Thoron'alata (or Alata to his friends) is the son of Thoron'erreb, leader of the Sylvarran. He was born with the traditional birth mark of the eagle on the base of his right palm that all the Sylvarran are born with.
Background
When he was still just a baby a mysterious stranger arrived in Sylvandale with a gift for the young Alata: a female tiger cub. The stranger said that the tiger's fate and that of Alata were inexorably linked and that their link would be the key to unlock a great mystery of the future, though the stranger would not say any more on the matter. When the stranger was gone, no one could remember quite who they were, or even their race or sex. But the stranger's words have proved true in so much as Alata and the tiger have been inseparable ever since. When he came of age, Alata named the tigress after his father's human grandmother, Yari.
At this time Alata was taken and given the sap of the Tree of Life to drink and in doing so he became a trainee Sylvarran. He entered the ranks of the Elves of the Eagles and was trained in the arts of the Defenders of Sylvandale. He learned how to move undetected through the woods and trees of his homeland. He learned to track beasts and men through the wilds. He learned wood lore and survival. And he learned how to shoot a bow with exceptional speed and accuracy. In addition his tutors taught him a great many arcane secrets, for the Sylvarran would eventually learn to wield arcane power and to deliver it through their bows. Alata found he had much more aptitude for wood lore than for arcane knowledge, but he worked hard to learn both.
When Alata was growing up, his father, Flek, spent much of his time visiting his old companions of the Fellowship of Pelor, and he would often take Alata with him. As such Alata spent quite a lot of time with Countess Fortuna and her family and the other members of the Fellowship. From them Alata learned much lore and history, especially about Albion and the immediate surrounds.
Recently the Arch Lich Camero has been recruiting for his Institute of the Arcane. Flek felt it would be a good idea for a representative of the Sylvarran to be sent there to study and learn the arcane ways of other races and peoples, and who better to send than his own son? Anyway it was time for Alata to begin to learn the arcane arts, if he were to complete his training as a Sylvarran. So Alata went and took up study at the Arcane Institute in Aquadis.
Now a student at the Institute, Alata tries hard with his arcane studies but so far even the simplest cantrip has evaded him. Still, he owns a spellbook, lovingly created for him by Flek's adventuring companion Sir Arundel, and he studies it each night, hoping to glean some insight into the arcane arts.
As he does so he also ponders on the words of prophecy spoken by the unknown stranger who gifted him with the young tigress Yari. Who was this stranger and what is the great mystery of which they spoke? Only time would tell, but Alata is determined to be ready...
