Eldryn

Bridge between Mortal and Fae

Eldryn, also known as Half-Dryads, are mystical beings created when dryads choose to extend their influence to willing creatures by implanting living wood within them. This gift causes a transformation that permanently alters the mortal and turns them into one of the fae. Together with their dryad mothers, they care for the forests at the heart of manifest zones to the Verdant Expanse. In some places, Viridians or others devoted to the Expanse have long-standing traditions of sending their youths to the dryads, for them to pick the worthiest among them to become Eldryn and join with the forest like never before.

Physical appearance

Eldryn stand tall and lithe, with a grace that belies their toughness. Their skin exhibits varying shades of natural colors, ranging from the pale hues of birch bark to the deep tones of rich, fertile earth. The Eldryn's hair often resembles the foliage of the trees they protect, cascading down in a myriad of leaves, vines, or flowers that change with the seasons. Some who have only heard about Viridians from vague descriptions might mistake an Eldryn for one of them, as they share in the influence of the Verdant Expanse, only Eldryn much more so.

Eldryn and the Seasons

Each Eldryn is intrinsically linked to one of the four seasons, which influences their appearance and abilities.

Summer

Summer Eldryn are the warriors and defenders of the inner woods, fiercely protecting the Verdant Expanse and its allies from threats. They are the most warlike among the Eldryn. Often, they join forces with Viridians and other allies of the fae to safeguard their realm.
Summer Eldryn emanate an aura of warmth and vibrancy, their skin often adorned with patterns reminiscent of sun-dappled leaves. Their hair may take on the brilliant colors of a summer bloom, giving them a fiery and fierce demeanor.

Spring

As caretakers of new growth, Spring Eldryn embody the essence of youth. They inherit the dryads' beauty and possess a supernatural allure that captivates mortals. They are the most sociable of the Eldryn, the spokespersons of their mothers and the fae as a whole, forging connections with other residents of the woods, and even leaving to forge connections beyond the boundary of the trees.
Spring Eldryn bear delicate features that evoke the freshness of the season. Their skin may have a soft green tint, like the first shoots of a plant breaking through the soil. The foliage that forms their hair is lush and vibrant, interwoven with blossoms in a mesmerizing array of pastel colors, reflecting their connection to desire and life's renewal.

Autumn

Autumn Eldryn are in tune with decay, rot, and withering, as they clear away the weak elements to strengthen the forest. Referred to as the reapers of the Eldryn, they instill fear in those who witness their terrifying presence.
Autumn Eldryn showcase the beauty of decay, with skin tones that mimic the warm hues of fallen leaves, ranging from golden yellows to deep reds and browns. Their hair takes on the colors of the changing foliage, a cascade of leaves that rustle softly as they move. Yet below that lies a sinister aura, warning of the terror they may unleash at an instant. In those moments their visage becomes one of wilting, withering death, terrifying to behold.

Winter

Winter Eldryn represent rest, slumber, and mourning. They are furtive beings, offering spiritual guidance and wisdom to those they encounter. A solemn stillness follows in their wake, as they shoulder the grief of those who unburden their sorrows to them.
Winter Eldryn embody the stillness and calm of the season, their skin taking on the cool tones of frosted bark or the white of freshly fallen snow. Their hair, a blend of bare branches and evergreen needles, reflects the quiet beauty of winter. Those who meet their eyes often cannot tell whether what they see in them is compassion, or sorrow.

Ashen One

The tragic fall of the Moonreef Citadel upon Solace brought not only destruction to the region but also a cascade of magical disruption that tore through the veil, unleashing raw chaotic energies. To the south of Solace, the Everbloom Wood, a majestic forest and manifest zone of the Verdant Expanse, faced a catastrophic transformation. As the unleashed planar magic ignited the wood, a raging conflagration devoured plant and bough. However, rather than being reduced to ash, a breach in reality caused the forest to burn eternally, forever ablaze yet never consumed.
The dryads of the Everbloom Wood were driven mad by the relentless torment of their beloved trees, the eternal pyres twisting them into vengeful, fiery reflections of their former selves. This profound change echoed through the dryads and reached the Eldryn who bore a piece of their living wood inside of them, no matter where they were. These transformed Eldryn are now known as the Ashen Ones.
The Ashen Ones bear the scars of the eternal fire within their appearance. Their skin ranges in shades from ghostly white to sooty black, reflecting the ashes of the forest that continues to burn. A hot anger seems to smolder beneath their surface, ever-present and waiting to be unleashed. Their hair, once vibrant and lush, now resembles a mix of smoldering embers and tendrils of smoke, a constant reminder of the tragedy that transformed them.

Eldryn Racial Traits

Fey: Though once human, Eldryn have more in common with the world of the fey than with men. Time has little purchase on them, and they remain ever as they are in the face of its passage. Every hundred year or so, an Eldryn feels the call to slumber, coming to rest by their mother's side for several decades, before emerging refreshed, but with few memories of their former lives.
Medium: Eldryn are Medium creatures and have no penalties or bonuses due to their size.
Normal Speed: Eldryn have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: An Eldryn can see twice as far as a human in dim light.
Fey Bark: An Eldryn inherits a measure of resilience from her mother, her skin and flesh hardening in response to trauma. An Eldryn has Damage Reduction 3/cold iron,slashing.
Treespeech: Like their mothers, Eldryn can converse with plants as if subject to a continual speak with plants spell.
Sylvan Weapon Familiarity: Eldryn gain a passing familiarity with the weapons of the fey through memories inherited from their mothers, though still require training at arms to make the most of it. They treat any weapon with "Sylvan" in the name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Eldryn begin play speaking Imperial Basic, and either Sylvan or one other Common language. Eldryn with high intelligence can choose from any Common language.
Subtype: Each Eldryn must choose one of the Subtypes listed below, gaining all their traits.

Spring Eldryn

+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength: Spring Eldryn are alluring and graceful, but they lack in strength.
Fey Beauty: Regardless of gender, Spring Eldryn share a measure of their mother's magical beauty. They add +1 to the saving throw DCs for their spells of the enchantment school. Eldryn with a Charisma score of 13 or better, they may use Charm Person once per day as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to their character level.
Enduring Allure: When a Spring Eldryn successfully uses Diplomacy to win over an individual, that creature takes a –2 penalty on attempts to resist any of the member’s Charisma-based skills for the next 24 hours.

Summer Eldryn

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom: Summer Eldryn are strong and tough, but often rash and short-sighted.
Tough Bark: A Summer Eldryn's skin hardens more swiftly and effectively against trauma than that of other Eldryn, offering increased protection. A Summer Eldryn gains a +1 natural armour bonus to AC. A Summer Eldryn of third level or higher may use Barkskin as a spell-like ability once per day, with a caster level equal to their character level.

Autumn Eldryn

+2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity: Autumn Eldryn are tough, and possessed of an eerie beauty that can turn to terror in an instant. They are slow and measured in their movements, knowing that time, ultimately, is on their side.
Reaper: Autumn Eldryn gain +1 to the DC of any saving throws against necromancy spells that they cast. Autumn Eldryn with a Charisma score of 13 or higher may cast Cause Fear as a spell-like ability once a day, with a caster level equal to their character level. An Autumn Eldryn of fifth level or higher with at least a Charisma score of 15 may additional cast Fear as a spell-like ability once a day, with a caster level equal to their character level.

Winter Eldryn

+4 Wisdom, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: Winter Eldryn are good listeners and percetive judges of characters, tranquil and at peace with their surroundings. They are more frail than other Eldryn, and their tranquil minds do not lend themselves well to academic pursuits.
Soothing Calm: A Winter Eldryn gains a +2 on all Charisma based skill-checks targeting a creature whose current emotional state is primarily one of grief or sorrow.

Ashen One

+2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength: Ashen Ones smoulder with an inner fire. The wracking fires they have endured have made them tough, but they're not as strong as some other Eldryn.
Fire-kissed: Ashen Ones are treated as +1 level higher when casting spells with the fire descriptor, using granted powers of the Fire domain, using bloodline powers of the fire elemental bloodline, using the revelations of the oracle’s flame mystery, and determining the damage of alchemist bombs that deal fire damage. This trait does not give members of this race early access to level-based powers; it only affects powers that they could already use without this trait. An Ashen One who has a Charisma score of 11 or higher also gains the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, flare, prestidigitation, produce flame. The caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to the user’s character level.