Post by Valen Far on Feb 7, 2022 18:55:46 GMT
The Far Clan were never destined for greatness, a minor noble household with minor holdings along the Blighted border of Malkier they were destined to die alone and forgotten like so many Malkieri warriors before them in the battle against the Shadow yet that was never Valen’s destiny. His mother and father raised him to be something more, to serve the world as a guardian and the spark within him made that possible. Upon joining the Black Tower he quickly recognised that he was destined to be there, or at least told himself that, and took the philosophies of his home with him into every endeavour. When he finally joined the ranks of his fully fledged brothers he felt that he owed them and thus he followed orders, after all good soldiers follow orders, until finally he could not stand by and listen to Rahlin at which point he became the man we see today.
It should come as no surprise that once he realised Rahlin was not in his right mind Valen fought to see him removed from power, to protect his order and to protect the people of the Westlands, so when a leader rose among the rebels with promise Valen quickly joined his rebellion. At first he was charged with feeding information to the rebels and then during the final hours of the Tower War he joined the rebel M’hael in a daring assault on Rahlin’s loyalists within the Black Tower. It was there that he faced the captain of the central theatre and those loyal to him, a bloody duel which would change the trajectory of his life for good. That bloody, brutal battle taught him valuable lessons and as such he adjusted creating his own doctrine of warfare, entirely focused on the unorthodox and unexpected to make him an unpredictable foe and thus all who serve under his watchful eye become equally as unpredictable. Throughout his years of command Valen has earned the respect of his peers and those who serve under him, for he is the kind of man who would never ask a subordinate to do something unless he himself would do it. He leads from the front and joins the battle wherever the fighting is thickest and most dangerous. He has faithfully served the M’haels since Rahlin and now he serves beside his closest friend; Varian.
Valen’s unorthodox tactical doctrine has made the Black Tower even more formidable and at the heart of that doctrine is the value of life; both that of the Asha’man and their foes. Every captain’s battle plan is expected to offer insight into the foe they face and thus to weight the course of action against the potential loss of a life, a battle doctrine quite unlike many of the doctrines adopted by the nations of the Westlands for even the lowliest soldier is given immense value by Valen, for even the lowliest of soldiers might turn the tide of battle.
With Varian’s ascension to M’hael and Valen at his side the winds are changing, together they aim to rebuild the Black Tower into what it should always have been; a bastion of hope and order.
Friends
Throughout his youth Valen was raised to believe that all men and women should seek to be allies against the Shadow, if not friends. When he arrived at the Black Tower he did so with the belief that all of his Asha’man brothers should be allies at least if not friends in earnest but instead he found a culture of paranoia and wariness, where the new was simply tolerated and the old was resented. Valen quickly found other Dedicated and Soldiers looking to him as one of the greatest swordsmen among them and so it should be little surprise to anyone that Valen values honesty above all in his friends now. Those who seek to befriend him must first prove they can be trusted for he shares his thoughts easily with his friends, once one has proven that they can be trusted they will find themselves within his tight inner circle with whom he shares his plans and concerns, there are few who have become true friends and those who have know they can trust Valen with their lives. Literally. He values honesty, integrity and self-sacrifice above almost all else.
Allies
Every Asha’man and Aes Sedai alike are viewed by Valen as his allies, though whether they are trusted allies or not is another matter, much like every warrior that fights against the Shadow or wise woman who seeks to heal those who are suffering. Valen’s circle of alliances is quite large and though he trusts very few he will come to the aid of almost anyone should they need him and they be justified, all he asks is that the extend the same to others and protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Enemies
Valen believes that the Black Tower has strayed from the mission for which it was founded and strayed from the teachings of Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn. Thus any who stand against the reforms or missions of the Black Tower towards these ends is at the very least his foe and at worst they are truly his enemy. He keeps things close to his chest and so more often than not those who he sees as enemies will not know it until he strikes, unless they serve the Shadow, and while he values all life he will show little remorse when executing his mission or battling his enemies…
Lovers
Throughout his life Valen has shrugged off the idea of romance even as he followed the ancient traditions of the Malkieri, feeling little for those that have made their advances over the years simply because he is not interested in the pleasures of the flesh with just anyone. He offers up little in the way of information about his love life, though he has had lovers of both genders, only saying that when he offers himself to someone it will be the closest and most loyal of friends for he could truly love no other…
Threads
It should come as no surprise that once he realised Rahlin was not in his right mind Valen fought to see him removed from power, to protect his order and to protect the people of the Westlands, so when a leader rose among the rebels with promise Valen quickly joined his rebellion. At first he was charged with feeding information to the rebels and then during the final hours of the Tower War he joined the rebel M’hael in a daring assault on Rahlin’s loyalists within the Black Tower. It was there that he faced the captain of the central theatre and those loyal to him, a bloody duel which would change the trajectory of his life for good. That bloody, brutal battle taught him valuable lessons and as such he adjusted creating his own doctrine of warfare, entirely focused on the unorthodox and unexpected to make him an unpredictable foe and thus all who serve under his watchful eye become equally as unpredictable. Throughout his years of command Valen has earned the respect of his peers and those who serve under him, for he is the kind of man who would never ask a subordinate to do something unless he himself would do it. He leads from the front and joins the battle wherever the fighting is thickest and most dangerous. He has faithfully served the M’haels since Rahlin and now he serves beside his closest friend; Varian.
Valen’s unorthodox tactical doctrine has made the Black Tower even more formidable and at the heart of that doctrine is the value of life; both that of the Asha’man and their foes. Every captain’s battle plan is expected to offer insight into the foe they face and thus to weight the course of action against the potential loss of a life, a battle doctrine quite unlike many of the doctrines adopted by the nations of the Westlands for even the lowliest soldier is given immense value by Valen, for even the lowliest of soldiers might turn the tide of battle.
With Varian’s ascension to M’hael and Valen at his side the winds are changing, together they aim to rebuild the Black Tower into what it should always have been; a bastion of hope and order.
Friends
Throughout his youth Valen was raised to believe that all men and women should seek to be allies against the Shadow, if not friends. When he arrived at the Black Tower he did so with the belief that all of his Asha’man brothers should be allies at least if not friends in earnest but instead he found a culture of paranoia and wariness, where the new was simply tolerated and the old was resented. Valen quickly found other Dedicated and Soldiers looking to him as one of the greatest swordsmen among them and so it should be little surprise to anyone that Valen values honesty above all in his friends now. Those who seek to befriend him must first prove they can be trusted for he shares his thoughts easily with his friends, once one has proven that they can be trusted they will find themselves within his tight inner circle with whom he shares his plans and concerns, there are few who have become true friends and those who have know they can trust Valen with their lives. Literally. He values honesty, integrity and self-sacrifice above almost all else.
Allies
Every Asha’man and Aes Sedai alike are viewed by Valen as his allies, though whether they are trusted allies or not is another matter, much like every warrior that fights against the Shadow or wise woman who seeks to heal those who are suffering. Valen’s circle of alliances is quite large and though he trusts very few he will come to the aid of almost anyone should they need him and they be justified, all he asks is that the extend the same to others and protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Enemies
Valen believes that the Black Tower has strayed from the mission for which it was founded and strayed from the teachings of Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn. Thus any who stand against the reforms or missions of the Black Tower towards these ends is at the very least his foe and at worst they are truly his enemy. He keeps things close to his chest and so more often than not those who he sees as enemies will not know it until he strikes, unless they serve the Shadow, and while he values all life he will show little remorse when executing his mission or battling his enemies…
Lovers
Throughout his life Valen has shrugged off the idea of romance even as he followed the ancient traditions of the Malkieri, feeling little for those that have made their advances over the years simply because he is not interested in the pleasures of the flesh with just anyone. He offers up little in the way of information about his love life, though he has had lovers of both genders, only saying that when he offers himself to someone it will be the closest and most loyal of friends for he could truly love no other…
Threads
- Coming soon
