Eldstar Glenna Dunewind
Eldstar Glenna Serai Dunewind (a.k.a. Gardener of the Sands)
Glenna Dunewind is the revered leader of Star Valley, known to many as the “Gardener of the Sands.” A Lightfoot Halfling with a rare and wondrous talent—manipulating plants even in the arid heart of the Barren Expanse—Glenna has become a symbol of resilience and ingenuity. Her magic draws power from the oasis and the Astral Magistone, allowing her to coax flora to life and command them in defense of her people. Once a humble cultivator, she rose to prominence after defending Star Valley from a bandit siege by summoning a wall of thorned vines and sand-rooted cacti from the earth itself. Under her leadership, the desert oasis thrives, and Star Valley has become a sanctuary for innovation and survival against all odds.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Nimble, wiry, and tough; maintains her strength through daily tending and rituals in the oasis.
Body Features
Long-fingered hands with vine-like tattoos that glow faintly when channeling magic; calloused feet and palms.
Facial Features
Rounded, expressive features with smile lines and a sharp, confident gaze.
Identifying Characteristics
A crescent-shaped scar under her right eye from the Siege of Needlewind; wears a glowing seed crystal necklace.
Physical quirks
ends to tap her fingers in plant rhythms—an old druidic habit to feel the “pulse” of the earth.
Special abilities
Floral Conjuration: Can summon desert flora for healing, shelter, or defense.
Photosynthetic Shielding: Can temporarily absorb sunlight to create radiant shields of hardened light-leaves.
Astral-Botanic Synergy: Can infuse plants with Magistone to give them magical properties—flammable thorns, scent-lures, explosive pollen.
Apparel & Accessories
Wears loose sand-colored robes embroidered with green and gold thread, leather harnesses for tools, and a living crown of desert blooms.
Specialized Equipment
Staff of the Oasis Root: A twisted walking staff grown from a seed infused with Astral Magistone; summons protective flora.
Waterbead Satchel: Contains enchanted seeds that bloom when hydrated—used for defense, food, or shade.
Sandglass Tiller: A magical tool used for compacting sand and sensing leyline currents beneath the dunes.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Raised among survivors of the Riverbend's Fall, Glenna’s childhood was marked by stories of green wonder and magical ancestry. Her affinity for plants bloomed early when she resurrected a dying cactus as a child. Mentored by the Oasis druids and desert herbalists, she combined ancient nature magics with desert resilience.
Education
Informally taught by druids and sand-herbalists; self-taught in arcane botany and Astral Magistone theory.
Employment
Formerly head gardener and herbalist of Star Valley; currently Head of the Council of Elders.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Defended Star Valley in the Siege of Needlewind Dune.
Discovered a method to grow hardy crops using diluted Magistone-infused soil.
Re-brokered the Peace Path Treaty with ogre nomads, solidifying mutual cooperation after a breadown during the Pandora War.
Failures & Embarrassments
Her first attempt to grow a living barrier ended in magical overgrowth, briefly consuming several market stalls.
Blamed herself for not detecting Illithid agents disguised as pilgrims during a spiritual festival.
Mental Trauma
Suffers guilt from being unable to save her childhood village when the desert overtook it.
Intellectual Characteristics
Analytical and emotionally intuitive; specializes in combining nature magic with arcane mechanics.
Morality & Philosophy
Deep believer in balance between innovation and preservation; all progress must serve harmony.
Taboos
Refuses to exploit the land beyond its ability to recover; will not allow Magistone harvesting without ritual grounding.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
To ensure Star Valley flourishes without ever repeating the mistakes that turned the Sea of Leaves into a desert; to prepare her people for any coming dangers, above or below the sand.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Savvy: Survival magic, diplomatic tact, botany, Magistone lore.
Inept: Heavy weapons, formal politics, high-speed travel (gets motion sickness on sandboards).
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: Early dawns, freshly bloomed succulents, stories from ogre tribes, green tea.
Dislikes: Wastefulness, artificial irrigation without balance, unnecessary conflict.
Virtues & Personality perks
Patient, nurturing, wise, fiercely protective.
Vices & Personality flaws
Overworks herself, holds grudges against exploitative outsiders.
Personality Quirks
Hums to her plants in Halfling folk songs; always carries a small pouch of oasis sand for grounding.
Hygiene
Impeccably clean despite the desert, always smelling faintly of aloe and dry sage.
Representation & Legacy
Seen as a living symbol of Star Valley’s endurance; bards already sing of her as a folk hero who can “whisper to the dunes.”
Social
Reign
Serving as Head of the Council of Elders since 870 A.C.
Contacts & Relations
- Sandboarder’s Guild: Honorary Elder Advisor
- Desert Guardians: Strategic Commander
- Ogre Tribes: Personal friend to Chieftain Brog Sunstomp
- Druids of the Whispering Sands: Spiritual allies
Family Ties
Parents lost in the fall of Riverbend; no siblings. Considered the adoptive “aunt” of several halfling families.
Religious Views
Follows Obad-hai and Yondalla - teachings are very similar
Social Aptitude
Charismatic in a grounded, earthy way; speaks gently but commands attention.
Mannerisms
Often closes her eyes when listening, as if absorbing more than just words.
Hobbies & Pets
Tending rare desert plants, recording growth patterns in lunar journals, teaching children desert survival chants.
Speech
Soft-spoken with a lilting Halfling accent; often uses plant metaphors—e.g., “Let’s not water weeds with good time.”
Wealth & Financial state
Personally modest but holds access to the city’s highest resources and influence.
Current Status
To protect Star Valley's independence and ecology, develop sustainable agriculture in the desert, and thwart any advances from the lingering threats from Sovereign Terra Illithids 50 years ago.
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Gardener of the Sands, Speaker of the Oasis
Age
64
Date of Birth
7th Veritas 817
Circumstances of Birth
Born during a desert rainstorm—considered a sign of great fortune—Glenna was delivered under the shade of the last living tree of Riverbend, believed to be blessed by the spirits of the old forest.
Birthplace
Old Riverbend, a post-war desert village that vanished in the shifting sands
Children
Current Residence
A tiered adobe-rooted dwelling that blooms with desert flora and overlooks the Meteorite Oasis.
Sex
Female
Eyes
Deep olive green, speckled with golden flecks—reflective and vibrant, as if touched by starlight.
Hair
Chestnut brown, thick and curly, often tied back in a bun with woven desert reeds and Magistone-threaded beads.
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Warm bronze with sun-freckled shoulders and faint markings on her arms that resemble delicate leaf-veins.
Height
3 feet
Weight
42 lbs
Quotes & Catchphrases
“If the desert can bloom, so can we.”
“I don’t fight with steel—I grow resistance.”
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