Ayla Fern

Art by Masae

**Ayla Fern** is a member of the *Deadbeats* party*.* Once a novice spiritualist from Xiros, Ayla trained under Evangeline Hellebore as an apprentice to better control her empathic abilities. However, Ayla was also affiliated with a mysterious group operating out of Qethos, working towards currently unknown goals. As part of that group, the meek Ayla befriended another member named Keres Creed, who worked undercover in the Xiros Defense Force. However, Keres' cruelty soon made itself known to Ayla, who subsequently used her powers to possess Keres' body and seal her away.

Adopting Keres Creed's identity, Ayla would cut ties with her employers and continue serving as a XDF prot for the next fifteen years. However, Ayla struggled to contain her former friend and an incident occurred that earned her the infamous moniker of "The Butcher". Now on probation, Ayla dedicated her efforts to getting back into the XDF's good graces and keeping Keres at bay, which led her to join Detective Logan Horn in his last-ditch-effort quest to catch the serial killer Façade. She is played by MasaeAnela.

## Description

### Appearance

Ayla Fern is a petite human woman with very pale skin and long blond hair, which was a sandy brown in her younger years. Her hair is waist length, with a parted fringe and long strands that curl at the ends. She has a delicate round face with a small nose and large gold eyes.

Ayla's outfit consists of a light turquoise dress that exposes her legs at the front, cut to allow a single section of the dress to hang down in front. The inside of the dress appears to be maroon in color. The dress is also strapless with a low cut and white-gold trimming around the bust. She wears a jacket of darker green with gold patterned trimming and ending in translucent green frills. The arms of the jack also give way to the same puffy green frills just before the elbow, allowing a generous view of her forearms through the fabric. A purple sashed tied in a bow circumnavigates her waist to keep her dress and jacket in place. Under her dress, she wears a maroon bodysuit and thigh-length leggings of the same color, connected by straps with ruby latches. A pair of grey high-heeled boots cover her feet. Ayla also wears a maroon choker with white frills around her neck, from which hangs a teardrop shaped amulet with gold borders and a ruby in the center.

In her late teens, Ayla wore a simpler outfit, consisting of a black V-neck jumper over a white shirt, over which she wore a purple jacket with blue trimming. The same choker adorned her neck then as it does in the present day.

### Background

Ayla Fern was born in the city of Xiros on the Ark of Qethos some 37 years before the events of *Deadbeats*. Not much is known about her childhood, but what is evident is that Ayla demonstrated a natural aptitude for sensing emotional and spiritual energy at a young age. This made her rather vulnerable to the constant busyness of the city, often upsetting and exhausting her as she tried to navigate a churning flood of emotion. When she reached her late teens, Ayla sought to develop her gifts to better withstand such an environment, specifically dedicating herself to becoming an Empath. Though the circumstances are yet unknown, Ayla was approached by a unknown group that claimed to be elevating mortality to the next level, and requested that Ayla use her skills to aid them. Ayla accepted and became a member of this shadowy cabal, though her exact role and duties is unknown. As part of that group, Ayla became acquainted with Keres Creed, a fellow member and protector with the Xiros Defense Force. From what conversations the two have had in the present, Ayla thought highly of Keres and trusted in her judgements, meekly following her and the orders of her new organization.

### The Enchantress' Apprentice

When Ayla was 17, she finally found a full-time teacher to help master her spiritual abilities. Said teacher was Enchantress Evangeline Hellebore, a beautiful and powerful master of the arcane arts. As it happened, the Hellebores were of interest to Ayla's employers, particularly Dr. Ignatius Hellebore and his research, though it is unknown if that was a factor in Ayla's choice of teacher. As a means of beginning her tuition, Ayla travelled to the Hellebore's latest residence in Keld on the Ark of Alabhastar. An exhausted Ayla was welcomed by Evangeline in her casual wear, who apologized for for her appearance. Evangeline welcomed her warmly and introduced her to her children Piper and Lily, who promptly started fighting. Piper's young friend Dash, who was also present, simply waved and said hi as the other two scuffled. Embarrassed, Evangeline took Ayla outside so they might speak uninterrupted, while the children ran out to the woods.

Sitting together out on the back porch, Evangeline remarked that she could smell the spirits surrounding Ayla. Evangeline then lit an incense stick for the confused Ayla and inquired about her field of study. Ayla confirmed she was studying to be an Empath, which the enchantress found interesting. As a test, Ayla was asked to interpret Evangeline's feelings at that moment. Wryly, Ayla commented she must be relieved the children were gone, amusing her teacher, but failing to answer the question. Following the instruction of her new mentor, Ayla closed her eyes and focused her magic to create an empathic link. A warm sensation of joy and happiness washed over Ayla which she relayed. Evangeline, satisfied, explained that all Empaths experienced emotions differently and Ayla clearly detected emotions through temperature. She stated Ayla had great potential and Empaths were usually easier to train than Exorcists. Memories of her last apprentice, who was an exorcist, cause Ayla to experience a chill of discomfort or fear. Realizing Ayla was still linked to her, Evangeline was startled but also impressed.

The enchantress further explained that Empaths could feel and control emotions, while Exorcists could control the spirits of others and channel the spirits of the undead. She reiterated that tapping into the soul was a heavy responsibility and a great risk to caster and spirit even after years of training. Ayla confessed being an Empath could be overwhelming in its own right. They discussed Ayla's hometown of Xiros and how Ayla would be better suited to handle the busy city once she had better command over her powers. Evangeline then stated that she expected Ayla would finish her training within two years with her, which was quicker than Ayla had expected. Ayla then thanked her and left the Hellebore household to return to her own new residence down the road, content that her training would begin in full the next day.

### Return to Xiros

Ayla's lessons with Evangeline went smoothly for a full year until they were temporarily interrupted when the other citizens of Keld were whipped up into a religious frenzy by local priest of Haio, Tucker Whiskers. An incident had occurred involving the Hellebores and Tucker's youngest son Dash, and he demonized the Hellebores as the root of all evils that plagued them. The family promptly fled before the angry mob arrived to set their home alight under Tucker's guidance. Ayla also left Keld with the family and promised them that she could help them start anew in Qethos by using her contacts. She contacted her employers and requested that they provide for the family. To this end, Keres Creed was sent to speak with Ignatius on the way to Xiros, offering him a deal to help their cause in exchange for his family's protection, which he accepted. It is unknown if Ayla was aware of this deal, but she and Keres were able to give the family the means to purchase a mansion in Llwendolyn. For the next two years, Ayla continued to train with Evangeline, becoming adept in sensing and manipulating the spiritual energy around her with ease. During her time with the Hellebores, Ayla also spent quite a bit of time with Evangeline's two children, to the point the two considered her to almost be a second mother. Eventually, however, Ayla concluded her apprenticeship and left the family to pursue her own goals

### Sealing Away The Butcher

The next three years after her apprenticeship proved to be rather difficult for Ayla, as she became disillusioned with her employers and their goals. The primary reason for this was Keres Creed. While Ayla had considered Keres to be a friend, she became more and more uncomfortable with Keres' actions, which demonstrated a violent and cruel streak. Ayla was not alone in being frightened by Keres, as both Dr. Hellebore and his partner Dr. Oshi also expressed unease at the mention of her name over a decade later. Though Ayla been quiet and obedient for much of her time in the organization, she eventually reached a breaking point where she could not allow Keres to roam free any longer. The instigating event is unclear, but Keres plucked up the courage to get Keres alone and confront her. The exact details are unclear, but Ayla used her powers, not as an Empath but rather an Exorcist, to transfer her spirit into the body of Keres Creed, effectively possessing her. Though Keres resisted, Ayla managed to successfully suppress her former friend's psyche.

With Keres supposedly sealed away within her own mind, Ayla assumed Keres' identity and continued to operate as a protector with the XDF. It is unclear if she maintained Keres' position in with her own employers or if they even noticed Ayla's absence. However, Ayla's inanimate body went missing, giving Ayla no option to return. Despite this, Ayla committed to her new life, resolved to never allow Keres to resurface. For the next fifteen years, Ayla served the XDF to protect the people of Xiros using Keres' prodigious strength and speed. As a side effect of the possession, Ayla could manifest her own spirit in the form of an Astral Spirit to fight alongside her new body. However, Ayla's control over her prisoner was not absolute. During the length of the possession, Ayla would suffer regular headaches and blackout as Keres attempted to seize control again. One such attempt lead to a particular infamous event that had lasting repercussions for Ayla's career. As a consequence, Ayla was put on probation and she became branded with a nickname befitting her body's former over: "The Butcher". It is unclear how long ago her probation commenced, but Ayla continued to do her duties in the hopes of earning her redemption and be free of the bloody nickname that haunted her.

## Mechanics

### Powers and Abilities

#### Monk Abilities

* *Unarmored Defense* (Spiritual Armor)
	+ As a bonus action, you may spend 1 Ki point to grant a willing creature within 30ft *Unarmored Defense* as described in the Monk class for 1 hour, and temporary hit points equal to 2 \* the caster's monk level
* *Martial Arts* (Spiritual Strikes)
	+ When you make an unarmed strike, your reach extends to 10ft and you may use your Wisdom modifier for the Attack and Damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.
* *Ki* (18)
	+ *Flurry of ~~Blows~~ Spirits*
	+ *Step of the Wind*
	+ *Patient Defense*
* *Unarmored Movement* (Spiritual Swiftness)
	+ You may spend 1 Ki point to grant a creature within 30ft this feature for 1 hour
* *Deflect Missile*
* *Slowfall*
* *Extra Attack*
* *Stunning Strike*
* *Ki-Fueled Strikes*
* *(Spiritual) Evasion*
	+ You may use a bonus action and 1 Ki point to grant a will creature within 30ft the Evasion feature
* *Stillness of Mind*
* *Unarmored Movement Improvement*
* Spiritualist Abilities
	+ *Emphatic Link* - At 1st level, when making an Insight Check against a creature, you may roll at advantage to determine the emotions of a creature, if they are capable of emotion.
	+ *Emotional Invocation*
		- *Flames of Rage* - As an action, you may spend 4 Ki points to grant a willing creature within 30ft *Rage* as described in the Barbarian class for 1 minute.
		- *Fearful Presence* - As an action, you may spend 1 Ki point to cause a creature within 30ft of you to make a Wisdom save against your Monk DC, gaining the Fear condition for 1 minute on a failed save. A creature may attempt this saving throw at the end of each of their rounds.
		- *Heavy Despair* - As an action, you may spend 2 Ki points to cast the spell *Bane*

#### Other Abilities

* *Frail*: Ayla has disadvantage on Con saves against Disease and Poison.

### Notable Items

* *Astral Gemstone* (Attunement): When you make an attack with a Spiritual Strike, you gain a +2 to the attack and damage rolls
* *Rejuvenating Bracelet* (Attunement by a Monk): While attuned to this item, you may spend 2 Ki points to cast the spell *Cure Wounds* at 1st level. You may spend an additional 2 Ki points to increase the level of the spell, up to a maximum equal to your proficiency bonus.

## Etymology

"Ayla" is a feminine given name in both Turkish and Hebrew. In Turkish, the name Ayla roughly translates to "the halo around the moon" and is synonymous with moonlight. Meanwhile, in Hebrew, Ayla is commonly thought to refer to "terebinth trees" or "oak trees".

A fern is a type of flowerless vascular plant that has feathery or leafy fronds and reproduces through spores rather than through seeds. The word comes from the Middle English *fern* which means "feather" or "wing".

## Trivia

* Ayla is the first and currently only character to use the Spiritualist subclass, a homebrew subclass for Monks created by Io Publishing.

## Images

### Official Art

Ayla Fern as she appears in *Deadbeats* Season 2 (Art by MasaeAnela).Full body art of Ayla Fern (Art by MasaeAnela).Concept art of Ayla Fern (Art by MasaeAnela).Ayla's appearance in Deadbeats Season 1 Episode 11 (Art by MasaeAnela).Ayla Fern possessing the body of Keres Creed (Art by MasaeAnela).Ayla's Spirit manifesting as Keres' Astral Arms (Art by MasaeAnela).