Hadarai

Born just
150 years ago, in the forests south of Waining, Hadarai grew up as close to
nature as the animals and creatures that lived along side him. He was born into
the Del Amahn clan. A wilder clan known only to a rare few, and seen by even
fewer, the Del Amahn clan silently lived in the forest of Waining for several
hundred years, having been relocated there by a magical disaster that wiped a
major part of the forest that the Del Amahn had called home. For a few hundred
years they lived in relative peace, hiding from any serious threat, and keeping
to themselves aside from a rare trader encounter or random adventurer. However,
the clan is mightily protective of their lands, and will die for their
brethren, as well as for their land. The clan allegiance runs strong, and very
deep.

After what
seemed like a human eternity of relative peace, a disturbance spreads it’s
tendrils through the forests the Del Amahn call home. A curse has ravaged the
wildlife and local villages, and though the elves are very stealth and know the
lands better than anyone, they too have been affected, with several scouting
parties coming back wounded, or not even returning at all. There have been
whispers of entire camps being found deserted, or destroyed, with no message
left. Being a skittish, migratory people, the Del Amahn have decided to migrate
south, to the Midlands, where they hope to find safety and peace.

Almost all
of Hadarai’s friends and camp mates had moved along south, though Hadarai was
always more of a lone wolf. He did have a friend Gawan, who was also scouting
somewhere in these woods, though his exact location and proximity are hard to
pin down at the moment. Hadarai's teacher and combat master Dalosaari was
leading his faithful combat team somewhere in these woods as well, after the
migration south began. And so it was that all the council, elders, and camps
moved South in search of safety.

Not all
would be so lucky. Enter Hadarai. Hadarai, being one of the youngest of the Del
Amahn, was tasked along with others to find the source of the plight, and to
connect with any survivors and stragglers that were found in the forest. Del
Amahn elves, even more so than other clans, revere the elders as leaders, and it
is expected that the youngest elves will do everything they can to preserve the
clan, and it’s lands. And as such Hadarai found himself scouting out the forest
on the day he met the brave adventurers and their oracle.

Hadarai
stands at about 5 foot 10, and weighs in at 116 pounds. He was fairly tall for
a Del Amahn, and while his shot and tracking were average for one of his kind,
he was certainly known to be one of the more nimble and stealthy of the wood
elves. His size concealed his agility, and his rapid movements and footwork
made his movements seem almost unnatural to the common eye. With bronze skin,
green eyes, a rough shaggy mane of brown hair, and blue face paintings in line
with Del Amahn culture, Hadarai was an exotic sight to behold for any outsider
that has had the pleasure, or misfortune, of meeting him. He would often be
sighted wearing a green cloak and green cloth over a leather breast plate, his
quiver strap adjourned with the feathers of an Owlbear, which he had slain
during his coming of age ritual, where he had chosen the name Hadarai.  Some time after their 100th
birthday, after having proven themselves to be capable in a certain field, each
Del Amahn elf must go through a rite of passage, a ritual into adulthood, known
in the common tongue as The Great Struggle. As Hadarai had spent most of his
time training with Dalosaari and was considered combat and survival ready after
a few expeditions,  he was sent on The
Great Struggle of the Hunter, where he must track and fell a massive, worthy
beast that had taken a life or was causing danger, with blunted arrows that
couldn’t pierce as much as bruise. Hadarai found and stalked an adult Owlbear,
and for 17 sun cycles followed the beast from the shrubs and treetops, taking
infrequent shots from concealed positions. Finally, after taking countless
arrows, some which managed to draw blood, the beast was eventually slain. The
Owlbear made for a great and memorable feast, and Hadarai saved plenty of
massive feathers, currently fasted onto his quiver strap.

Having been
searching the forest for quite some time, narrowly avoiding danger, Hadarai was
coming up with almost nothing significant that he could take back to the clan.
He had made sightings of werecreatures and giants, and much carnage throughout
these once peaceful lands. Realizing a sort of pattern and structure to these
attacks, Hadarai had been tracking a lone direwolf in an attempt to find its
nesting area. The wolf was enjoying a gruesome meal, devouring the torso of a
hill giant corpse. Hadarai was watching safely from the tree tops, when he
heard a branch snap right beneath him. To his shock, he saw a tiefling, a
creature of legend in these wooded areas. He watched with great curiosity as
the tiefling engaged the wolf. Not wanting to put himself in danger, he watched
as the tiefling bravely threw himself into combat with the wolf, but after a
series of exchanges, the smell of blood and dark magical aura permeated through
the area as the tiefling finally fell to the savage beast. As the being let out
a blood curdling scream, Hadarai sighed to himself, and notched an arrow in his
bow. The beast had taken a life, and in the process it had sustained serious
damage and would only suffer for the rest if it’s short life. Hadarai noted to
himself to never get on a tieflings bad side, and muttered a quick prayer to
Silvanus as he unleashed his arrow, felling the beast. A survivalist at heart,
he made quick work of the animals pelt, and turned to the tiefling’s recently
dismembered corpse. He solemnly searched his belongings, taking with him a
little gold, a brilliant skinning knife, some provisions, and most curious of
all, an empty book with a seemingly ancient cover. He also found a flute,
beautifully crafted, which he gladly took with having lost his instrument some
time ago. Knowing it unusual for beings to venture this deep into the woods
alone, and with the tiefling being very well equipped, Hadarai set off after
the former tieflings previous tracks, in an attempt to find any potential
traveling partners, not only to inform them of their partners fate, but to see
what they may know about the curse on these lands.