Personality: I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.
Ideal: My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world.
Bond: I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my place of business and ruined my livelihood.
Flaw: Now that I've returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much (borrowed from Hermit - makes sense with backstory)
Feature: Guild Membership: alchemist's guild.
People rarely think of alchemists in the wilderness, but so many of the exotic substances required come from rare plants and animals, or minerals that are found only in remote locations. Istiel grew up in a tiny elven settlement deep in the Vesve Forest. The settlement had no formal ruler, but the effective leader was an alchemist named Ardainn, who kept close ties to the alchemist's guild, and provided many rare and exotic supplies to his brethren in the great cities of the Flaneass. The caravans he sent out returned with useful tools and trinkets that the elves themselves did not wish to manufacture.
Istiel grew up hunting and tending the forest, but also searching for the herbs that would fetch such high prices, and she caught Ardainn's attention because of her skill with herbs and her devotion to the forest itself. In many ways, he saw her as a mirror of himself, and he began to teach her his craft.
As part of her apprenticeship, she went deeper into the forest in search of the rare ingredients, and in doing so, she came in contact with some of the area's fae denizens. It was from them that her devotion to the forest became mystical, and as she learned the science of alchemy from Ardainn, she learned the mystic rites of druidism from the fae.
In fact, she was with the fae when orcs (or more campaign-suitable bad guys) came upon the village and sacked it. She returned with a parcel of supplies for Ardainn to find the buildings that had been lovingly grown from living trees over centuries burned to the ground, the inhabitants slain or enslaved, and the sacred groves defiled. Though the raiders took everything of value they could find, they did not find Ardainn's laboratory. Istiel went there to mourn, and discovered a letter Ardainn had written, introducing Istiel to the alchemist's guild as a journeywoman who had completed her apprenticeship. It was dated three days previous to the raid.
After a few days, she returned to the fae who had taught her so much, and they commiserated with her, but it was not in their nature to care deeply about the problems even of elves. Soon, she realized that to stay among them, she must adopt their carefree, uncaring life, and she knew that she could not. She told them she must seek revenge on those who had defiled her home, and she set out to do so.
A few weeks after leaving the ruins of home, Istiel first heard the name of Kagan the Blooddrunk, the orc warchief who boasted of the deed. The trail was old, but all indications were that Kagan was headed south, towards Greatwall, so Istiel followed.
After arriving, she made contact with Banwom Jamu, the alchemist-in-residence at Greatwall. Given the hostility, he was happy to take on a journeywoman as an assistant. In the last month, they have become good friends. When her work allows her time, she has used it to seek word of Kagan, and during her forays in search of materials, she has come into her own as a druid.
