A principal character from the Ring of Steel, a Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign set in and around Harrowdale. “Fortunately for Marlykan, a brawl near the other end of the tavern drew everyone’s attention for a moment. Giving him time to reconsider his tact. “Such a serious subject deserves a more serious venue,” he said in a reserved tone to the elf. “Perhaps the inn across the way?” She nodded in agreement, and they slipped through the crowd toward the door. Retrieving his cloak, Marlykan was clearly more concerned at protecting his instrument then himself from the blustering rain as they sprinted across the muddy lane. An act that seemed to garner more respect from his elven companion then anything else he had done. Finding a quite table in the corner of the common room, she measured him with carefully. He was a handsome rogue, but with a bit too much swagger for her taste. But, he seemed her best hope for the information she sought. “I am Fhariel Ammath,” she began. “My father insisted we join the Retreat, but choose to take to our family’s holding in Evereska rather then continue to Evermeet. I objected to leaving our home in the Cormanthor, but I was just a girl then. I left Evereska to return on my own, against my father’s will, but after a long and difficult journey I found our home infested by drow! Is there no one willing to oppose them!” “It isn’t that we are not willing,” Marlykan explained. “Dark times have fallen on the dales. Some say it started with the Retreat. Others with the coming of the drow. But, the dales are not as strong as they once were. Cormyr is in disarry, many of the dales suffer raids from the drow, and even the Harpers seem at war with one another. There is no one to unite a single effort to repell the drow… and tales say there are many thousand of them!” Fhariel was crest-fallen. As the closest human settlement to the Elven Court she had hoped to find Harrowdale a staging ground for an army to sweep the drow from the forest. But, if this bard was right, there was no army, and no hope! Seeing the dejection on her face, as if her very life was draining from her, he tried to offer her some hope. “I have heard that rangers often clash with the drow deep in the forest. The dales each defend their own, of course. Although Harrowdale has not suffered near as harshly as others. And, if the tales the locals here insist are true about them, the sisters of Eilistraee in the Velarwood send warbands to oppose them.” “Drow fighting drow,” she laughted humorlessly. “What a state we are all in if that is our greatest hope!..” Raised in the Elven Court until her family joined the Retreat, but only went as far as Evereska, Fhariel hated leaving her childhood home and journey back to the Cormanthor, against her father’s will, as soon as she came of age. However, she found her family’s home, north west of Velarsburg and the Duathamper river, taken over by drow. Schooled in both spells and swordcraft, she would delight in the drow being driven back into the Underdark, but has accepted that it was the elves abandonment of their stewartship of the forest that has allowed their evil to plauge the dalelands. Fhariel was one of the strongest forces behind the formation of the Ring of Steel, and it’s dedication to opposing evil in any form, especial the drow. However, she has come to accept that not all drow are evil, just as not all other elves are good, and has formed a sisterly bond with Sabrae. The fourth image in my second pass through the Ring of Steel characters. My previous version of Fhariel was done with Aiko 3.0. This time I put a little more muscle on her... and gave her a lot more attitude! Thanks for looking... Hope you enjoy! Comments and suggestions always welcome and appriciated!