Personality and Characteristics Tiden Di' Ren appears to the untrained eye, nothing more than a common elf. Yet his heritage is not of any race which dwells upon Layonara, at least not upon the surface. One of a small number of Sea Elves who no longer consider the ocean their home, Tiden now makes his way across uncharted territory, through lands he has never dreamed could exist; he encounters a whole new way of life on a daily basis. Yet it was not Tiden's choice to leave his home and family. Unlike those who chose to leave the protection of the ocean waves, Tiden was driven out, and told never to return. Physically, Tiden is well built for an elf. While he is agile and dexterous from his lifetime of swimming, he is also stronger than an average 'breathless' elf, maybe as a result of his early job as a fish hunter during his druidic training. Having retained his ability to catch and understand the movements of fish, Tiden remains a skilled fisherman above the waves. Even though he now shuns his once favoured trident for a simple rod. Quite possibly the most obvious characteristic that betrays his aquatic heritage is his deep blue hair and the blue/green markings on his arms. Tiden is not ashamed of his race even though it is often difficult to live above the surface with those who have prejudicial views. His hair alone often makes him stand out in a crowd, but he would not consider covering it for it reminds him of his earlier life which often seems a distant memory now. Having lived among the surface races for some months, Tiden has picked up some of the common tongue, however his intellect is decidedly average and as such he has trouble with many words and is prone to mistakes. He also speaks his native tongue of Sea Elven fluently; however few surface elves can understand the dialect entirely. As a result a once exuberant and brash young man is sometimes quiet and reserved around new faces, especially those who are non-elven. It might be expected that this young and handsome elf would be angered over his banishment from the seas, and for a while he was. He became fuelled by a powerful rage and terrible gusts would swarm around him as he sat in private reflection. He knew that his anger would dissipate though, in time he regained his sense of balance and once again quieted the storm inside of him. Within the first few months since he 'surfaced' as he refers to it, the rage had left him. Tiden quickly decided he would create a new life for himself above land. After all, if he could be banished merely for his beliefs, why would he ever want to return to such a closed minded place? Filled with excitement along with a tremendous fear of the unknown he began to explore his surroundings. Background Since his childhood spent in the ocean near Carocsa bay, Tiden was taught the ways of nature by his parents and the village shaman. He learned of the cycle of nature between life and death and was encouraged to remain balanced in his thoughts of the world. Alongside his Druidic training, Tiden was also learned of the goddess Shindaleria and was encouraged to honour her as a focus for nature. As told by the history of the Sea elves, Shindaleria once had great power over the seas and peace was held in the aquatic world, yet this was to be destroyed by the chaotic power of Mist. While it was common for a young Sea Elf Druid to express a desire to learn more about Shindaleria, Tiden had no interest in what he saw as a pacifistic deity. Far more interesting, he believed, was the tremendous power of the stormy seas and terrible winds which stirred great currents below the surface. From then on Tiden knew his interest lay with the great lady of the storm, Mist. Even so, his position could not be made known to the others in the village, for they held Mist in great contempt for the way in which she had ravaged the seas throughout their history. For many years Tiden continued his training, learning how to solidify his connection with nature, yet in secrecy he would invoke Mist and train himself to focus with her energies during private meditation, using the godess as a filter through which he could harness the more chaotic side of nature. However this double life could not continue for long, the shaman soon began to question the methods of his most promising student. One evening the shaman visited Tiden late at night as he meditated atop a peak in the sea floor. Filled with trepidation and fear over what his student may have become, the shaman swam slowly peering over the edge and looked on in shock as Tiden sat on the plateau amidst a raging vortex, his face reflecting his deep meditative state. Deeply disappointed and angered, the shaman confronted Tiden. He had become a traitor to the Sea Elves by consorting with the despised Mist. As the shaman approached, Tiden sensed movement in the water, in a heightened state of awareness and not wishing to disrupt his meditation, Tiden raised his hands sending a pulse throughout the water. The shaman let out a gruff sigh as the wave hit him, immediately Tiden recognised the voice and opened his eyes. The vortex dissipated as he stood and walked towards his mentor, who lay crumpled on the floor. Immediately the shaman knew what he had to do, with all the strength he could muster he began the incantation. Invoking the powers of Shindaleria he pulled himself from the ground and faced his student. The shaman told Tiden of the great danger that would befall him should anyone below the surface learn of his affinity with Mist. Tiden demanded to know why he should be forced to leave, the shaman merely answered 'it is the way it must be, my child'. Incensed, the vortex around Tiden began swirling again, harder and harder. Sweeping the shaman off his already unsteady footing and outwards into the chasm where he collided with a rock face and lost consciousness. When he awoke Tiden had gone