APPEARANCE
Brown hair down to his shoulders frame a face with green eyes and high cheekbones. His forehead shows deep wrinkles produced by the everpresent sun and wind of the desert. His hard eyes do much to mar his attractive features. His spirit mask usually covers the lower half of his face. Loose, flowing silk robes the color of sand with maroon splatches cover a well-oiled chain shirt. His loose pantaloons are beatifully embriodered and a colorful sash holds the scabbard of a desert scimitar. A zaelshin, black onyx with a yellow dragon eye adorns his head.
BACKGROUND
Kaelan’s life was going according to plan or so he thought. The leader of the warband had finally let the youth have what he wanted most. And that was to ride out on a fast Valenar steed and chase down ugly goblinoids or uncouth dino riders. Ha! As if those people were any challenge to a swift and precise elven blade.
So life for the young elf had been idyllic indeed. He honed his battle and riding skills with his brothers and sisters on the Blade Desert. He even served the King for few years when his warband was called for duty. Duty meant keeping the goblinoids in check and escort caravans that wanted to trade with the Valaes Tairn. But something gnawed deep inside the youth, something was missing.
That was when she showed up, the old elf, the Keeper of the Past. She claimed to be a distant cousin of Kaelan and she was old indeed, even for an elf. The old woman, Laesa had just returned from traveling Khorvaire and flat out told him that it was now his turn, no, his duty to continue where she left off. She claimed that they were both direct descendants of Shanae, the greatest elven explorer that ever lived. Kaelan did not believe her, did not want to believe her. He told her that he was happy riding with his brethren. She tagged along with the warband and said no more on the subject. She was patient. And she didn’t have to wait long.
Kaelan finally realized that there was something wrong and felt that he was meant for something else. Yes, riding and fighting was an honorable duty but there were plenty of brothers and sisters who could do that and, as much as he hated to admit, some of them were better than he was. How was he ever going to stand out, to honor his ancestors?
So one day, he approached the old woman as she was about to start what appeared to be her morning exercise routine. She caressed a beautiful scimitar and effortlessly danced across the sands. Her movements were fluid, efficient, and deadly. She then sat down and explained Shanae’s legacy to Kaelan. And he listened and absorbed everything. The first few months saw him learn about rhythm and dancing and about his ancestor. The rest of the year he was taught magic and groomed to become an honorable representative of the Valenar. He was taught about the world beyond Valenar’s borders. He was to become a Keeper of the Past.
Four years later, Laesa called him over and in a solemn ceremony took her zaelshin and pinned it on Kaelan’s helmet. He had been initiated as a Keeper of the Past and was told to travel beyond Valenar, to carry his culture forth, and to explore. Sadly he was told not to come back for several years unless he made a discovery or recovered and artifact worth telling the King.
He left his beloved steed, his warband, and hired himself on a Lyrandar ship heading east. A few weeks later and he finds himself in Port Krez, in the island of Krag in the Lhazaar Principalities.
PERSONALITY
Kaelan is a man of extreme emotions. Although, his training included plenty of reading about outside cultures, including the Lhazaar Principalities, nothing prepared him for the real thing. He’s not accustomed to people either ignoring him out of fear or shyness or outwardly provoking him. Needless to say, it is these last encounters that he relishes most.
At times, he dons his zaelta (’spirit mask’) to try and blend in but it doesn’t seem to help much.
His initial reaction is to feel haughty when meeting new people but then something inside of him reminds him of how he’s supposed to act. He then ’brings it down a notch’ and treats others with respect and not disdain.
He is already missing home and desperately searches for something to remind him of his people. But on the other hand, he’s determined to explore and find an artifact worth telling the High King of Valenar.
