Character Name:

Tristan Windvalley

User: [Nightshadow]
Race: 1/2 human, 1/4 elf, 1/4 demon
Age: 23
Gender: male
Rank/Class/Title: wandering bard
Alignment: Lawful Good

Appearance: Because of his heritage, it's hard to tell his race at a glance except as "mixed." He's often called a half-elf, but the more observant tend to notice something foreign in the mix, too. Tristan has dusty blonde hair that's usually messy and in his eyes. He keeps it fairly clean. His otherwise pale skin is well-tanned, as he's usually outside. It's marred by a deep scar running down almost the entire length of his right cheek. His eyes are hazel. He likes color, but not ones too bright, showy, or pale, so he's usually wearing a deep red, green, or blue cloak, and the rest of his clothing consists of mostly similar hues. He's lightly muscled, neither more nor less than can be attributed to tasks like constant walking, hiking, carrying wood, climbing, and whatnot. The only indications of his demonic heritage are his two sets of fangs, each slightly shorter than a vampire's single set, and his wings. He doesn't like what he is, and his wings are almost always bound tightly to his back, with his shirt pulled on over them and his cloak covering the ends that stick out, leaving little indication of their existence except by touch and a very slightly hunchbacked appearance. For that reason, he seldom takes off his cloak. Needless to say, his wings are thin and lack much muscle structure from lack of use.


The second one was drawn by [inukun]...ain't he a doll? ^_^

Skills: Tristan's a good though not outstanding fighter, able to hold his own against opponents of average ability. That skill is meant for self-defense, as he does usually travel alone. He uses mostly a bow--which he also uses to get his dinner most of the time--and a blade that straddles the line between a broadsword and a shortsword. He's a better hunter than he is a fighter, though, and is a quick hand at taking down small animals for purposes of food and fur. He's also quite good with the forests' plants--something he learned from his elven grandfather--and knows which to eat, which can heal, and so on. He only knows minor medicines like headache relief, however...he isn't a doctor by any means, though he does have noteworthy skill in first aid. He can sing fairly well but seldom does except while earning a meal or few coppers. He's a bit stronger than he would have otherwise been, though not terribly much, due to the demonic quarter of his blood.

Personality: Tristan is personable, friendly, and polite. He's often introspective--though he tries to have some social grace when with others--and usually alone, but he does appreciate good company very much. He puts quite a lot of thought into not letting people know that he has demon blood in him. He's not sure whether he's ashamed of that bit of his heritage, or hates it, or is afraid of it, or what, but in any case, it makes him uneasy.

History: Tristan's grandfather, an elf, had an affair with a demon. One day he awakened to a baby left in his home during the night, their son. For some unknown reason, he never saw the demoness again. The demon-elf then married a human, and the result of that union was Tristan. He doesn't have any brothers or sisters, as his father was killed by demon hunters soon after his birth, as the elder Windvalley was returning from a long merchant's trip.
So Tristan grew up in a house in the forest with only his mother, though they visited town once a week or so. As he and his peers grew older, and the children started categorizing races as "good," "bad," and "hell no get away from me freak," his previously-admired wings became a source of disdain. Tristan had previously been well-liked, and a handful of loyal friends still associate with him, but he quickly became an outcast of the town. He slowly realized that the adults had always set him aside and been wary of him, but he'd always been oblivious to it before. He quickly became self-conscious about any trace of his demonic heritage and took to hiding his wings beneath his shirt, graduating quickly to actually tying them in place. His mother originally chastened the practice, but after many months, seeing that her son was adamant about it, finally relented.
Tristan was never comfortable in the town after he became its social pariah, and left soon after he came of age, as a bard and amateur adventurer. As he returned from his first long journey, however, he almost met the same fate his father did. A group of overzealous demon-hunters, on seeing his fangs, harassed him until they tore off his cloak, revealing his wings. At that point, they figured they had an easy kill and and set out to maim and murder him. He barely got away alive, finally escaping by jumping from the cliff he was pinned on and giving the impression of crashing to his death on the rocks below, while in reality he'd caught himself at the last moment with his wings. He slipped into the forest while they were climbing down to retrieve his body. Though he survived, the incident left him with both a deep scar on his right cheek and a serious distrust for groups of strangers, not to mention a reinforced hatred of his heritage.

Quirks: Tristan can often be found filing his nails...it's because they're actually claws he keeps filed to look human, albeit thick and discolored.

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