NWN - Ember Swift
The related build is here
I am the son of a dedicated human Ranger and a whimsical elf maiden. My father taught me much of the Ranger's ways, and had he survived I might have taken that path. But it was not to be. My parent's marriage could never have been more than a moment in my mother's long life. But even that moment was cut short when my father was ambushed and murdered by bandits. I was but a boy at the time.
After my father's death, my mother and I moved to the ancestral home of her people. She rejoined elven society, but I was never accepted. In self defense, I became a social chameleon, able to create a rapport with anyone. Elves love music, and I found I had great talent. So I hid my loneliness with a smile and a song. Never quite at peace, I dabbled in whatever anyone would teach me. I learned a bit of sorcery, a bit of thievery, a bit of combat.
In time, I realized that I would never have a real home in my mother's world. So as a young man, I departed. I became both guide and guard, escorting merchant caravans through the forest. I entertained the caravans with my music even as I defended them with my bow and swords. When we encountered bandits, the memory of my father was strong and I exacted blood compensation for his death.
This unpredictable life agreed with the impulsive tendencies that I inherited from my mother. Still, I longed for the disciplined skill and resolute purpose of my father. When I learned of the opportunity to train at Neverwinter Academy, I knew this was my way.
I will learn a bit of the Ranger's trade and a bit of the Rogue's. But I am ever drawn to the path of the Bard. I enjoy good company and I will continue to make friends wherever I go. I will honor my father by helping those in need. I have learned that a good song can help almost any situation, so I will continue to sing.
Oh, and I'll keep putting bandit heads on a pike at every opportunity.
Ember Swift
Initial Interview
Neverwinter Academy
After spending much time with Ember Swift, I am confident that he will become one of the Academy's most stellar successes. He is still a very young man by half-elven standards, and sometimes acts with the foolishness of youth. Even so, he has already lived more than half a normal human life, and has distinguished himself in many ways.
Ember's skills in battle are rough and untrained, but effective. His preference for dual-wielding shortswords is reckless for one so slight of frame. But his quickness and cunning allow him to succeed, or retreat and change strategies when necessary. He excels with the longbow. With training and experience he could become a master.
Psychologically, Ember is a complex individual. He consciously believes that through noble achievement he can carry on the work of his deceased father. He unconsciously believes that through a charming personality and a captivating song, he can compensate for his boyhood failure to adapt to life among the Elves. I expect that Ember will accept and complete many quests as an adventurer. In doing so, he will seek approval from a father who cannot give it after death, and a mother who does not think to give it during life. In time, I hope Ember will realize he does not truly wish to be accepted for his deeds, but simply for himself.
Instructor's Evaluation
Neverwinter Academy
"Can you read my mind?" The pretty elven girl looked intensely at Ember. She had been unusually serious tonight, and Ember feared the reason.
"Of course not," he replied.
"Then how?" she asked. "How do you seem to see into my soul, to know my thoughts even before I do?"
"Your eyes, your face, your movements, all these speak to me clearly. The sky doesn't speak, yet you can tell its temperment at a glace. People are little different, if one knows how to look." He watched as her face became shadowed. He had been close to this girl - very close - and his heart sank as he saw the tears begin to form in her eyes.
"And what do my eyes say now?" she asked, her throat tight and her voice trembling. Ember returned her intense gaze. Indeed she was beautiful, with hair the color of honey and eyes of the deepest green. Though four times his age, a human would have thought her two years his junior. In fact, she was almost eighty years old, but still barely a young woman by elven standards. Her life might span ten centuries. Though half-elven himself, Ember could not expect to live a third as long. He paused, hesitant to say what he must. When he finally answered, his own voice was hoarse.
"Your eyes say that you could not watch as your husband grew old and died while you were still in the prime of your life. They say that you could not watch as your children, cursed with the fast burning life of human blood, were buried before you." He paused, momentarily unable to continue. His own eyes were growing misty and he blinked back tears of his own.
"They say that, though you might love me, you could never marry me." He did not want to continue, but he knew he had no choice. For too long he had hoped without cause, denying what he knew to be true. He had tried his utmost to find a way around this moment, but there was none. His voice quivered as he finished: "They say goodbye."
She tried to speak but her quivering chin would not allow it. Instead she nodded quickly as the tears began to flow down her face. Ember kissed her gently on the forehead, then turned and left the room. That very night he packed his few belongings and left the home of his mother's people. If he could not find a home among the elves, then he would seek one in the world of men.
Here is roughly how I imagine Ember:
(Image generated by OpenArt.ai with the prompt "Full body portrait of an adult, male, half-elf, small ears, cheerful, crossbow, leather body armor, D&D, fantasy, handsome,elegant, hopeful, muscular, gothic, futuristic, highly detailed, digital painting, artstation, concept art, artisan, smooth, sharp focus, illustration")