VoidstateCampaign2
Prelude 1: Tepet Xoba Javi
Great things were planned for Javi from an early age. His father was not only a general of the Tepet legions, but perhaps the most renowned general of his day. He had taken the mantle of general from his father, and from his father before him. As the eldest son, everyone watched young Javi carefully to make sure he would be well suited to follow in his fathers footsteps.
Earliest memories
It was a hot summers day as Javi peeked out from behind the crates to watch his father inspect the legions as they trained. Somewhere his tutopr would be frantically searching for him, but Javi cared little for academic studies. The soldiers were what interested him. Especially the old guard who his father was walking amongst now, commenting on their exercises. Some sparred with wooden swords, some drilled in formation, others sat and polished their armour. Javi found himself so entranced by their activities that it was a while before he realised his father's aide-de-camp was walking towards him. Girinath smiled and beckoned, leading Javi back to where his father stood with the group who, until recently, had been sparring together.
"Why are you not at your studies Javi?", his father snapped. Javi took a step back. Although he admired his father he was distant and unapproachable, only ever speaking in clipped commands and brusque questions.
"I wished to watch the soldiers," Javi ventured. "Is there not more to learn here than in a schoolroom, father?"
His father grunted. "Perhaps, son." Then to his aide: "Give him a sword. We shall see if he is capable of learning anything here."
The wooden sword took two hands to lift and even then, Javi had to rest it on his shoulder or leave it with the tip on the ground. Facing him was the largest man in the legion: Barisat the Mauler. Javi peeked up at the hulking figure of Barisat, who was bouncing his sword lightly in his off hand and smiling down at Javi almost apologetically. Around them men smirked and whispered.
Javi closed in, hoping to catch the veteran unaware, but the blow was knocked aside easily and Javi fell into the dust. Men laughed. Javi rolled to his feet and faced the man again, this time he waited for the soldier to attack, holding his sword out in front of him with all his strength. Barisat stepped forward and flicked the sword from Javis hand, watching as it span through the air and forced men to dive clear. Then he collapsed. Javi had never meant to keep hold of the sword. As it had been pulled from his grasp he had rolled between the man’s legs, punched upward from underneath and landed behind as Barisab sank to his knees groaning. Cooly picking up Barisab’s sword, Javi held it to his neck and demanded “mercy.”
He has never forgotten the smile of approval on his father’s face.
School
Javi was never suited to schoolwork. He excelled at fencing, riding and gymnastics, but anything he studied behind a desk proved tiresome. At one of the Realm’s best academies, being branded lazy or ignorant by a tutor was a sure way to ensure ostacism by the other pupils.
And in the hotbed of competition that was his academy, one figure ensured he remained ostracised. A cruel girl of a Western V’Neef family, Javi spent his first few years alone largely because Solomis and her cronies used him to practice their taunts. After she exalted, things became even worse. His father even heard of his unpopularity and punished him during the holidays, but the shouts of “you must stand up for yourself, son” proved winning advice. Returning from the holidays in his third year, Solomis found himself alone in his dormitory when Solomis appeared in the doorway, smirking.
“I’m surprised you dared to return. Your wasting your time here you know. You’ll never exalt – you’re far too stupid.” She was searching for a raw nerve, Javi knew that, but with the bruises still raw in his backside, he snnapped almost immediately.
“What do you know! Who are you to judge me.” Solomis just smirked.
“I’m not taking this any more.” The smile was starting to fade. Javi felt hot.
“Get out of here!” He towered above her now and the heat behind him was blistering. He could see flames reflected in her panicked eyes.
“I said get OUT!” As he pushed her, she was thrown baqck over twenty feet into the corridor, smashing a paper screen wall as she landed. In seconds, she had spun, and scurried away, only stopping long enough to glance back to make sure he didn’t follow.
Of course, the school had to replace much of the doorframe and ceiling, where his fiery anima had scorched away at the room, but Javi didn’t care. He would never let anyone push him around again.
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