Wylhia the Wisp's page

Current Day: 31st of Erastus
Current Time: 09:00:00
30th of Erastus, 10pm
26th of Erastus, 12pm
25th of Erastus, 10pm
24th of Erastus, 10pm
24th of Erastus, 1pm

Hit Points 15/17
Abilities undamaged
Wand of CLW 20/20

Durations Counter
example spell (1 minute)
cast at 12:20:00 on
8/10 rounds remaining

Daily Consumables or Prepared Spells
Poultices Remaining: 2/2
[smaller]Orisons (infinite) – stabilize, guidance, virtue, spark
1st level spells – example used spell, summon nature's ally I, obscuring mist, cure light wounds
Spell-Likes — dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals

Personality
Wisp has a gentle, ponderous manner to her, almost like that of an old wise woman. She is thoughtful, if occasionally a little overly-introspective, and she likes to consider a matter very carefully before speaking. She's friendly and easy to get along with, with a wide grin and a barber's wit. Of course, she can be a little unnerving at times, prone to staring without expression or asking unsettling questions. Wisp has a lot of the First World in her.

And sometimes she's just... mean. Wisp will sometimes make startlingly cruel jokes out of the blue. If she sees a friend struggling with a crush, she might make a hurtful but disturbingly well-aimed comment that plays on the friend's exact insecurities. If she can tell a friend feels guilty about a mistake they made, she might make a jab specifically about that mistake and the negative consequences of it.

Wisp tosses jokes and insults like clods of dirt: meant affectionately, but meant to sting, too. It's how she was raised, but it's no excuse. At her best, Wisp does sometimes express remorse over the nasty remarks, especially if the target doesn't "play along" the way she's used to (returning insults in kind or pretending to laugh along). But it's not just slip-ups—Wisp never makes these jokes towards people who have power over her, after all, or who she knows will seek to punish her. The real problem is that on some level, Wisp doesn't seem to believe that the way she was raised to behave is, well, wrong. She needs to be persuaded of that before she'll really start breaking the habit.

Appearance
With her helmet off, Wisp's increasingly light-colored hair provides a startling contrast to the vivid blue of her cloak and her darker russet-brown complexion. Her orange eyebrows jut out like antennae over pale green eyes, and her dimples are lightly dappled with freckles like a fawn's coat. The gnome's hair's sunset-like gradient is quite lovely, and Wisp can be surprisingly comely when she puts real time into her appearance—though being very insecure about the Bleaching, she hasn't done so in a long while.

Wisp is in her mid-twenties, by human measurements, and quite tall for a gnome at 3'2". She weighs 25 pounds, or 38 lbs with all her gear save her quarterstaff.

WYLHIA THE WISP
NE female gnome druid (feyspeaker) 2
Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9

----- DEFENSE -----
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +1 size, +2 armor, +1 shield)
hp 17 (2d8+4);
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5
Defensive Abilities +2 on saves against illusions;
Weaknesses –2 on saves against disease, illusions, poison, and the magical abilities of fey;

----- OFFENSE -----
Speed 20 ft.
Melee
[dice=Quarterstaff (buckler)]1d20-0-1[/dice], [dice=Damage]1d4-2[/dice] bludgeoning and lose shield bonus for the round.
[dice=Shillelagh (buckler)]1d20-0-1+1[/dice], [dice=Damage]1d8-2+1[/dice] bludgeoning and lose shield bonus for the round.
Ranged
[dice=Sling (stones)]1d20+3-1[/dice], Damage: 1 nonlethal. 50 ft. range increment, bludgeoning damage.
[dice=Sling (magic stones)]1d20+3+1[/dice], [dice=Damage]1d6+1-2[/dice] plus [dice]1d6+1[/dice] bludgeoning if undead. 50 ft. range increment, bludgeoning damage.

----- SPELLCASTING -----
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +5)
Constant – speak with animals (burrowing animals only)
1/day — dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 14), prestidigitation, speak with animals
Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
+1 to save DCs for illusion effects.
Orisons – Stabilize, Guidance, Virtue, Spark
1st level – Obscuring Mist, Cure Light Wounds (DC 14), Summon Nature's Ally I

----- STATISTICS -----
Str 8 (-2 racial), Dex 12, Con 13 (+2 racial), Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 14 (+2 racial)
Base Atk +1 (slow); CMB -2; CMD 9
Feats Groundling; Traits: Brigand, Voices of Solid Things (Disable Device); Drawbacks: Fey-Taken, Misbegotten
Skills Skills: Artistry (knitting) +6, Diplomacy +9, Disable Device +8, Heal +7 (+9 with kit), Linguistics +3, Lore (First World) +9, Knowledge (religion) +3, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +9, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +9, Survival +7, Use Magic Device +4; Racial +2 to Perception; Conditional +1 to Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Intimidate and Bluff towards brigands and thieves.
SQ gnome traits (gnome magic, illusion resistance, keen senses), alternate gnome traits (academician: First World, fey thoughts: Stealth/Perform, gift of tongues), wild mischief/empathy +5, woodland stride

----- EQUIPMENT -----
Combat Gear leather armor (10 gp, 7.5 lbs), wooden buckler (5 gp, 2.5 lbs), quarterstaff of cure light wounds (300 gp, 20 charges, 2 lbs), sling, 6 stones, holly and mistletoe[/i]
Poultices 3 potions of cure light wounds, potion of magic fang
Misc Gear Misc Gear quilted cloak (mwk Stealth tool; 50 gp, 1 lb), healer's kit 10 (50 gp, 1 lb), knitting needles (5 gp), 4 sheets of parchment (8 sp), inkpen (1 sp), 1 oz inkbottle (8 gp), 4 vials (4 gp); flint + steel (1 gp), 20 gp, 1 sp; Light Load (15 lbs; 15-30-40)

----- SPECIAL -----
Wild Mischief/Empathy (Ex) As Bluff or Diplomacy towards animals (or magical beasts with animal intellect, but at -4).

Fey Magic As a feyspeaker, Wisp uses her Charisma score for druid spellcasting. At 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th levels, a feyspeaker adds one enchantment or illusion spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list to her druid spell list as a spell of 1 level higher.

Nature Bond: Druidic Herbalism (Su) Wisp can use combinations of nuts, berries, dried herbs, and other natural ingredients along with appropriate containers to create thick, sludgy poultices that function like potions and oils. This acts like the Brew Potion feat, but only for spells on the druid spell list. Creating a potion takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less, or 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. Wisp can create 2 potions every day without spending resources.

1st level Skill Breakdown: 8 + 1 FCB +2 background
2nd level Skill Breakdown: 8 + 1 FCB +2 background
Artistry: Knitting [X] 1 rank + 2 Int
Bluff [X] 1 rank + 3 Cha + 1 gift of tongues
Climb [X] -1 ACP -2 Str
Craft [X] + 2 Int
Diplomacy [X] 2 rank + 3 Cha + 1 gift of tongues
Disable Device [X] 2 rank + 3 Cha
Disguise [X] + 3 Cha
Fly [X] -1 ACP -2 drawback + 2 size + 1 Dex
Handle Animal [X]
Heal [X] 2 rank + 2 Wis
Linguistics [ ] 1 rank + 2 Int
Knowledge: Religion [ ] 1 rank + 2 Int
Knowledge: Geography [X] 1+1 ranks + 2 Int
Knowledge: Nature [X] 1 rank + 2 Int
Lore: First World [X] 2 rank + 2 Academician + 2 Int
Perception [X] 2 ranks + 2 racial + 2 Wis
Profession [X]
Ride [X] -1 ACP -2 drawback + 1 Dex
Sense Motive [X] 2 ranks + 2 Wis
Stealth [X] 2 rank + 4 size - 1 ACP + 2 tool - 2 drawback + 1 Dex
Survival [X] 2 rank + 2 Wis
Swim [X] -1 ACP -2 drawback -2 Str
Use Magic Device [ ] 1 rank + 3 Cha

Future Progression Notes:
- Level dip in rogue
- Prep shillelagh and CLW poultices, magic fang
- Favorite Spells: Faerie Fire, Magic Fang, CLW, Obscuring Mist, Calm Animals, SNA
- Metamagic feats, Item Creation feats, Spell Focus (conjuration)/Augment Summoning, Improved Familiar
- Purchase thieves' tools
- Bleachlings.
- Green Faith Acolyte?

Wylhia has always been especially close to the First World. As a child raised in the River Kingdoms, her parents unaccounted for and the bandits that "found" her woefully unprepared to raise a young gnome, her best friends were the corn snakes and ground squirrels that riddled the area. She endlessly pestered the bandits for stories of the Endless, sought to befriend fey that had no idea what to make of her. She always dreamed of going to the First World one day, and was hit very hard when someone finally told her the stories of gnomes being exiles from that realm.

The bandits did their best, considering they were deeply amoral people who had almost definitely murdered Wylhia's family prior to "rescuing" her, to raise Wylhia well. They taught her the perils of the forests, though the foxes and rabbits were sometimes better teachers, and did their best to encourage her interests in druidic and arcane traditions. They probably hoped she would grow up to be a member of the crew, in that very well-meaning but ill-directed impulse of guardians trying to guide their children down the same path once walked by the parents.

It was not to be. Wylhia's strange friends and family had protected her for a long time from the dangers of the world, but a gnome takes forty years to grow up, and most of the crew were human or half-orc. Wylhia's guardians aged like mayflies before her eyes. Some retired, but it's not easy to retire from banditry. Many found their rest in other, quicker ways. New bandits joined the crew, and by the time Wylhia reached puberty, only three of her original guardians remained: Most notably, their half-elf leader and a Forlorn elf who was used to watching his human friends wither away. Wylhia seemed to take it all in stride, aside from making much more frequent prayers to Pharasma, but started wandering further and further in her explorations, as if increasingly less comfortable with her changing family.

One day, Wylhia was a little incautious while flirting with a nixie and fell headfirst into the rapids of a fast-flowing river. The gnome youth could not swim with her bad leg, and she screamed for help. Just as she saw the bandits racing towards the river banks, she hit her head on a rock and went unconscious.

When Wylhia awoke, she was lying in a tent, bundled up tight in the much-too-big-for-her quilted cloak the Forlorn elf had always worn. She was camped near the same river, but far, far downriver, in a place she didn't recognize. The elf had saved her, but, he told her, they had gone down too many forks to easily find their way back. He left her there, shivering in his coat, to go and see if he could find help.

Wylhia stayed at the campsite for seven nights. He did not return. A sense of dread began to overtake her the longer she waited. She started to get irrational, paranoid, her sleep filling thick with nightmares about whatever had happened to the elf. Eventually, she packed up what supplies remained and began the journey north—in the opposite direction.

Since then, Wylhia has become a familiar presence in the Stolen Lands, working with bandit crews and legitimate travelers alike as a guide and ambassador to the local fey. She doesn't want to go back. She's afraid of what she'll find, and besides, the bandit crew has no doubt moved on. She supposes she should too. She has bigger problems.

Wylhia began noticing her hair and eyes going paler four years ago. It has only worsened. Nothing she has attempted seems to work, and though the gnome doesn't like to talk about it, she's getting scared. The Bleaching is never supposed to come this early for a gnome, and she doesn't know what she's doing wrong. Perhaps her deeper ties to the First World have come at a cost.

Wylhia is terrified of death. She is terrified of losing people and she is terrified of losing her own life. Her prayers to Pharasma—and sometimes darker deities—only grow more desperate as time goes on. Dread hangs over her as heavy as her cloak, and irrational fear wars with grief for her lost family. Fear has been winning for a long time. She fears the mercurial fey, who might leave her to die as easily as gift her with a flower crown. She fears the Bleaching, that sickness that will tear her mind from her body in time. She fears the nameless evils that lurk in the shadows of the oldest trees and darkest marshes.

And on some level, she even fears those she calls friends, for she knows how violence and cruelty can hide behind smiling faces—one of the many lessons her bandit family did not mean to teach her.

Conveniently, Wisp has quiet spells during which she has trouble saying much. Wisp will aid on any skills that can be used untrained, but rolls Trained-Only skill checks (such as Knowledge: Nature) herself.

In Combat
Wisp avoids entering melee or using up spells whenever possible, but uses her potions and oils much more readily. She tries to stay within 20 feet of allies, ready to administer emergency healing or hide behind a melee fighter. She never risks AoOs if she can help it, nor does she move to expose herself to easily being rushed by an enemy, or willingly stay in melee if she can help it.

Low-Stakes Combat Actions:
- Use an magic oil on a weapon
- Attack with sling, targeting enemies she has a clear shot to
- Create a ghost sound of an owlbear's shriek to pressure enemies to reposition.
- Buff allies with orisons like guidance and virtue.
- Retrieve an item for someone else/Roll an Aid Another.
- Demoralize an enemy (Intimidate +3, or +4 vs. bandits and brigands, but remember size penalties)

High-Stakes Combat Actions (someone's gone down, it's the end of the adventuring day, the enemy seems scary):
- Attack with enchanted sling (+3 with magic stone, 1d6-1 damage, or 2d6 to undead)
- Heal an unconscious ally
- Drag a helpless ally from melee (provided she can do so without taking an AoO)
- Whatever spells she has left
- Summon an eagle (for pure damage), stirge (for annoying) or mite (for vermin wrangling/doom)
- Flank, or aid an ally's attack/AC, fighting defensively (-5 to-hit without buffs, 19 AC)

Retreating:
- Move to a good position and cast obscuring mist so everyone can get away
- Heal an unconscious ally, ideally with cover or concealment
- Drag a helpless ally to someone who can carry them
- If someone picks her up, Wisp will attempt to keep casting spells while being carried
- Surrender (she will try to distract the enemy to allow an ally to escape, hide a weapon, etc, but will do her best to appear fully cooperative)

Skill Usage
Wisp goes quiet sometimes, especially when trapped in her own thoughts and worries, so it's okay for her to not contribute much if I'm not around. She prefers to aid allies' skill checks rather than rolling her own, except when it comes to Knowledge and Spellcraft checks.

Wisp can speak with burrowing animals at-will, and uses this to gather information if her Knowledge skills fall short. She uses Diplomacy instead of Wild Empathy/Mischief whenever possible, activating her speak with animals ability if need be. She will aid on Bluff and Intimidate checks when needed, but she won't tell direct lies.

The Pitax Creek Orphaners were a vicious band that ranged along the Pitax Creek for most of Wisp's childhood—though they did move regularly. Members were distinguished by the water strider tattoos on the backs of their hands. Wisp always wears gloves to hide hers.

A common tactic the Orphaners used would be having someone pretend to be injured or in need of help, usually Moggins (posing as a child) or the charismatic Meerlk, to lure well-meaning travelers into brutal ambushes.

The group had anywhere between 20 and 50 members at its peaks, roughly nine of whom were of the "original band" and thus closest to Wisp. Of the nine, four (humans, a half-orc, an elderly hobgoblin) died while she was a child, including the woman who taught her Druidic. Two retired, and three were still alive and active when she "left".

Meerlk: A CE female half-orc bard with a vicious temper and a fondness for fear effects, Meerlk had a soft spot for Wisp, and was very protective of her—though she also taught Wisp some of the worst lessons Wisp has internalized, like the sense that overt friendliness is a sign that someone's getting ready to attack. Meerlk never got along with the Captain. She retired thirty years ago, and invited Wisp to come with her, but most of Wisp's family was still alive at this time, so Wisp stayed and lost touch with Meerlk.

Meerlk always called people "dear", a habit Wisp has picked up. Wisp has also picked up the habit of calling people "sweetie" when she's getting angry enough to attack.

Kavahd: A CN half-orc barbarian and one of the few non-evil members of the crew, Kavahd was a reportedly an exile, though he never told Wisp what his crime had been (I'm thinking he was either Ulfen or from a relevant region—maybe one in common with a PC if we want to connect backstories). He followed the Green Faith, and liked telling Wisp stories of both his faith and his people, and Wisp still carries a buckler with his symbol on it (one that could be recognized by those who exiled him). He got in a lot of arguments with the Captain, often urging the crew to accept surrenders or leave the poor be. He retired sometime before Wisp's departure, though he left unexpectedly and didn't say goodbye to anyone except the Captain.

Moggins: A LE halfling cutthroat who liked to give Wisp presents, including her beloved kit of knitting and sewing needles. A lot of his gifts came from people he murdered for the Captain. Moggins was easy-going and likable, but Wisp and Moggins were never terribly close. He was still alive when she left.

Lanelu: A NE Forlorn elf ranger from the Mwangi Expanse who advocated for giving Wisp to a local village, Lanelu was a distant figure for much of Wisp's childhood, a detached archer with a casual comfort for killing. He was one of the crew's founding members, along with Taron and Moggins. Because he was always cold, Lanelu wore a heavy blue quilted cloak—supposedly a gift from a dear friend. Wisp wears it now. He and Wisp developed a closer bond as they watched the other bandits age and die.

Taron, "The Captain": A half-elf melee warrior with a knack for dirty tricks and cruel ambushes, the founder of the crew was always nice to Wisp, and liked to call her "the little rag doll". He spoke often of "doing right" by her, and encouraged her druidic explorations. He was very keen that she should grow up to take part in the bandit raids. Taron was a little more vicious than Kavahd was comfortable with, and Meerlk called him "the adder" and less kind nicknames. For Wisp's part, Taron taught her a lot about staying alive in a cruel world, and she looked up to him a lot.

Phraseology to Mind
tiswhatis
Brother Odd-Eyes
"agh", "'tis", "an'"
General malapropisms
Fiddlefiends!
Cut that tree and it bleeds fire!
Urgathoa's rot!

The Witchmarket
Wisp's experiences with the Witchmarket have left an indelible mark on her, to an extent she isn't even fully aware. First introduced (to her knowledge) to the Witchmarket by her old druidic mentor, Wisp as a child seemed to have a special knack for finding the travelers whenever they were in the area. The traders seemed delighted by Wisp, entertaining her with stories and games, teaching her to listen to the voices of solid things. She saw them as delightful aunts and uncles, a whole marketplace of fairy godparents.

Wisp doesn't like to talk about when she stopped going—especially not why. She doesn't actually fully remember. The Witchmarket stopped coming by, maybe. Or maybe her mentor made her stop going. She was young, and the memories are blurred, but a lingering sense of unease hangs over her about it.

Lucky Coincidences
Gnome children are very hard to tell apart for non-gnomes. The bandits found her dressed in pink, so they gave her a girl name and hoped for the best. Gnomes actually usually dress boys in pink. This could have been quite embarrassing, but fortunately, it's turned out Wisp is significantly more comfortable being addressed as a girl. The half-orc healer taught Wisp to shave using the tools of a healer's kit, as well as how to brew a poultice from sylphtear wildflowers that would help correct certain imbalances, and for the most part Wisp just assumes all women have to deal with this. She's actually pretty genderqueer—she likes being a girl, but she also doesn't mind just being called "the gnome".

Lying
Call it some lingering fey bindings. Call it growing up with a family of compulsive liars and cheats. Whatever it is, Wisp has a deep, abiding hatred of lies—it leaves a sour taste on her tongue to speak them and a pealing ringing in her ear to hear them spoken to her. She will never tell a direct lie except in cases of serious danger or crisis (for instance, needing to conceal the secret of a friend, or lie to save her own skin). Bending the truth is fine, and Wisp is pretty good at working out convincing white lies at this point.

Name Origin
Wylhia's fondness for dancing lights, obscuring mist and faerie fire, as well as her elusiveness as a quarry, earned her the title she bears proudly. She actually kind of prefers it as a name. Wylhia was the name of one bandit's pet moth, and while it's quite a pretty name, both bandit and moth are dead now and Wisp feels a little weird about the name.

Skull Helmet
Wisp acquired her giant gecko skull from the beast's corpse, after persuading some scavenging rats to clean it up for her. In part, she wears it to hide her bleaching hair.

Religion
The bandit who taught Wisp Druidic was from the region that used to be called Sarkoris, and was a devout member of the Green Faith. Wisp is a member, too—in good standing, she sourly insists, even though she hasn't developed the unique powers some in the organization possess.

Wisp prays to gods (notably Pharasma, Urgathoa and Lamashtu), but regards them as more like saints—not themselves worthy of devotion, but powerful figures to respect. The Eldest are mighty beings that demand acknowledgement and offerings.

As for the other gods, Wisp sees Erastil as bit of an upstart, a being stubbornly clinging to traditions and morals not even older than the oldest conifers and acting as if they're ancient wisdom. At least Gozreh doesn't tell people what to do. She thinks Gozreh is completely pointless, by the way.

Wisp is diplomatic towards other faiths, but she's actually a much more staunch believer than she lets on. She firmly believes that if any religion should dominate the land, it's the Green Faith.

Languages
Wisp learned Orc, Elven, Hallit and Goblin from her eclectic family, though she's gotten pretty rusty on her Orc lately.

The Bleaching
Wisp's premature Bleaching is one of her greatest challenges—her condition will likely continue to worsen throughout the campaign. At some point, she will be forced to open up to other characters about it, as a growth moment for her. As for what's causing it? There are a few possibilities.

1. Wisp's own emotional repression and crippling terror are making her numb to the kinds of joy and discovery that gnomes need to avoid Bleaching.

2. Wisp's close connection to the First World comes at a cost: She might be a more powerful druid for it, but she's also that much more vulnerable to the drab mundanity of the Material Plane. This is the most high-stakes explanation—it means that there genuinely might be nothing Wisp can do, short of a miracle.

3. There's something specifically wrong with Wisp or the area she's living in that is causing her to "age" faster but cannot be immediately explained.

As for the solution... who's to say? I think there's a "bittersweet" ending for Wisp where she's forced to choose between staying on the Material Plane and accepting a premature death versus going to the First World to escape the Bleaching forever and being separated from her family. Without an arcane caster, we won't have easy access to Plane Shift, so it'll be a more meaningful farewell if that's what ends up happening. Happier endings might be possible, though. A lot depends on her arc.

Confronting Her Past
It would make sense for Wisp to encounter at least some members of the Orphaners. It doesn't have to be a totally tragic arc, but it can't be pure "family reunion", either. Wisp's family was messy, and odds are they're going to be adversaries of the PCs by nature of their line of work.

Maybe some of her family (those that remain) care enough about her to make compromises, truces, alliances, or even to change course or to betray their leader. It's possible that some don't. Captain Taron, in particular, will likely prove an enemy—whether he ever truly cared about Wisp at all, in fact, would be an important question to answer.

I don't think I know the answer, and Wisp definitely doesn't. She genuinely loves the people who raised her, and some or even all of them likely feel the same way about her, and that... might not be enough. No matter what, they're her weak point. Having to admit that they're all kind of bad people will devastate her. Being betrayed by any of them would destroy her. But it certainly makes for fine drama, doesn't it?

Relationships
Wisp is is desperately in need of true friends and companions, of a new family that can show her what family is supposed to feel like, of people she can lean on when she's feeling exhausted.

As for romantic relationships, Wisp hasn't really had time to consider romantic partnerings, but she's by no means aromantic. She's taken companionship once or twice over the last ten years, but never anything serious. She actually doesn't really know a lot about romantic love, and what she does know is tinged with the way the bandits treated each other, married or no. But yes, in general, all kinds of relationships are up for exploration with this character. If she were to form a crush, it would probably fit perfectly well into her character arc.

Overall Character Arc
The truth is, Wisp isn't some ancient faerie or insightful wise soothsayer. She's an adult woman who is fully responsible for her own behavior. She allows herself to act mysterious, or wise, or strange, or ethereal, to mask how her own fears are slowly tearing her apart. Wisp never trusts anyone enough to confide even small secrets in, much less to become deeply attached. Wisp never shows weakness. Wisp never speaks faster than she thinks. Wisp never opens up.

If Wisp is going to have a happy ending, she's going to need to grow a little, Bleaching or no. She'll need to open up, to learn to love and trust again, and probably to actually start examining her childhood more critically and admitting that the bandits made a lot of mistakes with her. She'll probably most to True Neutral or Neutral Good in the process.

Familiar
If Wisp ever gets Improved Fmailiar, I'd want it to track along a "will-o'-wisp" theme—a sinister glowball that feeds on her fear and eggs her on, far from a benevolent force, but something for her to overcome.

High-Level Wisp?
As Wisp grows in power—likely multiclassing into arcanist and mystic theurge—her connection with nature, the First World, and the workings of wild fey magic will only grow deeper. She will become more of a focal point for the First World, and may emerge as a spiritual leader within the new kingdom to give a new home to the Worldwound-scattered Green Faith. Her ruthlessness will make her a terrifying force in the way only a high-level druid can be, and if she has her way, the River Freedoms will ring true throughout the land—for better and for worse.

On the other hand, Wisp's explorations into the magics of the First World will intensify, and may become dangerous, especially as her sense of urgency regarding the Bleaching only grows by the day. Her base of operations will overflow with verdant magics, and as a theurge, I may want her to design a custom "magnificent mansion"-type spell with more of a druidic forest theme. By 17th level, I could see her taking on a superstitious title like "The Mystic Demiurge".

Basically, as her power grows, so too will the danger. Wisp isn't the kind of person to stop halfway. Without friends to pull her back from the brink, she'll probably become the only thing worse than an archmage: an archmage with political capital.

Signy Birkirsdottir
"Agh, Signy's a... a very wild girl. Very wild. Stubborn as a sturgeon an' bold as a badger, an' with not the good sense of either. She knows how to be vicious, an' she's plenty o' wit, plenty of sparkle to her eye, but with nothin' to temper that flame but a drunk god an' far too much sense o' this be right an' this be wrong. I try to tell her: Cut that tree an' it bleeds fire. She means well. Not the best upbringing, maybe."
Signy gets on Wisp's nerves, little as Wisp likes to admit it. Signy is everything Wisp isn't - brave, blunt, boisterous, noble, reckless, and full of righteous certainty. The jaded little gnome would like to style herself something of a guide or guardian, but she's not good at her job.

Brental Fenson
"A good, honorable Oaksteward. I'd be proud to travel alongside him for a ways. He... he sees things I don't, but he needs someone to help steer him in the right direction so he doesn't get into trouble."
Wisp has traveled now and again with Brental, who she's taken to calling "Brother Odd-Eyes"—a reference to his eyes' tendency to change color. She quite likes him, considering him an excellent servant of the Green Faith. She's depended on him a great deal lately, as the more intense and prolonged interactions with people she's endured have made her nonverbal episodes more frequent, more in need of a go-between. She's tried to talk once or twice to his mount, but has trouble understanding the angel-touched beast and is loosely convinced the mammoth hates her, though she can't exactly explain why.

Meneas the Cowl
"The Cowl is grim, bloody an' unyielding, but funny, in a quiet sorta way. Easy on the eyes when the hood comes off. Keeps a lot to himself, doesn't seem to trust easy. He carries the First World with him somehow, but clingin' to him just as tight is some noble scandal, some ugly past that's sent him here to us. He'd make a good bandit, if he'd point his butchery any other direction, but don't tell the devil I said that."
Wisp has never met Meneas before being hired for this job, but she's already a mix of wary and fascinated. His manner has a fey-ness to it that she finds curious, but he strikes her as a professional. She knew the type back in the bandit camp, people who cared little for coin but killed because they were good at it. She's not sure that's Meneas, but, well, those bandits always spooked her a little, so she's reluctant to press him.

Lina
"She's a talker, but I'm still workin' on getting more of an understandin' of what it is she's saying. She's smart in the way mages sometimes are. But I've no notion what it is is her business out here, an' people who talk too much sometimes are tryin' to cover up things they'd as soon not talk about. I wonder if she's Forlorn."
Wisp doesn't know much of Lina just yet, though she's intensely relieved to finally have someone else in the party who likes talking as much as she does. She's very curious about the elf, but not sure how to engage yet. She hasn't traveled with an elf since the bandit camp, and can't stop wondering if Lina might be someone worth getting to know better.

Lorna Medvyed
"I see some... some parasite clinging to her, a thing that oughtn't be. Poor thing. Her family pays as well as any, but... 'tisn't right, anyone being so put upon."
Wisp is likely working for Lorna's family right now, and she's enjoyed Lorna's company. She can tell there's something off about the girl, though. If and when she learns the full extent of the phantom's influence, she'll likely worry about Lorna—both as a potential friend, and as a potential threat. Either way, she's going to try to get close to Lorna and into her confidence.

Wylhia the Wisp
"I'm clever enough to steal the whiskers off Asmodeus's housecat, but not brave enough to ride her. I know how the River Kingdoms work. It might seem cruel, but what 'tis is honest."
Wisp thinks quite highly of herself.

[smaller]Trakas Aeramirdal
"Never trust a thinking sword, dear. They only ever got one thing on their minds."

Natalia Aslanov
"Now there's a friend to the Will of the World if ever I saw one. She an' her guide are a wise sort. I don't especially care for asking advice, but I'd better at least listen if they've any to give."

Thomas Leafbearer
"Hmm. Well... well, a man who believes in what he says is nothing to fear. Iomedae is a well-meaning goddess. Does she have a place in the River Kingdoms? Well, everyone does, I suppose."

Lina
"The elf knows her herbs, I must admit, an' her magic besides. She knows how to have fun. She talks a little fast, though, and that will get her into trouble when she runs into her first fey. I hear she's got girl problems, and, well, can't say I know what to do about those. Love of that kind only leads to hurt and trouble."

Margus Blackfeather
"The Kessler's bird doesn't talk much, does he? I know the type. Tengus are a rough sort—the Orphaners tangled with a few guarding a caravan once. They... don't play with those swords of theirs. I believe I'll be extra nice to him. That oughta really spook him."

Kul'Theraka
"You know, it's... it's a shame, isn't it? Folks from the borderlands, they meet the worst of the River Kingdoms. The Orphaners launched a couple raids on that area from time to time. It's not pretty, but it's the way of the world. I'm no liar, so I... I hope he doesn't ask me."

Lethyr
"He gnaws at himself too much. He would be a fine bandit if he just accepted it as a part of who he is. I don't see what all the fuss is about."

Serena Beaumont
Paladins are good people. Good, kind, stubborn people. Some... some you can deal with. Some know to surrender, to compromise, to back down from fights they can't win. Some don't. I like Serena. She seems to connect with the verdant land closer even than I can. I hope she's the smart kind."

Raevis
"He's awfully good with that delicate little sword of his for a farmer. He's a clever fellow. As long as he isn't clever with me, I like him quite well."

Morof Tarci
"This one is smart the way faeries are smart. Which is to say, if he finds what he seeks, it will tear him to pieces. He seems like a sweet boy. I can do right by him."

Gardolf the Green
"He knows how dangerous the fey can be, and he's a brilliant mind. I hope he doesn't burn too bright for these lands. The River Kingdoms beg a delicate touch, and if there is one word ill-used for Gardolf the Green..."

Orandek Slagboulder
"The poor dear. I'd offer to help with that beard of his, but I don't know if he'll suffer my razor at his neck. I like his singing. That said... well, crushes on fey only end one of two ways."

Karina Zayatevya
"Ah, she's one of the smart paladins. She knows the way the river flows. I fear paladins like her, but I also fear for her. I wish she'd mind her drink better. She's... rough around the edges, but I'm gonna keep her alive. I don't know why she keeps looking at me like that. Why do paladins always look at me like that? What do they see?"

"A sweet young girl. She, um... reminds me a little of myself twenty years ago. I'd better keep her safe as best I can—brains of a bauble in a bottle. Maybe I can show her the way of things around here. Do right by her."
Wisp isn't a great good parental figure, but she thinks she is, and that's what she'll likely try to be for Signy. Wisp thinks Signy is naive and overly rambunctious, and seeks to disillusion Signy of some of her more "childish" notions. She will likely become fairly protective of the girl, assuming Signy doesn't drive her nuts first.