A Background Left Behind
Llanwyn has left anything but a simple life. As a fae lord, former archprelate of the Church of Faith, former Master Mystic, and leader of House Siannodel, his ambition was vast though always centered in compassion and love for those around him. The life he once knew some fifteen years ago still haunts him now, but Llanwyn is thankful for every breath he now takes.
An Illness, the Escape, and a Solution
Llanwyn contracted a magical illness that shrunk him ever smaller and smaller. He shrank for some time and it became obvious for all who were searching for their Archprelate that he would not be found again. The world moved on without Llanwyn Siannodel. For his part, he could no longer interact with anything around him in a way that mattered and a great depression fell over him.
After being somehow sucked into a stranger’s body, Llanwyn believed for the first time that the effects of the magical disease had run their course. He didn’t believe he was shrinking anymore, though he was still microscopic. It took hours to escape the stranger’s body, finally being forcibly ejected through the sinus cavity, but when he did he exited with something akin to hope for the first time since the shrinking had begun.
For days he drifted in a world he did not recognize, subsisting off of what he was pretty sure was particles of proteins and water. When he had recovered his strength, he found that he had an idea perhaps for how to regain his normal faerie size. The amulet that hung around his neck, known as the Periapt of Pym, had been a blessing to him in his past. Being able to grow and shrink between his normal fae height and that of a human man had been useful in many ways and an inspiration for the faithful. Now he hoped it would be his salvation.
After a long history of usefulness, the amulet had been showing signs of the effects of the Fracture upon its stability. It had begun to destabilize, even trapping Llanwyn at human size for weeks at a time. But Llanwyn believed that he could use it for one last transformation. Taking him from microscopic to fae sized was no small feat and he knew that it would take not only everything the amulet had to do it but also take a toll on his mana reserve. He knew it leached from it already, but this would be more significant.
Days spent in meditation and consideration left Llanwyn determined to try. Activating the amulet, he pushed his own mana into the object. He pushed with such concentration and force of will that he had no idea how long he had been focusing, but when he woke up his teeth ached with the prolonged gritting. Having blacked out during the process, Llanwyn found himself lying on a leaf in a glade, back to his normal size.
The Periapt of Pym’s chain rested in his palm, but the amulet itself had shattered into dust being scattered by the wind rustling his hair. He had done it, truly done it, but the cost was instantly obvious. Llanwyn felt weak and tired and knew that his body would need to recover not only with nutrients and rest, but that he would have to let his mana reserve repair itself. He needed to live life without his magic for a time until he had fully healed.
It took five full eras for his arcana reserve to be back where they had been before the magical disease had attacked him. He could feel that even then his ability had lessened. More-so, his confidence had left him and Llanwyn spent those five eras living in solitude. The best he could guess he was somewhere near Candaceburg, which was far from where he had started, but he had no more idea how he got there then a leaf knows where it’s going on the wind.
So, for the next ten eras Llanwyn did four things in life and four things only. First and foremost, he refused to return home to the Dolwood. More than anything he did not want to be thrust back into the world as a spectacle. His feathered wings had brought him attention at a time when he greatly desired it for what he believed was his mission, but now he knew that they limited his ability to lie low.
Secondly, he meditated. Llanwyn had always been one to meditate, but now he felt it even more necessary. He had no one to talk to in his glade and passerby only meant possible discovery, so he used his magics to hide from the outside world and focused his mind on his inner self, his future place in the world, and on how he would act when he was finally ready to act.
Thirdly, he kept tabs on what was happening elsewhere by spying on local farmers who were particularly fond of gossip. Doing so made him feel like he wasn’t leaving the world in a worse place than he had found it, at least for a time, before everything started to decay faster than he could keep up. When he learned of the fall of Zinn’Sunn and then witnessed the rodenti invasion of Candaceburg and he assumed the rest of the province, Llanwyn knew his time to act would have to come sooner than he had planned.
Last, but oddly most important, Llanwyn worked day in and day out to restore his arcanic ability. Once a master, but no longer feeling like he could achieve that level again without assistance, he focused on stabilizing his ability with daily practice, meditation, and mystic “stretching” of his subconscious. He often found an unwilling partner in the form of a bird or squirrel, making sure not to harm anything, but always poking at their perceptions, sending unseen messages and the like. One time, when a group of ratta raiders wandered into his glen, he felt he was more than duty-bound to end their time on Telath. He did so quickly and with great control of his craft, using Forbidden Path to cause the ratta to stop breathing or die trying. After they were dead, he moved on from the glade so as not to be found.
House Siannodel
Phyiscally located in Castle Carmelya deep within the Dolwoods, House Siannodel has served as a beacon of compassion for over twenty-five eras. The majority of house members are related to Llanwyn, but several non-fae have also been accepted into the house. One such member, Zim Rage, took over the day-to-day operations of the castle after the disappearance of Llanwyn. When the Church of Faith started persecuting Dracons, he opened the doors of the house to refugees, bringing in many and charging local Druids with creating shelter for the Dracons amidst the trees. This mission permanently changed the makeup of the Dolwood, establishing a town of Dracons and others who maintained orchards for the castle, bringing in stable income through trade in the region.
