This story is the result of the realization that when I sit down at the gaming table I seem to always be playing a variation on the same character. When I sat down down to create something different, my pen kept writing well beyond the basic stats. This story is by no means complete. It is a simple origin that will one day be continued in the form of an epic adventure. Enjoy.
Whiteleaf
The love story of Cerian and Margaret is a tale for another day. All you need to know for now is that an elven man loved a human woman and from that love grew a son.
Lycien Whiteleaf was raised in his mother's remote human village. From the day he was born, Margaret knew her son was special. He possessed a knowledge and power that no other man in the village ever would. She envisioned a world where her son was a great warrior and leader of men who would one day unite all the lands.
As soon as he was able to walk, Lycien had a wooden sword thrust into his hand. His uncles spent hours teaching him to wield it. When he was old enough to have chores, his time was divided between work and training. At fifteen, things changed. Lycien was taken on his first hunt. Never a fan of meat, he spent the rest of the night and part of the next morning cring over having taken the life of an innocent creature. Margaret explained to her son that as a soldier and general he would take many lives. That is when Lycien told his mother what he had been dreading. He did not want to be a soldier. He did not want to fight. He wanted to help people. To heal them.
Margaret was furious. Her son was supposed to become a great leader who would one day rescue her from this tiny village. No more floor scrubbing. No more clothes washing. Now her dream was ruined. She accused Lycien of being too much like his father and cast him out of her home. Lycien grabbed what few supplies and food he could manage in a hurry and set out into the night. That was the last contact he would have with humans for quite some time. He walked until he reached the forest then he walked some more. Luckily he had always had very good night vision. Eventually he grew tired and rest against a tree trunk to eat a bit of bread and lie down on a bed of leaves. He was soon sound asleep.
Lycien awoke with the sun. Alone, frightened and staring up into some very puzzled faces. It seemed a band of elves had been camped nearby and stumbled upon the sleeping young man while gathering roots and leaves. He had never seen an elf before but, had only heard stories, but these elves seemed to recognize him. The elves invited Lycien back to their camp and gave him a warm breakfast. They asked where he was from and how he came to be sleeping in the forest. He told them of his mothers dream and his own wish to be a healer and of his mother's rage when he told her of his desire. It was then that he was led to a medium sized tent just outside of the main camp. The tent oof Cerian the herbalist. It was then that Lycien met his father for the first time that he could remember.
Cerian knew that this day would come and was prepared. Though Lycien was never told about his mixed heritage, Cerian and his elven brothers had kept a close eye on his son. It was no accident that they happened to prefer this part of this particular forest. Lycien had learned much in his mother's village but now it was time to learn about his other half.
Though he hated fighting and didn't eat meat, his father made Lycien learn to use a bow. Cerian explained that fighting rarely solved anything but sometimes it was necessary. Lycien also learned all about herbalism. He soon knew which herbs and flowers could cure sickness and disease and which could kill. He even learned of a very special, very rare flower that could bestow life.
Living among the elves felt right. It felt like he belonged. Occasionally, a human would come into camp seeking medicine or bringing a sick loved one to see if the elven medicine might help them. Once every lunar cycle, the elves would venture into the human villages to trade goods and services. Cerian would make rounds tending the sick. He always refused payment unless the family insisted. Even then he would only accept trade, never money.
That was many years ago. Cerian has since moved on into the next life. Lycien can still be found in the forest not far from his mother's village living in his shelter of living trees and tending to his beautiful garden of healing herbs and flowers that he uses to continue his fathers work.
Whiteleaf
The love story of Cerian and Margaret is a tale for another day. All you need to know for now is that an elven man loved a human woman and from that love grew a son.
Lycien Whiteleaf was raised in his mother's remote human village. From the day he was born, Margaret knew her son was special. He possessed a knowledge and power that no other man in the village ever would. She envisioned a world where her son was a great warrior and leader of men who would one day unite all the lands.
As soon as he was able to walk, Lycien had a wooden sword thrust into his hand. His uncles spent hours teaching him to wield it. When he was old enough to have chores, his time was divided between work and training. At fifteen, things changed. Lycien was taken on his first hunt. Never a fan of meat, he spent the rest of the night and part of the next morning cring over having taken the life of an innocent creature. Margaret explained to her son that as a soldier and general he would take many lives. That is when Lycien told his mother what he had been dreading. He did not want to be a soldier. He did not want to fight. He wanted to help people. To heal them.
Margaret was furious. Her son was supposed to become a great leader who would one day rescue her from this tiny village. No more floor scrubbing. No more clothes washing. Now her dream was ruined. She accused Lycien of being too much like his father and cast him out of her home. Lycien grabbed what few supplies and food he could manage in a hurry and set out into the night. That was the last contact he would have with humans for quite some time. He walked until he reached the forest then he walked some more. Luckily he had always had very good night vision. Eventually he grew tired and rest against a tree trunk to eat a bit of bread and lie down on a bed of leaves. He was soon sound asleep.
Lycien awoke with the sun. Alone, frightened and staring up into some very puzzled faces. It seemed a band of elves had been camped nearby and stumbled upon the sleeping young man while gathering roots and leaves. He had never seen an elf before but, had only heard stories, but these elves seemed to recognize him. The elves invited Lycien back to their camp and gave him a warm breakfast. They asked where he was from and how he came to be sleeping in the forest. He told them of his mothers dream and his own wish to be a healer and of his mother's rage when he told her of his desire. It was then that he was led to a medium sized tent just outside of the main camp. The tent oof Cerian the herbalist. It was then that Lycien met his father for the first time that he could remember.
Cerian knew that this day would come and was prepared. Though Lycien was never told about his mixed heritage, Cerian and his elven brothers had kept a close eye on his son. It was no accident that they happened to prefer this part of this particular forest. Lycien had learned much in his mother's village but now it was time to learn about his other half.
Though he hated fighting and didn't eat meat, his father made Lycien learn to use a bow. Cerian explained that fighting rarely solved anything but sometimes it was necessary. Lycien also learned all about herbalism. He soon knew which herbs and flowers could cure sickness and disease and which could kill. He even learned of a very special, very rare flower that could bestow life.
Living among the elves felt right. It felt like he belonged. Occasionally, a human would come into camp seeking medicine or bringing a sick loved one to see if the elven medicine might help them. Once every lunar cycle, the elves would venture into the human villages to trade goods and services. Cerian would make rounds tending the sick. He always refused payment unless the family insisted. Even then he would only accept trade, never money.
That was many years ago. Cerian has since moved on into the next life. Lycien can still be found in the forest not far from his mother's village living in his shelter of living trees and tending to his beautiful garden of healing herbs and flowers that he uses to continue his fathers work.
Nicely done - maybe someday you'll get a chance to play the NON-badass fighter for once. :)
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