Elan Siannodel
| Elan Siannodel | |||||||
| Female Wood Elf | |||||||
| Player: Guitarbard | |||||||
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| General Information | ||||||||||
| Full Name: | Élan Siannodel | |||||||||
| Nicknames: | Wayfinder | |||||||||
| Age: | 128 | |||||||||
| Deity: | Sune | |||||||||
| Alignment: |
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| Occupation: | Planar Cartographer | |||||||||
| Faction/Rank: | Sensates (Namer), Wayfinder Guild (Leader/Founder) | |||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Reitheillaethor, The High Forest, Faerûn, Toril | |||||||||
| Physical Attributes | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5'8" | |||||||||
| Weight: | 135lbs | |||||||||
| Eyes: | blue | |||||||||
| Hair: | long and black | |||||||||
| Complexion: | light tan | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | lithe and muscular | |||||||||
| Physical Features: | Her face is quite expressive, and her eyes light up when she gets excited about something. She'll sometimes have a far-away gaze while tapping out a rhythm on her thighs | |||||||||
| Skills | ||||||||||
| The monastic arts, Shadowdancing, wayfinding, cartography, and creative problem-solving - sometimes too creative. | ||||||||||
| Equipment and Items | ||||||||||
| Her journals and parchment, calligraphy kit, and trusty quarterstaff. Her yukata and cloak are various shades of blue-green, and the cloak is embellished with musical notation. | ||||||||||
“Come to life, open mind, have a laugh at the orthodox
Come, drink deep let the dam of mind seep
Travel with great élan...”
— Élan, by Nightwish
Description
Elan stands tall and wiry, even for an elf. She is paler than her fellow wood elves, with striking blue eyes and wavy black hair that cascades over her shoulders. Clothed in shades of blue and green, she bears no weapons but her quarterstaff and her well-muscled limbs, honed over decades of training. Pinned to the collar of her robes is a small icon of the Lady Firehair.
She is kind to those she meets, but unafraid to stand her ground. She doesn’t start any fights, but has no problem finishing them. She is a stalwart friend and ally, but her only trust is in something deeper than herself - something that rises to the surface in an unfocused gaze and a tapped rhythm at her fingertips.
(Portrait by Dima Derzhavin)
Personality
“Ultimately, who I am is someone who cherishes the journey, the adventure, the finding of new things, the attempt of the improbable, and the delight in achieving it.” — Elan to Lyrion of the Fall
For good or ill, Elan wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s very free with her emotions, no matter what mood she’s in. Thankfully, she tends to be fairly cheerful or content, and when her fouler moods do strike, she tries very hard not to inflict them on others. She is open and friendly with those she meets and welcomes new ‘walkers to Sigil with advice and a kind smile. When one of her friends is sad or in pain, her immediate instinct is to help them in any way she can.
While Elan sees most issues of the ‘verse in shades of gray and is against any forms of extremism, she is still very firm in her moral standpoints and won’t hesitate to hold her ground or defend others. However, should a discussion become too volatile for her, she also has no issues simply walking away either until the topic is changed or she’s regained control of her emotions.
“Maybe the first adventuring party was right. Maybe I can't change. Maybe, however much I try, however many ways I try, something in me is broken. But that doesn't mean I won't keep trying.” — Elan praying to Sune
Despite her friendliness and upbeat nature, Elan is very socially awkward. While she understands the need to be diplomatic with one’s words, she doesn’t believe in lying or softening a truth for the sake of someone’s comfort. She speaks bluntly - often too bluntly - and gets frustrated by people who don’t. Similarly, her dedication to her morals means that extremists and those who refuse to see nuance are quick to rouse her ire. There are some discussions she finds she can’t walk away from, losing control of her emotions while trying to stand up for what’s right. While there are some who appreciate such dedication, there are many who don’t.
Another social trait that gets mixed reactions is her tendency to explain things with parables. Parables were how she and her fellow initiates were taught wisdom in the monastery, and Elan enjoys sharing these stories with others, especially in relevant situations. However, some see these parables as condescending and resent Elan for her “lectures” and unwanted advice. In her desire to help her friends, she can't always tell when she pushes too hard or when people don't want to be helped, and the parables tend to be the catalyst in said situations. Parables are also the easiest way for Elan to share her point of view in emotionally complex situations, but when emotions are already high, this aggravates some people.
Though she’s tried very hard to improve how she interacts with others, Elan’s social ineptitude has led to her losing friends she cares very deeply for. Among the most devastating fallouts was the loss of her former adventuring party, who abandoned her on a cliff in the Beastlands at the orders of their leader. After unwittingly pushing away two of the people she holds most dear, Elan realized that her failure to improve was because she was trying to change herself into someone others accepted, not someone who was a truly good and kind person. She has since vowed to choose the people in her life who choose her and meet her efforts halfway.
“Even the smallest moments are worth savoring.” — Elan to Maeve of the Sorrows
Elan is a devout Sunite, though she came to the faith very differently than others and has a different style of worship as a result. Due to limited access to Sunite texts and the isolation of the monastery from major houses of worship, the elf expressed her faith by keeping a journal of at least one beautiful thing she saw or experienced each day. She practices the sharing of beauty by pointing out the beauty found in everyday life, even when it's bittersweet or painful.
Because of this, she did not learn about the more explicit rituals, beliefs, and misconceptions of the Sunite faith until several decades into her worship of the Lady Firehair. The misconceptions especially frustrate Elan, for while Sunites are known for their passion, passion does not equate promiscuity. She argues that true passion requires a connection between two people: something absent from casual flings. Elan herself was chaste until she began dating her partner, and maintains that the truest beauty is found in love.
“Life hurts. And we do it anyway.” — Elan to Maeve of the Sorrows
History
Early Life
“Leave the sleep and let the springtime talk...be the first to greet the morn”
Élan Siannodel was born and raised in the Elvish village of Reitheillaethor in the eastern outskirts of the High Forest. Her mother, Ahinar, chose to focus on Elvish bureaucracy rather than her daughter, so Élan shadowed her father, Aust. Aust took her with him on his scouting routes and taught her the lessons of nature until she was old enough to attend school.
Élan came home sobbing from her first day, having been mocked by her classmates for being a "loony" who hears voices. When Élan recounted the day to her parents, her mother scolded her for indulging in flights of fancy and passing off the imaginary as real. After Ahinar stormed off, Aust asked his daughter to explain further and Élan told him about the Song: an undercurrent to the world she constantly felt and heard echoing in the corners of her mind. Sometimes the Song was only a whisper; other times, it deafened everything else. It was a fast-paced song full of love and life, rich with harmony and beautiful vocals of unknown words. Aust didn’t doubt that the Song was real and his daughter could hear it, but he cautioned her not to speak of it to others, lest they react the same way her classmates did. Élan achieved this by not talking to anyone, eschewing the company of other children in favor of roaming the forest, either with her father or on her own.
Exile
“Finally your number came up, free fall awaits the brave”
Fifty years later, she was on one of her night routes as an apprentice scout when the undercurrent of the Song changed, subconsciously redirecting her path. Élan, who by now had spent her life tuning her soul to the resonance of the Song, accepted the change as guidance and followed the new direction without hesitation. The next morning, one of her fellow apprentices was found dead on the route Élan was supposed to take. Though the Song had saved her life, it did not save her - the only other scout assigned to that sector - from being accused of murder. After a month-long trial full of wild claims against the elf (including from her own mother), the actual culprit was identified and condemned. But by then, the damage was done, and Élan had gone from being “that odd one” to a complete pariah.
During this time, the halfling monk Seraphina Fastfoot happened to be visiting Reitheillaethor. The monk saw in Élan the exact spirit and potential needed to join the Duskdreamers: a monastic order known for being powerful oneiromancers and dreamwalkers. After a long discussion with Aust and Seraphina, Élan decided (with the guidance of the Song) to pursue her destiny at the Duskdreamer Monastery.
The Duskdreamers
“The answer to the riddle before your eyes is in dead leaves and fleeting skies”
After a month of travel, Seraphina and Élan reached the Duskdreamer Monastery, carved into the southern foothills of the Spine of the World on the River Mirar. Though Élan’s initial lessons at the monastery were grueling, even with her previous training as a scout, she settled in quickly. She took the Duskdreamers’ lessons to heart, appreciating her mentors’ dedication to teaching the balance of the conscious and unconscious mind without bias.
Due to the nature of the Duskdreamers’ studies, the majority of them were worshippers of Selûne or, like Élan, of Sehanine Moonbow. But Élan’s worship of the Elven goddess had been through duress - dictated by her mother during childhood and reinforced by the community. She had renounced her faith in Sehanine the day she left home and remained Faithless for a time. One night, when her spiraling thoughts nearly went too far, the sunrise led her to Sune. From then on, the initiate cherished the simple wonders of the world around her and paid tribute to Lady Firehair by appreciating one beautiful thing each day and loving others with all her heart.
Grandmaster Yansen was the first to observe that there was something different about Élan, and after a great deal of coaxing, got the elf to explain the Song. Yansen was the first person to encourage Élan to continue to follow the Song’s guidance, and to truly embrace it as part of her. As the elf trained and meditated over the decades, she wove the Song into her studies until she was able to guide its flow as truly as it guided her.
The Planes
“Come! Surf the clouds, race the dark...Meet me where the cliff greets the sea”
Seventy years after beginning her life as a monk, Élan prepared for her journey to the River Mirar basin. A job and a rumor waited for her in Luskan, and beyond that, adventure. As she stood in the entrance to the Duskdreamer Monastery and appreciated one last view of the Spine, a new initiate asked her if she was scared by how much of her quest remained unknown. “Nope,” she replied, grinning. “That’s what makes it more fun!”
Little did she know that the quest would take her from Toril to Sigil and across several Planes and that her party would abandon her on a cliff in the Beastlands. The first path she discovered as a wayfinder was the one back to Sigil, where a new adventure began…
Relationships
“I am not a tout, as I am terrible with people - a fact you're well aware of.” — Elan in a letter to her former traveling companions
While Elan can be very emotional - too much so at times - she’s fairly easygoing with most people. She tries not to judge people or situations before hearing the entire story, but can still be too quick to come to conclusions, especially when people are evasive with her. While most appreciate her straightforward nature, many are put off by her bluntness, calling her petulant and foolish.
Despite this, Elan has found dear friends in the people who accept her for who she is while still calling her on her nonsense when need be. Though not all of them have stayed friends, she still values the friendships for what they were at the time and holds the good memories close, painful as they might be. She doesn’t have enemies (that she knows of) so much as people she’s indifferent to, and she can count on one hand the people she actively dislikes.
Sassy Simmermuch
The Hin woman was one of the first ‘walkers Elan met after splitting from her former adventuring party and the two became fast friends. Sassy introduced Elan to the joyful chaos of jink runs and the bounty that came from success. She was generous with her knowledge *and* her gear, often leaving Elan stammering with overwhelmed gratitude. Sassy’s kind nature and side-splitting wit mesh well with Elan’s own, as does the shadow of sadness in the halfling’s eyes.
Elan considers Sassy to be one of her best, most trusted friends. She’ll follow the Hin into battle without question, knowing that when if everything goes downhill, Sassy will get them all through safely.
Mara
Mara is blunt, brash, and unapologetic, not caring what any berk thinks of her. So of course, Elan liked her the moment they met. Mara’s flirtatious nature flustered Elan at first, but over time, the monk was able to tease back in equal measure, and it has since become something of a game between them.
The aasimar initially took a lot of blek from other planewalkers for being a necromancer, though she had those powers from being bound to Myrkul against her will. Elan was one of Mara’s strongest defenders, snapping back at people who would speak ill of her and correcting their misconceptions, though often without success. Elan was both proud and giddy when Mara proved the hateful berks wrong and broke free of Myrkul’s hold.
Mara is one of the few people Elan feels truly comfortable around, as she can speak her mind without being misunderstood or told she’s impolite. The elf deeply appreciates Mara’s candor in return, always knowing the aasimar won’t dance around a topic to make her feel better. The two are best friends, though those who don’t know any better might suspect something deeper based on their joking innuendo and “sportsman slaps.”
Tiriana
When Elan first met Tiriana, the monk went into a rather unnecessary panic, believing her world was crashing down around her. Though the two women got off to a terrible start (which was only partially Elan’s fault), their mutual care for Tarquin had them sitting down for a drink, a smoke, and a thorough conversation. They ended the evening with a better understanding of each other and, if one were to ask Elan, the beginnings of a friendship. Tiriana, of course, would say otherwise.
Maeve of the Sorrows
“And maybe one day I'll learn to stop trying to be what other people want me to be and just accept who I am.” — Elan praying to Sune
Maeve saw Elan for the lost, confused soul she was after being abandoned by her former adventuring party and became a sort of unofficial mentor. Elan wished desperately to improve as a person so she would not be cast aside again, and Maeve believed her worthy of working with to make those improvements. The mage also helped Elan pursue the mystery of the Song, the two of them discovering that it is strongest and clearest in Arvandor. When the monk began her journey as a cartographer, Maeve encouraged the venture, even keeping a copy of Elan’s first guidebook manuscript on display in her library.
The friction began as Elan gained confidence in herself - no longer lost but steadily finding or making her own way, relying less and less on Maeve’s guidance. When Elan undertook great risk to uncover valuable information, Maeve belittled her efforts, calling the venture an utter failure. Elan, for her part, grew tired of Maeve’s secrets and her constant flip-flopping between self-aggrandizement and self-deprecation. The monk began to challenge Maeve’s wisdom and methods, no longer softening her words or trying to make them more palatable. Maeve interpreted this as a lack of trust and a sign of disrespect, questioning if Elan truly considered her a friend. Frustrated as Elan was by Maeve’s behavior, she cares very deeply for the mage, and the question devastated her.
For a time, the two were barely on speaking terms, Maeve claiming the monk only spat poison at her while Elan claimed the mage needed to drop the mysterious act and stop treating people like tools to be used and discarded. When Maeve returned to Sigil after a long absence, the two returned to being cordial, though there is still an unspoken tension that lingers between them.
Anasthia Vesk
“If there's one thing I've learned, it's that pain is an inevitable part of life. Balance, and all that. And it makes moments like this all the more valuable and cherished.” — Elan to Vesk
Where Maeve travels, Vesk is often close behind. While Elan was a bit intimidated by the mage, Vesk put her at ease with her teasing and terrible puns. Vesk assisted Elan in her shadowdancing journey, teaching her useful tricks both for winning fights and escaping them. Like Maeve, Vesk supported and encouraged Elan’s journey as a cartographer. When Elan was ready to give up the venture entirely due to a catastrophic failure in the Outlands, Vesk provided comfort, insight, and advice that helped Elan recover from the setback and find a new way forward.
Elan grew quite fond of Vesk, and was able to trust her with thoughts and secrets she rarely shared with anyone. To the monk, it seemed like Vesk felt the same about the friendship, but the war caused a slow but drastic change in the shadowdancer. Veska threw herself entirely into the war effort, becoming cold and distant. She worked herself past the point of exhaustion and worsened an injury due to her refusal to rest. Desperate to help Vesk and get her to rest for even five minutes, Elan accidentally pushed too hard, and Vesk snapped at her with cold indifference and disdain. The disdain only worsened when Elan fell into a dissociative state and spent time at the Gatehouse; Vesk believed the episode to be a self-centered, childish tantrum, especially when “other people had actually helped out in the war and seen its atrocities.”
Currently, the two are cordial in public at best. As disappointed as Elan is with Vesk’s behavior, she’s also heartbroken at having lost someone she considered a dear friend. Above all, the monk is deeply apprehensive about Vesk’s wellbeing. Just as Vesk knows some of Elan’s deepest secrets, Elan is one of the few who knows Vesk’s true goal, and she fears the woman will kill herself trying to reach it.
Ultimately, Elan's trust was irreparably shattered, and as far as she's concerned, the Vesk she knew and cared about died in the war. Whoever wears the rogue's body now is a stranger.
Phoebe
“It's not a conscious thing. We're in pain...we feel unworthy...we act accordingly, even if we don't realize why or how until it's too late.” — Elan to Phoebe
Elan and Phoebe's friendship had a tumultuous beginning, Phoebe’s strict paladin views clashing with Elan’s tendency to think in shades of gray, but the two found common ground in shared concerns during the war. When Elan fell into a dissociative state and was committed to the Gatehouse, Phoebe was one of the few who visited without (overtly) judging her. When the Bleaker Factor Star proposed an experimental treatment that would allow Elan to communicate with him, the monk requested Phoebe as a companion for the session, no longer trusting Maeve or Vesk to listen without condemnation.
Phoebe held Elan’s hand and listened as, through Star’s enchantment, the elf explained how she felt responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of refugees in the Outlands. She was meant to use her maps to lead them to safety, but the maps failed. By the time she’d adapted her navigational method, it was too late, and the refugees had become an unstoppable army of undead. Her dissociative state was a self-imposed way of protecting her mind, allowing her to process these and other recent events without breaking completely. Phoebe provided her support without chastisement, ultimately quickening Elan’s recovery.
After the war, Elan made a point of checking in on Phoebe to see how she was doing with her injuries, offer what aid she could in the rebuilding efforts, and just to make light conversation. The monk thought their relationship was on steady ground until a series of conversations at the Fulcrum. Elan spoke highly of Phoebe and how thankful she was to have the paladin's aid during her time at the Gatehouse; not only did Phoebe reproach Elan for her dissociative state, but the paladin was furious that the monk believed neither side of the war was blameless for its effects, taking it as a personal accusation of fault.
And with that, their friendship dissolved like it never existed - probably for the better.
Tarquin Wezst
“Yes, I've found a partner who can keep up with me, and I with him. Yes, him. I'm as surprised as you are, but deliriously happy. Maura, I owe you money from our bet thirty years ago.” — Elan in her letter to the Duskdreamers
Despite running in the same circles, Elan and Tarquin didn’t meet properly until they helped Phoebe heal a very injured, very angry Vesk. The ordeal was the foundation of a strong friendship, Elan finding the rogue easy to talk to and comfortable to be around. Initially, her pining for another blinded her to the rather obvious signs of Tarquin’s interest, but he remained respectful, never pushing her for anything more.
Though Elan didn’t notice his advances, his kindness was unmistakable. When the failure of her maps and the death toll of the war threatened to unravel her, she found solace in the Wildrunners’ Camp in Arvandor; Tarquin found her there, having heard her say once that it was her favorite spot to think. When Elan was in the care of the Bleakers, he visited more than Phoebe did, even bringing the elf a box of sweets from his favorite shop. He was there when Elan broke free of her dissociative state, holding her until she stopped crying and keeping her company on the trek home from the Gatehouse.
Tarquin’s care for Elan in the events leading up to and during her stay at the Gatehouse made her look at him in a new light and see everything she’d missed before. Though the monk had only ever been interested in women, Elan couldn’t deny that she reciprocated Tarquin’s feelings, and confessed as much to him over a shared bottle of whiskey one quiet evening.
Now, the surest way to make Elan smile is to ask her how Tarquin is doing - if he’s not already beside her with his arm around her waist. Though they make an unlikely couple, their relationship is one of deep respect, trust, and love Elan never dreamed was possible.
