Vallaryn the Equalizer

<i>‘Was not the world made by both Light and Dark intertwined? Doth not both those great powers knit the flesh and souls together of everything born of Teleria? And yet… the struggle for the supremacy of Light or Dark over the other rages on. When will they learn that balance is not just the nature of things, but the only means by which our world will remain whole?’</i> – Vallaryn the Equalizer * Vallaryn lived and died in Aravia, centuries ago. He had always adhered to the Harmony Divinity, the balance between Light and Dark. This, for the people of Aravia, was at best an eccentricity and at worst an indication of future sedition, for it suggested he had ‘some sympathy’ for Siroth. As a result, Vallaryn and his ilk were largely ostracized from Aravian society, living in relative poverty and obscurity. Vallaryn hated this. The First Great War only confirmed his beliefs. There should have been peace. He formed a group that sabotaged armories, lamed warsteeds, and promoted pacifism and non-compliance. After several months, he was arrested and executed for treachery. His body was dumped in an unmarked grave on Aravia’s borders. There he remained until the Scourge of Darkness, which granted him Undeath. When Vallaryn awoke, he remembered little of his mortal life, but an obsessive purpose gripped him. Balance. At any cost. During the Second Great War, he aided both sides. Before each intervention, Vallaryn considered every possible outcome, down to fifth-order effects. Killing an incompetent general could cause a defeat that would lead to a later victory. Hamstringing a few mules could slow an army by just a day, leading to a city being saved or lost. Vallaryn took no joy in this. It was merely duty. If both sides could rise above the need for conflict, he would have had no need to act. When <color=#8F1100>Kurosa the Covetous</color> invaded eastern Peltas, Vallaryn did nothing. The balance of events was so delicate even he could upset them. Things changed when the Corruption sprouted in pockets of the Mistwood. He had watched its initial outburst with some interest, choosing to stay his hand. The Sylvan had contained it, and he was content. But he was not convinced the Sylvan could defeat it, should it gain a foothold. The Corruption was at its strongest in the domain of <color=#774418>Rhaia the Mourned</color>. From her, the Corrupted Rhythm pulsed with great discordant intensity, and Vallaryn knew she had to be slain. But Rhaia, in the throes of Corruption, was destruction and death made manifest. Vallaryn could not defeat her alone. He hoped he could enlist the aid of Rhaia’s son, <color=#774418>Folan Silverhart</color>, but he, too, fell. A glimmer of hope remained in the Elf, however. One that, frustratingly, Vallaryn lacked the strength to exploit alone. And so he turned to <color=#774418>Talenna Soulseer</color>. Vallaryn believed they could bring Folan back from his Corrupted state for a short time, long enough for them to destroy Rhaia and halt the Corruption of her domain.