Here is a cool picture. I thought she would make a good backup character
I am imagining her as hating towns and cities and anywhere made of stone or bricks or built up enclosed places. She loves the rolling planes, the soft meadows and deep forests. She adores the wild nature of the world and the wide open sky. She also hates wearing shoes or any kind of footwear and will take them off at every opportunity.
She swears that wearing shoes cuts her off from the living energy of the world. Whether or not this is true she believes it to be so and she is perfectly happy to walk around barefoot like some kind of urchin and doesn't really care that most people think she's strange because she carries her shoes around with her instead of wearing them.
She also makes friends with animals really easily - they just seem drawn to her, and even wild beasts seem tame in her hands. They bring her food and she talks to them like old friends, and they even fight for her if she calls upon them.
So along with the picture and that little bit of description, that's all I have for now, but I am going to be working on her when I get the time, so do you have any thoughts and opinions on how I can make this character based upon the image and the little concept I have?
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
So either druid or ranger jump out as obvious choices immediately. However I'm thinking wood half elf(probably take mask of the wild feature for connection to the wilds) rogue leaning towards scout. Custom background Apothecary apprentice with animal handling knowledge nature(or something else since you get that at rogue 3) and alchemist tools. That gives the connection to nature, love of animals and reason to grow up avoiding large settlements.
Looks a little Alice in Wonderland to me, so while it sounds like you're describing a druid, you could also go Archfey warlock (wonderland always seemed a little feywild to me)
You're basically describing the archetypical flower-child druid. A happy, largely peaceful sort with a connection to the land, an aversion to civilization, and a friendship with all (natural) living things.
Circle of the Land druid, with her Circle chosen by where she grew up, would accomplish her connection with 'the energy of the land'. Druids are more meditative and less shoot-it-with-death than rangers are, though ranger could potentially work. Alternatively, Nature Domain clerics are a thing, and they explicitly have the ability to divinely charm critters as well as a bunch of Critter Friend domain spells. Nature clerics are...not awesome mechanically, but it could potentially fit the narrative if Flower Child, perhaps, has an imaginary friend she's always talked to that she doesn't realize is actually the Wildmother or such. I'd still likely go with druid, but if you prefer she not be able to transform into smol floofy critters of the forests herself, Nature cleric is kinda druidesque (and without the metal armor restrictions, to boot - heavy armor, huzzah!)
The picture is of Generic Cute Anime Girl, but you could reflavor it as a forest gnome. Forest gnomes get Speak with Small Beasts, which allows you to communicate simple ideas to smol floofy critters of the forests and accomplish the whole Animal Friend thing without having to cast spells or use Channel Divinities for it, as well as the ability to Minor Illusion yourself some big rocks, tree stumps, or other things to hide behind/inside when the fighting starts.
Outlander is the classic raised-by-wolves background, but seems a bit savage-hunter for someone who doesn't fight or hunt herself. Inheritor could be good, and also a way to actually hook Flower Child into the adventure - you've spent your life happily dryad-ing your way through the forests, but you must've had a family at some point and perhaps they left an important task to you. Something Flower Child would feel like she had to do even if it meant leaving the forests behind for a while and spending time in stinking, noisy towns and cities - or wearing shoes. Remember - as lovey and peaceful as she looks, she's gonna have to get down in the trenches and kill demons with the rest of the party, so figuring out a hook that'd get her on board with doing that is just as important as figuring out the best way to make buddies with squirrels.
I'd also suggest a Forest Gnome Druid, but I'm going to go with Circle of the Shepherd, so you're all about calling in friends for help. I think the Hermit Background might work for this character.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Of course there is nothing in either the picture, nor your character description that would preclude just about any Druid, Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer, Monk, or maybe even an Oath of Redemption Paladin. I think as long as you go Forest Gnome you could even go for just about any background too. Just because she hates wearing shoes doesn’t me she wasn’t raised as a wealthy urban debutant.
Of course there is nothing in either the picture, nor your character description that would preclude just about any Druid, Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer, Monk, or maybe even an Oath of Redemption Paladin. I think as long as you go Forest Gnome you could also go for just about any background too. Just because she hates wearing shoes doesn’t me she wasn’t raised as a wealthy urban debutant.
Interesting. What if a wealthy, noble aristocrat (possibly even a Prince) fell under the spell of an Archfey, who gave birth to his child. Somehow (haven't worked out how yet) he was able to free himself from the spell she had cast on him, and then took the child and returned home with her, intent on raising her as a human.
So that the child would never know where she came from, the father never spoke to her of her mother or the life he had lived with her. Unbeknownst to the father though, the child's mother continued to visit her in secret. She was telling her stories of the Fey and as the child got older, taking her on excursions into the Feywild and giving her gifts, like the ability to converse with animals and plants, to make friends with the wild creatures of the world and so on.
As the years passed, the child grew up having developed a deep spiritual connection with nature and the outdoors. Her Fey ancestry began to show itself in her capriciousness and whimsical obsessions - such as not wearing shoes, and the carefree way in which she lived her life. Despite this, her beauty was unmistakable, however, and she had many suitors attempt to court her.
She turned all of them down though because she had no interest in these pampered boys of privilege, whose families cut down the forests and ploughed up the land and hunted and killed the creatures that she loved so much.
Eventually, all the suitors and her father's instance that that must marry and the closeted life that she was forced to live, trapped in a filth-ridden city of stone became too much her, and she ran away.
She had intended on finding the place where she had crossed over into the Feywild as a child, and going to live with her mother. She had not seen her mother since her 16th birthday, however, and when she reached the spot where she though the crossing used to be, she found the way closed.
She searched around for the crossing, growing ever more desperate and frantic - if she couldn't find the way, she would have to go back to her father, and she would rather die than go back there because living in that place, hemmed in by stone walls. Pursued by monstrous men whose sunken eyes craved her flesh with a vile hunger, and surrounded by corruption and disease that seemed to flow through that city like a river of pungent filth - was to her, a fate far worse than death.
She used the gifts that her mother had given to ask the trees and the creatures they way, but they could not - or would not tell her.
Eventually, starving of hunger and dying of thirst, she stumbled into a clearing. All that remained of the grove that had once, long ago been the site of a sacred place; where her father's people had worshipped Eldath before greed and desire and the words of an inhuman tongue had twisted them, turning them from the right path with promises of power and glory and riches beyond all the dreams of avarice.
Too weak to go any further, the girl collapsed. There she was found by an Elf. A young Wood Elf Druid, to be precise and it was well for her that she was, because that young Druid, who was just on the cusp of taking her adult name, ultimately saved girls life.
The young Elf brought the girl water from the sacred pool. Eldath had blessed the water in that pool, long ago when it had been almost a lake, now it was far less grand, but the healing magic had remained, and as the girl drank, she felt her spirit calmed, her wounds healed and her life restored to her.
Seeing that the girl was out of danger and not wanting to linger too long, lest the humans came looking for her, the young Druid transformed herself into a wolf and disappeared into the trees.
The day turned to night and the night into day. Three times this happened, and still, the girl remained. This clearing might not have been the girl's intended destination, but as she was unable to find the way, here would do. She could feel the magic that still lingered in the earth and the trees and the animals which brought her acorns and berries and fruits. She played with them, and they amused her, showing off their skills - how fast they could climb a tree, how sweet their singing was, how high they could jump.
Hidden by the trees, the young Elf watched the girl with growing confusion. Her people had these gifts, and she had heard of other races who possessed them, forest gnomes and the likes but never had she heard of, let alone seen a human like this. Humans lived in great cities of brick and stone, ploughed the land and raided the forest, cutting down trees with reckless abandon to make their farms and feed their ever-increasing numbers. Humans did not care about nature; humans spread destruction and disease; they did not play with small animals; they trapped them in cages, killed and abused them for their sick and twisted games.
The people and the animals of the forest had long ago learned to hide from humans. So why? Why was this human so different? She did not know, but she intended to find out. Returning to her village, she set about asking the elders to tell her stories of the humans. She listened to them intently and asked to hear them again and again.
Eventually, one of the elders, an Archdruid, considered to the protector of the forest and its inhabitants became suspicious and questioned the young Elf about her sudden interest the humans. At first, she did not say and tried to pass it off as nothing more than academic curiosity, but elder could tell she was holding something back. She questioned her young charge over and over until finally, she revealed the truth about her sudden interest.
Having just become aware that a young human girl had taken up residence in the forest, the elder instructed her charge to show her where the human was.
As they entered the clearing, the girl recognised the young Elf as being the one who had helped her and rushed over to give her thanks, which the Elf awkwardly accepted before introducing the elder. Realising that she didn't have anything to offer guests, the girl became apologetic, but the elder brushed it off, telling her not to worry as they had only come to talk, and calling up roots and fashioning then into seats, before asking if they might sit down.
Once seated, the elder began asking the girl questions. What her name was, who her parents were and where she came from, and why she was here. The girl answered honestly and told the story that had brought her to the clearing. Though she left out the fact that her birth mother was an Archfey, speaking only of her stepmother.
The elder listened, and when the girl had finished, stared at her for a good long while, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. There was something about this girl that did not make sense. The elder could sense her Fey presence, though she was not a Fey, nor was she an Elf, and she certainly didn't seem to be a Warlock.
Intrigued by the girl, the elder eventually stood up and announced that she had come to a decision. "You can stay," she said, "and Aelena here will be your teacher."
The young Elf tried to protest, but the Elder only smiled. "You're curious about humans are not?" She replied to the Elf's protests. "Then teach her our ways, and you will find all the answers that you seek."
"Is that an order?" Aelena groned, but the elder only smiled again and disappeared in a wif of cloud, leaving the young Elf and the young Human girl alone together.
The girl's father was now growing increasingly impatient with the ineptness if his men. He had sent out riders to find his daughter and bring her back. Trackers had followed the girl to the forest, but no matter how hard they searched, they could not find her. The forest seemed to move and change almost at will. Paths that were once open suddenly became closed or changed direction to lead them into an ambush from which they never returned.
No matter how many men were sent to find the girl, the forest swallowed them all.
Eventually, the girl's father could no longer afford the expense, and his enemies were using this time to plot and move against him. He had to defend his position at home, and so he abandoned the search daughter.
The year's passed and although their relationship was difficult at first, Amelia and Aelena became great friends. When Amelia finally emerged from the forest, she did so as a fully realised Circle of the Land Druid, with her friend and companion at her side.
So, I know this story needs a lot more work, but this is what your post and others have made me imagine.
Curious what you guys think about this and how I could execute this story idea.
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
Nice story, that's a lot more effort into a backstory than a lot of players will do.
Easy option would be to racially to have the stat bumps and abilities of a wood elf or forest gnome but have the size/speed and physical appearance of a human that handles the fey aspect without having to do a lot of reworking, reading through the story it would appear the mother was some form of dryad so you could also have her as an eladrin for stats/abilities.
I made a homebrew Feyling race which was a fey version of the teifling, so if you like it and your DM is willing feel free to use it, this is not on D&DB as it was far to complicated to put the various versions on it):
Feylling
Ability Score Increases: You gain +1 Dex and +2 Cha. Darkvision: 60ft. Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, Elf and Sylvan. Fey Legacy: You have Fey Ancestry and the Trance abilities of an Elf. Fey Heritage: At 1st, 3rd & 5th level you gain some special abilities and a physical change to your appearance based on your Fey ancestor.
If you had the Dryad ancestor you got:
Physical change: You skin takes on a bark like texture and you have leaves growing in your hair. At 1st level you learn the Cantrip Druidcraft and can cast it at will. Charisma is your spell casting ability score for this. You can also Speak with Beasts and Plants and can communicate with Beasts and Plants as if you shared a language. At 3rd level you also learn the ability to cast Entangle and Goodberry once per long rest. Charisma is your spell casting ability score for this. At 5th level you gain the ability to cast Barkskin and Pass Without Trace once per long rest. Charisma is your spell casting ability score for these spells.
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
Think no one mentioned nature cleric yet? Druid is the most obvious one. It's also how you kind of described her, but nature cleric or even oath of ancients (dex maybe for her) paladin might work.
I've been thinking about this character more and my further thoughts that she is a legitimate excuse to use a Variant Human.
I think that her racial bonuses would go into DEX and CHA so that she would start with a 16 DEX and 14 CHA (14 and 15 not being much different.) Allowing me to put a 14 into WIS (spellcasting) and a 13 into CON, and then using the rest of my points to balance her out.
With that 14 in CHA, she is a pretty charismatic Druid, and this is sort of how I imagined her. Her beauty and charm come from her charisma, coupled with her physical beauty and her "Fey Presence.". She is almost like Tolkien's idea of the High Elves - possessed by an unearthly beauty that charms all around her and does not belong in the world of men.
Which feat would you recommend? I was thinking of taking Magic Initiate: Druid. With, Speak With Animals or Beat Bond, Druidcraft and Thorn whip.
However, I want to have a "Fey Presence" as well, which I can not get unless I go Warlock. So if I gave her the stats for a Druid, but took Warlock of the Archfey, as my first level, to get Fey Presence, and then went Druid from level 2, would this be detrimental to the character?
With her stats the way I have just discussed earlier, Warlock should still be a functional class for her. Though I only want to take that class for the Fey Presence, I can get from having an Archfey Patron and any plant/animal/nature/illusion related spells that I can get at first level.
An Archfey patron would work with her story as well, as it was from mother (an Archfey) that she received her Fey Presence, the majority of her beauty and her ability to speak with plants and animals.
Though her 1 level of Warlock, would largely be glossed over and explained her story as her mother gave her gifts, to help her navigate the world as both a Human and Fey.
Doing this would mean I wouldn't be able to take Druid until the second level, meaning I wouldn't get to choose my circle until 4th and might even miss out on an early ASI.
I don't know what to do here, to be honest. I want the Fey Presence as she is supposed to be half Fey, though in terms of the mechanical aspects (since there is no half Fey race) I thought the best thing to do, would be to use her Human half for the mechanics of the game and her Fey half for the story aspect.
So what do you guys think? Do you have any recommendations for how to best make my character's story, fit with the mechanics of the game?
You link a lot of Elvish trademarks to her and you want feylinked mechanics so honestly, make her an elf. Grabbing Eladrin would give you some charisma if you want that or Aerenal or Wood elf for wisdom and some extra fey stuff.If you really want the Half-Fey as a race. Grab Half elf. Elves used to be indicated as Fey creatures in previous editions, I think they got rid of it to simplify interactions with certain spells (eg. hold person). Their background is still feyish though so a Half Elf is a half Fey. Maximize the fey bit by grabbing the variant Half-Wood Elf I presume.
The dexterity gained from elf would not be a waste if your grabbing a Land Circle as it will regularly contribute to initiative and AC for you.
Indeed grabbing the lvl of Warlock purely for Fey things will set you back a lvl on important Druid features. And I think it's kind of weird to grab a Warlock lvl and kind of glossing over the fact that some sort of pact is included in this class, known or unknown to the Warlock.
If you want some fey-ish things that come from a bloodline that acutally sounds more like a sorcerer to me...
On a completely different sidenote: don't forget that Gnomes are Fey related as well, they don't have any traits for it anymore, but they are. I could see this girl be a Forest Gnome for some reason :D. They do get the minor illusion cantrip though, which fulfills one of your Fey-like boxes as well.
You link a lot of Elvish trademarks to her and you want feylinked mechanics so honestly, make her an elf. Grabbing Eladrin would give you some charisma if you want that or Aerenal or Wood elf for wisdom and some extra fey stuff.If you really want the Half-Fey as a race. Grab Half elf. Elves used to be indicated as Fey creatures in previous editions, I think they got rid of it to simplify interactions with certain spells (eg. hold person). Their background is still feyish though so a Half Elf is a half Fey. Maximize the fey bit by grabbing the variant Half-Wood Elf I presume.
The dexterity gained from elf would not be a waste if your grabbing a Land Circle as it will regularly contribute to initiative and AC for you.
Indeed grabbing the lvl of Warlock purely for Fey things will set you back a lvl on important Druid features. And I think it's kind of weird to grab a Warlock lvl and kind of glossing over the fact that some sort of pact is included in this class, known or unknown to the Warlock.
If you want some fey-ish things that come from a bloodline that acutally sounds more like a sorcerer to me...
On a completely different sidenote: don't forget that Gnomes are Fey related as well, they don't have any traits for it anymore, but they are. I could see this girl be a Forest Gnome for some reason :D. They do get the minor illusion cantrip though, which fulfills one of your Fey-like boxes as well.
I did consider Forest Gnome to be honest, but I wanted her to grow up in a city of Humans and be related to Humans who once worshipped Eldath. I am not sure where that would go storywise, but I saw it as being a big thing for her character. She runs away and tries to find her way into the Feywild to live with her mother. However; instead of finding the way into the Feywild, she finds a clearing that was once part of a much larger sacred place, where her Human ancestors worshipped Eldath.
Although I have not explicitly stated it, I thought that her Human ancestors were once part of the forest, as the Wood Elves are. They lived very natural lives and often became Druids. Worshipping Eldath; Goddess of serenity, comfort, and healing and not beliving in violence, unless in defence of their home or their kin.
At some point, though, this tribe of Humans were corrupted and turned towards the left path. Leaving the forest, they built a great city of stone and brick on a vast open plane. I have tried to paint this city as some layer of Hell, with corruption and disease flowing through that city like a river of pungent filth. Reminiscent of the way the River Styx flows through the Hells and into the Abyss, corrupting everything it touches in the process.
Secure behind their high walls, and under the direction of an inhuman tongue, the once peaceful Humans began to multiply, with each generation becoming more monstrous than the last. Eventually, even their great city was not enough for them, and they started to spread out. Building farms and founding settlements and driving back nature as they did so. They swept across the plane like a great flood, held back only by the Dwarves and Giants who live in the high mountains and the Elves who lived in the forest and the low valleys.
As a consort of an Archfey, the characters father lived in the Feywild. When he eventually returned home; he found that a significant number of years had passed and his people were no longer what they once were. He tried to put things right but was himself swallowed up by corruption and vice. To put right what had gone wrong, he needed power, and so he set about reclaiming his birthright. That was his biggest mistake because power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the hearts and minds of men can be led astray all too easily.
I envisioned the character growing up in this place - a great city easily described as "Hell on Earth" - or Toril in this case. Thanks to her Fey ancestry, the character was able to resit. She resisted the rot and corruption for all 18 years of her life until it finally became too much for her to bear, and she ran away.
The rest of the story is the story of the character that I have already discussed above.
With all this mind and taking into consideration, the characters own backstory; it makes much more sense that she be a Human, than a Forest Gnome. Though I am wondering now if I could make the character a Wood Elf or Eladrin mechanically, but play them as a Human Druid.
I will have to consider this more.
You guys are helping me come up with an excellent character by asking me the big questions and pointing things out that I might have missed. So thank you for that and feel free to continue to do so.
XD
Foxes.
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
Honestly, talk to your DM about it? Most Dms don't have an issue with simple reskins. Maybe an understanding might be made. You get all the fey stuff, but maybe not darkvision or such. And as I said, Half Wood Elf is a legitimate option. Kind of gives you half of each.
'Fey presence' could also simply be a Charm Person spell, reskinned to be half-reflexive for her. Taking a level of warlock for one ornery class feature seems counterproductive, especially since you're not interested in any of the actual warlock mechanics.
Depending on how strictly your DM adheres to RAW, you could also take variant human, then request the Fey Presence ability from the Feylock as your Variant Human Starter Bonus Feat. Give up taking an actual feat and get the ability you want instead, especially as said ability is quite useful but only in somewhat narrow situations.
I would also advise rechecking her ancestry, however. If you're looking to really play up the fey-blooded gal raised by nasty disgusting humans, then half-elf or even fullblooded elf would make more sense, as the character ended up rejecting her human heritage and seeking instruction and asylum in the Feywild (even if she detoured into a druidic order, instead). It would make a lot of sense for her to've focused on and drawn out her more elven characteristics, especially as she was training with the druids. That would give you the more fey-like appeal you're looking for, and half-elves especially grant a fat Charisma bonus as well as two swingable stats, plus actual 'Fey Ancestry'. No free feat, but it sounds like a better fit either way for a charismatic fey girl trying to stick it to The Man(kind).
I am continuing further with this character, and there are two things that I am struggling to answer
1. Her reason for leaving the forest and becoming an adventurer
2. Why her teacher, friend and companion would go with her.
She is happy in the forest, has made a home for herself there and has settled down, became a Druid and made a life for herself with the elves, and as she has lived with them long enough to become a full-blown Druid, she is welcome amongst them. Has proven herself to them, and lives amongst them as one of them.
So why would she not just remain in the forest and live the life that she has worked so hard to build for herself?
I am struggling to answer that, and it makes even less sense for Aelena to leave the forest as she has never been beyond its borders, and except for Amelia, Aelena doesn't trust humans all that much. Even though she has become great friends with Amelia and also come to trust Amelia implicitly, Aelena still doesn't believe that the humans can ever truly change though I would say that having Amelia teach her about humans over several years has somewhat lessoned her fear of them and increased her curiosity.
Still, though, I am struggling with why the character would choose to leave the forest after she had spent years building her life there, and I am especially struggling with Aelena's reasons for going with her.
I had thought that maybe Amelia and Aelena had become more than just friends and that Aelena goes with Amelia when she leaves the forest because she loves her and doesn't want to be left behind.
But do elves love in that sense? Also, the kind of love and trust that Aelena has for Amelia doesn't fit with her belief that humans won't ever change. Though perhaps she no longer sees Amelia as human.
As Amelia has abandoned her human heritage in favour of her fey ancestry, perhaps Aelena has come to see Amelia as an elf rather than a human.
Man, this character is proving hard. She is perhaps the second hardest character that I have ever created
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A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
That depends entirely on what adventure you're trying to hook her into.
One option that could probably blend into most adventuring groups is that a dangerous creature the druidic order had been keeping tabs on up and decided to leave the forest, fleeing into the lands beyond the order's reach. Amelia, having been 'raised by humans' the way humans think of being Raised By Wolves, is deemed the most likely to be able to find help and track this critter down in the lands beyond the forest - that and the druid elder quietly thinks this would be a good rite of passage for the young protege, one final test to see if she remains true to her learning even while sent back into the Human Lands and their endless convenient temptations.
Adventure hook for the group is, thusly, that Amelia is looking for new friends who will help her take on a task she knows is a bit too big for herself, and she's willing to help them so long as they, eventually, help her back.
Aelena could accompany her because she's a peaceful tree-huggin' hippie being sent to chase down a monster and secret test of character or not, the elder would prefer she not die doing it. provided anyone goes at all. How are you handling this second character? Is Aelena being played by someone else, or are you hoping the DM takes her on as a party NPC? If the latter, how do you intend to handle the fact that Aelena is assumed to be just as powerful, if not more so, than Amelia?
That depends entirely on what adventure you're trying to hook her into.
One option that could probably blend into most adventuring groups is that a dangerous creature the druidic order had been keeping tabs on up and decided to leave the forest, fleeing into the lands beyond the order's reach. Amelia, having been 'raised by humans' the way humans think of being Raised By Wolves, is deemed the most likely to be able to find help and track this critter down in the lands beyond the forest - that and the druid elder quietly thinks this would be a good rite of passage for the young protege, one final test to see if she remains true to her learning even while sent back into the Human Lands and their endless convenient temptations.
Adventure hook for the group is, thusly, that Amelia is looking for new friends who will help her take on a task she knows is a bit too big for herself, and she's willing to help them so long as they, eventually, help her back.
Aelena could accompany her because she's a peaceful tree-huggin' hippie being sent to chase down a monster and secret test of character or not, the elder would prefer she not die doing it. provided anyone goes at all. How are you handling this second character? Is Aelena being played by someone else, or are you hoping the DM takes her on as a party NPC? If the latter, how do you intend to handle the fact that Aelena is assumed to be just as powerful, if not more so, than Amelia?
Aelena is going to be played by another player. Unfortunately, the player is not able to there very often, and so she has told me that I can just create Aelena to fit with my character. The DM will play her when she is not able to be there and when she is there, she will play Aelena. She is fine with playing my characters ally because she can't be at the sessions all that often and just wants to enjoy playing in the story when she can make it.
I like your idea of the Elder asking Aelena to go along with Amelia but just as a companion. Someone who can say whether or not Amelia completes her task. Also; somebody who can act as Amelia's conscience, if the temptations of the outside world prove too much. The Elder could have even told Aelena that this is Amelia's test, that she needs to pass or fail on her own, so Alena is forbidden from interfering unless there is no other choice.
That would explain why a Druid, powerful enough to be Amelia's teacher follows her around as a party NPC (most of the time) but doesn't really fight and mostly acts as Amelia's friend, companion and mentor.
That seems like a nice easy way to explain Aelena actually.
Here is a cool picture. I thought she would make a good backup character
I am imagining her as hating towns and cities and anywhere made of stone or bricks or built up enclosed places. She loves the rolling planes, the soft meadows and deep forests. She adores the wild nature of the world and the wide open sky. She also hates wearing shoes or any kind of footwear and will take them off at every opportunity.
She swears that wearing shoes cuts her off from the living energy of the world. Whether or not this is true she believes it to be so and she is perfectly happy to walk around barefoot like some kind of urchin and doesn't really care that most people think she's strange because she carries her shoes around with her instead of wearing them.
She also makes friends with animals really easily - they just seem drawn to her, and even wild beasts seem tame in her hands. They bring her food and she talks to them like old friends, and they even fight for her if she calls upon them.
So along with the picture and that little bit of description, that's all I have for now, but I am going to be working on her when I get the time, so do you have any thoughts and opinions on how I can make this character based upon the image and the little concept I have?
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
So either druid or ranger jump out as obvious choices immediately. However I'm thinking wood half elf(probably take mask of the wild feature for connection to the wilds) rogue leaning towards scout. Custom background Apothecary apprentice with animal handling knowledge nature(or something else since you get that at rogue 3) and alchemist tools. That gives the connection to nature, love of animals and reason to grow up avoiding large settlements.
Looks a little Alice in Wonderland to me, so while it sounds like you're describing a druid, you could also go Archfey warlock (wonderland always seemed a little feywild to me)
You're basically describing the archetypical flower-child druid. A happy, largely peaceful sort with a connection to the land, an aversion to civilization, and a friendship with all (natural) living things.
Circle of the Land druid, with her Circle chosen by where she grew up, would accomplish her connection with 'the energy of the land'. Druids are more meditative and less shoot-it-with-death than rangers are, though ranger could potentially work. Alternatively, Nature Domain clerics are a thing, and they explicitly have the ability to divinely charm critters as well as a bunch of Critter Friend domain spells. Nature clerics are...not awesome mechanically, but it could potentially fit the narrative if Flower Child, perhaps, has an imaginary friend she's always talked to that she doesn't realize is actually the Wildmother or such. I'd still likely go with druid, but if you prefer she not be able to transform into smol floofy critters of the forests herself, Nature cleric is kinda druidesque (and without the metal armor restrictions, to boot - heavy armor, huzzah!)
The picture is of Generic Cute Anime Girl, but you could reflavor it as a forest gnome. Forest gnomes get Speak with Small Beasts, which allows you to communicate simple ideas to smol floofy critters of the forests and accomplish the whole Animal Friend thing without having to cast spells or use Channel Divinities for it, as well as the ability to Minor Illusion yourself some big rocks, tree stumps, or other things to hide behind/inside when the fighting starts.
Outlander is the classic raised-by-wolves background, but seems a bit savage-hunter for someone who doesn't fight or hunt herself. Inheritor could be good, and also a way to actually hook Flower Child into the adventure - you've spent your life happily dryad-ing your way through the forests, but you must've had a family at some point and perhaps they left an important task to you. Something Flower Child would feel like she had to do even if it meant leaving the forests behind for a while and spending time in stinking, noisy towns and cities - or wearing shoes. Remember - as lovey and peaceful as she looks, she's gonna have to get down in the trenches and kill demons with the rest of the party, so figuring out a hook that'd get her on board with doing that is just as important as figuring out the best way to make buddies with squirrels.
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I'd also suggest a Forest Gnome Druid, but I'm going to go with Circle of the Shepherd, so you're all about calling in friends for help. I think the Hermit Background might work for this character.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I’m thinking a Forest Gnome (or maybe a Halfling?) as a Pact of the Chain Archfae Warlock.
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Of course there is nothing in either the picture, nor your character description that would preclude just about any Druid, Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer, Monk, or maybe even an Oath of Redemption Paladin. I think as long as you go Forest Gnome you could even go for just about any background too. Just because she hates wearing shoes doesn’t me she wasn’t raised as a wealthy urban debutant.
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Interesting. What if a wealthy, noble aristocrat (possibly even a Prince) fell under the spell of an Archfey, who gave birth to his child. Somehow (haven't worked out how yet) he was able to free himself from the spell she had cast on him, and then took the child and returned home with her, intent on raising her as a human.
So that the child would never know where she came from, the father never spoke to her of her mother or the life he had lived with her. Unbeknownst to the father though, the child's mother continued to visit her in secret. She was telling her stories of the Fey and as the child got older, taking her on excursions into the Feywild and giving her gifts, like the ability to converse with animals and plants, to make friends with the wild creatures of the world and so on.
As the years passed, the child grew up having developed a deep spiritual connection with nature and the outdoors. Her Fey ancestry began to show itself in her capriciousness and whimsical obsessions - such as not wearing shoes, and the carefree way in which she lived her life. Despite this, her beauty was unmistakable, however, and she had many suitors attempt to court her.
She turned all of them down though because she had no interest in these pampered boys of privilege, whose families cut down the forests and ploughed up the land and hunted and killed the creatures that she loved so much.
Eventually, all the suitors and her father's instance that that must marry and the closeted life that she was forced to live, trapped in a filth-ridden city of stone became too much her, and she ran away.
She had intended on finding the place where she had crossed over into the Feywild as a child, and going to live with her mother. She had not seen her mother since her 16th birthday, however, and when she reached the spot where she though the crossing used to be, she found the way closed.
She searched around for the crossing, growing ever more desperate and frantic - if she couldn't find the way, she would have to go back to her father, and she would rather die than go back there because living in that place, hemmed in by stone walls. Pursued by monstrous men whose sunken eyes craved her flesh with a vile hunger, and surrounded by corruption and disease that seemed to flow through that city like a river of pungent filth - was to her, a fate far worse than death.
She used the gifts that her mother had given to ask the trees and the creatures they way, but they could not - or would not tell her.
Eventually, starving of hunger and dying of thirst, she stumbled into a clearing. All that remained of the grove that had once, long ago been the site of a sacred place; where her father's people had worshipped Eldath before greed and desire and the words of an inhuman tongue had twisted them, turning them from the right path with promises of power and glory and riches beyond all the dreams of avarice.
Too weak to go any further, the girl collapsed. There she was found by an Elf. A young Wood Elf Druid, to be precise and it was well for her that she was, because that young Druid, who was just on the cusp of taking her adult name, ultimately saved girls life.
The young Elf brought the girl water from the sacred pool. Eldath had blessed the water in that pool, long ago when it had been almost a lake, now it was far less grand, but the healing magic had remained, and as the girl drank, she felt her spirit calmed, her wounds healed and her life restored to her.
Seeing that the girl was out of danger and not wanting to linger too long, lest the humans came looking for her, the young Druid transformed herself into a wolf and disappeared into the trees.
The day turned to night and the night into day. Three times this happened, and still, the girl remained. This clearing might not have been the girl's intended destination, but as she was unable to find the way, here would do. She could feel the magic that still lingered in the earth and the trees and the animals which brought her acorns and berries and fruits. She played with them, and they amused her, showing off their skills - how fast they could climb a tree, how sweet their singing was, how high they could jump.
Hidden by the trees, the young Elf watched the girl with growing confusion. Her people had these gifts, and she had heard of other races who possessed them, forest gnomes and the likes but never had she heard of, let alone seen a human like this. Humans lived in great cities of brick and stone, ploughed the land and raided the forest, cutting down trees with reckless abandon to make their farms and feed their ever-increasing numbers. Humans did not care about nature; humans spread destruction and disease; they did not play with small animals; they trapped them in cages, killed and abused them for their sick and twisted games.
The people and the animals of the forest had long ago learned to hide from humans. So why? Why was this human so different? She did not know, but she intended to find out. Returning to her village, she set about asking the elders to tell her stories of the humans. She listened to them intently and asked to hear them again and again.
Eventually, one of the elders, an Archdruid, considered to the protector of the forest and its inhabitants became suspicious and questioned the young Elf about her sudden interest the humans. At first, she did not say and tried to pass it off as nothing more than academic curiosity, but elder could tell she was holding something back. She questioned her young charge over and over until finally, she revealed the truth about her sudden interest.
Having just become aware that a young human girl had taken up residence in the forest, the elder instructed her charge to show her where the human was.
As they entered the clearing, the girl recognised the young Elf as being the one who had helped her and rushed over to give her thanks, which the Elf awkwardly accepted before introducing the elder. Realising that she didn't have anything to offer guests, the girl became apologetic, but the elder brushed it off, telling her not to worry as they had only come to talk, and calling up roots and fashioning then into seats, before asking if they might sit down.
Once seated, the elder began asking the girl questions. What her name was, who her parents were and where she came from, and why she was here. The girl answered honestly and told the story that had brought her to the clearing. Though she left out the fact that her birth mother was an Archfey, speaking only of her stepmother.
The elder listened, and when the girl had finished, stared at her for a good long while, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. There was something about this girl that did not make sense. The elder could sense her Fey presence, though she was not a Fey, nor was she an Elf, and she certainly didn't seem to be a Warlock.
Intrigued by the girl, the elder eventually stood up and announced that she had come to a decision. "You can stay," she said, "and Aelena here will be your teacher."
The young Elf tried to protest, but the Elder only smiled. "You're curious about humans are not?" She replied to the Elf's protests. "Then teach her our ways, and you will find all the answers that you seek."
"Is that an order?" Aelena groned, but the elder only smiled again and disappeared in a wif of cloud, leaving the young Elf and the young Human girl alone together.
The girl's father was now growing increasingly impatient with the ineptness if his men. He had sent out riders to find his daughter and bring her back. Trackers had followed the girl to the forest, but no matter how hard they searched, they could not find her. The forest seemed to move and change almost at will. Paths that were once open suddenly became closed or changed direction to lead them into an ambush from which they never returned.
No matter how many men were sent to find the girl, the forest swallowed them all.
Eventually, the girl's father could no longer afford the expense, and his enemies were using this time to plot and move against him. He had to defend his position at home, and so he abandoned the search daughter.
The year's passed and although their relationship was difficult at first, Amelia and Aelena became great friends. When Amelia finally emerged from the forest, she did so as a fully realised Circle of the Land Druid, with her friend and companion at her side.
So, I know this story needs a lot more work, but this is what your post and others have made me imagine.
Curious what you guys think about this and how I could execute this story idea.
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That’s a more detailed backstory than most of my players give me.
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Nice story, that's a lot more effort into a backstory than a lot of players will do.
Easy option would be to racially to have the stat bumps and abilities of a wood elf or forest gnome but have the size/speed and physical appearance of a human that handles the fey aspect without having to do a lot of reworking, reading through the story it would appear the mother was some form of dryad so you could also have her as an eladrin for stats/abilities.
I made a homebrew Feyling race which was a fey version of the teifling, so if you like it and your DM is willing feel free to use it, this is not on D&DB as it was far to complicated to put the various versions on it):
Feylling
Ability Score Increases: You gain +1 Dex and +2 Cha.
Darkvision: 60ft.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, Elf and Sylvan.
Fey Legacy: You have Fey Ancestry and the Trance abilities of an Elf.
Fey Heritage: At 1st, 3rd & 5th level you gain some special abilities and a physical change to your appearance based on your Fey ancestor.
If you had the Dryad ancestor you got:
Physical change: You skin takes on a bark like texture and you have leaves growing in your hair.
At 1st level you learn the Cantrip Druidcraft and can cast it at will. Charisma is your spell casting ability score for this.
You can also Speak with Beasts and Plants and can communicate with Beasts and Plants as if you shared a language.
At 3rd level you also learn the ability to cast Entangle and Goodberry once per long rest. Charisma is your spell casting ability score for this.
At 5th level you gain the ability to cast Barkskin and Pass Without Trace once per long rest. Charisma is your spell casting ability score for these spells.
Think no one mentioned nature cleric yet? Druid is the most obvious one. It's also how you kind of described her, but nature cleric or even oath of ancients (dex maybe for her) paladin might work.
At this point? Put her in a game and play her. That story is everything you need narrative-wise; hand it to the DM and go.
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I've been thinking about this character more and my further thoughts that she is a legitimate excuse to use a Variant Human.
I think that her racial bonuses would go into DEX and CHA so that she would start with a 16 DEX and 14 CHA (14 and 15 not being much different.) Allowing me to put a 14 into WIS (spellcasting) and a 13 into CON, and then using the rest of my points to balance her out.
With that 14 in CHA, she is a pretty charismatic Druid, and this is sort of how I imagined her. Her beauty and charm come from her charisma, coupled with her physical beauty and her "Fey Presence.". She is almost like Tolkien's idea of the High Elves - possessed by an unearthly beauty that charms all around her and does not belong in the world of men.
Which feat would you recommend? I was thinking of taking Magic Initiate: Druid. With, Speak With Animals or Beat Bond, Druidcraft and Thorn whip.
However, I want to have a "Fey Presence" as well, which I can not get unless I go Warlock. So if I gave her the stats for a Druid, but took Warlock of the Archfey, as my first level, to get Fey Presence, and then went Druid from level 2, would this be detrimental to the character?
With her stats the way I have just discussed earlier, Warlock should still be a functional class for her. Though I only want to take that class for the Fey Presence, I can get from having an Archfey Patron and any plant/animal/nature/illusion related spells that I can get at first level.
An Archfey patron would work with her story as well, as it was from mother (an Archfey) that she received her Fey Presence, the majority of her beauty and her ability to speak with plants and animals.
Though her 1 level of Warlock, would largely be glossed over and explained her story as her mother gave her gifts, to help her navigate the world as both a Human and Fey.
Doing this would mean I wouldn't be able to take Druid until the second level, meaning I wouldn't get to choose my circle until 4th and might even miss out on an early ASI.
I don't know what to do here, to be honest. I want the Fey Presence as she is supposed to be half Fey, though in terms of the mechanical aspects (since there is no half Fey race) I thought the best thing to do, would be to use her Human half for the mechanics of the game and her Fey half for the story aspect.
So what do you guys think? Do you have any recommendations for how to best make my character's story, fit with the mechanics of the game?
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You link a lot of Elvish trademarks to her and you want feylinked mechanics so honestly, make her an elf. Grabbing Eladrin would give you some charisma if you want that or Aerenal or Wood elf for wisdom and some extra fey stuff.If you really want the Half-Fey as a race. Grab Half elf. Elves used to be indicated as Fey creatures in previous editions, I think they got rid of it to simplify interactions with certain spells (eg. hold person). Their background is still feyish though so a Half Elf is a half Fey. Maximize the fey bit by grabbing the variant Half-Wood Elf I presume.
The dexterity gained from elf would not be a waste if your grabbing a Land Circle as it will regularly contribute to initiative and AC for you.
Indeed grabbing the lvl of Warlock purely for Fey things will set you back a lvl on important Druid features. And I think it's kind of weird to grab a Warlock lvl and kind of glossing over the fact that some sort of pact is included in this class, known or unknown to the Warlock.
If you want some fey-ish things that come from a bloodline that acutally sounds more like a sorcerer to me...
On a completely different sidenote: don't forget that Gnomes are Fey related as well, they don't have any traits for it anymore, but they are. I could see this girl be a Forest Gnome for some reason :D. They do get the minor illusion cantrip though, which fulfills one of your Fey-like boxes as well.
I did consider Forest Gnome to be honest, but I wanted her to grow up in a city of Humans and be related to Humans who once worshipped Eldath. I am not sure where that would go storywise, but I saw it as being a big thing for her character. She runs away and tries to find her way into the Feywild to live with her mother. However; instead of finding the way into the Feywild, she finds a clearing that was once part of a much larger sacred place, where her Human ancestors worshipped Eldath.
Although I have not explicitly stated it, I thought that her Human ancestors were once part of the forest, as the Wood Elves are. They lived very natural lives and often became Druids. Worshipping Eldath; Goddess of serenity, comfort, and healing and not beliving in violence, unless in defence of their home or their kin.
At some point, though, this tribe of Humans were corrupted and turned towards the left path. Leaving the forest, they built a great city of stone and brick on a vast open plane. I have tried to paint this city as some layer of Hell, with corruption and disease flowing through that city like a river of pungent filth. Reminiscent of the way the River Styx flows through the Hells and into the Abyss, corrupting everything it touches in the process.
Secure behind their high walls, and under the direction of an inhuman tongue, the once peaceful Humans began to multiply, with each generation becoming more monstrous than the last. Eventually, even their great city was not enough for them, and they started to spread out. Building farms and founding settlements and driving back nature as they did so. They swept across the plane like a great flood, held back only by the Dwarves and Giants who live in the high mountains and the Elves who lived in the forest and the low valleys.
As a consort of an Archfey, the characters father lived in the Feywild. When he eventually returned home; he found that a significant number of years had passed and his people were no longer what they once were. He tried to put things right but was himself swallowed up by corruption and vice. To put right what had gone wrong, he needed power, and so he set about reclaiming his birthright. That was his biggest mistake because power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the hearts and minds of men can be led astray all too easily.
I envisioned the character growing up in this place - a great city easily described as "Hell on Earth" - or Toril in this case. Thanks to her Fey ancestry, the character was able to resit. She resisted the rot and corruption for all 18 years of her life until it finally became too much for her to bear, and she ran away.
The rest of the story is the story of the character that I have already discussed above.
With all this mind and taking into consideration, the characters own backstory; it makes much more sense that she be a Human, than a Forest Gnome. Though I am wondering now if I could make the character a Wood Elf or Eladrin mechanically, but play them as a Human Druid.
I will have to consider this more.
You guys are helping me come up with an excellent character by asking me the big questions and pointing things out that I might have missed. So thank you for that and feel free to continue to do so.
XD
Foxes.
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Honestly, talk to your DM about it? Most Dms don't have an issue with simple reskins. Maybe an understanding might be made. You get all the fey stuff, but maybe not darkvision or such. And as I said, Half Wood Elf is a legitimate option. Kind of gives you half of each.
'Fey presence' could also simply be a Charm Person spell, reskinned to be half-reflexive for her. Taking a level of warlock for one ornery class feature seems counterproductive, especially since you're not interested in any of the actual warlock mechanics.
Depending on how strictly your DM adheres to RAW, you could also take variant human, then request the Fey Presence ability from the Feylock as your Variant Human Starter Bonus Feat. Give up taking an actual feat and get the ability you want instead, especially as said ability is quite useful but only in somewhat narrow situations.
I would also advise rechecking her ancestry, however. If you're looking to really play up the fey-blooded gal raised by nasty disgusting humans, then half-elf or even fullblooded elf would make more sense, as the character ended up rejecting her human heritage and seeking instruction and asylum in the Feywild (even if she detoured into a druidic order, instead). It would make a lot of sense for her to've focused on and drawn out her more elven characteristics, especially as she was training with the druids. That would give you the more fey-like appeal you're looking for, and half-elves especially grant a fat Charisma bonus as well as two swingable stats, plus actual 'Fey Ancestry'. No free feat, but it sounds like a better fit either way for a charismatic fey girl trying to stick it to The Man(kind).
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I am continuing further with this character, and there are two things that I am struggling to answer
1. Her reason for leaving the forest and becoming an adventurer
2. Why her teacher, friend and companion would go with her.
She is happy in the forest, has made a home for herself there and has settled down, became a Druid and made a life for herself with the elves, and as she has lived with them long enough to become a full-blown Druid, she is welcome amongst them. Has proven herself to them, and lives amongst them as one of them.
So why would she not just remain in the forest and live the life that she has worked so hard to build for herself?
I am struggling to answer that, and it makes even less sense for Aelena to leave the forest as she has never been beyond its borders, and except for Amelia, Aelena doesn't trust humans all that much. Even though she has become great friends with Amelia and also come to trust Amelia implicitly, Aelena still doesn't believe that the humans can ever truly change though I would say that having Amelia teach her about humans over several years has somewhat lessoned her fear of them and increased her curiosity.
Still, though, I am struggling with why the character would choose to leave the forest after she had spent years building her life there, and I am especially struggling with Aelena's reasons for going with her.
I had thought that maybe Amelia and Aelena had become more than just friends and that Aelena goes with Amelia when she leaves the forest because she loves her and doesn't want to be left behind.
But do elves love in that sense? Also, the kind of love and trust that Aelena has for Amelia doesn't fit with her belief that humans won't ever change. Though perhaps she no longer sees Amelia as human.
As Amelia has abandoned her human heritage in favour of her fey ancestry, perhaps Aelena has come to see Amelia as an elf rather than a human.
Man, this character is proving hard. She is perhaps the second hardest character that I have ever created
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That depends entirely on what adventure you're trying to hook her into.
One option that could probably blend into most adventuring groups is that a dangerous creature the druidic order had been keeping tabs on up and decided to leave the forest, fleeing into the lands beyond the order's reach. Amelia, having been 'raised by humans' the way humans think of being Raised By Wolves, is deemed the most likely to be able to find help and track this critter down in the lands beyond the forest - that and the druid elder quietly thinks this would be a good rite of passage for the young protege, one final test to see if she remains true to her learning even while sent back into the Human Lands and their endless convenient temptations.
Adventure hook for the group is, thusly, that Amelia is looking for new friends who will help her take on a task she knows is a bit too big for herself, and she's willing to help them so long as they, eventually, help her back.
Aelena could accompany her because she's a peaceful tree-huggin' hippie being sent to chase down a monster and secret test of character or not, the elder would prefer she not die doing it. provided anyone goes at all. How are you handling this second character? Is Aelena being played by someone else, or are you hoping the DM takes her on as a party NPC? If the latter, how do you intend to handle the fact that Aelena is assumed to be just as powerful, if not more so, than Amelia?
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Aelena is going to be played by another player. Unfortunately, the player is not able to there very often, and so she has told me that I can just create Aelena to fit with my character. The DM will play her when she is not able to be there and when she is there, she will play Aelena. She is fine with playing my characters ally because she can't be at the sessions all that often and just wants to enjoy playing in the story when she can make it.
I like your idea of the Elder asking Aelena to go along with Amelia but just as a companion. Someone who can say whether or not Amelia completes her task. Also; somebody who can act as Amelia's conscience, if the temptations of the outside world prove too much. The Elder could have even told Aelena that this is Amelia's test, that she needs to pass or fail on her own, so Alena is forbidden from interfering unless there is no other choice.
That would explain why a Druid, powerful enough to be Amelia's teacher follows her around as a party NPC (most of the time) but doesn't really fight and mostly acts as Amelia's friend, companion and mentor.
That seems like a nice easy way to explain Aelena actually.
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