Silverblade
01-13-09, 07:43 PM
Name: Darius Keth'har Silverblade
Race: Elf of the Wolfrider Tribe
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 150
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Amber
Appearance
His near elbow length blonde hair, always worn free, is decorated with a single large black raven feather. The feather is tied to a lock his hair at the back of his head. The wisdom embedded in his almond shaped amber eyes earned him the name Keth'har(which means “wise wind”). He has the slender face and eternally youthful appearance of his elven blood combined with a seemingly ever present grin, showing his wolfish canines, that gives the impression that he knows some secret that he doesn't intend to share. Standing still, his slender frame is a deception, however upon moving is it obvious that his 6'0” tall frame is a life time achievement of lean muscle and a nature given wolf-like grace. His movements seem deliberate and well thought out.
Dar dresses as any forest dwelling elf would. His boots are a soft durable brown leather and made for walking/stalking in the woods. His pants are a close fitting but breathable cotton material, also brown. He wears a long sleeve, white v-neck, collared, cotton shirt. Over the shirt he wears a brown, soft leather vest. His reversible, hooded cloak is dark green and has a black, water resistant lining inside that Dar uses to keep dry when it rains. Around his neck he wears a silver double-sided pendant. On one side of the pendant is an engraving of a sword and on the other side is an engraving of a wolf. On his left arm he wears a brown leather fingerless glove gauntlet that covers his entire forearm.
Underneath his clothes, Dar's tanned skin is home to several scars. Most of them are on his back and arms( long thin lines from a bladed whip). The most prominent of his scars is the large one on his chest. It stretches from his left shoulder across and down to his right hip. It is an angry red wound from a poisoned blade. It can be seen peeking from his v-neck shirt. At his waist he has twin short swords, one on his left and one on his right side. On his back he carries his long bow and his quiver of arrows. The quiver is also home to his flute and his ocarina.
Personality
On the surface, Dar is an easy going, quick to smile, friendly youth. But anyone who gets to know him discovers that beneath his fair hair and magnetic eyes lies a darkness that was instilled in him at a young age. Feeling both abandoned and betrayed by the very people who were supposed to protect him, Dar trusts no one. He has learned that if you cannot trust your own flesh and blood then no one is to be trusted. Although guarded, Dar has a talent for drawing people to him, especially women. He has a weakness for attractive women, often getting into trouble(kicked out of taverns or getting into fist fights with jealous boyfriends/husbands)because of his flirtatious nature. Despite his reservations about getting close to anyone(and his commitment issues) Dar is a people person, drawing others to him without revealing too much of his inner self or his past.
When he is in one of his depressed/nostalgic moods he is a quiet and reflective individual, usually playing a somber tune on his flute. He plays his ocarina in time of celebration, revelry and in his lighter moods.
Like most of his kind, Dar prefers the forests to the cities. He is more at home and feels more inclined to be relaxed. However, every now and again he likes to venture into the cities to find work and to see what kind of trouble he can get into at the local tavern. By nature, he is willful almost to the point of stubbornness. He trusts his instincts and uses them as a moral compass. If he believes that something is wrong he will stick to that belief until he believes otherwise. He was taught and still believes that loyalty is hard-earned and nothing worth having is given freely. A warrior by blood and tutelage, Dar enjoys a good fight(whether it be blade-to-blade combat or a fist fight) but he tries to avoid killing when it's possible.
History
The Wolfrider Tribe
There are many stories and legends about what is called the “lost tribe of elves.” There has always been a debate as to whether or not these elves actually rode wolves, as men do horses. Neither the giant wolves nor the Wolfriders had been seen in so long that people have come to think of them as legends (bedtime stories that elven mothers told their elven children). However, contrary to belief, the Wolfrider tribe still existed, hidden deep within the forests. Hidden even from their elven brethren.
Among the Wolfriders there is a tradition of each member of the tribe bonding with a wolf. Those who cannot or choose not to are allowed to stay within the tribe but are seen as second rate members compared to those who have bonded. All of the tribe members, bonded and unbonded, possess what they call “wolf blood.” It is based on the legend that all members of the tribe and the giant wolves that accompany them are somehow related or connected by blood. A connection that gives the wolves higher intelligence and the elves wolf-like traits and abilities. It is believed that some have stronger wolf blood than others. Individuals with strong wolf blood benefited and suffered from its effects.
A major drawback to having strong wolf blood is the trance It is named so because the effected wolfrider goes into a trance-like sate in which their primal wolf side gains dominance of their behavior. When this happens the elf becomes more animalistic in nature. Depending on the season, females may “go into heat” and are “compelled” to mate with the most suitable male they encounter(the stronger the wolf blood the more suitable the male). Males in the trance are prone to fight over females in heat. The elf in the trance state is incapable of speech(not even the elven language). Their higher brain functions are suppressed by their primal instincts – they essentially become wolves in behavior and thoughts. The elf that was is no longer there and in his/her place is the manifestation of the wolf within. The stronger the wolf blood the stronger the trance. The trance can last anywhere between a whole day to(in very rare cases) a permanent condition. When it ends, the elf has only a vague memory of what happened if any memory at all.
In order to prevent the trance, a meditation technique is used twice a day, everyday. The body goes into a hibernation state that allows the elf consciousness to recharge and recuperate from the stress out on it by the wolf consciousness trying to free itself. The meditation lasts 1 hour. While all wolfriders are afflicted with this dichotomy of the mind and spirit, those with strong wolf blood are the ones who struggle and suffer the most. Children of the Wolfrider tribe begin showing signs of the trance at the age of 10. Because of this they are taught the meditation technique at the age of 4 and by the age of 10 they should have mastered the technique. Despite the meditation, there are certain circumstances that can trigger an elf's descent into the trance(drinking too much/getting drunk, exhaustion, a serious injury, insomnia). The trance can take anywhere between 1 hour to several days to take effect(depending on what is the cause).
Dar's Story
Celeste Skywind and Shannari Silverblade both belonged to the Wolfrider tribe. They grew up together. However, as they got older they, and others, decided to leave the solitude of their tribe's haven and set out to make their mark upon the world. Both were unbonded and therefore found it easy to adapt to life outside of the tribe. After traveling together for several years they went their separate ways. They both ended up in the same forest elf kingdom, however Celeste was now a queen and Shannari a soldier. During a feast to celebrate the birthday of the King, Celeste's husband, there was much drinking. Too much drinking. Both Celeste and Shannari fell into the trance and were “compelled” to mate. The next morning they were discovered by the King. Shannari fled the kingdom to avoid execution.
Blaming her heritage for her infidelity, Celeste confessed everything about her tribe to her husband. Repulsed and intrigued at the same time, the King decided to let the baby live. Months later, Celeste gave birth to Darius Silverblade. For the first four years of Dar's life he knew nothing of the fate that awaited him. Keeping his distance, the King watched mother and son. He kept an especially close eye on the boy. He noticed the boy's speed and agility for one so young and he noted the boy's intelligence. The day came, Dar's 5th birthday, when the King noticed that Dar's eyes, born a pale blue, had now changed to a magnetic amber, just like his mother's. It was then that he knew the time had come. The King took Dar from his mother and sent him to live in the depths of the uncharted forests with Greenleaf, an elven ranger and the King's own bastard son. The King wanted Greenleaf to train Dar to become a bodyguard for the King's children, and an assassin for the King's own personal use.
From the age of 5 to 15, Greenleaf taught Dar how to survive in the wilderness, hunting, tracking, and how to use twin short swords. He noticed that Dar had a natural affinity towards hunting and tracking. Greenleaf tried to teach Dar how to read and write but he was slow to pick it up. He also noticed that Dar liked to play the flute. Despite missing his mother terribly, Dar had begun to accept his life of training and learning with Greenleaf. However, things changed on Dar's 16th birthday. Dar began to feel increasingly aggressive and violent. He found it difficult to express himself verbally. The last thing that he remembered was Greenleaf yelling at him to focus on his lessons. (Although his mother taught him the meditation technique as a child she never got the chance to tell him what it was for, so he never used it). When he woke up, he was chained in the dungeons of the castle of the King. His mother was at his side. It was at that time that she told him about who and what he was. She explained to him about the trance and why he must meditate every day. She also told him that the King planned to have him executed for the murder of Greenleaf. Dar had killed his friend and teacher while in the trance. Giving him a backpack, a pendant, and her blessing Celeste secretly escorted her son out of the kingdom and told him to never return. In the pack his mother gave him, Dar found two sword hilts made of silver with running wolves engraved on them, a cloak, a knife and a map. The map was hand drawn by his mother with a message written on the back telling him to follow his instincts to find the answers that he sought.
After months of wandering, Dar encountered his father. His father, in the trance, attacked him and almost killed him. In the end, Dar was forced to kill his own father. The stress of the event caused him once again to fall into the trance. When he awoke this time he was in the company of a tribe of wild, nomad elves. The Raven tribe. The elder of the tribe told him that they had caught him, while in the trance, tracking the tribe's goats. Seeing the animal spirit inside of him the tribe welcomed him to stay where he continued his warrior training. The people of the tribe renamed him Keth'har(which means “wise wind” in their tribal language). After 7 years with the tribe, Dar decided to leave to make a life of his own and to find the home of the Wolfriders tribe.
Wandering out of the forests into the populated nations of Althanas, Dar discovered that he could sell his services as a tracker or a swordsman.
Skills
Enhanced Senses: Dar possesses a strong strain of wolf blood which gives him enhanced senses. As an elf Dar has a better sense of sight, hearing, and smell than most humans, but because he is a wolfrider his sense of hearing and smell is more sensitive than most elves, as well as his night vision, but his sight(during the day) is slightly below the average elf.
Hunting & Tracking: His enhanced senses give his hunting and tracking skills a boost.
Animal Empathy: Dar has the ability to feel the emotions of some animals(wolves, dogs, and horses). He can project his feelings back to the animal he is empathizing with. Because he has had no real training in how to use this ability, he can only communicate with one animal at a time. Using the ability too much, without resting, will weaken his mental defenses and he could go into the trance.
Twin Blades: Training since childhood, Dar is currently at an average skill level with his twin swords. His has great potential and seeks a master to teach him the art of blade dancing.
Music: If Dar had spent less time playing the flute and the ocarina, his swordsman skills would probably be better. However, Dar is closer to being a master musician than a master swordsman. He only plays the flute and the ocarina, which he makes by hand.
Equipment
Dar carries twin double-edged swords(37 inches overall). Both swords are made of steel. The hilts of both swords are made of silver. Engraved upon the hilt of each sword is a picture of a running wolf. The engravings are kept hidden because Dar keeps them tightly wrapped with strips of leather. The hilts were a gift from his mother. They possess a magic that reacts to the strength of their master. The magic of the hilts only allow Dar to use certain materials to forge blades to make complete weapons. At his current skill level, steel is the strongest metal the hilts will allow him to use. As his skill increases the hilts will gradually allow him to use stronger metals to forge the blades. The pommel of each sword is in the shape of a wolf's head.
His long bow is made of yew and is simple and basic in it's design. He only carries 15 arrows at a time. Dar is a below average shot with the longbow, with an accuracy of 50%. He has spent less time practicing with his bow than with his swords.
Strapped to his ankle, inside his boot, is a steel knife that he uses for whatever comes up(cooking, making arrows, eating, etc.)
Dar has no real armor to speak of. He relies on his natural abilities and his instincts, believing that armor would only slow him down.
With his arrows he keeps a handcrafted bamboo flute(18 in. long) decorated with carvings of wolves and a leather strip with a single raven feather tied to it(the flute is wrapped neatly in a leather casing), and an ocarina made from a blood wood tree (because of this it is a deep blood red color)
Race: Elf of the Wolfrider Tribe
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 150
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Amber
Appearance
His near elbow length blonde hair, always worn free, is decorated with a single large black raven feather. The feather is tied to a lock his hair at the back of his head. The wisdom embedded in his almond shaped amber eyes earned him the name Keth'har(which means “wise wind”). He has the slender face and eternally youthful appearance of his elven blood combined with a seemingly ever present grin, showing his wolfish canines, that gives the impression that he knows some secret that he doesn't intend to share. Standing still, his slender frame is a deception, however upon moving is it obvious that his 6'0” tall frame is a life time achievement of lean muscle and a nature given wolf-like grace. His movements seem deliberate and well thought out.
Dar dresses as any forest dwelling elf would. His boots are a soft durable brown leather and made for walking/stalking in the woods. His pants are a close fitting but breathable cotton material, also brown. He wears a long sleeve, white v-neck, collared, cotton shirt. Over the shirt he wears a brown, soft leather vest. His reversible, hooded cloak is dark green and has a black, water resistant lining inside that Dar uses to keep dry when it rains. Around his neck he wears a silver double-sided pendant. On one side of the pendant is an engraving of a sword and on the other side is an engraving of a wolf. On his left arm he wears a brown leather fingerless glove gauntlet that covers his entire forearm.
Underneath his clothes, Dar's tanned skin is home to several scars. Most of them are on his back and arms( long thin lines from a bladed whip). The most prominent of his scars is the large one on his chest. It stretches from his left shoulder across and down to his right hip. It is an angry red wound from a poisoned blade. It can be seen peeking from his v-neck shirt. At his waist he has twin short swords, one on his left and one on his right side. On his back he carries his long bow and his quiver of arrows. The quiver is also home to his flute and his ocarina.
Personality
On the surface, Dar is an easy going, quick to smile, friendly youth. But anyone who gets to know him discovers that beneath his fair hair and magnetic eyes lies a darkness that was instilled in him at a young age. Feeling both abandoned and betrayed by the very people who were supposed to protect him, Dar trusts no one. He has learned that if you cannot trust your own flesh and blood then no one is to be trusted. Although guarded, Dar has a talent for drawing people to him, especially women. He has a weakness for attractive women, often getting into trouble(kicked out of taverns or getting into fist fights with jealous boyfriends/husbands)because of his flirtatious nature. Despite his reservations about getting close to anyone(and his commitment issues) Dar is a people person, drawing others to him without revealing too much of his inner self or his past.
When he is in one of his depressed/nostalgic moods he is a quiet and reflective individual, usually playing a somber tune on his flute. He plays his ocarina in time of celebration, revelry and in his lighter moods.
Like most of his kind, Dar prefers the forests to the cities. He is more at home and feels more inclined to be relaxed. However, every now and again he likes to venture into the cities to find work and to see what kind of trouble he can get into at the local tavern. By nature, he is willful almost to the point of stubbornness. He trusts his instincts and uses them as a moral compass. If he believes that something is wrong he will stick to that belief until he believes otherwise. He was taught and still believes that loyalty is hard-earned and nothing worth having is given freely. A warrior by blood and tutelage, Dar enjoys a good fight(whether it be blade-to-blade combat or a fist fight) but he tries to avoid killing when it's possible.
History
The Wolfrider Tribe
There are many stories and legends about what is called the “lost tribe of elves.” There has always been a debate as to whether or not these elves actually rode wolves, as men do horses. Neither the giant wolves nor the Wolfriders had been seen in so long that people have come to think of them as legends (bedtime stories that elven mothers told their elven children). However, contrary to belief, the Wolfrider tribe still existed, hidden deep within the forests. Hidden even from their elven brethren.
Among the Wolfriders there is a tradition of each member of the tribe bonding with a wolf. Those who cannot or choose not to are allowed to stay within the tribe but are seen as second rate members compared to those who have bonded. All of the tribe members, bonded and unbonded, possess what they call “wolf blood.” It is based on the legend that all members of the tribe and the giant wolves that accompany them are somehow related or connected by blood. A connection that gives the wolves higher intelligence and the elves wolf-like traits and abilities. It is believed that some have stronger wolf blood than others. Individuals with strong wolf blood benefited and suffered from its effects.
A major drawback to having strong wolf blood is the trance It is named so because the effected wolfrider goes into a trance-like sate in which their primal wolf side gains dominance of their behavior. When this happens the elf becomes more animalistic in nature. Depending on the season, females may “go into heat” and are “compelled” to mate with the most suitable male they encounter(the stronger the wolf blood the more suitable the male). Males in the trance are prone to fight over females in heat. The elf in the trance state is incapable of speech(not even the elven language). Their higher brain functions are suppressed by their primal instincts – they essentially become wolves in behavior and thoughts. The elf that was is no longer there and in his/her place is the manifestation of the wolf within. The stronger the wolf blood the stronger the trance. The trance can last anywhere between a whole day to(in very rare cases) a permanent condition. When it ends, the elf has only a vague memory of what happened if any memory at all.
In order to prevent the trance, a meditation technique is used twice a day, everyday. The body goes into a hibernation state that allows the elf consciousness to recharge and recuperate from the stress out on it by the wolf consciousness trying to free itself. The meditation lasts 1 hour. While all wolfriders are afflicted with this dichotomy of the mind and spirit, those with strong wolf blood are the ones who struggle and suffer the most. Children of the Wolfrider tribe begin showing signs of the trance at the age of 10. Because of this they are taught the meditation technique at the age of 4 and by the age of 10 they should have mastered the technique. Despite the meditation, there are certain circumstances that can trigger an elf's descent into the trance(drinking too much/getting drunk, exhaustion, a serious injury, insomnia). The trance can take anywhere between 1 hour to several days to take effect(depending on what is the cause).
Dar's Story
Celeste Skywind and Shannari Silverblade both belonged to the Wolfrider tribe. They grew up together. However, as they got older they, and others, decided to leave the solitude of their tribe's haven and set out to make their mark upon the world. Both were unbonded and therefore found it easy to adapt to life outside of the tribe. After traveling together for several years they went their separate ways. They both ended up in the same forest elf kingdom, however Celeste was now a queen and Shannari a soldier. During a feast to celebrate the birthday of the King, Celeste's husband, there was much drinking. Too much drinking. Both Celeste and Shannari fell into the trance and were “compelled” to mate. The next morning they were discovered by the King. Shannari fled the kingdom to avoid execution.
Blaming her heritage for her infidelity, Celeste confessed everything about her tribe to her husband. Repulsed and intrigued at the same time, the King decided to let the baby live. Months later, Celeste gave birth to Darius Silverblade. For the first four years of Dar's life he knew nothing of the fate that awaited him. Keeping his distance, the King watched mother and son. He kept an especially close eye on the boy. He noticed the boy's speed and agility for one so young and he noted the boy's intelligence. The day came, Dar's 5th birthday, when the King noticed that Dar's eyes, born a pale blue, had now changed to a magnetic amber, just like his mother's. It was then that he knew the time had come. The King took Dar from his mother and sent him to live in the depths of the uncharted forests with Greenleaf, an elven ranger and the King's own bastard son. The King wanted Greenleaf to train Dar to become a bodyguard for the King's children, and an assassin for the King's own personal use.
From the age of 5 to 15, Greenleaf taught Dar how to survive in the wilderness, hunting, tracking, and how to use twin short swords. He noticed that Dar had a natural affinity towards hunting and tracking. Greenleaf tried to teach Dar how to read and write but he was slow to pick it up. He also noticed that Dar liked to play the flute. Despite missing his mother terribly, Dar had begun to accept his life of training and learning with Greenleaf. However, things changed on Dar's 16th birthday. Dar began to feel increasingly aggressive and violent. He found it difficult to express himself verbally. The last thing that he remembered was Greenleaf yelling at him to focus on his lessons. (Although his mother taught him the meditation technique as a child she never got the chance to tell him what it was for, so he never used it). When he woke up, he was chained in the dungeons of the castle of the King. His mother was at his side. It was at that time that she told him about who and what he was. She explained to him about the trance and why he must meditate every day. She also told him that the King planned to have him executed for the murder of Greenleaf. Dar had killed his friend and teacher while in the trance. Giving him a backpack, a pendant, and her blessing Celeste secretly escorted her son out of the kingdom and told him to never return. In the pack his mother gave him, Dar found two sword hilts made of silver with running wolves engraved on them, a cloak, a knife and a map. The map was hand drawn by his mother with a message written on the back telling him to follow his instincts to find the answers that he sought.
After months of wandering, Dar encountered his father. His father, in the trance, attacked him and almost killed him. In the end, Dar was forced to kill his own father. The stress of the event caused him once again to fall into the trance. When he awoke this time he was in the company of a tribe of wild, nomad elves. The Raven tribe. The elder of the tribe told him that they had caught him, while in the trance, tracking the tribe's goats. Seeing the animal spirit inside of him the tribe welcomed him to stay where he continued his warrior training. The people of the tribe renamed him Keth'har(which means “wise wind” in their tribal language). After 7 years with the tribe, Dar decided to leave to make a life of his own and to find the home of the Wolfriders tribe.
Wandering out of the forests into the populated nations of Althanas, Dar discovered that he could sell his services as a tracker or a swordsman.
Skills
Enhanced Senses: Dar possesses a strong strain of wolf blood which gives him enhanced senses. As an elf Dar has a better sense of sight, hearing, and smell than most humans, but because he is a wolfrider his sense of hearing and smell is more sensitive than most elves, as well as his night vision, but his sight(during the day) is slightly below the average elf.
Hunting & Tracking: His enhanced senses give his hunting and tracking skills a boost.
Animal Empathy: Dar has the ability to feel the emotions of some animals(wolves, dogs, and horses). He can project his feelings back to the animal he is empathizing with. Because he has had no real training in how to use this ability, he can only communicate with one animal at a time. Using the ability too much, without resting, will weaken his mental defenses and he could go into the trance.
Twin Blades: Training since childhood, Dar is currently at an average skill level with his twin swords. His has great potential and seeks a master to teach him the art of blade dancing.
Music: If Dar had spent less time playing the flute and the ocarina, his swordsman skills would probably be better. However, Dar is closer to being a master musician than a master swordsman. He only plays the flute and the ocarina, which he makes by hand.
Equipment
Dar carries twin double-edged swords(37 inches overall). Both swords are made of steel. The hilts of both swords are made of silver. Engraved upon the hilt of each sword is a picture of a running wolf. The engravings are kept hidden because Dar keeps them tightly wrapped with strips of leather. The hilts were a gift from his mother. They possess a magic that reacts to the strength of their master. The magic of the hilts only allow Dar to use certain materials to forge blades to make complete weapons. At his current skill level, steel is the strongest metal the hilts will allow him to use. As his skill increases the hilts will gradually allow him to use stronger metals to forge the blades. The pommel of each sword is in the shape of a wolf's head.
His long bow is made of yew and is simple and basic in it's design. He only carries 15 arrows at a time. Dar is a below average shot with the longbow, with an accuracy of 50%. He has spent less time practicing with his bow than with his swords.
Strapped to his ankle, inside his boot, is a steel knife that he uses for whatever comes up(cooking, making arrows, eating, etc.)
Dar has no real armor to speak of. He relies on his natural abilities and his instincts, believing that armor would only slow him down.
With his arrows he keeps a handcrafted bamboo flute(18 in. long) decorated with carvings of wolves and a leather strip with a single raven feather tied to it(the flute is wrapped neatly in a leather casing), and an ocarina made from a blood wood tree (because of this it is a deep blood red color)