Captain:Hirce Kerene

"Every great warrior begins as nothing but a child. It requires a true heart to rise above one's childish naivety and become who you were meant to be. But Hirce never let go of who he used to be, and, instead, chose to embrace it. In my long life, I have seen many aspiring warriors grow up to be great men and women, and just as many people fail to do so... Yet still, Hirce arose greater than any of them."

- Uruth Hejarus

Hirce Kerene is the warlord of clan Kerene and a servant to  as one of the three Avatars of the Hunt. Already celebrated by the Arakai as one of their greatest warriors of all time for his natural prowess, Hirce, given his nature as one of Harstag's chosen, is effectively considered to be a demigod among his people. One of the few Arakai with more knowledge on the outside world than just some faint rumors, Hirce is noticeably more open towards outsiders than his predecessors - one of whom famously lined the coastline of the Hunter's Bay with the decapitated heads of outsider merchants.

History
Born to warlord Carth Kerene in 7 BNA, Hirce came to be the warlord's only child when his mother died in the spring of 5 BNA in the aftermath of a sickness sweeping across the lands of the eastern Arakai clans. As a result, Carth felt it necessary to forge the young boy into everything he would seek in his children, and, upon Hirce reaching the age of six, sent him to be trained into a warrior under warlord Uruth Hejarus as a ward. During his time in Unkhatcar, Hirce came into contact with Tyrin Wulnir, Ire Lamind, and Nymri Alerni, and became close friends with each of them - even developing romantic interest in Nymri.

Despite showing himself to be a natural warrior countless times during training, Hirce truly rose to fame among the Arakai clans only after his duel against Rahle Mordrel. Rahle had arrived at Unkhatcar alongside warlord Deneric Lamind and the rest of his bodyguards to retrieve Ire, the warlord's son. A feast was held during the night that followed their arrival, and, at some point amidst it, Rahle went on to rape Nymri. Upon finding out about this the next day, Ire, Tyrin, and Hirce presented their findings to Deneric, who, in turn, wasn't able to fully commit to a decision on the matter as Rahle was one of his most outwardly upstanding warriors. Frustrated that justice wasn't given to his lifelong friend, Hirce went on to challenge Rahle into a duel; despite still being fifteen and only a fraction of the giant warrior's size. What followed was a long and hard-fought fight between the two, that ended with Hirce delivering a decisive strike at Rahle's left leg and forcing the giant of a man to admit to his crimes.

In the days that followed his victory over Rahle, Hirce found his dreams haunted by a ghostly, white stag. He finally confronted the source of his dreams when encountering the very same beast during a hunt. Much to Hirce's surprise the stag spoke to him, and presented itself as Harstag, the Simulacrum of the Hunt, and the very god that his clan worshiped. The otherworldly deity had seen Hirce's duel against Rahle, and was deeply humbled by the young warrior's drive to see justice done in the world. In the light of the man's actions, Harstag offered Hirce the honor of serving as one of his Avatars of the Hunt, to which Hirce wholeheartedly agreed. In the span of a handful of years, Hirce went on to marry Nymri and lived alongside clan Alerni for most of the next few decades until an assassin killed his father during a clan summit, forcing him to inherit his father's position as a warlord.

Despite his new duties as a warlord, Hirce has still always answered his master's summons. One such time was in the summer of 32 NA, when the Warriors of Dar-Nahalant sought to retrieve the legendary Windwailer. As instructed by Harstag, Hirce went on to test the heroes in order to see if they were worthy of carrying the ancient artifact, and, while he wasn't defeated in full, came to accept his opponents as worthy.

Appearance
Hirce is an Arakai of tallish proportions, standing at a height that would be considered tall even among other races. His body also boasts a lithe and athletic physique, with his arms and legs being lined well-toned muscles and the strong chitin layer ordinary for the Arakai. Adhering to his clan's ancient traditions, Hirce typically wears a tunic made from feathers and a kilt of ordinary Arakai design. Additionally, Hirce also wears a helmet made out of a deer skull in imitation of Harstag. For a weapon, Hirce carries the spear Dyrfleinn. An artifact from Harstag, the spear was crafted by Saiteir blacksmiths, who infused it with magic that allows Hirce to use his people's innate magical powers without the need for the magical carvings that Arakai mages require in order to use their abilities.

Personality
While being as hot-headed as they come, Hirce acts in a polite and respectful manner more often than not. Nevertheless, Hirce is a man of remarkably little patience, being known to rush into decisions or action if he feels that it is the right thing. In fact, Hirce also has a strong sense of right and wrong - something which has made him remain neutral in the war that has ravaged the rest of the Arakai clans; a war in which both sides are being spearheaded by his two closest friends. Additionally, whereas many other Arakai harbor downright hostile feelings towards the other inhabitants of, Hirce shows genuine interest in the other cultures of the world, and is more than willing to work alongside them - something which mostly arose out of necessity with his duties as an Avatar of the Hunt.

Abilities
Being often hailed as the greatest Arakai warrior of the modern times, Hirce can be seen as the very apex of their warrior culture. While known to prefer the spear, Hirce also has a deep understanding on each form of weaponry. A keen hunter, he is also expertly aware of his surroundings, and is able to adapt his fighting style to suit his opponent. Despite his race's natural inclination towards the Source, Hirce was never formally trained in its usage, and has very limited knowledge of it. However, he is still able to use magic through his spear; siphoning it from his body, and turning it into a elemental coating of his choice for his spear.

Family
"I will protect you, now and forever."
 * Nymri Alerni - My heart, my life... you've taken it all.

Serving
"Glory unto you, great one."
 * - On the honor of the Avatars who came before me, I swear that I shall not fail you.

Friends
"A warrior, and any other man for that matter, is weak alone."
 * Tyrin Wulnir - The two of you always wanted to show off.
 * Ire Lamind - ...and fight in some great war.
 * Uruth Hejarus - Try and keep them off each other, old man.

Allies
"Working together has been... an enlightening experience."
 * - Passion and recklessness are two sides of the same coin.
 * - To stand with someone like you shows just how fragile one can be. It's humbling.

Neutral
"Life is not something that should be thrown away. Think on that before you proceed to speak again."
 * - Death has clouded your life and mind. I can't help but feel sorry for you.
 * - You ancients truly are warriors deserving of the praise that is sung of you.
 * - A true hunter thinks on their feet and is ready to use whatever is available to their advantage... I'm pleased to have met you.

Enemies
"If you wish to kill me, take heed in the knowledge that better men than you have tried."
 * - Step onto my path and suffer for your misdeeds, Betrayer.
 * Rahle Mordrel - You are a survivor. That I can respect.