Estevahl

Estevahl is one of the main characters. All characters in the squad will have roughly equal importance and focus, but Estevahl is probably the one who you would identify as the protagonist.

Background
Estevahl is a young woman of Tribe Zydenkahl. She is 19 years old (this corresponds to physical and mental age of around 21 or 22 in human terms). Her life is mostly good, living in a region currently free of war on bountiful plains where food is far from scarce. As a member of the tribe who has not yet chosen a dedicated role, she performs a wide range of duties. This includes everything from scouting to hunting to cooking. On top of her duties, she receives combat training, history lesson, political analysis, and all sorts of similar things. Each youth of the tribe will be expected to engage in some of these lessons, but Estevahl is the niece of Chief Ezdekandra, and is considered by him and the tribe elders to be the best option for the next chief. As such her training and tutelage is more intense and in depth than average. Undecided as to whether she even wants to be considered for chief, this can be a cause of unnecessary pressure for her, but overall she is talented and intelligent and can keep up with these demands. Her cousin Zaredahn, son of the chief, is jealous of the level of respect and expectation she is subject to. This jealousy comes out in the form of him being antagonistic towards her.

Meanwhile, in secret, she is romantically involved with a girl, Kesta, from the Kahreda Tribe. Though not currently engaged in conflict, the two tribes have a long history of rivalry and violence, and her relationship would surely be forbidden and she would receive harsh punishment if found out.

Appearance
She has a stern face, and a tall muscular build. She wears her hair in two long braids down her back, with the top and sides shaved. Her horns are thick and gently curved. Her standard outfit is a leather kilt, blue-tinted metal shin plates, and a bandage-like wrapping of cloth around her chest. She wears the traditional Zydenkahl face-paint - blue in a line up from each eye to the top of the head, and from the bottom lip to below the chin.

Family
She is the daughter of Azen and Estemara. Her uncle on her mother's side is Ezdekandra, the chief of the tribe. Ezdekandra's son, Zaredahn, was raised mostly by Azen and Estemara, as his mother Sennrah died when he was very young. As such he has a been like a sibling, and a bitter rivalry exists between them due to Zaredahn's feelings of abandonment and jealousy.

Role in Story
Estevahl's summoning story outlines the days before it occurs, beginning with relaxing with Kesta. On her way home afterwards, Zaredahn tells her he saw them together, and starts harassing her about it. It escalates to Estevahl threatening him with violence, and she manages to convince him to keep it secret from Ezdekandra. Rumours have arisen about suspicious Kahreda presence, so she forces Zaredahn to ask his father to send them together on the next day she is to meet Kesta, ensuring that she gets to safely talk to her instead of risking a different tribe member seeing her. As she explains the situation, she finds herself losing focus on the world around her, and a giant bird staring down at her. Kesta and Zaredahn pass out, and when Estevahl awakens she is in Fort Raimar.

Her first meeting with the squad sees her being unwilling to communicate with anyone at first, but upon observing Fogg's unintentional emotional insensitivity, she steps up to help them feel better. She quickly becomes well-respected by them, and has the role of trying to lessen conflicts as tension between the other members grow. Driven by her need to survive this and get back to Kesta, she eventually accepts she must do what must be done, and gives effort in training routines.

In the first battle, fought long before any of the new recruits have completed training, she freezes, unable to take in everything around her. Only when Fogg just barely takes out the soldier who might have killed her does she snap out of her state of shock and fight. This is the first time she has killed anyone, and it is hard for her to come to terms with. They appear to be winning the battle, with the foe retreating, but it turns out to be a tactical retreat in preparation for the rift portal they are about to open. One of the giant beasts that comes out ends up crushing Estevahl's leg, leaving her helpless on the ground. Fortunately by this time, the battle is almost over, and there is noone to finish her off.

The squad carry her back to the fort where a team of doctors led by Harmony construct and fit a prosthetic leg. Returning to training is a tough experience, knowing now how little the leaders apparently care, and how under-equipped the fort is to deal with such threats. Soon tensions grow and an uprising breaks out. It is essentially a disorganised riot, but Estevahl and Fogg manage to lead the squad, along with Eyoa, to the command centre, where they take out the elite guard and capture Commander Belvoden.

Fogg and Estevahl debate what to do with them. She says they should not kill them, as it is not necessary. He says it is necessary, and she comes round to agree with his reasoning. She says knows they should do it, but if she takes this life those reasons will not be what is on her mind. She knows she will take satisfaction in the act of revenge killing the one responsible for all this. Fogg understands her position and takes the shot instead, killing the commander. Meanwhile outside, rioters have raided the arsenal and found bombs and other weapons. Much of the fort is up in flames, and they realise they need to get out.

Instead, Nyae senses something, and beckons them to follow. They lead the squad to a dungeon underground, where they find the Eirae locked up. They realise now that it is also a victim in this, and Estevahl breaks it free. In return it offers to take them away. Estevahl asks to be taken to safety, but deep down she wants to be home, and the Eirae senses this and the squad are taken to the plains near her village.

In the village, people want to celebrate her return, but she discovers Kesta locked up, suffering from untreated lash marks from an earlier interrogation. She beats up the prison guard and sets Kesta free. Outraged by Estevahl's apparent betrayal, Ezdekandra tries to attack but upon seeing Estevahl's leg and the look in her eye, he dares not. Instead he banishes Estevahl and Kesta. They retreat and regroup with the squad. They hide out in the mountains for a few days, and then The Eirae contacts Estevahl. The squad plus Kesta are taken to the refugee camp run by Lokras.

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