his family had been forced to flee their coastal home in Yvresse due to marauading Dark Elves. As the villagers fled, the brave levy soldiers made safe their retreat and whilst almost all the elves fled unable to look upon the destruction of their homes - Baralei was unable to look away, the image of a company of beleaguered spearmen being set upon by many foul Druchii raiders, the Asur unyielding even in the face of their utter destruction became imprinted upon the child's mind. And so, as early as he can recall, Baralei had always desired to fight and die in the service of Ulthuan. This mental scar eventually grew into a desire to change Ulthuan, to make it so that no more High Elves would ever have to needlessly sell their lives.

He had grown up studying well under the tutelage of his father Dale - a Sea Master - who taught him much in the ways of warfare when he was allowed time away from his duties as a noble Sea Guard, this was even before Baralei entered the citizen levy. Very few common elves had such an oppurtunity, learning the ways of the spear, sword, bow and even war itself from such an early age was a privelage mostly granted to children of nobility. Dale was a fine teacher and found that his son seemed to have an instinctual fondness for the spear - a deadly weapon in the hand of any Asur.

Baralei, with a deep resevoir of martial skills, entered the citizen levy at the age of ninety, he was sworn to Yvresse and his unit fell under the control of Prince Talion of House Vanos. He impressed his superiors early on by demonstrating a skill beyond what was expected of a new recruit. The elf fought in a number of minor skirmishes against dark elf raiders as an archer, far from any real danger. All these encounters were battles in which defeat was almost an impossibilty - such is the treatment that all new recruits recieve from their superiors, loathe are High Elf commanders to send the elven youth into real danger. However, despite these battles being what a veteran would call 'casual' Baralei took his duties very seriously and was always at his best in front of his commanders. His comrades often called him too serious, and others criticized him for this but Baralei was too headstrong, too dedicated to his goal of one day being able to truly make a difference to the Asur. How he would do this from being a rank-and-file soldier, however, was beyond him at this time. Baralei resolved that only through tireless hard work, utter dedication and a refusal to focus on anything else, could he eventually be in a position to make a difference. Whenever he wasn't on the field, he was constantly training with his weapon of choice - the spear.

After over forty years as an archer in Yvresse's armies, Baralei begun his training as a spearelf. This was entirely different from what he had learnt as an archer but he was not perturbed by the challenge. The Sentinel he was charged was a stern elf by the name of Fawlen, he was a veteran of many battles and taught the young elves well. Baralei quickly learnt the importance of fighting as a single, cohesive unit - the strengths and weaknesses of the phalanx. After many years of training, learning to trust each of his comrades with his life, Fawlen's unit were finally deployed to the far shores of the Old World where word had reached the house of Vanos that one of their emissaries had been taken by a large force of bandits and cutthroats, known within their region as the 'Corpse Brigade', whilst travelling from what would later be Marienburg to the Empire. Prince Talion would suffer no such insult to his house and instantly sent a rescue force. It seemed that the bandits had intended to hold the elf ransom but had not accounted for the supreme arrogance of the Asur who steadfastly refused to deal with creatures they saw as no better than goblins. When the small High Elf force tracked down their quarry, they found that the Corpse Brigade had gathered a fairly sizable army, recruiting from local mercenary groups.

The relations between High Elves and the race of men at this time was almost non-existent at this point. Ulthuan still viewed the fledgling domains of men as petty and barely worth a second thought. It is believed that the Corpse Brigade tried to create some kind of discussion in regards to the handing over of their hostage but as their messengers approached the elves, the Asur had them shot before they even crossed the field. Such disdain surprised even the cutthroat men and quickly ordered their army into battle. It was a small encounter, barely a hundred on either side - the numbers advantage lay with the bandits, of course. It was during this battle that Baralei made himself known to Captain Arhalien - a veteran commander under Prince Talion. It had fallen to Sentinel Fawlen and his unit to break through the weaker flank of the humans and make safe the emissary. As the unit pressed through resistance, Fawlen met an untimely end just as the spearelves began to make ground, a mace to the back of his head felled the elf, the untested unit found itself leaderless. Ripples of uncertainty spread throughout the unit, the sight of their leader falling doing little for morale. If the spearelves faltered here, they would lose the advantage they had gained on this flank which could very well be the tipping point in this battle. Baralei fought down his confusion and with a deep breath took command of his brethren, calling out the order to continue their advance, demanding his kin honour their fallen captain with courage. The young elf stood at the fore of his unit and began the march forwards, eventually they fought their way passed the enemy's resistance, breaking through their flank's defenses, they quickly made safe the emissary and held their unit's standard high, signalling captain Arhalien. Having secured their quarry, Baralei and his unit began to advance on the rear of the enemy. The sight of the elves advancing behind them, their emissary in tow, was all the mercenaries needed to know this battle was lost; panic swept throughout the army and soon the survivors were in full flight.

As the elven force regrouped, Arhalien was pleased to see they had suffered few casualties. Mercenaries and brigands had little real chance against the skill of the Asur. When the captain sought to congratulate Fawlen on his unit's success, he was surprised to learn that the elf had fallen and that the decisive moment of the battle was in fact orchestrated by the efforts of a spearelf unknown to Arhalien. The captain personally congratulated Baralei's courageous efforts, calling his leadership beyond what was expected of one so young. Baralei's reward came in the form of tutelage for the title of Sentinel by Arhalien himself, a great honour, for the captain was at the time, one of Yvresse's rising heroes.

It was upon Baralei's return to Yvresse, eager to tell his father and mother stories of his victory, that he learnt the dire news that both his parents had been killed in a Dark Elf raid upon Yvresse's coast. The home Baralei had grown up in was now little more than rubble. The silver haired elf took the loss of his mother and father heavily, questioning whether if he had been there, would he have made a difference? The elf's once calm disdain for the Dark Elves now began churning into a pit of a rage for the denizens of Naggaroth who had robbed him of his loved ones. Refusing to let the Druchii's murders control him, he swore only to push on with greater determination than he had before. Arhalien, when he learnt of this tragedy, offered the young elf lodging at his own abode.

In the following years, Baralei studied hard under Captain Arhalien, spurred on by the memory of his parents, fighting in numerous skirmishes until he was rewarded with the title of Sentinel. He wore the promotion with great pride, Arhalien himself had become Commander of House Vanos' forces after distinguishing himself many times for his keen generalship and skill-at-arms, a common-born elf also, Arhalien had become known as a grim figure who had little time for the political side of his newfound title, seeing such frivolities as a waste of time, accomplishing the missions laid out for him was all that concerned the commander.

Years later, in a battle against the vile Orcs and Goblins, Baralei had personally cut down an enemy shaman who was causing much death and chaos amongst the elven lines, no small feat as Baralei's own unit had been greatly diminished and getting to the shaman had required cutting a bloody path to the caster. This act of heroism proved to Arhalien that this young elf was everything he thought he was and upon the commander's personal recommendation to Prince Talion, Baralei was promoted to the rank of Captain, making himself Arhalien's second-in-command. The two personally led a unit known as 'Valour's Heart' - whose warriors were primarily drawn out of Chrace - and these elves quickly became famed amongst Yvressian armies. The House of Vanos, whose own Prince Talion possessed only basic skill in war, counterbalanced this weakness by surrounding itself by warriors such as Arhalien and Baralei.

As commander and captain, the two enjoyed a growing friendship, Arhalien had become almost a father to Baralei and the younger elf looked up to his superior with great respect, he would later consider Arhalien the greatest mentor of his life. This respect was not one-sided however, the senior elf held a deep seated admiration for Baralei's ability to invest emotionally in whatever problem lay before him - however Arhalien never told his 'apprentice' as such. The commander never coddled or nurtured Baralei and was always short with him and had high expectations, but this was borne out of only pride for he saw in the silver haired elf something that was worth preserving.

Baralei continued to grow in skill, learning more than he ever had before at the hands of Arhalien's lessons. He imparted his knowledge of strategy and tactics, leadership and weapon skill to his second. Arhalien fostered what was already a natural talent for leading and forged it into a geniune ability to command, the senior elf believed if Baralei continued as he was, he may one day reach the prestigious title of commander himself. The two would often duel and spar with each other, Arhalien was a master of the halberd and Baralei was quickly becoming more than exceptional with the spear.

The two earned many victories for House Vanos; under Arhalien's leadership Baralei began to think their army invincible for they had suffered no defeats. Arhalien did not share his second's naive view of their prowess, constantly reminding Baralei of the importance of humility in warfare - overconfidence can be a warrior's greatest weakness, was one of his eternal lessons.

Soon, word reached the High Elves that their hateful kin were mustering for war, that they were marshaling armies whose like had not been seen since the time of Tethlis the Slayer and what was worse, that the Witch King Malekith rode at the fore of these dark hosts. The entire world was about to be plunged into war; Baralei would soon realize how naive he had become...

The Great War against Chaos
''"Now run! This battle is over... take the spear and run!" ''

- Prince Talion's final words to Baralei as he gifted Vigilance to him.

The Rise of House Athreale
"I do not intend to sit idly by and watch our homeland sink beneath the waves of time. All we want is to rebuild our world, my lords."

- Baralei extending his offer of allegiance to the Princes of Ulthuan.

The Invasion of Naggaroth
"Neither the Asur, nor the world, will be free from the Dark Elves until this fighting is at an end - and the price of freedom is steep."

- Baralei pledging his allegiance to Eltharion's invasion of Naggaroth.

The War against Lord Felstorm
"What I saw through that visor... those eyes. They were filled with ancient conviction - they made me doubt everything I had ever believed in. I can never forget them."

- Baralei remarking upon his first encounter with Uriah Felstorm.

The Gambit for Peace
"Baralei please, the commanders of the Golden Dawn, Prince Eltharion, the people of Yvresse, your own family - everyone! - disagrees with your assessment of the situation."

- Milamber trying to dissuade Baralei from his meeting with Veldir Shadowthorn.

The Fall of Silverspear
"The light of the dawn has gone from this world. Now, dusk calls to him."

- Milamber Alentyr at Baralei's funeral pyre.