Alton Grayleaf

Name, race, and class:
Alton/Morrainna Grayleaf, Halfling/Drow, Wizard/Warlock 5th Level

Description:
Alton has black eyes and hair, with a dark-reddish complexion. At three foot tall, he’s about average height for a Halfling. He normally wears dark, preferably black pants and shirt, with a black travelling cloak slung around his shoulders. Most of his possessions are carried in a backpack, except for an odd variety of weapons he wears about his body. A pair of crossbows are slung across his back, and a bandolier of Darts crosses his chest. A Morningstar dangles from his right hip, while a sickle hangs from his left.

Background:
Alton was raised in one of the Halfling enclaves among the elven territories. He was born into a marriage made of two of the more prominent families in the region, the Tealeaves and the Grays, and was named after his great-great-grandfather, a prominent chef. His family had hoped he would follow after his famous namesake, but although Alton proved to be a competent (if eccentric) in the lab he called a kitchen, he always found himself attracted to the shadows, and darkness.

While browsing for tomes of peculiar recipes in an Elven library, he stumbled upon a misfiled exploration of the basics of shadow magic and manipulation. Fascinated by the process, he soon began to dabble in his spare time. Cooking quickly became secondary to Alton’s increasingly obsessive exploration of shadow magic.

Unfortunately, Halflings are not known to be among the most understanding about odd powers, and as a slow change began to overtake Alton’s countenance, those who knew him began to fear him. He was cast out of his native home, and for a time, came to reside with the elves. Though the elves were more accepting of his experiments and appearance, Alton never really felt at home in a land of such tall, graceful folk, and ultimately, left to seek his own way in the world. His wanderings took him near to Hadler’s Gap, where he felt a strange pull. In the bright day, it was almost as though his shadow turned of its own accord and gave a physical pull towards the village. Lacking any better plan, Alton followed.

Goals:
Alton is motivated primarily by the quest for knowledge. Only by understanding and testing can he learn more about the shadows, and how to assert his control over them. Just as when cooking, he understands that the key to developing his skills lies in repetition, and observation. He goes where the wind or his shadow pulls him.