Kyarra Niälien's page

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
The next time you hit a creature with a weapon attack before this spell ends, a writhing mass of thorny vines appears at the point of impact, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the magical vines until the spell ends. A Large or larger creature has advantage on this saving throw. If the target succeeds on the save, the vines shrivel away.
While restrained by this spell, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature restrained by the vines or one that can touch the creature can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, the target is freed.
At HigherLevels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You choose a creature you can see within range and mystically mark it as your quarry. Until the spell ends, you deal an extra 1d6 damage to the target whenever you hit it with a weapon attack, and you have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find it. If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to mark a new creature.
At HigherLevels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.

:You are particularly familiar with one type of natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of favoured terrain: forest, When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favoured terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
• Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Kyarra Niäriel is 91 years old – nearing elven full adult maturity. However, she has experienced loss and trauma beyond her years, and carries a heavy weight of responsibility on her narrow shoulders.

Kyarra stands five feet ten inches tall, and is thin to the point of androgyny. Her hair is white-blonde, and is her one vanity. She wears it tied back in elaborate updos to keep it out of the way, but still look stylish. Her ears are long and pointed - even more than other elves - hinting at a somewhat-recent addition of fey to her bloodline. She pierces her ears with wide, delicate hoops, some of which are set with small gems. Each piercing represents a victory of some kind. Her wide-set, almond shaped eyes are the blue-green of glacial melt water, and almost as cold. Kyarra’s thin, pale lips rarely smile, but as her little brother will attest, she has a magical, bell-like laugh that delights those who hear it.

Usually, she dresses in the dark browns and greens of the forest, and almost always wears studded leather armour. Her prized possession is her father’s longbow. The osage-wood bow has been so highly polished over the centuries that it gleams with a golden-orange light. Ancient elvish runes decorate the length of it, polished over so many times that they’re only visible in certain light. In contrast, the quiver on her back is tattered and oft-repaired, but the quality of her arrows is unquestionable.

On her braided belt she wears a thick pouch, decorated with the hawk and sun emblem of Ketephys A matching pair of short swords hang on each hip.

Overheard by the burial site of Keirel Niälien
(amme = mum, atto = dad in elvish)

T-81 yrs, (age 10) late summer
Hey little brother. I see that amme picked the perfect spot for you. That little meadow by the tumbledown that we used to swim in, by the huckleberries. But I guess you know that. At least, I hope you do. Amme and Aunty Vee say they planted a curly willow, but I can’t even see a shoot yet. I guess in the spring it will grow.

Sorry it took so long to come. I’m only just out of bed. Amme said I almost died too. They said it was a glabrezu. Must have been a big one, if atto couldn’t take care of it. It almost pinched my leg off! Master Ladriel says my scar is going to be worse than his! I was asleep a long time. But I’m feeling better now, getting stronger every day.

Ah, Keikei, I’m sorry. I was supposed to protect you. I wish I did. I miss you a lot. I miss splashing in the river with you. I miss singing the dawn with you. I miss….everything.

It’s not fair! It’s not fair that those stupid demons can just come out and kill people! I’m going to be a ranger, just like atto, and keep people safe. As soon as my leg is all the way better, I’m going to train twice as hard, four hours every day. And I’ll come visit you as often as I can. Well, visit your tree, anyway. Come midwinter, and your spirit will be released. I hope I meet you again. I hope I know you when I do. Starry nights and warm hearths, Keikei. I love you.

T-61 (age 30)
Keikei! I did it! I completed all eight tests and rituals! I know all the fiends now, and their names, and most importantly, where to shoot them! I’m getting to be a good shot, too. Master Ladriel says I’m ready to start training in the field. Now I just need to convince amme to let me. Even though I’m thirty, she treats me like I’m still eighteen. Every year she gets more paranoid. It’s your fault you know. If you and atto hadn’t died, she never would have…. Ow! Did your tree just throw a branch at me?

T-35 (age 56)
Aaah! Keikei, you’ll never believe what amme did! She said vows to that high elf, Mr. High and Mighty Zoriel. I can’t stand to stay here and watch them make love-eyes at each other, so I’m going to go live with Aunty Vee in Greengold, and make my own way. She knows everybody there, and says there’s work for rangers, even in the city. So it’s going to be a while before I come see you again, and I’m sorry for it. But I’ll bring your branch, so a little piece of you will always be with me.

T-20 (age 71)
Keikei! Look at the size of your tree! It must be nine meters high! And there are at least…four, no, five species of birds nesting in it. I wonder if you would have been a druid. Anyway, I’m sorry I was away so long. I’ve missed coming here more than you can imagine. But the years just kind of slipped away.

Greengold was okay for a city, I guess. I did pretty good there, doing bounty hunter work, if you can believe it. All sorts of folks need finding in cities, it turns out. I had a pretty good reputation, finding folks without hurting them, less I needed too. But it never felt right, hunting people. Not like hunting demons. And some of the things I learned to do weren’t very nice. But amme won’t be able to keep me out of her locked treat cupboard anymore!

Anyhow, I’m home now. Amme and Zoriel finally got around to replacing you. Almost literally. They’ve called him Kyarrel. Not sure if that’s meant to endear him to me or what. I guess he’s cute enough, for a squalling babe. Amme swears he won’t grow up to be like atto and me; she’s going to teach him to be a wizard! Can you believe it! After decades of refusing to teach me a single spell, and now his drooling excellency gets to learn!

So, it seemed like a good time to come back. Amme will need help from time to time, and I can’t have a little brother growing up so close to Tanglebriar without me to watch out for him. I’m going to join the BriarWatch, so I’ll be closer now. I’m glad. I missed home more than I’d admit to anybody else but you.

T-13 (age 78)
Hey, little brother. By Ketephys, it’s good to breath fresh air again. I know Zoriel’s demiplane is safe, but the air gets a bit stale after a while. At least it’s getting nice and homey; lots of potted plants, and books, and comfy couches and pillows….whatever we want. It’s like amme and Zoriel are making up for keeping Mei-Ky locked away from the world by giving him whatever he wants in there. Turns out Zoriel isn’t so bad after all. I know, I always judge too quick. He’s actually pretty cool. And he’s a great cook! Still, the boy needs to be free and outside! He’s only 7, and already knows more book learning than I do! You know his first word was in Draconic? How crazy is that! I don’t know half the languages he’s learning.

You know, I think next time amme goes off for a bit, I’ll bring him here to meet you. It’s time he knew more about his big brother. Huh. Big brother. I never thought about you that way. But you’d be seventy three now. I guess he’ll have to call you Bea-Kei. Anyway, he’ll love it here. Maybe you can give him a branch too.

Last Month (Age 91)
Well Keikei, this is it. Mei-Ky and I are off on a grand adventure. Somehow, ee convinced amme to allow him out of her sight, and in the real world. I think she’s still shaken about what happened to Zoriel, and knows that hiding isn’t an option any longer. So, we’re heading up to Kenabres. The little wand-waver wants to learn more about Wardstones. I think he wants to set some up around the Tanglebriar, like what they’ve got up around the Worldwound. Might not be a bad idea. Much smaller space, after all, and it would be nice not to have half the elvish population focused on holding Treerazer in check.

Mind you, it might not be what he has in mind at all. Now he’s “all grown up”, he’s stopped telling me everything. After all the complaining about Mr. Chatterbox, it’s actually kind of sad. Still, I’m kind of looking forward to the trip. It’ll be good to get him away from all the high-and-mighty elves that amme has looking out for him all the time. Who knows, maybe he’ll even earn a hoop.

Who am I kidding? I’m scared, Keikei. He and amme are all I have left. I won’t fail him; I can’t. It would kill amme if he were to die. Wish me bright stars, little brother. Take care of him, birds and squirrels. I’ll see you as soon as I can.