Creators: Ree Moorhead Pruehs & Liz Roth
Name: Raventongue
Soul Name: Yrek (EE-rek)
Gender: Male
Original Tribe: Born at Great Water holt, NH -172
Household: Greenwillow
Hair: Blue-black, three inches below ears, bangs. Tries vainly
to keep the top part of his hair straight; cannot restrain it from turning
up at the ends – Prince Valiant hairstyle). Has unconscious habits
of straightening his hair in his fingers and adjusting the silver circlet
he wears, particularly when deep in thought. his lifemate knows that his
hair is actually far wavier than he lets it appear, and takes delight in
annoying him by fluffing his hair until the waves emerge.
Eyes: Black
Height: 4'1"
Skin: tanned
Build: Acrobat or fencers body; slender, well-muscled,
and far stronger than it appears.
Voice: medium-toned voice, generally unremarkable; casual speech
patterns. 6eneraliy wont resist a pun or quip if one
presents itself.
Miscellaneous Physical: delicate, androgynous features; turned-up
nose, squarish jaw, long-fingered hands. Relaxed stance. Has a better-than-average
sense of smell.
Parents: Riversong, mother (D); Blackarrow, father, eighth chieftain
of Great Water Holt; (D) Nighthawk, elder brother, ninth chieftain 0+
Great Water Holt; D); Sweetbreeze, elder sister (D); Windrunner, nephew
and soul-brother; also many cousins, etc. living at Great
Water Holt.
Current mate: Dove, Recognized lifemate
Previous mates: many and fondly remembered
Children: Quicksilver (Berry), son; Snowflower, Firesong, daughters
by adoption; Wasp, son by adoption; Twilight, out-of-Recognition daughter
by Feather
Soul name known by: Seahawk (NH -156), Windrunner nephew; tenth
chieftain of Great Water Holt; (NH -6) Dove (NH -4)
Soul names known: Seahawk (Pyrt; NH -l56), Windrunner Vonn; NH -6),
Dove (Verrin; NH -4), Quicksilver (Frespr; NH -l), Snowflower (Daria, NH
15)
Closest friends: Seahawk and Windrunner (soulbrothers), Feather, Nalkor
Magical talent: Finder. Talent actually manifested quite early but
he never thought of 'that’ as a Talent until NH -1. That he could
generally find anything he really wanted or needed when he wanted or needed
it was, of course, sheer coincidence).
Skills and hobbies: Excellent skills with bow and knife; superb tracker,
climber and gymnast. Maintains a general knowledge of a wide variety of
practical skills, as is traditional in his father’s family. Competent at
boat craft but thoroughly dislikes it – prone to seasickness). Enjoys doing
scrimshaw and macrame.
Weapons used: Knife fighting (hand to hand or thrown), bow. Belt knife
is one of a matched pair (Seahawk has the other). Skilled with a number
of other weapons.
Bondbeast: None
Clothing; Since coming to New Nope has adopted the "one-piece jumpsuit”
style favored by the Tower Declared; he finds it comfortable and practical.
Prefers his clothing simple and tailored, with well-behaved and largely
unobtrusive decoration, in black or midnight blue. Boots are knee-high
with cuffs that brush the ground and a single decorative top lacing. 'Never
wears black when visiting Great Water, for personal reasons, and doesn't
wear grey much anymore since Quicksilver made it his trademark. Also
favors a loose boat-necked reverse petal-sleeved tunic with contrasting
lacing on shoulders and hips split-seamed at hem to facilitate movement,
and leather pants.
Jewelry: Silver circlet set with an oval onyx within a silver diamond
shape, a gift from Windrunner shortly after they became soul-brothers.
Necklace, presented by Tyaar in seeming at Raventongue's Declaration (actually
made by Ban), a stylized depiction of a hawk in full cry, constructed in
silver and onyx and worn on a silver chain.
Special Possessions: Knife, mentioned above; Bowie-style, bright-metal,
with a scrimshawed picture of ravens) ivory handle meant for a left-handed
grip. Also a boot knife given him by his elder brother.
Other information: Raventongue is quick-thinking and intelligent
by nature; one to see all sides of a situation (as long as he takes the
time to stop and reflect on them). However, as fast a mind as he has, the
mouth generally works faster. It was this tendency that led Nighthawk to
bestow that tribe-name on his younger brother once known as 'Raven'. (He
mouthed off once too often in council, prompting one of the elders to declare
that 'the lad is less the raven than the raven's tongue.'
"You.'re right,' said Nighthawk, 'so be it," and the name stuck.)
He is acutely perceptive of the world around him and very rarely misses anything worth noticing. He is skilled at keeping a poker face, if he must. He also believes himself to be far less easily swayed than he really is. Often he views the world with a heavy dose of irony.
Raventongue's opinions were often sought by his brother Nighthawk; his nephew Windrunner still makes use of his counsel if Raventongue is visiting. In NH -1 he became the last of the Declared named by Lord Tyaar of Tower Mountain, charged with the responsibility of helping Tower and Outsider tribes achieve some form of peaceful co-existence. his decision to leave (1reat Water Holt and resettle at New Hope was based on a number of factors, his vows to Tyaar not the least of them (however, he takes every opportunity to visit birth holt and soulbrother). At New Nope he is a major voice in the Council of Elders, which oversees the holt's functions. (The title ‘Elder' makes him very uncomfortable, since he is chronologically one of the youngest elves in the holt.) A chief’s son, he was raised to accept the responsibility of chiefsblood should it ever have fallen to him--as indeed it did, once, for what he now refers to as the “longest four days of my life". In truth he would have made a good chief; but due to his sense of responsibility he would have run himself ragged at first seeing to the holt's welfare. It would probably have taken him many years to learn to relax.
Has been known to tease, twit, and dare others -- particularly close friends -- as far as he can push them. This has at times gotten others (and himself) into some real trouble. Nas a weakness for practical jokes, but disdains simple ones that 'anyone' can pull; he has been known to spend days, even eightdays, in planning and perfecting his latest plots.
Not one to leap impulsively into situations (unlike his soulbrother Seahawk); he will tend to hold back long enough to consider all the viewable angles, then throw himself in head-first. (This does not mean to imply he cannot act quickly in an emergency.) it is not impulsiveness that generally lands him in hot water, but curiosity.
Before his Recognition and lifemating, Raventongue enjoyed many flings and occasional intense lovematings (he has always had a weakness for what he terms 'maidens'; even now he tends to bestow some sort of nickname upon the ladies in his life. For example, he calls Dove 'Dovekit', Snowflower 'Blossom', Feather 'Firetop' and Tinker 'Cublet'; he has also been known to call Vallaree 'Bright Eyes'. During their 'bachelor-about-the-holt' days he and Seahawk enjoyed about equal success with the ladies, though to this day neither understands how the other managed it. Raventongue lacks Seahawk's flamboyancy and flair for the pursuit (considers same a waste of time and energy, and in any case could never say/do 'those things' with a straight face). For him a meeting of eyes with the chosen maiden, raise of one eyebrow, and inclination of head towards forest or hometree always worked well enough. (It may be noted here that Seahawk has never seen Raventongue pick up a girl, and wouldn't believe 'that' worked if it were pointed out to him. In fairness, it may also be noted that Quicksilver also shares in his father's abilities to influence female elves; however, he works in an even more subtle manner than either his father or his adopted uncle... and neither Raventongue nor Seahawk can figure out his undeniable success rate.)
He never tended to stay 'tied down' to a lovemating for long; he always claimed this was because he liked variety. Actually it was and is that he somewhat fears the power love wields. For him, with love, there is no holding back; he would wilingly die (or worse) to save soulmates or children. Sometimes the depth of his love can lead to an annoying tendency towards overprotectiveness. His lifemating with Dove is a meeting of minds as much as souls.