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About Goinin Bearback

Goinin Bearback

Male

Elf

Forester - Lv 1
Monk of the Open Hands - Lv 1
Magus(Kensai) - Lv 3

Lawful Neutral

[spoiler=Character Backstory]
Born to a High Elf father and a Sylvan mother Goinin is a world apart. Goinin's father, Alawe "Calenuanfen" Umcaeloske was part of the city guard in the Elven city of Dragon Eyrie. He married a beautiful Sylvan lady named Tari Elafkel an Elven princes of very old blood. Alawe moved to his the Sylvan city of Andoril and was promoted to the royal guard. Together they had 7 sons, of which Goinin was the eldest.

Goinin spent the first 20 years of his life in Dragon Eyrie, learning to fight with bladed and bow. He never liked the bow or the blade somehow neither ever really fit him. Sure he could use them proficiently, but he was never really into it.

Around his 20th birthday Alawe received a promotion and they moved to his mothers home city of Andoril. Where father though lenient by Elven standards pressed him into training citing that he had to make a good impression. It was at this point that Goinin started his coerced training as a forester. Goinin express his love for the hunt, but his dislike for the weapons he carried. Goinin's father assured him that once he learned it, he would enjoy it as did his father and his father's father before him. So Goinin followed through and reluctantly learned all that was necessary. Alawe was surprised to find out that even after finishing the mandatory training Goinin was still unenthusiastic. Alawe tried to explain to him that this was the way of his people and to embrace it whole heartedly, because the Aern Rugadh sought perfection. So one must try as hard as one can to become better at ones task. Goinin explained that he had not the passion for weapons, and never would be. To this his father had nothing to say except "you will see." Soon after Goinin began to see things strange things. The most significant of which was a White Tiger, as according to the native Sylvan's there are no tigers in the elfwood never mind a white tiger. When ever he was alone he would chase the tiger but never catch it. Most thought it some odd defect of him being half High Elf. But Alawe in particular mistook this as his son attempting to shirk his destiny, not to mention embarrassing.

Near the end of his 40th year Goinin was in the forest when came upon a most peculiar yet familiar set of tracks, and set to following them. The trail ended near the edge of the elfwood, and standing there in the moonlight was a glowing White Tiger. He followed this Tiger through the elfwood never quite able to catch up. This happened several times over the next couple of months. On one particular time he sighted the Tiger, in order to move more silently he set down all of his weapon except for his dagger. He stalked the Tiger for a miles when it stopped. And as he crept closer he slowly reached down to his knife and realized it wasn't there. When he looked up the tiger was looking at him. It then promptly turned around and walked away. Goinin followed it past the elfwood to just past the wood to a clearing. In this clearing he saw a stone temple. As he came closer he saw men in the court yard. He watch the monks for hours observing there every move and practice. At first he thought they were dancing but as he got closer he realized they were drilling. He wondered how can this be how could there be an enemy encampment so close to the elfwood. "How cobhuld they allow it" he says to himself. A human encampment, not just a village but a human fort occupied by trained combatants. Not just absurd, impossible. "The tiger must have been sent to warn me yes, yes warn me of this danger I must investigate", he thought. Using his years of forced training he stealthed his way closer to the complex. Upon reaching the gates he realized first, that the tiger was gone and the entrance was made of stone. "This could not be invaders for the would not have even allow ground to be struck."

And it was here that his path started to become clear. For in his awe and confusion he did not notice the White Tiger sneak up behind him. It Came from behind and gently took him by the hand and led him through the complex. As he was led through the complex the murals told a story of one man and his strive toward perfection. But the statues however told a different story the seemed to be instruction of some sort. Final the white tiger led him toward the men in the courtyard and one in particular. An aged bald man in a long yellow and red robes. The man clenched his right hand into a fist and placed it into his left palm, which was open with fingers straight up and the thumb bent. He then made a straight forward bow, toward the tiger. As the tiger led Goinin past the men they formed up and bowed in a similar fashion. The tiger then led Goinin to where two men were sparring, it was here that it became clear what was going on. Goinin went from suspicious to excited, before the tiger even led him around to an empty spot in one of the formations. Goinin spent the next three years sneaking of into the forest and leaving his weapons behind to following the tiger and train. By the end of his 60th year he had master all of the basic and intermediate material, only his specialization remained.

Near the beginning of his 60th year it became clear to Alawe that this was not and would likely never be the a weapons master like his predecessors. His mother however, understood this and tried to help him by introducing him to the druids. Goinin understood little and had only moderate interest in such nature magic and even less talent. However seeing Goinin interact with the druids gave his father an idea, why not send Goinin to study magic. Within a year Alawe had accepted the position as head of the royal guard at the Dragon Eyrie a position he previously turned down at his wife's insistence.

While living at the Dragon Eyrie Goinin started to study magic and as he did the tiger appeared less and less. Until by his fifth year the tiger had stooped appearing at all. Goinin thought strange but assumed the best that he had learned all he needed to. It also helped that Goinin was so consumed by his magical studies that time itself seemed to fly by. Even from the first Goinin sought to combine his skill in unarmed combat with the magic of the magi. However he was by now several decades older than his peers, so it took him an extra 20 years to build up the magical skill as many of the other magi, still; it always seemed that he was a level behind.

When Goinin was around 20 and the old king died, Alawe received another promotion to regent of an old Gray Elf City. It was at this time that he learned to combine the fighting arts of the elven people with the philosophy of the fist. For the next 40 years goinin spent studying magic in the day and training in the forest at night. He learned to combine his elven training with his understanding of martial arts.

At the age of 120 Goinin set out to prove his philosophy.