Ruthion "Rue" Ospen
Appearance
Rue is only a little vain when it comes to his appearance; he only wears well-fitting shirts and trousers made with soft fabrics, layered with heavier jackets, vests and cloaks as needed, always in cool, dark colors. He grins a lot, mostly out of habit, and often when he's feeling distinctly as if he shouldn't grin. Sometimes he likes to stash a flower behind his ear for good luck.
Skills and Abilities
Rue can sense magical energy, which he experiences as a sound. He can get a sense for the relative distance and direction of sources of magical energy to himself, provided that the source is within 100 feet and is strong enough for him to sense. If he is able to closely study a particular piece of magic, he can sometimes get insights about the nature of the spell: what its intended purpose is, some exploitable weakness.
For an Elf, though, Rue has very little magical ability. He's unable to cast most basic spells unless he has someone walking him through the steps. He's sometimes able to weakly replicate spells that he's seen very recently, but those spells tend to be very draining. He is better at redirecting existing magical energy than he is at casting his own spells, but the only spells he's had any success at affecting have been spells that manipulate cognition or create illusions.
Rue also has a good sense of situational awareness. In social situations, he tends to be very watchful, keeping an eye on who's nearby and what they're getting up to. He mentally marks quiet spots, crowded areas, and potential sources of conflict, and typically uses this information to stay out of the spotlight or to turn a situation to his advantage. Because he's easily overwhelmed by large groups of people (particularly the amount of noise they make), this is an important crutch for him.
For an Elf, though, Rue has very little magical ability. He's unable to cast most basic spells unless he has someone walking him through the steps. He's sometimes able to weakly replicate spells that he's seen very recently, but those spells tend to be very draining. He is better at redirecting existing magical energy than he is at casting his own spells, but the only spells he's had any success at affecting have been spells that manipulate cognition or create illusions.
Rue also has a good sense of situational awareness. In social situations, he tends to be very watchful, keeping an eye on who's nearby and what they're getting up to. He mentally marks quiet spots, crowded areas, and potential sources of conflict, and typically uses this information to stay out of the spotlight or to turn a situation to his advantage. Because he's easily overwhelmed by large groups of people (particularly the amount of noise they make), this is an important crutch for him.
Personality
With an easy smile and the patience to listen to people, most would consider Rue charming, especially in smaller gatherings. He has an easy time talking to others, figuring out the best angle to use to get them to open up with ease. He finds an honest joy in sharing ideas and learning new things, and is happy to discuss almost anything at length, if the other party is interested. However, he's uncomfortable with sharing information about himself; sometimes Rue lies compulsively, which may happen any time he feels insecure about his relationship with the person he's talking to or the information he has to convey. He usually manages not to lie about the important stuff, but he doesn't always manage that well with authority figures.
Rue is most driven by information. When he hears about something interesting, he pursues all information on the topic he can find until he exhausts all of his resources. This is both a strength and a weakness for him; he's transparent enough that anyone can sense this hunger and take advantage of it, but this same hunger gives him tenacity.
He also doesn't get angry very often, and when he is angry, he is often able to hide it. When someone is being mistreated in front of him, though, he can become wildly aggressive toward the abuser. He is very reactive to bullies and arrogant pricks.
Rue is most driven by information. When he hears about something interesting, he pursues all information on the topic he can find until he exhausts all of his resources. This is both a strength and a weakness for him; he's transparent enough that anyone can sense this hunger and take advantage of it, but this same hunger gives him tenacity.
He also doesn't get angry very often, and when he is angry, he is often able to hide it. When someone is being mistreated in front of him, though, he can become wildly aggressive toward the abuser. He is very reactive to bullies and arrogant pricks.
Biography & Lore
Rue was born in a coastal Elven village on the outskirts of the Falwood. He lived there for forty years. He doesn't like to think about that, but if you were one of his good buddies and Rue was just a touch intoxicated, he might tell you that he didn't fit in well as a child, or that he doesn't miss the lack of agency that comes with being dependent on family. His mother, he might say, was controlling and manipulative; you'd be very lucky to get him to utter a word about his father, but if you were to ask, you might sense his sudden distance, or see a faint flush of some bitter emotion creep across his face.
His story after that, though, is one he'll happily tell. He traveled freely for some time, mostly sticking to the Falwood and other Elven villages. He spent a year chasing after some supposed ancient relic of legendary power before growing bored with his lack of progress and moving on, though he did learn a little about some of the working theory behind why these relics retain so much of their power after so long. He briefly worked at creating a protective amulet before realizing that he wasn't really the crafty type.
He also spent some time with a nomadic Elven tribe that practiced a particularly interesting form of Singing magic that primarily dealt with the low, dry shrubs of the rocky edge of the forest. Although he was politely asked to never sing in any of their rituals, he found the experience immensely fascinating. He was particularly interested in how individuals working within groups of casters could sing out seemingly separate spells at the same time as their fellows, creating magical structures that would vanish back into the landscape within days, or pulling water up from the depths of the land, or flattening a stretch of ground and covering it with soft sand.
He eventually settled in Fel'Addas, working as a scribe whenever he could find work while trying to figure out his next move. This is still the case; in some ways, Rue feels as though he's waiting for some interesting piece of gossip to carry him on to the next adventure. At the moment, he most strongly wants to develop his magical abilities, so to that end, he's been watching some of the local mages at work, trying to figure out what it is they're doing that he's not doing.
His story after that, though, is one he'll happily tell. He traveled freely for some time, mostly sticking to the Falwood and other Elven villages. He spent a year chasing after some supposed ancient relic of legendary power before growing bored with his lack of progress and moving on, though he did learn a little about some of the working theory behind why these relics retain so much of their power after so long. He briefly worked at creating a protective amulet before realizing that he wasn't really the crafty type.
He also spent some time with a nomadic Elven tribe that practiced a particularly interesting form of Singing magic that primarily dealt with the low, dry shrubs of the rocky edge of the forest. Although he was politely asked to never sing in any of their rituals, he found the experience immensely fascinating. He was particularly interested in how individuals working within groups of casters could sing out seemingly separate spells at the same time as their fellows, creating magical structures that would vanish back into the landscape within days, or pulling water up from the depths of the land, or flattening a stretch of ground and covering it with soft sand.
He eventually settled in Fel'Addas, working as a scribe whenever he could find work while trying to figure out his next move. This is still the case; in some ways, Rue feels as though he's waiting for some interesting piece of gossip to carry him on to the next adventure. At the moment, he most strongly wants to develop his magical abilities, so to that end, he's been watching some of the local mages at work, trying to figure out what it is they're doing that he's not doing.