Cautious cleric, this wood elf is in search of answers for her dark turmoil & ancient powers, helping those in need along the way and dabbling into the finer things in life

Galandra Riivenstar
 
Born amongst the ever flowering Cherry Blossoms of Southern Dunoun, to a well respected, restoration magic whealding family and clan of Ima Lenora. Galandra Riivenstar had her destiny mapped out for her from the day she took her first breath in a forest of the Living  Wood. 
 
The Clan Elders ( including her mother and father, Elora and Ruben Riivenstar ) would tell the young elves stories on how the area held secrets of old, spirits of the ancestors and ancient wisdoms. 
 
This of course was generally believed to be nothing but Myth as there had been no whispers on the wind for centuries but Galandra believed otherwise. Teased for such wild fantasies by the other elven children, Galandra kept herself to herself, reading ancient tomes and pulling information from elder stories instead of playing with the other kids.
 
Little did she know that her beliefs and faith in the old ways would plant the seeds which would bear the fruit of unimaginable, yet gravely dangerous power. 
 
The Elven healing tradition of Ima dictates Galandra must follow in her parents footsteps and dedicate her will to her family’s cause. It was at her coming of age ceremony that she was to submit to further teachings and begin the Journey of Ima Dra ( or greater healing / service) 
 
She would stand a front of the Greater life tree in the centre of her village  in silence  and at the turning of the midspring hour would enter the the tear in its trunk; alone. Inside, scored with ancient markings and glowing runes the Life tree and its contents where the combined knowledge of the Ima Lenora Clan and all their teachings on who they once were. 
 
On entering, Galandra could feel the power of the tree and all the electric energy that it radiated.  An ancient knowledge unbeknown to her yet soon started to seed itself into her brain. One moment she was a novice who knew only of what she was told but now, it was as if every memory, teaching and script this tree possessed was surfing through her mind.
 
Words appeared in ancient elven script,  burnt into her arms;
 
"With this gift, you may give where the perils of life taketh, but at a price..."
 
The Life tree, and the power behind it was giving her the means to mend the broken, fix the damaged and survive the seemingly unsurvivable; a mighty gift and yet one that few in her village had possessed for many years.
 
Most, following the in same footsteps would enter the tree of life, see its power and either leave unchanged or be driven mad by its glory. But she was different, people knew this and grew afraid.
 
The power of life came at an expense, or so it was told, and the ones she loved feared that should she grow in power that maybe the tithe for this would be them, or those close them. 
 
"Take what you need, not what you want" 
 
The whispers would repeat. 
 
Nobody should have the power to restore life without consequence and so she came to understand that with every action she made to help, the power within would grow and try and take a part of her; or so it felt. A grasping, gripping, driving force that seemed to want to expand and grow but with it drive her away from her humble beginnings and create a being that worshipped themselves and the power they held and not a person who’s deeds were singular, pure and selfless.
 
The following years she would grow arrogant, petty and sometimes vengeful to those who bullied her. She was an Ima Dar after all. Her parents tried hard to guide her through the worst of it but her youth and her arrogance would not listen.
 
Lusting for power without consequence she traveled to Iyathlia looking for ways to slake its thirst. One day, while in the Southern Forest of Sylviath ( Silver Pine)  she came across a beautiful, dark haired woman, simply walking and singing within its confines. 
 
She had dark eyes but a smile that Galandra seemed to be captivated by. Not attraction but something else, like the power within her was stirring and fixed upon this woman’s visage.
 
Over the next few hours, they spoke together and the Lady told Galandra that she knew how she felt and that she too was once a life-giver and that if she wanted, she could show Galandra how to harness her power, keep it in check and grow it without fear of consequence... all she would need to do is provide the lady with a lock of her hair, a drop of her blood and a magic incantation ( known only by her. 
 
Completely taken in by this request Galandra provided it all. The Lady, smiled, bowed, then walked to the edge of the forest. 
 
“Thank you child, now go home, the power within you already obeys.”
 
The lady then vanished, as if in a mist of black smoke , that wafted through the trunks of the silver pine trees.
 
Sure enough, with her return journey, she could feel her power bending to her will, less active, less surging, more dormant. In her mind she had come out the other side, unaided and she felt good.
 
It was the first morning of La'air Norioè, The Festival of New Life and Galandra awoke to screams of terror and treachery. The "living" trees burning, wildlife fleeing and elven folk in sheer panic. 
 
Galandra knew her parents, those who had loved her, cared for her and cherished her when all others would not, would be in great peril so she ran to her home hearth. 
 
On entering the broken arched door of her family home she found her parents, mother already deathly still in a pile of blood saturated rags. Father lying holding his stomach, his breathing light as if failing him. 
 
Galandra raced to him, "They're here" he gasped softly, as if with no urgency at all. "They're here" 
 
She screamed to the ancient ones, cursing them for letting this happen but the only reply was a whisper...
 
"It is his time, Young One" 
 
And with that he died in her arms, she helpless to save him, as the life drains from his eyes. 
 
She stayed with her parents, sobbing, wishing she hadn’t left, trying to use her power to revive them but to no avail. And so she sat, sobbing. The sounds of screaming out side subsided and eventually what ever had attack the village was gone.
 
Walking out of her family home she made a vow  in the light of the Ancient Ones to avenge her parents and hone her skills to allow her to maintain lives. 
 
Galandra spent many nights thinking over what had happened. She knew it was her fault and that the Dark haired Lady had been a part of it but who she was and why, was a mystery she needed an answer to.
 
The attack on her village had been focused, and quick but left no scars other than those in the hearts of the loved ones who had been 
 
Lost but she had learned that a great evil had also attacked the southern lands of Iyathlia and even overrun some of the islands off the coast. Both attacks were linked somehow, she knew it, but she had no knowledge of why. 
 
Galandra tried to find the answers in Iyathlia but every night she would dream of the dark-haired woman and each night the visage got darker, closer and more real. She took to drinking just to try and dull these nightmares but the longer she stayed the worse they were getting; she had to leave.
 
The further she went from her homeland, the better her dreams became. She still drank to ease the remaining nightmares but for the most part it seemed that the  Dark haired lady had gone; for now. 
 
For many years she wandered the lands of Freiya, looking for answers, meeting new people but yet still being unable to get too close. If a stranger was injured, she would heal them, if a soldier needed aid she would give it, but then she was gone. No thanks, no reward just a smile and left. The concept of friendship hurt too much and she felt that was the price she had to pay to use her power.
 
It was though, in the 5th year of her travels, in the land of Cragmere, that she met a young Paladin called Soldin. His story was similar to hers and he, like her, still felt the loss of his own family very deeply. 
 
He talked to her of his adventures, his quest to bring his families, murderers, to justice and his encounter with the old man and the canaries or as he believed, the mortal representation of the dragon god Bahamut. 
 
Despite not wanting to befriend him and unsure if she fully believed his encounter Galandra still couldn’t help but warm to his youthful zeal and be encouraged by his optimistic view on the world, justice for the weak and how his deity could help her with her power.  
 
She told him little of her dreams, other than they were coming back, but she felt that if this devotion to the Dragon God, Bahamut could help Soldin, then maybe it could help her too. 
 
Galandra joined the Cleric order of Marduk soon after and within the silent order she learned to hone her skills as a healer more and for a time she forgot of her troubles and even joined Soldin in his quest through the barbarian lands of Oss but something was wrong. Her dreams were returning, the nightmare of the Black haired lady was back and now, there were visions of a new portal and the destruction of the northern lands of Freiya.
 
She begged Soldin leave to return to her order for guidance but he would not let her go alone. He would help her find peace and some answers and she would help him bring justice to the Raiders and bring back his sister. 
 
And so the two friends left Cragmere and journeyed to the Chapel of Marduk on Balon.

Age

120

Gender

Female

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Scarlet

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Olive

Height

7ft