Leifa (prime)

Leifa Ar'Anya Race Dark Elf Class Ranger Religion Imaera Affiliation(s) The TownCrier, Argent Aspis, CODE, RYSK In-a-Word Banshee Disposition Wild Entrophy Greatest Strength Nature's Grace Greatest Weakness Self Control Habits Hunting without armor, Teasing Dwarves Hobbies Singing, Performing, Torturing my prey Soft Spots horses, bears, dogs, hedgehogs, snakes Likes Elves, Palestra, cake, rum Dislikes Krolvin, Demonmasters, formal dances, children Fears entrapment Loyalties a black-toed saddleback foxhound Best Friend Erienne

Appearance

You see Leifa Ar'Anya Faendryl the Archdruid.
She appears to be a Dark Elf.
Resting elegantly on her head is a laurel-draped aureate crown, the metal surface etched with intricate designs of twining ivy. Set on either side of the crown are tiered antlers, their branching tines bleached to a pale bone white.
She is strikingly tall. She appears to be full grown. She has thick-lashed intense viridian eyes and sun-kissed bronze skin. She has manelike, voluminous ash blonde hair worn in a haphazard disarray scattered with leaves and twigs, partially concealing a blonde tortoiseshell haircomb danging a pair of barn owl feather. She has a lean, angular face and a strongly sloped nose. She has delicately curved ears and an elegant neck that tapers down to a slight hollow in her finely sculpted collarbone. She has a duo of vine-like kelyn earcaps engulfed in leopard jasper thorns attached to her ears.
She has a series of small variegated charmed hoops set along the slender tips of her pointed ears, an ash-packed tribal scar marking over her left eye, a stylized black-inked tribal sunburst tattoo across her collarbone on her neck, and an inked golden mist coiled around and burrowing into the skin on her wrist.
She is in good shape.
She is wearing a strand of vaalin glowbark leaves, a copper-hued cloak patterned with a faint green patina, a verdigris copper-plated corset laced with braided suede ribbons, a slender oval of twining ossified dirge-vaon tendrils, a hip-slung hemp silk skirt patterned with graduating copper-sheened scales, a lacquered ash thigh-quiver traced in brass fauna, and some foxfire green tattooed leather sandals laced with twisted willow withe.

Portraits

Original artwork by Stormyrain (c) 2020 / Tisket (c) 2016 respectively

To see more original artwork of Leifa, you may visit the Player's Corner album here

Background

Leifa was born the child of a young Faendryl couple who had fled their homes and accepted exile for a forbidden love. Their union had been condemned by the prestigious Faendryl houses to which they belonged, yet despite hardship, isolation, and the loss of family ties, the pair found genuine happiness together.

Over the years, they welcomed several daughters into the world and raised them amid a bohemian, nomadic existence in the untamed mountains of Rhoska-Tor. Moving from place to place as necessity demanded, they lived beyond the reach of civilization, surviving from the land and teaching their children to live in harmony with nature. For many years, their life was peaceful and idyllic.

That peace ended during Leifa's youth when a band of roving Krolvin raiders descended upon their homestead. Hidden beneath the floorboards with her sisters, Leifa watched in silent terror as their parents were brutally slain. When the attackers finally departed, the girls emerged to find their world shattered. Together they bid farewell to the only life they had ever known.

As the eldest daughter, Leifa felt a profound responsibility to care for her younger sisters. Determined to ensure their safety and provide them with opportunities she feared they would otherwise never have, she led them on the long journey to Wehnimer's Landing. There they secured modest lodging, and Leifa sought employment to support the family. Her efforts eventually led her to the Warrior Guild, where she began training in the martial disciplines of a warrior.

Leifa threw herself into guildwork and advanced rapidly. During this period, she met a noble human named Sandlot, whose friendship introduced her to the joys of the ranger's path. Though she continued her warrior training for many years, she found herself increasingly drawn to the wilderness. After suffering a devastating spirit death during a fierce battle within the walls of Wehnimer's Landing, Leifa was granted life anew by Lorminstra. The experience profoundly altered her perspective. Upon her return, she chose to dedicate herself fully to the ranger profession.

Her progress as a ranger surpassed even her accomplishments as a warrior. Bow hunting, animal companionship, foraging, tracking, and skinning came naturally to her. The skills she had learned during her childhood in the wilds resurfaced with remarkable ease, earning her a reputation as a gifted beastmistress.

While adapting to life in the more developed regions of Elanthia, Leifa also sought to understand the culture and customs of her Faendryl heritage. Through friendships with fellow Faendryl dark elves and the guidance of learned mentors, she deepened her knowledge of her ancestry and people. This pursuit eventually drew her into the Faendryl Enclave, where she found a second family among her kin.

For many years, Leifa served as one of the Enclave's founding officers, devoting herself to its growth and success. Yet leadership came at a cost. Exhausted by years of political strife, betrayal, intrigue, and heartbreak, she eventually withdrew from public life. Deeply wounded by the experience, she sought solitude on the distant Isle of Teras. There, among the rugged landscapes surrounding Kharam Dzu, she embraced a more savage existence and gradually returned to the untamed spirit of her youth.

During her wanderings through the island's jungles, Leifa encountered a solitary priest who, like herself, preferred the company of nature to that of society. The two formed a friendship, and he introduced her to the teachings of the Pantheon of Liabo. What began as simple instruction soon became a source of profound comfort and purpose. Leifa found herself captivated by the wisdom of the Gods of Light, though none spoke to her heart more deeply than Imaera, Lady of Growth and Nature.

Under her mentor's guidance, she undertook years of study, discipline, and spiritual devotion. In time, she participated in a sacred ritual through which she renounced bodily pleasures in pursuit of higher spiritual ideals. She pledged herself to a life of service to Her and wears a ring symbolizing her sacred bond with Imaera—a commitment she affectionately describes as her marriage to the Goddess. She is proud that against all expectations, Leifa has faithfully kept her vows of chastity for thirteen cycles of the season.

As a respected Archdruidess in service to Imaera, you might think she has become boring. Despite her blossoming spiritual discipline, Leifa has never abandoned her appreciation for life's simpler pleasures. She is a familiar face at merchant festivals, rarely declines a spirited game of darts, will be found bursting into song at the most inopportune times, and can often be found charging headlong into battle with more courage than caution—and occasionally without her armor.

Through tragedy, duty, faith, and perseverance, Leifa has forged a life uniquely her own: a wild-hearted ranger, a devoted servant of Imaera, and a steadfast advocate for her people.

Items of Note

The Vanquishing Blow

Leifa is holding a rune-etched rolaren warblade. This is the last remaining possession that Leifa owns of her father's.

At first glance, it seems this weapon has fallen into disuse from the bloodstained leather grip and marred runes along the blade. However, the liberal use of oils and a whetstone show that great care is made to leave the imperfections intact while maintaining a ready blade. Crude runes are marked between those worn from age to form three words. You also notice a small enchanter's glyph. There appears to be something written on it. In the Common language, it reads: The Vanquishing Blow.

Faendryl Enclave, Garden

Shielded by verdant hedges, the spire's reflection garden adds a grace note of natural beauty to the building's austere architecture. A circular pool surrounded by smooth white benches provides a serene focal point for the setting, while artfully shaped topiaries create a private reserve of fanciful beasts along the tranquil garden's periphery. Flowering vines around a central statue add a note of welcome color. You also see a winding pathway and a small bowl of seeds. Obvious paths: none

Pool: The still waters of this circular pool are marred only by the occasional fish searching for food.  The pool maintains a calm, glassy surface otherwise.  Clearly visible from the surface, small white pebbles and a series of obsidian rocks form a black and white pentagram along the pool's bottom.

Topiary: Members of the bushy bestiary are posed as if cavorting with one another around the garden's perimeter.  The lifelike shapes give the formal garden a touch of whimsy.

Statue: In the otherwise immaculately manicured garden, one tangle of blackberry vines around the statue's base remains untamed.  The statue of a rearing warhorse bears a small bronze plaque reading, "Leifa's Garden."

Bowl of Seeds: Dipping your hand into a nearby bowl filled with seeds, you scoop up a handful of the grainy substance and toss it upon the ground.

Clusters of ravens flock to the offering and chitter with one another as they peck away at the seed.  It only takes a matter of seconds for them to completely consume the offered meal, though they still stand around chirping at each other for a few moments more.  Rising as one, they take to the air and glide away.

*This Super node is open to the public

Faendryl Enclave, Alabaster Spire, Dining Room
Sconces on the alabaster walls illuminate oil paintings depicting historically significant Faendryl and the officers of the Enclave.  A massive ebonwood dining table set for a formal meal traverses the length of the narrow room.  You also see an ebonwood doorway and a keystone marble arch.
Obvious exits: none

Painting: Masterfully painted portraits from different ages and styles line the walls, each depicting a notable person.  Beginning with a portrait of a regal patriarch, newer paintings include images of a foppish man in a hat, a female Faendryl holding a cup of coffee, a man donning demonic armor, and a woman sitting beside a foxhound.

Accomplishments
Barding?
While Leifa is actually a ranger by profession, she has a great love of music and the performing arts.  Over the years, she has had the great privilege of competing in and serving as a judge for the annual House of Argent Aspis Bardfest competition.  Here you can see a few of her past performances.

Bardfest 5111 Finals performance, Smelts and the Pelts

Bardfest 5119 Semi-Finals performance, Rumor in the Woods

Bardfest 5119 Finals performance, Troll Fashion Show