BASICS
Name: Althil Harari Valanari
Race: Telvanni Dunmer (Dark Elf)
Date of Birth: 4E 68 (93 Years of Age)
Class: Althil is a mage of some skill, having studied with the Telvanni for many years on Solstheim after the eruption of Red Mountain. He is fairly knowledgable in all aspects of magic, but detests the ancient art of necromancy, as the ancestor-worshipping Dunmer find raising the dead for ones' own purposes to be sacriligeous.
Place of Birth: Windhelm
Personality: Having been raised in the shadow of the Nords of Windhelm and facing their constant racism, Althil is basically a stuck-up bastard whose arrogance shows through to everyone, indescriminatly. He will almost always do what suits his own best interests, and that is usually what furthers his knowledge of the Arcane Arts.
BACKSTORY
Althil was born in the dreary Grey Quarter of Windhelm, subject to terrible verbal and even sometimes physical abuse by the local Nords. Althil had a brilliantly keen mind that was quelled by the constant racism and his impoverished environment.
His mother had passed on during the eruption of Red Mountain in 4E 5, and so he lived with only his father's protection. An only child, he had little to no company. His father was always scrballing for whatever job he could hold down, and owrked 18 hour days. Thus, Althil mostly raised himself.
Despite constant abuse by the Nords, nay, because of it, Althil was extremely prideful of his and his father's Dunmeri heritage. When he was old enough to make some coin, he spent every septim he earned on new books from the second-hand shop in the Grey Quarter. He read everything from histories to narratives to spell tomes. Although he could rarely make sense of the tomes he purchased, he found theme supremely interesting, and kept them with the notion that he would one day learn to interpret them.
One cold night in during the month of Frostfall, Althil and his father were huddled around a fire in their small home (if you could call it that) when there was a knock at the door. Althil's father suddenly got a very nervous, skittish look about him. His eyes darted back and forth across the room. "Stay where you are, son," he murmered as he slowly stood and took several steps to the door.
The knock came again, harsher this time. Althil's father swung the door open to reveal a group of Nords outside. They quickly filed in, surrounded the two Dunmer. Some of them head knives, well others readied theif fists. Althil stood helpless. His father had a wild, panicked look in his eye.
In that moment, everything changed. His father turned to him, and uttered a single phrase: "I do this for you, Althil." He handed the boy a slip of paper. Then, the room erupted with a roaring orange flame. Several of the Nords turned to ash on the spot, others screamed and sprinted from the house. With their skin's natural resistance to fire, the two Dark Elves were able to make it out of the house alive. "Run!" his father called to him. The wild look had disappeared from his eyes. Instead, there was a calm sort of acceptance as the guards rang the city bells and began to stream down into the Grey Quarter. Althil sprinted away, not looking back at his father. The last thing he heard before he climbed up and over the wall and out of the city was the guards calling for his father's arrest.
* * *
It had been several years since the incident. Althil had slipped aboard a ship called the Northern Maiden, which had sailed to Solstheim carrying passengers and several crates of goods. The Dunmer boy had managed to remain hidden and slip out of the ship unnoticed.
He had long since read the paper his father had given to him. It was the last will and testiment of his father, and shockingly revealed that his father had once been a powerful wizard of the Telvanni clan. The note requested that Althil seek them out. They would give him refuge if he gave them the note.
When he had arrived in Ravenrock, he had discovered that there was a Telvanni settlement not far. He had arrived there to meet a man named Neloth, who had indeed taken him in, just as his father had said. The two had been old friends, it seemed, in the distant past. Althil had been accepted as the old wizard's apprentice, and had spent many, many years studying with him. He finally learned to interpret the tomes he had accumulated. Although they were all lost in the fire, the Telvanni wizard had plenty of his own.
Now, Althil's apprenticeship was complete. Neloth had taught him more than how to use magic. He taught him how to live. The Telvanni way of life was unique, but effective. The wizard-lords of House Telvanni had traditionally isolated themselves, pursuing wisdom and mastery in solitude. Neloth taught Althil to only speak when spoken to, and when he did speak, he should do so in an enigmatic manner, never conveying everything he knew on any subject. He was taught never to put too much faith in a single individual, but rather forge connections with a network of individuals.
Althil was quite like his old master. Now that Althil had reached an adept level, he would need to get experience in the field. Perhaps join the College of Winterhold as an intern or part-time instructer to gain experience, and to access the knoweldge hidden within the College. A wizard of the Telvanni, Neloth said, would not study only in theory. Practical experience, he said, outranked everything.
So, with plans to venture to the College of Winterhold, Althil sailed back to Skyrim.
EQUIPMENT
When he left Solstheim, Althil took a fair amount of gold with him. He had a satchel which contains a few mage essentials, including empty Soul Gems, several Potions, a small Apaothocary's Set, and several scrolls he created before leaving. Apart from that he has only the clothes on his back.
SPELL ARSENAL
Since Althil relies exculsively on spellcasting to protect himself and any potential companions in Tamriel's more dangerous areas, he has a fairly well-rounded understanding of each and every school of the Arcane Arts, and several spells in his repetoir for each one.
*Destruction*
Novice - Flames, Sparks
Apprentice - Firebolt, Ice Spike, Lightning Rune
*Restoration*
Novice - Healing
Apprentice - Fast Healing, Healing Hands, Steadfast Ward
*Conjuration*
Novice - Bound Dagger
Apprentice - Conjure Flame Atronach, Soul Trap, Conjure Flaming Familiar
Adept - Conjure Frost Atronach
*Illusion*
Novice - Fury
Apprentice - Calm, Feat, Muffle
*Alteration*
Novice - Candlelight, Oakflesh
Apprentice - Magelight, Stoneflesh
PICTURES
In battle, Althil wears a protective helmet:
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