Name: Trent D'Arbor
Gender: male
Age: 18
Nationality: Lower Thalian
Current Home City: Alestia City, Alestia
Job: Woodsman, Forester, Crop planner.
Appearance:
–Height: 5'11“
–Weight: 160 lbs
–Hair: brown
–Eyes: brown
–Build: lean, solid
Good at:
–Archery
–Occult & communing with spirits
–Athletics
–Hiding
–Riding
–Surviving
–Tending wounds
–Soothing animals
–Quelling interplanar rebellions
Trent is fully devoted to protecting the Forest spirit. For Trent, It/He/She is exemplified by the Verden Forest, a massive forest within a day journey of Alestia City. Within its sylvan borders reside the woodland spirits formerly revered by Trent's decimated peoples. Surprisingly, many of the deceased Que-She tribe's ghosts were also drawn into the forest, with their love of nature anchoring them unto this world. Trent credits the Verden Forest spirit with his rescue, and pays homage by rerouting Ley Lines to feed the spirits, teaching neighboring cities to live in harmony with the forest, and protecting the lesser spirits from enemy threats.
Trent was born to to the Que-She tribe, one of many small nomadic societies dotting Lower Thalia. Like most nomadic peoples, the Que-She followed unseen spiritual entities of Earth, Wood, and Sky to survive and prosper. But tragedy had befallen the tribe, for a true spirit speaker had not been born for over three generations. Chief GrayFace relied upon the guidance of oracles and medicine men that still superstitiously followed the ways of the ancestors but could not accurately commune with the spirits.
One misread portent led the tribe to their doom. The annual fall trek toward warmer grounds was met with an early frost. The Forest warned the tribesman of the slaver band within her, that her bare limbs would offer no protection. But the tribe could not hear her and foolishly ventured into her depths. The slavers fell upon them at night. The tribe put up a fierce fight, for even the women were trained in the deadly art of archery. The Que-She tribespeople fought to the death. Every child able to walk took arms against the slavers. When the fight ended, all that remained of the tribe were three infants far too young to walk. One of them would become Trent D'Arbor.
The infants were housed with other children to be raised into complete docility, for a servant trained from birth not to revolt was highly prized. But it soon became apparent that Trent was unlike the other children. Unbeknown to the slavers, Trent had the spirit sight. The Forest, lamenting the slaughter of the Que-She, entreated the spirits to educate Trent on the heritage of his people. He began speaking with the Que-She dialect, using names known only to his people. He was well versed in the spiritual customs of his people. He branded himself with a tribal design of his people. While his behaviors were offputting, the slavers dismissed them as Trent having a keen memory for his early childhood.
On the night of Trent's 180th moon, the Que-She night of ascension to manhood, the Forest appeared before Trent. She would train him in the way of his people - to be deadly with bow, move unseen through the trees, and survive without want. She would bestow upon him two loyal servants, one of tree and one of bird. And she would help him escape the slavers. In exchange, he would forever protect the Forest from destruction. He solemnly took this vow.
Every day since his liberation, Trent has upheld his vow. In the mornings, he rides a weekly route to the farms around the Inn. By ensuring a bountiful harvest even in the coldest months, the local farmers need not encroach upon Forest and convert it to farmlands. He tends to the farm animals, such that wild game is never a necessity. And he aids foresters in selecting older, dying trees for harvest, so that younger trees may thrive. His dedication to preserving the Forest while aiding Man's growth is renown throughout the city, such that he has earned the name “D'Arbor”, meaning “Of the Trees”.
====== Swiftwind and Willow ======
Familiars' character sheets