## Cub – The Last Child of Dreams **Race**: Duergar (Gray Dwarf) **Class**: Druid (Circle of Dreams) **Alignment**: Lawful Good **Origin**: A forgotten druidic circle **Role**: Healer, Redeemer, Guardian of Life --- ### Overview Cub is a quiet and thoughtful druid, driven by a haunting past he cannot remember and a purpose given by a divine dream. He is the last survivor of a sacred grove dedicated to the goddess **[[Eshuall]]**, the true goddess of nature across all of Solare. In the Orc Union, she takes on the form of **[[Eshuall|Zotia]]**, guiding her followers through dreams. With a blend of compassion, arcane healing, and natural magic, Cub serves as both conscience and lifeline for his party—especially in the war-torn Orc Kingdoms where darkness festers. --- ### Appearance & Personality - **Expression**: Often contemplative, with moments of intense sorrow - **Aura**: Calm and grounded, exudes a sense of spiritual grace - **Demeanor**: Silent and focused, though recently beginning to experience emotions and empathy. He is unsure how to handle these feelings, as his forgotten past offers no guidance. Cub dresses in white and lavender attire, his tunic adorned with floral designs and delicate embroidery. He wears lavender pants and earth-toned brown boots, complementing his light grayish-purple skin. His silver hair is tied back into a neat ponytail. Despite his Duergar heritage, his features are softened by the serenity of his druidic calling, and his presence exudes a quiet spiritual grace. --- ### Background - Woke up amid the smoldering ruin of a sacred druidic circle - Entire grove, devoted to the goddess **[[Eshuall]]** (in her dream aspect, **[[Eshuall|Zotia]]**), had been desecrated - Learned healing, druidcraft, and communion with nature from the salvaged remains - Was later visited by a radiant dreamlike figure—[[Eshuall|Zotia]] herself—who called him her "last child of dreams" - Given a divine task: redeem the land, especially the Orc Kingdoms, by healing their pain and walking alongside those bound for bloodshed - Was warned not to seek his past, as it would reveal he himself created the nightmare seed that destroyed the grove --- ### Beliefs & Motivations - Life is sacred—even broken, even lost - Healing is a sacred responsibility, even in the face of violence - Guilt and redemption walk hand in hand; he bears both - Desires peace and rebirth for the lands scarred by war, especially among orcs - Fears his past and the nightmare seed growing within his heart --- ### Connections - **[[Eshuall]] ([[Eshuall|Zotia]])**: Goddess of Nature in Solare; her dream-aspect [[Eshuall|Zotia]] gave him purpose. His deepest devotion lies with her - **[[Syllin]] Elanari**: Cub sees [[Syllin]] as a possible student and kindred spirit. He respects her innocence and sacrifice and subtly encourages her healing path. He would oppose [[Tarnik]] or anyone who tried to control or harm her - **[[Tarnik]]**: Constantly at odds. While [[Tarnik]] believes in dominance and strength, Cub values life and mercy. Their clash is often vocal and personal—Cub once stood against [[Tarnik]] when he attempted to finish off [[Syllin]] - **[[Grom]]**: Views [[Grom]] as a close friend, but is frustrated by [[Grom]]'s constant attempts to prove himself as a brutal orc warrior. While Cub values their friendship, he is deeply troubled by [[Grom]]’s desire to embrace [[Tarnik]]’s way of life. He hopes to guide [[Grom]] toward a different path - **Syrix** (Goblin Thief): Merely an ally; Cub has no deep feelings or ties - **The New Barbarian Orc**: Sees him as a foolish but well-meaning ally --- ### Potential Arcs - **Fall into Darkness**: If Cub uncovers that he created the nightmare seed and cannot forgive himself, he may succumb to despair. This would twist his divine power, turning it into a force of death and decay. The land around him would wither as he begins to kill and undo life, becoming a corrupted druid of ruin - **Path of Redemption**: If [[Syllin]], [[Grom]], or another companion convinces him of the worth of life, and he finds peace with his past, the nightmare seed may transform into a new tree of dreams. His magic would bloom again, and he could begin healing [[Karudasos|the dark lands]] as [[Eshuall|Zotia]] intended - **The Present is Enough**: If he never uncovers the full truth but accepts that his future is his to shape, he may find peace without ever needing to resolve the past ## Cub – The Last Child of Dreams Cub doesn’t know who he is—or what peace truly feels like. For reasons unknown, everything from his past is lost. All he remembers is waking up amidst ruin. He awoke in what looked like a sacred druidic circle—destroyed. Smoke still lingered, curling faintly into the morning air, already fading from existence. Around him lay the bodies of those who once lived and worked there—ripped apart, murdered. It looked as if the circle had been pillaged and desecrated. A piercing headache clouded his thoughts. He didn’t know where he was, who he was, or what had happened. Only after the pain subsided did he manage to collect himself. Driven by instinct and sorrow, he began to investigate the remains. What he discovered broke him: this had been a circle devoted to the goddess **[[Eshuall|Zotia]]**, the Weaver of Dreams. The druids here worked in harmony with her vision, taking fragments of dreams and planting them as sacrifices to heal the land. These dreams would manifest as saplings, grow into trees, and in turn grant the druids power to heal and nurture the world further. Cub found no answers—only ashes. --- ## Months Later He chose not to leave. Instead, he remained in the broken grove for months. He buried the dead, salvaged what he could of the old tomes and scrolls, and studied tirelessly. From the fragments of their legacy, he learned the ways of the druids—how to craft potions and antidotes, how to wield healing magics, and how to call on the strength of nature for both defense and support. In time, he discovered his ability to communicate with animals, and they became his silent companions. But eventually, silence grew too loud. Cub knew he couldn’t stay in the ruined circle forever. He had questions. Why had he survived? Why was he unharmed when all others were slain? What had caused the destruction? Could he reclaim the lost purpose of this circle—or was it time to begin anew? --- ## A Divine Encounter As he packed for his journey, preparing to leave the dead grove behind, he saw her—a feminine, humanoid figure cloaked in radiant mist. Her presence was warm and overwhelming. She looked at him, and in a soft voice, said: **“There you are… my last child of dreams. You are safe now. Take me into your heart, and listen.”** **“Follow the land. Find where it is tainted—where dreams have withered and nightmares fester. Heal the orc kingdoms. Seek out the group bound for the arena. Walk beside them as their support. I will be watching you, my little sapling… grow.”** As Cub departed, she gazed at a lone sapling he had tended. The green of its leaves faded to white—then shifted into black and red. Her voice returned, a whisper on the wind: **“Let this be your redemption. You created the nightmare seed that destroyed this circle. Now let it blossom anew… as a dream seed. Restore [[Karudasos|the dark lands]]. Make them strong again.”** **“But one thing I ask—do not seek your past. It will haunt you. For it was _you_ who caused the downfall of your circle… and the seed was born from _your_ hand.”** --- ## Final Reflection Now, Cub walks with purpose—not only to heal the world, but to redeem a past he cannot remember… and fears to uncover. “I am the last seed of a broken dream. Let me root, grow, and heal what was once lost.”