.: character bio

1) Who were the character's parents? Did they raise the character? If not, why? If not them, who?
Jalen was born 17 years ago, and has no idea who his parents are. He was taken from them at birth, to be raised by at the Jedi temple. Unbeknownst to him, his parents were once maintenance engineers for the electrical equipment of the Jedi temple. After they had a child attending the temple, they were forced to find other jobs, and fell on hard times.

2) Did the character have any childhood friends? Any siblings? Where are they now? Does the character stay in touch with them or have they become separated? If separated, why?
Jalen, unbeknownst to him, had 3 siblings. His oldest sister, Lorana was also a Jedi, but was in an older age group than Jalen, so he never met her. She became Jorus C'baoth's apprentice, and as soon as she became a full Knight, she left with C'baoth on Outbound Flight. She died when Outbound Flight crashed.

Jalen had a small number of friends while in Bear Clan, but once his group of friends was assigned to different Jedi as Padawans, he lost contact with them. Jalen is quite introverted, and finds it difficult to find ways to maintain relationships. After Order 66, Jalen believes that everyone he knew is dead.

3) What was childhood like for the character? Calm and peaceful or turbulent and traumatic?
Childhood was a mixture of peace and trauma. The Jedi were always very kind to him, and raised him well. However, Jedi training is often grueling and mentally draining. The Jedi Masters have always told Jalen that his Force potential is very high, and is only exceeded by the truly great Jedi such as Master Yoda and Anakin Skywalker. As a result, Jalen grew up trying to live up to the expectations he felt were laid upon him. Despite being a dedicated student, Jalen has just never quite achieved the level of Force mastery that some Padawans seem to have obtained. Master Yoda once told him that his approach to learning about the Force was too analytical. Yoda prophesied that Jalen would continue to struggle in his growth until he stopped trying to "learn", and started trying to "do". In an effort to help him "do", Yoda transferred Jalen from his previous master, Bultar Swan, to Ki-Adi-Mundi. Ki-Adi-Mundi was more directly involved with the heavy fighting towards the end of the Clone Wars, and Yoda felt that the intense action might force Jalen to act without over-thinking. However, Ki-Adi-Mundi turned out to be too protective of his Padawan, and never put Jalen in such dire situations.

4) Does the character have any or did the character have any role models? Describe them.
Yoda always seemed to watch out for Jalen, and Jalen has always appreciated that. Jalen admires Yoda's wisdom and strength in the Force. He identifies with Yoda's physical frailness, as Jalen himself is shorter, more slender, and physically weaker than most humans. Jalen strives to achieve: 1) Yoda's prowess in combat through dexterity, not strength, and 2) Yoda's wisdom and dedication to the Jedi Code.

5) What did the character do before he/she entered the story? Who trained the character to do what he/she does now? What is the character's relationship with his/her teacher?
Jalen has been trained by Yoda, Bultar Swan, and Ki-Adi-Mundi. While he respected all of his Masters, Yoda was the one he cared most deeply for. After Order 66, Jalen has been in hiding. He has held numerous menial jobs, in an effort to earn enough credits to get by, yet still lay low.

6) What are the character's moral, ethical, and religious beliefs? What lengths will the character go to defend those beliefs? Who or what taught those beliefs to the character?
Jalen believes strongly in the Jedi Code. He uses the Force for knowledge and defense -- never for attack. He never knowingly uses the Force to harm a living sentient being. He knows that not all Jedi adhered to these principles strictly, but out of respect for Yoda, he does the best he can. Jalen is willing to die rather than betray the Jedi Code.

7) Does the character have any unusual habits or physical traits? What are they? What do they stem from? How do others react to them?
Jalen is believed to sometimes talk to himself. Jalen never contradicts this belief, but the truth is that every now and then he hears the voice of his most recent Master, Ki-Adi-Mundi. They occasionally have brief conversations, during which time, Ki-Adi-Mundi usually advises Jalen in the ways of the Force. The conversations are never very long, and they are fairly rare. When someone witnesses Jalen "talking to himself", they attribute it to his introverted nature and they don't think much about it.

8) What is the general reaction to the character by other characters? Why, in the character's opinion, do they act that way?
Most people assume they can boss Jalen around, due to his unassuming and introverted nature. Jalen usually allows others to do this to him, unless something or someone is in danger. When needed, Jalen can be very forceful, especially in combat.

9) Can the character kill? When did he decide (or learn) that he could? Why would the character kill? Does he/she have any enemies at all? Would or could the character kill them?
Jalen can kill, and has done so on numerous occasions - but always in self-defense or the defense of others. Jalen knows that the Empire is hunting for any remaining Jedi, and he would willingly destroy anyone that is helping the Empire to do so.

10) What kind of relationships does the character currently have? Does he/she have any close friends? Bitter enemies? If so, who? What are they like? What is the history of the character and this person's relationship?
Jalen no longer has any close relationships. At the Jedi temple, he was trained to be detached, and he continues to act this way. It serves him well as he is trying to lay low and not attract Imperial attention.

11) Does the character have any mental problems? Phobias? If so, what are they? What do they stem from?
Jalen has an intense fear of heights. He is deeply embarrassed about this fear. Yet, it was his fear of heights that saved him from Order 66. On Mygeeto, Ki-Adi-Mundi's forces were tasked with battling their way to a droid energy collector across several bridges spanning deep chasms. Ki-Adi-Mundi knew of Jalen's fear of heights, and did not want his Padawan to be distracted during the upcoming battle. So Ki-Adi-Mundi ordered Jalen to stay in the hangar they were using as a supply center, and await the battle's conclusion. When Order 66 came down, Jalen was not near any clone troopers. He felt his Master's death, and instinctively knew he had to hide. He stowed away on board an independent freighter and began his travels across the galaxy, always trying to stay a step ahead of the Empire. Jalen feels extreme guilt over his Master's death. He believes that if he had not let his phobia master him, he would have been at his Master's side and might have been able to help him. As a result, he has vowed that his fear of heights will never again prevent him from doing his duty. Two years later, he still has his fear of heights, but he promises himself that he will fight through the fear if the need arises.

12) How does the character generally treat others? Does he/she trust easily? How does the character relate to people? Is he shy and withdrawn or outgoing and friendly?
Jalen is shy and withdrawn, and prefers to not talk to people unless he really needs to. Despite his shyness, he tries to treat others with kindness and respect.

13) What does the character look like? Does he/she have any scars or tattoos? If so how did he/she get them? Obviously this includes eye and hair color, but an unusual gait (walking style) or accent comes into play here as well.
Jalen is 5'8", 150 lbs, with sandy blond hair and a slender build. He is 17 years old. He does not have any scars or tattoos.

14) What is the character's norm.al daily routine? How does he/she feel when it's interrupted for whatever reason?
Jalen's training has taught him to be ready for anything. As such, he does not keep a regular schedule, and any changes have little effect on him.

15) Was the character present during any key events in the history of the galaxy? If so, how did that event affect the character?
Jalen participated in the Clone Wars with his masters Bultar Swan and Ki-Adi-Mundi. He also lived through Order 66, which caused him great guilt (see #11 above).

16) Does the character have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? What did he/she do? What do people assume about the character when his/her ancestry is known? Does the character actively try to live up to the reputation, try to dispel it or try to ignore it?
Jalen does not have a well-known ancestor.

17) Where is the character's homeland? What is its history and what are its people like? Is the character patriotic or a social outcast? What is his/her opinion of home?
Jalen was born (though he does not know this) and raised on Coruscant. As such, he is at home in busy cities and high technology. He has fond memories of Coruscant, but now those memories are tainted by what Coruscant has become: the capitol of the Empire.

18) What are the character's dreams? Ambitions? Goals?
Jalen dreams of someday becoming the powerful Jedi that Yoda foresaw. But he does not want power for its own sake. He wants to be strong enough to pass on the knowledge and ways of the Jedi. He is afraid that he is the only remaining Jedi and that it is therefore his responsibility to ensure that the Jedi legacy survives into the coming generations.

19) How does he/she seek to obtain them? How does adventuring fit into this dream or does it at all?
Jalen knows that the Jedi can never again openly exist while the Empire is in power. He is slowly coming to the realization that someone must do something to stop the Empire, and that as someone strong in the Force, he may be one of the few people actually equipped to do it.

20) Does the character ever want to have a family someday? If so, with whom or what type of person?
Jalen has not given much thought to having a family of his own. As a Jedi, such a life was forbidden. With the destruction of the Order, he supposes that a family is a possibility, but he doesn't have any desire to pursue that path any time in the near future.