In the realm of the wood elves, Galanodel was once one of the most respected names in the land. Having been there for millennia, their name traces back to among the first families to settle the realm. Revered, as they should be, the Galanodel name was synonymous with loyalty and respect.

     Paelias Galanodel was a well-behaved child and had earned the respect of everyone around him, including the King and his family. He became quite close with them, often spending his days with the young prince, Faelar. Paelias and Faelar were as brothers to each other, but, as does tend to happen between brothers, the bond between them gradually weakened. Paelias would grow to become jealous of the life that he could not have, the life of royalty.

     Paelias had grown jealous of the life of royalty that the young prince Faelar had. For everything he had, the one thing he lacked, the one thing that he desired most, was royal blood. His jealousy brought him to the conclusion that if he couldn't have royal blood, it was unfair that Faelar should have royal blood.

     Under the cover of darkness, Paelias, seething with jealousy, entered Faelar's chamber, finding him sleeping soundly in the bed. He approached as quietly as he could, dagger in hand, prepared to take the royal blood that he so viciously desired. As he stood at the bedside, dagger raised, the body in the bed turned. It was not Faelor, but an agent of his father's personal guard.

     Paelias attempted to fight the guard off, but within a matter of seconds, three more guards had rushed into the room and subdued him. Paelias was escorted from the room, walking right past the king, who was looking at him with sadness in his eyes, and more painful than that, Faelar, who considered Paelias a brother, had tears in his eyes.

     The crime of attempted assassination is punishable by death. Paelias sat in his cell awaiting his execution. Unbeknownst to him, Faelor was interceding on his behalf, pleading with his father to show mercy. The king was an inherently good and merciful man, however, justice needed to be served.

     At Faelor's request, the king spared Paelias' life, instead forever exiling him from the realm. Paelias had disgraced the name of Galanodel. Because of his father's love for him, he was permitted to keep the name. Paelias set out on foot towards the edge of the realm, knowing that once he crossed the border, he would never be welcomed back.

     While in exile, Paelias adopted the way of the Ranger, learning to survive in the wilderness, honing his tracking skills. His past haunts him to this day as he wanders from village to village, protecting those that cannot protect themselves as penance for the misdeeds of his past, knowing fully that he will never truly be forgiven.

It's an interesting start to a characters story, redemption is a good motivator. However if he is going to become a ranger he would probably need some kind of a mentor. Whether the mentor knows his past could be interesting either way. 

Thanks! I'm completely new to D&D, so I'm not really familiar with the ins and outs of character creation. I built my character on here yesterday but would love to fine-tune the details with someone who has experience in this.

This might not be welcome advice, but it's well-intended and from someone who has been playing for a long time.  It's great to write a fun backstory and it's natural to get attached to your first character, but this is still a game and the odds may very well betray even the coolest character.  If your guy dies, welcome the opportunity to flex your creative muscles again and challenge yourself to make someone even cooler.