My first character!

Greeting to everyone,

Ok this is my first ever character so any suggestion tips, etc. are greatly appriciated. So here it goes...

Name: Elende Io’Nor
Race: Elf
Gender: Male
Tribe: ½ Eophyrhim & ½ Tethinrhim
Age: 123
Height: 2 peds
Weight: 1 pygee , 5 hebs (around 75 kg)
Hair: Blood red
Eyes: Golden green
Class/Title: Shadowhunter

Appearance:
Strong and slender with exaggerated aesthetic features and a speed and agility unmatched by any humanoid of the same size. His mixed background is apparent in his appearance. His hair is long, reaching the middle of his back and unbound. The golden-red (of the Tethinhrim) combined with the darker colourations of the Eophyrhim gave a deep dark blood red colour for his hair. His drow heritage is also apparent in his pale, yet smooth, skin. He usually uses paint on the eyes, a practice not uncommon among Drow Elves. This is done to give a more mystic or even wilder look. During the daytime, he rarely pulls down the hood of his cloak as the bright light hurts his eyes.

He has extensive tattoos starting with the sign the Eophyrhim tribe at the center of his back. The tattoo then, as extensions from the Tree (part of the sign) run up his spine and around the neck. They extend along the shoulders and run down the full length of his arms. The design is such that exaggerates his muscles and gives him a more aggressive wild look. Apart from the tattoos he has 6 earing three on each ear, made of silver.

His clothes are such that allow stealthy movement in most environments and in combat allow a greater freedom of movement. Colours used are dark greens and black. He wears a vest made of fine hard leather that is used as protection from light attacks. His arm are naked to allow greater freedom of movement. He also wears two pairs of bracers made of silver. One pair is worn around his wrists and another one (a bit longer) around his arms. They do not offer much (if any) protection, they are simply decorative. He also wears a long hooded cloak and he rarely pulls down the hood. All his clothes are of Eophyrhim make which translates in excellent craftsmanship (elegant but yet sturdy and strong) made from the finest textiles and leathers.

During the daytime, he rarely pulls down the hood of his cloak as the bright light hurts his eyes.

Equipment:
Clothing as described above. He also has a pair of leather boots of dark green color, also of Eophyrhim make. He keeps most of equipment in small back pack. That contains the following: a thicker warmer cloak, a change of clothes, 20 peds of rope, flint and steel, sheets of paper, ink, a couple of pens, an empty sack, a small bag of caltrops, a flask with water (holding approximately 2 mugs), ), herbs and balms for healing and tending of wounds, 2 daggers hidden in his boots. Attached to the back-pack is a hunting longbow and a quiver containing 30 arrows, 2 daggers hidden in his boots.

His favorite weapons are two scimitars with black blades. These has undergone the typical Eophyrhim treatments. Curved blades and thinner edges for better aerodynamics and hollow shaft for weight reduction. However his blades are not coated with poison (as it customary in his tribe).

Personality:
Elende has learnt to love and value freedom above everything. He will gladly put himself into danger in order to protect other people’s freedom as well as his own.. He is more often amused than excited, but can be extremely focus and relentless when pursuing an adventure or learning/improving a skill or art.

He is slow to make friends or even enemies and even slower to forget. He retains a stoic sometimes cynic attitude towards life. He speaks little and even less of his past. When he does his is rather terse, at times cynic. He is not fair-spoken, on the contrary, he is rather caustic tongued and bitter. He tends to be very hard on himself but this harsh criticism is not extend to others. He expects very little, if anything at all, from others.

He describes himself as the ‘fallen’ or ‘unforgiven’. He has tread the path of the Shadow and it is something he cannot forgive himself for. His attitude reflects this as he endures all misfortunes stoically and considers them a result from his dark days. Offering his self to others in need is only a way to redeem himself.

Although he feels pleased when in the company of others, he rarely (if ever) shares his feelings and, often dark, thoughts. This is not becaus e he doesn't want people to understand him but because he fears his dark past might push away anyone that shows any onterest in him. For this very reason he is dark and distant in the dealings with others and his prefers to trust none but himself. Although he craves for acceptance from others his behaviour is such that quarantees the exact opposite.

Fighting Style:
Elende prefers stealth and agility than brutal strength. He will not engage an enemy unless absolutely necessary or certain that we would be the winner. He carefully examines his enemy and devises an appropriate strategy before engage him, using whatever advantage he can which is usually the element of surprise.

He fights with two swords in a style with elaborate parries, fients, counter attacks that is based more on precision, speed, and agility rather than strength. He views this style not simply as a fighting method but as an elaborate, elegant, and exciting dance, the dance of doom, the dance of death. The cresento, the highest moment in this dance is the moment of the kill. When a few serious hits have been scored, enough to render the opponent ‘harmless’, the dance becomes more intricate, almost turns into a ritual, as the helpless victim watches the ‘dancer’ spelling its doom.

It is to him another form of art and fights with the passion of an artist. It is the art of death, an art resembling a finely crafted piece of music starting slowly and building up to a magnificent climax. He seeks perfection of his art and every battle is an opportunity to reach this perfection. Eophyrhim are famous for taking death into a whole new level, Elende is one the most best examples of this attitude, although he does not share the bloodthirsty nature usually associated with the drow.

History:

Elende was born to a Tethinhrim mother, Lafilihn, and an Eophyrhim father, Tahl’ral’vann. Lafilihn was a Kaierian Warrior, in fact she has achieved the rank of “Second Traveling Warrior. This ment that she had to go out in journey of self-learning. Her journey brought her south of the Paelelon forest, somewhere between the Paelelon and the Almatrar forest, a little outside of Hog. Tahl’ral’vann was an Eophyrhim hunter and as such he usually traveled to nearby town in order to buy or sell goods. Destiny caused the two to meet, just outside Hog. The drow fell deeply in love (although most scholars would argue that dark elves are incapable of such noble feelings), or in whatever state a drow finds himself in such occasions. He seems to have been enchanted by the beauty of the Tethinhrim Elf.

So strongly captivated Tahl’ral’vann was that he even decided to leave behind his tribe and his forest and follow Lafilihn back in the Auturian forest. Elende was born a few years after the pair had settled in the Auturian forest. His mother, a highly trained warrior, and his father, a skillful hunter, bith took on the task of training their son their trades. As the attention of Lafilihn was now turned to Elende, Tahl’ral’vann now seemed to awake from whatever enchantment the Elf woman had put on him.

Tahl’ral’vann slowly realized that he was a drow that had almost forasaken Cosr and embraced Ava instead…almost. This fired up his anger and hatred for the ‘good’ elves. Now every action had to be careful and calculated if he was to reclaim what was rightly him.

Elende was admitted in the Kaierian Warriors and from a very early stage he showed great prowess not just in the fighting skill, but also in the ranger skills. His fighting methods resembled most those of his father, preferring to fight with two swords than the way of the bow, which was his mother’s favourite type of warfare. His father’s plan by that time had already been put into action. His secretly lectured Elende of the proud, noble and honourable ways of the drow and particularly the Eophyrhim. Of the wickedness of the other elves, of how their pleasant and innocent appearance was only a deception, of how they persecuted the Eophyrhim and kept them in the darkness feared of their rightful claims.

The strict ways of the Kaierians only worsen this as Tahl’ral’vann used their methods to further support his teaching to his son. The innocent Elende was finally convinced by the words of his father but under his instructions he did his best to hide the feeling that Tahl’ral’vann had imbued into him.

Elende was close in becoming a “Traveling Warrior”. At this point a Kaierian Warrior makes a journey for putting his skills into use and to better understand himself. This was the moment that Tahl’ral’vann was waiting. Before his son was to advance to this rank, he left the Auturian forest. The reason was that he wanted to travel to the places he used to trade and get two fine blades for his son, to present them as gifts for his advancement and to help him in his journey.

Tahl’ral’vann, however, deliberately delayed his return. Lafilihn was saddened that her partner was not back in time to see his son off and to present him his special gift. The two, though, had planned to meet outside the Auturian forest, near Chondra. When the two met, Elende could not hide his satisfaction that his father’s plan had worked to perfection. His father presented him two finely crafted shamshirs, which had undergone the typical Eophyrhim treatment. He then took Elende’s old swords and made a cut on Elende’s arm. The blood stained sword he hit several times on some rocks, until it looked as if it was worn and used. The other sword he smashed on some rocks and threw away and he also cut a rough piece of Elende’s cloak covered it in his blood, from his wound, and threw it nearby. Anyone that would come across these items would have though Elende dead. Now that the deception was complete, the pair made their way to the Paelelon forest.

The journey of a Kaierian Warrior usually last for several months even years. This would give the pair enough time before anyone started suspecting something. The unexpected delay of Tahl’ral’vann’s arrival though made Lafilihn suspicious. After a couple of weeks Elende’s swords and a piece of his cloak were found. Although this suggested that Elende might be dead, it left the disappearance of his father unaccounted for. Lafilihn’s suspicions grew and she was now facing two equally terrifying alternatives. The first, that her son was dead and his father discovering this and saddened by the loss of his son decided not to return. The second, that Tahl’ral’vann embraced the darkness again and turned his son to this dark path as well. Lafilihn preferred to believe the first alternative and to forget her sadness and pain return in the ranks of the Kaierian Warriors.

Elende and his father finally settled into Paelelon. Elende, under the guidance and lecturing of his father could not realize that his was turning into darkness. He was falling from grace, turning his back to Ava and falling into Cosr’s dark embrace. At first Elende found it hard to get acclimatized to the ways of the drow.He was not openly accepted and most viewed him with suspicion, after all he was a ‘half-blood’.

At this time Elende got his extensive tattoos. Something to make look more like an Eophyrhim, to distinguish him as a drow, though his red mane made it apparent that he was different. Needless to say, his whole outfit changed accordingly, trousers, leather vest and boots, and cloak, all of Eophyrhim make. And a few earrings to complete the drow-look. His father taught him the basics of poison use and how to create them. However Elende did not share the poison resistance the Eophyrhim are famous for. In fact he was rather sensitive to poisons. He always has flask of poison antidote handy, just in case.

Elende and his father were resided in one the houses highest from ground marking them as a low ranking family. Their hunting and fighting skills however earned them a fair amount of respect for their position. Their knowledge and familiarity (compared to the other drow) of the world outside the Paelelon ment that often they acted as traders. Having to travel to nearby towns to buy and sell goods.

As time passed by, Elende became familiar with the Eophyrhim ways first hand, this time from personal experience and from the fanatical lectures his father gave him. This, combined this the interaction with outlanders, made Elende that something was wrong. Although he tried to hide this emotions, this doubts, he could not escape the fact that the land and people that his father promised, he never met.
Almost ten years had passed since Elende and Tahl’ral’vann had settled in the Paelelon. The Arvins festival was to take place that year. Elende was to participate in the festival. Combining the physique of an Eophyrhim and the superior fighting and ranger skills of a Kaierian Warrior, expectation were high. Only first place would suffice for his father. Many times, Elende has intercepted trespassers in the forest, often he had to fight, sometimes he even had to kill. But now he had to hunt people for no apparent reason. Something felt wrong but he decided to go on with the show.

After a few hours the first victim was spotted. It was a young human, hiding in some thick bushes. Seeing the ‘hunter’ approaching, the young woman froze in fear. Death was imminent. The woman, on her knees sarted crying. Raising her heading she was now eyeing Elende.
“ Why do you do this?..You separated me from my parents…my mother…and now…” Elende stopped for a moment, the woman’s words echoing in his head.
The cries became more desperate, the woman was now almost shouting.
“ So what are you waiting you cursed drow, kill me…that’s all you do, kill. Steal. That’s what you all are. Murderers..all of you …bloody murderers.”

The woman now bowed her head, waiting, accepting her fate. Elende could not find the strength to even move. Elende was now on his knees his face in his hands, tryinf to understand how he ended up like this. The whole world was spinning. Elende felt as if he was waking from a dream,, or more correctly a nightmare. He had tread the path of darkness long enough, seeing the light was now hurting him.

The nois of an arrow piercing soft flesh was heard and the woman was lying dead. A drow appeared, bow at hand, with a large grin across his face.
“ I claim her as my kill”. As the drow approached seeing Elende at such a state he felt disgusted.
“What’s the matter half-blood, can you not handle such excitement?”
Elende could hardly notice the drow’s words at his state. The drow could’t accept being ignored, he continued to insult Elende and then he slapped him at the back of his head.

Elende snapped, he went berserk. Unleashing the deamon within, the drow was surprised and uable to react. Within a few heartbeats the drow was no more. Unfortunately what took place in these few minutes did not go unnoticed by others. He was nomore the hunter, now he was hunted he had just provoked the wrath of the drow with his actions. He would have to hide, to run. But where to?

Another drow spotted him. He was massive and fierce holding falchion he charged Elende Elende was on the defensive. Having lost his focus and concentration He fought hard just to defend himself. The fierce drow found an opening in Elende’s defenses, his elbow hitting him flat in the face. Blood running from his nose, Elende spiralled several feets away from the mighty blow.

This blow brough him back. The massive drow with his falchion high above his head charged. Elende stood up and also charged. The falchion came down diagonally from Elende’s left side. Elende sent his right blade to block the hit, knowing that he could not muster enough strength to delfect the blow. He sidestepped slightly to his left, positioning himself almost below the drow’ sword. While still moving forwards, due to the momentum of the charge, Elende lowered his hand and body in order to absorb the mighty hit and performed a complete rotation around himself, His left sword came out wide and low slashing the drow’s belly. Performing another spin Elende positioned himself safely behind the drow. His swords working fast and in harmony were slashing at the drow’s back wherever they could find a soft spot. In just a few seconds the drow was on his knees holding his many wounds.

Elende disappeared in the foest. He was hiding for several days when at least he managed to get out from the Paelelon. But now where could he go? Maybe south to his former home the Auturian forest. However, he was uncertain if he would be welcome there and even if he was, he was to ashamed to return there. He had to keep moving, staying close to this dark forest was not an option. He had to travel away from this place to find redemption, maybe even salvation.

The story continues........:
- The flight from the dark forest and unexpected encounters

Strengths:
- Exceptional speed and agility
- Exceptional hearing and sight (elven trait)
- Resistance to some magical influences (elven trait)

Weaknesses:
- Sensitive to sudden exposure in bright light
- Does not trust others
- Closed and introvert character
- Rarely speaks
- Sensitive to poisons

Skills:
- Ranger, hunting skills
- Stealth (move silently, hide, etc,)
- Acrobatics (climb, balance, tumbling, etc.)
- Basics of herbal law
- General survival skills
- Twin sword style fighting

Edited by: Elende at: 11/2/03 1:12