| Caenis Al Nysa | |
|---|---|
| Title |
Brother of the Sixth Order |
| Member of |
Sixth Order of the Faith |
| Culture | |
| Family |
Al Nysa family |
| Book(s) |
Blood Song |
Caenis Al Nysa is one of Vaelin Al Sorna’s brothers in the Sixth Order of the Faith. It is eventually revealed that he is from the Seventh Order in Book 3. He is Vaelin's closest friend.
Appearance and Personality[]
Caenis is a well built and supposedly very handsome man of the Sixth and Seventh Orders of the Faith. Whilst we do not know much of his appearance, we do know much of his personality. When Caenis first joined the Sixth Order as a boy of 10, he was a quiet member of his group who rarely spoke to anyone, other than Vaelin Al Sorna. Caenis was arguably the most gifted member of his group in the Sixth Order made up of Vaelin, Nortah, Dentos, Barkus and himself. Caenis was above average in every aspect of the Sixth Order. He was a very passionate young man and loved hearing Vaelin's tales of his life in the nobility in particular the stories of King Janus. Often he recited his own stories to the other boys in his group. Despite his cool and calm appearance, often lacking emotion, he had a wild side which was shown on many occasions such as when he fought Dentos as well as the time Dentos was a hopeless student in the history of the order. Despite his flaws, Caenis is very loyal brother and friend, following his friends into battle with little worry for himself. When Nortah revealed himself to be alive after nearly 10 years, Caenis was overjoyed to see him again and welcomed him back with open arms despite him abandoning the Order. he also forgave Vaelin for the same reason however, it took a little longer to do so.
History[]
Caenis is from a noble family of some wealth, with lands in the south, allied by marriage to the House of Hurnish. Whist much of his childhood his unknown, we know that Caenis' mother was gifted and passed this ability onto her son. It is possible that Caenis was sought out by Aspect Graelin of the Seventh Order/ Master of the Sixth Order to be taken into his personal tutelage. Caenis was personally greeted by Graelin on his first day at the Order.
Blood Song[]
Caenis joins the Sixth Order in the same group as Vaelin Al Sorna, Nortah Al Sendahl, Dentos, Barkus Jeshua, and many others under the tutelage of Master Sollis. Caenis excels at the way of the wild, and above average at every other way of the order, under Master Hutril, though he seems to earn far more caneings than the other boys from the rest of the masters. He would often entertain the brothers with one of the thousand or more old stories he knew.
In the Test of the Run, to everyone's surprise Caenis is one of the last to arrive back to the Order house. He was distracted by a dead man he found with an arrow in his throat. He suspects that Vaelin had something to do with it.
In the Test of the Wild, Caenis returned looking better fed than when he left, although he was attacked by an angry eagle owl, when he sheltered in a hollow tree.
Caenis and Dentos get into a fight while preparing for the Test of Knowledge, when Dentos mocks Caenis as the pet of Master Grealin. Caenis breaks a tooth and dislocates a finger. Afterwards, the brothers take on the task of helping Dentos pass the test, though Caenis proved a diligent if impatient mentor. The Test left Caenis depressed and silent, like most of the boys. It is likely that the other aspects knew of his affinity to the seventh order which way have left Caenis in a troubled state.
After forging their swords, Caenis goes with the other boys to the Summertide Fair, where it is revealed Nortah’s father the First Minister is to be hanged for corruption. Caenis gets a lot of attention from the ladies at the fair. When he, Barkus and Dentos overhear the commotion of Nortah and Vaelin with the Black Hawks, they leap to their aid. As things seem on the verge of turning ugly, Prince Malcius Al Nieren arrives, having witnesses the confrontation, and allows the brothers to leave unharmed.
The Test of the Melee ends with Caenis as one of only ten who are able to remain standing after the brawl. later he helps Vaelin carry the barely conscious Nortah to the infirmary.
In the week long exchange with brothers and sisters from different Orders, Caenis chooses the third order of scribes, seemingly to satisfy his desire for knowledge and stories. Caenis distinguished himself by killing the assassin who had injured Aspect Hendrahl, ultimately saving his life. Caenis and Vaelin are chosen to accompany Aspect Arlyn to the Conclave of the Faithful for the new Aspects chosen after the assassinations. Caenis is delighted for the opportunity to document the proceedings. Later, Caenis excels himself in the Test of the Bow and the test of the horse.
During Frentis’ Test of the Wild, when he doesn’t return, Caenis joins Vaelin, Nortah, Barkus and Dentos to find and rescue him. They track him to tunnels under an inn, thanks to Scratch, the Volarian slave-hound. The structure seems to be some kind of temple to the mysterious and supposedly defunct Seventh Order of the Faith, the Order of the Dark. Caenis freely gives this information away as a hypothesis and was seeming full of excitement, most likely covering for his seventh order background. Behind a hidden door, they find Frentis tied to a frame, with his torso tattooed with scars. The outlaw One Eye makes a wall of fire, but Caenis recognizes it as fake, and leaps through the flame and kills him.
The five friends graduate as full brothers of the Sixth Order, after succeeding in the Test of the Sword. Caenis’s fight was particularly short.
Caenis and the others head to the Martishe campaign against unfaithful fanatics hiding in the forests. It is Caenis who tracks down the location of what they believe is Black Arrow's encampment. He is also involved in the subsequent Cumbraelin campaign against Hentes Mustor, the True-blade. Caelin take command of the regiment, when Vaelin leaves to track down Nortah, after he attacks Battle Lord Lakrhil Al Hestian.
Later war breaks out with the invasion of the Alpiran Empire. Caenis commands a company of the Wolf Runners. He is on the left of the melee during the battle of the Bloody Hill, where Vaelin kills The Hope, the heir to the Empire. Vaelin’s forces with Caenis are assigned to take and hold the key city of Linesh, which they succeed in doing. The other key cities the Unified Realm hold, Untesh and Marbellis, eventually fall to the Alpirans. The Empire eventually sues for the peaceful surrender of the city of Linesh, provided Vaelin gives himself up as their prisoner, although this is not revealed until Caenis, Barkus and the rest of the force have embarked. When Vaelin seeks Caenis using his song, he notes that he seems saddened as he looks upon the ships deck.
Tower Lord[]
Since the war, Caenis has become a Sword of the Realm, replacing Vaelin in command of the Wolfrunners. When Vaelin returns from five years imprisonment in the Alpiran Empire, Caenis visits him in his father's home. Their reunion is tense, with Caenis indignant that Vaelin still plans to leave the Sixth Order. His visit ends with Caenis telling Vaelin that they are technically no longer brothers.
After the assassination attempt on Tower Lord Al Bera of the South Tower, Caenis joins Battle Lord Al Trendil's campaign to root out fanatics in Cumbrael. However, it is soon revealed to be a ruse so that the Volarians can overwhelm Varinshold with the Realm Guard out of the city. The Battle Lord lead the army back to Varinshold to face the Volarian host. When they were drawn up for battle, Fief Lord Darnel of Renfael and his knights appeared on the horizon. Without warning, they charged at the Realm Guard, smashing it to pieces. Caenis rallied the remaining forces, and launched a counter at the Volarian centre. As the Volarians gathered to defend the centre, Caenis and his five regiments were able to flee to the north.
For the next months, all that Caenis and his force could do is survive, constantly harried by the Volarian. Eventually, Caenis decides to make a stand on a hillside against the pursuing cavalry. They are fortunate that Vaelin's army are nearby, having marched from the Northern Reaches, and rout the Volarians.
Caenis joins Vaelin's host on their treck to lift the siege of Alltor. As they approach Alltor, the scouts report the dire state of the siege for the defenders. Vaelin opts for a direct charge at the centre. Guided by his Blood Song, Vaelin bursts straight though the Volarian lines. The ploy creates chaos in the Volarian ranks, allowing Vaelin's army of Seordah, Eorhil, North Guards and Caenis's Realm Guards to decimate the Volarian host almost twice its size.