Verdana Moonsong

"'There's a monster in the woods that's made it so that none of us may step into them without seeing green for the next five years.' - Laufey about Verdana"Verdana is a hero of Bretton, and the Orc-Elf war, the savior of the Kiterits, and a forest goddess.

Appearance
Verdana is a young woman, with unearthly fey beauty. She is tall and curvy compared to a human. Her skin is a vibrant green, similar to sour green apples, her lips are as full and red as the ripest of strawberries. Half of her head grows long vibrant red hair that floats to the ground. She has larger eyes with vivid green irises. As a daughter of the forest she adorns herself in the foliage and grows vines all across her body that act as living full body tattoos.

Early Life
A lone illawara flame tree grew within the Mythrin Woods, not far from the clearing where the council of treants had gathered awaiting the birth of the new dryads. The golden orbs of light floated down from the heavens and gathered around the treants, they shot out into the woods choosing the next generation of forest spirits. The orbs chose from the trees and bushes that were native to the forest, skipping over the illawara flame tree that did not belong in these woods. Willow trees and rose bushes twisted and burst into dryads, they pulled their feet from the roots within the ground, and wandered off into the forest alone and uncaring of their sisters. The last golden orb fluttered down from the heavens and began to float through the woods, it circled around shrubs, and under mighty tree branches, but it could not choose a plant to be the host of the dryad soul it carried. It had begun to dim when it spotted the red illawara flame tree sitting in the moon light, its red blossoms waving in the breeze. The orb bounced through the sky happily as it made its way to the red tree, it burst into a thousand specs of dust and settled onto the foreign tree, that's seed had been dropped long ago by a man not of this realm. The branches of the tree began to twist and un-knot, the bark began to crack and peel revealing pale green skin, the blossoms began to stretch and thin into long red hair, two large green eyes opened upon the face of the beautiful woman that the equally beautiful tree had become, a dryad was born.

The dryad sat on the forest floor alone and confused. As morning light crept into the forest the dryad began to wander about looking for another being. She stumbled into a small family of rabbits and quickly began to make friends, the small creatures followed her as she wandered, eventually joined by many other woodland creatures. For months this was all the company the dryad had. She learnt from the animals that she was special for her kind; they told her how the other dryads loved the animals but did not want or need the company of other humanoids, she found this to be true after meeting several of her kind that ignored her when she approached or spoke.

The dryad was very lonely until she came upon a young wolf cub that hand no one else either, the two became inseparable. The dryad continued her young life for almost a year until she stumbled upon another creature of the forest unlike any she had ever seen; it was a young esquirel about 12 years of age named Tupai Kiterit. The small esquirel and the dryad became fast friends and together they participated in many adventures within the Mythrin Woods. The dryad took a name given to her by the esquirel community Verdana, and named her wolf Faunen. Verdana continued to live alone in the forest often visiting her friend Tupai, but making new friends with a pack of wolves and bears who taught her to fight and hunt, with the fish who taught her to swim and the birds who taught her to sing. Verdana eventually met a great treant named Ohken, he noticed that she was special among the forest spirits and knew she was destined for something unique. He chose to teach her the ways of the druid, and Verdana was quick to absorb all of the skills he showed her.

Seven years of her life passed and she was now a skilled druid, and efficient at dual wielding daggers. Verdana longed for adventure and experiences outside of the Mythrin Woods but could not leave all her friends of the forest, but upon learning that the young Tupai was setting off on an adventure of her own she was more than happy to tag along as a friend seeking her own adventure.

Untold Origins
The three friends made there way to Santaris the human capital of Bretton, there they meet up and befriend an orc named Dench, a mysterious man named Emeth Mechapes, and a white elf named Aariel Moonsong. Verdana was immediately taken in by Aariel's beauty. The next morning Emeth revealed he had a key that let them into a cave outside of town, in this cave they came across a drow rogue named Keldon, the drow escaped but in the fight he dropped a magical pendant. The pendant had a enchantment on it that lead them to a slave encampment in human territory run by the church of Zaurus. They were attacked by the slavers but easily defeated them and set free all the slaves. After investigating the encampment then discovered that the church of Zaurus was working with the church of Tharizdun.

Verdana was interested in the new flora and fauna in human territory, Tupai and Faunen went with her as she wandered into an unknown forest. The three of them ended up wandering into a village that was being tormented by shades, the trio were able to banish and destroy them freeing the village from their haunting presence. When the trio returned to camp Dench was sick and Verdana cured him of his illness.

The group continued to use the pendant to lead them to church of Tharizdun camps, in one of the fights that would follow the pendant was broken. The group then had to start following other leads, after they interrogated some remaining members of the church the group discovered that the church was assassinating the leaders of Bretton.

The party headed into the Hazy Mountains to warn the Shogun of the Kitsune that lived there, they arrived just in time to help ward off the assassins, but the Shogun was hurt. During this time Tupai heard of a cave holding a lot of shiny stones and set off to find it, Verdana and Faunen followed along. In the cave Tupai found many precious treasures, but they were claimed by a dragon. The trio managed to defeat the dragon by collapsing the cave on top of it. Tupai collected a lot of treasure and Verdana was able to skin the dragon and make new armor for Faunen.

After securing the Shoguns safety, the party moved downwards into the Mythrin Woods to warn Ohken. They arrived there to find that he was training a new druid who was in turn slowly poisoning the great treant. The group managed to fend off the pack of assassins coming to kill the weakened leader, as Verdana squared off against the elven druid, the following fight badly damaged the forests life force. During this time Tupai, Verdana, and Faunen returned home to the esquirrel village to discover that a small sect had decide to overthrow the leader. The trio were able to help the two sides come to a peacefully resolution. After Ohken was cared for and beginning to heal the party left for the Forest of Lunarissitha, there they were able to keep the Queen of the White Elves safe, as Dench killed Keldon.

They then departed back to Santaris to protect the king of humanity, Darian Santaris. Upon becoming his royal security the group began to uncover the truth and realized that he was the leader of the church of Tharizdun and orchestrated all of the previous attacks. Upon confronting him the King used all of the royal blood he had acquired to summon a Demogorgon using an ancient arcane ritual. The group managed to hold off the Demogorgon as Tupai fought and defeated the King ending the enchantment. The group continued to defend Bretton for about a decade, during this time Verdana married Aariel shortly before the passing of Tupai. The group would later head to Unitas following Dench.

Broken Chains
Verdana, Faunen and Emeth took off on an adventure to help free slaves, while Aariel stayed behind to help the elven society of Unitas become more organized and ready for the oncoming threat that the Orcs lead by Dench posed...

Orc Elf War
Verdana returned to Aariels side in Anor, the two of them continued to build up the defense of the elves while Verdana hopped for a peaceful resolution to the rising orc threat. One evening as Verdana and Faunen were wandering through the forests of Bresslin, she got word from the trees that the Orcs had marched on the drow. She returned at once to Aariel and the elven council, at first the council was unsure as to whether they would interfere but as drow genocide became a more pressing reality they were pressured into getting involved.

Aariel lead the elven armies as they marched across Anor, the two sides clashed in the drow capital, Aariel, Verdana, and Faunen were able to turn the tides of the battle and pushed the Orcs out of the capital. Aariel began to fortify the capital. During this time Dench began to pillage and burn the small towns around the them. Verdana and Aariel met with Dench in hopes of discussing a treaty but time had not been kind to their once friend, he had been driven mad, left with only revenge fueling shattered mind. Aariel gave up all hope and began to ready the elves for full on war. Verdana refused to give up hope on her more savage friend.

For three years Dench continued to clash against the elves his eyes fell not just upon the drow as his army now targeted all within Anor slaughtering drow, and elf. His blade fell indifferently upon women, children or men. His army laid wast to the small towns and villages that Aariel could not protect. The two sides would clash and Verdana would purposefully avoid direct conflict with Dench.

After a large set back to the orcs in which they were pushed back to the border of Anor, Aariel lead her army into a final battle with the weakened orcs. Verdana and the druids kept the orc army contained by shift the very earth around them. Aariel cleaved a path through the opposing army reaching Dench, he attempted to slay her where she stood, Verdana saw from a distance, as she screamed in terror the sky opened up and rain fell upon the battle field. The nimble elf was able to dodge the lumbering orc, and plunged her dagger into his heart, as their commander fell the opposing army surrendered. Emeth showed up as the battled ended and took the body of Dench denying Verdana a chance to say goodbye.

The following days were a celebration unlike any before in Anor, on the final night of celebration Aariel was unusually cold towards Verdana. Emeth showed up to talk to Aariel before she and Verdana went to bed together for the last time. The following morning Verdana awoke to find the other half of the bed empty, a note was left for her, the note explained how Aariel had chosen to ascend, she had finished her mission and could not stay on the material plane after the way Verdana looked at her now. Verdana wandered off into the world alone except for Faunen once again.

Post Orc Elf War
Verdana, feeling lost and alone took Faunen and began to wander across Unitas looking for the only friend she had left other then Faunen, but no matter where or how she looked she was incapable of finding Emeth. She had begun to develop a trail based of tales of a silver haired man with gold eyes who brought death and destruction with him, but she had to drop this when she was contacted by her old mentor Ohken. Verdana was forced to drop Emeth's trail and return to Bretton.

Upon returning to Bretton she traveled to the Mythrin Woods where Ohken was dying from the strain of constantly having to empower the woods to keep them magically imbued. Ohken warned Verdana that when he passed the woods would no longer be protected and the shroud of magic that kept the Esquirrels safe for all these years would be gone. Verdana offered to take Ohken's place and sacrifice her life to restore the forest, but Ohken explained that it was not enough eventually the forest would be restored but only with time. His death would be the new seed in which the forest's magic would be reborn. Verdana said goodbye to her mentor and returned to the esquirrel village she used to roam with Tupai. She offered protection to any esquirrel who wished to come with her to Unitas and find a new home. Most of the community chose to follow her, they were lead by Tupai's great granddaughter. Verdana used her immense power to open a portal and transport them all to a forest she had once visited in the Dragon's Teeth Mountains of Unitas. There Verdana began to enchant the forest as to protect the esquirrels which she had begun to call the Kiterits after her deceased friend.

After having secured the safety of the Kiterits, Verdana attempted to pick up Emeth's trail, finding even more tales of the silver haired golden eyed bringer of calamity. In these travels she would come across a young dryad from an island known as Tir Nan Og named Lyla. Lyla would join Verdana in her travels for many years and learn under the powerful druid. Eventually Lyla would have to leave her new mentor to return to her people as she was the next rightful leader of the dryads of Tir Nan Og.

Verdana would continue to search for Emeth always seeming to be steps behind him. After a couple centuries Verdana came to accept that Emeth did not wish to be found and returned to her home in to the forest with the Kiterits. At first she would still leave the forest occasionally to explore the land and visit Tir Nan Org but over time she began to close herself and the forest off from the world. During this time the Kiterits would begin to worship Verdana as a god and with time she became one, turning the forest into her own godly plane, The Eternal Forest.

One day a lone high elf wandered into her forest at first Verdana was going to banish this elf forcefully but she carried with her an interesting plant that Verdana had failed to ever see in her journeys. Upon meeting Verdana felt a kindred spirit and she began to befriend the elf known as Halidon, the two would become friends through multiple visits to the forest, and she would even raise one of Faunen's cubs to give to her. But Halidon failed to return one day. At this point Verdana closed herself off completely from the world forcefully any travelers who wandered into her woods.

Verdana would eventually begin to have territory issues with the Ice Giants led by Laufey, and upon defending her territory she was tricked and a fraction of her powers were stolen by Laufey. She cared very little as her power within her plane was not effected and let the frost giant keep what he had stolen.

Reclaiming Unity
Halidon would eventually return to the forest but this time she had no memory of her past. Verdana was saddened deeply by the loss of her last friend, even though Halidon, now going by Xanaphia, could not remember their past Verdana still did and passed on the cub she had raised for her long ago.

One day a small party of peculiar travelers wandered into her forest lead to her by the Kiterits, and she set out to remove them. She commanded the forest to ensnare the travelers twisting the trees and their roots to trap them. Upon approaching them one in particular caught her attention, a white elf who looked very similar to her ascended wife. Verdana lashed out at what she assumed was an illusion and attempted to kill them all before a young warrior stopped her and managed to make her understand that it was not the original but her own granddaughter Aariel Dawning, a family line she didn't even know existed until this moment. She released the party and got to know a few of them. During their brief stay with the goddess, Aariel and her fiance Nicholias Dawning were married by her with rings made of ironwood and crystals made by Morah Dantalion. Before the group left Verdana passed on the original Aariels bow, Somber Soul, to her granddaughter, along with passing on all her stories to the new married couple in a touching family reunion. The group of adventures soon departed the forest. Verdana was convinced by Nicholias to move her mountain so that the frost giants would join the giant council. Verdana agreed as long as they had a new mountain for her to claim.

The group, with a few exchanged members, returned later with the location of a new mountain Verdana could overtake. Verdana proceeded to uproot her forest and marched it and all inside across the Dragon's Teeth. She hollowed out an abandoned mountain and re-rooted her forest inside of it. Once her plane and forest were rooted in their new home Emeth showed up and the two old friends shared a long overdue and touching conversation in which Verdana realized that she had to move on and shed her mortal shell. Verdana said her goodbyes to her loved ones and she and Faunen ascended properly into godhood. Her mortal shell twisted and returned to its original tree form, this time much larger and at the base was a stone statue of Faunen. All of the visitors departed shortly after.

Morah would proceed to make several return trips to the Eternal Forest where he would apologize for his rude behavior during his first visit. As these visits continued he continued to get no response from the tree but would come to treat it as a place he could vent.

One day Aramil, Halidon's husband, appeared in the forest using a special tree grown from a magical seed given to Halidon. Few of these trees existed as Verdana was careful who she gave them to, one tree was in Halidon's house, one was in Tir Nan Org, another in the Mythrin Woods, and the last was still just a seed being carried by Nicholias. Once he entered her domain Verdana was given flashes of what was going through his head, upon learning what he had done in Olyanor she simply used her power to trow him from the forest. Nic and his party would soon follow Aramil's path, she appeared before them in the form of red petals floating in the wind and simply pointed to where she had thrown the treacherous elf. The group left her forest following the elves trail.

Nic arrived with Sylanna, and Maiyr seeking Verdana's help as Aariel had fallen in battle anh her body was taken but Verdana was forced not to act by the other gods. Upon getting no response Sylanna and Maiyr remained in The Eternal Forest while Nic used the magic of the Verdana trees to travel to Olyanor and upon his return he had Aariel and a few others with him, the party soon departed from the forest.

Nic, Aariel, Emmellyne and Michael were granted access to her plane when they attempted to teleport there to escape a demon army, but upon asking for her help she was unable to assist. Halidon was later teleported in, while Michael was teleported away by Morah. The trio would continue to use Verdana's forest as quick travel location during the following days.

Tsunami Asunder
Verdana would take her godly form, red petals in the shape of her mortal body, and wander her woods with the Kiterits. One day Verdana felt a massive disturbance in her plane, she immediately adjusted reality to bring herself to the point and keep her Kiterits safe. Before Verdana stood a god of higher power, she was a beautiful woman made of swirling water. This being introduced herself as Nimiane, the goddess of the oceans, she had a favor to ask. Nimi wanted Verdana to take care of her daughter Namida, who had recently been through some traumatic events. Verdana knew of the sea goddess, and excepted the duty asked of her providing a home for Namida among the Kiterits, and Faunen who she awoke from his stone slumber.

Dondar Whole Again
Shortly after the Unity Party reclaimed the city that was once Amaranthia, Aariel arrived in Verdana's forest and asked her how the original Aariel brought all the elves together and united them, as she wanted to learn how to be a good ruler. Verdana shifted the plants and showed Aariel a vision of the past using blades of grass and white petals. After this was over Aariel departed the forest and said goodbye to her grandmothers realm.

Post Tyrian War
Verdana joins the group known as the Hero Gods...

Equipment
Verdana posses two iron wood daggers, and a suit of self crafted ironwood armour.

Powers
Verdana has the natural powers that all dryads posses including the ability to speak to animals, walk across any terrain and leave no trail behind.

Verdana is also a very powerful druid, whose base powers were amplified drastically once she obtained godhood.