History

Glorfindel was born on a clouded night as firstborn to his parents in the house of the Raven, a family house of Elvandars lesser nobility. There was a lot of uprear the night he first breathed the air of Forostar, as he was born with black eyes, something that had not happened since centuries and was considered an evil omen. It was whispered amongst the House that Alrion of the House of the Raven had fathered a cursed child, one that bore the mark of dark times, black eyes and silver hair. In a House that prided it's roots back to the founding of old Eal'Deliah and had always had close ties to the Clergy of Taniel, this was feared greatly. Alrion and his wife Cathariel however dismissed the chatter and disregarded the omen as false. His younger brother Erumollien was born fifteen after Glorfindel and did not show any signs that would've been interpreted as a bad omen.

Young Glorfindel spent his early youth around their family house and in their families garden, developing quite an affinity for nature and the trees. Only after reaching the age of 14, his father insisted on Glorfindel studying and therefore his life as a scholar began, even before he was formally inducted into the Scribes. Most of the following decades, he spent amongst books and delved into ancient clerical writings, his life being geared towards becoming the next of his house as a cleric of Taniel. Since an incident in Arborea, Erumollien and Glorfindel were very close and the brothers barely would part ways, neither in study nor in play.

However, as he got closer to come of age, Glorfindel started to grow restless. Somehow he felt he had to escape the destiny his family heritage provided him with. He felt he had to forge his own path and he would not be destinies servant. He had learned in the last five decades a lot of things. From how to hunt, over the basics in most languages to what was known at that time from the lore of Lord Taniel. He could wield a staff with sufficient skill to defend himself and he knew enough of clerical lore to dare to engage a pilgrim in a clerical dispute. Yet, his heart longed a different path.

Some night, he said goodbye to his brother and left the family mansion in Elvandar without further words to find his own fortune. After a while of travelling, he came across a shrine of Asral and a few clerics of him. They invited him to travel alongside them towards the town of Arborea, where they were planning to preach to the population. Curious about this faith he knew nothing about, he followed along them and talked much with the clerics on the Travel.

At that market, he listened to them preach and their charismatic and rallying speeches hit the young elves heart. Within a day, he was standing in front of Felron of Arborea and pledged his faith to Asral. The human clerics showed him the use of an axe and sent him off to find and fight his enemies.

Always been kind at heart and feeling his need to help those in need, Glorfindel soon heard of a den of Orcs in a camp nearby, who would waylay innocent travelers, rob them and cook them for dinner. Enraged in his youth, he grabbed his faithful axe and set out to slay these Goblinoids. He knew Asral would lend him strength and the pride of his skills told him he would be unstoppable. What could a simple Orc do against one of the House of the Raven anyway?

Late at night he saw at the Horizon the campfires of the Orc Camp he had been told about. He was astonished of how few it really were. He counted two hobgoblins and three Orcs, not really being much of a Camp to begin with. Once he was sure he had sighted all of them, he charged into the camp, axe swinging wildly and fury in his eyes, ready to defeat his enemies for the glory of his God and give the people of Arborea peace.

However, Pride and Prejudice were false guides for young Glorfindel and he soon found himself in a fight that clearly outmatched his strength. One of the most bloody fights in his history ensured, one he rarely speaks about to anybody. The hobgoblins fell easy enough, yet after slaying the second Orc, he was already bleeding from many a wound, his axe was notched and his sight blury. Hands refused to be lifted for another strike, feet to weary to dodge the enemies slashes and smashes, unfocused and totally exhausted he faced the last of them, their chieftain.

The last battle prove too much for the frenzying elf and the orc chieftain led his own axe against him, landing a garish slash on Glorfindels Forehead, before collapsing from his own wounds. That very moment, Glorfindel was on the brink of death and in itself ready to leave the realm of Forostar. As his senses faded, he heard a voice he had never heard before, calling out to him. "Serve me, my child and I'll make you one of my clerics. I'll lend you strength to slay my foe's which are you foe's. I'll give you the power to mend those of your kin that you grieve for. Abandon Asral and become my cleric. I will save you". Hearing this soothing voice, Glorfindel complied. A white light flashed before Glorfindels eyes and a searing pain rushed through the slash on his forehead, while his senses finally faded and he fell into a deep slumber.

As he awoke, Glorfindel realized that something had changed. The burning desire for battle and the searing hatred in his heart had vanished. He felt reborn and strengthened like he had not felt in ages. As he stood up from the ground and looked upon himself and the camp, a sight burned into the backside of his brain that he would never forget again. The ruined camp and the slain foes, splattered around the camp and bathed in blood. His own clothings torn and cut, his axe broken on the ground. His hands stained with the very same blood and his very body covered with scratches and smaller cuts. As this image was sinking into him, he heard the voice a second time: "Seek my Clerics. Seek Finarfin". Thus his journey to become a pilgrim of Taniel began. This very day he also returned home into the arms of his family and never departed willingly from there again.

Too many things can be told about his life as a cleric of Taniel and he seldomly speaks of the old days. He has fought too many battles and faced too many horrors. As much may be said though: He rose up into the ranks and finally became Archbishop of Taniel. He led the clergy of Taniel for many years, till the voice of Taniel become more stern and wrath was his main concern, in the eyes of Glorfindel. Therefore one day, he asked the Lord to be excused from his clergy and was eventually granted this.

The years following his Abandonment of the clergy of Taniel led Glorfindel through many vales and many days where he rallied support for Lord Taniels cause and raised young clerics in the ways of the Lord, lacking serving clerics to do this job. He himself found an interest in the ways of Magic and began dabbling in it, soon becomming his main interest. He joined a very interested group of scholars who were set to the goal of rediscovering the ways of old magic.

Eventually he met Yngwe of the Shaolin and after long hesitation gave in to the desire to be one of them. He realized that his heart always told him that he belonged to the monestary and to any deities clergy. So he took the robe and staff of the monk and alongside others, now serves faithfully as a Shaolin monk.

Rumours say that one day, as Taniel declined to resurrect him after he died to a Sathonite priest, Glorfindel chose to cut the last ties to the God who had shown him the cold shoulder for a long time. He then found hold in the worship of another deity, one that he should have worshipped from the beginning, but wisdom comes with pain and age, that much he had learned, so he did not pity or doubt his past.

Guild History

+ joined the clerics of Taniel

+ joined the Arborea Skalds

+ became archbishop of Taniel

- left the Arborea Skalds

+ Joined the Arborea Scribes

+ Joined the bookbinders

+ became masterscribe

- left the bookbinders

+ joined the parchmentmakers

- left the Clergy of Taniel

+ joined the Alchemists

+ became 'Alchemist'

- left the Alchemists

+ became Shaolin Monk

+ became Master of the Shaolin Arts

Deaths and kills

Glorfindel has never been the most strong PVP Character, so his deaths were many and his victories few. Yet he left a few out there burned to piles of ashes, or how he fancies it nowadays, frozen to death.

-- GlorFindel - 2012-01-02