About Aelanurel SilvermistAelanurel Silvermist CG female moon elf Witch (Mirror Witch, Hex Channeller) 4 | HP 30/30 | AC 15 (T 13, FF 12) | F+6 R+6 W+8 (-1 vs fear) | Speed 30 ft | Init +6 | Per +12, SM +12 Basics and statistics:
Aelanurel Silvermist
Moon elf witch (mirror witch, hex channeller) 4 CG Medium humanoid (elf) Initiative +6; Perception +12 -------------------- Defence -------------------- AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 armour, +1 shield) HP 30 (4d6 + 4 (Con) + 4 (FCB) Fortitude +6 (+1 base + 1 Con + 2 feat + 1 racial ability + 1 vest of resistance) Reflex +6 (+1 base + 3 Dex + 1 racial ability + 1 vest of resistance) Will +8 (+4 base + 2 Wis + 1 racial ability + 1 vest of resistance) - 1 vs fear (drawback - secret shame) -------------------- Offence -------------------- Speed 30 feet Initiative +6 (+3 Dex + 2 trait + 1 ioun stone) Ranged dagger +5 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2, 20 ft, P/S), (+2 BAB + 3 Dex) Melee cold iron dagger +1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2, P/S), (+2 BAB - 1 Str) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 9 Dex 16 (14 base + 2 race) Con 12 (14 base - 2 race) Int 18 (17 base + 1 level 4) Wis 14 Cha 16 (14 base + 2 race) Base Attack Bonus +2
Skills and feats:
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Skills -------------------- Diplomacy +13, Heal +11, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (planes) +12, Knowledge (religion) +12, Perception +12, Profession (astronomer) +10, Profession (celebrant) +10, Profession (seamstress) +10, Profession (soothsayer) +13, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +11, Use Magic Device +7 The witch’s class skills are Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis) are all class skills as a result of Trustworthy (trait), Spirit Guide (trait), and Fey Thoughts (alternative racial ability) respectively. Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier + 2 background skills = 4 + 4 + 2 = 10 Detailed skills
Spirit Guide (religion) You gain +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks, and Knowledge (religion) is a class skill for you.
Trustworthy (social) You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks made to fool someone. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is always a class skill for you.
Warrior of Old (race - elf) You gain a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks.
Drawbacks
Racial traits:
Ability score modifiers (0 RP) Elves are nimble, both in body and mind, but their form is frail. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, and –2 Constitution.
Size (0 RP) Elves are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Type (0 RP) Elves are Humanoids with the elf subtype. Base speed (0 RP) Elves have a base speed of 30 feet. Languages (0 RP) Elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan. Moonkissed [lesser lucky] (2 RP) Elves with this racial trait gain a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. Keen senses (2 RP) Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. Fey thoughts [skill training] (1 RP) Select two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disguise. Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim, or Use Magic Device. The selected skills are always class skills for the character. This trait replaces weapon familiarity. Selected skills: Perception, Sense Motive. Elven magic (3 RP) Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft skill checks made to identify the properties of magic items. Arcane focus (1 RP) Some elven families have such long traditions of producing wizards (and other arcane spellcasters) that they raise their children with the assumption each is destined to be a powerful magic-user, with little need for mundane concerns such as skill with weapons. Elves with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on concentration checks made to cast arcane spells defensively. Dreamspeaker (2 RP) A few elves have the ability to tap into the power of sleep, dreams, and prescient reverie. Elves with this racial trait add +1 to the saving throw DCs of spells of the divination school and sleep effects they cast. In addition, elves with Charisma scores of 15 or higher may use dream once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level is equal to the elf’s character level). This trait replaces elven immunities. Low-light vision (1 RP) Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. 10 RP from Ancestries of Faerûn + lesser lucky 2 RP + arcane focus 1 RP; alternative racial traits: fey thoughts replaces weapon familiarity, dreamspeaker replaces elven immunities. Class abilities:
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Patron -------------------- At 1st level, when a witch gains her familiar, she must also select a patron. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. While these forces need not be named, they typically hold influence over one of the following forces. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, a witch’s patron adds new spells to a witch’s list of spells known. These spells are also automatically added to the list of spells stored by the familiar. The spells gained depend upon the patron chosen. Each patron is listed by its theme. Its actual name is up to the GM and the witch to decide. Chosen patron Wisdom
The mirror is essentially an immobile familiar. The mirror witch can activate it with a minute-long ritual that calls the patron fragment to manifest itself through the mirror. While this connection is open, she can prepare spells, add new spells to the mirror, and use the mirror’s special abilities. In place of the boost granted by an ordinary familiar, the mirror grants the mirror witch a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks regardless of whether the mirror is nearby. The mirror can’t be used for abilities that require the presence of a familiar, such as the blight hex. If the patron mirror is destroyed, the mirror witch can replace it 1 day later through a special ritual, attuning a new mirror to a different fragment of her patron. The mirror witch must purchase or procure a new, suitable mirror and spend 500 gp per witch level she has. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete, and when it is finished, the mirror witch establishes a connection with a new fragment of her patron and loses access to spells stored in the previous mirror, as normal for a lost witch’s familiar. As the mirror witch progresses in level, the mirror’s defences increase, and the connection between it and the mirror witch becomes stronger, allowing the patron to manifest more of its personality. This ability replaces the witch’s familiar. Appearance Aelanurel’s patron mirror is a fine piece of elven jewellery in and of itself. Crafted primarily from silver, it is a round compact hinged mirror the size of a palm. Opening it presents a circular piece of glass surrounded by a border of tiny studded moonstones on one side, the opposite half is inlaid with mother of pearl. The most impressive element comes courtesy of a tiny button that is accessible when the two halves are fully opened so they can be laid completely flat. By pressing it, the mother of pearl half unfolds like a fan and expands into a semicircle that sits behind the mirror, turning the whole into a representation of the symbol of Sehanine Moonbow, elven goddess of the moon. It is an exquisite piece of craftsmanship and the Moonlit Mystery would no doubt approve of the mirror’s beauty and hidden secret. Hardness 10 As the connection between the witch and her patron mirror becomes more powerful, so does the hardness of the mirror, making it more difficult to damage. Hit Points 6 (1 + 5) The base hit points of a mirror witch’s patron mirror are based on what kind of mirror she chooses. A steel mirror has 4 hit points and a glass mirror has 1 hit point. The patron mirror gains the listed hit points in addition to the mirror’s normal hit points, and the hit points increase as the link between the witch and her patron mirror strengthens. Intelligence 13 A patron is a powerful and unknowable entity, able to see great distances and offer sage council, but the power of the fragment it manifests through a patron mirror is proportional to the link the fragment has with the mirror witch. The patron mirror is not a creature, and nothing can increase its Intelligence above the listed value. As a mirror witch increases in level, her patron mirror grants her additional powers as indicated on the table. Cryptic Omens (Ex) Each day, when a mirror witch consults with her patron mirror, the patron fragment can speak a few words of cryptic advice about the witch’s future. While the words are often obscure when the fragment utters them, they nearly always make sense to the witch at just the right moment aid her in dealing with the threats of the day. Once per day, after the witch receives this advice, she can gain one of the following benefits without taking an action: gain a +2 insight bonus on a saving throw she is about to attempt; gain a +2 insight bonus on a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Sense Motive check she is about to attempt; or instead of rolling initiative, treat her initiative as if she rolled a 12 on the die. She can’t use this last option if she can’t act during a surprise round. She doesn’t choose which benefit she gains while consulting the mirror; instead, she does so when she would be about to roll a saving throw, initiative check, or appropriate skill check. Seek Guidance (Ex) Whenever the mirror witch consults with her patron fragment, she can spend 10 minutes instead of the usual 1 minute and attempt a single Knowledge check. She gains a +2 insight bonus on any Knowledge check she attempts during such a consultation. Greater Omens (Ex) The number of times per day that the mirror witch can use cryptic omens increases by an amount equal to the Intelligence modifier of the patron mirror. Furthermore, after consulting with her patron for 1 minute, she can expend a use of cryptic omens to gain the effects of augury instead of one of the usual three benefits.
Unless otherwise noted, using a hex is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The save to resist a hex is equal to 10 + 1/2 the witch’s level + the witch’s Intelligence modifier. DC = 15 (10 + 1 + 4)
Slumber (1st)
Channelling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centred on the witch. The witch can channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). This otherwise functions as a cleric using channel energy, except the witch does not require a holy symbol to use this ability. The hex channeler uses her witch level as her cleric level for all other effects dependent upon channel energy (except increasing the amount of damage healed or dealt). The hex channeler can choose whether or not to include herself or her familiar in this effect. Creatures that take damage from channelled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the witch’s level + the witch’s Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by channel energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. This burst heals or deals 1d6 points of damage. Every time the hex channeller is able to learn a new hex (including major or grand hexes, but not hexes gained through the Extra Hex feat), she can instead increase her channel energy amount by 1d6. Sehanine considers the majority of undead to be a blasphemy so one of the secrets her aspect has shared with Aelanurel is the ability to manipulate positive energy in such a way as to destroy such abominations, as well as heal beings of a benevolent nature. Spells:
Witch spells per day (CL 4th; concentration +8, additional +2 to cast defensively; +1 DC on all divination and sleep spells)
2nd - 3 (2 + 1 from high Int)
1st - 4 (3 + 1 from high Int)
0 - 4
Witch spells known
Gear:
Weapons and armour dagger, cold iron dagger, silver dagger, haramaki, mithral buckler
Magical gear travel cloak, vest of resistance +1, pathfinder pouch, veil of attentiveness, dusty rose prism cracked ioun stone, dark blue rhomboid cracked ioun stone, traveller’s any-tool, sleeves of many garments, ioun torch Consumable gear healer’s kit (10), vermin repellent (5), perfume (5), tindertwigs (5) Other gear traveller’s outfit, masterwork backpack, bedroll, mess kit, waterproof bag, grooming kit, sewing kit (needles, thread, thimble, scraps of cloth), spell component pouch, scroll case, 10 sheets of parchment, inkpen, ink, 5 chalks, flint and steel, 10 candles, 3 vials, signal whistle, earplugs, harrow deck, masterwork fortune teller’s cards, dice, Volo’s Guide to the Dalelands [pathfinder chronicle - knowledge local], Manual of the Planes [pathfinder chronicle - planes], Faiths and Pantheons [pathfinder chronicle - religion], silver moon brooch, wedding ring (suth wood), tiny carved songbird toy (suth wood) Pathfinder pouch patron mirror, traveller’s any-tool, healer’s kit, grooming kit, harrow deck, masterwork fortune teller’s cards, Volo’s Guide to the Dalelands [pathfinder chronicle - knowledge local], Manual of the Planes [pathfinder chronicle - planes], Faiths and Pantheons [pathfinder chronicle - religion], wedding ring (suth wood), tiny carved songbird toy (suth wood); 9.5 lbs; capacity is 10 lbs, 2 cubic ft Weight 28.5 lbs
Build notes and role:
Aelanurel has a combination of control and support spells and abilities; her hexes are focused on pacifying foes or aiding her allies rather than debuffing. She has strong knowledge skills and some solid face skills (diplomacy and sense motive), a combination of her breadth of experience and reading of people. With healing abilities and energy channeling, she straddles some of the divide between arcane and divine magics, which fits her role of ‘mystic’. Her versatility means she can potentially lean more or less into some of these aspects depending on party make-up and requirements and gives her plenty of options both in and out of combat. Progression into the Stargazer prestige class for at least a dip is a clear fit for her personality so is something I am strongly considering. Appearance:
To the eye, Aelanurel appears as a typical moon elf with long jet black hair that borders on blue, pale skin that also adopts a slight bluish tinge, and cerulean eyes that measure things in decades rather than years. She typically wears a home-made floor-length dress of midnight blue, paired with a practical long cloak when outdoors. More noteworthy are the numerous tiny star and moon ornaments she wears in her hair and the veil she regularly obscures her face with, adding an air of mystery and both a physical and metaphorical degree of separation between her and others. When performing rites she usually accessorises and accentuates her dress with suitable colours and decorations for the ceremony and she has a growing collection of jewellery, trinkets and knick-knacks. What observers tend to remember most, however, is her presence: relatively tall for a moon elf, she stands straight and is the kind of figure people are drawn to. A magnetic personality draws most folk into her orbit in a way that they can’t help but like, respect and listen to but there’s an otherworldliness to her nature that can also mean they maintain their distance.
She keeps her prized possessions - her patron mirror, sentimental keepsakes - in a hidden belt pouch. These include her wedding ring and a tiny wooden songbird toy, both crafted from hardy suth wood by Kelardeiym. These are the only physical artefacts that Aelanurel possesses from her husband and son, so are hugely valuable to her, though she keeps them hidden as she has no wish to invite questions about them. Aelanurel’s patron mirror is a fine piece of elven jewellery in and of itself. Crafted primarily from silver, it is a round compact hinged mirror the size of a palm. Opening it presents a circular piece of glass surrounded by a border of tiny studded moonstones on one side, the opposite half is inlaid with mother of pearl. The most impressive element comes courtesy of a tiny button that is accessible when the two halves are fully opened so they can be laid completely flat. By pressing it, the mother of pearl half unfolds like a fan and expands into a semicircle that sits behind the mirror, turning the whole into a representation of the symbol of Sehanine Moonbow, elven goddess of the moon. It is an exquisite piece of craftsmanship and the Moonlit Mystery would no doubt approve of the mirror’s beauty and hidden secret. Personality:
Aelanurel heard them well before she saw them, clumsy youth stamping along the river path with all the subtlety of orcs leaving a drinking den. That’s probably unfair, she conceded, though to her acute elven hearing it certainly didn’t sound quiet. Clearing her mind in order to focus on the conversation, as the two boys approached she tried to glean something about who they were and why they were coming to see her. And that’s more than half the challenge. Understand people, their needs and wants, their fears and desires, and it’s much easier to be able to help them. Or to allow them to help themselves. Reading between the lines she could divine an aura of concern and hesitation covered up by conventional adolescent boasting. She had a distinct impression of two people who had put themselves into a situation neither of them necessarily wanted to be in but neither wanted to lose face by suggesting they abandon the expedition. Harmless enough for sure, but perhaps tinged with prejudice in terms of who - or at least what - she was.
She could now see them; they had left the Mistle Trail and were approaching her cottage through the trees. Flexing the ache from her slim shoulders, Aelanurel glanced quickly around her workroom to check all was ready and prepared to make her entrance. At this distance, the conversation was fully audible and it was clear that the lads were having second thoughts. “Are you sure she’s not the Witch of Shadowdale?” asked one, to angry denial from the other. Aelanurel hid a smirk.Clearly this was an argument that had been running at length. “Witch of Shadowdale?” she called out, projecting in a clear, ringing voice and throwing wide the door. Throwing her head back, she laughed long and loud, a melodic sound but to the boys it may as well have been the throaty cackle their imaginations had been priming them for. Her sudden appearance coupled with the laughter almost caused the pair to bolt but she raised a hand to calm them and gently beckon them forward. Hesitantly they looked at one another before shuffling towards the moon elf. As they walked they were able to properly take in her appearance, simultaneously welcoming and imposing. They were greeted by a confident figure in a well-tailored dress of deep blue, waves of black hair woven with dozens of tiny decorations, and a thin veil obscuring a pale face. “Well met, lads. I’ve been expecting you for some time.” Or at least ten minutes, when I first heard you noisily making your way here. “I am called many things - wise woman, soothsayer, fortune teller, seer,” she pauses a beat, “Witch. But Syluné is not among them.” She bows her head in respect for the name of one of the Seven. “Aelanurel Silvermist at your service. I can offer you healing for what ails you - mind, body or spirit. Or perhaps a dream reading? The Lady of Dreams gifts me the ability to divine meaning from the world of sleep.” She cocks a shapely eyebrow and one of the pair turns bright red. I don’t think that one’s dreams will need a lot of interpreting, populated no doubt by a local farm lass or tavern girl. “No. I sense you’re here to have your fortune read. Now just to be absolutely clear, nobody can see the future perfectly. Elminster himself can’t predict what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes Sehanine shares with me secrets and fragments, but meanings are not always clear. What I can do is interpret things as best I can and pass on my understanding. What you do with that information is up to you.” Aelanurel looked the two youths up and down, though neither could quite meet the intensity of her gaze. What she saw was a pair of gangly farmers’ boys - not yet young men - of about 14 or 15 winters, still growing into their changing bodies. Not local either, I’d recognise them if they were from the village. Probably from a passing caravan. She smiles wryly. And as has been made abundantly clear, my reputation precedes me. Stepping gracefully to one side of the door, she gestures towards it. “Please, do come in.” After a moment’s hesitation, the boys shuffle in, mumbling thanks. They step into a room hung with tapestries, curtains and a large map of the heavens. There is a heady perfume in the air, something rich and floral, and a kettle steams away gently in a corner. The room doesn’t let in a lot of natural light, but there are numerous small magical lights and candles dotted around and the flames underneath the kettle are a brilliant blue, courtesy of burning blueleaf wood. As the boys take in the room’s interior, they make noises to indicate they are genuinely impressed. Aelanurel slides into a chair behind a finely carved weirwood table. “Doran, if you would be so kind to take this seat” - she indicates the left-hand of a pair of well-worn but comfortable looking chairs. “And if you could take this one, Simmor.” As their eyes go wide at the realisation she knows their names, she preempts the question with a smile. “The Luminous Cloud teaches me much.” She opens a small pouch on her belt and draws out a compact mirror, flipping it open and laying upon the tabletop. It is a beautiful piece, silver inlaid with mother of pearl, and clearly valuable. “The Tears of Selûne are bright until the end of the tenday,” she says. “As such, five coppers each will suffice.” The boys look relieved at such an affordable price and hunt through pockets for the coins. “My thanks,” she says, tipping the coins into the pouch and drawing forth a pale pink gemstone with a hairline crack running its length. Making a show of holding it in her fist, the elf slowly raises her arm, opens her palm and the stone begins to slowly orbit her head. At this the two lads almost fall out of their chairs. Never fails. It’s almost like folks don’t notice a bird take wing or a bee in flight. I think if I was able to rise out of my chair now they would lose their minds. Finally finished with the set up, Aelanurel observes the two boys sitting in awestruck silence. Ordinarily she doesn’t bother to put on such a show for the sturdy Dalesfolk, straight talking tends to be more to their taste. Others - Cormyrian nobles or Sembian merchants, for instance - fully expect a performance and she is happy to charge them a lot more for it than this pair are paying. They can afford it after all, and many of her services and all of her advice is free. In this case, the two young lads came with preconceptions and she has been happy to oblige them. Indeed, she suspects they will not forget this show, or the elven mystic who gave it, in a hurry, and that the tale will undoubtedly only grow in the telling. She runs a hand through her hair and adjusts her veil. The only sound in the room comes from the flickering of azure flames and the bubbling kettle. Aelanurel fixes first one and then the other of the two boys with a scrutinising stare. “So, gentlemen. What would you like to know?” Personality
Aelanurel is truly grateful for the wisdom and learning she has gained from her patron and willing to be led by it and repay her debts in service to Sehanine Moonbow. While she takes her learning and duties seriously, she also understands the limitations of her abilities and is happy to unleash her mischievous side and lean into the preconceptions of others about her personality and powers. Her sense of humour is typically elven, gently poking fun - including at herself - rather than anything actively malicious. She is comfortable with silence and has found that others tend to dislike it more than she does, often revealing information about themselves that she uses to build up a sense of their character. Her long life and willingness to try new things has given her a breadth of knowledge and experience that allows her to turn her hand to many things, but it is her understanding of people that chiefly allows her to make a success of life. Although she has travelled and lived in various places, at heart Aelanurel is a homebody. She enjoys living where she feels welcome, comfortable and has friends, and she feels pretty content with her lot right now. Time with people she loves, whether talking, sewing, learning, is always time well spent. She also loves the solitude of spending time outside at night, simply sitting or walking and looking at the stars. However, she is also driven by the twin forces of morality and guilt, determined to fight to protect people’s freedoms to live as they choose and tortured by the shame of her failure to do so in the past. She fears others finding out about this and judging her for her poor decision making and the terrible consequences it wrought. Aelanurel dislikes cruelty and those who lust for power to impose their will on others. Arrogance annoys her and she usually tries to subtly knock those who look down on others down a peg or two themselves. Given all of this and her personal history, she has an understandable hatred of the Zhentarim. She knows she cannot right all wrongs but she is willing to stand and fight for what she believes in. Teshendale stands as a haunting monument for the dales as a whole of what happens when they do not support each other; similarly for Aelanurel, it is a powerful personal motivating factor. Background:
Aelanurel Silvermist was born in the Year of the Moonlight Tapestry (1170 DR), something which she at least invests with portentous meaning. A moon elf of the northwestern reaches of the great forest of Cormanthor, she had a typically carefree childhood, growing up as part of a small elven community. The elder of two siblings, she was encouraged to follow her passions, to play and explore, and was shielded from many of the hardships and cruelties of life. Quick of body, quicker of mind, and always with an easy laugh, she grew into a happy, loving adolescence. Always with an eye for colour and a taste for clothing beyond that of the average moon elf - something she shared with her younger brother, Thalanil - she found joy in working with fabrics and began making garments for herself and others.
As a budding seamstress, she started to take her wares north into the town of Teshwave, and in time soliciting business. Her trips were made even easier as a handsome young elven woodworker, Kelardeiym, caught her eye and the two soon began courting. This budding relationship soon blossomed into love and Aelanurel moved out of the forest and into Teshendale proper in the Year of the Ormserpent (1295 DR). In time honoured tradition, marriage and then a son, Velaeril, followed, and the new family were content with life. Everything changed in the Year of the Gulagoar (1316 DR). Forces from Zhentil Keep invaded Teshendale and launching an attack on Teshwave. Aelanurel and Methildar fought to defend their home but though the folk of the Dale put up a valiant resistance, they were badly outmatched and no support was forthcoming. Aelanurel’s tragedy was in working with her friend Grantha to arrange passage for a dozen people, including Kelardeiym and Velaeril, as part of the evacuation when it became clear the besieged city was lost. Despite credible warnings that Grantha was not trustworthy, including from a local Harper agent, Aelanurel had faith in both her friend and the plan and chose to go ahead. Alas, Grantha was indeed a Zhent informant, tipping them off about the escape plan and the group was caught and slaughtered. Consumed by grief and shame, Aelanurel retreated with many of those who were able to flee rather than meeting either death or slavery. Regrouping in Snowmantle on the edge of the Border Forest, they barely had time to organise, never mind process the horrors, before the relentless march of the Zhentarim brought them to their doorstep once more. This time the fighting was quick, with most of the Dalesfolk pragmatically accepting that with the rest of Teshendale now firmly under Zhent control there was no hope for them. Scattered and broken the survivors fled their homes to forge a new life elsewhere. Haunted by the loss of her family, her friend’s bloody betrayal, and her part in the sorry affair, Aelanurel vanished into the northern reaches of Cormanthor. Alone with her grief, she aimlessly wandered the great forest’s northern reaches, simply surviving from one day to the next. After several months of this, she stumbled upon the other discovery that would change the course of her life. During a heavy snowstorm in Alturiak of the Year of the Wandering Wyrm (1317 DR), Aelanurel took shelter in a ruined building not far from Arabat’s Folly and stumbled across a small treasure cache. Notable amongst the coins and other small objects was a finely crafted silver pocket mirror. Admiring the elven workmanship, she discovered a hidden button which caused the mirror to unfurl into the shape of the symbol of Sehanine Moonbow, elven goddess of moon, stars and the heavens. Although she could not say what first caused her to start speaking to it - loneliness most likely, though in hindsight she considers it fate - the mirror heard her and began to communicate in return. Finding a lost soul in need of guidance, it began teaching Aelanurel wisdom, counsel, secrets, and most importantly, self-care. Understanding the mirror to be a conduit between herself and an aspect of Sehanine, they began to get to know one another over the next couple of months. Gradually, for the first time since Teshwave, the elf began to feel hope again, and purpose, believing herself to be at the start of a long journey perhaps a lifetime in the making. Guided by her patron, Aelanurel headed east to remote Harrowdale, journeying to Velarsburg where she fell in with an adventuring band that became known as the Velarsburg Five. For the next few years they defended the oldest of Dales. Notable achievements of the group include slaying the self-proclaimed Wight-Queen in the barrows of the Cold Field, unmasking the traitorous Burgher Ulwain the Slim, and the destruction of a Cult of the Dragon cell residing in Halvan’s Keep. The disbanding of the group came naturally as members were juggling other parts of their lives and responsibilities and they parted ways on good terms. Having found a new life for herself, Aelanurel stayed on for another couple of years but while she had great affection for the village, it wasn’t quite the same after the group had gone their separate ways. Once more following the mysterious divinations of the Daughter of the Night Skies, Aelanurel headed yet further east to the Vast, taking up residence in Raven’s Bluff. There she began to carve out first a living and then a reputation as a soothsayer and dream reader, as just about every adventurer in the Living City wanted an edge in terms of finding fame, fortune or simply their own fate. While she was not unhappy in Raven’s Bluff, life in a big city was very different to anywhere else she had made a life for herself and over a span of years Aelanurel found that she missed the Dalelands - the quieter life, the gentle landscapes, the solid people. And so in the Year of the Wandering Maiden (1337 DR), following a particularly vivid dream, she took to the road once more, travelling across the Dales in order to find a home. Following the movements of the stars she found herself in the village of Elven Crossing in Mistledale on Midsummer. Although the celebrations during a festival are not necessarily representative of life for the rest of the year, she found the people pleasant - welcoming and living in harmony with the forest - and the place to her tastes and brought her journey to an end. With the villager’s blessing, she moved into an old woodcutter’s cottage a mile or so north of the village proper on the Mistle Trail that follows the course of the Ashaba through the forest to Shadowdale. Once more she began to draw on the skills and knowledge built up over a lifetime, adapted to the rhythm of village life. She built up work as a wise woman, cultivating a reputation for sound advice and common sense - a healer for body, mind and spirit - to balance out the lower demand for fortune telling compared to bustling Raven’s Bluff. With her knowledge of different religions and customs she also gradually became known as a celebrant, especially for funerals, guiding the spirits of the dead on the journey to join their patron deity in the afterlife. Becoming a solid and respected member of the community, Aelnaurel felt that she truly had a home for the first time since she left Teshendale. Largely content to work and live her simple life, when the need arose, she was also prepared to use her magic in defence of the community. While Mistledale has lived a charmed life compared to her northern neighbours, the scars of the Zhent destruction of her home and life in Teshwave run deep. When Banite forces from Zhentil Keep launched an invasion of Shadowdale in the Year of Shadows (1358 DR), Aelanurel was one of many who still put faith in the Dales Compact and knew from bitter experience what happens when the individual Dales do not stand together so she headed north to join the defence, successfully repelling the attack. Since then she has had little need to utilise spell or blade in anger but recently it seems Mistledale’s luck has been wearing thin. If the heavens align and Sehanine’s whisperings will it so, Aelanurel is prepared once more to venture forth and fight for what she holds dear. Relationships:
Family
Aelanurel has no family living in the region. Her husband, Kelardeiym, and son, Velaeril, were slain by the Zhentarim in their conquest of Teshendale in the Year of the Gulagoar (1316 DR). Her parents joined the many elves who left Cormanthor for Evermeet as part of the Retreat in the Year of Moonfall (1344 DR). Her younger brother, Thalanil, left the Dales to travel a century ago and wandered west. He currently resides in Waterdeep after decades of revelry and the road. Thalanil Silvermist (CN male moon elf Bard 2/Expert 2) was always the black sheep of the family, possessing a restless streak of wanderlust and ambitions to create a name for himself. Blessed with a fine tenor voice and pretensions to the name of bard, it was no surprise when the headstrong young elf left the familial home for a life on the road. Travelling west through the southern Dales and Cormyr, full of exuberant youth and excess, he eventually settled in Iriaebor for a handful of decades, teaching music to the nobility of the City of a Thousand Spires. To his surprise, he found that he both really enjoyed teaching and had a natural aptitude for it. A second period of adventure through the Western Heartlands followed when the call of the road grew strong once more, albeit perhaps not quite as raucous as his previous travels. Inevitably he ended up in Waterdeep, easily finding teaching work once more. Thalanil is a handsome man with wit and charm to match. He is hedonistic, taking great pleasure in music, food and the finer things in life. In particular he is always immaculately dressed, taking great care of his appearance and is an early adopter of the latest fashion trends. While life in the City of Splendours suits him perfectly, in recent years he has increasingly found himself escaping north to Ardeep for periods of solitude walking amongst the trees. He has a decent relationship with Aelanurel, even if it's not as close as some siblings, but either would quickly come to the other's aid if called upon. They share some interests but more broadly have different motivations and outlooks on life. Elvencrossing locals
Nataska Ambleford (NG female Chondathan human Commoner 2) runs the Elven Crossing bakery, where she has developed a well-deserved reputation for excellence, in particular her seeded loaves. Broad of shoulder and strong of arm from countless hours stirring mixtures and kneading dough, she typically wears her straw-coloured hair in a plait halfway down her back. A no-nonsense woman in her mid-thirties, she is bringing up a brood of four children by herself after her husband left her for a ‘Sembian strumpet’ and ran off to Urmlaspyr in the Year of the Banner (1368 DR). A big scandal at the time, most of the villagers like dependable Nataska and feel sorry for what happened - and those who don’t care for her so much wouldn’t want to risk being barred from her premises and denied her baking as a result of wagging tongues. She is best friends with Aelanurel after the elf saved and healed her eldest son after he contracted a pox that looked like it would result in the child’s death. The two became firm friends during this period and they speak regularly, at each other’s houses or drinking woodberry tea at Amaratha’s Teahouse. Nataska demonstrates the fierce loyalty of a mother bear towards Aelanurel that she shows to everyone she cares about, which Aelanurel returns in kind, just in a more subtle way. Loura Hardharrow (CG female Chondathan human Commoner 1) is not exactly Aelanurel’s apprentice but the elf does teach the 16-year old after accidentally falling into it. Loura came for advice once upon a time and then came back the following tenday at the same time, and the visits became regular as clockwork. Unassuming in appearance, she is quiet to the point of muteness and is viewed as a bit of an oddball by some of the more unkind folk in the village. She is a quick learner though and Aelanurel has taught her basic herblore and how to treat simple wounds and ailments. She is fascinated by maps and is able to reproduce them from memory to an impressive degree. Although Loura has never manifested any magical abilities, Aelanurel thinks she would make a brilliant acolyte at a temple. Unsure whether the secretive clergy of Sehanine would take in a non-elf, given the overlap in portfolios with Selûne, she has discreetly reached out to temples of the Moonmaiden in Elmwood, Ylraphon and Immersea. Marlus Gurskyn (NE male Damaran human Commoner 3) is a grasping, bald-headed vintner originally from Hillsfar who settled in the village with his wife and children half a decade ago. Obsequious to those in power and happy to use coins to grease palms, he is not actively liked by many people but has a loud voice in village affairs and soon intends to build Elven Crossing's first tavern. While his ideas and desires benefit himself primarily, they generally also benefit Elven Crossing as a whole so he is grudgingly respected. Sharing the Hillfarian prejudice against non-humans, he dislikes Aelanurel and quietly amplifies malicious rumours about her. Although she has never shown any desire to get involved in village politics, he believes that she would have a powerful voice should she choose to use it so he preemptively attacks someone he perceives as a potential rival. Authority figure
Ulwin Sharin (LG female Chondathan human Aristocrat 4) is a graceful and regal gentlelady and landholder. Ulwen is the head of the Sharin freehold, a large and strong farm located in the eastern part of the Dale and a member of Mistledale’s ruling Council of Six. Now into her middle years, her salt and pepper hair suits her well and she runs the family business with a firm but fair hand. She has a succession issue, however, as despite her best efforts, none of her three children are wholly suitable. Her niece Aravela would be the sensible choice but naming her as successor would lead to squabbles and resentment so she is keeping her powder dry. She is generally regarded as a popular ruler within the dale due to a willingness to listen and a track record of both fair and pragmatic decision making. Aelanurel respects her for these reasons as her reputation tallies with her personal experience of the Councilwoman. Former companions
Tespen Laethenwine (CG male half wood elf Ranger 5/Harper Agent 1) is a happy-go-lucky, constantly joking man, about as far as you can get from the stereotype of a solemn and serious woodsman. One of life’s natural cheerleaders, he stands out in any room as not only does he love being the centre of attention, his flaming red hair and almost six and a half feet in height means he is hard to miss. A Harper agent for many years, he is usually on the road to somewhere, crisscrossing the Dales, Cormyr and the Vast on one mission or another in service to Those Who Harp. When he hangs up his cloak he harbours ambitions of running his own tavern, a hub of noise and adventure, though his secret attempts at brewing leave a lot to be desired. Tespen always calls in on Aelanurel if he's passing through the dale, the two exchanging gossip of current affairs and stories of adventures past. Jaylene Duntree (NG female Chondathan human Cleric 3 of Chauntea) is a venerable priestess of the Earthmother now into her ninth decade. A petite wiry frame from a lifetime of solid manual and spiritual labour in service to the Grain Goddess, she is now little more than skin and bone. Her mind is still sharp enough though and she continues to take great pleasure in learning and playing card games from around the Realms and parting fools who underestimate her card skills - which is a lot of folk - from their coins. She lives, as she always has done, at the Temple of the Harvest Moon in Velarsburg. Sensible and dependable, she is all that is good about Dalesfolk and while she knows that her time on Faerûn is nearly up, she is satisfied with a life well lived. Jaylene is the one person Aelanurel has confided the full truth about her time in Teshendale to. The priestess knows her friend's guilt runs deep but believes she ought to absolve herself and make peace with the past. It's been some time since the two have spoken about this topic but Jaylene intends to give it another attempt before she goes to join Chauntea in Elysium. If selected I would be keen to work with other party members to establish relationships with them where it makes sense. |
