[center][color=Turquoise][h2] Alfirineth (Rin) Laerorngwen [/h2][/color][/center] [center][hider=Appearance][img]http://orig09.deviantart.net/1ea0/f/2009/275/6/1/forest_elf_by_valentinakallias.jpg[/img][/hider][/center] [color=Turquoise][b]Race:[/b][/color] Half Wood Elf [color=Turquoise][b]Gender:[/b][/color] Female [color=Turquoise][b]Age:[/b][/color] 45 (21) [color=Turquoise][b]Class:[/b][/color] Shaman [color=Turquoise][b]Stats[/b]:[/color] [i]Strength[/i]: 6 [i]Dexterity: [/i]16 [i]Constitution:[/i] 12 [i]Intelligence: [/i]17 [i]Wisdom[/i]: 18 Charisma: 8 [color=Turquoise][b]Physical Description:[/b][/color] Standing at roughly 5’6” and 145lbs, nothing about Rin’s build announces reason for intimidation. Gentle locks of shadowy emerald hair flow wildly, framing her face, falling just above the waistline. Her eyes are aqua green, almost as if the forest and ocean came together in a dance; the battle between the two causing the color of them to change oft, always leaning one way or the other without either truly gaining ground. Ritual tattoos signifying her place as a priestess (and connecting her to the divines) contrast significantly against the soft ivory skin. Her movements are generally tender and calculated, even in stressful situations. Nonetheless, when in battle, she does not allow it to limit her. On her left shoulder there is a faint silvery scar from when she was rescued by a wolf. [color=Turquoise][b]Armor/Attire:[/b][/color] Serving under the Lady of the Forest, Mielikki, Alfrin can usually be found in earthy tones of varying greens, browns, and whites. Her breastplate is made of simple leather with tree branching patterns burned delicately into the material. Leather boots work their way up to just above the shin. The gauntlets, one the other hand, are Elven, a faded gold in color, and are a token of her past. Various pouches line her belt and thighs, and a quiver of elk is strapped to her back. Her cloak is varying shades of browns and tans with flecks of cream throughout, much like a fawn’s coat. Around her neck is a small silver pendent, a tree whose branches and roots spread broad, eventually forming a circle around it; this symbol gives the blessing of Guidance and Protection. [color=Turquoise][b]Equipment[/b] [/color] [list] [*] Handcrafted longbow with elk quiver: holds 15 arrows [*] Wolf’s Fangs: medical needles generally used for acupuncture; in battle can be used fatally if on artery or for paralysis if nerve [*] Skinning knife: sheath is located at her back on her belt [*] Shadowsong: 9” dagger, outer left thigh [*] Alchemy Bag filled with various medicinal herbs [*] Prayer book, as well as guide in connecting with both the divines and the fallen [*] Various other provisions such as a waterskin, money, potions, dried rations, medical supplies, ect. [/list] [color=Turquoise][b]Mental Description/Personality:[/b] [/color] Alfirineth is a kind soul with a gentle heart. Following the faith instilled in her, the young elf chooses to believe good can be found even in the darkest of hearts. Nonetheless, the girl is no fool, nor is ignorant to the cruelty in the world. It is more so the idea anyone can change for the better; it only takes a slight change in the winds to alter a course. Preferring to look at situations from the outside in, she is calculating and decisive in finalizing her thoughts. Once she has come to a conclusion little to nothing will change her mind. Intuitive to the feelings of others, Rin is rather selfless, putting them above her own. For those close to her, she would lay down her life no questions asked. Rin is an independent, humble woman who often keeps her feet off the ground and her head in the clouds. Adventurous at heart, she finds a path less taken to be the one with the most interesting possibilities. Dedicated to nature, she respects even the tiniest creature, mentally processing all outcomes before actually taking a life. Being small, Rin doesn’t bother with heavy armor as she’d prefer to deal with her threats with her archery, from a distance. When forced into hand to hand combat she has learned how to use her opponent's strength against them through agility and training. Though generally soft natured, Rin is abrupt and to the point when irritated or angered. She isn't one for 'beating around the bush', and would rather say what she thinks and move on. Due to the tattoos covering her body, Rin has the ability to connect with deities other than her own, even those of a darker nature. Unfortunately, doing so takes a massive toll on her body, usually cause her to be bedridden for a day or two minimum. Aside from this, her magic revolves around healing, strengthening the spirit, and summoning animals in nature to her aid (her spirit transformation is that of a large arctic wolf, this creature choice is specific to being a follower of Mielikki, Lady of the forest, along with aspects of Silvanus). When it comes down to it Alfirineth highly values three traits: loyalty, honesty, and perseverance. Loyalty isn't blind or completely steadfast, but she feels safer knowing that her friends have her back and are willing to stand up for her. Honesty is crucial to any relationship in her mind, though she knows how to keep quiet when necessary. Perseverance is a quality which can tip the balance of scales, making the difference between a dream being forgotten or coming true. [color=Turquoise][b]Goals:[/b][/color] She wishes to understand the world as seen from those raised on the outside, gaining a new perspective on the soul: what hardens it, breaks it, builds it back up again. Rin hopes to apply this knowledge into her faith, bringing the cycle of the universe together with a new perspective. [color=Turquoise][b]Background/History:[/b][/color] Born in a small village along the Heartblood River at the southern end of the High Forest (north of the Grey Vale), Alfirineth was raised to respect the nature around her, learning to make herself flexible to the flow rather trying to manipulate it to fit her own needs. Uncle being a master carpenter and stoneworker, the young girl excelled in the crafting of bows and arrows as well as in leather tanning. Her technique was strengthened in her knowledge of the hunt, much of her free time spent practicing with archery and trapping. It wasn’t long before she knew the area well, learning the art of craftiness from many close calls. Many of the young elf’s earliest memories revolved around the general distrust in magic, as well as a distancing from divine thoughts in general. To her people, calling on these deities was nothing more than a wasted breath. Even then, the young girl couldn’t fully understand how magic, which appeared to be so beautiful, could be so inherently wicked. Her curiosity in these affairs was often cause of scrutiny, especially considering her father being a human. Though she never knew the man, let alone his ideologies on either case, Rin couldn’t help but feel a pull in her spirit that there was something more, something she should be looking for. The validity of the feelings came with a confirmation one cool autumn day when Rin was approximately 13 years of age. Following a deer, the girl stumbled upon what appeared to be a necromancer summoning the undead. Naturally curious about magic in general, the elf climbed a nearby tree, making her way through the branches until she was in earshot. Enthralled by the scene, she ignored the subtle cracking sound of the branch. Within moments the safety of the boughs was replaced with the hard ground, the sound of her own body crunching against fallen leaves and the cracking of wood. The rest of the memory appeared as nothing but flashes: undead corpses surrounding her, flying through the air before landing against a rocky cliffside, her heart bursting out of her chest as a warm liquid flowed down her face. Then it came, a voice. Suddenly, she felt teeth in her shoulder, as her body was being pulled away from the fight. A druid appeared in her peripheral as wolves came out of the woods closing in on the necromancer. Alfirineth blacked out shortly afterwards, one thought on her mind, [i] “It’s too soon in the season for their fur to be white…why?”[/i] Darkness came quickly. Rin awakened already bandage, tucked in on her bed with her mother giving her a most peculiar look. Physically, she came out with the mild head trauma and a scar on her shoulder from the wolf that saved her. Still she felt unsettled, like a stone was sinking into the bottom of her stomach. That look…why did it make her feel this way? Soon it wasn’t just her mother, but the whole village. The voice from that day…it lingered. Years came and went, that longing for answers from her childhood refused to wane, gnawing at her constantly to the point even her dreams were filled with pictures she didn’t understand, faces that her eyes never rested upon. There was no staying in her homeland, that was a fact she’d grown up knowing but never truly acknowledged. Now, as she packed up what little she could carry on her person, Rin could only have faith in destiny. She needed to know what happened that day, what it all meant, what all those eyes knew but refused to say. Her adventures began southward spreading from the High Moor east to the Hill of Lost Souls and back north again. Rumors of similar stories kept her following what seemed to be a path of dead ends. Completing small quest for locals or selling her woodwork kept her fed, allowing for enough connections to find the next lead. Solace came at last in the form of an elderly elf seeking protection on her way through the Forgotten Forest. Offering a pretty price, Rin was unable to turn the woman down, though surprised the lady would choose someone so small over the orks also offering their assistance. “Call it a hunch. I’d expect a wood elf to give me a little luck on the venture. And you my dear, let’s just say I believe you have the gods on your side,” the woman laughed leaving Rin as confused as ever, but hopeful this was what she’d been waiting for. Curious to where they were traveling, Alfirineth learned it was a pilgrimage to the shrine of Silvanus, the Forest Father. Throughout the next week she learned the history of the god, of his “daughters” Mielikki and Eldath. It was early in the morning when they finally arrived. The instant Rin looked upon the shrine a vision came over her explaining everything she’d never known. The druid that rescued her that day was called upon by Silvanus himself. The mark on her shoulder, his blessing. He directed her to become a Shaman of Mielikki, therefore a direct worshipper of him as well. “Travel to Comanthor. Find your destiny there.” For the first time in her life Rin felt at peace. Those looks she’d gotten all those years were for a blessing that only she seemed unable to see. Now her eyes were opened and her path sure. The journey to Comanthor took her to many places, bringing a newfound wisdom to this world, for joy and for sorrow. Once abroad, she settled in Myth Drannor starting her quest for knowledge all over again. She learned from the locals of a shaman of Silvanus and Mielikki named Matolokive, known for his extensive knowledge in alchemy and healing. Through fate she became his disciple for the next 20 odd years, expanding her own abilities as a future priestess of Mielikki. Rin became an expert in herbal knowledge, medicinal techniques, and the fine line between healing a life and snuffing it out. Much of her time was spent expanding her wisdom through reading of books and scrolls. After completing her history of the divines she was granted with the ritual tattoos to help hone her abilities in seeking guidance. Physically, she was taught to push her body to the limits in the name of understanding her place as part of the universe. Rin was taught hand to hand combat, how to use her small frame to her advantage. Forced to train for hours on end, it all set the foundation for when she would once again head out on her own, claiming her place a lighthouse for the weary.