Post by Orestias on Jan 25, 2008 19:09:03 GMT -5
Name- Orestias
Type- Personification of Air
Age- Unknowable, he has existed since the first wind blew across the top of Olympus
Gender-Male
Parents/Family- Orestias was created, in a sense by the will of the gods. When the world was new, and the winds swept across the newly made earth, Orestias was made. He dwelled in Olympus as a will of the wind, riding on storm and gust alike. It was only when an Athenian sailor took and defiled a priestess of Aphrodite, and then took to sea, defying the rage of Poseidon and surviving by a trick of the Underworld, that Orestias was called and named, then sent aboard the sailor's ship in the form of a man, to do the will of the gods. For Aphrodite's revenge, Poseidon's sternness, and Hades' bargain with the man, Orestias dispatched the man to the Underworld. With that, he earned his name, and his place as an enforcer of the will of Olympus.
Powers- Orestias's mastery of the wind and innumerable years of martial training has made him an unmatched combatant, and he has learned to seamlessly blend his control of the winds with the sword, trident, spear, and javelin. In a close quarters melee, Orestias approaches impossible to defeat, using the wind to carry him, lift him, grant him haste, or push back his opponents. In his human form, he is also capable of creating ferocious and forceful gusts of wind, able to lift vehicles or throw a man with sufficient force to break bones upon striking a solid wall.
Perhaps the most notable of his abilities are those with his sword, a gift from Poseidon, and blessed by Aphrodite. It is an extension of himself and the winds, and he is able to call if forth at any time. As an extension of him, he can release it on the wind and let it fly forth like a javelin and pass through stone, steel, and all else, only to have the weapon reappear in his hand a moment later.
Being a personification of wind, he is adept at using his powers to exact the will, bringing blessing or death, by using overwhelming physical force combined with agility and surprise.
Weaknesses- Orestias's primary weakness is his unswerving loyalty to the gods. At their request he would place himself in endless peril, and he places all else below their swiftly changing wills. Given the choice between his own death, and disobeying his masters, he will choose death, and in that sense his weakness is complete and crippling.
Aside from that, Orestias is hopelessly wrathful and fanatically devoted to honor, and will pursue a vengeance to its end without fail. His enemies have utilized this more than once, creating tricks and deceptions to thwart his execution of the will of a deity.
Physical Description- In his human form, Orestias stands at five feet, eight inches tall and is extremely physically well developed. His muscle is solid, plentiful, and strong. His skin is tanned and a shade of olive, typical of a Mediterranean man, and is marked by a scar across his midsection, passing between his abdominal muscles that was received in battle against a lion sent by Aphrodite to prove his martial skills. Another scar, passing across the bridge of his nose and continuing on the other side of his right eye, that he received from the sword of a Spartan prince is visible when he is not wearing his helmet and pulls back his hair. He considers these both marks of honor and allows them to remain on his skin despite it marring his appearance. He values his honor above vanity.
His hair is long and curling, falling just below his shoulders and is a dark brown, nearly black, and is nearly always allowed to hang loosely and freely. Orestias despises anything that he feels restrictive and as such will only tie his hair back when absolutely necessary. His eyes are a colorless grey, and infinitely deep. When he is angered, the iris' of his eyes can be seen swirling, like a tempest wind. It is often the last thing his enemies ever see.
When in his human form and amongst the gods on Olympus or in his cavern atop Meteora, he typically wears a long grey tunic, a black leather belt with steel embossments from which hangs his sword, and bare feet, preferring to feel the earth beneath his feet. When amongst human beings of the modern world, he wears a fine black suit, and a black shirt with silk pinstripes, and a pale grey silk tie. As he can call forth his sword whenever he needs, he will forgo wearing it when this attire is called for, but is never happy about it, as it is with him at all times otherwise, he also does not feel comfortable in such restrictive clothing.
Lastly, when called to battle, Orestias wears a suit of armor crafted for him by the royal armorsmiths of Troy and kept in flawless condition with Olympian craftsmen. For lending his aid to the Trojan prince Hector in that most historic of wars, these pieces were ordered forged from the same metal that produced Prince Hector's armor, and was cooled in waters from the river that served at the heart of Troy herself. It is all a polished silver colour, and consists of a traditional Corinthian crested helmet, breastplate, forearm plates, a shield, and greaves. All pieces save for the helmet and shield bear intricate metalwork. The breastplate, both front and back pieces, are made of segmented squares of metal, joined closed together to allow for ease of movement and the The forearm plates and greaves both have intricate sculpting upon their faces. And his shield, marked by sword and spear alike, still shines brightly it's round silver face
Mental Description- Orestias's state of mind is often like his state of being, forceful, solid, and unyielding. He is nearly silent unless spoken too, and outside of that, speaking only when directed to. Though his lips remain still, his mind is forever moving, seeking, watching, and thinking. He is always turning something over in his mind. When spoken to, he speaks in direct, short replies, and then returns to watchful silence. Watching, he is always.
Chief amongst his loves are his homeland, Greece, and when it suffers, his sword is drawn. Often the only way to put his warrior spirit at ease is to bring him to the land, to a vast expanse of field, where the sun mingles through tall stalks of crop, and the wind whispers through the grasses and trees. It is there that Orestias is at peace, and only there, where was will be at peace. Secondly is honor. Orestias would much sooner give his life than face dishonor, and when he observes a mortal upholding such honor, he will sweep down to their aid, either in his elemental form, or his armored human form if necessary, then disappear as quickly as he came. Orestias watches all conflicts and watches for those of courage and valor to show themselves, then will come to their aid, and if they fall, see their spirits personally to the Elysian Fields and eternal peace.
First amongst his dislikes, is dishonor, cowardice, and dishonesty. The only exception he will make for this is the gods whim, and even then, he dislikes it intensely, but remains silent. Should he ever grant his favor to a mortal who then turns about, he will return to take their life without question or mercy. Second is disorder, and third flamboyance. He sees both as purposeless and the latter as excess.
History- Orestias' existence before earning his name and his blade was the history of the shaping of the land itself. In every torrent that poured down from the heavens upon young Greece and all of the gods' domain, Orestias was there, carrying forth the storm. In every gust that blew past the highest peaks in all the world, Orestias rode the edge of the rushing air. In every breeze that rustled through the leaves of the olive trees, Orestias passed by.
When the lands were still, he abided in the realm of Olympus, swirling about the mountain in it's never ending breeze.
After receiving his name and his sword, Orestias began his role as an enforcer of the gods, and their sword upon the world. To this end, the trio of gods chose him for his unswerving loyalty and unbreakable dedication to the will of Olympus. He was called to the court of Poseidon, traveling there upon the winds of a massive maelstrom called forth for just this purpose. The tearing and swirling winds of this storm were only a precursor to the fury that the one they bore would be capable of, and bring to bear. He was carried down, down, and down through the restless sea upon the back of a steed sent forth by the lord of all horses to fetch him, and presented of Poseidon, fair Aphrodite, and brooding Hades. It was there in the sprawling halls of the sea king's realm that he was given their directed. Off the isle of Kratos, an Athenian noble and sailor bearing the name Athrocles lorded over his crew and a small village, and he had committed grave crimes against the gods before Orestias. He had begun his deeds by seizing and raping a priestess of Aphrodite, leaving her ravaged before the temple steps and departing on his ship, daring to defy the power of Poseidon by setting a course straight through the heart of a fierce storm called forth to honor the Haloa, a celebration in the name of Poseidon himself. The sea lord would never have allowed this blatant insult, however, the sailor escaped death by making a bargain with Hades on the deck of his ship, calling out to the lord of Underworld, his voice just barely sounding over the cracking of timbers and deafening thunder. Hades would see him through the storm, if he would then sail his ship, along with his crew, into the Underworld. Indeed, Hades did see Athrocles through the storm but the sailor did not sail to the Styx, instead reneging on his deal with Hades, and making for safe harbor in Kratos.
For these insults, he must be killed, and to see it made so, the slighted gods called forth a wind spirit whispered about in the courts of Olympus for his steadfast loyalty. Aphrodite gave him a form, that of a man of Greece, with long brown hair and eyes of the storm. Poseidon gave him a name, Orestias, 'the wind' in the language of the lands he swept across and guarded so. Hades gave him a sword, a black, hateful thing, of marble and onyx enchanted so to send any soul struck down by it directly to Tartarus and into the jaws of a thousand waiting Cerberi. Orestias was sent forth upon the same steed of Poseidon that had brought him to the court and through the waves of the mother sea, swift to Kratos and to the deck of Athrocles' warship. Set upon the decks in a wind like that unseen by any sailor to sail upon the waves, the crew of the ship cowered before Orestias, paralyzed by the turning tempest in his eyes and the horrible black blade in his hand. Orestias slew them all. The villagers of the nearby village reveled as their screams were carried to them on the winds. Athrocles trembled, falling back to the lowest part of his ship and barricading the way with plundered treasures. Orestias searched the ship thoroughly and found the gilded wall Athrocles had erected and blew it apart with a gust sent forth from his hand. He dispatched the coward with a single swing of his swift sword, and with that, saw the will of the gods done, and returned to the court of Poseidon with the head of Athrocles in hand. For his faithful execution of his duty, Orestias was allowed to keep both his name and his form, and allowed to walk the surface of Olympus. Poseidon also gave him a sword, a weapon of shining steel and white marble, that would travel the earth with him and come to his call at any time, and carried on it's edge the force of the maelstrom that carried Orestias to the sea king's court, lending it tremendous and terrible force.
For the ages after, Orestias acted as the blade of the gods, seeing their will done with swing after swing of his sword. When not seeing through his duties, he honed his sword, spear, javelin, and trident against the best warriors the heavens had to offer, battling the guard of Ares and all of his beasts from morning until night and the night through, until he could fight no more, then returned to the care of Aphrodite and her maidens, until his wounds were healed, and he could battle again. On this went, through time and time more, descending to the land only to see done the gods will, or to take part in the humans' wars, testing his blade against the best that mankind had to offer and lending his sword to those who proved themselves worthy.
The ages bore whispers of the 'white warrior' that appeared to soldiers of legendary valor, and heathens of infamous rancor, but three legends sounded louder than them all, echoing through generations and inspiring valiant men to act out even greater acts of bravery and valor. The first was of a great battle between the armies of Sparta, and their staunch rivals, the Athenians. Sparta came with a great army, made hard with years of Spartan military tradition and glorious battle. They were led by a prince that was greater still, Thaerodas, who carried with him so great a reputation as to make armies of men bow beneath his noble sword. As the days of the battle went on, phalanx after phalanx of Athenian soldiers broke and melted away against Spartan shield until only the last contingent of men, the elite Pallas Guard remained. The leaders of Athens sent up a prayer to bright Athena for her aid in battle, and she dispatched Orestias on the winds to go blade to blade with Prince Thaerodas. At the head of the Pallas Guard, Orestias charged, sword and shield in hand and met Thaerodas in the heart of the melee. They battled for hours, the will of a goddess against the greatest swordsman womanborn, until Thaeroads' sword cut and Orestias' sword sliced. Orestias's head lowered and his blood stained the ground, his brow wrought wide open. Thaerodas fell, his throat cut clean though. As his spirit rose, Orestias met him with sword sheathed and hand outstretched, saying 'Welcome, brother', and led him to Elysium.
The second is of the Trojan War itself. Seeing the conflict unfold before him, and knowing that this would be the greatest war the world of man had ever seen, Orestias descended to the fields of Troy and walked the lands with Hector and King Priam upon the twin prince's return with Helen and offered his sword for the defense of Troy, impressed with the skill and nobility of Hector. He is allowed to do this only because of his favor with the gods and sent forth with their blessing, Zeus knowing that in accordance with his plan to depopulate the earth, Orestias will take many lives and Aphrodite because in siding with Troy, Orestias will pose no threat to her chosen, Paris. Apollo even granted his favor in the form of setting fire to the blade of Orestias's sword, promising that it would cut without fail through any man it touched. Orestias fought with Hector at the head of the Apollonian Guard on the landing of the Acheans, seeing the death of Cycnus and along with a contingent of the fabled Apollonian Guard led by Hector, staved off the advancing Myrmidons and Achean army while the Trojan army retreated back behind the gates. When Hector engaged Protesilaus, it was Orestias that stood watch ober the dueling warriors, killing any Greek that approached.
As the war dragged on, Orestias stood steadfastly against the Greek armies, killing Acheans, Boeotians, Athenians, Phoceans, and Salamites, more than a thousand men alongside his Trojan allies and writing fear upon the hearts of every Greek who saw his blazing white sword. Many a day Orestias lost himself in the furor of battle and was only called back at the coming of night by Hector's behest. It was until the death of Hector in battle against Achilles that Orestias fought with the Trojans. Once the Trojan prince fell, Orestias was unable to draw his sword again on their behalf, so disgusted he was by Paris' vanity and cowardice. His last act in the Trojan War was to escort Hector's spirit to a final meeting atop the Trojan Wall with Andromache and Astyanax on the night Priam reclaimed Hector's body. After this, and at the heeding of Athena, Orestias returned to Olympus and scorned the rest of the war.
The third of these legends came sometime after the end of the Trojan War, in an Achean field, at the behest of Aphrodite. The goddess put forth a call to all the warriors of heaven and earth, a call to arms in an endless series of trials to earn the love of a chosen maiden, whom she had decided no man of any other means was worthy of. A million warriors descended upon the vast field to answer the goddess' calling and stake their lives on the maiden's hand. Paired against each other, at the setting of the sun, five-hundred thousand had died and the crops and soil were stained red until the rains came the next year, giving the field it's name, 'miltiades', from the Greek 'miltos', 'red earth'. The contest continue, pairing after pairing, day after day until the Styx was choked with souls and Charon called a day's halt where every warrior rested and fed. On the next day, the pairings began again until only Orestias remained, bloodied, and on bent knee before Aphrodite and her maiden. Spoiled by the blood spilled in her name and elevated by vain Aphrodite's favor, the maiden pleaded for one more day of battle to prove Orestias's devotion, and Aphrodite made it so. The next day began again with a battle between Orestias and ten wedded sons of Ares, in which Orestias slew them all. The next trial came in a cage of onyx bars, held together by Tartaran chains. and drawn by an army of wraiths. The resurrected and furious Nemean Lion, who was set upon Orestias by the hand of Hades himself. Stripped of his sword by a trick of Aphrodite, again at the request of her maiden, Orestias fought the lion with his own fists and might and the gift of the wind behind him. With these, he defeated the lion, plunging his fist into it's heart and ripping it from the beast's breast but was wounded badly in the battle. He still bears a scar from the combat, a wide cut across his stomach. Furious at the goddess's deception and unwilling to live with the spoiled maiden, Orestias rejected the remaining trials and returned to Meteora, where he resided.
These legends are the foremost tales of the 'white wind', or the 'white warrior', that have been passed down through time and tide and the passing of the winds. Though lost to the present day, allowed to slip away because of Orestias's solitude, he was kept a vigilant watch through the ages and cut his mark upon the earth, through their will, and his oath.
Current Residence- Orestias dwells wherever the winds will abide, but has made himself a place in a cave within the Meteora that is only accessible by him, or one that can otherwise reach it's unapproachable entrance. It was formerly a shrine to Aphrodite, and is lined with pillars and an altar, but has long since been abandoned and its entrance, a carved set of stone steps fallen away.
Codeword- badger
Type- Personification of Air
Age- Unknowable, he has existed since the first wind blew across the top of Olympus
Gender-Male
Parents/Family- Orestias was created, in a sense by the will of the gods. When the world was new, and the winds swept across the newly made earth, Orestias was made. He dwelled in Olympus as a will of the wind, riding on storm and gust alike. It was only when an Athenian sailor took and defiled a priestess of Aphrodite, and then took to sea, defying the rage of Poseidon and surviving by a trick of the Underworld, that Orestias was called and named, then sent aboard the sailor's ship in the form of a man, to do the will of the gods. For Aphrodite's revenge, Poseidon's sternness, and Hades' bargain with the man, Orestias dispatched the man to the Underworld. With that, he earned his name, and his place as an enforcer of the will of Olympus.
Powers- Orestias's mastery of the wind and innumerable years of martial training has made him an unmatched combatant, and he has learned to seamlessly blend his control of the winds with the sword, trident, spear, and javelin. In a close quarters melee, Orestias approaches impossible to defeat, using the wind to carry him, lift him, grant him haste, or push back his opponents. In his human form, he is also capable of creating ferocious and forceful gusts of wind, able to lift vehicles or throw a man with sufficient force to break bones upon striking a solid wall.
Perhaps the most notable of his abilities are those with his sword, a gift from Poseidon, and blessed by Aphrodite. It is an extension of himself and the winds, and he is able to call if forth at any time. As an extension of him, he can release it on the wind and let it fly forth like a javelin and pass through stone, steel, and all else, only to have the weapon reappear in his hand a moment later.
Being a personification of wind, he is adept at using his powers to exact the will, bringing blessing or death, by using overwhelming physical force combined with agility and surprise.
Weaknesses- Orestias's primary weakness is his unswerving loyalty to the gods. At their request he would place himself in endless peril, and he places all else below their swiftly changing wills. Given the choice between his own death, and disobeying his masters, he will choose death, and in that sense his weakness is complete and crippling.
Aside from that, Orestias is hopelessly wrathful and fanatically devoted to honor, and will pursue a vengeance to its end without fail. His enemies have utilized this more than once, creating tricks and deceptions to thwart his execution of the will of a deity.
Physical Description- In his human form, Orestias stands at five feet, eight inches tall and is extremely physically well developed. His muscle is solid, plentiful, and strong. His skin is tanned and a shade of olive, typical of a Mediterranean man, and is marked by a scar across his midsection, passing between his abdominal muscles that was received in battle against a lion sent by Aphrodite to prove his martial skills. Another scar, passing across the bridge of his nose and continuing on the other side of his right eye, that he received from the sword of a Spartan prince is visible when he is not wearing his helmet and pulls back his hair. He considers these both marks of honor and allows them to remain on his skin despite it marring his appearance. He values his honor above vanity.
His hair is long and curling, falling just below his shoulders and is a dark brown, nearly black, and is nearly always allowed to hang loosely and freely. Orestias despises anything that he feels restrictive and as such will only tie his hair back when absolutely necessary. His eyes are a colorless grey, and infinitely deep. When he is angered, the iris' of his eyes can be seen swirling, like a tempest wind. It is often the last thing his enemies ever see.
When in his human form and amongst the gods on Olympus or in his cavern atop Meteora, he typically wears a long grey tunic, a black leather belt with steel embossments from which hangs his sword, and bare feet, preferring to feel the earth beneath his feet. When amongst human beings of the modern world, he wears a fine black suit, and a black shirt with silk pinstripes, and a pale grey silk tie. As he can call forth his sword whenever he needs, he will forgo wearing it when this attire is called for, but is never happy about it, as it is with him at all times otherwise, he also does not feel comfortable in such restrictive clothing.
Lastly, when called to battle, Orestias wears a suit of armor crafted for him by the royal armorsmiths of Troy and kept in flawless condition with Olympian craftsmen. For lending his aid to the Trojan prince Hector in that most historic of wars, these pieces were ordered forged from the same metal that produced Prince Hector's armor, and was cooled in waters from the river that served at the heart of Troy herself. It is all a polished silver colour, and consists of a traditional Corinthian crested helmet, breastplate, forearm plates, a shield, and greaves. All pieces save for the helmet and shield bear intricate metalwork. The breastplate, both front and back pieces, are made of segmented squares of metal, joined closed together to allow for ease of movement and the The forearm plates and greaves both have intricate sculpting upon their faces. And his shield, marked by sword and spear alike, still shines brightly it's round silver face
Mental Description- Orestias's state of mind is often like his state of being, forceful, solid, and unyielding. He is nearly silent unless spoken too, and outside of that, speaking only when directed to. Though his lips remain still, his mind is forever moving, seeking, watching, and thinking. He is always turning something over in his mind. When spoken to, he speaks in direct, short replies, and then returns to watchful silence. Watching, he is always.
Chief amongst his loves are his homeland, Greece, and when it suffers, his sword is drawn. Often the only way to put his warrior spirit at ease is to bring him to the land, to a vast expanse of field, where the sun mingles through tall stalks of crop, and the wind whispers through the grasses and trees. It is there that Orestias is at peace, and only there, where was will be at peace. Secondly is honor. Orestias would much sooner give his life than face dishonor, and when he observes a mortal upholding such honor, he will sweep down to their aid, either in his elemental form, or his armored human form if necessary, then disappear as quickly as he came. Orestias watches all conflicts and watches for those of courage and valor to show themselves, then will come to their aid, and if they fall, see their spirits personally to the Elysian Fields and eternal peace.
First amongst his dislikes, is dishonor, cowardice, and dishonesty. The only exception he will make for this is the gods whim, and even then, he dislikes it intensely, but remains silent. Should he ever grant his favor to a mortal who then turns about, he will return to take their life without question or mercy. Second is disorder, and third flamboyance. He sees both as purposeless and the latter as excess.
History- Orestias' existence before earning his name and his blade was the history of the shaping of the land itself. In every torrent that poured down from the heavens upon young Greece and all of the gods' domain, Orestias was there, carrying forth the storm. In every gust that blew past the highest peaks in all the world, Orestias rode the edge of the rushing air. In every breeze that rustled through the leaves of the olive trees, Orestias passed by.
When the lands were still, he abided in the realm of Olympus, swirling about the mountain in it's never ending breeze.
After receiving his name and his sword, Orestias began his role as an enforcer of the gods, and their sword upon the world. To this end, the trio of gods chose him for his unswerving loyalty and unbreakable dedication to the will of Olympus. He was called to the court of Poseidon, traveling there upon the winds of a massive maelstrom called forth for just this purpose. The tearing and swirling winds of this storm were only a precursor to the fury that the one they bore would be capable of, and bring to bear. He was carried down, down, and down through the restless sea upon the back of a steed sent forth by the lord of all horses to fetch him, and presented of Poseidon, fair Aphrodite, and brooding Hades. It was there in the sprawling halls of the sea king's realm that he was given their directed. Off the isle of Kratos, an Athenian noble and sailor bearing the name Athrocles lorded over his crew and a small village, and he had committed grave crimes against the gods before Orestias. He had begun his deeds by seizing and raping a priestess of Aphrodite, leaving her ravaged before the temple steps and departing on his ship, daring to defy the power of Poseidon by setting a course straight through the heart of a fierce storm called forth to honor the Haloa, a celebration in the name of Poseidon himself. The sea lord would never have allowed this blatant insult, however, the sailor escaped death by making a bargain with Hades on the deck of his ship, calling out to the lord of Underworld, his voice just barely sounding over the cracking of timbers and deafening thunder. Hades would see him through the storm, if he would then sail his ship, along with his crew, into the Underworld. Indeed, Hades did see Athrocles through the storm but the sailor did not sail to the Styx, instead reneging on his deal with Hades, and making for safe harbor in Kratos.
For these insults, he must be killed, and to see it made so, the slighted gods called forth a wind spirit whispered about in the courts of Olympus for his steadfast loyalty. Aphrodite gave him a form, that of a man of Greece, with long brown hair and eyes of the storm. Poseidon gave him a name, Orestias, 'the wind' in the language of the lands he swept across and guarded so. Hades gave him a sword, a black, hateful thing, of marble and onyx enchanted so to send any soul struck down by it directly to Tartarus and into the jaws of a thousand waiting Cerberi. Orestias was sent forth upon the same steed of Poseidon that had brought him to the court and through the waves of the mother sea, swift to Kratos and to the deck of Athrocles' warship. Set upon the decks in a wind like that unseen by any sailor to sail upon the waves, the crew of the ship cowered before Orestias, paralyzed by the turning tempest in his eyes and the horrible black blade in his hand. Orestias slew them all. The villagers of the nearby village reveled as their screams were carried to them on the winds. Athrocles trembled, falling back to the lowest part of his ship and barricading the way with plundered treasures. Orestias searched the ship thoroughly and found the gilded wall Athrocles had erected and blew it apart with a gust sent forth from his hand. He dispatched the coward with a single swing of his swift sword, and with that, saw the will of the gods done, and returned to the court of Poseidon with the head of Athrocles in hand. For his faithful execution of his duty, Orestias was allowed to keep both his name and his form, and allowed to walk the surface of Olympus. Poseidon also gave him a sword, a weapon of shining steel and white marble, that would travel the earth with him and come to his call at any time, and carried on it's edge the force of the maelstrom that carried Orestias to the sea king's court, lending it tremendous and terrible force.
For the ages after, Orestias acted as the blade of the gods, seeing their will done with swing after swing of his sword. When not seeing through his duties, he honed his sword, spear, javelin, and trident against the best warriors the heavens had to offer, battling the guard of Ares and all of his beasts from morning until night and the night through, until he could fight no more, then returned to the care of Aphrodite and her maidens, until his wounds were healed, and he could battle again. On this went, through time and time more, descending to the land only to see done the gods will, or to take part in the humans' wars, testing his blade against the best that mankind had to offer and lending his sword to those who proved themselves worthy.
The ages bore whispers of the 'white warrior' that appeared to soldiers of legendary valor, and heathens of infamous rancor, but three legends sounded louder than them all, echoing through generations and inspiring valiant men to act out even greater acts of bravery and valor. The first was of a great battle between the armies of Sparta, and their staunch rivals, the Athenians. Sparta came with a great army, made hard with years of Spartan military tradition and glorious battle. They were led by a prince that was greater still, Thaerodas, who carried with him so great a reputation as to make armies of men bow beneath his noble sword. As the days of the battle went on, phalanx after phalanx of Athenian soldiers broke and melted away against Spartan shield until only the last contingent of men, the elite Pallas Guard remained. The leaders of Athens sent up a prayer to bright Athena for her aid in battle, and she dispatched Orestias on the winds to go blade to blade with Prince Thaerodas. At the head of the Pallas Guard, Orestias charged, sword and shield in hand and met Thaerodas in the heart of the melee. They battled for hours, the will of a goddess against the greatest swordsman womanborn, until Thaeroads' sword cut and Orestias' sword sliced. Orestias's head lowered and his blood stained the ground, his brow wrought wide open. Thaerodas fell, his throat cut clean though. As his spirit rose, Orestias met him with sword sheathed and hand outstretched, saying 'Welcome, brother', and led him to Elysium.
The second is of the Trojan War itself. Seeing the conflict unfold before him, and knowing that this would be the greatest war the world of man had ever seen, Orestias descended to the fields of Troy and walked the lands with Hector and King Priam upon the twin prince's return with Helen and offered his sword for the defense of Troy, impressed with the skill and nobility of Hector. He is allowed to do this only because of his favor with the gods and sent forth with their blessing, Zeus knowing that in accordance with his plan to depopulate the earth, Orestias will take many lives and Aphrodite because in siding with Troy, Orestias will pose no threat to her chosen, Paris. Apollo even granted his favor in the form of setting fire to the blade of Orestias's sword, promising that it would cut without fail through any man it touched. Orestias fought with Hector at the head of the Apollonian Guard on the landing of the Acheans, seeing the death of Cycnus and along with a contingent of the fabled Apollonian Guard led by Hector, staved off the advancing Myrmidons and Achean army while the Trojan army retreated back behind the gates. When Hector engaged Protesilaus, it was Orestias that stood watch ober the dueling warriors, killing any Greek that approached.
As the war dragged on, Orestias stood steadfastly against the Greek armies, killing Acheans, Boeotians, Athenians, Phoceans, and Salamites, more than a thousand men alongside his Trojan allies and writing fear upon the hearts of every Greek who saw his blazing white sword. Many a day Orestias lost himself in the furor of battle and was only called back at the coming of night by Hector's behest. It was until the death of Hector in battle against Achilles that Orestias fought with the Trojans. Once the Trojan prince fell, Orestias was unable to draw his sword again on their behalf, so disgusted he was by Paris' vanity and cowardice. His last act in the Trojan War was to escort Hector's spirit to a final meeting atop the Trojan Wall with Andromache and Astyanax on the night Priam reclaimed Hector's body. After this, and at the heeding of Athena, Orestias returned to Olympus and scorned the rest of the war.
The third of these legends came sometime after the end of the Trojan War, in an Achean field, at the behest of Aphrodite. The goddess put forth a call to all the warriors of heaven and earth, a call to arms in an endless series of trials to earn the love of a chosen maiden, whom she had decided no man of any other means was worthy of. A million warriors descended upon the vast field to answer the goddess' calling and stake their lives on the maiden's hand. Paired against each other, at the setting of the sun, five-hundred thousand had died and the crops and soil were stained red until the rains came the next year, giving the field it's name, 'miltiades', from the Greek 'miltos', 'red earth'. The contest continue, pairing after pairing, day after day until the Styx was choked with souls and Charon called a day's halt where every warrior rested and fed. On the next day, the pairings began again until only Orestias remained, bloodied, and on bent knee before Aphrodite and her maiden. Spoiled by the blood spilled in her name and elevated by vain Aphrodite's favor, the maiden pleaded for one more day of battle to prove Orestias's devotion, and Aphrodite made it so. The next day began again with a battle between Orestias and ten wedded sons of Ares, in which Orestias slew them all. The next trial came in a cage of onyx bars, held together by Tartaran chains. and drawn by an army of wraiths. The resurrected and furious Nemean Lion, who was set upon Orestias by the hand of Hades himself. Stripped of his sword by a trick of Aphrodite, again at the request of her maiden, Orestias fought the lion with his own fists and might and the gift of the wind behind him. With these, he defeated the lion, plunging his fist into it's heart and ripping it from the beast's breast but was wounded badly in the battle. He still bears a scar from the combat, a wide cut across his stomach. Furious at the goddess's deception and unwilling to live with the spoiled maiden, Orestias rejected the remaining trials and returned to Meteora, where he resided.
These legends are the foremost tales of the 'white wind', or the 'white warrior', that have been passed down through time and tide and the passing of the winds. Though lost to the present day, allowed to slip away because of Orestias's solitude, he was kept a vigilant watch through the ages and cut his mark upon the earth, through their will, and his oath.
Current Residence- Orestias dwells wherever the winds will abide, but has made himself a place in a cave within the Meteora that is only accessible by him, or one that can otherwise reach it's unapproachable entrance. It was formerly a shrine to Aphrodite, and is lined with pillars and an altar, but has long since been abandoned and its entrance, a carved set of stone steps fallen away.
Codeword- badger