The current leader of the
Tree-Wrights Dahlia is an inspiration to many of the downtrodden in the city of Arbor. Her meteoric rise as an unknown from the
Twigs have given hope to many who live there. Dahlia herself is an unmitigated genius and craftsmen and finds all of the calls to use her elevated social standing to help her fellow citizens little more than a nuisance. Her focus is solely on her work, improving and finding new ways to carve assemble and impregnate the
Great Tree Wood with magics to perform even greater feats.
Do you see how this grain pattern here and here match and line up, we've gained nearly a 10% increase in magical potency isn't that amazing... now who are you again?
Appearance
Dahlia most striking feature is her bright pink hair, which is mostly tied back or to the side to keep it out of the way. She is never without her goggles which she has designed herself to allow her to see the patterns and flow of mana within the woods she works with. However this also hides a scar that sits across her right eye, a scar she received for not minding her manners when she was an orphan. She is a small thing really and quite a bit older than she looks which is not a day over her 30th year. She is small and lithe with strong dexterous hands that are constantly fidgeting even when holding nothing at all.
Personality
For one so brilliant as she it can be hard to engage Dahlia on anything she is not interested in at the moment. Interacting with Dahlia is a headache for much of the guild because of this and Dahlia's own general disdain for anything that has to do with the running of the guild she leaves most of the day to day operations up to the inner circle. She speaks quickly and does not stop until she has gotten to the end of whatever explanation for some new phenomenon she is currently exploring. There are few who are her equal in terms of raw intelligence and so she can come across as quite lonely desperate for someone to talk to about her discoveries and so will talk with anyone and everyone about what she is working on. This has led to more than one incident where her assistants must remind her not to spill the guilds most guarded secrets to a random passersby.
Background
Dahlia grew up in the
Twigs and so for most of her early life she spent it scrounging for scraps and whatever she could find to feed herself. She was one of many that lived in the orphanages that dot the landscape in the area. Her hair colour is natural though and so even then the orphanage matron thought it wouldn't be long before someone would come and either claim her or adopt her for their unique traits. However many were turned away by her way of speaking and general disposition, until the previous leader
Caesar Ninian Darknoll of the
Tree-Wrights happened to come through on a charity visit.
Dahlia was fascinated by what this strange man was doing to her home, he was there to inspect some of the woodwork that had been put in place by an apprentice as part of charity work. He declared the work satisfactory and was about to leave when Dahlia looked at a series of cross beams and joints and declared she could do better and not only that that the work was designed to fail in a little over 2 years. The headmistress slapped her hard enough to draw blood and leave the scar on her eye and immediately began apologizing for the rudeness and gall Dahlia had displayed. Caesar simply said show me, Dahlia took out a box of crayons and within minutes had drawn the entire assembly of the roofs cross beams and how they were held together pointing out the flaw and 4 potential designs that could be implemented to last generations instead of years. Caesar turned to the headmistress and told her that he would be adopting the girl and would be punishing his apprentice for his bungle. Before he left he asked for her name she told him she didn't have one, Caesar thought for a moment and told her she would be Dahlia Darknoll, naming her after the pink flowers his wife loved.
Dahlias life from that moment on was one of constant stimulation and growth the likes of which few had ever seen. She quickly out paced her peers and was already working several steps ahead of even junior Masters. She completed her apprenticeship and was already moving on to her Great Work. When it was completed the head of the Tree Wrights presented it to the Inner Circle and upon seeing it declared that whoever had made such a thing surely deserved to be the Grand master for the guild, they had though made a mistake as they had assumed it had been created by the current Master. With a wry smile on his face the old Master revealed that he of course agreed announcing his retirement and the appointment of Dahlia to the role of Grand Master of the Tree Wrights. The Inner Circle was of course furious and tried to block her appointment but due to their own bylaws they were trapped. Dahlia was named Grand Master and has been for the past 10 years though many of the Tree Wrights hate this idea few have ever questioned her talent.
Great Work
Dahlia's great work is a thing of legend. A feat of woodworking and magic that most agreed should be impossible. At first glance the unassuming puzzle box is all it appears to be, however as you solve the box it slowly begins to reveal its secrets. At first it opens and folds to reveal a small room an extra dimensional space where one can store their tools and supplies should they need them in the field. This is but the first layer, As you explore deeper mysteries and solve more of the boxes puzzles larger and larger more complex rooms are revealed. Whole machine rooms with the necessary equipment for an entire workshop and more. As more and more is solved the box never fails to add more rooms and areas for the holder to explore. The only person who knows how big the inside truly gets is Dahlia herself and she made the creation not as her great work but as something she was just tinkering with on the side. The puzzles inside do get more difficult and at some point there are defenses present to keep those deepest mysteries a secret but if you asked nicely and she was in the right mood I'm sure Dahlia would show anyone around.
Relationships
Dahlia doesn't really have anything that most would consider friendships, the closest approximation though would be Caesar the former head of the Tree Wrights and her adoptive father. As for the other members of the guild though she simply doesn't form those kinds of bonds . As for the other members of the guild though she simply doesn't form those kinds of bonds easily. However her 2 assistants which are her adopted brothers
Ren Darknoll and
Kunal Darknoll understand Dahlia better than anyone and do what they can to help her navigate social situations when they arise and she cannot avoid them.
Allegiance
Due to her nature Dahlia holds few allegiances if any at all. Below are a list of all the companies that Dahlia holds some amount of loyalty to and the reasons behind that loyalty.
Tree Wrights
Her own company Dahlia holds the strongest connection to them. They are the ones who trained and taught her the secrets of how to work with the wood. Saying this though she has no love for the beauracury or the power that comes with being the leader of one of the strongest companies in the city. So while they swear loyalty to her and in theory the other way around it is a marriage of circumstance rather than one of understanding.
The Gilded
The leaders of the Gilded were contacted shortly after Dahlia rose to prominence within the Tree Wrights. Her curiosity into the construction of their hearts and replacement parts led her to speak directly to their leaders and over time a friendship was formed. This strange friendship of like minded scientists carried on once Dahlia was leader of the company.
The Pipemen
In much the same way as the Gilded Dahlia and her infinite and insatiable curiosity led her to the Pipemen's doors. Like the Gilded they did not turn her away or shoo her, they saw in her a kindred spirit one who pursued knowledge for its own sake. She has stayed friends with their leaders since she was small and this has only continued into her role as leader.
Abilities
Possessing many abilities for one so young Dahlia is a true prodigy.
Mana Flow Sight
Dahlia has a truly unique ability one not seen anywhere else in Arbor. She can see the flow of energy inside a person, object or the land itself. She describes it as similar to the grain pattern in wood. On its own this would not be that powerful of an ability but it allows her to join up and sever the flow of energy in anything. Practical applications mean that when constructing object made from
Great Tree Wood they contain a far higher magical threshold enabling far more powerful enchantments to be placed inside them.
Expert Magician
With her sight came an intrinsic understanding of how magic should work within Arbor. Her ability to read energy flows enable her to tap into a near limitless wellspring of energy and wield it however she chooses. It's been said that if the
Collegiate Arcanum had found her first she would have been the most powerful student to ever grace their halls. As it stands she is still a supremely gifted spell caster though most of her focus is in creating new and more interesting creations.
Grand Master Tree Wright
To even give her this title is a slight disservice to her talent and skill. With her sight she has an innate understanding of the wood with which she works leading to some of the most complex and powerful creations Arbor has ever seen. It should be noted she cares little for the application of her devices and simply wants to create. Her creative impulses are as likely to produce an exquisite piece of art as they are to create a doomsday weapon. None though would ever question her talent she is the best Arbor has ever produced.
Equipment
Dahlia is never without her standard tools and thanks to her great work the ever expanding wardrobe he is also never without her more complex machines. However in addition to these she has on her head a pair of goggles that allow her to see the flows of energy better and more clearly.
Notable Creations
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