Roevash was not treated well by the local village of elves. They often teased him for being large and clumsy even tho I can tell you he was far from being clumsy. Roe is half elven through his mother Thendiel and half giant darjal’n. His father, Marin of house Isokian, was known for his piercing crystal blue eyes among other things.
Here’s a few facts known bout Roevash – “Roe” means small deer that has a reddish summer coat that turns grayish in winter. “Vash” means the god, king or prince. The highest class in the hierarchy. One who is looked upon highly. One who is brilliant. He certainly is the beloved son of Thendiel. He is the result of her tragic love for husband Marin. Roevash is also older brother of Eijlam. We know him as half-blood elven and darjal’n. 6’ tall and still growing, born February 13, 2402, of the third age. He is right handed and has crystal blue eyes like his father. He loves avocados. (who knew) He tolerates sailing on larger ships but has a dislike for deep waters. His father is Marin of house Isokian, one of the darjal’n humankind from the Skald Mountain to the far north. Roevash can be bossy, stubborn and grumpy when you first meet him.
In book one, after we segue into the future , he makes his entrance in chapter fourteen, “Fionna’s Lament” he makes a downright arse of himself. I attribute that to his having lived among men for many long decades. He did not know it at the time, but he also suffered from the elven desolation that erodes the spirit and eventually sends you back to their spirit lands of Ilmatar. Roe ultimately has the elven grace and virtue in his heart and he cannot deny it. His experience growing up as a half-blood has made him look on with silent judgment before trusting anyone and even then he is skeptical, and always weighing your virtues.
Roevash is a seasoned fighter and will quickly lash out to protect whomever he deems as his own kin and clan. Although he can be a terrifying warrior his deeply hidden heart is still that of an innocent youth who yearns to love and be loved. Roe’s instincts for strategy and seeing the truth are honed to a sharp edge and he is able to cut down to the matter. He can be very humorous when he is with his closest companions. Roevash’s best friend is a darjal’n ranger named Dakein. He loves Naalin and his son Elgelion so very dearly. I just love reading about this huge guy being so sweet with the little ones don’t you? Roe’s dedication to his clan is absolute.
When developing Roevash’s character I heard Michael Dorn’s voice speaking to me. For those who don’t know or need a reminder Michael Dorn is the big Klingon named “Worf” in the Star Trek franchise. I think their characters are quite similar except I would add a shot of Leonard Nimoy’s “Spock” for all the completely annoying logic that Roevash has rattling around in his head. He cannot help it because his father’s race are well known for their aptitude for engineering and battle strategy. He is always stating the obvious which gives him an air of elitism at times. But hey, he is a great leader, commander and shows compassion for the men under his charge.
When Roe was young he was extremely shy and quiet. It is said that “Roevash never understood why the other young ones in his village shied away or called him names.” The elves saw him as a “strange shadow” and “half human.” He was taller and had dark skin and hair compared to the elves who, well, looked like elves from the Tolkien franchise of movies. The elves of Eldelórne were pretty uniform in size and shape which is no excuse for how they treated Roevash and his mother. Thendiel was always disappointed by the clannish nature of the elves. Especially, when they rejected her son for being half human. But, there was naught to be done about it at that time.
Roevash never asked his mother about his mortal half because of the abuse he suffered for being different. He imagined that his mother was set upon by some horror concerning her conception and he didn’t want to be a reminder of that. So, early on Roevash vowed for the sake of his mother to practice being the best of his edhelath (elven) half that he could manage. What a sad place for a small child to be. No wonder he grew sullen and moody in his youth. It is said, “He learned how to scowl fiercely, giving them (other elven youths) what they expected. He soon discovered he didn’t have to use physical force, because young edhel (elves) who threw insults, more often than not had no strength to back them up.” None of this play acting was difficult for Roe, considering his father was darjal’n, and being powerful warriors comes as second nature to their race.
This is the first of many posts analyzing the stories of Eldelórne. You are welcome to ask the author a question or start a discussion. What do you think growing up in Eldelórne would be like? What is your favorite part of Roevash’s life in the book? What does he look like as an adult? Post your pics here and till next time galu mellonamin.
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