Originator of Character: Margaret R. Dean
Name: Peysol (sometimes goes by "Sailweaver" if the situation seems to call for it)
Soul Name: n/a
Race: Elf
Gender: Male
Birthdate/Approximate Age: TWR -2607 / NH -3787
Origins: Born in the Old Settlement
Household: Greenwillow (Council Elder)
Hair Length/Color/Style: Pale blond, bleaches almost to white in summertime; straight, worn fairly short
Eyes: Brilliant blue, slanted, with fair brows
Skin: Naturally fair, but tans dark
Height: 4' 10"
Build: Slim
Voice Quality & Speech Mannerisms: Voice is a light tenor, somewhat husky, but carries well when Peysol wants to make it. His singing voice is true but undistinguished. His speech style varies widely to suit the situation; "at rest" it tends to be fairly casual. A good light conversationalist.
Other Physical Attributes: Fine-featured, limber, graceful, carries himself well
Parents: Nennali, mother; Merek, father
Siblings: Mindar, younger brother; Lorelee, younger sister
Other Relatives: None living at New Hope; two nieces, Ailinn and Bayla, live in the Tower.
Current Mate: Leravie (lifemate) Recognized?: Yes, at one time
Previous Mates: Sharai, Recognized mate; Aldyth (D), Reevirah, lovemates; various casual liaisons in the Tower. During his time as a hostage in the Hidden Valley, lovemates with Desertbloom.
Children: Frith, Winken, sons by Sharai; Nineki, daughter by adoption/lifemating (biologically she is Leravie's daughter by Recognition to Starblade); Dream, daughter by Desertbloom; Shandar, son by Leravie
Closest Friends: Mikail, Nalkor, Dove; usually has at least one close human friend who shares his love of the sea. In NH 230 becomes soulbrother to Arteuran.
Special Talents: None save moderate-level sending
Skills: Weaving, clothing design and construction; sailing, fishing; diplomacy
Hobbies: Dancing; sings in the Choral Society; enjoys gambling with whoever will take him on
Weapons Used: None really. Learned fencing and bladestar in the Tower, but only for sport. He was never cut out to be a hunter or warrior.
Bondbeast: None, though he can ride a horse and usually has a "regular" mount
Jewelry Worn: Varies with costume; at New Hope, generally only wears it for special occasions
Clothing: Even given the simpler life of New Hope as contrasted to the Tower, Peysol still doesn't have a single preferred clothing style; clothing varies widely with situation, season, and personal whim.
Other Special Possessions: Various keepsakes, including his Declared badge and the silver and ruby hairclasp Dove gave him
Personal Info: The senior Elder of Greenwillow Household is a cheerful, genial elf, very much a "people person." He gets along well with just about everyone, treating them with courtesy, tact, charm, and genuine friendliness. Though interested in people, with a lively awareness of the various masks they wear and roles they play, he has an inherent respect for others' privacy that prevents him from prying or meddling in others' lives unless asked. If his help is sought, however, he will give it unstintingly. He also enjoys a good joke.
Once the master costumer of Tower Mountain, at New Hope Peysol turned his hand to his earliest trade of weaving, as well as returning to his old love of the sea and sailing (the latter with Seahawk's help). Weavers who followed him from Tower Mountain, plus other humans who came to him to learn this skill and that of sailing, formed the core of Greenwillow Household. Peysol slipped fairly easily into the role of Elder, having had a good deal of experience at working with a group in a managing position (stage manager and assistant director for the Tower's dance troupe). He takes his Elder's duties seriously, both the practical and ceremonial aspects.
Peysol is lively and energetic, always busy at something, whether it's getting in a catch of fish, mending sails, repairing a loom, weaving a complex pattern for the Tower trade, experimenting with new dye plants, or whatever -- and he can keep up a spirited conversation through any or all of the above. He usually has multiple projects going on simultaneously. The sight of Peysol sitting around doing nothing would seriously alarm his friends, since this would be a sign of severe depression (the like of which has been seen only once in recorded history). Unlike Mikail, he doesn't mind sitting for long periods of time, but he'll be keeping his hands occupied. He much prefers being with a group to being alone for any length of time.
The roots of Peysol's personality lie in his deep-seated belief that all thinking beings are free (and equal) souls. It actually took him a while to get to the point where he categorized humans and trolls along with elves as "thinking beings" -- longer than a lot of people suspected because he was so damned nice about the whole thing. What brought Peysol himself to the realization that his attitude had shifted was the unexpected return of his parents, Merek and Nennali. Running up against their deep-seated hatred and distrust of humans put Peysol on the defensive and eventually forced him to choose sides. He came down firmly on the side of New Hope and its ideals, though not without much anguish. He considers life a drama, in which various roles are taken and masks are worn; the body a garment. In his view the drama is to be thoroughly enjoyed, appreciated, and played to the hilt, but not taken too seriously. With this attitude he can adapt to most vicissitudes of fate with relative equanimity. (He describes himself as a "cheerful fatalist.") The one thing that does matter to Peysol is the relationships between people, the commerce of free souls.
Peysol is a lover of beauty in all forms; just because he doesn't consider the physical world to be the ultimate reality doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate it. On the contrary, he appreciates the pleasures of life to their fullest, thank you very much! His usual object in costuming someone is to accentuate the particular beauties of that person so they can be appreciated by others. He also has an excellent sense of theater: "Effect is everything." He fully understands the importance of ritual in a society and was instrumental in developing or adapting (often from Mraal originals) many of the ceremonies used at New Hope, along with their trappings. (Yes, he originally designed the Elders' robes.)
Later on in New Hope's history, when the community begins to make extensive contact with other tribes and folk, Peysol gets a new career as a diplomat and ambassador, often traveling aboard his ship, Hope's Envoy. Even in the early days it escaped no one's notice that negotiations with other tribes, not to mention regular Council meetings, seemed to go more smoothly when Peysol was included. His natural inclinations plus his centuries of experience with the shifting intrigues of the Tower give him the ability to read people and their motivations accurately. His own personality, though extraverted, is controlled. His emotions are not so much masked as "filtered"; except in extreme cases, what shows on the surface is what he wishes to show. More often than not this is sincere, but need not be. His inherent courtesy and tact make him unlikely to ruffle anyone's feathers unless he has a constructive reason for doing so; on the contrary, he has a knack for making others feel that they are being listened to with respect. It takes a hell of a lot to make Peysol himself lose his temper, allowing him to keep a cool head and a relatively detached attitude throughout the most heated argument. When he does have a strong opinion, he knows how to marshal his thoughts to present a convincing case. He is not above duplicity or manipulation in a good cause, or an effective coup de theatre. Though he usually presents a non-threatening image (his lack of magical Talents, apart from sending, helps with this), he can assume a tone of quiet authority at need. All of this makes him an extremely effective Council debator, one you'd definitely want to have on your side and definitely not opposing you.
In some ways Peysol is like the Thomas More of A Man For All Seasons: pliant and accommodating, always willing to compromise -- up to the point at which he's backed up against a firmly held principle, when he will dig in his heels and become immovable. In such a situation he is perfectly capable of staring death in the face without budging an inch, though he may be white as a sheet and sweating bullets.
A gentleman (gentle-elf?) always. Would be polite -- though cuttingly so, in that case -- to his worst enemy.
Some Selected Relationships
Leravie: His lifemate, freely chosen on both sides; though not Recognized, they are soulbonded since NH 1 (see "Nor the Contest to the Strong" when it gets written). Peysol rarely if ever joins with any female but Leravie; if he did, there would have to be extenuating circumstances since he truly does not desire any other mate. Whether or not Leravie reciprocates this exclusivity doesn't really matter. Their love was tested once and proved strong, and each now trusts the other absolutely. They know what they are to each other and it isn't just bedmates.
Dove: Though neither of them quite realizes it consciously, this is essentially a father/daughter relationship, which is probably the main reason it has so few sexual overtones. Peysol loves Dove very much (he would himself describe her as one of his dearest friends) and has always considered her particularly beautiful. He at once trusts her and her abilities implicitly (e.g. he has no qualms whatever about letting her put him to sleep when needed), and is strongly protective of her -- which he would be the first to admit is preposterous, in view of which of them is better equipped to deal with a threat. However, Dove is still emotionally vulnerable at times and in those cases Peysol's unquestioning support can be valuable.
Raventongue: Equally unconsciously, the relationship between these two elves is "father-in-law/son-in-law" . . . for better or for worse. Peysol respects and genuinely likes Raventongue ("though he ought to do something about that mouth"), but there is always a certain underlying tension and mutual sizing-up going on between them. (Their ongoing dispute about ceremonial robes may be an example of this.)
Trika (aka "Herself"): Deep respect and lively affection, as evidenced by the nickname. Always defers to her opinion in matters of Household management. Politely takes no notice of Trika's inability to address him or Leravie by name.
Feather: Straight friendship between these two, probably (initially) built on what each of them is to Dove. The first time (if ever) Feather displays the Rage in front of Peysol, it will startle the bejesus out of him and also may stir unpleasant memories of his mother's "flashbacks," but he weathered that storm and can probably handle this, too. Details to be worked out when and if.
Seahawk: An easy, warm friendship. Peysol isn't fooled for a moment by the flamboyant attitudes, but it doesn't matter to him. The elf underneath the swashbuckling exterior is one he actually has quite a lot in common with: basic decency and generosity, a theatrical flair (costumer and clotheshorse), and, of course, their love of the sea. Differences: Peysol has never been as sexually aggressive as Seahawk, never had a soulbrother (until his soulbonding with Arteuran), and his Recognized and his lifemate turned out to be two different people.