Tharivol of House Melian
Born in the year 21,530 E.R. (8014 F.R.) to Eldor of house Meliane and Nessa of House Birlithe, Tharivol is one of the Altarim, "High Folk," the Elhil residing in Ardaranel, "Belendale." He was born and raised in Gloralion, "the Summervale," the most glorious and secret of Elhil cities save those in Faerie. There he gained an exceptional appreciation for music and beauty, perhaps even more so than the average Elhan. His father, Eldor, apprenticed him to a woodcutter, Olwe of the House Meliane at a young age and there he became quite accomplished.
As the woodcutting profession is a dangerous one, he often had to accompany his fellow woodcutters to the temple of Tal-Allustiel for healing. His father, Eldor, was a deeply religious Elhan, and it was probably this influence combined with his frequent trips to the temple for healing that led his firstborn son to gravitate more and more to the temple in his free time. There he became fascinated by the healers' great skill. Then, at the tender age of 49, another woodcutter, striking recklessly, hit a knot in a particularly difficult log. The resulting ricochet of his two-headed axe hacked nearly completely through Tharivol's arm. Tharivol was rushed to the temple for healing. There a particularly adept priest of Tal-Allustiel and Tharivol's older cousin, Celadron of house Meliane, was able to save Tharivol's arm.
What particularly moved Tharivol, besides regaining the use of his arm, was the speed in which the wound was closed. Celadron, seeing that Tharivol was gravely injured, immediately fell into prayer. Within moments, by laying his hands on the wound, he was able to channel the power of Tal-Allustiel into Tharivol's arm, healing it completely. Soon after, Tharivol began formally studying under Celadron. He had always had an inherent faith in the omnipotent Tal-Allustiel and a fascination in the arts of healing. Long dormant, this interest reawoke within him after witnessing the miracle that healed his wounded arm. Never a hasty individual, however, his studies went slowly until one fateful day when he accompanied his father on a long hunting journey.
On this hunting trip, Tharivol ventured for the first time outside the confines of his beloved Ardarinel. On the third day outside of the protective borders of the Belendale, as they were preparing their evening meal of freshly caught rabbit, suddenly their camp was attacked by a band of eight marauding orcs. Grabbing their weapons and standing back to back, Tharivol and his father were able to dispatch the party of orcs. However, they were both wounded badly and despite Tharivol's rudimentary knowledge of healing, he was unable to stop his father's life from slipping away during the night. Sadly he saddled up their horses and brought his father's lifeless body back to his homeland.
After a period of mourning, Tharivol realized that had he studied harder and had he acquired some of the power of his teacher, his father might have gotten to witness the starlight on the Western Seas. Soon thereafter, he redoubled his efforts at learning the arts of healing and channeling the divine power of Tal-Allustiel. Thus, by the age of 75, he was known as an emerging and potentially highly skilled priest of Tal-Allustiel. Throughout the following years he made many a heroic foray south of the Belendale and smote many an orc, (his sworn enemy since his father's demise,) with his mace. His name became well known in these years and eventually came to the attention of Baranwe the tall, king of the Elhil.
In recent years Tharivol has been sent on many a mission by the king himself, especially when orcs were troubling the southern Belendale. Thus in the year 21,865 E.R. (8169 F.R.) when the mighty Valanduil was leaving the Belendale once again for the human lands to seek information pertaining to the powerful Elhil artifact, the Stone of Silence, Tharivol was an obvious choice for Baranwe when choosing a traveling companion for Valanduil. Tharivol now wanders the human lands with Valanduil in the never-ending quest to free the world of Farland from the control of the Dweller.
