Full Name: Talan Va'lash
Age: 108 (Original age: 9
Classes: Fighter/Wizard/Arcane Archer 6/5/9
XP TNL: 200,000 something
Race: Elf
Alignment: Neutral Good
--Original Submission--
Talan and Lalaith Va'lash were raised by their father, Arandil Va'lash, a noble and the comander of the elite archery regiment of the city guard. Neither know much about their mother, her origins, or present whereabouts. Arandil raised them from a young age to follow in his footsteps as warriors and leaders of men.
When Lalaith was forced to leave home she asked Talan to come with her. Talan truly wanted to go with his sister but he was still young and very much under the influence of his overbearing father. He also still believed in his father’s vision for him.
After completing the standard training of the city guard elite archer regiment, his father suggested that he journey out into the lands, to practice his skills, to become a leader of men, and accomplish great deeds. This vision enthralled Talan as he headed away from home. However, the land Arandil sent Talan into was the same region Arandil's sources had reported Lalaith to be in.
Talan has since tempered his ambition, reunited with his sister (although a rift still divides them, it has closed up some), and come to the conclusion that his father sent him out so that Lalaith would see him, that his shining success would make her failings seem even darker in his light.
Talan has somewhat forsaken the path his father set for him, although remnants of it are still there, in his desire to do good. However he follows his own moral compass, despising the restrictions and expectations put on him earlier in life by his father. He continues to hone his skills with bow and blade and spell, expanding on the training he began with his father’s elite guard. His experience with the arcane has given him a thirst for knowledge, but it is not so strong that it overwhelms him. The lore of rare items, names and events both current and past, and the actions of the gods all interest Talan, but more on an academic than personal level.
Talan and Lalaith now travel together and roam across the lands. They have recently arrived in Layonara, which seems on first inspection, a land quite different than they are used to.
--End Original Submission--
Since arriving in Layonara Talan has grown in experienee and prowess. One of the first deeds that distinguished him from his peers and spread his name beyond the mouths of those that frequented hlint was his service to Allurial The Queen Of Mistone when he was chosen by Triba Gues to bear the colors and lead the group of adventurers that escorted her and King Karem Of Layonara to the Fort of Last Hope in the Demon Mountains.
1381
King Waylend and Queen Alurial meet with Bloodstone. Many worry as they did not return for many months and neither speaks openly of the meeting.
Though having played such a role did not make him privy to the information discussed at those meetings, it grant him recognition and a measure of trust with some of those in Allurial’s service, most notably The High Star Bellinmarc, whom Talan has met with several times, for various purposes.
1381
The symbol of a Scorpion is seen in the night sky for the first time, though it is very dim and difficult to locate.
Milara’s ritual and the consequences of the party’s inability to interrupt it is a memory that holds quite a bit of frusteration for Talan. Not because of the groups failure to interrupt it, but because after fighting through hordes to gain the ritual chamber, Talan lay dead on the floor unable to use his bow to help, and had to be resurrected and informed of the events after the fact.
1385
Two Bloodpools are destroyed by hearty adventure parties in this year.
These were satisfying expeditions for Talan, despite losing a fair chunk of his soul in the presence of the second bloodpool. The sight of the conflagration that accompanies a bloodpool’s death is worth the price.
1381
The constellation of the Viper is once again seen in the sky above Layonara.
After the Viper had been visible for a number of years many tribes of gnolls united under Shadisson’s banner. The united gnollish force laid siege to the Gnoll Watch Tower. Showing amazing creativity and strategy (for gnolls) they gnoll force employed huge griffons to drop troops upon the hill, and inside the tower walls. Talan rallied and led the force of adventurers that fought through the gnollish line to relieve the towers beleaguered guard and help them hold the fort through the night until fresh troops could arrive from Blackford. The adventurers then tracked the army back to the cave they were using as a base of operations, destroying divisions of the army on the way, then striking at the leaders, clerics of the viper and powerfull fighters to shatter the gnoll alliance.
1386
It is whispered among a rare few that the metallic dragons returned in this year but none have seen them since their rumored return.
(not going to say too much about this on the public forums )
Talan has stood before every dragon on Layonara, unless some still remain hidden and without outside contact for the last several thousand years. He helped gain the support of every chromatic (and one that might not quite be a chromatic) to build their alliance.
He was one of the eight that returned to Ozlo after many others had given up hope to try to salvage his task, and thus began the quest for The Gems of Voltrex.
The completion of this quest led Talan to the most wondrous, awe inspring, and somewhat frightening experience of his life.
//not going spell out what it was... but, if you already know what happened, I’m sure you can guess
1384
A great and powerful green dragon is slain in this year, leaving only a rare few dragons left and Bloodstones drive to destroy all dragons closer to being achieved.
After the green’s demise, Blood moved against the blue. Talan fought alongside many other adventurers, the Long Storm herself, and a score of her kobold minions against the hordes of the netherplanes that Blood sent forth against her. The battle went on for days, and it was a costly victory, but a real and symbolic victory of great value.
Talan has made a few ties with the continent of Voltrex. Not the least of which was helping to destroy the bloodpool that was buried deep in the Peaks of Voltrex. Another was his duty in being the Bearer of Melizaphei’s Scroll of Air, one of the four sentient scrolls that were created to bind the links between the inner planes and the material. When the scrolls were judged, Talan became the Guardian of Air. He holds the position hoping someday to become the Weird, almost the link itself. The Weird is currently the former soul that was bound in the Scroll of Air. Lastly, Talan may be known on Voltrex for his role in completing the Tests of the Towers, the tasks to retrieved the elemental gems that Ozlo requested.
In Talan’s past lie many stories unfinished and tales who’s weaving is not yet complete: The shadows of drow, of a tale of pain, and love, and hate, of his sister, and of his father.
Talan can claim with little fear of argument that he is the best archer outside of Voltrex. Therefore he looks toward Voltrex for the future, and for the continued perfection of his craft.
//Talan plans to continue his current path (classwise, Arcane Archer), and I have PMed Idii with ideas more specifically related to my ECDQ itself. If I have missed any part of the ECDQ submission process please let me know via PM. Thanks
-TV
Edit: forgot to sign heh
Edited by Talan Va'lash 8/18/2005 4:02 AM