Arianwyn Barriani

## Overview

Arainwyn Barriani is a sun elf reigning from Celsus; At the beginning of The Curse of the Enchanted Forest Campaign, she is one hundred and twenty years old. She was born to Alusfaena Barriani and Aestarnen Barriani, the Viscount and Viscountess of Celsus. She comes from a noble background, seeing nearly everyone as beneath her, and can speak Common, Elvish, Sylvan, and Orcish. She holds the ideal that blood is thicker than water and will protect her family at any cost. After a *Tragic Incident,* in which her mother murdered her father, she has been on the run and avoided showing her face in Celsus for fear or retribution for her mother's actions. However, after this incident, she met her soon-to-be Step-Father, Thrandor, and his son Castien Barriani. She loves the carnival and is afraid of crabs, due to a particularly disturbing dream.

## Backstory

I am Arianwyn Barriani, formerly Finfea, the name given to me by my late mother, Alusfaena Barriani. When I was younger, living in Celsus with my parents, we held a position which respected, no, demanded respect of anyone around. I was born to Viscount Aestarnen Barriani and Viscountess Alusfaena Barriani of Celsus, making me the Vicomte. During my childhood, the Orcish housemaid, Stugantha, taught me Orcish amidst my other required studies. Years later, but not many, my mother awoke me in my chambers late one night. Confused, I accosted her with questions; she was frantically packing my belongings into a bag, telling me to get dressed and that we were leaving. I knew better than to question my mother, so I begrudgingly followed her instructions. I noticed something on her dress, only when I met her outside of our family villa, in the torchlight, did I notice what it was: blood. I stopped dead in my tracks, looking at my home, then back to my mother. We shared a moment of silence, a knowing glance exchanged between us. I decided to follow without further resistance, and it was not until years later that she would share the horrific story with me. The scandalous tale she described to me illuminated that night for me; a promiscuous man, whose lust fell too close to home, a maid, entranced with his noble whiles, and a woman who would fly into a jealous rage, seeing red, killing them both before retrieving her child to escape in the night. She knew the Court Elves would not spare her, despite any pleas she made, so we did the only thing we could; we hid. We were squatters and pilgrims for a while, traversing the forests and wilds, fearing capture. The wild was no way for noble high elves such as ourselves to live, but we made do; my mother specifically made sure to bring a dining set along when we absconded form our home, as eating without dinnerware was simply too below our stature. Funnily, this is something I kept with me all these years later, keeping a mess kit with me anytime I would be traveling; it always felt as if I was keeping a piece of her memory with me at all times. Eventually, after we were sure we had distanced ourselves far enough from our potential hunters, if they even existed, Alusfaena decided that we could stop in town for a change. While resting at a local tavern, near the end of the night, a moon elven man approached us at our table. He politely introduced himself as Thrandor, and despite his calm exterior, my mother and I were rightfully frightened; the area where we were didn’t host many high elves, so to see one was suspicious, especially given my mother’s past. “I think you dropped this.” He said, placing a crumpled piece of paper on the table, before promptly walking to the bar and ordering himself a mead, whispering to the tavernkeeper, the two of them giving us wayward glances. Unraveling the paper, we discovered a note, written in elvish. “They are here for you, come with me calmly and I’ll help you.” My mother gave him a sideways glance as he nodded his head approvingly. Alusfaena briefed me on our plan, she conceded that if this were a trap, it was the end for us, we would both likely be put to death. I assured her it was worth a shot, as we calmly got up, dropping the amount of money we owed for our dinner on the bar, and following Thrandor after he finished his mead, forcefully slamming the cup on the counter, and giving the tavernkeeper a friendly wave goodbye. We followed him out the backdoor of the tavern, where a covered carriage awaited. As we proceeded down the road, my mother nervously looked behind us, confirming the presence of high elf knights waiting outside the tavern, their own carriage in tow. We arrived at his home, a quaint cottage in the woods, about an hour out of town and he explained that he had kept an eye on us when we arrived in town, and felt the need to help out his elven sisters. Word of my mother’s actions had spread quickly throughout the land, a heavy bounty on her head and her noble title revoked. She, of course, acted as if this never happened, never wavering in he way she carried herself. She assured me that even if the title meant no more, that we were still of royal blood and that we should always remember who we are. Of course, I did; I never forgot who I was or where I came from, and despite my mother’s crimes, I loved her and I would do anything for her: she was the only family I had left. Soon enough, however, my mother and Thrandor fell in love; it was a love like something I had never experienced before, and I had never seen her like this when her and my departed father were together. Thrandor’s son, Castien and I got along pretty well. He loved to adventure and explore the woods around the house, and I was happy to accompany him. He was fascinated with the arcane and magic, as any self-respecting high elf should be. I, however, strayed from this practice, spending more time with a dummy and my axe than visiting town shrouded in a hood, as to avoid detection, to visit the library to study magic. I began to think of myself lesser, but still above so many, so I remained unbothered, disregarding my own minor self-loathing. Castien, kindly enough, for my 60th birthday, spent the entire year attempting to teach me Sylvan. I only ever learned enough to exchange a few phrases and knowing a few words. After revealing that I used to speak Orcish, a few years later, again, for my birthday, Castien, who had spent well over a years’ worth of allowance, to purchase me a book of Orcish. It was one of the best gift’s I ever received, and it was then that I knew that Castien was truly a brother to me. Our parents married soon thereafter, though it wasn’t anything grand, it didn’t need to be; we had cake and mead and all seemed well. By the time I was 90, the world as I knew it was flipped upside down. Castien and I were returning from a forest expedition, a new familiar in his arms, a flighty rat, who bared its teeth at me if I so much as thought about looking at it. (Poor, sweet, Neophyte, he was taken before his time, he just did not see that hawk coming for him, although that wouldn’t occur until years later.) Two high elf court members were standing outside our cottage; I stuck my arm out in front of Castien, prompting him to stop. We ducked behind the nearby bush, watching from afar. A third elf, bulkier than the others, exited the cottage, our parents bound to the same chairs we had ate our dinner in the night before. I try to forget what I had to witness that day, the throats of our parents brutally slit; they were left to bleed out as the group of elves departed as soon as the job was done. We surely would’ve been next if I hadn’t covered Castien's mouth, muffling his screams. We vowed to stay together, and I personally promised to protect him with my life, truly the last family I had. While Castien continued to study the arcane, leading us on exciting adventures, I followed, assuring to protect him from any danger. He longs to discover and learn of fantastical things, and on these journeys, I hope to find the people who ruined my family. Their faces are etched into my memory, and I will get my revenge at whatever cost.

## Proficiencies

Arianwyn is proficient in Athletics, History, Intimidation, Perception, and Persuasion. She boasts tool proficiencies in dice gaming, leather working, and cigarette rolling.

## Notable Belongings

Along with her signet ring, scroll of pedigree, and a backpack full of adventuring gear (as well as Castien's heavier items), Wyn also carries the Hemorrhoid Extinguisher, a magical maul, her weapon of choice, and an owlbear egg that she picked up after the party had slaughtered two grown owlbears in cold blood. She owns a fur coat, fashioned out of owlbear claws and nipples, as well as Sky's natural fur coat. (Post-Mortem)