Nissa Heartspring

Art By: @Caras Alexandra

> What you've done isn't at important as what you're going to do now.
>
> Nissa

**Nissa Heartspring** is a player character in MagiRPG's Wild Beyond the Witchlight campaign, "Cirque so Fey" - played by Mae LeFay. She is a human Horizon Walker Ranger. As of season 2, she is traveling with Morryn, Courtney, Spring, Dante along with the NPC Vansel.

## Description

### Appearance

Nissa is tall and lean, standing at 5'9". Her hair is chestnut brown, and a bit unruly at times so she typically wears her curls pulled back out of her face so as not to interupt her hunting and general outdoor activities. Her skin is lightly tanned with freckles running across her nose and upper cheeks from her time spent mostly outside. Her eyes have changed from the amber brown of her childhood to a bright violet, and beneath them she sports a scar along her left cheekbone.

She dresses most often in black leather, preferring to hunt from the shadows of the forest. She wears a green scarf around her neck.

### Personality

As a child, Nissa was much bolder - challenging her friends while supporting them in equal part, and feeling nothing less than invincible. Authority had no hold over her, and while never malicious she would do as she pleased - if not to her own benefit always to that of her friends.

In the eight years since the carnival, Nissa has become fully independent & solitary, with somewhat of a survivalist mindset. Nissa is always open to listen to others' plans and ideas but tends to think that she knows best in most cases. She considers all the risks of a situation, and takes them seriously - due to the responsibility she takes for leading her friends into the Witchlight Carnival and losing Myka as a child.

Unbeknownst to her party, while being careful is in her nature & part of her profession, Nissa's personality is not so different from their childhood. She is well-regarded in the nearby towns, if thought just a bit odd for living outside of them on her own. She is a bit more empathetic and less fiery than her youth, but that flame may be rekindled if she feels she can actually let her guard down around someone. Now with the party, Nissa has kept that side of herself fully reserved, worried the wrong gibe could set someone off. Besides that, she is less confident in treating them with that familiarity when she takes accountability for what has traumatized them and may be the cause for such volatility.

   Nissa is a hopeful turned cynical romantic, raised by parents very much in love and on a steady intake of fairytale books. There is nothing she wants more, but after years of rejection even despite Vansel's best efforts as her dating coach, her curse has become a self-affirming one. Nissa will hold people at arm's length, knowing if she doesn't she will probably be the one to fall first.

### Weapons / Gear

Nissa's bow is of a simple nature, but she crafted it herself using techniques taught to her by her father. She carries feathers at her waist to use for arrow fletching, most often scooping up black ones but taking delight in finding the occasional uniquely-colored feather. Nissa carries shortswords but does not use them often in combat as she is much more proficient with the bow, nor does she desire such proximity to her prey.

In season 2, she received a pair of Boots of Elvenkind from an elderly man in a cave, named Nib. He wanted to make the party enchanted gifts, and Nissa thought something to enhance stealth best for the mission they were on to steal a portrait from Skabatha.

Otherwise, Nissa wears basic leather armor.

## Biography

### Early Life

Nissa was born into a loving home just outside of Red Larch. From her father, Erwyn, she learned the ways of the forest - to hunt and to survive. From her mother, Lena, she gained a love of fairytales and, well, love.

Lena passed away from illness when Nissa was only 10. The loss was devastating but her father remained loving & supportive, if a bit overprotective. She shortly thereafter fell in with some other kids from Red Larch & nearby. She met Morryn and Myka first, followed by Dove and Courtney. They banded together and called themselves the Croakers, named after one of their favorite past times of catching frogs in the river. When not apprenticing under her father, she spent most of her time with her friends.

Nissa fell in love with Myka, perhaps the kindest of the group and brother to her best friend. Afraid to act on it, it remained a crush for a long time. One of Nissa's happiest memories remains one Lliira's Night festival in town when she watched the fireworks with her friends and notably, held hands with Myka. Morryn, while reluctant due to her protectiveness of her brother, finally gave Nissa her blessing the day of the Witchlight carnival.

At age 12, Nissa led the Croakers' charge sneaking into the Witchlight Carnival when it appeared in town - a guilt she would carry for the rest of her life. What began as one of the best days of their lives ended dramtically as the worst thing that ever happened to them. Each had something taken from them by the hags of the Hourglass Coven for sneaking into the carnival without tickets. From Nissa they took her "first love," which would end up having repercussions past the straightforward meaning. None of the group ever saw Myka again.

### The 8 Years Between

Nissa returned home, devastated and unable to face her friends. However, she couldn't bear dealing with her father either, as he had specifically admonished her against going to Witchlight. After some time spent mostly avoiding him spending long days in the wilderness on her own, she figured she was trained enough to end her apprenticeship and set out on her own.

She would spend the next eight years making a living as a hunter - selling meat & skins to the towns she passed through. She never travelled terribly far from Red Larch, but also made sure to give it a wide berth. No one ever joined her in her travels, but she would find reasons to stay longer in a town when someone caught her fancy. However, none of her relationships lasted very long, as the feelings always ended up being one-sided.

Nissa had never intended to bring her friends with her if she found a way to wherever Myka could be being kept, but when the posters for the return of the Witchlight appeared, despite her guilt she felt called to reunite with the Croakers to see if they had the same wish to return.

### Background: Feylost

After her encounter with the Fey of the Witchlight, for whatever reason - be it some sort of preexisting attunement or otherwise - Nissa's fate became inevitably intertwined with her new connection to the Feywilds. Her eyes inexplicably turned a bright shade of purple, making her gaze somewhat less human.

Some years after the carnival with her coinciding Horizon Walker abilities developing, Nissa one day came across a mushroom faerie circle. She was trying to figure out if there was a way to make use of the portal when she blacked out. Upon coming to, she had an unexplainable gash across her left cheek. Shortly following, a lascivious fawn named Vansel started visiting Nissa's dreams.

Though Vansel told her he was real, Nissa never fully believed he existed. Nonetheless, and despite his sass and fruitless romantic advances towards her, he became the only person Nissa had any sort of consistent friendship with since the Croakers. While she is just as likely to roll her eyes, she listens to his romantic guidance.

### Horizon Walker

Since their first trip to Witchlight Nissa has done her best to study and seek out the Fey in order to stop them from repeating what they did to her friends to any other children. Her access to information on the Fey is rather limited on her mortal plane, but she has listened to anyone who has offered stories of the Fey as well as seeking out any writings she could find on them. Upon traveling to the Feywilds as an adult, these powers have begun to grow stronger..

## Relationships (contains spoilers)

### Morryn Riverbrook

Morryn, along with her brother, was essentially Nissa's first true friend. While the two can differ quite widely in opinion and preference, they tend to come together on a matching wavelength most of the time. While Nissa is normally one to avoid conflict, Morryn is the only one Nissa feels comfortable butting heads with or challenging due to the nature of their friendship. Nissa loves Morryn for being fiercely protective and unafraid to speak the truth, even if her words may be a bit sharp sometimes. In season 2, episode 6, Morryn gouged out her own eyes in order to gain a scroll of resurrection for Nissa from Baba Yaga - an act of selflessness that breaks Nissa's heart.

### Courtney

Nissa has always viewed Courtney as a younger sibling she wished to protect, very similar to the relationship between Morryn & Myka. While once fond of their unusual ideas and way of understanding things, Courtney is now the Croaker Nissa feels least confident in her knowledge about. Nissa recognizes that Courtney is much stronger now, and while glad for them to have that power for themself, is afraid of the cost it came at. Nissa got knocked out repeatedly and came close to death during the battle in which Courtney's mysterious patron took over, something which Nissa is now weary of but does not blame Courtney for happening. Nissa is beyond proud of Courtney's incredible resolve in casting the high level Resurrection spell to bring her back.

### Dove

Dove was the first person Nissa went to upon the return of the Witchlight. Friendship with Dove has always felt unconditional to Nissa, and she welcomed her positivity. It may never have occurred to Nissa, but Dove is the party member whose personality is most similar to her mother's. Whereas Nissa understood Morryn quite well, she could always expect Dove to have a better understanding of Courtney. Nissa feels terrible having left Dove with Bavlorna, but with her sunny disposition along with her resilience, Nissa does believe Dove best suited for the job out of anyone in the party. However, at this point, Nissa does wonder if she had stayed with Bavlorna instead if Dove might have been able to keep the party less hostile towards each other.

### Spring Morningsky

Being one of the first Fey folk the party encountered after arriving in the Feywilds, Nissa was initially weary of Spring. This didn't have anything to do with Spring's behavior, but unfortunately would have been the case for likely anyone they had met at that point. Spring truly gained Nissa's trust during their confrontation with Bavlorna. Spring led them in negotiations with the hag, perhaps against their better judgment, when Nissa asked the party to restrain themselves for their own safety. In turn, Nissa was ready to do whatever was needed to save Spring after they were attacked by the Jabberwock. Nissa believes in Spring's good intentions and loyalty to their realm.

### Dante Delaveaux

Like with Spring, Nissa was distrustful of Dante at first - and moreso when she found out who he was and the last rumors she had heard of him regarding the murder of his friends. She was ready to confront him a bit aggressively when instead, Spring was killed, forcing the conversation to become a serious heart-to-heart instead. Nissa was surprised to find that Dante carried a guilt extremely similar to her own regarding the fate of his friends. During their travel to Granny Nightshade, this similar remorse along with the way he protected Nissa amounted in confusing feelings towards him. After receiving her lost love back from Bavlorna in S2E8, Dante made his intentions clear with a kiss - with Yarnspinner quickly following up with ceremony in which they agreed to watch over each other. While these budding feelings for Dante grow, Nissa does worry that he has never been able to smile at her.

### Myka Riverbrook

Though they were only on the verge of admitting it to each other, Myka was Nissa's first love. In a world that felt hard after the loss of her mother, she found a sympathetic and kind companion in Myka, someone she saw as far better than herself. For some reason, he drew the ire of the Toadies - specifically Dante - which would cause Nissa and Morryn to retaliate in kind, even though Myka would tell them they didn't need to. Nissa feels full responsibility for Myka's loss at the carnival, but always feIt he was not dead so spent years looking for a way across planes to find him until the Witchlight reappeared. Now in the Feywilds, as she is rapidly learning more about herself & fearing for the state of her friends, she wishes nothing more than to set Myka free not only from wherever he may be physically but also of any obligation he may feel to her - if he does. She simply wishes to return him to his sister. If they do find him, she would rather he was angry with her, but knowing Myka expects he may not be.

### Vansel

Though Vansel is still capable of making Nissa blush, she doesn't take most of what he says seriously. Granted, up until the last episode of season 1, Nissa also didn't fully believe he existed outside of her dreams. Realizing her love life was hopeless, Vansel took her under his wing trying to guide her with his romantic expertise. At the end of season 1, the party found Vansel in debt to Bavlorna. He travelled with them for the duration of season 2, though in-fighting and deaths didn't allow the party to learn much more about him. It wasn't until after Nissa's death that the truth came out - the glasses he'd been borrowing from Bavlorna were imbued with Nissa lost love, and after using them is when their mutual dreams began, and Vansel came to have feelings for Nissa. A little later after winning back her lost love from Bavlorna, Nissa came to recognize her feelings for Vansel as they truly are. She cares deeply for him, but the confusion of betrayal prevents her from pursuing him as he seeks redemption. Finding out the truth from Vansel was akin to Nissa's first heartbreak, even though she didn't feel the full effects until after.

## Character Stats & Abilities

### Stats

* STR: 12 (+1)
* DEX: 17 (+3)
* CON: 13 (+1)
* INT: 10 (+0)
* WIS: 16 (+3)
* CHAR: 12 (+1)

## Trivia

* Nissa's sexuality is undetermined, but she is monogamous.
* Nissa was loosely inspired by Feyre Archeron, the main character of *A Court of Thorns and Roses* by Sarah J. Maas.
* The name "Nissa" was not consciously chosen in reference to the Magic: The Gathering character but in retrospect Mae realized this might have been why the name existed in her head.
* Mae's playlist for Nissa can be found on Spotify.

## Quotes

* "As long as we stick together, I think everything will be fine." (age 12) S1E1
* "There are different ways of being a hero." S1E6
* "We are just a bunch of naïve children... running around here. It's like we never grew up at all." S2E3
* "We almost just died, you can't kiss a frog?" S1E7
* "If we look back, we'll be lost. All we can do is move forward." S1E8
* "I have lived a lot of my life led by my heart, and I wanted it to work but... nothing good comes from it." S2E3
* "What you've done isn't at important as what you're going to do." S2E3
* "We're all terrible people. Great, what now?" S2E4
* "I'm sorry." Nissa's last words, to Dante S2E6
* "I have a new family, and they need me." Nissa to her mother, before returning to the Feywilds from the Beastlands S2E6
* "Is it possible for [love] to be a good thing, or have I cursed myself now?" S2E7