The Elves are a proud people, but Nayala is a little different. No mistake, if you insult her honor or pride you'll have an arguement if not a fight on your hands. Other than that she is good at keeping her head cool in combat. She spends a lot of time analyzing other people. In her youth she was very curious, and that sometimes got her into a lot of trouble. She still is, but not to the same extent. In making new friends, Nayala has never had problems. Even the Dwarves. She doesn't really care. If she likes a person, she'll tell them. Trusting isn't an issue for her because she knows that if you betray her, that's it. She can be a bit quick to judge sometimes, but it all comes down to first impressions. Nayala is talkative and friendly. Very loyal and very caring. She enjoys taking care of people, maybe because she doesn't really know how to take care of herself outside the battlefield. Emotionally that is. On the battlefield the caring personality disappears. Nayala has no problems with taking lives. Were you to ask her take an innocent one though, that she would refuse. Her mind is set on her cause and she'll fight for it anytime.
Empathy is her greatest gift, although sometimes she can be so exhausted from trying to help everyone else, that it turns right around into apathy. She knows how to tell good from evil, and her moral compass always points North. If she was part of a group, she'd leave no one behind. Nayala would do the right thing always, but she is not a brilliant strategist. She's good at scouting ahead though. Moving silently comes naturally to her. When speaking to her, she doesn't expect a "Madam" or "Milady." She just wants you to be polite, as she would be to you. Her own people, especially her own family were different. She never really fit in at her own household. She would always sleep in and close the curtains in the mornings. She liked the darker hours of the day better. All in all, Nayala is very curious of the part of her that is non-elvish.
Beginning Armor: She is wearing light plate armor, again atypical. It has been crafted for her specifically, so it allows for easier movement. It includes; bracers, chest/back plate, boots, greaves, shoulderguards and leather gloves. A dark blue cloak, big enough for her to wrap herself in it.
Beginning Weapons(s): Her father's royal bow. It's her most prized posession, and it has the unique feature that the string will never break. Or so it's said at least. Other than that she has an elvish shortsword with a curved blade. Nothing much, just a sword. And a quiver of course. Would you give her a heavy weapon, such as a mace or an axe or a warhammer, she wouldn't know what to do with it.
Fighting Style: She strikes from a far, and is also good at hand to hand combat against single foes. But if she found her place in the midst of the battlefield, the wisest thing to do would be turn tail and run. Also bigger enemies such as the lizardfolk, would be a problem for her if they were too heavily armored. She's very good at finding the weak spots in a set of armor, but it would be hard for her to come close enough. She's not an ace at all of these things though, she still has things to learn. The only thing she relies on completely is the bow and arrow.
Other: A silver ring sits on her right index finger, with the language of the Drows priding it. It used to be her mothers. It says: "Above skies, under ground. Rest not till home you have found."
Born into royalty, but a bastard none the less. Always the girl getting into trouble. Her father was an elvish lord, but her mother a Drow escaped from the Great Below. Nayala never really knew where she belonged. She lived with her father in his household, but her mother lived a while away from them not really permitted to see her. If she wanted to see her mother, she had to visit her. Her father cared not. Not until the day she turned 15. Then he wanted to raise her. He wanted her to become a true elf, but resented the dark blood in her. He wanted her to become an elf just as him, but couldn't accept the fact that he couldn't change the color of her skin. At first she was truly happy that her father started showing interest in her, but was sad when she found out his real plan.
One day, they were walking in the markets, her father talking away about how she should behave more "lady-like" and be more as her peers. Nayala argued and said that she didn't have any peers. No one there was like her. Her father hit her and Nayala, being a little rebel, kicked him over the shin and ran off. She ran to her mothers house and asked if she could live there. Her mother immediately agreed and went back to Nayala's father to reason with him. After hours of waiting, Nayala followed the path back to her fathers household and went inside. It was unusally quiet and none of her siblings were there. Slowly walking up the stairs towards her own room, she saw her mother lying on the floor, the crimson red blood running along the floor next to her. After a minutes of tears and shock, she finally gathered her things and packed her bags. She took her fathers bow from the mantle above the fireplace, and walked towards the door just as her father came home. A quick sprint for the window next to her, and a jump outside, she was standing on the ground outside. Her father screamed for her and vowed her death before his time was done. Tears running down her face, Nayala ran off into the forest.
After that she lived in the forest for a while, never settled though. Partially because she wanted to go out an explore the world, and partially because she was afraid her father was going to find her. She stayed at inns, taverns and all the kind people who'd have her. And came across a blacksmith who needed help with a number of things, Nayala offered a hand and was rewarded with an elven shortsword the blacksmith had crafted ages ago. She helped around at different places to try to earn some coin. Sometimes it was rough, and sometimes it was okay. The worst was in winter, the season of year she hated the most. This is what she has done up until now, until the war came. She chose to join the West Marches because she wanted to protect her home and because she felt more at home here than in the east.