Aerith Sherendyl

Las’törla (Clan-Lady) of Sherendyl, Companion Guard veteran — Age 304

Aerith Sherendyl has ruled Clan Sherendyl since 514 CY, elected las’törla in the uneasy quiet after the Hateful Wars. A soldier first and last, she runs Düalarn like a peaceful barracks: drills regular, stores tallied, borders watched. She is openly pro-Celene, intent on renewing formal fealty to Enstad, and deeply suspicious of Dyvers and its ship-timber appetites along the northern Gnarley. Aerith works hand-in-hand with The Gnarley Rangers and Old Faith druids to hold the line while keeping firm, cordial terms with Verbobonc.

“Las’törla Aerith Sherendyl—soldier-queen of a village that trains like a fortress, smiles seldom, and keeps every promise sharpened.”

Appearance & Demeanor

Tall, spare, and rangy from a lifetime in armor. Ash-brown hair braided for campaign, river-green eyes that miss little. Aerith moves with rangemaster economy; even her courtesy has edges. She speaks plainly, favors few words, and expects the same.

Roleplay cues: direct eye contact; hands behind back when listening; taps two fingers against vambrace before issuing an order; praise is brief—“Good”—and never wasted.

Early Life & Service

• Companion Guard of Celene, Faerie Kingdom of. Aerith served in Queen Yolande’s elite guard in her youth; she still glows when recalling the court’s discipline and art.
• Border Captain. Returned to the Gnarley to command Sherendyl patrols during the late raids and through The Hateful Wars; earned her reputation for clean logistics, hard marches, and zero panic.
• Election (514 CY). Succeeded cousin Turleval, who abdicated to heal from war-trauma; Aerith won a decisive feudal election by laying out a 20-year readiness plan and a sober treaty posture.

Mandate & Policies (579 CY)

• Renew Fealty to Celene. Publicly argues that the Gnarley elves still owe feudal loyalty to the grey-elf crown; seeks a written compact naming shared wardens and posted envoys—not just polite letters.
• Check Dyvers’ Timber Drives. Blocks inner-forest logging, tightens bonded-caravan rules, and funds joint ambushes with Rangers when slaver coin “escorts” timber.
• Practical with Verbobonc. Prefers oath-bound traffic and ranger liaisons; supports Mounted Borderers when they respect canopy law.
• Readiness Culture. Tunnels drilled, stores inventoried, officers rotated; “predictability kills” is policy for patrol routes and bell hours.

Alliances & Rivalries

• Allies: The Gnarley Rangers (shared calendars), Old Faith circles (firebreaks, coppice plans), Clan Meldarin (oath-law and picket signals).
• Contentious: Dyvers, Free Lands of factors pressing ship-timber; opportunist Woodsmen who ignore cutting writs; smugglers working The Wild Coast lines.
• Mixed: Clan Fealefel (she respects their ley wardens but dislikes secrecy Clan Enlanefel (she values their arbitration yet pushes them to share more intelligence).

Personality & Ideals

• Ideal: Duty before comfort; oaths before convenience.
• Bond: The Sherendyl dead of the Hateful Wars; the tunnels of Düalarn must never be needed—but will be ready.
• Flaw: Impatience with “pretty policy”—if it cannot be held at spear-length, it is not law.

Notable Quotes

• “Stone below, steel above, oath within.”
• “If your plan needs a parade, it is not a plan.”
• “We do not hate Dyvers. We simply prefer our trees standing.”
• “Honor Queen Yolande by being worthy of her silence.”

Seats of Power

• Corellon’s Hall of Seven Vows (Düalarn): Aerith’s council chamber and oath-hall; armory vault beneath.
• Listening Hill: Where she meets Ranger captains before dawn to plan road traps.
• Under-Step Galleries: Inspection loops through granaries, cisterns, and muster rooms; Aerith walks a different loop each tenday.

Relationships

• Yolande, Her Fey Majesty (Celene): Devotion bordering on reverence; Aerith frames policy to be worthy of Yolande’s standards.
• Verbobonc, Viscounty: Respectful, businesslike; supports Mounted Borderers when they honor green law.
• Dyvers, Free Lands of: Distrustful; will not yield inner-forest timber for hulls.
• Clan Meldarin: Warm alignment on patrols and oaths.
• Clan Fealefel: Mutual respect; wants clearer intelligence lanes.
• Clan Enlanefel: Uses them as arbiters; nudges for less secrecy in wartime.

Adventure Hooks

1. The Timber Charter: A Dyvers envoy arrives with a flawless charter; Aerith asks the party to authenticate seals without provoking a rupture—or to catch the hidden clause.
2. The Missing Captain: One of Aerith’s best patrol captains vanishes near Sobanwych; recover the captain or prove treachery before the council vote on tightening the road.
3. Fealty or Friction: Celene sends a formal request for oaths. Aerith wants an escort to Enstad —and discreet troubleshooters if rivals in the clan attempt to stall the compact.
4. Bell at Midnight: Düalarn’s wood-bell rings once, then dies. Aerith deputizes the PCs to hunt a saboteur through roof lanes and cellar doors before dawn.

Using Aerith at the Table

• As Patron: She gives precise objectives, crisp timelines, and material support—then expects results and a short debrief.
• As Counterweight: When politics drift into speeches, Aerith demands numbers, maps, and names.
• As Foil: For reckless PCs, she offers one chance to earn trust by fixing what they broke—fast.