What was your first hunt? How did it changed you? A soldier of Haven's army. The manner by which he died, hesitating killing me and clutching a locket with an image of his daughter solidified the people of Haven as merely other people who are trying to survive, instead of the evil heretic invaders my clan would like me to believe.
What was the worst thing you have done as part of the resistance against Haven? One of Haven's General had a trusty companion, his faithful hunting dog. Using my ability to speak to animals, I gained the trust of the dog and convinced him to ran off toward me in the middle of their patrol, beckoning the general to follow into our ambush, where we then killed both the general and his dog. I betrayed the resistance soon after.
What is the thing you liked the best in Haven after becoming one of them? Art and entertainment. Life in the forest of Fanewick was simple, but is wholly dutiful, no one had the incentive nor the time to create art and entertainment beyond rendition of old legends and songs in oral tale or simple wood carvings. In Haven? Orchestral concert, theatrical performances, fascinating novels, and more are available in abundance.
"Long ago, before even the eldest Sylvan Trees had taken root, our clan, the Sylrowen, fled the fall of Liraethal—a shining kingdom brought low by greed and the wrath of nature. The land we once ruled turned against us: storms screamed, rivers rose, the earth cracked, the animals and trees grew abundantly and overran us. So we wandered, seeking not a new throne, but forgiveness. At last, we came to Fanewick, a wild and sacred forest. But we did not claim it. We listened. We learned. And in time, the Great Owl Nikta spoke—not with voice, but with knowing: 'Be not rulers. Be forest.' So we became its keepers. Not lords, but limbs. Not masters, but servants of the great being that was the forest of Fanewick. Thus do we remain—Sylrowen of Fanewick, children of the wild, sworn to the balance between sowing and reaping."
-Legends of the Sylrowen Clan’s Origin Told within the Clan
Living in giant trees called Sylvan Trees that have been moulded with druidic magic to be hollow on the inside but remaining sturdy on the outside, is—or rather was—the Elves of Fanewick’s Sylrowen Clan. It was said that the elven clan of Sylrowen was the first group to settle in Fanewick. Prior to the arrival of clan Sylrowen in Fanewick, the bogged forest was a true untamed land, inhabited only by the lush trees and the varied animals of the forest, as well as the various Faint Divinities dwelling in Fanewick. Legends told of how the Sylrowen Clan arrived escaping the destruction of the Kingdom of Liraethal—a mythical elven kingdom—seeking to ingratiate themselves into Fanewick, not as masters of Fanewick, but mere members of the superorganism that was the forest of Fanewick. And thus, the Faint Divinity of the Great Owl Nikta accepted them into Fanewick, making them an extension of her will, keepers of the balance between reaping and sowing.
As an extension of the Shepherds of Seasons, the elves of Clan Sylrowen, too, divided their life cycle into two, just as how the Great Owl Nikta represented the cycle of growth and decay, sowing and reaping. The younger elves are hunters, slayers whose job is to maintain balance by taking from the forest, killing animals for food and foraging from the trees, acting as the apex predators of the forest, keeping a ‘check’ in the population. When there is are certain population of the forest that has grown past what is healthy for the biome, such as the case in invasive species, hunters of Clan Sylrowen enact what is known as a sacred hunt, a massive hunt targeted at a specific population to trim their numbers. In turn, once they turn 150, they retire from being hunters and start learning the druidic arts, and henceforth become nurturers who care for the forest’s trees and animals. Where the hunters participate in the sacred hunt, druids are keepers of sanctuary for the forest denizens to safely reproduce and grow their numbers.
As more and more people of all ancestry arrived in Fanewick, the role of Clan Sylrowen extended to that of an arbiter and enforcer. Only those, who agreed to live as part of the forest, not masters of the forest, were allowed to settle, while the rest were driven away. Clan Sylrowen did not actively involve themselves in the dispute between others living in Fanewick, however, children of any clan are welcome within their sanctuary, where they are guaranteed protection. In turn, any clan that has grown too large to the point they are disturbing the balance within the forest and ignoring the warnings given are exiled from the forest, should they defile the order to vacate the forest, they become a target of a sacred hunt, where hunters of Clan Sylrowen descend on them and cull their numbers, a rare occurrence where the sacred hunt targeted sapient denizens of the forest instead of flora and fauna, only five such occurrences has been recorded in the long history of the clan.
This was the clan Arnannel was born into, one where he grew up expecting to follow the path that had already been laid out for him, and he probably would, if not for the invasion of Haven’s army into Fanewick. When Arnannel was 18, the nation of Haven invaded Fanewick in search of a cure for the Serpent’s Sickness, their Haven fire laying waste to the natural defences of the forest and Sylvan Trees while their organised standing army swiftly triumphed over the resistance forces of Fanewick, which had neither the number nor the discipline of their adversary.
Before long, Haven’s army managed to scatter the resistance and reach the heart of the forest, where they took the Reaping Eye from the Great Owl Nika. Clan Sylrowen, who was leading the resistance, turned to guerrilla warfare as the situation turned more and more desperate. Arnannel’s first hunt, which was supposed to be a rite of passage, where elves on the cusp of adulthood were assigned a beast within the forest to hunt as a target, instead had a member of the Haven’s army as the target. Arnannel never found out the name of his target, he was merely a soldier leading a squad who was getting too close to their hideout. By this point, though still trying to adhere to their traditions, the Sylrowen Clan had other pressing issues than hunting beasts, and thus had turned to making soldiers from Haven as the targets of their children’s first hunt. And so it was that Arnannel ended up killing the soldier as his first hunt. The hunt was quick, yet nearly deadly for Arnannel, the soldier was more skilled than their clan had expected, and had he not hesitated for the briefest of seconds, Arnannel was sure that the soldier’s blade would have severed his head from his body. The soldier died holding a locket he held tightly in his bloody hands, apologising to his daughter and cursing himself for not being able to steel his heart and cut down someone the same age as her. The soldier's dying words were something that weighed on Arnannel, not only that he had killed a father, but also that it was only the soldier’s kindness, so to speak, that spared him from death. It was customary for a hunter to take a trophy of their first hunt; thus, for Arnannel, the locket with the picture of the man’s daughter made as good of a trophy as any.
In the following three years since the start of the invasion, what resistance was left continued their guerrilla war, raiding settlements and military outposts Haven had set up, killing what patrols they could, and any poor fools who wandered too deep into the forest. Despite having proclaimed that they had ‘conquered’ Fanewick in the second year since the invasion, in truth, even with many losses, the resistance army still managed to make life hell for Haven soldiers and citizens in the newly conquered Fanewick. There had been a point, when many started deserting the resistance in exchange for safety as farmers in Haven, that the Sylrowen Clan considered giving up the resistance. However, with the arrival of the Witherwild, those who favour continuing the resistance among the elders of the Sylrowen Clan gained ground, as Haven, who had caused the imbalance in the cycle of sowing and reaping due to their greed, was seen as making the same mistake as the elves of Liraethal in their legend, and thus they believed that should Haven not stopped and the Eye of Reaping returned to the Great Owl, nature would swallow and destroy all of them up, as the elves of old.
Thus, the resistance continued with more vigour, becoming more and more brutal in desperation. In the fourth year since the invasion of Fanewick, it was not uncommon for the means justifying the end to be the common adage among the resistance. Captured Haven soldiers were tortured for information, spies and saboteurs were sent mixed in with those who defected to Haven, and even abducting children to be used as bait to lure Haven’s army into a lair of beasts engorged by the Witherwild. It was when the strategy to use child soldiers—exploiting the hesitation of many among Haven’s army to cut down children—was being considered that Arnannel decided that they had turned from mere victims fighting to beat back invaders into the villains of the war. Arnannel took as many children in the resistance as he could, leading them to Haven’s army, before negotiating protection for them as farmers, in exchange, he would lead them to hideouts of the resistance. As the child of the high druid leading the council of elders within the clan, Arnannel was privy to knowledge of the major hideouts, those hidden deep within the forest that Haven’s army would never be able to traverse on their own, and thus, after successful negotiation, Arnannel started leading Haven’s armies to said hideouts, and within the course of the year, Haven’s army managed to grain major grounds and had truly conquered Fanewick, there were still some pockets of resistances left, and the council of elder druids managed to make their escape, but for the most part, Haven finally settled Fanewick, the Witherwild notwithstanding.
During that one-year period of helping Haven’s army against the resistance, Arnannel lived among the people of Haven, even visiting their cities close to Fanewick from time to time. While adjusting from living in a thick forest to the more urban and civilised Haven’s towns and settlements was difficult at first, Arnannel found himself fascinated by a new world he had never known his whole life, and in time, came to appreciate the amenities and other benefits of a civilisation that he could never had gotten in the forest of Fanewick. Arnannel never truly absolved Haven of their invasion, but he understood them. To Arnannel, who had lived with the natural laws of the forest, it was only natural that Haven did what it could to survive. The desire to survive and to continue living is the primal directive of all lives. Even within the forest, when his clan conducted a sacred hunt, the target of their hunt did not take their demise lying down; they fought for their lives and their continued existence, and now, to Arnannel who had expanded his worldview by living among the people of Haven, he had come to believe that fighting to live is a more worthy cause than taking up arms against an insurmountable odds for something as nebulous as traditions and the balance of nature. Today, Arnannel felt right at home in Haven’s towns and settlements, enough so that he had lost the leaf foliage as part of his mystic form as an elf who had lived in the forest and dedicated himself to its protection.
Arnannel was acting as a scout and escort to a group of alchemist to harvest Crimson Lady' Veil, the cure for the Serpent's Sickness, when the group was attacked by a massive boar courtesy of the same Witherwild that had allowed the abundance of the flowers they were looking. Though managing to escape, with some of the alchemists wounded, Arnannel led them to the nearby village of Alula to recuperate, whereupon he inadvertently became involved with the plot surrounding the Great Owl's Sowing Eye.
Experiences From Backstory:
•Familiar Terrain [Fanewick Woods] When traversing Fanewick either to track people or to lose pursuers in the woods, Arnannel can gain bonus modifiers.
•Guerrilla Warfare When doing actions related to guerrilla tactics, such as making traps, ambushing, or disengaging and running away, Arnannel can gain bonus modifiers.
Why do your travels never take you back to your home community? When I was remade as a faeborg, I stopped aging. With the average faerie only lasting about 50 years, it occurred to me some time around my 87th year why agelessness and a community of short lived folk do not go well together. My travels never take me back to my home community because my home community does not exist anymore. Not in the way I knew it.
You stopped traveling for a while, but felt compelled to get on the road again. Why? Two young scholars of history from the community that now stands in the place of the one I once called home have recently started seeking me out to harangue me with questions about what things were like so long ago. I do not enjoy speaking of the past, so I resolved to spend the next 50 years avoiding them. When I started traveling again though, I realized that my sedentary lifestyle had led to the accumulation of no small amount of rust (Figuratively, that is. I make it a point to keep my metal well maintained.). And so I have further resolved to relearn my old talents and try not to let myself slip so badly again.
Who from your past were you most sad to say goodbye to? I think you already know the answer to that question. Even now, at 634 years old, the loss of the place and people I knew as home still weighs on me.
What do you do to keep your Syndicate safe, independent, and hidden from Haven’s forces? The Road Court is far older than this little fracas, and it has survived far worse. I have people on both sides of the big snake's corpse. With their efforts combined, me and mine have nothing to worry about regarding the occupation... That doesn't mean we don't have problems though.
Because of your Syndicate’s transience, you have people in both Fanewick and Haven. How has this affected your relationship with the invasion? It's given me the worst headache I've had in decades. On the one hand, my people in Haven need crimson lady's veil so that they don't turn to stone. On the other hand, my people in Fanewick need the Reaping Eye back so that they aren't killed or corrupted. And no one has come up with a solution to fix both of these problems at the same time... I suppose that's another reason why I got on the road again. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.
Your Syndicate is working towards a goal related to the occupation. What is it? All the best opportunities come knocking during unstable times. And these times feel pretty unstable to the Road Court. They want to take advantage while they can. The more we can benefit from all this chaos, the happier me and mine will be when this all blows over.
Orderborne Stouttusk (Giant/Orc) Vengeance Guardian Character Sheet
Biographical Information
Standing a hair over seven feet tall, Hasdrubal is a striking--if not outright intimidating--presence. Slabs of hard muscle and greyish skin give him a statue-like appearance, decorated by an eyepatch over the leftmost of his three emerald-green eyes and the stained carvings on his long tusks. The right side tusk has apparently been snapped off at some point, and replaced with a steel prosthetic honed to a lethal point. His hair is a bright orange-red, normally keeps it tied in a knot atop his head; he also has a braided goatee, roughly six inches in length, hanging from his chin. He is wide for a giant and lanky for an orc; his overall build is that of a strong swimmer, both broad and powerful. Whether in or out of battle, he moves with purpose and an economy of motion that speaks to his experience and dedication.
Violence has been a part of Hasdrubal's life since before he was born. Both of his parents were soldiers--Haven guards who met each other on the wall. He grew up chasing the other guards' children around the barracks and guard towers and fencing them with sticks. Later, when he became of age to join the guard himself, many of those same children became his comrades-in-arms.
For a time, life was good. Though being a guard was not without risk even then, it was a job he was well suited for. Surrounded by his family and had a close-knit community of friends and comrades, he rose through the ranks and became well-respected among his fellow soldiers. Before long, he married the daughter of one of the merchants whose caravan regularly passed by his patrol; they had children of their own, and with his father-in-law cutting him in on the profits from the caravan, Dru found himself with plenty of money to make sure that they would be brought up well.
All of that just made it more painful when the Serpent's Sickness took them. First, his father in law--then, while she was running the business in her father's stead, his wife.
Finally, his children began to show signs of the disease; filled with the need to do something other than watch them die as well, Hasdrubal left them in the care of one of the still-living members of his family and enlisted in the army Archmage Phylax had begun assembling. He marched with the main body of troops into Fanewick, and cheered with everyone else when the Reaping Eye was ripped from the Great Owl Nikta, anticipating an end to the nightmare that gripped his nation.
But the dawn never came. Even after the Reaping Eye was put out, the flowers that could cure the Serpent's Sickness were still rare and precious as gold--and in any case, the newfound "abundance" came too late to save his children. Lacking the drive to do anything els, he stayed with the army, helping expand the life-saving fields of Lady's Veil, and so he was among the first to see the revenge of the Great Owl as the wilds became more savage and deadly. As the Witherwild expanded, his hope contracted, replaced only by anger at the gods who would foist such punishments on mankind just for trying to survive.
After years of this, a superior officer came to him with a new job--instead of joining the armies trying to hold the countryside, he would be assigned as an escort for a young magus heading into the wilds. Dru thought that her goal of finding a new cure for the Serpent's Sickness was naive in the extreme--but as he has all his life, he followed his orders anyway.
Game Information
Blade
Get Back Up Level 1 Recall Cost: 1 When you take Severe damage, you can mark a Stress to reduce the severity by one threshold.
Valor
I Am Your Shield Level 1 Recall Cost: 1 When an ally within Very Close range would take damage, you can mark a Stress to stand in the way and make yourself the target of the attack instead. When you take damage from this attack, you can mark any number of Armor Slots.
Rage Against the Heavens - +2 - Hasdrubal carries real hatred in his heart for what the gods have done to his relations and his countrymen, and is always eager to thwart the plans of deities and their lackeys. Born a Soldier - +2 - Having been in the guard essentially his whole life, Hasdrubal is an expert in the day-to-day tasks of a soldier.
We watch the wilds - The incursion of the wilds--with their patron deities--is the greatest threat to the safety of Haven. We help the helpless - Regardless of who they are, a guard does not leave a helpless person to the mercy of the wilds. We hold the shield - A guard must be willing to give their life so that those behind them can be safe.
Who from your community did you fail to protect, and why do you still think of them?
I failed to protect my family and my comrades; they were ravaged by the Serpent's Sickness before I could help bring them the cure. Every day, their memory is a reminder of the gods' cruelty.
You’ve been tasked with protecting something important and delivering it somewhere dangerous. What is it, and where does it need to go?
I have agreed to server as bodyguard for a young, naive magus who is searching Faenwick for a better way to cure the Serpent's Sickness.
You consider an aspect of yourself to be a weakness. What is it, and how has it affected you?
I have given up hope that we will ever be free of the whims of the gods. Freedom is an impossibility--but vengeance is within my grasp.
Pepper was born to a small family. Both of her parents are very knowledgable wizards in their own right, but they are not Archmaguses themselves. Her father studied magic itself and how it works, while her mother studied astronomy. The both of them simply wanted to live a peaceful life and have a family while they contributed to Haven through their research into their respective fields of study.
Pepper originally had a twin sister, Daisy. Unfortunately, when the both of them were toddlers, they contracted the Serpent's Sickness. Pepper was able to recover, while Daisy succumbed to the petrification. The loss struck Pepper and her parents hard.
Ever since then, Pepper took her studies seriously. She was able to get into a prestigious wizard college, and graduate! The events in the school were uneventful, as her days were filled with grueling study sessions. After graduation, many wizards were expected to enter an apprenticeship before they become wizards of her own.
Pepper, unfortunately, ended up being the apprentice to Archmagus Lapin. The man was well-renowned for numerous discoveries, most of them lead to the medical advancements of Haven. What nobody knows about him is that none of those discoveries are truly his. Archmagus Lapin takes the discoveries of his apprentices and calls them his own. Despite his acts of fraud, his knowledge of magic, his ability to practically apply magic, and his charisma allows him to keep his Archmagus status, and he is able to sabotage his apprentices.
Pepper was also one such target. Her naivety, optimism, and curiosity blinded her to the Archmagus's demeanor and actions towards her. She simply followed his instructions, and as part of the natural progression, the Archmagus complained and stuck her with ordinary chores. As a result, Pepper studied more about healing magic on her own time outside of the apprenticeship. She didn't mind though, that was what she wanted to do.
Her time in the apprenticeship comes to an end, when Archmagus was asked to cure a person afflicted with the Serpent's Sickness. Pepper recognized a mistake that the Archmagus was going to make, but when she tried to speak up, he silenced her and continued the medical procedure. She didn't disobey, and as a result, the victim's petrification sped up and the victim now stands as a statue.
After that, Archmagus laid the blame of his mistake onto Pepper, and she was kicked out of the apprenticeship program. Naturally, Pepper was distraught, as that would mean the end of her wizarding career. But after a while of shock and mourning, she realizes something:
She is free to find the cure on her own!
So, with that, she resolves herself to go out to the world and find the cure to Serpent's Sickness, no matter what it takes. Her parents were concerned upon hearing this, but there was clearly no changing Pepper's mind.
Her father didn't want her to go alone. He was able to speak with a family friend and hire a Guardian to protect her on her journeys.
Domain Cards Codex - Book of Ava Splendor - Mending Touch Codex - Book of Tyfar (Extra Card from Prepared!)
Experiences: Wizard's College Major in Healing Artes Curious Investigator
Ancestry Features: High Stamina (+1 Stress for a total of 7) Adaptability
Class Questions What responsibilities did your community once count on you for? How did you let them down? I just graduated, and got into an apprenticeship with Archmagus Lapin! He was quite strict, but he knew much about healing! Unfortunately, I am a bit of klutz and he always got angry at me for bringing the wrong items to him. It’s confusing…I know I brought him and did everything he asked…
Still! I was ready to learn and meet patients! But…he decided it was best I stayed and did chores instead…to improve my motor control skills, he said…
Oh! My failure? …Right…Master Lupin documented that it was my fault that his medicine for the Serpent’s Sickness didn’t work. In fact, his medicine only made the rate of petrification increase. …I knew I should have brought him the Kakiori Herb and not the Wolfsbane he asked for…
You’ve spent your life searching for a book or object of great significance. What is it, and why is it so important to you? Well, since I got booted from the Apprenticeship with Archmagus Lapin, I might as well figure out another cure for Serpent’s Sickness on my own then! I’ve been studying on my own, so this is another perfect opportunity!
Curing the sickness is important to me, because my sister succumbed to it…while she and I were toddlers. I don’t want anyone to suffer like that. That’s why I studied and worked so hard to be a Wizard expert in healing! I’m going to do my best!
You have a powerful rival. Who are they, and why are you so determined to defeat them? ....I have a rival? …I can’t think of anyone…
Huh? Archmagus Lapin? You think he acted out of line? Sure, he’s strict, but…
…You think he was sabotaging me during my apprenticeship? Why would he do that? I’m nowhere near Archmagus yet…
Who from your community taught you to have such confidence in yourself?
My aunt, whose soul I'd wish blessings upon, were I to believe there was anyone out there to bestow them. Mother always complained she spoiled me rotten, that she encouraged me just a bit too much in all the wrong things. She taught me my first magic tricks. She's succumbed to the Sickness by now. They all have.
But, look, all my family has to do is wait a little longer — because for my next trick, I'll make the Sickness disappear.
You were in love once. Who did you adore, and how did they hurt you?
Oh— now, where'd you hear about that? And here I thought it was one of my better kept secrets. Ah, well. Her name was Leanira Dawncrest — still is, unless she's married her Prince Charming by now. I'd always find her at the front row in all my performances, her smile like a dozen suns. The thing about the sun is though, you really ought not to get too close, lest you— well, we all know how that story goes.
How 'bout I tell you another instead? Promise this one's better. So a Clank and a Faerie walk into a tavern...
You’ve always looked up to another bard. Who are they, and why do you idolize them?
You're really trying to get me in trouble with these questions, huh? Naughty. Alright. Well, we've all heard of Diarniasha, of course. A legendary bard of centuries past, a woman who, with a single word could end or ignite a war, whose performances were attended by gods and demons alike, and who we are to thank for a large portion of our written history. A fraud? Well, now, we all have our faults.
Who among the Haven Army do you wish to exact revenge upon and why?
The man who poisoned her mind and turned her against me, who had me cast as the villain in his perfect little love story. He can have her, if I can just have my revenge. The night has fallen anyhow, I no longer expect to bask in the sun.
You joined an insurgent group working to free this land from Haven’s grasp. What has given you doubts about the leadership’s methods?
Strong words, strong claims. I'm no more part of an insurgent group than I am another; all I do is record the truth. After all, we can't very well expect the victors to do that, now can we? Doubt is my ink, I must make sure it never runs out.
Someone you love is a member of the Haven Army. How have you used your position in the rebellion to protect them?
Someone I once loved is the future wife of someone in the Haven army, but I'll forgive you for the misunderstanding. It's not that I've protected her, per se, I— I would like to plead a coincidence.
It is common knowledge that Haven holds no love for Gods — but few spare a thought to the fact that Demons aren't held in very high regard, either. Infernis were considered by many as the reminder of just another attempt by higher powers to meddle in the matters of mortals, and their existence was thusly confined into the poorer areas of of Haven. There, many did whatever they could to survive, either skirting the laws, or breaking them altogether.
Capriccio was, for the majority of his younger years, just another young Infernis running errands, picking pockets and begging for his keep — all the way until he found music. Or rather, music found him, as he likes to point out every time he tells the story, each recital more dramatic than the next.
Whatever the truth of it might be, young Cappriccio — a fake name he bestowed upon himself, mind — turned out to be quite skilled a performer. Music, magic, stories, he could do a little bit of it all, even impressing many of the guards on patrol — as, of course, he had been tasked to do. He was a deliberate distraction, a diversion, while his conspirators snuck behind the literal backs of the guards to fulfill their end of the plan.
It was not part of the plan, as far as Capriccio knew anyhow, that he would end up being scouted by a visiting guard captain and taken to the Upper City, to perform for his betters on a proper stage. And yet, that is where he ended up, a prospect that while debilitatingly scary at first, turned rather fruitful quickly enough. Soon he found himself wrapped in fine silks, earning a keep that could provide actual meaningful aid to his family and then some.
All was well — until it wasn't.
The Serpent's Sickness crept up to Haven like its namesake, silent until it struck. Capriccio, among whose duties it had come to be to spread news to the masses, expected his next time in the spotlight to be awfully grim, yet much to his surprise, he was told not to speak of the Sickness at all. He was assured it was not as dangerous nor far-spread as some whispers might suggest, and that any news to the contrary would merely cause undue panic.
Back then, Capriccio truly believed he was doing the right thing. Even as the Sickness slithered up to his own family, he kept on singing and performing as usual, bringing smiles when he ought to have brought the truth. And that was, unfortunately enough, only the start of it.
Just as his flashy performances had once been a distraction from what happened in the dark, as the years breezed past and Capriccio grew, he started to see more and more of the dark side of the oh-so-bright Upper City and its residents. The corruption, the carefully, subtly fabricated truths, the flat out lies. It all culminated to him being sent to Fanewick to chronicle Haven's triumph; the way they had braved foreign lands to bring aid and relief to their people, heedless of danger.
Capriccio did not know all the grim details of what had truly occurred during the conflict, but he did realize that history was about to be once again written by the winning side. That was, unless one of their finest quills would, say, develop a little bit of a conscience, and partake in some investigative journalism of his own.
He'd pack his second finest boots, much better for a romp in the jungle.
Archmage Lapin (he/him) Ancestry: Highborne Human Occupation: Archmage of Haven and teacher at magical academy Description: Pepper's former teacher during her time at magic school. He renowned for making several breakthroughs when helping to perfect a cure for Serpent's Sickness... breakthroughs that may not actually be his own.
Archmage Phylax (they/them) Ancestry: Loreborne Dwarf Occupation: High Magus of Haven Description: After learning about the Crimson Lady's Veil from Fanewick sages and it's potential to cure the Serpent's Sickness, Phylax spearheaded the plan to track down the goddess Nikta and pluck out her Reaping Eye, hoping to increase the growth of this magical flower and save their people. While successful, their plan has lead to some unforeseen consequences. They have become a little more reclusive since, yet have shown no intention to give the Eye back.
The Fanewraith (she/her) Ancestry: Unknown Occupation: Leader of Fanewick's rebellion against Haven Description: A mysterious figure said to operate a rebel sect within the treetop village of Alula. Not much is known about her as few have actually met her in person. Currently seeking a way to stop the Witherwild, with her most recent plan involving the removable of Nikta's remaining eye.
Gokuanni (she/her) Ancestry: Loreborne Simiah Occupation: Sage and healer of Alula Village Description: One of the Fanewick sages who befriended Archmage Phylax before Haven's invasion, and is responsible for telling them of the Crimson Lady's Veil. Given what this lead to, it goes without saying that Gokuanni deeply regrets her decision to trust the Archmage, and has become deeply suspicious of all Havenites since.
Kreil Dirn (he/him) Ancestry: Slyborne human/giant Occupation: Haven's Spymaster Description: Responsible for keeping his singular eye on Haven's populace through a network of spies. While he seems to disagree with Archmage Phylax's actions, he had yet to do anything to rectify them, instead turning his efforts to stamping out what he perceives as the current threat: stamping out any traces of rebellion that may come from Fanewick.
