After meeting Edward, the cotton farmer, she was impressed with how his connection with the land showed an awareness of ageless wisdom.  He amused her with the details of agriculture, and impressed her with his appreciation for nature.

Merilinda soon had Darley.  Years later, she realized he would die soon, and so she left him, taking Darley with her. 

Growing up in Celene as a half-elf was trying at times for the child.  Following elven rule, Darley always felt that fewer opportunities existed for those of mixed lineage.  Then there was the condescending tone of remarks made by full-blooded elves calling her "poor half-breed".  In Darley's eyes, the gray elves of Celene upheld their reputation for arrogance.

Darley first mistakenly discovered her powers at the age of twelve.  She was in an argument with a gray elf peer, and unleashed a burst of magic, scorching parts of her house.  Luckily no one was hurt.  This surprised her family members, especially those with no background in magic.

Her magic was a double-edged sword.  Elves around her claimed she was a freak, having magic power, but never having studied it like they had.  They joked it was because of her human blood!  But her sorcery was also the vessel through which she could prove herself to others.

She began a diligent study of her sorcery.  During her forest walks, ghost sounds would erupt within the woods, and they developed a reputation for being haunted.  Darley's desire to make some particular gray elves uncomfortable did nothing to correct that assumption.  She grew to master a banshee wail...

As Darley grew older she began to understand and control her powers.  As her magic grew,  she realized that she needed to leave Celene, an area that was cut off from the outside world.  Only by investigating heroic legends and going beyond her known borders does she feel she is able to expand her powers.

At first glance, Darley appears as a frail, pale golden-haired woman with violet eyes, which hint at her fey nature.  Darley is no physical aggressor - on the contrary her speedy magical and non-magical missiles are most frequently employed in combat.  She has found this to be a strategy of survival.  She also wields a club and spear.

Darley is suspicious of, and often in emotional conflict with gray elves, thinking they pity her existence.  This shows in her headstrongness, and her attempts to prove her abilities and persuade others to her thinking.

She appears quiet upon meeting her, but as trust increases, she becomes more vocal.  She is loyal, but has a streak of vengeance for those who have not been loyal in return.