Grandmother Irwen
Grandmother Irwen is Driftwood Hollow's oldest resident, her actual age a matter of speculation given the absence of official records and her own deliberate vagueness on the subject. Her slender frame, wrapped in layers of hand-woven fabrics dyed in subtle patterns using her own botanical formulations, projects fragility at first glance. This impression dissolves upon meeting her piercing gaze—eyes of such deep amber they appear almost golden, reflecting wisdom accumulated across decades of careful observation.
As the village's elder and spiritual guide, Irwen fulfills multiple crucial roles. Her extensive knowledge of local flora produces remedies more effective than many magical healing methods available at Oathwatch Academy, treating ailments conventional medicine struggles to address. During births, deaths, and other significant transitions, she conducts ceremonies combining practical support with rituals whose origins predate imperial religious practices, preserving traditions otherwise lost to time.
Rumor suggests she secretly carries an amulet from Nytheris Iluthar that she refuses to part with—a delicate construction of intertwined silver and opalescent material unlike any known metal. The amulet remains mostly concealed beneath her garments, visible only during certain rituals or moments of community crisis. When questioned about its origins, she deflects with good-humored proverbs or seemingly nonsensical stories that nonetheless leave listeners with uneasy impressions of deeper meaning.
Irwen's cottage stands slightly apart from the village proper, surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens producing both mundane herbs and specimens found nowhere else in the region.
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