<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/aiFakjG.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/aiFakjG.jpg)</div><strong>Jhessail Tol Galen</strong><br/><br/>Moon Elf, CG, Wizard (Illusion Specialist)<br/><br/>Eldest daughter of Prince Arion Tol Galen; daughter of Morwenna Churnst<br/><br/>Character Sheet (pdf) (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0K-jZP7Z8gPMkk3RVZWMFdpcnc)<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Jhessail Tol Galen is all too aware of the burden of leadership. Royal princess, eldest child of an eldest child, second in line to the throne; at times, her life has felt like one long lecture about duty and responsibility. From the earliest age she was tutored in magic and the arts of ruling. Fearful of failing to meet her family's expectations, she applied herself dutifully to her lessons. Still, there were times when she would gaze out her window and imagine the world beyond her forested prison, and she envied the carefree ways of her half-sister.<br/><br/>Jhessail thought of her childhood as being mostly happy, and was grateful for the support and encouragement of both her parents. Though she did question why Arion wasn't always with her mother. And while Arion seemed ambivalent about being the Crown Prince, Jhessail did not waver. Whenever she was asked, she said she was happy to devote her life to the elves of the Cloakwood. Only in private did she express any doubt.<br/><br/>As her skill in magic grew, she began to take lessons with Emiliarana at Arion's request. At first, those lessons could best be described as tense. But Jhessail came to admire Emiliarana, both as an arcanist and as a person; and she began to understand how her father could love two women. Gradually, the lessons became more civil, and perhaps even cordial.<br/><br/>Time marched on, and so did her lessons. Jhessail grew into the role her family desired for her. Courtier, wizard, diplomat, strategist - a leader poised to ascend to the throne. While her half-sister ran off and had exciting adventures, she remained at the palace, devoting herself to her studies and to her people.<br/><br/>And then her father was disowned.<br/><br/>In Jhessail's eyes, he could not be guilty. What could he have done that was so heinous that they could not even tell her, his own daughter? She became her father's advocate at court and worked tirelessly to learn the truth. Each day, she sent petitions to the king and queen. Each day, she stood in silent protest outside the throne room. Each day, she reserved a contemptuous glance for the king, the queen, and the crown princess. Jhessail became frustrated and bitter. She was no longer in direct line to the throne, no longer likely to rule. Why then had she studied so hard, sacrificed so much?<br/><br/>When the king died at the hands of an assassin, she regretted what she had done. Her actions had only hurt those she loved. Had her grandfather not taught her that a ruler must make difficult, heart wrenching decisions, then live to regret them? Blinded by her loyalty to her father, she had denounced her family. And she had let her grandfather die, believing he had lost her love.<br/><br/>Devastated, she joined her family in mourning as she sought some way to apologize and to redeem herself.<br/><br/>In contrast to her half-sister, Jhessail is cool, reserved, and cultured - the very picture of a courtier. She knows how to say one thing and mean another, how to smile graciously to hide her true emotions, how to look a person in the eye and see everything while revealing nothing.<br/><br/>Her most precious possession is a silver ring that she almost never removes. A gift from her parents when she finished her apprenticeship and became a wizard, it has a design of swirling oak and maple leaves surrounding a scimitar. She uses it as her wizard's bonded object.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/EieX6nU.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/EieX6nU.jpg)</div><div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/zCTIgSG.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/zCTIgSG.jpg)</div>