Post by LEGOLAS THRANDUILION on Oct 10, 2011 0:46:01 GMT -5
legolasthranduilion
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[/b], so please call me that from now on. i've got 8 birds flying round my head and they don't half get annoying but when you've been around for 20 years you get used to it. have you heard about no one, 'cause they are badass so don't mess with me, 'cause i've read the rules and i say florence. kthxbi.[/ul][/blockquote][/size][/center]
BASICS?!
NAME?! - Legolas Thranduilion (I put Thranduilion here, since one takes the father's name and adds -ion for a surname; he is never actually referred to as this, but 'Greenleaf' is really just a translation of Legolas, so it seemed silly to put that as his surname when there was a patronymic one that fit and made sense)
NICK NAMES?! - Greenleaf, "Leggy darling" (if you're being condescending)
AGE?! - 2995 (If you'd like an in depth analysis: his age is never specified, but it is less than 6,400 and at least 500 in the canon. I went with the assumption that Legolas was only born after his people left Lórien in about 1000 of the Third Age, since he says he has never been to the Golden Wood before when he travels there with the Fellowship. That would make him, at most, 3000 years old, and perhaps as young as 500, at the end of the Lord of the Rings tales. Tolkien said that he thought there would be about 6000 years between the end of the LotR canon and the 20th century (placing the events in Middle Earth wayyy before anything in this world), therefore, I'd say that Legolas is taken from his timeline somewhere in between then (I don't hold 'The Red Book of Westmarch' tales as canon exactly when dealing with characters and timelines, since they are as not widely read and are more or less add-ons to the original story, so, I prefer that Legolas stays in Middle Earth for some time after Aragorn's death; however, since he has not technically died upon going to the Undying Lands, it's conceivable that he was taken from there, too), making his age somewhere between 500 and 9000. I picked something about in the middle.)
GROUP?! - Fantasy
SEXUALITY?! - Bisexual
GENDER?! - Male
ABILITIES?! - As he is an Elf, Legolas has quite a few abilities that humans do not. For one, he can talk to animals; they understand the Elvish tongue, so he can ask them to do things and comfort them better than humans. He is practically immortal: he no longer ages physically, so he cannot die of old age, and heals so quickly that he is able to survive illnesses and wounds that would easily kill a human. However, he can be killed in battle (i.e. arrow between the eyes, sword in the ribs), and can die of grief, severe illness, or simple weariness with life. He is nearly immune to heat and cold, though he is still affected by them, and can walk so lightly that he does not even sink in snow. Like the rest of his race, he's blessed by great strength, beauty, knowledge, and strength of character, as well as excellent eyesight, hearing, and other senses.
FANDOM?! - The Lord of the Rings
NATIVE?! - no
PLAYED BY!?! - Orlando Bloom
APPEARANCE?!
EYES?! - grey, though they shift in color depending on his mood
HAIR?! - blond
FACE?! - oval
BODY?! - thin, but muscular
OVERALL?! - Like all Elves, Legolas is both fair of face and sound of body. He is tall and lean, like the rest of his kind, and much stronger than he looks to be. Even though he has spent centuries learning to use weapons, his hands are smooth, and he has no scars on his body. He has bright, intelligent blue eyes that, more often than not, twinkle with merriment regardless of the gravity of the situation. These are by far his most striking physical feature, not only for the emotions they reveal but for the ones they don't. Sadness, anger, boredom, and other negative moods often cause his eyes to take on a dull, blank expression. When this is the case, Legolas's mood is best told by one of two things: the fact that his eyes change color based on his mood, or his dark, expressive eyebrows. These emphasize his eyes by striking poses fitting to his feelings: one cocked up, both raised high, both furrowed in annoyance... The Elf's high cheekbones sit high on his face, sometimes even casting shadows down his cheeks if the light is right. His other striking feature is his ears. As he is by no means human, Legolas's ears are pointed and nearly leaf-shaped, curling back from his face. Behind them, he tucks his long blonde hair, which is always worn loose, even in battle.
Clothes-wise, what Legolas wears would, to most 21st century people, look like some bad outfit straight out of a fan convention. However, to him, his clothes are perfect. He wears long tunics in green, blue or brown, paired with tan or light green leggings and soft brown boots. For nicer occasions, Legolas wears either a fancier tunic or one of many billowy shirts he owns, paired with close-fitting trousers. When traveling, he puts on a cloak of some sort and adds a second, thicker tunic over his first one, for both protection and to keep the first one clean. Since Elves are not affected greatly by the heat or the cold, his outfits do not really vary between seasons except for the addition, perhaps, of a heavy cloak. However, when forced to wear more modern clothing, he likes layering jackets over long-sleeves shirts, paired with boots and jeans.
PERSONALITY?!
LIKES?! - Legolas is, obviously, very fond of archery, as it is his main weapon and identifying mark in the canon. Though he has no particular taste for history or folklore, he enjoys reading and learning very much, especially if what he is reading or learning about will help him in his life. He loves listening to stories. As the son of a king, Legolas is rather particular about keeping himself and his clothes as clean as he can, though his love for nature can sometimes get in the way of this. Also, he likes anything haute-couture, such as singing, the fine arts, sculptures, flower gardens, and anything peaceful and beautiful. The ocean holds a particular fascination for him, because, like many Elven kings of old, Legolas has something called sea-longing, which is a strong desire to sail away across the ocean. Other things he likes: singing, drawing, gardens, peace and quiet, playing games
DISLIKES?! - There are many things he dislikes in the world, and among the first and foremost of these are liars, cheaters, and people who disrespect nature. Legolas hates war and violence, even though he is a skilled archer and fighter. His more petty dislikes are things like flirters, history, and overly sweet foods. He hates being lied to or tricked into doing anything, and can hold a grudge very well. He disapproves of alcohol, drunks, and cowards, as well as people who force their opinions on others and take stupid risks. It bothers him to no extent when people comment about how he looks 'girly' or how he looks so odd; this gets on his nerves because he accepts strange things and believes others should do the same.
GOALS?! - Among Legolas's goals, no matter where he is, are the desires to protect and care for his companions and to avoid dying until he chooses to do so. Also, he would like to know everything about the Island where he is now, as it affects him rather severely. One of his more short-term goals is to adjust himself sufficiently to the strange culture of those around him so that it's not a huge shock whenever one of them speaks or appears in his line of sight. However, he plans to discover the 'who, what, when, where, and why' of the island as soon as possible, even if he has to do so alone.
FEARS?! - Even after seeing as much of the world and life as he has, the Elvish prince still has many fears. He fears disappointing his friends and those who depend on him for protection; he fears dying violently; he fears becoming an unjust ruler or an unknown one. From time to time he has nightmarish daydreams about the War of the Ring, and worries that he will be so consumed with memories from the past that he will not be able to live in the present. Though Elves are, by nature, much more resilient than Men are, Legolas was struck hard by the War and by the loss of all of his friends, and he fears reliving that time in his life where all he felt was sadness and loneliness. He is terrified being completely alone, friendless, loveless, surrounded by impartial observers to his life.
STRENGTHS?! - Legolas has quite a few strengths. Beyond the fact that being an Elf grants him heightened senses, strength, and speed, he is intelligent and flexible enough to adapt to new situations. He is a skilled fighter with three thousand years of experience and knows a great deal about life and the world (or, at least, his world). The prince's personality is charming, what with his chivalrous attitude and courtly manners, and his looks are, to say the least, the same. Since there are (probably) no bullet cartridges on the Island, his skill with a bow will com in handy, since he can still use it as a weapon as long as he as access to wood and stone.
WEAKNESS?! - Coming from a world that, while on a parallel to this one, is completely different, with different races and magical beings, Legolas is completely unadjusted to the society of his fellow Islanders. He doesn't know their culture, their slang, or anything else about them, and certainly doesn't know what a bullet is if he ever encountered one. This makes for awkward conversation and alienation for how strange he and his customs are, not to mention the fact that he isn't even human. He is also secretly desperate to have some friends that he can relate to and laugh with, since he has always in his life been surrounded by companions, so he ends up trying too hard to impress people and just pushing them away with his 'weirdness'. One of his weak points is also those he cares about. If they are in danger, he will do rash things to try and save them, even though his head tells him to be careful.
OVERALL?! - The first thing many notice about him is that Legolas is a gentleman. Raised as the son of a king, he speaks formally and cordially, always polite (unless, of course, one of his friends is directly insulted). He has courtly manners and, though he is prone to making blanket statements and holding grudges, generally treats everyone with respect. He values beauty in all its forms, be it music, art, or flowers, and loves to dance and sing, especially when there are others joining in. He knows much of the art of storytelling and is an excellent host -- and, surprisingly, a very good gardener and cook. The education provided for him in Mirkwood made him very clever with words and logic, leaving him with the ability to either talk or think his way out of most anything.
Though an unparalleled archer in his world, the Elvish prince is by no means violent. Even during the War of the Ring, Legolas did not put on armor or take a shield with him. He abhors unnecessary violence, valuing, like all Elves, life and all the good that comes of it. War means to him that more of his friends and allies are going to get hurt, as well as innocent people who only wanted to stay out of the fighting. Despite all his convictions against it, though, Legolas is one of the trustiest people to have by your side. He has relentless energy and the strength of will to see things through to the end. He'd gladly accept whatever consequences come of his actions, even to the extent of placing the blame on himself too much, and holds grudges against his enemies very well. To him, surrendering, even if it means saving his life, is never really an option.
Legolas is very humble. He doesn't compliment himself or even mention the fact that he is a king's son, sometimes leading those around him to believe he is simply an Elf like all the others. He's naturally cheerful, often breaking out into song or verse, dancing, making friendly bets (such as a drinking challenge he accepts between himself and Gimli), and making lighthearted jokes and comments. Even battle, something that he hates, cannot stop his good mood: he makes a light game of it to distract himself from the killing. He's fairly innocent about many things in the world, having spent nearly all of his days in Mirkwood Forest among his own people, but much less so than when he set out towards Rivendell at the beginning of the Lord of the Rings. About other things, however, he is very wise. For example, he wouldn't be able to tell when someone was flirting with him, but he could walk you through how to paint a picture of a rose.
One of the most important things about the Elf is that he retains many childish traits. For one, he likes being treated fairly and like an adult, even if he's acting foolishly. Legolas likes playing games, too, especially with people he doesn't know very well because he gets to know them better that way. He's always ready for story time or to tell a tale himself. He's extremely curious about the world, wanting to know more about it (as long as that 'more' doesn't have to do with history or politics). He adapts well because he keeps an open mind and is ready to believe strange things. However, he's also rather hypocritical: if you told him you'd been to the moon and back, he'd probably believe you -- but he suspected you were a traitor and you protested your innocence, you would be hard pressed to convince him otherwise. This hypocrisy appears in other traits of his, too, such as the fact that he hates violence but often sees it as the only way to solve problems. He's nearly always lighthearted, but he can be ridiculously childish, stubborn, rude, insulting, and a host of other negative traits.
There are sides to the Elvish prince that people see, but rarely think of when they describe him. He seems like such a sweet character, but three thousand years is more than enough for anyone to develop a dynamic personality. For one, he's very fond of praise, and likes being recognized for who he is, but he keeps his heritage a secret and chastises anyone who refers to him by his title. He doesn't show off his talents overly much, simply makes use of them when he needs to, but is more than willing to put on a show for eager eyes. He's quick to make blanket statements, quick to jump to conclusions, and is easily exasperated under stress. He is naïve about some things and too world-weary on the subject of others; he is often contradictory, though he tries not to be, and sometimes antisocial. Legolas is sometimes even self-condemning, especially when it comes to situations where someone he loved was hurt. He doesn't show all of himself to everyone he meets, either; the Legolas one person knows may be very different from the one another person is familiar with.
HISTORY?!
MOTHER?! - Erulissë (there is absolutely no mention of her anywhere, so I just chose this name)
FATHER?! - Thranduil
SIBLINGS?! - none
IMPORTANT?! - the Fellowship of the Ring
FINALE?! - Legolas was born sometime after his people, the Wood-Elves, settled into Mirkwood Forest. Growing up as the son of Thranduil, king of the forest, he lived a fairly sheltered life. His father was nearly always somber, thinking about either his people or his past, and so didn't have much time for Legolas except to instruct him in little things about being a ruler. There was no frantic tutoring, just in case Thranduil died of illness or old age, since the king was safe from both, being an Elf, so his son got to grow up the same as any other Elvish child. He learned how to dance, how to sing, how to draw and how to find food in the woods around him. He chose the bow at a very young age, learning how to shoot from the ground and from horseback, from odd angles, from in the trees... His education was lacking for nothing. So, when he grew older, he was free to travel around Middle Earth on missions from his father. It was during this time that Legolas began 'forgetting' to mention who he was. He saw very little of the world, however, since all of Thranduil's business was done very close to home. In fact, the young prince never so much as ventured into Lórien, the famed Golden Wood of the Elves, and missed many interesting sights because he was so focused on fixing things for his father.
His father's politics, though, never particularly pleased him. Legolas wasn't interested, really, in becoming king, and because Thranduil was expected to live more or less indefinitely -- and his impending death would almost certainly be revealed long in advance -- he was able to discard that part of his duties. His father kept him at home more, allowing Legolas to do whatever he pleased. The prince occupied himself for many hundreds of years in his home in Mirkwood Forest, riding horses, dancing, growing a garden, practicing with his bow. One day, though, after a particularly long period of rising tensions in the world outside, his father gave him an important task: to watch over an important prisoner. When this important prisoner -- Gollum -- escaped, Legolas set off with a band of others to track him against his father's wishes. They searched and searched, but even they could not bring the creature back. The prince returned to his home only to be sent away to Rivendell almost immediately. He was to carry the news of Gollum's escape to Elrond and to represent the Elves of Mirkwood at the council convening there.
The rest of what happened to him is chronicled in the stories known collectively as The Lord of the Rings. Legolas was chosen to be one of the Nine. Together with Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, Gimli, and Boromir, he set off on a mission to destroy the One Ring before it could fall once again into the grasp of evil. The Nine traveled long and hard together, encountering difficulties along the way. They lost Gandalf in the Mines of Moria, Boromir to Orcs, and Frodo and Sam disappeared together over the walls to Mordor. Merry and Pippin, kidnapped by the same Orcs who killed Boromir, were gone, too, so Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas set off together through the woods towards Gondor and other settlements of Men to do their share in the fight against evil. In Fangorn Forest, they re-encountered Gandalf, who had survived his fight with the Balrog with help of the Valar, the Elvish gods. Later, they found Merry and Pippin alive in well in Rohan, the two of them having defeated Saruman with the help of the Ents of Fangorn Forest. So their journey continued, until at last, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn, Merry, and Pippin found themselves outside the Black Gates. They were making a desperate attempt to give Frodo and Sam more time to destroy the Ring, going up against an army at least four times the size of their own.
That battle was the longest one Legolas had ever fought, longer even than the battle at Helm's Deep, where his friend Haldir and so many of his fellow Elves had fallen. Every moment was painful because every moment, the One Ring could be plunging into the fires of the volcanic Mount Doom or the Orc that was going to deal him his death blow could be appearing in his peripheral vision. Aragorn was nearly overcome several times by monsters far too big for one man -- be he Aragorn or not -- to tackle alone. The troops of Mordor closed in around them tighter and tighter, and Legolas had to, at last, brace himself for death.
Then the ground around them crumbled away and the Orcs and trolls fell away into an abyss. Sauron's giant eye and tower collapsed; Frodo had destroyed the One Ring.
Things moved very quickly after that. After a few nerve-wracking days, Frodo awoke, healed and healthy, and Aragorn was crowned king of Gondor. The Fellowship split and Legolas, with a heavy heart, went back to Mirkwood. He knew, from messengers, of the departure of many of the Elves of Lórien, but did not leave himself. Slowly, he began adjusting to a peaceful life again, though he was by no means the same person from when he had headed out to Rivendell with the news of Gollum's escape. He made frequent visits to Gondor, spending a great deal of time with his friend the king. Things finally seemed to be perfect -- then Aragorn died.
It was no surprise: the king was over two-hundred years old, which for a Man was exceptionally long, even though that Man was one of the Dúndain. All the same, Legolas was struck hard by the loss. He grew sad and was set on traveling off to the Undying Lands with his friend Gimli, who was now a very old Dwarf and who had taken up residence in Mirkwood with him. But when the time came to board the boat, he found he could not. He did not want to leave the place where Aragorn and the Fellowship had lived and fought and died. Then, too, his father, Thranduil, announced that he too was leaving, and he expected Legolas -- who had not told his father about his plans -- to care for the Elves of Mirkwood in his place. With a heavy heart, but knowing that it was right, he returned alone to Mirkwood.
Legolas never fully returned to the carefree Elfling he had been before the War. For a long time, he spent his nights locked away in his bedchamber, writing or drawing out scenes from his memory as if to rid himself of them. He felt very tired, and slept much, worrying all his father's advisors. What saved him from fading away was Aragorn's grandson, Elassen, who was so much like the Dúnedain that he lifted Legolas out of his sadness. The Elf began singing again, and dancing, and laughing. But, again, something had to happen: while out riding with Aragorn's grandson, he was pulled from his reality to the Island's, vanishing from Middle Earth.
