Here's a neat idea: everyone write an origin story for your toon. Just something short to give people an idea of your character. Here's the origin of Gwendiel.
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The origins of Gwendiel are fraught with heartache.
She was born in a small village on Elven Island to an Elven Scout mother and a Human Rogue father. She was orphaned at the age of 2 due to a horrible fire which claimed the life of her mother as well as half her village. Her father died shortly thereafter of grief. She was taken in by the Elven council as a junior court maiden and required to assist the councilors in thier dealings with the brash humans of Varanas. This mostly involved fetching parchment or curtsying to new arrivals and it irritated her to no end.
At a very early age, she demonstrated astonishing physical strength as well as a remarkable wit and keen intelligence in military matters, oftentimes pointing out strategic points that the council overlooked. Her opinions were dismissed as flights of fancy by the council. They knew she was very bright, but their pride wouldn't allow them to take her seriously.
She trusted no one and wouldn't allow anyone to get close to her. She was fiercely independent and obstinate, prefering her own way of doing things even if it was obviously harder. Her senior court maidens were often exasperated to find her brawling with the boys or arguing with the Elders on some esoteric point of the Law.
The Elven council decided very early on that she should become a Warden, a defender of the Elven realm. She rejected the decision outright and, at the age of 12, ran away from Elven Island to seek the Ents of Aslan Forest, who prized independance and self-reliance above all else.
While searching for the Ents, she was attacked by Borrofar, the Bear King. She fought for her life and defeated Borrofar barehanded but was badly wounded in the process. She was found by the Ents, malnourished and bleeding, wandering in the Ystra wasteland, draped in the pelt of the Bear King to keep warm. They nursed her back to health and were so astounded by the feat of the young elf, they gave her the title "Bear Bully" and spoke of it far and wide.
The news found it's way back to the Elven Council and they sent a very old Warden Master to retrieve her. He began to try to teach her "The Way of the Oak", an ancient art of combat passed down through his family. Gwendiel balked at his instruction and tried to match the ancient master's wisdom and patience with her own stubbornness, hotheadedness, and distrust. Having lost her parents at a very early age, she had never learned to love or to trust anyone. But the ancient master always spoke to her with firmness and kindness. He was always fair and never faltered. Gwendiel felt safe with him. She found that she finally could love someone without the fear of losing them. Slowly, she came around and began to listen in earnest, to learn the Way.
On the way back to Elven Island, they were attacked by a group of bandits lead by Yuri, a thief and murderer. The ancient master was mortally wounded defending his young charge. Lying there, dieing, his head cradled in her arms, he grasped her hand and whispered "Take my axe, Gwendiel. It was my father's and his father's before that. Remember the Way, my child... my granddaugh..."
Gwendiel then felt a strength no elf has felt before or since. She arose and a great calm settled around her. The sounds of the forest abruptly silenced. Suddenly unnerved, a bandit hurtled a dagger at her. Just before it struck, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Curious, she studied the blade, it's sinister design, the grain of wood on its handle. Time resumed with a snap and the blade struck... and glanced off her like a mere toy. The air around her began to shimmer and crackle. She felt the Way.
Moving at a speed no human eye could ever hope to catch, she slew the bandits one by one with a vengeance. Seventeen grown men, armed for battle, fell to the might of one tiny, grief-striken Elven girl. Yuri survived and ran, shaken by a fear that haunts him to this day. Even now he wakes with a start, imagining a flash of flame-red hair and the wicked gleam of an emerald axe.
Gwendiel returned to Elven island and buried the old master beside her mother and father. She then began instruction to become a full Warden, driven by a fire in her heart. She remembered a name. A name that was uttered by one of the bandits when he fell. The name of the man who killed her teacher, her friend, the only person she'd ever learned to love. A name that burned in her mind...
Yuri.
She vowed to find him someday and return the favor.
