Aranthel Elwyn
Return to On Stolen Wings
Creator: BrumalHunter
Roleplay: On Stolen Wings
Nickname: Aran
Name: Aranthel Elwyn.
Age: 1301.
Gender: Male.
Race: Elf.
Profession: A dragon rider since birth and a naturalist for almost as long; Aranthel seeks to write the most comprehensive encyclopedia on natural history that the world has ever seen.
Bonded Dragon: Delicate as a cloud and radiant as a sunbeam — that is the simplest way to describe the celestial wonder that is Sezheren. No pure soul could gaze upon his white-and-gold glory and not believe that he must have been birthed by heaven itself on the finest of dawns. He is muscular and elegant, regal and benevolent, and... actually, that’s about as much praise as Sezheren would tolerate from Aran (in front of company). He’s large when compared to most dragons, but for a dragon of 3301 years, he’s actually more moderately sized. Gold features prominently across his body to contrast with his stark white scales: golden claws adorn his digits; two golden horns point at an upward angle to the back of his head (curving slightly inward, outward, and inward again); small, golden spines line his back and tail; and golden scales accentuate the arches of his wings. Even his sky-blue eyes are speckled with gold. Sezheren does his best to live up to the expectations his appearance creates, but over the millennia of his life, he’s discovered that composure and wisdom come naturally — all he needs to do is remain true to himself and his rider, and the rest will follow. Granted, much of “remaining true to himself” entails worrying about Aran and taking precautions to keep him safe, but he at least allows himself to listen when told to relax.
Appearance: Aranthel is every bit the picture of classical beauty that comes to mind when one thinks of elves. Handsome and lean yet graceful and serene, he is the perfect rider for a dragon as magnificent as Sezheren — and while the noble creature might roll his eyes, he would say not a single word to the contrary. Aran’s skin is fair yet kissed by the sun, and his eyes are the cool azure of a summer afternoon. His hair is most frequently a lustrous blond or brown, but it has shone in every colour of the rainbow at some point or another. He often wears form-fitting clothing of linen or leather, naturally in the greens, browns, oranges, and creams characteristic of his race, but he also has a love of fine and brightly coloured silk, as any cultured man should.
Personality: All right, yes, maybe Aran is a tad full of himself. But justified pride is a far cry from arrogance or haughtiness! It’s also true that he finds most company plain and ordinary, but when one has met innumerable individuals — many of them vibrant and enigmatic — over the course of more than a thousand years... how can one settle for the dull and unspectacular? In fact, Aran considers himself quite modest for an elf of his accomplishments, and even if he finds someone uninteresting or even downright boring, he’d never be anything but charming and courteous. (...Unless the person in question is a boor or a fool, in which case he’ll turn aloof and seek out more pleasant company.) His counsel is invaluable to the common and the privileged alike, which is clearly a testament to his skill in diplomacy.
History: On the two thousandth anniversary of his hatching, the illustrious dragon Sezheren passed through an elven community in the forests surrounding the western Asturian mountains. He soon learned of the ongoing birth of an elven child; curious, he joined the village in anticipating the delivery. Once the boy’s cries filled the air, the dragon grew thoughtful and proclaimed himself the guardian of newly born Aranthel. As decades and later centuries passed, it became evident that Aran possessed skill in a great many fields, all of which he explored and aimed to master. However, his drives were ambition and curiosity, and while these sustained him in excelling at his chosen endeavors, it also led him to abandon any that no longer interested him, regardless of how worthwhile they might truly be. Elves could live for millennia, but they would not live forever; Aran needed to ensure he would leave behind a suitable legacy. He could think of no greater feat than writing the single most detailed and accurate collection of works describing every race and living being. What better use of one’s time than to care for the eternally young tree that is knowledge?! It is a never-ending task, but following his centuries of dedication, Aran can rightfully say that he has killed, dissected, studied, saved, befriended, and mated with every sentient race known to his society. He will pursue knowledge until his final day, but no matter which that is destined to be, he knows he will rest in peace, for his legacy will indeed be as grand as he had dreamed.
Up For Love: While Aran would never claim to have slept with the largest number of sentient beings, he does claim to be the only person to have slept with every single race — and he has several journals full of names to prove it. He’s quite unsurprisingly pansexual and finds both bodies and personalities attractive. Though he’s had many bizarre sexual encounters in his life, calling him a creep would be an injustice. He’s infallibly respectful in his sexual conduct and always honours the other party’s wishes. Aran has many current romantic and casual partners, but only a single permanent relationship; he’ll happily increase the number of the former, but the latter will never change.
Other: “Arandiel Nerana” is the name by which Aranthel will be known to the rest of the cast, as it conveniently preserves his nickname. Rather irked with the deplorable state in which the mess of an empire currently finds itself, he has offered his assistance to the Council in vanquishing the Litch-Monarch (or whoever’s plaguing the populace). He will be posing as a 131-year-old recruit riding the red-and-gold, 1356-year-old Sezhen, and while he is a master of sigil-weaving and several weapon classes, he’s decided to handicap himself by wielding a completely unused staff and utilizing conventional magic, of which he knows very little. This will leave him with an uncommon vulnerability to physical attacks, although he’s highly unlikely to suffer any fatal injuries. Convincing his “peers” that he is indeed just another recruit will actually be his most difficult task, as he is susceptible to flattery and enjoys showing off, both of which could result in him raising suspicions and losing the opportunity to gather the required intelligence.