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She was born Isolde Celestra to a powerful family in Baldur’s Gate. But it was not always like that, because prior to her birth her parents lived just below the vaulted halls of high society she would be born into and both her parents craved the respect and power that came with being a part of said society. When all of their ventures, both business and social, failed to lift them up, her parents decided to use more magical means to reach their goal.
It cost them a good chunk of their fortune but Isolde’s parents were able to get the supplies and information required to summon and bargain with a powerful devil. They bargain with this devil for the power, ability and knowledge required to reach their lofty ambition and in return they promised the devil the souls of a number of their employees, all of which would have unfortunate accidents, and their first born child. Isolde was born the same day that a disastrous fire destroyed one of their less profitable businesses, killing all of the employees present that day, with only her parents knowing of the reason behind this disaster and how one part of a debt had been paid.
Isolde’s early life was an easy one having been born into the wealth of high society her parents had finally achieved, that is not to say that her life was always easy. Not wanting to endanger their investment and lose their collateral before the devil came to collect, Isolde's parents kept her mostly confined to the family estate unless they were accompanying her.
So much of Isolde’s life was spent in her family’s estate, she spent most days moving between the different rooms of the manor under the care of a variety of staff her parents employed to watch over her. This isolation left Isolde with few friends outside of her caretakers and even they were instructed to keep a professional distance from the girl. The few children that Isolde did know were those that were kids of other families that were often invited to parties by her parents, though even those relationships were surface level at best.
That all changed when Isolde was 13 and her family hired a new head gardener, who brought along her own 13 year old daughter. That girl's name was Eloise.
Their first meeting was a complete accident as Isolde had started sneaking away from her watchers to walk and explore the manor grounds by herself and just so happened to find Eloise in a hidden garden she never knew existed. Eloise had set up a few very rough dummies and was practicing sword strikes on them with a hefty stick. Isolde watched unseen from behind a tree up until the stick snapped after a hard strike from Eloise caused her to gasp and draw attention. This lead to Eloise spotting her and freezing, thinking she was going to get in trouble, only for Isolde to gush about how cool she thought Eloise was and for her to sputter out an want for her to show her more moves. This would be the start of a multi-year long relationship.
As the years went on the girls grew closer and learned more about each other. Eloise shares her dream of becoming a knight who traveled to Faerun helping people and Isolde shares how she dreamed of seeing and experiencing more of Faerun than just her families estate. Over time the girls grew closer and their relationship moved beyond friendship and into dating and it was through those dates that Eloise help Isolde reach a little bit of her dream by helping her sneak out and into the under city of Baldur’s Gate, letting her experience a little bit more of the world with each venture. In turn Isolde would arrange dates in the underused or hidden parts of the manor to spend time with Eloise, as well as to give her anything she could get her hands on to help Eloise realize her dream. It was through these ventures and hidden dates in her family's manor that Isolde fell deeper and deeper in love with Eloise.
In their time together the two discussed marriage though both agreed they couldn’t in their current environment, having discussed running away together once they both turn eighteen and taking as much as they could from Isolde’s parents. However Isolde didn’t want to wait that long to show Eloise how much she cared about her so on Eloise’s seventeenth birthday she swiped one more thing from her parents coffers.
It was a magic item gifted to her parents by a business partner who wanted to grease some palms and make a show at her parent’s wedding anniversary. Her parents had never used the item, merely tossing it into their coffers to gather dust, and Isolde knew they’d never miss it. The item was called a bond forger allowed two people to attune to it and once they both attuned to it the item broke into two parts and the only way to break either piece was for the partner who was attuned to it to die.
So Isolde presented the gift at the end of a party the two of them threw in the garden where they’d first met, presenting as a way to show how much she loved Eloise and that there was no one else for her. That night was when the talk of running away together began to form into a plan and by the next morning both girls were more sure of their relationship than they had ever been before.
Life after that night continued on as it had, sneaking whatever moments they could for themselves and squirreling away whatever supplies they could for their eventual escape.
It all came crashing down a week before Isolde’s eighteenth birthday, she awoke that day with a high fever and her whole body red with heat. Nothing came of it on the first day, her sickness keeping her confined to her room with only Eloise as the accessional company. Though this was not a normal sickness and that would become evident when in the thick of night a courier, disheveled and weary, appeared on her family door step bearing a massive box with a symbol only her parents recognized burned into its surface.
Isolde was jolted awake the next day to her parents barging into her room. They interrogated their delirious daughter about her sickness and the full extent of the red covering her body. Once they were seemingly satisfied they left just as quickly as they entered, leaving Isolde to collapse back into bed and pray for a respite from her sickness. Her prayers were not answered and if anything her condition only worsened as the day went on.
Not even her night was safe ,because as soon as most of the staff had turned in for the night and the sun had long since set her parents burst into her room with a handful of rough looking individuals who bundled up the barley conscious girl and carried her off to a room deep in the basement of the manor.
The next time Isolde awoke her fever had finally broken but she did so in a room that was more a cell than a bedroom, it had walls of stone and a solid dark wood door with the only recognizable item of Isolde’s being a trunk shoved into one corner of the room. The rest of the room was sparsely furnished with a singular bed and what looked like a full length mirror propped up in another corner. The mirror gave Isolde an unsettling feeling just from looking at it. Its center was a massive piece of polished obsidian that reflected back unsettling images of shadow figures moving around Isolde’s cell and its housing was made of wood that was blood red and black that was carved in such a way to look like clawed grasping hands tipped with blood.
Fear woke up Isolde like a cold bath. She didn’t know where she was, her last memories were of a fever induced haze that included figures she couldn’t place and rough movements that hurt like the hells. Isolde rushed to try and escape but the door was locked shut and no matter how much she yelled no one came to the door.
After an hour of yelling and beating on the door to no avail Isolde pushed away from the door and collapsed back onto her bed. It was only at the point that she became more aware of herself and as she looked at herself over her heartbeat spiked all over again. Her skin was still red despite the fever breaking and her nails had also turned a darker shade of red. This triggered a whole new wave of panic and fear as she rushed to the polished obsidian mirror to see any more changes.
Even in the dark reflection of the mirror Isolde could see that she’d changed over night. Her hair was starting to turn white at the roots, her pupils looked more like ovals than circle and she could swear her canine looked sharper. Isolde didn’t know what to think and just as her panic was reaching its peak the door to her room opened and two men walked into her room.
Both men had a sword at their hip and while one had a wooden tray taking up both of his hands the other had both hands free, though his eyes were trained on Isolde. She only made it a single step closer before the man’s hand snapped to his sword and she froze, a million questions stuck on her lips. She didn’t move again until both men had exited the room and the door had slammed shut behind them. Isolde spent the rest of the day alone, with nothing but her reflection as company.
This process repeated for days with her changes progressing further with each day. Her skin kept its pink color and as the days progressed it became an even brighter shade of pink, her hair turned white from the roots out until the white had completely replaced her natural brown. Even her canines grew into blunt fangs and her pupils turned into slits.
It was on the night that all these changes were completed that she was startled awake by the sound of cracking glass. The obsidian mirror was now sporting a large crack down the middle that was spilling red light into the room and as Isolde watched the cracks spread until the entire mirror was covered before the entire surface exploded out, hung in the air for a moment and was sucked though the mirrors frame, which now showed a room made of black stone.
Isolde only had a few moments to take this all in before a large devilish woman stepped through the mirror and addressed her by name. While she was too stunned to move, the Devil explained her situation, that her partners had sold her along with a large contingent of their employees' souls. The devil explained that her name was Avestra, that she was behind the transformation and that she was here to take Isolde back to Avernus where she would serve her.
That sent Isolde running for the door, where she tried in vain to force it open while screaming for help. This only seemed to amuse the Avestra who simply paralyzed her with a wave of her hand. Isolde could only watch as a pair of devils came through the portal and simply carried her back through the portal. The last thing she remembered before she passed out was Avestra’s laugh echoing in her ears.
The next time Isolde woke up she was in another cell, though this one was bare stone with only a pair of roughly made cots and a bucket serving as furnishing. Isolde wasn’t alone in the cell however as the other cot was occupied by a Tiefling woman with pale green skin and pink hair tied up in a ponytail. She had red eyes and a pair of dark green horns that grew from her hairline and followed her skull before curling up half way back.
She introduced herself as Cassandra and help Isolde calm down as the girl resumed her freak out from before she fell unconscious.
Cassandra explained all she knew about their predicament. They were now Avestra’s servants, to do so as she wished. She had taken them to her palace in the first layer of The Nine Hells, Avernus. Cassandra admitted that she didn’t know much beyond that as she had only been in Avernus two days longer than Isolde.
Cassandra did offer her one thing though, she offered to make a promise with her that they would watch each other’s backs and help each other survive whatever Avestra put them through until they could escape.
Something about the way Cassandra offered the promise stuck with Isolde, not as a pipe dream to cope with their situation but as a certainty, as something that was going to happen. It was said with such optimism, with such belief that she couldn’t help but feel herself smiling despite her situation. It was like feeling the light of the sun on her skin for the first time since she was kidnapped.
When she agreed the hesitant smile on Cassandra’s face broke into a large smile and she hugged Isolde saying that she was glad to have someone watch her back. Isolde held on as long as she could after not having physical contact with a person for over a week.
They didn’t have long to rest after that as a pair of large devils soon approached their cells before magically binding them in manacles and leading them out of their cell. They were lead to a large through room where Avestra was lounging as a small imp brought about various blood covered dishes.
Avestra seemed disappointed when she laid her eyes on Isolde, though she quickly masks her expression by making a show of welcoming the two women to their new forever home. She led the women onto a large balcony that overlooked a blood soaked colosseum.
She explained that this was her pride and joy, an arena where she pit the best beasts and battlers the planes have to offer. This, she told the girls, was their fate should they no longer be of use to her.
Isolde and Cassandra exchanged a look of dread as Avestra went on to talk about various plans she’d thought of for fights in her arena before a pair of imps flew up with mops and buckets and dropped them at the girls feet.
This pulled Avestra from her rambling as she quickly explained that the girls were to clean the arena. The two girls were swiftly led off to the arena as Avesta resumed her rambling to the two imps who had dropped off the supplies.
And that was how it would go for some time, they were led between their cell and the arena to clean whatever part was dirtied the most that day. The work was hardly safe as the variety of creatures killed in the arena left various hazards that the girls had to avoid and remove, it did however give them time to get to know each other. Cassandra was much more chatty than Isolde when they cleaned and told her all about her old home.
Isolde learned that she was from a place called Bryn Shander far to the north of The Sword Coast. Cassandra told her about her five younger siblings and how she hoped they were all doing well. Though when Isolde asked about her parents she only said she hoped that they got what was coming to them, a sentiment Isolde agreed with.
Isolde would offer up similar information when Cassandra talked about her home in Baldur’s Gate and her three younger siblings. When Cassandra brought up returning to her home once they escaped and confessing to a girl she loved, Isolde showed her the necklace that she’d made out of her half of the bond forger, that she’d been allowed to keep for some reason, and told Cassandra about Eloise.
The girls getting closer was not the only thing that changed in those first few months as Isolde would find herself changing even further with nubs appearing on her scalp in a pair alongside a single nub that appeared on her lower back. These changes didn’t distress Isolde as much as her first changes once Cassandra took notice, the girl explaining that the same thing had happened when she was younger and her Tiefling features had begun manifesting. Over the course of a month a pair of horns sprouted from Isolde's head and a tail grew out of her lower back.
The girls saw Avestra on rare occasions in their day to day work, though the Devil did make more appearances while Isolde was going through her second transformation, seemingly appeasing the girl as her horns and tail took shape.
That changed about four months into their imprisonment when they were led to a different part of Avestra’s compound, a massive ballroom that was in the process of being prepared by a plethora of different creatures.
It was explained to the two girls that since they hadn’t died in the arena or failed to clean it properly they were being given new tasks. Avestra held weekly banquets and their tasks were to assist in the set up, running and tear down of these banquets and if they failed they would fight in Avestra’s arena.
That was how the girls lived their lives, every few months they were given a new set of tasks to complete day in and day out with the threat being the same. The tasks never had any theme or consistency, the girls might be tasked to serve whatever blood soaked dishes Avestra desired before being told to insure that all of the devils torture implements were sharpened and properly functioning. The inconsistency of it was intentional by Avestra as the devil seemed to enjoy watching the girls adapt to their new tasks. It was only through watching each other’s backs and using skills the other lacked that the girls survived.
The cycle continued for three years until a group of adventurers darkened Avestra door step. They were there to bargain to Avestra for one of their party members' souls, one of them having bargained for powers and they wanted free of their deal.
Avestra entertained the adventurers as honored guests, seemingly amused by their quest, and assigned Cassandra and Isolde to wait on them hand and foot, alongside the other duties they were tasked with for the day.
It was during their time serving the party that Cassandra drew the attention of one of its members, an elven wizard by the name of Leyshara. As Cassandra spent time around Layshara the wizard became more and more infatuated with her, something Isolde noticed as the wizard requested Cassandra do more and more things for her. It was as the adventurers concluded their business with Avestra that Leyshara made her affections clear. She waited till Avestra was busy having a final discussion with her now ex-warlock and offered Cassandra a hearthstone, magic item that could get her out of the hells and back to the material plane.
Leyshara proved to be more noble in her intentions than Isolde thought as when Cassandra politely declined her advance she still insisted that Cassandra keep the Hearthstone and escape the hells.
Cassandra explained all of this to Isolde the night after the adventures left, she didn’t know what to do with the item now that she had it. She didn’t want to leave Isolde behind, not after all they’d been through together, but she also didn’t want to waste Leyshara’s kindness. Isolde told Cassandra that she had to use the item even if it only got her out of the hells. They couldn’t waste this opportunity, not with Avestra being as unpredictable as she was. Cassandra still had a chance at a happy life in Isolde’s eyes. She promised Cassandra that she’d definitely see her again, that if fate brought them together once it would bring them together again.
Many tears were spilled and more promises were made as the girls said their final goodbyes and as Cassandra crushed the Hearthstone and disappeared in a spiral of blue energy Isolde felt like she took her breath with her. She hated lying to Cassandra but she’d always been the optimistic one in their pair, the one who had faith in things like fate.
So she’d told her what she’d want to hear, told her that they would see each other again like it was part of fate's grand plan and as Cassandra disappeared Isolde felt emptier than she’d ever felt before. Every lie she’d told felt like sand on her tongue and she fell to her knees with a dry heave.
Isolde’s night was consumed by constantly replaying her final moments with Cassandra, the look of hope on Cassandra’s face as she looked at her one last time before leaving only further compounded her feelings of guilt and shame at betraying her closest friend. She didn’t break from this cycle until the devil guards appeared in the morning and noticed Cassandra missing.
She was brought before Avestra as the devil was informed of Cassandra's disappearance. The devil appeared amused at the news and simply dismissed her guards to talk with Isolde alone. Once the guards were gone Avestra asked her a single question, where did Cassandra go?
Isolde feigned ignorance and claimed that Cassandra disappeared in the night while she was sleeping. Avestra only gave the answer a moment of consideration before seizing Isolde by the throat. She didn’t believe Isolde for a moment and asked her question again as Isolde dangled from her grasp. When Isolde continued to feign ignorance the devil simply laughed.
She told her that it doesn’t matter as they both belonged to her and she’d find Cassandra sooner or later. Avestra then proceeded to pin Isolde to the ground and bring a claw to her face. She thought that Isolde needed a reminder of who she belonged to, so she then raked her claw from Isolde’s hair line, through her eye and all the way down to her chin. This way every time Isolde saw her reflection she’d know how she belonged to. Avestra let Isolde writhe in pain as she talked down to her and ranted about how ungrateful she was and only after she was done talking about how much she cared for her did she heal Isolde enough that she wouldn’t lose her eye, though in doing so she changed her eye to better match her own devilish pair.
Isolde fully expected to be sent into the arena after that day but Avestra simply put her back to work, the devil wanting to see how long she lasted without her partner. Setting out even more grueling tasks for the girl to complete.
Isolde only lasted six months before she failed in a task Avestra set out for her, though she wasn’t sent to the arena as she had been expecting. Avestra owed a fellow devil a debt and decided to include Isolde as part of the payment now that she no longer wanted the girl.
The devil that Avestra owed a debt to went by the name Lashtrayer and they wanted to invade the material plane to take more slaves, so within days of becoming Lashtrayer’s Isolde was put into so much armor that she was indistinguishable from any other human sized devil just in time for the devils ritual to be completed and a portal opened back into the material plane. A pair of devils were tasked with watching Isolde during the invasion and were to kill her if she tried to run or hesitated to fight.
Isolde didn’t have a chance to even think about that fact that she was on the material plane again because as soon as she crossed the portal’s threshold she was surrounded by combat, the two devils guarding her practically carried her into the fray as they set about tormenting the village the portal had opened near.
The next few hours passed by in a blur as Isolde was carried around the battle by her two captors, not fully comprehending what was happening as smoke, fire, and blood filled her view wherever she looked.
Isolde didn’t know when it happened but eventually the sound of battle was overtaken by the sound of rustling leaves. She barely had time to react before the whole battle was covered in a storm of pink petals, the petals slammed into her like a stone wall and knocked her helmet clean off. The storm was unrelenting as waves of pink petals battered any devil it could reach and Isolde was thrown all around as the storm raged, crashing into buildings until one final crash knocked her unconscious.
The next time Isolde was awake she was on her back staring at tree bark, her hands and feet were bound in thick roots and she’d been stripped out of her armor. Isolde barely had time to take stock of her situation before the roots tightened, bound her hands against her body and rapidly raised to the ceiling to hang her by her ankles.
Isolde was turned to face a wall that quickly shifted into a rough doorway as a pair of figures walked into the room. Each wore green robes embroidered with tree branches that spiraled and weaved together to form intricate patterns. They hid their faces behind wooden masks carved to resemble animals, a woman with a deer face and a man with a boar face stared at Isolde as she hung from the ceiling.
They questioned her about the purpose of the attack, about who she served and how she’d survived the petal storm. Isolde stammered out whatever answers she could think of though nothing seemed to be what the figures were looking for as the vines tightened around her threateningly. Isolde’s voice died in her throat as a vine tightened around it and all she could do was stare in fear at the wooden mask that obscured her captors face.
Some about the look in Isolde’s eyes must have struck a cord with her captors because just as her vision was beginning to swim the vines slackened and she was dropped unceremoniously onto the dirt floor of her cell. Her boar faced captor kneeled down to her and questioned her, asking why she was in the village, wearing the devils armor, if she wasn’t a part of their forces.
Isolde croaked out her story as best she could while recovering from her near strangulation. She told them of her kidnapping and imprisonment by Avestra and her subsequent selling to Lashtrayer and his plan to capture more slaves from the material plane.
Once she finished, her captors shared a look as the boar masked man stepped back to join his comrade. They both quickly left the room but not before the deer masked woman called back for her to regain her breath as they would make sure she was telling the truth once they returned. The next few hours passed by in silence as Isolde recovered, her heart still pounding in her ears long after her captors had left.
It was just as her heart was starting to reach some form of resting rate that the wall of her cell shifted again and three figures walked into the room. Flanked by the two figures that had questioned her before was a new figure wearing a wooden mask carved to resemble an owl. The figure hobbled into the cell with a cane for support, their entire demeanor was different from the other two figures. While the other two stood straight backed at the entrance the new figure seemed to half ambled their way over to Isolde.
She could tell the figure was an old woman by their voice as the questioned if she was the one that everyone was making a fuss about. Isolde could only nod in response as she stared at the owl mask that obscured the old woman’s face.
The old woman chucked a bit before she reached up and removed her mask to reveal an old weather face smiling at her. She asked Isolde to tell her story and continued to smile as Isolde looked at her confused.
The old woman told her to take her time as she summoned a wooden stool from the floor and sat down. The silence stretched out for several more minutes before the deer masked woman made a show of clearing her throat and shifted to look directly at Isolde, she shrunk under the woman’s gaze and started to recount her story once more for the older woman.
By the time Isolde was finished silent tears were falling down her face, she felt entirely empty after having to repeat her story once again. She wasn’t sure how much time passed before she felt a pair of old arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her close. The older woman whispered reassurances into her ear as Isolde felt everything break and she sobbed into the woman's shoulder. Eventually Isolde ran out of tears to cry and simply pulled away from the older woman and found her looking back at her smiling.
Something about the soft smile on the older woman’s face drained whatever energy Isolde had left. She let the old woman rise to her feet and lead her out of her cell. She was led through bark lined halls until they gave way to open air and light rain. Even exhausted as she was, the feeling of rain on her skin stirred Isolde enough that she was able to focus and look around at her surroundings as the old woman continued to pull her along.
All around her trees the size of buildings rose up, each bore signs of habitation as windows and doors had been fitted into their trunks. A veritable menagerie of forest animals flitted all around as people in various types of Druidic garb went about their day. Though the one view that took Isolde breath away was what she saw when she turned to look behind her, rising up above all of the other trees was a massive cherry blossom tree. Its branches spread so wide that when Isolde looked up any part of her view not taken up by the trees around her were the pink blossoms of the massive tree.
The old woman led Isolde into one of the trees to reveal a well furnished house. Despite coming back to herself slightly Isolde didn’t make any moves that weren’t started for her, as exhaustion weighed down her limbs, so the old woman sat her down on a plush couch. The old woman wrapped a soft blanket around Isolde’s shoulders before telling her she’d be right back and leaving the room.
Isolde didn’t know how long she was alone but combination of the blanket, couch and her already exhausted state overwhelmed her as she fell asleep with her head on the arm of the couch.
Isolde’s rest was, for once, not plagued by nightmares of blood and brimstone. She didn’t know how long her peaceful rest lasted but eventually she was roused not by a loud noise but by a delicious earthy aroma filling her nose. That alone was confusing for her but she only got more confused as she woke up further and became aware of the blanket on her shoulders.
It was only as Isolde sat up and the blanket fell from her shoulders that the last few days rushed back to her. She had so many questions but as she looked around she appeared to be alone in a cozily decorated sitting room. It was as she sat on the couch that Isolde began to hear voices, a pair of whispers voices coming from an adjoining room. Her want for answers proved greater than the remaining exhaustion that clung to her limbs as she rose from the couch and made her way toward the voices.
Once Isolde made her way into the adjoining room she found herself in a well stocked kitchen. The old woman who had led her to the house was stirring a large pot while chatting with a longer woman in similar robes. Isolde had barely made it past the kitchen’s entrance before the old woman noticed her presence and beckoned her over. She introduced the other woman as her granddaughter by the name of Lia along with finally introducing herself as Shava.
Shava was sure that Isolde had many questions but asked she help her and Lia serve up the stew she was working on for the three of them, saying that Isolde must be hungry. Isolde wanted to argue but before she could even give Shava an answer her stomach groaned loudly. The older woman simply chuckled before ladling the stew into a pair of bowls and asking Lia to show Isolde to the dining room. Lia, who had stopped talking once Isolde entered the kitchen, gave her a once over before stiffly telling Isolde to follow her.
The dining room was just as cozily set up as the rest of the rooms Isolde had been in, with a large stump acting as the table at the center of the room with a series of plush chairs set around it. The rest of the room was decorated with paintings of forests of different trees in a variety of seasons.
Both women silently took places at the table, an awkward air sat between them as Lia kept giving Isolde apprehensive looks. The silence didn’t last long as Shava made her way into the dining room not long after the girls and sat between them. The three women ate in silence until Isolde broke it after one too many side glares from Lia, asking what was going on.
Lia repeated the question as well which earned her a tut from Shava before she answered, she explained that after everything Isolde had been through that she could use a home made meal and a safe place to rest her head. Isolde was stunned by how genuine Shava sounded.
When Isolde didn’t respond Shava continued, saying that Isolde seemed like a sweet girl who went through, quite literal, hell in her past years and Shava was willing to offer her a place to stay as long as she likes. This struck a nerve with Lia who brought up how they couldn’t be sure if they could trust her, how she could be a spy or the devils commander who was powerful enough to survive and was just playing them for fools.
Shava gave Lia a look that ended further accusations. She stated that as she was a member of the Archdruid circle she could give amnesty to anyone she deemed fit and she was giving it to Isolde. Lia opened her mouth to argue but Shava continued, stating that there’s no use arguing as the rest of the circle already agreed with her. She turned back to Isolde and gave her a smile, stating she was free to stay as long as she liked.
Isolde didn’t know how to respond, she stuttered out her thanks and shamefully admitted that she didn’t think she had anywhere to go.
Shava told her that she didn’t have to make any decisions today, that she would have a place to lay her head as long as she needed it. This got a scoff out of Lia but she didn’t make any other comments.
The rest of dinner was filled mostly with Shava answering any questions Isolde had.
It turned out the Druids that had found Isolde went by the name of The Order of the Blossom Wall. They were a circle of Druids that had made it their mission to protect the Material Plane from extraplanar threats. That was how they found Isolde and the devils that had enslaved her, they had detected the incursion and sent Druids to protect the people, slay the devils and close the rift between planes. They had discovered Isolde unconscious following their defense and brought her back to their grove for questioning. Isolde was awe struck by Shava's explanation; she never knew that people like Shava and the Druids existed.
Once Shava finished her explanation the three women quickly finished their meal, despite her previous hostility Shava had Lia show Isolde where she’d be staying. This happened to be in the tree they were already in, though once Lia showed Isolde to her room she made sure to tell her that she still didn’t trust her and that the only reason Isolde had a room in her home was because Shava was her grandmother.
Despite Lia’s aggression Isolde went to sleep that night easier than she had in a long time.
Isolde told herself that she would only stay until she could figure out somewhere to go but the more time she spent around the Druids and the more questions she asked, the more interested she became in the Druids ways. It didn’t take long before she was asking Shava if she could stay and learn the Druids ways. She didn’t believe she had anywhere to go back to so she thought that learning the Druids ways would give her a new purpose in life.
Shava was happy to teach Isolde the Druids ways.
Isolde’s time with the Druids found her making many new friends amongst her peers with even Lia softening into a friend as Isolde proved her devotion to the teachings of the Druids. It was during this time that Isolde met a fellow Druid by the name of Vigilance, an amber skinned Tiefling that was one of the first people to welcome Isolde to the Blossom Wall. It was during one of their hangouts that Isolde made a comment inquiring about Vigilance’s parents deciding on their name and they informed her of the existence of virtue names. A concept in Tiefling culture where a Tiefling chooses a new name for themselves that is a virtue or concept they wish to strive to embody.
Something about that struck a chord with Isolde, as she tossed the concept around in her mind she had to admit to herself that she didn’t feel as connected to her name as she thought she should. It was through many discussions on names, their nature and how a person defined themselves with Vigilance that Isolde decided she wanted to go by a virtue name. This led to more conversations with Vigilance over the course of a few months before she decided on Aegis. That was what she wanted to be, a defender of the people. So that nothing like what happened to her could happen to anyone else.
The first day Aegis spent with her fellow Druids being addressed by her virtue name cemented in her mind that she made the right choice, it felt like the first day in a life she could be proud of.
Aegis’ time with the Druid taught her many things and even allowed her to channel the magic of nature around her, though it was on the cusp of her advancement to a full member of the Blossom Wall that her past came back to rear its ugly head.
One day while Aegis, Vigilance and Lia were working with their fellow initiates to complete a ritual to enrich one of the many gardens of the grove. It was part way through the ritual that the wind shifted and the smell of smoke wafted over the initiates. They barely had time to react before a pair of hellhounds bounded out of the nearby woods. Aegis and her fellow initiates barely had time to react before the hellhounds started breathing gouts of flame in their direction.
Most initiates ran deeper into the grove and Aegis had to tackle Vigilance to save the woman from a gout of flame. The two women couldn’t even get off the ground before a hellhound tried to leap on them with the hellhounds clamping its maw into Aegis’ leg. It had barely started pulling Aegis toward the woods before it got batted away by a root summoned by Lia, sending the hellhound flying into its partner. This allowed Lia to be able to organize the remaining initiates into a defense that let everyone escape with minor injuries as the groves guards rushed to eliminate the hellhounds.
In the hours after the hellhound attack Aegis almost entirely shut down, all she could hear was the growls of the hellhounds and the sound of crackling flame. She let Vigilance and Lia lead her through the motions of getting checked out by some of the circle's healers. It wasn’t till late into the night, and with a lot of coaxing from Vigilance, that she began to return to some form of her former self. She told Vigilance small parts of her past when the woman asked, hoping that would help her understand Aegis’ reaction. She even showed her the bond forger necklace that served as a reminder of why she wanted to become a Druid of the blossom wall, telling her about Eloise and Cassandra late into the evening one night.
Even though she appeared to have returned to normal to her friends, in the following days Aegis couldn’t shake the image of the hellhounds from her mind. She’d jump at every snapped branch and off smells.
Eventually after two weeks Aegis made a decision, the hellhounds came to the grove for her and if they found her once they would find her again. She decided that she needed to leave the grove, stay moving and hope that that keeps whichever devil wanted her back from finding her. She didn’t want to leave but she cared too much about the grove and its people to have them be placed in danger on her behalf.
So over the course of the next week Aegis collected as many supplies as she could and formally told Shava of her intent to leave the grove. The older woman wasn’t a fan of the decision but did not forbid her from leaving, only telling her that she would always have a home in the Grove of the Blossom Wall. Lia and Vigilance were both vehemently against Aegis leaving but she had made up her mind and promised she’d return to the grove as soon as she was sure she could.
With one final goodbye to her new family Aegis set out into Faerun, ready to see the world and uphold the values of the Blossom Wall all while outrunning her devilish past.