Legends of Belariath
Amon
Every society has its rebels, even the high elves. Born to a family of some small station, Amon's talent for music became apparent at a rather early age, delighting his parents who hope his abilities would allow them to rise up in their society. Almost immediately he trained studiously in the varying arts of music, and while he did enjoy music, and excelling at it, he steadily grew more and more discontent with his station in life.
Fortunately, his teacher sensed his protege's desire, and when the young elf turned 40, had him skilled in the arts of the bard as well as the craft of music. While he enjoyed the temporary reprieve from his parent's pressure, it was just that, temporary. When his parents found out about the change in lessons, they immediately sent Amon to another teacher. Unlike his former, kind hearted teacher, this new one was stern and cold hearted, caring only for results and not Amon himself. Secretly Amon continued to learn from his old teacher in ways of the bard, managing to keep it secret for many years.
Finally just before his centennial birthday, he became infatuated with an elven ranger of very little importance and standing, named Lindale, and started an affair with her. The apparentness of the growing relationship between Amon and Lindale began to alarm his parents when grew more and more attached to her at an abnormally fast rate for an elf. Fearing that to wait any longer would make things worse, his parents informed Amon of the impending engagement they had arranged between Amon and a girl of a higher station when he had still been a child and showing his amazing musical promise. Shocked, he fled to Lindale and told her of what had happened, only to have the pain driven further by her casual acceptance of the matter.
Amon's parents had made one large, and rather fundamental blunder in their raising of their son. They had limited his contact with the majority of elven society, having him raised in a world of music and song, where ideals reigned supreme. As a result, he had grown up with more than just a bit of idealist in him, and full of naivety.
Enraged what was in his eyes an injustice, Amon stormed to his parents began argument that would inevitably send his life off in a drastically different direction. Feeling betrayed, he fled from his home, staying with his old teacher long enough for a few bits of advice, and to be given a flute of what Amon believes to be silver. And so, Amon set off into the world, naive and full of ideals, only to have them rudely broken from him rather quickly. The small amount of funds he had with him quickly dwindled away, and he was forced to beg and play for money. After many years of living in squalor, half starving for most of the time, Amon was finally pulled from his life by a travelling monk.
For the next twenty years, the monk guided and trained the imbittered high elf working to help him overcome what he had been through, as well as give him a new purpose in life. Finally setting off on his own again, he this time managed to gain a bit of a reputation as a respected player and performer. He learned to customize his appearance for his audience using a few helpful spells to alter his appearance, as well as enhance them with a few special effects.
Once more on his feet, Amon still retains some of the traditional High Elf arrogance, but as more of a cocky attitude than anything else as he spends much of his time avoiding his fellow high elves, usually preferring the company of the so called 'lower races'. With the flute his teacher gave him always at his side. However, as much as he attempts to hide and deny it, there is a darkness that still burns within him, deeper and more powerful that any around him truly even suspect.