Chary

Special Equipment:

Chary's Horn - Actually a part of her body, the horn has the magical ability to cure any non-magical disease with a touch. Magical diseases and afflictions require sometimes signifigant effort on her part to heal.

Chary's Golden Scales - also part of her anatomy, the scales off her average armor protection, equivalent to the armor of the same name (scale). They also offer a resistance to magic that reduces the effect of magics against her, negating all poison, and illness based magics automatically.

Appearance:

Chary is among the strangest, yet most beautiful creatures to inhabit the elven woodlands and faerie glens, far from the despoiling touch or man. She has the basic physiology of a centaur, a four legged lower body surmounted by a humanoid torso rising from where the neck and head of the lower body would be.

Each of her four feet ends in a cloven hoof, gloss black, with the front being usable weapons, but only in the most severe cases of self defence. There is extensive feathering, long hair about the ankles, not real feathers, that sometimes hides her hooves under a cascade of emerald green hair. Her legs, and body is covered in a similar, but much shorter, and almost glossy green hair, similar to that of the Kirin. Scales of gold run down the length of her back, each the size of a large golden coin, and just as brilliant to look upon. This natural armor extends down her spine, and to the tip of her tail, a bright centerline in a sea of long emerald green tail.

Her upper body is lithe and thin, with the aquiline and beguiling features of an elven princess. Large liquid eyes gaze out of a face as pure and innocent as fresh fallen snow. Only the most callous and emotionally bankrupt individual could not be in some way be drawn into her beauty.

Perhaps more striking than her golden scales, and emerald green hair is the recurved horn growing from the center of her forehead. The horn is formed of golden horn, and, like that of the Kirin, is blessed with healing properties.

Chary carries no weapons, as such a creature needs none, save for the worst and most dire of situations. She wears a loose fitting blouse as her nudity, though perfectly natural to her sometimes disturbs or upsets those who come across her. She will also wear a belt with a large pouch, dangling halfway between her front knees and her breasts. Within the pouch she carries a variety of things, ranging from pretty stones and bits of lichen and flowers to gifts from admirers, and her woodland companions, the animals, and the elves who dare to spend time near her.

Background:

The minds of the spirit-beasts are driven by impulses unknown and uncomprehendable to man, or elf. No one, save for the Kirin, knows why he did what he did.

During a rainshower, an elven princess let herself dance in and out of the rain, spinning about the thin saplings at the edge of the forest, letting the rain slick back her hair, and sink down to her skin. Her father would never approve of such silly behavior, but she was wild with youth and did not care.

From the edge of the stormclouds, the Kirin watched her dance, and was enthralled with her motion, and the lilting sound of her voice as she laughed, and sang snippets of elven song to the rain and the clouds. Fascinated by such a creature drew about it the form of a fair elven prince and went down to her.

She was joyous to dance with the newcomer who was a secret observer. Wrapped in a newly made form, and not entirely possessing his best judgement, the Kirin violated the laws of the spirit kingdoms and lay with the elven maiden, drawing from her the first blood of the flower, and also begeting her with a child.

The Kirin withdrew, and vanished, leaving the maiden confused. She returned home, and spoke not of what had transpired, but some knew she had met one of the denizens of the spirit realm and had been unnerved by the creature. Such things were to be expected, as even the elves lore of the unseen realms are incomplete and often inprecise.

She grew heavy with child, and was the center of ambivalent attention. Some elves rejoiced for the babe soon to be born, while others scowled and questioned who was the father, what elf would reduce himself to such human deeds...or was it a human. Far too often elven princesses taken with the songs and legends of antiquity would 'fall in love' with a valiant and virtuous human. Humans are not elves, and many times human lust is confused for elven love, as elves can be naive of such things.

The child came, and there was great confusion as the babe was born with the lower body resembling a small deer with short legs and bright green hair, tiny golden scales glittering on her back. The tiny creature radiated no malice, and the father was made known, a spirit had lain with the maiden, and begot her with child.

The merrybegot was named Chary, a mongrel word derived from the elven Bashful, as she was a coy beauty. Her temperment was docile and as placid as a calm pond. She radiated the peace, and subtle love of the benevolent Kirin, combined with the introspection and patience of the woodland elves.

Chary grew quickly, feeding only on morning dew, and fresh fruit, and nuts. No flesh be it fish, beast, or insect ever passed her lips. She learned the songs and lore with a quickness that surprised the elves. Seeing such a gift, she was apprenticed to the lorekeepers and songsmiths of the elven kingdom. There she learned the lore, and ways of the elves, their ancient song roads and sagas.

She also learned that she was seen as a benevolent abomination, tolerated by some of the more xenophobic members of her kingdom by the virtue of her mother's pedigree. Feeling the discomfort of those around her, most of whom were unaffected by her soothing aura, Chary decided to depart from her home, and seek the life of the hermit. Perhaps she would find her father and seek the Kirin's way of life having learned her elven heritage.

She lives in an area of forest uninhabited by elf, or man. Only the wild things of the forest dwell there, birds and quick mammals, and all come to her singsong call. She has become the caretaker of the area, and is often host to the nymphs, and immaterial spirits who are drawn to her half-blooded nature. Unicorns are rumored to be her companions, dreams her playthings.

Roleplaying Notes:

Chary is at heart, a gentle soul. She is a healer, and a protector. Those who seek her help honestly are treated well and healed of their afflictions if she is capable of doing so. The bitter and cynical are often defeated by their own negativity and driven to rebuild themselves after a prolonged encounter, finding new meaning and beauty in their lives, such things they had forgotten. She is soft-spoken, subtle, and wise beyond her sometimes child like demeanor.

Plot Hooks
- A mysterious disease begins to spread, resistant to magical and divine cleansing. It could be a widespread affliction, or restricted to a single party member. Either way, the only rumor of hope is to find the Emerald Lady of the distant wood to heal with her magics. It would be a trek to find the hidden glen, and then to face their inner hostilities and dark emotions as they finally meet the god-blooded Chary.

- There is rumor of a terrible sorceress who inhabits a fairly close by wood. Her spells are diffuse as gossamer, but stronger than steel, fear her, for she drives the hunters and loggers from the wood. The PCs are sent to remove the powerful sorceress, thinking her a monster, perhaps to be slain.

- Chary approaches the PCs, either in person/unlikely, or via a proxy. She wants them to help her find the Kirin that fathered her, requiring the lore and skills of the magi, skills she lacks. They could have the gentle soul join them for a romp through the spirit realms, serving as her bodyguard. They could also become involved in spirit court politics, long term research, and the hunting of the treasures of the spirit realms.

- The PCs are instructed that to save a dying person of great importance, they must seek out a living Kirin, strike off it's horn and return with it to make a potion to either completely heal, or ressurect the person of great importance. Do they accept the natural progression of death, or do they kill another to prolong unnatural life?

To those who do read this entire entry, Thank you. I do apologize for the great length, but sometimes once the pebble falls, it turns into an avalance.

Once again, thank you.