Ceska
Anfisa was my world. She loved your kind with all her heart and she even made me see a few redeeming qualities in you. Then, your kind killed her... for what? For the precious pieces of gold you hold so dear? If your kind can destroy my world for something as petty as wealth, why should I not set your world on fire for something as righteous as justice!
For some souls; life is not about furthering a cause or fostering a legacy. For some, it's a person. It's love. Ceska loved her sister Anfisa more than anything else in Tairos. They were the only two Dryads they'd ever known and of all the varieties of Fae that still linger on they only trusted each other.
Two Hearts
Though they sprouted together Ceska was the first to mature enough to bloom and leave her seed pod, if only by a few days. Yet, those few days were enough for to become the protective older sister. When Anfisa finally bloomed she came into this world with a big sister that already seemed like a worldly sage. They explored the forests outside Farmlands of Ghal Pelor and learned the ways of nature. They met other fae like Pixies, Redcaps, Gremlins, Brownies and Kelpies. As they grew older and stronger the sisters learned of Goblin tribes and how to prune them from their glades. They studied the hunting patterns of Owl Bears, Basilisks and even mighty Wyverns from the mountains to best understand how to keep their hungers in check. Their curiosity even took them swamps on the eastern edge of Lake Bask near to Becklinberg.
There they learned of a new species, Humans, and how bizarre and interesting they could be. Ceska saw in them a great potential for danger and Anfisa saw only their capacity for joy. It was the first time tension ever existed between the sisters but rather than let it grow into a divide they tried to appreciate what each other saw, accepting that perhaps each was privy to some portion of the truth.
Wandering Hearts
Anfisa's curiosity peaked further over the coming years, spying on travelers from Ghal Pelor and Frial. Humans fascinated her the most and she'd often go out of her way to leave little gifts for them and ward off natural dangers. And, with her sister's help she even managed to stave off sadistic attacks on travelers by the Autumn King's court. Over the years that followed Anfisa's curiosity grew into an infatuation that even managed to soften Ceska's stern heart.
During the most recent winter Ceska and Anfisa happened upon a group of mercenaries trudging through the bitter blizzards in the outskirts of Ghal Pelor's wilderness. They were struggling to survive and if not for Anfisa's intervention they'd of perished. And, while she made sure to give them gifts of food and secretly lead them to shelter she chose to reveal herself to one of them, a young soldier named Milo Stiven. She used her fae talents to disguise herself as human woman and approach Milo. She loved him, or so she thought. Ceska believed Anfisa was obsessed and that's why the younger sister never spoke of her intention to join with Milo and his crew for awhile.
Anfisa had only planned to be away for a day or so but she lost herself in Milo and the fascinating world of Lion's Claw mercenaries. A day turned into a week and in that time Ceska scoured the woods for her missing sister. She questioned every ally and threatened every predator in the woods but none had the answer Ceska was looking for. None, until she woke some of the oldest trees from their slumber. They knew the truth, their roots and branches missed little even while they dreamed. They told her what they saw; Anfisa was disguised as a human and in the company of men who were marching toward the forest's edge. To Ceska, this could mean only one thing: Anfisa was found by them and is concealing her true nature till she can be rescued.
Ceska's pursuit of the Lion's Claw ended with a violent confrontation at a frontier inn named The Calloway Arms . It's here, during a heavy blizzard, that she set upon the travelers inside and began killing them one by one to try and get at her sister. She slew them when they were alone and vulnerable; even tricking them into thinking one of the Calloways' occupants was the killer. It came to a head when scouts from the Westbound Star Company took lodging there. They exposed Ceska and challenged her in the Calloway's stables where a bitter fight unfolded. The scouts had prior learned the truth about Anfisa, that she left willingly and was in love with a human, and used that to eventually diffuse the situation. Anfisa was so confident that she knew Milo's heart that she revealed her Dryad form to him at this time as well. Rather than embrace her as she expected, Milo was disgusted and afraid. Ceska took her devastated sister back home to the deep woods and far from the humans that hurt her.
Captured Hearts
Anfisa was crushed. Though Ceska desperately wanted to be furious with her foolish sister she couldn't do anything but love her and try to heal the wounds done to her sister's heart. Unfortunately, they had precious little time to cope with the events at the Calloway Inn. Their glade became the target of a Black Thorn Society slaving raid. They'd heard this area of the forest was ripe with strong beasts and hidden fae both of which would fetch an excellent price. The scouts from the Westbound Star Company were also in the woods at this time looking for medicinal ingredients.
Ceska and the Scouts crossed paths briefly but she held back her urge for aggression believing that it would only hurt Anfisa more. One of the scouts was already aware of the Black Thorn slavers in the woods and saw several of them closing in on the sisters but chose not to intervene or even warn them. And, while the scouts went about their business the two dryads were ambushed and taken.
Ceska and Anfisa found themselves in the slave pens of the local Black Thorns where they lost count of the days behind bars and the number of agonizing tortures unleashed upon them. The slavers were wise to Ceska's potential for aggression and numb to Anfisa's heart-felt pleadings. By the time the winter frost began melting both of the sisters had lost any hope of seeing freedom. They had yet to be sold to a buyer but rather than lose money on the two Dryads their captors decided to exhibit them in vicious underground blood sports near Ghal Pelor, Homestead and Lockland.
While Anfisa was unable to bring herself to kill other sentient beings, even when her own survival was at stake, Ceska was more than willing to execute anything that threatened her or her sister. Because of her reluctance to fight, Anfisa was always thrown into the arena along with Ceska, as it provided the more violent dryad with proper motivation which made for a much more interesting show to watch. This pairing remained consistent through the months of captivity they endured until a buyer was finally found.
This buyer was none other than Heinreich Klamp , a notorious figure in the local underworld and accomplished wizard. Klamp wanted only one of them and his interest was purely in the heart. He needed a dryad's heart for one of his arcane devices. The Black Thorn were happy to sell him Anfisa as they considered her dead weight anyway. It took a dozen armed men to pull Ceska from her sister but once it was finally done she was brought to Klamp who swiftly conducted the gruesome extraction. The wizard left with his heart and the Black Thorn were handsomely paid for their assistance. Ceska was forced to listen to her sister's screams from her cage that night, weeping and bleeding from the injuries the guards dealt her. Any mercy she might have had for humanity died that night as well.
Broken Heart
Most recently, Ceska was brought to the Rylan Woods by her owner for a meeting of all the local Black Thorn members and hosted by The Black Crown. The Crown was working to establish a mobile black market in the woods and this was to be the debut. Ceska's owner brought her along to pit against another slaver's wyvern in a bloody bout to honor the Black Crown.
This would not come to pass however. The Black Crown's event was attacked by druidic organization calling itself The Choir. They freed the slaves and captive beasts at the market before setting them loose on celebration. The Choir was assisted by the scouts from the Westbound Star Company who were staying at one of their ally's nearby home.
Ceska was freed and she laid much of the blame for Anfisa's death at the hands of the scouts and their actions at the Calloway Arms but the majority of her ire fell upon the Black Thorn Society. Once turned loose she set upon gathering with such terrible fury that none who crossed her were spared. While the Choir's main objective was just to kill the leadership here and send a message Ceska's goal was to honor her sister with blood. After the Choir and the scouts moved on Ceska spent the following days and nights hunting the stragglers who escaped into the woods. Those that died on the night of the attack had the mercy of quick death. These last, desperate, few were not so fortunate.
Dryad by Antti Hakosaari
Physical Description
Body Features
Variable. Ceska alter her physical features to resemble a human, elf or half elf, though her basic appearance remains the same. She will always look like Ceska but Ceska as a dryad or a human or elf.
Special abilities
Can control plants to an incredible degree of motor detail. She can even impart a level of mobility and autonomy to some such as animating trees. She's able to extend her reach and weaponize her body by shaping the bark and vines that make up much of her form. She can speak with animals and plants alike. She has several other innate abilities that function like similar druidic spells
Mental characteristics
Education
Born with a great deal of natural instinct and inherited knowledge. The rest was learned on her own or with her sister.
Failures & Embarrassments
Losing her sister to the Black Thorns
Mental Trauma
The death of Anfisa and her time in captivity have left her incredibly scarred. She has trouble trusting anyone or anything, is prone to bouts of deep depression and symptoms post traumatic stress disorder. She's become obsessive over the idea of avenging her sister and hunting those that are responsible
Morality & Philosophy
While Ceska used to favor a very fair and even merciful morality that died with her sister. She now sees humanity as a parasite that needs to be pruned from this world. She is hateful, cold and quick to act.
Current Location
Species
Circumstances of Birth
Ceska does not know from who she and her sister budded from. She is an orphan
Children
Gender
Female
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