Meet Lysavar Tinueth - Royal Shaman and Advisor

World:            The Other Half, There's a Fine Line
 
Name:              Lysavar Tinueth

Age:                1931 years

Height:            5’ 9”

Weight:           160 lbs (72kg)

Eyes:               Deep forest green

Hair:               medium brown

Title:               Royal Advisor, Royal Shaman

Biography:

Born nearly 2000 years ago to a professor at the Malvarin Academy of Mystical Arts and his nymph mate, Lysavar grew up surrounded by both nature and magic. He was a small child, slim even by elven standards, and considered almost frail for most of his first quarter century until his powers began to manifest. Even at an early age, he showed an amazing affinity for earth magic – manipulating the local flora while still an adolescent and perfecting shape-changing magic by his second century.

His father’s position ensured him a place in the illustrious Academy but it was his swift advancement through his introductory lessons that assured him respect and envy amongst his peers. He quickly moved through Magical Theory, History of Mages in Malvarin and Beyond, and Practical Application in half the time and with better results than his contemporaries. Advancing so quickly meant he had lots of time on his hands, however, and so the young shaman began taking side courses to simply give himself a challenge. Due to his heritage, he gravitated towards anything dealing with earth magic – Herbalism, Comprehensive Components and Their Substitutions, and the Care and Feeding of Familiars and Totem Animals.

Studious and quiet, he quickly completed any and all courses offered in earth magic and was offered a position on the Malvarin staff as a researcher. Once more, he excelled in his chosen role, concentrating on researching cheaper or more readily available alternatives to expensive components. Though some of the staff at the Academy condemned his findings as encouraging even the lowest creature to dabble in magic, most praised his work for making the craft accessible to all who wished to learn of its beauty.

Lysavar spent over five centuries as a researcher before he felt the call to do more at the Academy. He’d advanced as far as he could in his chosen fields of research and wished to do more with his craft. Speaking first with his father and then with the Dean, he became one of the most heavily trained professors Malvarin had ever had. His courses ranged from basic courses such as The Flora and Fauna of the Fey Lands – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You and An Introduction to the Creatures of the Human and Infernal Planes all the way to Advanced Component Substitution or Elimination and The Morality of Elemental Manipulation. It was in this last class that he met his most unusual student – Micipsa Zakhara, Warlord of the Ifrit – and, through him, the elf who would become his greatest and dearest friend – King Urúvion of Kedaunnor.

The young professor had heard the horror stories of the youthful djinni and assumed the only reason the powerful creature remained at Malvarin at all was due to the influence of his royal friend. His participation in the difficult philosophical course surprised Lysavar…and impressed him. While Micipsa had been a terror to the Professors of the Academy as a child, rarely taking his studies seriously, he had grown into a thoughtful, brilliant young Ifrit worthy of the title of Warlord of his race. Student and teacher could often be found discussing various points after class, sometimes drawing a crowd with their heated debates, and Lysavar’s well-informed replies and level head even in the face of the Ifrit’s rising temper prompted one of his peers to suggest he take a position in the Royal Guard.

Micipsa encouraged his former teacher to join the Guard while Urúvion was less than enthusiastic. As the day of his resignation from the Academy drew closer, their friendship grew more and more strained. Though he never actually spoke against his choice, Lysavar was aware of the king’s disapproval and it caused a rift in their friendship that lasted several centuries. It also created stumbling blocks in the young elf’s new career choice.

Even the disapproval of a king, however, wasn’t enough to prevent Lysavar’s rise in the Guard. His skill in the mystical arts as well as his natural ability to soothe ruffled feelings and emotions aided in his advancement. The skilled shaman quietly moved up in the ranks so that, by his 1500^th year, he was under consideration for a position on the Royal Advisory Committee. When it became clear that the position would be his, the two former friends met, talked, and reached an agreement. Though Lysavar never learned why his friend objected to his joining the Royal Guard, they fell into an easy working relationship that rekindled their old friendship.

A mere 200 years had passed since he’d joined the Royal Guard when Lysavar was named the Royal Shaman and Advisor to the King of Kings. As the most trusted of those on the Advisory Committee, Urúvion often sent his Advisor on errands outside the fey lands – taking messages to their mutual friend, Micipsa, or assessing human or Infernal activity on other planes of existence. It was on one of these errands that the solemn young elf met with the vampire Investigator, Blake Simons.

The elder vampire was stunningly gorgeous with a hint of danger that appealed to the quiet elf. In the beginning, it seemed that the attraction was not mutual and the two settled into an odd sort of friendship while working towards their individual, yet similar, goals. Once they’d completed their tasks, however, Blake had invited Lysavar into his home in a northern county of England and gave rise to the elf’s hope that they could experience something more than simple friendship. Though his heart belonged to another, something about the dangerous, brooding vampire inspired Lysavar’s long-hidden mischievous nature to emerge and he commenced to flirting outrageously with his host. They parted ways amicably, if not more than slightly sexually frustrated, and the elf had left a Summoning Sphere upon Blake’s pillow…just in case.

Since then, the quiet, serious elf with the hidden mischievous streak has faithfully served his king and his people with unwavering loyalty. 

(The picture was taken from a random image search and bore no artist's name. The title of the original piece was Vanissar, King Dinasty. If this is your picture and you'd like for it to be properly credited or even removed, please let me know! I thought he was perfect for Lysavar.)