Name: Arkala
Race: Noldor Elf (with some Vanyarin blood)
Dob/Age: December 14, 2848 T.A. / 107
Appearance: Arkala is tall, standing at just under 6'3" tall, or more accurately, she is 189 cm, with a lithe and curvy frame. Owing to the Vanyarin blood within her, she has long silvery-blonde hair with grey-blue eyes that speak of wisdom beyond her years. She is fair-skinned, but not as much as some other elves, likely due to her extensive time spent exploring, with pointed ears and, like most elves, she is very beautiful. She is fond of wearing lighter colors, usually soft blues, whites, and greys. She can usually be found wearing dresses, unless the situation calls for something a little less lady-like, such as when hunting, riding, or other such things. She carries a bow and arrow, with which she is exceptionally skilled, as well as two Elven blades.
Family: Mother: Elnaur Father: Arasil Siblings: None
Personality: Arkala is very curious and adventurous, always desiring to see and learn new things. She is also very intelligent and wise beyond her years, although you might not guess it based on her adventurous nature. She may, at times, be seen as playful or even flippant, but while her adventurous nature does lend her a more playful nature, she is not flippant. She is quite careful about the things she says and does, even when it appears she is not, and when the situation calls for it, she is as elegant, graceful, and wise as any other elf--at times even more so. Because of her bright and curious nature, she has a lot more knowledge than one might expect from an elf her age. She read everything she could get her hands on and, when this wasn't enough, she went out searching for new things to learn.
While it might seem that her defining traits are her curiosity and thirst for knowledge, this is not necessarily the case. These are, of course, important aspects of her being, but it is her kindness and her unwillingness to sit back and do nothing while others suffer and die that truly shape her actions. She has never been inclined to sit back and let others do the works, or let fate run its course, even if in acting, she risks her own well-being. If she sees something wrong, she does what she can to fix it. If she sees someone hurting or in need, she will do what she can to help. This is one instance in which she doesn't necessarily stop to think. She acts and does her best to come up with a plan on the fly, rather than risk someone's life sitting around thinking.
Equipment: Arkala carries with her the Bow of the Galadhrim that was gifted to her by Galadriel prior to her departure from Lothlórien. Along with the bow she carries a quiver of arrows, decorated with a beautiful ornate pattern of white and gold. She also carries two Elven shortswords with ornate designs on the blades similar to that on her quiver, but more subtle and out of the way, as to avoid affecting the functionality of the blades. Other than weapons, she has light armor of grey leather that she prefers to wear and a light grey hooded cloak. She also carries a bag with various other items, including healing supplies and herbs, a map, a leather-bound journal with an Elvish inscription on the front, an inkwell and quill of with patters of gold adorning them, some elvish bread, and other various items that she feels may be useful or that she has picked up along the way.
Training: Arkala received training in many thing. She was trained in the use of a bow and arrow, which she was quite fond of and skilled at using. Furthermore, she was trained in the use of blades, namely short swords and long knives, but also in the use of a long sword, although she is less fond of the latter and thus not as competent in its use. She is far from a master swordsman, but she is capable of handling herself fairly well. She has some training in healing, an art she learned from her mother, both because of her desire to learn anything she can, and her desire to help and protect others, however, she still has a great deal to learn before she can even consider herself an expert, let alone a master. Because of her love of adventure and exploration, she has become very skilled at exploring and tracking, as well as horseback riding. She is also capable of hunting, including bow-hunting on horseback. She is very well versed, having read nearly every, if not every book, scroll, script, or paper she could find in Lothlórien, as well as those she has found during her travels. She is fluent in Quendya, Noldorin Quenya, Sindarin, and Nandorin, and can read Khuzdul, or rather the Cirth script. She has a love of music, instilled in her by her mother. She can sing, as well as play the flute and the harp.
Faults: She can be a bit too curious, which has, on numerous occasions, gotten her into trouble. When she sees someone who appears to be in need, she often acts before coming up with a plan, which may land her in hot water. She is also very pertinacious, sticking to her convictions, her ideas, and her opinions with unrivaled stubbornness. She can also be prideful at times, a trait she undoubtedly received from her father, and perhaps was not discouraged as much as it should have been by the one whom she admired most.
Background: Arkala was raised in Lothlórien. She was always curious, always exploring, either through reading or actual exploration. Her parents were not terribly fond of the latter, believing that she would one day get herself into trouble because of her curiosity, and get into trouble she did. Nevertheless, she persisted, always seeking to learn or see something new. She tried, in her early years, to stick to books and music as her mother wished, however, it was short lived, and to her mother's dismay, she sought to learn things like using a bow, hunting, and eventually the use of blades. She would spend a great deal of time in the woods exploring, learning everything she could in the forest.
As time went on, the young girl grew into a young woman who was not only adventurous and curious, but stubborn and bold and, perhaps more confident than she should have been. This confident young woman desired freedom to roam, she desired to see the world, or at least Middle Earth, and learn all the things she could, to learn all that this world had to offer. Her parents persuaded her to stay for a time, her mother insisting that she stay and learn more about the art of healing before she traveled, for it was a skill that would come in handy. Arkala agreed, staying and training in the art for several years, until just after her 100th day of begetting.
Much to the surprise of Arkala and her parents, it was Galadriel, not Arkala who insisted that she go on this journey and travel Middle Earth. Believing that Lady Galadriel must have seen something, and trusting her judgement, they granted Arkala permission to leave Lothlórien and travel as she pleased. She was delighted and excited, if a little nervous about was to come. She was also curious as to why Galadriel had suggested she leave this place in favor of traveling. She even went so far as to ask the woman herself, but the answer she received was rather vague--not that she expected anything less--and told her only that her journey would lead her to the place where she was meant to be. She was gifted a Bow of the Galadhrim, which Galadriel suggested would be useful in the journey ahead.
And so, Arkala began her journey across Middle Earth. She began by traveling to Mirkwood, then to Rivendell, where she stayed for a short time, learning what she could from reading portions of their archives. She learned enough to make her desire to continue to travel this world. She would return to Rivendell one day and learn more of the knowledge they had to offer, but for now, she didn't wish to read about the world, she wished to see it. She didn't want to read more about the actions of those who had come before her, she wished to be the one whose actions would one day be read about by another. She had read enough to know that there was no only a great deal to learn in this world, there was a great deal to be done.
Foresight was not a gift she had ever felt particularly inclined to, however, she could feel something on the horizon. A darkness, but also hope. Which would prove to be more powerful was yet to be seen, but she would do what she could to ensure that it was the latter, or to at least help those she could to escape whatever darkness she could. She was only one person, and a young one at that, at least by Elven standards, so she knew that, in the grand scheme of things, the actions of one may not be enough, but it had never been in her nature to sit still and do nothing. No matter how futile it may seem, she couldn't do nothing. And where there was one who felt this way, she was certain there would be others, just as she was certain that Galadriel had sent her out for a purpose. She could not be certain what it was that Galadriel had seen, but she would continue on until it was revealed, whether that took 5 years or 50, even 500.
From Rivendell she headed West, toward Mithlond. As she traveled, she visited Amon Sul, Bree, and passed through the Shire before eventually reaching Mithlond, where she saw the ships that were preparing to take some of her kin across the seas, to their homeland. She didn't think that this was something she wished to do, as there was still much to see and do in Middle Earth, and she felt as though she had a purpose yet unfulfilled, although she could not speak to what that purpose was at present. Nevertheless, she felt that her place was here, both now and in the future. Her parents would make the journey, but she would remain. That was her decision.
After leaving Mithlond, she continued to travel. Over seven years she spent traversing Middle Earth, learning as much as she could about the land, the people, the history. Amid her learning, she did what she could to help those she could, while trying not to stand out too much, although that was nearly impossible, given that her appearance made her stand out before she ever had the chance to say or do anything. During her journey, she found that, for reasons she could not explain, she developed a particular interest in what had once been the kingdom of Arnor, before it's destruction.
Now, seven years later, her journey has once again brought her back to Rivendell. She couldn't explain why, but she felt as though this was where she was meant to be at this time, and she had learned to trust her intuition and go where she felt she was needed. Whether or not this would bring her closer to what she was meant to do, the purpose the Galadriel spoke of, she could not say with any certainty, but she had a feeling that it would. And so, she traveled to Rivendell in hopes of finding her purpose.
_________________ Check out my resume!"One day the earth will open wide and I'll follow you inside, because the only hell I know is without you." - Starset.
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