Alaris Cainlin

"'In the heat of a war, it's easy to forget that our enemies aren't mindless machines. They're human, too - most of them, anyway, but even those that aren't still laugh and love and bleed, the same as any of us.'""--Alaris Cainlin to Iras Zevala, explaining his pacifist moral code despite being a lifelong warrior."

Alaris Cainlin is one of two protagonists of the Parables of Nightshade trilogy, and one of the three current Justiciars in service to the Nihlessian Ascendancy, under the rule of Davik Neravus. He styles himself a warrior-philosopher, and often attempts to engage others in discussions of ethics and morality. Despite this, he often struggles with impulsive bursts of anger, a leftover trait from the days before he experienced a pacifist enlightenment.

Early Life
Born and raised in the Ascendancy capital of Nihlessium, Alaris grew up in the heart of the empire, surrounded on all sides by signs and stories of their greatness. From a young age, he idolized the Crüston heroes of legend, and even in his free time often preferred to play lifelike combat simulations over games of entertainment. According to his own recollection, he excelled far above his peers at these, and taught his sibling Saelynn to be nearly as good as himself. When the other children grew envious of the two, they decided to vent their frustrations by attacking Saelynn while the haptic helmet was on; in his sibling's defense, Alaris allegedly defeated them in real life as well, thoroughly discouraging future attempts.

Alaris also recalls that he greatly enjoyed playing in and around the fountains near Nihlessium's shuttle pads, delighting in seeing strange and interesting faces travelling in and out of the planet's atmosphere.

Military Career
Following his family's example, he enlisted in the armed forces as soon as he was legally allowed, and quickly earned enough merit to reach the rank of Phantom. However, gaining power over others brought forth unseen coldness and ambition in Alaris, and his relationships with others suffered as a result. An unspecified conflict left his sibling with scars and alienated him from his family, and on several occasions he was reported to have prioritized results over the lives of those serving under him. This phase culminated in an incident wherein a subordinate attempted to kill him on an isolated planet during a mission; Alaris, remembering only a red haze, woke up in a Crüston hospital weeks later, to find his Vitae Stone in his hand and his team killed in action.

Ascendant Training
As per usual for newly realized Ascendants, Alaris was sent out to a specialist raining facility on Altria. Confused and alone, Alaris spent the following weeks shutting out any who tried to come close. He gradually withdrew into himself, becoming angrier and more bitter, a trend not helped by fellow Ascendant apprentices who tormented him over his reputation. While his Ascendant skills grew at a noteworthy pace, his techniques became aggressive and brutal. Though a top-tier student, he remained isolated and friendless throughout his Ascendant schooling, until eventually, following another blind rage, an incident occurred wherein another student was killed. Alaris was then taken into custody and brought back to Crüstos to await trial.

Imprisonment and Reformation
While imprisoned, Alaris broke down mentally, realizing that the ideals he'd followed had led him to become everything he'd once hated. With the help of counselors and fellow prisoners, he opened his mind to criticism and change. He developed a love of moral philosophy and ethics, and found delight in debating such topics with those around him. His attitude and demeanor improved drastically, and by the day of his trial, Alaris had built a strong case for societal rehabilitation.

First Invasion of Neravic Nihlessum
On the day of his trial, however, the Aerium Imperium launched an unforeseen attack on the city of Nihlessium, kicking off the modern Neravic War. The courthouse in which Alaris's trial was to take place was hit, its roof collapsing with Alaris inside; uninjured and given an opportunity for guaranteed freedom, he chose instead to remain in danger and help free those trapped by rubble, assisted by telekinetic power. Unknown to him, among those trapped was the soon-to-be-appointed Sovereign Lord Davik Neravus, who had been attending in secret out of personal interest. After the attack was repelled, Neravus, impressed by what he'd seen, brought Alaris to the Tiras Tirenni for a private discussion. Three weeks later, on the day of Neravus's coronation ceremony, Alaris Cainlin was named as one of his three Justiciars.

Life as a Justiciar
Alaris fit in well as a Justiciar; his battle prowess throughout the early years of the war earned him a fair bit of respect among Crüstos's warrior caste. In contrast, however, it was his distaste for bloodshed and tendency to push for negotiations that set him apart from the others. While many among the population labeled him as weak or cowardly because of this, it gained him significantly more popularity among certain circles, particularly those old enough to remember the early wars with the Aerium Imperium.