Lumiel Gallaeth

"Ah-hah! I know just the spell! Getho-Dagaz-Raitho!"

"This ruin is very old - and it looks like we are the first people down here for centuries!"

"Well, someone must know the answer! We just have to find them."

"I do not fear death. I fear a golden cage, devoid of adventure and acclaim."

The youngest child of her family, and the only daughter of the lesser noble house of Gallaeth. Her father is Aenivar Gallaeth, a renowned poet and musician, who regularly performs at the most exclusive gatherings of elven nobles in Tel Edhil. Her mother, Arwyn, is a Huntsman in the Warden, and not of noble descent. Growing up, her father taught her singing and dancing and her mother introduced her to swordplay at an early age. However, Lumiel was always most interested in magic, which came easy to her - she learned her first cantrip (Mage Hand) around age eight, a manifestation of minor psionic powers.

At age 14, she was admitted to the Stargarden in Tel Edhil, where her dancing and swordplay skills combined with her magical prowess quickly made her a candidate to become a Bladesinger, a practitioner of an almost extinct elven martial art that mixes swordplay with spellslinging in dance-like fluid motions. She was taught in one-on-one sessions by Archmagus Tenelor Galtindo, who honed Lumiel's psionic abilities to a sharp point. After several years of study, when Lumiel had learned the chanting blade-songs of old, the Archmagus sent her to the Loremasters of the Stargarden, where she was taught history and arcane theory until she could recite it backwards and forwards.

At the age of 22 she graduated from the Stargarden. Through her school, she had come into contact with Amos Cavemint, an aging halfling explorer and archaeologist. Amos brought her on several digs and expeditions over the next years, which taught her as much about the history of the world as her studies in the Siltharel had.

The expeditions were by no means devoid of danger - not least because Lumiel's lithe physique made her the go-to person to sneak in and check for traps and other dangers in the dilapidated ruins, as she could usually avoid (or outrun) the effects of the ones she didn't find and disarm. The conditions also hardened her to living on the rough, as the dig camps usually lacked the comforts that her home and university dorms had provided.

On one of Amos' expeditions, deep in an old Teccan ruin on Estia, Lumiel found the sword she now wields, an old but well-preserved legionnaire's gladius. Hidden along with the sword she also found a broken medallion of a silver dragon, the symbol of the Teccan Empire. The medallion is always cold to the touch, but she keeps it around her neck regardless. At the end of their last expedition, Amos sent Lumiel to Greystone to find out more information about some relics they had uncovered.

Upon arriving back in civilization, she received word from home that she will be expected to marry Tenelvar Briniex, a low-ranking son from a higher-ranking noble family, a marriage that would enhance her family's standing. Lumiel has never met this arranged match, and from what she's heard he is as boring as they come, more interested in soirées and galas than anything else. Except for the dancing, which might be tolerable, the sedate life of an elven noblewoman is not one she envies, and the prospect terrifies her more than any monster or dungeon ever could. Despite keeping her feelings on the matter close to her chest, this has lit a fuse under her research efforts, causing her to take ever bigger risks.

The latest discovery in her research came in a forgotten stack of dusty papers, deep in the Scriptorium in Covenant: a map that points to the Amber Temple, a mysterious ruin said to hold an artifact of untold power. The ruin is somewhere in the Shadowfell, a plane of dark energy where evil roams freely - just the sort of place she might go to avoid her family for a while. How dangerous could it possibly be for a skilled bladesinger?

Personality

Lumiel is bright, self-reliant, and quick-tempered - but not so hot-headed that she lets her feelings take over the rational decision making process that has taken her this far. She seldom cares for what other think of her, except in matters of arcane knowledge, where she hates to be outshone. Fortunately, it does not happen often.

Lumiel always writes down her thoughts and findings, both arcane and mundane, in a thick leather-bound book that she never leaves more than an arm's reach away. At night, she can usually be seen poring over her notes, trying to understand what all these clues might mean. This book - part diary, part spellbook - is her most prized possession, even above her wand, sword, or medallion. Tools and trinkets can be replaced, but the knowledge and memories in her book would be forever lost.

Traits

• I have a much easier time talking with others who share an arcane interest.
• I have no qualms about stealing from the dead. They do not need their things anymore!

Ideals

• Independence. I must prove I can handle myself without the meddling of my family. (Chaotic)

Bonds

• I will not abandon my research to get married off for my family's gain.

Flaws

• Problems that can't be solved with magic or swordplay seem impossible to me.
• I am far less rational when it comes to personal issues.

Appearance

Lumiel inherited her mother's crimson hair, which she keeps tied in a long braid, and her fathers purple eyes. In combat, Lumiel wields her sword in one hand, and her wand in the other one. While many Bladesingers favor long rapiers, Lumiel prefers a shorter blade, trading reach for speed. She tends to favor magic of the mind, a reflection of her innate psionic powers.

Unlike most of her wizard colleagues she wears armor over her short burgundy-and-white robes, although it is of the lightest kind she can get her hands on. She has caught many enemies by surprise with her magic, as she almost looks more like a rogue than a wizard - the symbol of the Council on her mantle clasp is the only real giveaway, along with the runic inscriptions on her leather bracers.

Strapped to her hip is a large leather satchel that holds her spellbook, writing utensils, spell components, and other knickknacks. The satchel also holds a wand sheath for quick access to her focus. Ever since her days wading through muck on archaeological digs, she wears high leather boots.

Her familiar is named Nugget, and usually takes the form of a red panda (almiraj) or a pygmy owl.