The Gelvens

[gjallahorn]

The two moonelves Tonia and Galalawyn Gelven landed on the coast about 1 month apart, Tonia being the first to step of a ship from the far western sea, Galalawyn setting foot on the docks of Baldurs Gate about four tendays later.
The siblings are often seen together sharing a meal around a campfire, roaming the lands around Baldurs Gate or simply trading insults with a glimt in their eyes only a long life together can grant.

For those that ask they both tell openly of their home in Elion, a city on the northen parts of Evermeet and their past as guards in the High Grove of Corellon...Rumors will state that both Gelvens have served one hundred years before the grace of the Creator of the Elves, and that this long service is due to a pact made between their great grand farther, a skilled swordsman named Nym Gelven and a high priest of Corellon who's name to this day, remains lost in time..or simply a secret.

Tonia..the younger of the two, has retained her devotion to Corellon, having risen to become a champion of the Coronal of Arvandor while this is rumored not to be the case of her elder brother....

[gjallahorn]

The difference between the two Gelvens is perhaps best observed when one looks at the two...
Tonia a tall charismatic woman clad in a smiple worn leatherarmor with a green cloak and hood held together by a small brooch, her clothes dusty from many miles on both the road and wilderness alike.
She carries her bow of elven makeing and two blades hangs from the belt around her waist, a longsword and a shortsword, the latter being a gift from her elder brother.
Her skin is dark gray with the hint of blue that defines most moonelves and her long hair..set up in a high ponytail shines with a deep silver glow....She's generaly friendly and forthcomming when aproched, offering a sensere smile to most she meets, allthough somewhat reserved when dealing with people that insits on hideing ther face behind masks and the like.
To any one thats been around Tonia for more than a few hours her dislike of villiany and evil intent is easy spottet..some might call her hot headed at times, her brother being one of them, but lately she seems to have gained some restraint...prefering to counter malisius comments with a cold glare..or simply ignoring them..for the time being.

Galalawyn stands even taller than his sister, still clad in the Gelven family armor, an empresive fullplatemail with silver patterns inglad in the dark metal and a gray cloak and hood. At his hip..a sleen longsword.
At first empresion Galalawyn's dark skin tone combined with his silver hair leeds some to believe him a drow, an acusation he's getting incresingly tired of..but Gal handels the situations with a calm almost emotionless face...slowly explaining the facts to those that jump to conclutions while trying to calm his sister down, as the misstakes angers her greatly. Though lately she seems to have adopted her brothers veiw on the matter..and simply sighs and rolls her eyes at the false acusations...

[gjallahorn]

To anyone that knows the Gelvens or have talked with them around the camp fires..its clear that despite the fact they share both blod and surname..the two elves have had very different childhoods.

Galalawyn being the elder one was in his late 40's when his littlesister was born...at this time the strong tall boy already showed great promise in becoming a great swordsman, some even suggested he'd become more skilled than his great grand farther Nym, and he was spending most of his time trying to master everything his teacher put before him.

Galalawyn and Tonia's father, a skilled wizard named Ghalan surported his son on this parth, allthough he had hoped his eldest son would learn The Art as he himself had done.

As Tonia grew up she spent much time watching her brother practice with the blades, to much awail for Ghalan who now hoped for his daughter to carry on his profession.
As the day for Galalawyns one hundreth year birthday grew closer, with the following onehundred years in Corellons service waiting for him, his sister grew more and more restless..
Knowing that she would not see her brother before she herself turned one hundred years old...in almost 50 years from then, she refused to submit to her fathers demands of learning the Art.

[gjallahorn]

Trying to mend the situation between the young girl and her father Galalawyn and Tonia's mother Av'anee steped in.
She served as a cleric of Angharradh and sugested that perhaps the young girl would be fitting for service of the Queen of Arvandor, but it quickly became clear that despite the fact that Tonia was a bright gril..she simply did't have the patince for it.

As Galalawyn recived letters from both an angry farther...a disapointed mother and a fyrius sister, while at the same time trying his best to attend to his duties he wrote a letter to his farthers younger brother Aldareon who was a skilled bard and swordsman explaining the situation.

Aldareon quickly made his way to Elion and sugested to his brother that he take the young girl under his wings... Ghalan refused at first, but his wife draged him into his study..and when they appeard ten minutes later he briefly nodded to his brother, his face red, teeth grinding "fine..take her then.... but you will regret it dear brother....that girl is too hot headed for her own good..the Seldarine knows..I'v tried to be patient with her"

Aldareon simply smiled and nodded as he went to get his niece...
"perhaps Ghalan..but at least it will be good for the girl"

[gjallahorn]

The next 50 years was spent in Aldareon's remote cottage..resting on a cliff looking out over the sea..with rolling hills of woodland in the back garden..
Aldareons home was simple yet elegant and the place was filled with books, maps, old scrolls with accient texts and all manner of small magic items..the spoils of a lifelong adventure.
The retired Bard did nothing to force anything on his young niece..but simply watched with a small smile as the young woman spent evenings at the fireplace..books in her lap...a mug of tea with in reach..allways reading with an eagerness worthy of students from the best arcane universities.

He watched as she wandered around his home, picking up items and instruments...examining them with a small frown on her face..but with a confident smile...sometimes outburst of joy and surprise..as she slowly but surely figured out the origen and use of most of them.

Aldareon simply smiled and thought to himself.."this IS good for the girl"

[gjallahorn]

During her daughters time with her brother in law, Av'anee paid regular visits to the remote cottage...everytime filled with joy that her daughter thrived as much as she did...but with a hint of sorrow each time as Ghalan stubonly refused to come along. " I have no wish to see how that charletan is filling her head with nonsens" the elderly wizard grumbled everytime his wife prepared to make the trip.
After a cuple of years Av'anee stoped asking her husband....and Tonia did't seem to miss her farther the least bit.

Many evenings was spent at the fireplace, Tonia sitting on the floor with Aldareon's oldest friend, a white wolf called Aglar, and a mug with tea..most often cold as Tonia was to busy listening to her uncle's tale.
Av'anee sitting on a sofa..regarding her daughter and Aldareon...faint smile lingering on her lips....seemed that having Tonia brought to the cottage..had been a wise choice..both for her brother in law..aswell as her daughter....

[gjallahorn]

On a hot midsummerday, the air thick with the smell of flowers from the forrest mixed with the fresh salty breze from the sea, Tonia was retuning form the forrest..3 fesans hanging from her belt..longbow in hand..humming a small tune. At the cottage Aglar was resting in the shade, to some it would seem the poor wolf had passed out, and Aldareon was busy choping wood for the evenings cooking.
As she aproched them she spoke with clear voice "how does fesans for dinner sound you two?"
Aldareon looked up from his work smiling "how many?" The young woman grined showing him 3 fingers.."thats one for you Aglar....if you can eat anything in this heat"
The wolf simply waged its tail to let Tonia know it had herd her...as to its desire to eat fesans..one could only guess.
"I think Aglar will have to settle for what his hunt will bring Tonia" Aldareon said..regarding his niece...a slightly conserned look on his face.."we have a guest"..he pointed over to a tree across the clearing.
Tonia's face lit up as she smiled "Mother?....thought she was't due for a teenday atleast".....Her face lost all expresion as a dry voice came from the shade under the tree.."No child....I left your mother at home, Corellon calls..and you must answer..Im here to see you home" Ghalan steped out in the sunlight..regarding his daughter with a frown as she raised her chin, defiance in her eyes.."I see you have done little to change that girl in the 50 years she's been here brother...as I suspected"

Aldareon brushed his fingers and clothes letting the woodcuttersaxe sit in the log he had been working on...he looked at the young woman in front of him...proud look in his eyes he turned to his elder brother and said with a smile.."Why change her..when she's so talented at what I can teach her"

Later that night Ghalan left for Elion...Tonia following him..The two did not utter a single word to the other the whole trip...