InsaneJournal

"Legolas Greenleaf long under tree
In joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea!
If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore,
Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more."

"Nay, time does not tarry ever," he said, "but change and growth is not in all things and places alike. For the Elves the world moves, and it moves both very swift and very slow. Swift, because they themselves change little, and all else fleets by: it is a grief to them. Slow, because they do not count the running years, not for themselves. The passing seasons are but ripples ever repeated in the long long stream. Yet beneath the Sun all things must wear to an end at last." -- Legolas, The Great River

Legolas Greenleaf, son of the Elvenking of Mirkwood, was selected to represent the Elves in the Fellowship of the Ring. His endurance, keen sight, and fighting skills were of great help on the quest, but his loyalty and friendship were even greater assets to his companions. Legolas grew fond of the Hobbits and he loved and supported Aragorn, but the strongest bond he formed was his unlikely friendship with Gimli the Dwarf.

Little is known about Legolas's early life. His date of birth is not known, though he made some vague references to his age:

"It [Fangorn] is old, very old," said the Elf. "So old that almost I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children." The Two Towers: "The White Rider," p. 94

"Five hundred times have the red leaves fallen in Mirkwood in my home since then," said Legolas, "and but a little while does that seem to us." The Two Towers: "The King of the Golden Hall," p. 111

"These are the strangest trees that ever I saw," he said; "and I have seen many an oak grow from acorn to ruinous age." The Two Towers: "The Road to Isengard," p. 152

Based on these comments it would appear that Legolas was at least several hundred years old at the time of the War of the Ring, and possibly even several thousand, but an exact age cannot be determined. The age attributed to the character of Legolas in Peter Jackson's film version of The Lord of the Rings is 2,931; however, this figure has no basis in the text. (Mun note: I'm working with the generally accepted Tolkienists' theory that he's between 500-800 years old, but more closer to the 500 range than the 800 side of the spectrum.)

It should also be noted that in The Book of Lost Tales II, an Elf named Legolas Greenleaf was present at the Fall of Gondolin in the First Age. But this Elf was of the Noldor and went to Tol Eressea where he remained and thus was almost certainly not the same as Legolas of the Fellowship.

Legolas was tall, lithe, and very strong. He had great vitality and was resistant to injury, hardship, and fatigue.

Legolas was a Silvan Elf of Sindarin descent. His father Thranduil was one of the Sindar who had come from Lindon sometime before the year 1000 of the Second Age. The Elves of Mirkwood were mainly Silvan, or Wood-Elves, and Legolas identified himself as one of the Silvan folk. It is not known who Legolas's mother was, and some have speculated that she may have been a Silvan Elf, but there is no textual basis for this theory.

Aragorn was crowned King on May 1 and the Fellowship remained in Minas Tirith until after his wedding to Arwen on Mid-year's Day. The Fellowship left Minas Tirith on July 19. When they arrived at Helm's Deep, Legolas accompanied Gimli into the Glittering Caves as he had promised and the Elf was left speechless by what he saw. At Isengard, the pair said farewell to their companions and went to visit Fangorn.

Legolas brought Elves from the Woodland Realm to Ithilien, and the land that had fallen to neglect under the shadow of Mordor bloomed once more under their care. But ever did Legolas hear the call of the Sea coming up the Great River. When Aragorn died in the year 120 of the Fourth Age, Legolas decided to follow his heart. He built a grey ship and set sail down the Anduin. It is said that his great friend Gimli accompanied him, and that together the last two members of the Fellowship left Middle-earth and sailed over the Sea into the West. - excerpts from Tuckborough.net, see also a note on Legolas' haircolor for a bit of a good read. ;)

~*~

Legolas is running around Middle-earth as: Orlando Bloom.

Legolas - (pre-WotR: lvl 8) Lvl 28. Race: Sinda. Profession: Warrior/Fighter. Home: Northern Mirkwood (former).

RM Stats: Strength 98; Quickness 99; Empathy 92; Intuition 94; Presence 81; Agility 100; Constitution 91; Memory 92; Reasoning 95; SelfDiscipline 72; Intelligence 90. Appearance: 93.

Son of Thranduil, the Elven-king of Northern Mirkwood. He was Thranduil's emissary to the CoE and was one of the Nine Walkers on the Quest to destroy the Ring. He retired to the shores of Lebennin and eventually sailed into the West.

Principle Items: Bow - of Quickness, holy weapon, it fires 3x every two rounds and is +30 to hit.

lesser items: Boots: of Silence; long knife: +20 to hit, strikes as short sword.

Skills: Climb 50, Swim 35, Ride 60, Stalk&Hide 86, Perception 76, Linguistics 8*, Acrobatics 25, Cookery 20, Dance 40

Legolas | lvl 28 | Hits 148 | AT Ch/13 | DB 70 | Shield Y+10 | Grieves No | MeleeOB 205broadsword | MissleOB 240longbow*(* = weapon has special effect i.e. damage multiplier, additional critical, unusual range, etc) | Move = 45.