Eldryn

Eldryns are half-elves, but unlike the well-known, prolific half-elves whose progenitors are human and elf, eldryns are the seed of dryads and elves, resulting in a race with pronounced fey characteristics. The origin of the eldryns began as a love story between a dryad and an elf. Long ago, the dryad archdruid Sythia was torn between her innate connection to her tree and the flame she kindled for her elven lover. Feeling that the creator of the fey had short-changed the dryad race by limiting their wanderings to the immediate location of their tree-bond, Sythia vowed to find a way to keep her tree-bond and gain the freedom to wander the forest freely. After years of research into obscure magics and ancient lore, Sythia finally devised a druidic ritual that would allow her to merge the essence of her tree with herself, allowing her to travel any distance while maintaining the connection to it. The ritual relied on the presence of a blood moon, a specific alignment of the planets, and the power of an archdruid. To Sythia’s knowledge, these circumstances would occur only once in a millennium.

Overjoyed at the freedom this transformation would impart, Sythia invited her sisters to undergo the ceremony with her. Because this magic was unlikely to be performed again, the offer was a valuable gift indeed. To Sythia’s delight, five sister dryads, each bonded to a different type of tree, accepted the invitation. On the eve of the ceremony, each dryad was instructed to collect seeds from every variety of tree that was similar in nature to their own.

Between Sythia and the other five dryads, six distinct tree-bonds were represented. Sythia’s bond represented the smaller variety of trees well-loved for the flowers they produced including forsythia, jacaranda, magnolia, rhododendron, and wisteria. To represent the food-bearing trees, seeds were collected from a wide variety, from apple trees to walnut trees. Representation of essential oil producing trees included seeds from the cedarwood, eucalyptus, frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood. Spice trees, including cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg were collected. Chona collected medicinal seeds from the quinine producing cinchona tree, the flu battling elderberry tree, the gout and fever fighting silver birch, and the scurvy detering needle bearing trees of fir, spruce, and pine. The last tree-bond represented included a plethora of hardwood trees valued by crafters for furniture making, boat building, and musical instruments such as oak, teak, and ebony to name just a few.

After the successful ritual, all six dryads were able to leave the vicinity of their tree without suffering sickness of heart or body. Sythia began a life of adventure and travel with her elven lover and the others basked in the joy of unfettered freedom to roam wherever their whims took them. The magically altered dryads were soon to discover, however, that their fertility had been altered in the ritual. They were unable to conceive unless mating with an elf. All other attempts to create progeny with any other race proved fruitless. The dryads proudly referred to their “half-elven” children, born from their unions with their individual elven mates, as the “unrooted” because this generation would be free to travel while literally carrying the heart of the forest within themselves. In the Sylvan tongue, unrooted translates as eldryn, which is the name by which the race is known to this day. The fate of the altered dryads to mate solely with elves has been passed down through the generations to their children; two mating eldryns cannot even produce offspring. Eldryns are only born when an eldryn and a full-blooded elf mate.

Nature’s Beauties

Barely indistinguishable from elves, eldryns exhibit an other-worldly beauty. They are graceful and slight of stature, reaching heights from 4 to 6 feet, and weighing slightly less than a typical elf at 90 to 140 pounds. Females stand 1-1½ feet shorter than the males and are significantly lighter, topping out at 100 pounds. Eldryns have delicate, alluring facial features, pointed ears, and a variety of skin tones ranging from pale yellow to black depending upon their dryad ancestor’s tree-bond. For example, pine tree-bonds produce lighter colored skin tones, cherry tree-bonds result in red-brown tones, and ebony tree-bonds produce black-skin tones. Regardless of its hue, all eldryns’ skin has a faint, barely visible pattern of swirls and rings, vaguely resembling the pattern of knots and rings of a tree’s trunk. This peculiarity of skin pigmentation is the only hint that eldryns are not fully elves. Eldryn skin is also tougher than elven skin, providing better protection against cuts and scrapes. An eldryn’s hair comes in a rainbow of colors, representing the shades of autumn leaves, bark, or flower blossoms. The most unusual features of an eldryn’s anatomy are the two small splinterwood glands that sit on either side of the back of the throat where an elf’s tonsils would normally be found. These glands act as a defensive mechanism, producing tiny slivers of splinter-sharp wood which an eldryn can expel in a deadly spray of skin piercing missiles.

Unrooted

As children, eldryns are constantly reminded that they have something their dryad ancestors did not—mobility and choice. For this reason, eldryns delight in personal freedoms, preferring limited oversight by societal authorities. Eldryns enjoy travel, adventure, and excitement, favoring the surprises chaos has to offer over the restrictions law can impose. As descendants of elves and dryads, eldryns are innately connected to nature, delighting in its vast array of unique flora and fauna. Eldryns venerate the same gods of nature that elves do, though eldryn clerics are a varied lot, representing a variety of different deities. The veneration of evil deities is a rarity.

Green guardians

Eldryns typically live in the elven communities of their elven parents and are brought up following typical elven customs. An eldryn’s love for nature is amplified by their fey heritage. Whether they inhabit temperate, tropical, or boreal forests, eldryns are fierce protectors of the trees in the area. Woe to a greedy merchant overharvesting a grove for profit for they shall experience the full force of an eldryn’s ire! Being raised in elvish society, eldryns receive the same training with bows as the elven children, but rather than focus on swordplay, they learn to use the battleaxe. Because the axe is the implement used to fell trees by many humanoid races, eldryns have chosen it as their symbolic weapon to inflict punishment upon creatures they deem to have transgressed against nature.

Wanderlust

Eldryns inherit the desire to explore for exploration’s sake from both their elf and dryad parents. They love meeting different races, seeing unique sights, learning new songs, eating novel foods, and experiencing all of the diversity life has to offer. On their one-hundredth birthday, eldryns leave their home to spend one hundred years abroad in honor of their dryad ancestors’ ingenuity and bravery. During this time, they explore as many natural biomes as possible. After this period, some eldryns continue to adventure, hoping to add to their repertoire of vast knowledge, and others choose to return to their elven community. As creatures with fey blood running through their veins, eldryns naturally gravitate to the life of a druid or ranger. As children of elves, eldryns appreciate artistry and beauty, gifting the world with many fine bards as well.

Eldryn Names

When born, eldryn infants are given a name by their eldryn parent representing the area where their dryad predecessor was tree-bonded. Eldryns use their elf parent’s family name. Male Names: Alder, Asher, Hawk, Larch, Rain, Thorn.

Female Names: Amber, Blossom, Hazel, Honey, Hyacinth, Magnolia, Petal.

Relations with Other Races

An elf’s ability to find the good in others is amplified in the personality of an eldryn. Eldryns focus on the strengths of others, and when they realize they have caused disharmony in some way, they are quick to seek forgiveness.

Dwarves

Eldryns respect dwarven dedication to clan. Eldryn parents sing their children to sleep with the lullaby which details the hurdles their ancestors overcame to be with a loved one, literally carrying what was dear to their hearts within them. Eldryns are also impressed by dwarven combat proficiency with axes and have been known to seek out the most skilled warriors as personal instructors.

Elves

Eldryns hold elves dear to their hearts. Eldryns are, after all, of elven blood themselves and can only mate with elves. Eldryns share the elves’ love of nature and their interest in the acquisition of knowledge. Eldryns are attracted to the physical beauty of elves and the flowing cadence of the elvish language. Craft-bonded eldryns have a special appreciation for the beautiful works of art produced by the elves.

Halflings

Eldryns appreciate how halflings live in the moment, constantly seeking joy and spreading enthusiasm for life. Eldryns appreciate the non-combative nature of halflings and recognize that once halflings give their hand in friendship, their loyalty is unmeasurable.

Humans

The human race’s defining characteristic of stubborn determination is the quality that eldryns empathize with most. Above all else, eldryns are taught from childhood to value their freedom and to never give up striving to reach a goal that is important to them, no matter the time or cost involved.

Standard Traits

Your eldryn character has certain traits in common with other eldryns.

Ability Score Increase Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and one other ability score increases by 1, depending upon which tree-bond your dryad ancestor possessed. At character creation, you must decide upon this bond, which affects other traits and can’t be changed.

• Craft-Bonded: Strength
• Fragrance-Bonded: Intelligence
• Healing-Bonded: Constitution
• Harvest-Bonded: Dexterity
• Petal-Bonded: Charisma
• Spice-Bonded: Charisma

Age

Eldryns reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, but only claim adulthood at one hundred years of age. The lifespan of eldryns is similar to elves, granting them about 700 years to live.

Alignment

Eldryns cherish freedom, diversity and self-expression, so they lean toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value plants and animals and respect humanoid creatures living in harmony amidst nature. To protect is a basic instinct of an eldryn, probably passed down from their dryad heritage, and they are quick to come to the aid of those in need. Eldryns are more often good than not.

Size

Eldryns are similar in stature to elves, reaching heights from 4 to 6 feet, and weighing slightly less than a typical elf at 90 to 140 pounds. Females stand 1-1&½ feet shorter than the males and are significantly lighter, topping out at 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Height & Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	5 ft. 0 in.	+2d6 in.	128 lbs.	+2d6x1 lbs.
Female	3 ft. 10 in.	+2d6 in.	88 lbs.	+2d6x1 lbs.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Protective Skin

Though not as bark-like as your dryad ancestor’s skin, your skin is tougher than typical, providing greater protection against injury. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your thickened skin to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your thickened skin.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Eldryn Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, longbow, and shortbow.

Breath Weapon

You can use your action to exhale a spray of splinters in a 15 ft. cone. When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 piercing damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.

Ancestral Tree-Bond

You gain an additional trait based on your ancestral dryad’s tree- bond. The selection you make here must exactly match the selection made for your ability score increase.

Craft-bonded

Fiery Performer. Hardwood trees are naturally more fire resistant compared to their softwood counterparts and their wood makes excellent musical instruments. You have proficiency in the Performance skill when using a musical instrument, and you have advantage on saving throws against fire.

Fragrance-bonded

Centered Soul. You use essential oils to calm your nerves. You have proficiency in the Nature skill and advantage on saving throws made against becoming frightened.

Healing-Bonded

Natural Healer. Like your dryad ancestor, you have a knack with medicinal palliatives. You have proficiency in the Medicine skill and advantage on saving throws made against poison and disease.

Harvest-Bonded

Abundant Provider. Your ancestral connection to trees is evidenced in your ability to locate sustenance producing trees and to magically enhance your club or staff. You have proficiency in the Survival skill and you know the shillelagh cantrip. Wisdom is your spell casting ability for it.

Petal-Bonded

Pleasing Persona. Flowering trees are pleasing to the senses, often causing people to stop and admire them. You have a similar effect on creatures with whom you interact. Your attitude, mannerisms, and tone of voice have a way of making others want to please you. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill. Whenever you cast a spell or use some other feature to charm a creature, the save DC increases by +1.

Spice-Bonded

Volatile Temperament. You can really turn up the heat. Your sharp-tongue and quick-temper can cower someone twice your size, and you never back down. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill and advantage on saving throws made against becoming frightened.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and Sylvan.

Random Eldryn Features

Presented below are random features an eldryn might possess. None of the following features grant characters any special power beyond their usual abilities. Roll a d100 and consult the table to determine your features or choose one or more features that interest you.

d%	Feature
01–02	Your pupils change colors with the seasons.
03–04	Your voice is raspy.
05–06	When your hair blows in the breeze, it makes a rustling sound.
07–08	Everything you cook contains seeds, nuts, or berries.
09–10	Your eyebrows are tiny bits of twig rather than hair.
11–12	The sound of wind blowing through the trees makes you sleepy.
13–14	You prefer to sleep in a hammock over all other options.
15–16	Climbing trees is your favorite pastime.
17–18	Rather than stand erect, the tips of your ears flop over like weeping willows branches.
19–20	Your breath smells like wintermint.
21–22	Apple blossoms shake loose from your hair when you laugh.
23–24	You have several prominent birthmarks that look like tree knots.
25–26	You have a sweet tooth for maple syrup and honey.
27–28	You dance with great sweeping motions of your arms. 29–30 You have no visible belly button.
31–32	The sound of trees being chopped makes you grind your teeth.
33–34	Your tongue has a thin layer of bark on it.
35–36	Open fires make you nervous.
37–38	Your fingers have pronounced markings on them like the rings of a tree’s trunk.
39–40	Your hair smells like pine needles.
41–42	Each morning upon waking, you spend ten minutes looking up at the sun with your arms outstretched.
43–44	You enjoy standing out in the rain.
45–46	Birdsong calms your nerves.
47–48	Your laughter comes out in staccato bursts like the hammering of a woodpecker.
49–50	Anytime you are in an area with ants, they are always attracted to you.
51–52	You love hickory smoked jerky.
53–54	You have a crushing handshake.
55–56	You whisper your secrets to the wind in the early morning hours.
57–58	You prefer to wear your hair in a tangled mess, rarely combing it.
59–60	The sound of owls at night makes you happy.
61–62	When you engage in battle, tiny bits of tree bark shower from your hair.
63–64	You are always thirsty.
65–66	Basking in the sun all day long is your idea of a good time.
67–68	You love digging around in the dirt to see what you might find.
69–70	Anytime you are in a place for more than a day, you set up a tiny garden, even if it’s just in a bowl.
71–72	Your footprints are twice as deep as would be expected for your weight.
73–74	When you stomp your feet, it sounds like falling acorns.
75–76	It sounds like you are hollow when you speak.
77–78	You have nightmares about being burned alive.
79–80	You have a knack for whittling wood and give miniature wooden animals to each child you meet.
81–82	You instinctively duck whenever you hear thunder.
83–84	Firecrackers and fireworks make you tremble.
85–86	You cry tiny seeds for tears instead of water.
87–88	You love the view from up high.
89–90	Once you consider someone to be your friend, your loyalty is unquestionable.
91–92	You like to stand close to others…some people feel you have no sense of personal space.
93–94	The first thing you do when you meet someone is offer them a drink of water.
95–96	Birds often perch on your head.
97–98	You sing to chipmunks.
99–00	Your blood is sticky like sap from a tree.