## Overview **Name:** Aenwyn **Race:** Wood Elf (Ketaca Clan) **Status:** Deceased (Killed by [[EMBROCIEA - Master of Necromancy, The Grave-Eyed Whisper|Embrociea]]'s Meteor Swarm) **Origin:** Ketaca Forest, [[Karudasos]] **Affiliation:** Ketaca Elven Clans **Role:** Warrior, Volunteer --- ## Background Aenwyn was the fourth and final elf to volunteer for the desperate journey into the Pits of the Hells. While [[Thia Moonglade]] led with commanding presence, [[Tessara]] scouted with keen eyes, and [[Elenwe]] healed, **Aenwyn was the blade in close quarters**—the one who stood between danger and her companions when distance failed. --- ## Personality Aenwyn was **110 years old**—just 10 years into elven adulthood. In human terms, she appeared 19 or 20, with the youthful energy and idealism that comes with early adulthood. Where many Ketaca elves were hardened by isolation and conflict, Aenwyn retained a genuine curiosity about the world beyond the forest. **Youthful Curiosity:** - Fascinated by other cultures and languages - Eager to share elven traditions with others - Believed in building bridges through understanding - Not yet cynical about the possibility of peace - Genuinely interested in befriending non-elves **The Last of Her Line:** Aenwyn was **the last of her family**. With her death, **her entire family line ended**. No parents. No siblings. No cousins. Just her. And now, not even that. **Connection with [[Grumthar]]:** Of all the party members, Aenwyn formed the strongest bond with **[[Grumthar]]**, the orc barbarian. **Why [[Grumthar]]:** She felt a **kinship** with him—similar to how [[Tessara]] connected with [[Tarnik]], but [[Grumthar]] was **much more welcoming**. Perhaps she saw: - A warrior she could look up to - Someone strong but not cruel - An orc who didn't hate elves reflexively - A kindred spirit who understood loss - A protector worth respecting **Teaching Elvish:** Aenwyn took it upon herself to **teach [[Grumthar]] and others to speak Elvish**. This wasn't just language lessons—it was cultural exchange: - Sharing her heritage with those who usually destroyed it - Building understanding through communication - Preserving elven culture by spreading it - Creating connections that transcended war - Believing that if they could speak the same language, maybe they could find peace [[Grumthar]] **welcomed this**. Where [[Tarnik]] rejected [[Tessara]]'s gesture, [[Grumthar]] accepted Aenwyn's teaching. He tried. He learned. He **cared**. **The Gift He'll Never Receive:** Aenwyn was working on a gift for [[Grumthar]]—**something deeply personal and tied to elven culture**. We don't know what it was: - A piece of elven craftsmanship? - A family heirloom (the last of her line)? - Something that represented her traditions? - An object with cultural significance? - A symbol of their friendship? She was making it. Carefully. Thoughtfully. **He will never know what it was.** She died before completing it. Before giving it to him. Before seeing his reaction. [[Grumthar]] doesn't even know it existed. **What Made Aenwyn Special:** Unlike [[Tessara]]'s one-sided attempt to reach [[Tarnik]], Aenwyn's connection with [[Grumthar]] was **reciprocated**: - He welcomed her teachings - Tried to learn Elvish - Treated her with respect - Formed genuine friendship - Gave her hope that peace was possible She looked up to him as a warrior. He respected her as a teacher and friend. **And then she died, and he lost someone who believed in him.** **Character Traits:** - **Bridge-Builder:** Actively taught language and culture - **Hopeful:** Believed understanding led to peace - **Respectful:** Looked up to [[Grumthar]] as a warrior worth learning from - **Last of Her Kind:** Carried entire family legacy alone - **Generous:** Creating gifts to honor friendship - **Young:** Only 10 years into adulthood, still forming who she'd become --- ## Appearance At 110 years old—only 10 years into elven adulthood—Aenwyn appeared **19 or 20 in human years**. She had the fresh-faced youth of someone just beginning their adult life. **Youthful Features:** - Smooth, unwrinkled skin - Bright, curious eyes - Energy and vitality of youth - Not yet marked by decades of combat - Looked almost out of place among hardened warriors **Physical Build:** - Athletic from warrior training - Still filling out into full adult strength - Quick and agile movements - Grace of youth not yet tempered by age **Equipment:** - **Primary weapon** - Longbow and shortswords. - **Combat gear** - Well-maintained but not ancient heirlooms - **Personal items** - Including the unfinished gift for [[Grumthar]] - **Cultural tokens** - Symbols of her vanished family line **Bearing:** - Eager rather than world-weary - Approached others with openness - Smiled readily when teaching - Hadn't yet learned to be suspicious - The hope of youth still visible in her eyes --- ## The Journey ### The Singing Stones While we don't have details of Aenwyn's specific actions in this battle, as a blade warrior she would have: **Front Line Combat:** - Engaged devils in melee when they closed - Protected the archers from flanking devils - Held critical positions on the ground - Drew enemy attention from vulnerable allies - Fought the red dragon at close range (terrifying) **Why It Mattered:** This battle was Aenwyn's proof of worth: - Fought alongside orcs without hesitation - Protected those she'd been raised to hate - Saw them as allies, not enemies - Earned their respect through shared blood After this crucible, volunteering for the Pits made sense—**she'd already crossed the line from isolation to unity**. ### Volunteering for the Pits When the captain asked for volunteers, Aenwyn was the fourth to step forward: **Why She Went:** _For Her Companions:_ - [[Thia MoonGlade|Thia]], [[Tessara]], and [[Elenwe]] had volunteered - They needed someone to hold the line when arrows failed - Warriors protect those who can't protect themselves - She wouldn't let them face danger alone _For the Mission:_ - The captain's daughter was missing - Shadow abductions threatened all Ketaca - Devil threat originated from the Pits - Someone had to investigate - Better to face it with allies than alone _For Herself:_ - Proving courage is as much to yourself as to others - Warriors face danger—that's the oath - Some battles choose you - Running isn't an option when duty calls **What She Knew:** The Pits of the Hells were everything the forest wasn't: - Open ground (no cover) - Devils (not beasts) - Heat (not shade) - Unfamiliar terrain (not her home) She went anyway. **Because that's what warriors do**. ### Into the Volcanic Wasteland For a young warrior the journey south was both terrifying and transformative: **Combat Challenges:** - Open terrain (no forest cover) - Devils with supernatural powers - Heat exhausting stamina - Unfamiliar tactics required **Cultural Bridge-Building:** During the journey, Aenwyn did something remarkable—she began **teaching Elvish** to [[Grumthar]] and others in the party. **The Lessons:** - Basic words and phrases around campfires - Elven cultural context and traditions - Pronunciation (difficult for orcish tongues) - Shared stories from her people - Turned enemies into students --- ## The Final Battle ### [[EMBROCIEA - Master of Necromancy, The Grave-Eyed Whisper|Embrociea]]'s Ritual When the party discovered the corruption ritual, debate erupted: **[[Volza Redhand|Volza]]:** Too dangerous, overwhelming forces **[[Bordak]]/[[Cub]]:** Can't ignore world-threatening evil **The Elves:** Stood with those who'd fight Aenwyn likely supported the attack. **Warriors don't walk away from battles that matter**. ### The Cliff Position Positioned with [[Thia MoonGlade|Thia]], [[Tessara]], and [[Elenwe]] along the cliff edge: **The Battle Plan:** - Elves provide ranged support from elevation - Target the corrupting lantern - Suppress devil reinforcements - Let ground forces ([[Bordak]], others) engage directly ### Death When [[Bordak]] shattered the corruption lantern, [[EMBROCIEA - Master of Necromancy, The Grave-Eyed Whisper|Embrociea]] unleashed fury: **Meteor Swarm:** The most powerful evocation spell. Fire and stone from the heavens. Devastation incarnate. **Aenwyn's Final Moment:** She saw them coming. Every warrior knows when death arrives. The meteors fell in terrible beauty—**unavoidable, overwhelming, absolute**. **She died:** - Alongside [[Thia MoonGlade|Thia]], [[Tessara]], and [[Elenwe]] - No chance to use her blade - No enemy to strike - No one to protect - Just fire, stone, and the end **A Warrior's Death:** Warriors train their whole lives for the final fight. They imagine dying with sword in hand, protecting others, taking enemies with them. Aenwyn didn't get that death. She got fire from the sky and no chance to fight back. Maybe that's the crueler death—**not the blade you trained for, but the magic you can't fight**. --- ## Aftermath ### [[Aria, Goddess of Birth and Death|Aria]]'s Blessing When [[Cub]] prayed for the fallen, the [[Aria, Goddess of Birth and Death|goddess of death]], [[Aria, Goddess of Birth and Death|Aria]] manifested: She walked to where the four elves had died and spoke: > "**Aenwyn**... [[Tessara]]... [[Thia MoonGlade|Thia]]... [[Elenwe]]... You have earned your rest." **[[Aria, Goddess of Birth and Death|Aria]] called her name first.** **Her Soul's Journey:** - Glowing orb of light rose from her body - Joined her three companions - Followed [[Aria, Goddess of Birth and Death|Aria]] skyward - **Guided to eternal peace** Even though she died in fire far from home, **her soul found its way to rest**. ### What She Left Behind **In the Pits:** - Her body lies in volcanic wasteland, far from the forest - The unfinished gift for [[Grumthar]]—lost or destroyed - The last physical remnant of her family line - Everything she was making, gone **In Ketaca Forest:** - **No one left to mourn her specifically** - She was the last of her family - **Her entire family line ends with her** - No children to carry on her name - No relatives to remember family traditions - The stories of her ancestors die with her - Family heirlooms scattered or lost **The Death of a Bloodline:** When Aenwyn died, something more than one person was lost. **In [[Grumthar]]'s Heart:** - He lost a friend who believed in him - A teacher who shared her culture openly - Someone who looked up to him as a warrior - **He will never know about the gift she was making** - Never know what she wanted to give him - Never understand what it represented - Cannot honor her memory with the knowledge she tried to share **The Elvish Lessons:** Did [[Grumthar]] remember the words she taught him? - Can he still speak the phrases? - Does he practice them to honor her memory? - Or do they fade with time like she did? - The last person teaching him is gone - Will the language die with her too? --- ## Final Thoughts **Strength remembered:** Warrior spirit, cultural bridge-builder, last of her line **Courage shown:** Taught enemies her language, befriended across hatred **Legacy left:** A bloodline extinct, Elvish words in [[Grumthar]]'s memory, an unknown gift **Final peace:** Soul blessed, called first by [[Aria, Goddess of Birth and Death|Aria]], eternal rest earned _Rest now, Aenwyn. Last of your family, teacher of enemies, friend to [[Grumthar]]. Your bloodline ends, but what you taught lives on if he remembers. The forest mourns its lost daughter._