[hider=Gryffyth Wolfsblood]

[b]Name:[/b] Gryffyth Wolfsblood, "Gryff" for short, called "Outcast" by the Elves
[b]Gender:[/b] [s]Elf[/s] Male
[b]Age:[/b] An impetuous youth of 87, though this is nearly impossible to tell by anyone who is not an Elf.
[b]Race:[/b] Elf of the Forest

[b]Appearance:[/b] To the eyes of men, one Elf looks much like another, as they each possess an sleek, almost ethereal beauty. Gryff is no different, though his lithe form and crisp, angular features are marred by the scars of life in the wilds. Like most forest-borne Elves, his coloration is warm and earthy, with bronzed skin, hair the color of molten copper and eyes the same brown as rosewood. His long, wiry hair is generally kept tied behind his head, and he usually dresses in simple vestments of woven flax and thick leather. He does not wear shoes, and his clothing leaves much of his sun-kissed skin uncovered. On some occasions, Gryff will paint his skin with dark, green pigments, or don a rough-spun hooded cloak, making him ever more difficult to spot in the underbrush of the Dark Forest.

[b]History:[/b] The Elves of the Dark Forest, considered barbarians and pariahs by their civilized, southron kin, live in insular, close-knit societies hidden in the brush and trees. However, they are notoriously distrustful of outsiders, even of Elves that hail from other groves in the forest. Gryffyth Wolfsblood was raised in a particularly raucous grove. When he was very young, a faun that rarely strayed from his mother's side, Men had come trampling into their glen with their axes and flame, and the elder Elves had not taken kindly to it. They swept into the human settlement under the cover of night, and killed their destructive woodsmen in their sleep. However, their message was not well-taken by the humans that remained. The other men took their revenge by setting the forest ablaze, burning down the hidden village in which Gryff and his family lived.

Gryff was one of the few that survived, escaping the blaze by fleeing into the depths of the forest, tightly clutching a bone dagger. For days he traveled alone, and nearly died, until he happened upon another Elvish village. Knowing the ways of his people, and did not beg them to take him in, as he knew none would. Rather, he lived on the outskirts of their village, surviving on their scraps and learning by careful observation. On occasion he would be run off, and would flee to another village to do much the same. In time, Gryff learned to survive on his own, and explored the Dark Forest and the lands beyond. His curiosity was not tempered by the reclusive nature of the Elves, and so he learned much and grew bolder with each passing day. In time, he even took to the villages of Humans nearby, caring little that they had taken his family from him so many years ago.

[b]Personality:[/b] Most expect a certain demeanor from Elves; an aloof, haughty condescension, masked beneath layers of subtlety and misdirection. In some ways Gryff meets this description, as his emotions are subtle and difficult to gauge, and his moods can shift suddenly and capriciously. Even so, he is remarkably friendly and polite for one of the Fair Folk, especially towards the races of Men and Dwarves. Resembling to many a rambunctious teenager, he is vigorous and excitable, as well as incredibly curious about the lives and experiences of others. Even so, he carries a certain force of will and confidence unique to Elves; if he knows something another does not, or can perform a task better than they can, one should not expect him to keep quiet about it.

[b]Skills:[/b] Having spent his life in the wilds of the Dark Forest, away even from other Elves, Gryff is a survivalist extraordinaire. Easily able to live off of the land, he can identify with ease such plants that can hurt or heal, recognize and track dangerous or helpful beasts, and can pass through the forest below the notice of many. As with most Elves, Gryff is a crack shot with a bow, and his senses are sharper in the wilds than any Man, Dwarf or other such race. Up close, Gryff prefers to fight with a spear, but will resort to a dagger when in restrictive environments. As the one of the few skills he remembers from his parents, Gryff also has some experience in handling and breeding beasts, wolves in particular, and is so comfortable with the animals that it seems as though he speaks their howling tongue.

[b]Possessions:[/b] Gryff wears light, hand-made clothes, including a thick cloak, a waterskin and sturdy satchel. His deerskin quiver carries arrows of wood, bone and eagle feathers that he fletched himself, and his bow is carved from yew and strung with the sinew of an elk. His spear is sturdy oak, lacquered with sap and beeswax, and hardened in fire. His dagger, a memento of his parents, has a the fang of some great beast as a blade and a handle of carved bone. Gryff carries a variety of useful herbs and other natural ingredients with him, which can be made into poultices or poisons as he needs them.

[b]Miscellaneous:[/b] Gryff's faithful companion is Lwyci, a dire wolf that he had raised since the beast was a cub. The wolf is frightening to behold, standing well above Gryff's waist at its shoulder, with a dark grey pelt and yellow eyes. Having spent much time in the forest together, Gryff and Lwyci are much like brothers, helping one another in their daily lives. Lwyci is a skillful hunter and tracker, and is large enough for the lithe elf to ride on. While distrustful of strangers, Lwyci is utterly loyal to Gryff, and would likely lay down its life to protect him.[/hider]