Aelar Holimmion
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Aelar was born to an Illuskan mother and a Sun Elf father after a one-night fling when she was a young barmaid. He grew up the only "elf" in his village and had no idea why he was so very alone. So he spent his youth among the elders memorizing the village's stories. He learned stories and tales from every passing caravan guard and adventurer and for a decade he told these stories and songs around the hearth and got the company he craved, but only long enough for them to lose themselves from their troubles.
That was Aelar's beginning. He left at twenty to journey south to the remaining Bardic Colleges, believing that music and stories could solve problems and preserve the histories others might forget. So Aelar vowed to uncover them and never forget, for all his long years he would bring back the forgotten histories and breathe new life into ancient songs the way necromancers bring back the dead.
And then he actually got to the college. And found himself learning from Harpers. They weren't all Bards. Most just masqueraded as Charlatans and Entertainers to get into players where trained Bards were welcome. Aelar found himself becoming jaded with Fochlucan College. Eventually he finished his term of study, after eight years of dealing with fucking Harpers, and began adventuring.
Adventuring wasn't the best of lives. No one wanted to hear a song. Or a tale. Ever. And they called him "elf" every gods-damned time they spoke to him. Fucking Harpers. He eviscerated them in verse and made a handsome amount of coin off the endeavor. His song spread like wildfire and he was hired by some Order of the Gauntlet guys to memorialize their forays into the wilds. He still hasn't finished the song. The main road block is that he can't remember these guys past the point in the song where he gets blocked, his mind just wanders.
Volo got him out of his doldrums and brought him to Waterdeep, giving him a mission once again and promising him that most prized of rewards - forgotten songs. Durnan, bless his soul, recalled a song from a century ago that Aelar had never heard, The Fireside Song of Old Adventurers. He's been practicing it ever since when the hours get low and the customers are too few and too drunk to care.
