Rahlaer Shadowfyre, known as the Dark Wanderer of Ansalon, is a black-robed wizard from Krynn. Deemed a dark elf, Rahlaer is feared and hated throughout many planes of existence. His power is immense, as well as his cunning and brutality, and his threats are never idle.

He is clad in robes made of the finest black velvet; heavy and smooth, luxurious and dark, with silver runes glittering around the hood and hem. Nearly six feet tall, the Dark Wanderer has a slender build known to all elves, but is still muscular. His high cheekbones make him look cruel, yet his angelic features nearly rival the demigods in beauty. Elven ears taper into delicate points that are almost, but not quite, lost in the flowing ebony of his hair, worn shoulder length. His eyes are a painfully stunning azure, and seem to glow with magical energies all their own.

Rahlaer was raised in the forest of Silvanost, among his elven brethren. He was born into a family of middle standing, and thus would not be able to advance very high in his magical studies, due to the rigid structure of the elven hierarchy. He grew up hearing tales and bedtime stories intended to frighten him to sleep, tales of the dark elf who gave up everything he had in order to become more powerful. The dark elf Dalamar Nightson, of the Order of the Black Robes, always intrigued Rahlaer, for who would be strong and determined enough to give away everything that Silvanost had to offer?

The Dark Wanderer studied for most of his youth, reading books of the mystic arcane knowledge of wizardry. He had entered the study of an old, White Robed Silvanesti mage, and became his sole pupil, learning the powers of a wizard, hoping one day to take The Test of High Sorcery. When his power was deemed strong enough, Rahlaer travelled to the Tower of High Sorcery at Wayreth, in order to take the Test. While taking the Test, a temptation was offered the young elf, the temptation of a dark power. Rahlaer found himself in a mage's study, with scrolls and spellbooks lining the walls. In the center of the room was a table, upon which was a book. The book was bound in blue leather, and had black binding

Ambitious, Rahlaer decided to break free of the restrictive hierarchy and beliefs of the Silvanesti. Having heard tales of the dark power that Dalamar possesed, Rahlaer gave into the temptation, took hold of his fate, and took the grimoire offered to him. The grimoire flared a brilliant azure as Rahlaer touched it, and sent its power, and the tale of its history, into him. As Rahlaer read the grimoire, he began to understand the power that he was receiving. The mages of old knew that one of their greatest weaknesses was that as soon as a spell was cast, it was gone from memory. The Orders of Magic saw this as a great weakness, and sought to find an answer. They discovered a way to harness the power of the magic of nature, and turn it into a magical energy able to be harnessed by wizards.

Upon experimenting and using the Wizard Fire, as it became known, the Red Robes of Neutrality and the White Robes of Good decided that the power, though brought forth from all three moons of magic, was too dark and corruptive to be used. The darker side of the wizard fire could not completely be controlled. They knew too that if the Black Robes were allowed to keep this new power, that the balance of the Conclave would forever be shifted in their favor, which may lead to their destruction.

The Conclave decided that the secrets of wizard fire would be sealed away forever, in a grimoire, to be locked away in the Tower of High Sorcery. The amount of power and knowledge sealed in the grimoire caused a fluctuation within the sealing spell, however, and the book simply vanished.

The power was great, as Rahlaer discovered. It allowed him to harness the energies around him, a gentle breeze, the sunlight, and change it into a magical fire, its intense blue flame controlled by his will. The Wizard Fire is very powerful, having the same damage potential as a normal sized fireball. The wizard fire may be controlled and shaped into a variety of powerful forms, from a shooting stream of blue fire, to a shield to protect the wielder.

The Dark Wanderer emerged from the Test successfully, but not without a price. A black-robed mage walked up to Rahlaer, holding folded black robes, saying that for his failure of resisting the temptation of the dark forces within his heart, the black robes would suit him best. Torn, Rahlaer sat in thought that night, looking to the stars and the heavens above for his answer. He gazed up into the silver light of Solinari, the red light of Lunitari, and pondered the unseen light of Nuitari. His azure eyes began to glow in the shadowed night, and he gazed up once again to the heavens. He gasped suddenly, for he could see the black moon of Nuitari in the sky, and could feel the dark light shining upon his skin. Rahlaer stood, and basked in the light of Nuitari, having made his decision. He would embrace his fate, and his newly acquired powers, and serve under the Dark Moon of magic. He returned to the Tower the next morning, donning the Black Robes of Evil.

Rahlaer asked to be teleported to the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas, to be apprenticed to Dalamar, the dark elf. Rahlaer stated to the Conclave that this would be the best solution, for the elves of Silvanost would cast him out as they did Dalamar. Dalamar met with him, and took him in as a pupil. Rahlaer learned quickly, and became more powerful under the other dark elf's teachings, learning to control the wizard fire he received during the Test, along with his increasing wizardly skills.

He spent years in the Tower of High Sorcery, learning and growing in his powers. As he advanced in his studies, Dalamar allowed Rahlaer to come and go as he pleased, having had other apprentices that needed his current attention. Rahlaer went forth into the world, spending numerous years wandering Krynn. During this time of his life he gained the name "Dark Wanderer" from the races of his home world, as most were not accustomed to an elf choosing the black robes of magic.

Rahlaer once returned to the land of his birth, the forested land of the Silvanesti. The black-robed elf's tale preceded him, though, for the Speaker of the Suns, Porthios, met him at the border. Porthios told Rahlaer the same thing that he told Dalamar years before: the elven society of Silvanost has no place for those with evil in their hearts. From that moment on, Rahlaer was branded a "Dark Elf"; one cast out from the light, no longer Silvanesti, condemned to the shadows of darkness forever. The pain of exile stung the newly made dark elf a terrible blow. Dalamar had warned him about such torture. No longer able to walk through the forests of his homeland, watching as the sunlight cascades down through the trees, lighting up the features of a lover burned Rahlaer. Nevertheless, he accepted it, and swore that, if he had to do it again, he would not have done it any different.

The dark elf's first love and loyalty is magic; he is completely devoted to his god, Nuitari, the dark lord of the magic of the black robes. He embraces his fate, and thus willingly risks his life to study his beloved magic.

The Dark Wanderer has wisdom beyond his numerous years, though, and realizes that despite his choice of evil to attain power, there must be a balance between the forces, that neither good nor evil must hold sway over the other for too long. If the pendulum would swing too far to good, it would destroy evil, and then good would stagnate and become intolerant. If evil were to hold sway, then all life would be destroyed, and existence would be ended. Despite these thoughts, though, Rahlaer worships the Dark Queen, Takhisis, but his true lord and master is her son, Nuitari, the dark god of magic.

After his banishment from Silvanost, the Dark Wanderer returned to the Palanthas, to resume his studies. However, after his return, an event changed the life of the Dark Wanderer forever. During an experiment with various potions and elixirs, an accident happened to Rahlaer. Two potions mixed together at an incorrect temperature, the fault of a laboratory assistant, a younger red-robed mage who was intolerant of the Dark Wanderer, and created a small portal, sending Rahlaer racing through the planes of existence. He awoke, to find that he appeared near a small castle, in a dark land.

Rahlaer found himself in Ravenloft, one of many planes connected to Ansalon.. The Dark Elf found new depths of persecution, for in the dark lands of Ravenloft, any who are different in any way are hated and feared, hunted down and destroyed. Rahlaer suffered greatly in this dark realm, for he was both elven, and evil, not to mention a user of magic. However, he also thrived there, for the innate darkness allowed him to increase his power in his Art.

When his power was no longer able to continue its growth in Ravenloft, Rahlaer used the power he had gained to summon a portal, a portal of immense power, requiring a great amount of the Dark Wanderer's strength. Rahlaer Shadowfyre stepped through the portal, and found himself standing at the edge of a a city, known to the walkers of the planes as Sigil. The dark elf studied for years in Sigil, as travelers from every plane of existence come with tales, learnings, and magical items.

Rahlaer soon longed for new travels, and purchased a Gate Key from a tiefling traveling through the library of magics. After he used the Gatekey, the dark elf continued his travels through the many planes of existence, gaining powers and knowledge beyond belief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rahlaer Shadowfyre ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ 18th Level Black Robed Mage/13th Level Priest of Nuitari, the Devouring Dark ~

~ Race: Silvanesti Elf; branded a Dark Elf ~

~ Alignment: Neutral Evil ~

~ Sex: Male ~

~ Age: 165 ~

~ Height: 5'11 ~

~ Weight: 134 lbs. ~

~ Built: Tall, but slight of build ~

~ Eyes: Azure ~

~ Skin: Pale, creamy white ~

~ Deity: Nuitari, the Devouring Dark, Black Moon of Magic ~

~ Hair: Dark, worn shoulder length ~

~ Homeland: Silvanost, Nyghtfyre Keep ~

~~~ ABILITY SCORES ~~~

~ Strength: 14 ~

~ Dexterity: 15 ~

~ Constitution: 17 ~

~ Intelligence: 19 ~

~ Wisdom: 16 ~

~ Charisma: 17 ~

~~~ WEAPON PROFICIENCIES ~~~

~ Dagger ~

~ Staff ~

~~~ NONWEAPON PROFICIENCIES ~~~

~ Ancient History (Silvanost, Palanthas) ~

~ Astrology ~

~ Herbalism ~

~ Healing ~

~ Reading/Writing (Common, Qualinesti Elven, Silvanesti Elven, Drow) ~

~ Spellcraft ~

~ Weather Sense ~

~ Blindfighting ~

~~~ EQUIPMENT ~~~

~ Black Robes of the Archmagi - Black robes, stitched with silver runes of warding and protection. The silver cabalistic symbols protect against various magical attacks, as well as store the energy for his contingency spells.~ A hooded figure stepped before him, a delicate hand raising to halt his advance. "Hold, young fool," a voice flew from the figure's lips like fire. Cole could see the silver runes upon the robes of most profound night, of the finest velvet, glittering about the hood and the hem. Within the center of the figure's cowl was a symbol different from the rest, a nightblue crescent moon. "I am Rahlaer Shadowfyre, and, to you, I am death." the figure hissed.