Ayladel Zenizar

Character Details

Race:

Half-Orc

Class:

Circle Of Spores Druid

Alignment:

Sovereign Reason

Place of Origin:

Krol'Zurahd

Background:

Folk Hero - Rustic Hospitality

Roleplay Class:

The Adventurer

Personal Details

Birth:

Ayladel was born in the upper floor of her families establishment in Orlostek overlooking the main road in an out of the modest town.

Family:

Ayladel has a father and mother named Rohedur and Sharel Zenizar. Together they are the proud owners of the Brown Goose Inn located in central Orlostek. Rohedur Zenizar also manages the "Zenizar Trade Depot", a facility built as an offshoot to the inn that deal with the various bookkeeping, ledgers, and records of trade between nations. Rohedur and Sharel minted their establishment when they were but fledgling "Seeker's". It has been decades since their settling in Orlostek and business has taken a hit recently since trade from Grim Soren has slowed down due to a local crisis. Ayladel's parents are very much laissez-faire and always encouraged Ayladel to find her own way.

Upbringing:

Ayladel's early childhood was fairly quiet. She grew up with her parents and regularly helped out with a multitude of jobs within the tavern. Rohedur would jest that Ayladel could run the tavern herself if they disappeared tomorrow. Ayladel enjoyed talking with travelers, living vicariously through their stories and recording the most grandeur tales and destinations in her journal with hopes to explore them in the future. Later in her childhood she would meet Wa'Leka an elderly Anuran witch who lived on the outskirts of Orlostek. Wa'Leka was loved by Ayladel as if she was her grandmother, and her parents would always share a close relationship with Wa'Leka, inviting her for parties and events, and supplying her various wines and delicacies that were unavailable in her humble way of life.

Physical Description:

Ayladel is 6’0” and has a toned build from her heritage, heavy lifting from her job, and trekking through the wilderness to complete Wa'Leka's training. She has dusky green skin with a fair complexion. Ayladel wears her hair down past her shoulders in loose braids. Ayladel is covered in many piercings and tattoos, all common for Krol'Zurahd natives.

Left Behind:

• She will always miss her late mentor, Wa'Leka
• She will miss her family, and the many travelers she would meet over the years
• Ayladel will miss the relative quiet, trustworthy and safe environment of her home town
• She will miss her local favorite cuisine "Krolfell Mushroom Risoto"
• The families pet dog "Woof"

Religion:

Ayladel began to learn about the ancient forgotten god Anu'Ka when she met Wa'Leka. Anu'Ka is an ancient and, what commoners would consider, a dead god. Anu'Ka was the god that had a hand in creating the Anura and leading Half-Orc's to salvation from their feral tendencies in ancient times. The Anura and Half-Orc worshipped this god for millennia alongside the Dragonborn who saw her as the mother of the Dragonborn race. It has been a millennia since Anu'Ka stopped answering her worshippers prayers. The vast majority of Krol'Zurahd natives have either forgotten about her, or think her merely a fairy-tale passed down through generations. The Druid Circles however, believe that hundreds of years ago when Anu'Ka disappeared during the Great War of Krol-Zurahd the Dragonborn were somehow responsible. Even though druids are the closest to finding the truth, no one truly knows what happened to Anu'Ka. Wa'Leka has seen Ayaldel channel the ancient druidic magics of the Circle of Spores, one of the two circles Anu'Ka's power served to channel, leading them both to believe that Anu'Ka is not completely gone. Whether she is deceased, captured, lost, or abandoned, a small fragment of her power is still able to be channeled.

Identity

Personality:

Ayladel is an optimistic and personable person. She tends to shy away from strangers that she meets that she hasn't been able to size up yet, being very cautious around those that aren't strictly traders or travelers she has been used to interacting with. Ayladel loves to listen to stories, especially those about the distant past, or those from different cultures. Ayladel, due to her teachings of the Circle of Spores, has a very peculiar reaction to death and the cycle of life. Ayladel can be very laid back and boisterous in towns and cities that remind her of her days in Orlostek, but she quickly becomes much more focused, mindful and reserved when in wilderness or dangerous situations.

Points of Contention:

• Will not allow the Cycle of Life and Death to be interrupted. All things must be born, and all must eventually die.
• Ayladel will not tolerate being dissuaded from her mission to find out the truth of Anu'Ka.
• Ayladel will not tolerate ridicule of her family, her god, or her late mentor.
• If traveling past Orlostek, if its possible, she will not miss a chance to visit her family and friends and pay respects to Wa'Leka's resting place.
• Ayladel can't stand those that would defy sound advice they asked for in the first place.
• She hates being talked down to or dismissed as if Krol'Zurahd and its cities were still a bunch of barbarians.

Flaws:

• Ayladel cannot swim, unless she is in fish form of course.
• Ayladel hates enchantment magic and disapproves if its use, believing it violates natures agency and alters the cycle.
• Ayladel is ambivalent to all titles, nobles, degrees, and ranks unless those pedigrees are earned through hard work or skill.
• Strictly vegetarian, it comes with the territory of turning into animals...
• She is so curious for adventure that sometimes her desire to seek out every corner of her surroundings becomes a liability.
• Scared of large reptiles, like the basilisk that almost took her life.

Desires:

• Discover the truth about Anu'Ka.
• Seek the other Druid Circles to obtain knowledge about ancient druidic magic and history, helping her to develop her skills as a druid.
• To make lasting close friends, friends she never had since most of her acquaintances were transient travelers or traders.
• To visit all the spectacular places she's heard about and recorded from travelers heading through Orlostek.

The Story So Far...

Backstory:

• Naively at a very young age, Ayladel's yearn for adventure got the better of her judgement. She embarked on an adventure of her own that would change her life as she knew it. Ayladel had long been trusted to go about Orlostek as she pleased, but was always warned by her parents to never leave the towns outskirts. Despite their warnings, under the guise of being sick, Ayladel stowed away on a traveling caravan. The caravan was made up of people she served the night prior, and she knew they were headed for the nearby town of Havensbrooke. Being fairly large, her only choice was to hide in plain sight. She donned simple robes and a hood and rode on the back of a carriage. Her confidence was through the roof as she finally felt she was living out her dreams of adventure. These high spirits were unfortunately ended at dusk, only halfway to her destination. She was discovered by the traders, who initially thought she was out to steal or ambush their caravan carrying important military supplies. The traders did not hesitate to throw her aside the road. Upon discovering she was only adolescent, and shared the Zenizar families name they were familiar with, they decided to at the very least believe her story of running away from home for adventure. She was given rations and a torch and was told to make the walk back to Orlostek. If she made haste she would reach town before midnight and surely someone would be searching the roads for her by then to meet her along the way. Ayladel bid goodbye to the traders and started her trek back home. Fate however, would not be as kind to Ayladel as the traders had been. When the moon shown brightly, Ayladel was confronted by the glint of beady black eyes cast from her torches light. No, dozens of pairs of eyes. Ayladel began to hear the war cries of the Orc raiding party as she instinctively sprinted off into the woods. Knowing what Orcs would do to the Half-Orc's they viewed as abominations to their terrible gods, Ayladel knew that if she stopped moving, it would mean the end of her journey but she knew she was not strong enough to outrun or fight them. After loosing most of her vigor, she finally gained the advantage by weaving through thick underbrush. She utilized this moment to hide. Through pale clenched hands she stifled her breath, her lungs cried out in agony, her eyes darting until she could not keep them open anymore. The Orcs were close now. Ayladel thought of her parents, and her friends. The adventures she would never have. To Ayladel's despair an Orc reached through the underbrush and snatched her collar, throwing her to the wet soil. Just then the forest around her fell into a profound silence she had never experienced before. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the night, followed by the grunt of and Orc being thrown against a tree and the following crunch of bones breaking, the moment the orc presiding over him turned toward the noise he seemed to freeze with fear. Literally freeze. His lifeless now stony white body frozen in a state of magical petrification. The remaining Orcs that survived this curse charged the beast. Ayladel would have been elated if it were not for her knowing the identity of her savior. The Basilisk. A massive eight legged scaly creature with razor sharp claws and spikes traveling from its mane to the tip of its tail, ruthless and unable to be satiated, the Basilisk would turn to stone all those it would not eat. The creature made quick work of the remaining orcs, dismembering or petrifying them with ease. Ayladel was alone with the beast. It began to lumber toward her. Ayladel froze in fear once again, locking eyes with the beast. As the beast stole the remaining few yards between Ayladel life and death it paused, and in an almost curious manner, began to sniff, prod, and inspect its prey. A hastily spoken incantation in the distance followed by a flash of lightning scared the Basilisk away and the cool aged hand of an Anuran woman helped her to her feet. This woman introduced herself as Wa'Leka and raised a bony finger to her mouth to hush Ayladel's questions. Ayladel had heard of her, a local hermit rumored to be a witch that lived on the cities outskirts. Ayladel had no time for trust or hesitation, and immediately followed Wa'Leka without a word. Ayladel and Wa'Leka made it back by morning, and were greeted by her worrying family and the locals that had conducted a search for her. Wa'Leka would tell Ayladel of the truth of this confrontation, that her connection to nature had placated the Basilisk. Wa'Leka, with Ayladel's families approval, accepted Ayladel's request for her to become her mentor and teach her the ways of the swamps, and the secrets of the Druids.
• Wa'Leka would teach Ayladel about the Circle of Spores, and Circle of the Stars. These circles were ancient forms of magic fueled by channeling the essence of the long forgotten god, Anu'Ka. Wa'Leka would light a growing ember of motivation in Ayladel to seek out the truth behind this god. Ayladel spent the next many years learning under Wa'Leka. She would complete a myriad of tasks for her, ranging from frustrating chores such as carting wares from the inn to her abode, to challenging escapades into the dangerous woods and swamps with Wa'Leka to experience natures cruel embrace and learn from ancient druidic sites of worship to Anu'Ka. Over time Ayladel developed extensive knowledge and skills, but still had yet to channel Anu'Ka's essence. Ayladel knew that the essence that remained of Anu'Ka was but a flicker of a match among a frozen wasteland, but still strived every day to unlock its secrets. Ayladel determined that she needed to push herself further than she had before. She decided to venture to a lost temple in the Anuranth Glades that had eluded her and Wa'Leka for years. After days in the wilds, she would finally find the temple. While exploring this remote temple and learning of its secrets, the unstable floor of an ancient structure fell out from beneath her. She plunged into a pool of stagnant water in almost pitch black darkness. Ayladel realized now of all times, that she had never learned how to swim. This realization flashed through her thoughts, but rather than panic, Ayladel thought back to Wa'Leka's teachings, and the foundation of knowledge she had gathered of the druids. Combined with what she learned in the temple, she focused and with almost no effort at all, shaped herself into the creature that swam past her eyes during her short time of meditation. A giant frog. Ayladel was able to swim out of the underground pool of water, and made it to the surface of the swamps outside. She reverted to her normal form, and with a smile on her face, vomited copious amounts of pungent swamp water. When Ayladel returned home to confront Wa'Leka about the event, she was surprised at her response. Wa'Leka was in tears, upset at Ayladel, but glad that she came back alive. Wa'Leka would tell her that she was a granddaughter to her and could never live knowing she was responsible for leading her to her demise with her teachings. Ayladel comforted her and they shared tea. Over time Ayladel would learn to channel many other aspects of druidic nature, specifically excelling in the techniques of the Circle of Spores.
• Over time Ayladel began to have a fundamental understanding of the druidic magic of the Circle of Spores. Wa'Leka was old when Ayladel met her, but had more recently been showing her age. Over the past few years she was able to take less and less expeditions with Ayladel, eventually refraining from leaving her abode at all. Wa'Leka began to focus her tutelage on the secrets and theories about Anu'Ka's disappearance. These teachings had always been very delicate matters, Wa'Leka citing that even just knowing the knowledge she did could be dangerous, hence her need to live a humble life hidden outside a small town in the woods. Ayladel learned from Wa'Leka that the fateful day long ago with the Basilisk, and her ability to channel Anu'Ka's essence, was in her eyes proof that Anu'Ka, alive or not, still existed in some form or capacity in the world. Ayladel knew that she was nearing the completion of what Wa'Leka could teach her, and in Wa'Leka's old age she knew she would not be long for this world. Ayladel decided that she wanted to show thanks to Wa'Leka for all the years of her love and knowledge she had given her. Often Wa'Leka would reminisce about her Anuran tribes homeland, and the adventures she shared as a child there. At one point she had specifically mentioned the walking staff her late husband had crafter her, that she was unable to retrieve during the ambush that sent her into hiding. Ayladel left on the morning of Wa'Leka's 100th birthday to acquire the staff. She was familiar with the Anuranth Glades now, and knew where many of the Anuran settlements resided. Now that she knew where Wa'Leka came from, Ayladel was able to track down the abandoned village. There hiding in the well preserved hollowed out swamp trees used as homes, she was able to find the beautifully carved staff locked away in a chest that had been well hidden. Upon returning to the outskirts of Orlostek at dusk, her heart sank. The humble cottage Wa'Leka had called her home for decades was billowing smoke. She rushed to the house as fast as she could sprint, weaving through the flames to gather Wa'Leka and bring her to safety. Ayladel could feel Wa'Leka fading. Ayladel embraced her mentor as she spoke her final words. "Fear not child... my body will return to the cycle and be reborn into new life for millennia. Everything I have ever taught you... all the experiences we have shared... has prepared you for this. I was afraid this moment... would come. I... could not stay hidden forever. Only you... can discover... the truth of Anu'ka's fate... You will not... succeed alone. Seek companions... that you can trust... as you have trusted me. The other circles... learn from them.... I was attacked, by an... elven druid. Circle of Balance... Go north... Havensbrooke. Seek... the artifact... the tome... she took. It will guide you... She is misguided... not evil..." Upon seeing the staff she responds "Oh this old thing... I'm glad I was able to hold it one last time... You are truly special to me... Ayladel... Thank you... Anu'ka guide you...". The light faded from Wa'Leka's eyes, but no tears were shed. Ayladel knew that Wa'Leka would return to the earth and be reborn anew. With newfound determination, Ayladel explained the situation with her family, and Wa'Leka was given a proper burial. The next morning Ayladel was sent off by her family and friends, and began her journey to Havensbrooke in search of allies, strength, and the elven druid.