Solandriel the Gatherer

Gender: Male

Age: 213

Group: Merchants

Game: Dark Age of Aeran

Nationality/Loyalties

Born a slave in the Timber Crag Kingdom, now an itinerant merchant, Solandriel doesn't identify with any particular nation state. His primary loyalties lie with his spouse and the occasional friend they meet along the way.

Title/Rank

Solandriel is a shop assistant and ingrediant gatherer for the potion crafting business he and his wife, Gerda, run.

Race/Appearance

Solandriel is tall and slender, as is most often the case with elven people.  Although naturally fair skinned, years of life on the road exposed to the elements has left him tanned and toned, with a few scars to boot.  Nonetheless, the agelessness of his people has left him with few wrinkles despite his trials and his typical attitude lends itself toward almost making him look young.

Personality/Interests

Solandriel was born a slave and has had loyalty to and dependence upon his master ingrained deep into his psyche. Despite years of being free to choose his own destiny, these teachings have led him to commit himself to those who will have him and make use of him. Although he is fully capable of learning and executing complex tasks, he struggles greatly with long term planning and prefers to let others do that for him. One consequence of this is that he tends toward being rather impulsive when he is forced to make his own decisions.

Those flaws aside, Solandriel is a loyal friend to those who he respects, and when given effective instruction, is extremely reliable. He also tends to be rather protective, especially of his wife, Gerda.

Solandriel is typically laid back and reticent; although he will make small talk, he prefers to get others talking about themselves and their activities rather than to chat anything about himself.

All that said, the traits of his that probably stand out the most is his humility and his easy going nature. Letting things slide off his back is what he does, and he typically won't get riled up about anything that isn't threating the well being of his wife.

Brief History

Solandriel was born to elven slaves that belonged to a lord of the Timber Crag Kingdom. For many years, Solandriel served his lord diligently and faithfully until his lord's supposed plot's against the crown were "discovered". His master was executed for treason and his property, including Solandriel and his father (his mother had perished several years prior), was acquired and sold by the state. Separated from his father in the marketplace of the Praitine Vale, Solandriel was eventually purchased by Zelorus Skycastle, wife of the Kobroran ambassador to the Timber Crag Kingdom, after which he steadfastly served as a maintenance worker for the embassy for several decades. During this time, he caught the eye of one of the embassy staff, a curious fey man by the name of Maelwin Keyes, who eventually purchased him from Master Zelorus.

Now serving at Maelwin's also rather impressive estate, Solandriel did much the same kind of work that he had done at the embassy. As Master Maelwin was usually rather aloof and occupied with some business or the other (Solandriel had long learned from his first master never to pry into the business of his superiors), Solandriel generally reported to Maelwin's Head of Servants, a dwarven woman by the name of Gerda of Helfingarde. Although she had a tendency to be fastidious, much to the irritation of many of his fellow slaves and servants, Solandriel came respect the woman's intelligence and artistic sensibilities.

Many years later, Maelwin invited a band of foreign warriors at his mansion who ended up assassinating the queen dowager of the Timber Crag Kingdom. Due to their involvement in the plot, Solandriel, Gerda, and the remaining servants fled the country with Maelwin, where they continued to follow the enigmatic fey in his attempts to mold the post-Timber Crag world (the empire had begun to fall apart after the death of the queen dowager and the death of the golden king himself half a continent away shortly thereafter) into a better place. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan, and after a necromancer defeated both Maelwin's boss and later Maelwin himself, Maelwin decide to go to Kobrorus, forbiding Gerda and Solandriel (who were the only two servants left) from following him. Solandriel never saw Maelwin again.

Now forced to face the trials of a chaotic world alone, Solandriel and Gerda decided to start a potion shop. To get started, they had to travel far and wide for ingredients. In these travels, their love for one another solidified, as did their love for travelling. They got married and decided to keep their business on the road, and all the while, tried to find out what happened to Master Maelwin.

A century later, they have had no luck with their search, but now they find themselves in a stick situation due to getting caught up in the malevolent machinations of the High Church of Sarnia...

Arms/Equipment

Other than plain clothes, a dagger for self defence, and some pouches with alchemical ingredients, Solandriel doesn't have much on him. When travelling, he usually has a large backpack with his and his wife's belongings, but even that has been taken by the Sarnian thugs.

Talents/Abilities/Advantages

Solandriel is quite fit from all his years on the road carrying the couple's belongings. He knows a single spell, casting sparks, that he mostly uses for starting camp fires and threatening highwaymen.

Fears/Weaknesses/Phobias

Solandriel's only consistent friend has been his wife, and he depends on her to craft the potions and manage the business that keeps them both alive. Without her, he would be lost.

Solandriel is not a planner nor an organizer, and he can often come across as a bit of an air head.

Solandriel is quite content with mediocrity and is generally unremarkable at most things, be that fighting, casting spells, climbing, or negotiating deals.

Favorite Sayings or Quotes

I am content with what I have. I like to think everything else will work itself out.

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This character is not owned by anyone. You can adopt them if you become a member of this game.