Name: James Morter

Gender: "A sir of course, cant you tell by my lithe and god like physique?" (A conceded man, but a man indeed.)

Age: "I'm 37...Im not old!" (He is in fact 42, but will likely never admit it openly.)

Race: "I am a man, and I am in a field so take from that what you will." (Man)

Appearance: "I am young, in perfect health and shape, and the ladies simply cannot get enough of looking at my perfect hair." James is in fact, slightly balding on the back of his head. His body, though far from the picture of perfection that he proclaims it to be, is in good shape for a man of his age. While he has lost most of the strength of his youth, the life of working on a farm has kept his body lean, with hints of the powerful muscle he held in his youth buried under a thin layer of fat. His body is tanned and beginning to wrinkle, both from old age and long hours spent in the sun. His hands are scarred and calloused but strong. As far as height is concerned he stands at a respectable 6'1". Mid-length hair that was once raven black is starting to gray slightly, and has began to develop the before mentioned bald spot. His face is craggy but the remnants of a once rather handsome face can still be seen. Perhaps the most, or only, truly attractive thing about James are his eyes, which are still a bright and lively sapphire.

History: "I used to be an adventurer like you..." James was in fact, not born in Brackenhorst. He was born far to South in a decently large city known as Barons Hold. His father was a lecherous man who he never knew, nor cared to, and who vanished shortly after getting James' mother pregnant. James' mother was young, beautiful, and about as bright as a torch with the top lobbed off. She tried to raise young James, but eventually got tired of the work and abandoned him on the streets of Barons Hold. Where she ended up James never found out, and again, couldn't have cared less. He was 8 at the time of his mothers departure.

For the next two years James lived as a beggar in the streets. He begged for, stole, and swindled for every copper he could get his hands on, and was becoming quite accomplished at it. Despite his young age, James was resourceful, and surprisingly intelligent. Had he received any sort of proper education, there is a high chance he could have been a great scholar. But he never did, and instead was recruited into the a group of mercenaries. Well "violently coerced" may be a more apt description.

The mercenaries were known as the Silent Fangs, and James' "recruiter" was known as Slash. (None of the mercenaries were particularly good with names.) How he was recruited is not a subject that James likes to talk about, however, it is rumored that James attempted to steal a purse of gold from Slasher, and was not quite as sneaky as he believed. Regardless, Slasher saw something special in James, and the offer of a bed to sleep in and a steady income was too much for James to pass up. For the next 25 years or so James fought alongside the Silent Fangs. He did all the jobs you would expect; guarding caravans, guarding nobles, guarding rich merchants... he did a lot of guarding. But he also fought in the occasional war, obviously favoring whoever had the fattest purse. And then one day, seemingly out of the blue, James left the Silent Fangs. He never divulged why, not even to Slasher, whom James considered his best friend. James took his significant saving, packed up what few belongings he owned, and moved to Brackenhorst, where he bought a small farm and did not pick up his blade for quite some time.

James never married, never spawned any children, never even really made any new friends. The people who live around him are well aware of who he is, but most have never said more then a few words to him. He's gained a reputation as a boisterous and slightly womanizing, old man and for the most part has been left alone. So why would he decide to pick up his blade again? Simple, because something feels wrong. He's not sure what it is, but lately he's had trouble sleeping, and he keeps finding himself staring at his old blade longingly. Maybe he's bored, maybe something is calling him, or maybe hes simply going crazy. No matter the reason, James has decided to set out once more, likely, for one last adventure.

Personality: "I'm perfect dammit!" James is boisterous and bordering on being a compulsive liar. He has a tendency to be grumpy and at times is hard to get along with, but buried deep beneath his rough exterior is a kind and understanding old man. He is intelligent and cunning and despite what some may think, is brave beyond reason. He is also not afraid to fight dirty.

Skills: Despite not having fought with a blade in the past 7 years, James is still a rather skilled swordsman and is passable with a bow. He has a cunning mind and a surprisingly good understanding of tactics. He's smart, and good at getting out of tight spots. And if need be, he can be quite sneaky.

Possessions: James wears a simple set of leather armor with a round oak shield. His sword is his only truly interesting possession, its hilt being a golden serpent with a blade that is flawless and a deep black in color. Other then a change of clothes and a small bag of coin he doesn't carry anything else of interest.

Miscellaneous: "LOOK OUT A DRAGON!

AHAHAHA Made you look!"

Name: Peren Di-Jaga
Gender: Male.
Age: Approx. 160 years.
Race: Southern/High Elf

Appearance:
In an attempt to fit in with the large human populations he is used to dealing with on a daily basis, he attempts to hide his more obvious Elvish features, with varying degrees of success. He crops his hair close to the scalp, wears simple human clothing and even has made an attempt at a scraggly blonde beard, that clutches to his chin and neck in clumps. However, he cannot hide his more obvious features - his ears are pointed, his complexion is oily and he has lived far longer than any man. Peren is by no means in good physical shape but he still holds the universal slim, tall look elves are famed for. Contrary to the local Elves of the Wood, Peren is a Southern Elf and possesses minute differences that set him apart from elves of other sub-races. Most humans do not notice that his eyes are flecked with yellow or that his cheekbones are lower, for example.

History: Peren Di-Jaga hails from the famed Elvish trading city, Jaga. Deep within the southern lands, Jaga is unusual for being a maritime Elvish exclave, surrounded on all sides by human cities and itself having a sizable human minority. Peren was the only son of a well-off merchant and his wife. Much of his youth was spent making trips to the far north with his father, who is a prominent member of the Jagan Guild of Merchants. Due to his fathers wealth and powerful position in the guild, he was eventually enrolled by a private human tutor, who had a profound effect on the young Elves life. Peren had never shown much interest in humanity prior to meeting his tutor but as the years slipped by, he became fascinated with human culture and philosophy. His tutor, a man fresh from a prestigious human university, had an eccentric and unique manner of teaching that only fed Perens obsession with humanity. Perens tutor, whether intentionally or not, implanted several false ideas into his mind pertaining to the nature of men and Elves. The young elf came to the conclusion that humans were "noble savages", only corrupted by the greed of Elves. "Elves are greedy and pretentious, wasting their long lives on furthering their own interests, while humans, whose reputation is being tarnished by these High Elves, better spend their short lives, dying for a greater good and in the belief that in their death they will assist even one fellow soul..."

Peren's father was not impressed by his sons interest in humanity, holding the traditional Elvish view that humans were cocky and uncultured. This led to a rocky relationship between Peren and his father, who eventually used his contacts within Jaga to oust his now-elderly tutor from the city. Peren was devastated at the fate of his old friend and it only deepened the rift between father and son. When he reached his 50th year, Perens father decided to enroll him in a prestigious university, hoping to properly educate him in the ancient ways of Elves. Peren, however, showed no interest in furthering his education, especially among Elves and instead left his family and High Elvish culture to live among humans.

In those days, Peren was young and naive and now regrets the way in which he and his father ended their relationship. For the next seventy years he wandered across the Southern Lands. At first, it was great - he settled in small hamlets, worked for human lords and befriended locals. Watching his human friends grow old and die, however, only confused him and caused heartache, which is not common among Elves of his status. As he grew older, he grew frustrated with the ignorance and contentedness of human peasants, who were happy to toil their days away in fields, get drunk in evenings and die without achieving anything. Women he loved and men he hated all grew old and died while he continued living. What was the point in their short lives, other than to procreate?

One event changed his opinion of humans dramatically, however. He was invited to a party for the nobility, where the proud, rich humans partook in hedonistic drinking and sex. Conversations with these people mostly concerned their own suspicions of other races ("OH, not you, young Southron! Of course, we mean those dirty Elves of the Forest!") and their disdain for those they deemed poorer or richer than themselves. After that night, Peren came to the conclusion that both humans and elves were little better than animals. They were suspicious of those different to themselves and disliked even those of their own race. They pissed away their lives selfishly, living to further their own gains. From that moment on, Peren no longer identified as elf or human. He was now just a sentient animal.

Disappointed that 120 years of his life had led him to that conclusion, he returned to Jaga with a cloud of melancholy hanging over his head. What was the point in living to eventually die? Why were wars fought over patches of land? Why did man and Elf quarrel and feel a hatred of each other when they were just two of the same animal? What was the point of learning anything if it was all to be lost at your own death? Peren spent the next few years in a drunken haze of depression, prostitutes and fights. It was only when one of these fights led to the death of man did Peren wake from this melancholy and decide to return to society.

He wrote to his father in Elvish, apologising for the decades of silence and begging his forgiveness. His father did not accept his apology and refused to meet him but took pity on his only son and got him a job in the Guild of Merchants. Peren was grateful and decided to set a new life goal. He was not a sentient animal anymore. He was a sentient being and he would make it his life purpose to improve the lives of other sentient beings, in any way possible. Despite this, the elf is cynical beyond his years and some have mused that he is an old human trapped in the body of young Elf.

Peren is well established in the powerful Guild of Merchants but has no time for the pointless bureaucracy and intrigue of the central Grand Bazaar. Instead, he set himself up in a town in Brackenhorst, deep within the realm of men and far from the influence of the Guild. He lives with his human wife and half-elf son above their shop and has done his best to fix fair prices for the humans. It would almost seem like a fairytale ending - surely, this is Perens happily ever after?

Sadly, no. The rumbles of violent clashes with orcs have deeply disturbed Peren, himself something of a pacifist, and stirred something he hasn't felt inside of him for a while. As his wife edges closer to the grave and his son closer to a man, Peren is beginning to feel a restlessness deep inside him that he hasn't felt in decades. There are still questions on the nature of man and elf to be answered and this inquisitive Elf is yearning to answer them. With the backing of the Guild of Merchants and his local community, he set out to join Thaddeus and help in anyway he can.

Personality: Peren is privately rather cynical and pessimistic but tries to display an aura of confidence and optimism. He is a natural speaker and can start a conversation with almost anyone. He finds he has more in common with Elves and Humans than other races. Due to the years spent wandering the lands, experiencing new things and meeting new people, he has wisdom beyond his years and can easily spot if a situation is not going in his favour. He is something of a pacifist, preferring to talk his way out of fights but if required to, will defend himself to protect his own life. He will always stop short of killing another (sentient) being and has something of a weak stomach when it comes to extreme violence. Despite being extremely philosophical in his youth, Peren has come to realise some of the decisions made in his past were immature and he has learned his lesson - no being is perfect but he can try his very to improve those lives around him. He may not always stay true to this philosophy but he tries to his best.

Peren can be, unknowingly, quite haughty and stuck-up around other Elves but upon being pulled on the fact, he will always attempt to apologise. He tries not to distinguish between different races but old Elvish habits die hard. Despite his faults, Peren always tries to better himself and change his way of thinking. An unrealistic attempt at Uberelvsch, maybe but an Elf can dream.

Skills:
Peren has spent his life empathizing with humanity and has developed great skills of communication with both men and elves. His down-to-Earth personality is appealing to men and his polite, well-spoken dialect of Elvish appeals to many elves. He is completely fluent in Common and Elvish but struggles with other languages, such as Dwarfish or Goblin. His Common comes with a slight accent that, to the untrained ear, can be hard to understand. After spending a portion of his life with his father and the Guild of Merchants, he has picked up several skills in negotiation and bartering and is a popular choice in sorting out petty disputes in his local area. Peren is by no means a skilled swordsman (despite knowing some basic parries) and prefers to talk his way out of problems than to fight.

Possessions:
Peren wears simple, yet comfortable, human clothing and no armour. Boots wrap around his knees A well placed sword or arrow could easily end his life but he relies on his status as a Guild Merchant to protect him. This is made apparent by the bronze, Guild chain around his neck, which he wears over his clothing. The Guild chain awards him a lot of respect in certain Human/Elvish circles but those living far from civilisation care little for it (for example, Dwarves, Orcs and certain Wood Elves). He carries with him a thin rapier in a leather scabbard at a belt across his shoulder but the shine on the blade makes it obvious it's rarely used. Peren doesn't carry mementos or trinkets (apart from his official Guild chain), deciding instead to leave them at home. Rations hang around his belt and a small coin purse hangs at his wrist. Apart from this, Peren is woefully unprepared for fighting but more than prepared to talk his way across the Tall Mountain.

Miscellaneous:
Di-Jaga is an adopted surname, as High Elves from that part of the world do not take on the names of their ancestors. Peren adopted it for the benefit of his wife and son, Rolen Di-Jaga.

Name: Imirria Val’dannis, sometimes referred to as Miri by those closest to her.
Gender: Female
Age: 96
Race: Half-elf

Appearance: Imirria stands at 5’8”, a height that leaves her shorter than any elven women she encounters, and often taller than most human women. She is fair of complexion, with light olive skin and high cheekbones given to her by her elven mother. The loose curls that fall just past her shoulders, the precise color of black ink, and the dark blue eyes framed by heavy lashes however, those come from her father. The more than slightly pointed ears are the most telltale sign of her parentage. Imirria has a lean build, and prefers to wear practical, human clothing in darker neutral colors. She is most often seen in close-fitting trousers, knee-high, sturdy boots, a simple shirt and laced leather jerkin covered by a short, hooded cloak. Her untamable curls are usually tied back, though left down her hair can be quite useful in covering her pointed ears. She has several small scars on her hands, and one longer scar on her left forearm.

History: Elanna Val’dannis was a healer of the Val’dannis clan, one of the many groups of elves residing within the Black Forest. Elanna however, in the opinions of her clan members, had far too much interest in the humans that lived beyond the forest’s edge. When a careless dalliance left her with child, the clan could no longer be tolerant of her indiscretions and she was effectively shunned, an outsider in her own community. She never looked for the human man again, fearful and shamed by the clan elders. Imirria, the child in question, therefore grew up without a father, on the edges of the elven community with her mother and elven half-brother, whose own father had passed away long ago. Imirria spent her early years under the scornful gazes of the adults and relentless teasing by the other children, who addressed her with insults and pulled on her unusual hair. While not expelled from the clan, it was made clear that Imirria neither belonged nor was wanted. Her brother, Corym, was a warrior and hunter of the clan, and protected his sister whenever he could, teaching her the basics of self-defense, but when a particularly cruel incident left Miri bloody and bruised, Elanna decided to take her family and leave.

The three traveled south, beyond Brackenhorst, which reminded Elanna too much of Miri’s father, and into the crowded city of Brillon, filled with humans as well as a handful of other races. They had little, but Imirria’s mother was able to find them a suitable if overly small and decrepit place to stay while she supported them as an herbalist and healer. Miri spent most of her time on the streets and would likely have turned to stealing had her brother not fiercely ensured she did not get into any petty crime. Corym had found work as a mercenary in the city, and spent his free moments teaching Miri how to use the twin blades he had gifted her with shortly after their resettlement. The slightly curved blades were finely crafted from strong bone, and engraved with elvish carvings. The lessons took place in secret, and served as the only part of her mother’s culture she kept. Elanna, furious at her clan’s treatment of her family, shunned elven culture and encouraged Miri to do the same, going so far as to set up lessons in Common speech, reading, and writing from one of their few educated neighbors, in exchange for Miri’s help around her bakery.

Life in Brillon was not easy, but it was not all bad. Imirria had quickly become accustomed to the city life and culture, and mostly enjoyed the fast pace, despite often having trouble fitting in in the predominantly human city. Imirria experienced all kinds of occupations, taking any jobs that came her way to help support her family in all manner of shops, marketplaces, and inns. Much to the displeasure of her mother and Corym, Miri eventually found herself working as a catchpole, someone contracted to find and bring in debtors, as well as a mercenary, often doing guard work. She had a natural agility and cunning that, combined with the lessons her brother now regretted giving her, made the work come easily to her. She was considering accepting a job as a merchant’s caravan guard, a chance to get out of Brillon and see more of the world, when things suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Miri’s mother fell ill, an illness that none could recognize and that only seemed to grow ever worse. An infrequent cough turned into weakness and fever. The herbalist's shop was closed when Elanna became too ill to move around. Miri and Corym scoured the city for an answer, finding none. Desperate, the siblings decided to take their mother back to the Dark Forest and put themselves at the mercy of the Val’dannis clan, despite their mother’s weak protests. With Elanna’s worsening condition, travel was long and difficult, but eventually the three were able to make it back under the shaded canopies that now seemed so foreign to Miri. Finding the clan was an ordeal in itself, and once found they had to convince the elders to allow them back into the clan, a feat that proved nearly impossible and cost the brother and sister more than a small amount of dignity as well. Living once again among the forest clan was a tense, uncomfortable situation, but the news that it might be possible to treat Elanna’s illness was the only incentive they needed to stay, serving as clan hunters. Miri had only a few, vague memories of her early childhood in the clan, and after having left at such a young age had grown up almost entirely in a human environment. She was even further alienated due to her complete unfamiliarity with the culture and practices, and often took to venturing into the human villages to get away. Despite the difficulty however, Imirria could not and did not regret her choice to return.

Personality: Due to her childhood, Imirria is extremely independent and often keeps to herself. She has always had a complex about her half-elf status, being too human for the elves and too elven for the humans, and thus has trouble fitting in. Regardless, she identifies much more clearly with humans than elves, as she spent most of her formative years among humans. She is rather reserved with her feelings, and has become quite good at hiding her thoughts, though it becomes difficult when her emotions become too strong. Miri has a quick, hot temper, and is no stranger to holding grudges. Her humor tends to find expression in dry sarcasm, and while at times very serious, she has a quick wit and smart mouth that have gotten her into trouble more than once. Miri is quite curious and observant; she has a very adventurous nature.

Skills: Imirria is quite agile and stronger than she looks. She is skilled in the use of twin blades, and proficient with daggers as well. She is quite good at reading people, and skilled in detecting lies and finding those who wish to remain hidden. In addition, she is modestly skilled at playing the flute.

Possessions: Miri has a set of light leather armor, well worn, but of decent quality. She carries the elven twin blades given to her by her brother as well as a couple daggers of varying sizes. Imirria always wears a small rose quartz pendant on a silver chain that her mother gave her. She usually carries a small wooden flute in her pack, and can be convinced to play a tune or two without too much difficulty.