@ElvenAeronwen

Aeronwen Galanodel

 

Age: 105

Race: Wood Elf

Class: Druid

Alignment: Good

Personality: Warm, friendly, curious, hopeful

Home Region: Valara

Powers/Abilities/Skills: Communing with nature, animal telepathy, "wild shape" and other druidic abilities

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Other Associated Regions: None

 

Aeronwen Galanodel (known by the name Wynn as a child) grew up in a small village of druidic wood elves known as the Aimhirghin Order, nestled in the heart of an expansive forest. The village has little contact with the outside world save the trading they take part in with a nearby Raoist monastery, which has helped them keep their rituals and religion untainted for thousands of years. They worship Ehlenestra, goddess of the woodlands, and they hold a deep reverence for the natural world around them, following Ehlenestra’s dogma that states the forest and the life it contains is sacred and not to be stolen or destroyed.

A herd of unicorns coexist peacefully with the village, a partnership where both sides view the other with respect and compassion. Unicorns are intrinsic to the belief system of the druids, and are in fact, a part of their spiritual beliefs about reincarnation.

Her mother, Ru’n, was the Archdruid of the village until Aeronwen was six. Ru’n received a vision from Ehlenestra that an evil force of necromancers was encroaching on their land, so she left with a battalion of unicorns to fight them and keep their home safe. She was the only casualty of the battle, but because of her heroism the evil was kept at bay. Being that she was the only elf present, the whole story of what took place is not known to the rest of the elves, just that she died a hero and that the evil was thwarted because of her bravery. Her ashes were scattered to the winds, and her name is carved in Elvish on a stone in the gardens. What really happened remains in the memory of the unicorns that fought with her. Her father Aureum took her place as Archdruid, and times since then have been largely peaceful.

Aeronwen was an adventurer at heart, and while she loved learning about the flora and fauna of the forest from her elders, she spent most of her time as an explorer- scaling massive trees, collecting herbs and mushrooms, tracking massive beasts, and exploring new areas. She was free to do all of this, with only one rule- not to enter into what was called the marbhlands- the “land of death”. This area was off limits not just for children but adults alike, for it held (and still holds to this day) a power of evil so intense it was palpable in the air around it.

Wanting to both prove herself as a true explorer and see for herself what went on there, she traveled to the marbhlands alone, the first elf of the order to ever do so. She could sense a danger in the area, but she didn’t stop, travelling deeper and deeper. With each step, the fertile ground became more ashen, and the trees barren of leaves. She came upon an ancient circular building made from large stones, with massive pillars supporting its weight. She entered into a small room, inside there was nothing but a pedestal and a stone dragon sculpture with five gems arranged in a circle between the eyes. She reached forward to touch the dragon’s snout, and the moment her hand touched stone there was a flash of smokey black, a burst of energy, and she was flung across the room, a black crescent now burned into her palm.

She had entered unholy ground, the land of dragonborn cultists worshipping the evil Dragon Queen (known as Takhisis to most non-elves), and she had exacted her wrath on Aeronwen for trespassing.

The all-seeing Ehlenestra saw that this had happened and called upon Alia, one of the matriarch unicorns in the herd, to go rescue Aeronwen, whose life force was slowly fading with every second she remained on the Dragon Queen’s land. Alia came to Aeronwen moments before it was too late, lifting her onto her back and using the healing power of her horn to keep her alive while she rushed her to help, taking her to the Raoist monastery as Ehlenestra had commanded. 

The monastery's elders rushed to her aid, trying to reverse the dark curse and heal her. The curse was a powerful one, and it took much effort, but the monks were able to reverse most of the damage. They however were not able to lift it fully, and her right hand still bears the black crescent mark, a reminder of the day the Dragon Queen nearly took her life. She always keeps it wrapped in strips of linen cloth. It is where the curse is centralized, and because of this, her palm reacts violently to contact with anything holy or demonic. Her curse is a tightly kept secret- she fears what others may say if they ever found out about the dark magic trapped in her palm.

Unable to run freely through the forest like she used to, Aeronwen began to study herbalism, healing, and the religion and culture of her storied people. She also spent time at the monastery, learning about their own culture and belief system, and sometimes joining in their daily prayers. With her own people, she would often play the panflute during their rituals and celebrations. 

Aeronwen became increasingly close to Alia. Because she struggled to walk for long distances, Alia would often let her ride on her back as they traveled through the forest, and they spent a lot of time together gathering herbs and berries for various remedies and potions. She always accompanied Aeronwen to the monastery as she wouldn’t be able to make the trip alone. When Alia gave birth to a foal, it was Aeronwen who named her- Rozenwyn, meaning “shining rose.” Aeronwen helped care for Rozenwyn until she was grown, and at that point, they became soulbound. Aeronwen is rarely seen without one of them by her side.

When Aeronwen entered adulthood, she changed her name (as is customary) from Wynn to Aeronwen, which means “fair” and “blessed.” This was her way of saying that the curse that the Dragon Queen had placed on her hadn’t damaged her in the way that it had been intended. She wouldn't allow that evil to control her life, and instead focuses on everything she has been given. Her druidic powers are rapidly growing as she continues to hone them, with the ability to grow plants on a whim and take the "wild shape" of various animals. She tends to focus on healing and aiding abilities instead of aggressive or destructive ones.