Hilly

## Origin

Hildalynyal Aldwar-Alv is commonly known to the humans as Hilly Brightwater. He is a root elf hailing from the south. He is currently out on a "ramble" which is a tradition of the Brightwaters to go out in the greater world and see what is out there. The tradition is that when out on a ramble to collect seeds or samples of plants not seen in the homelands and bring them back to grow in the Homelands.

## Outlook and Morality

Hilly has a flexible morality that reflects his diverse experiences.

* Natural/non-sentient things will be assumed to fill a role in the overall environment. Even things which are seen as evil or undesirable have some value in their natural setting. Frequently it takes time to examine their purpose.
* Outsiders and elementals have a purpose in the grand scheme of the cosmology. This doesn't mean that they should remain on this plane.
* Death is not a thing to be feared beyond that the tasks you take up would be left incomplete.
* The souls of the dead should be allowed to rest. Raising the dead is acceptable as long as they retain their individuality.
* Long term associations with the quick races will lead to sorrow. In every single case. This doesn't mean that you can't be nice to them or enjoy their company. Their lives are much shorter than yours and they will eventually hate you for being what you are or you will have to mourn their passing.

## The Aldwar-Alv Legend

The Aldwar-Alv is a old family among the root elves and the name alone carries with it some respect and responsibility. Their genealogy can be traced back to some of the earliest songs where the family founder (whose name is lost) brought clean water to the elvish clan (because there was one at the time in this story) in the middle of a hostile and poisonous swamp. The clan was able to move on from the land and diversified to become the elvish race that it is today. The founder was given the new name Aldwar-Alv to represent the contribution he made to the race as a whole. He (or she) went back to the swamp and began tending it. He cared for the land not by forcing it to transform to his whim but by caring for it as it was. Accepting the bad with the good and taking a long view of change and improvement. Over time the land grew lush and the poison was transformed into a wild oasis where the walls between the mundane world and the feywilds are thin.

Today the grounds of Brightwater are sprawling and simple given their age and diversity. Generations of Brightwaters have brought back plants from all over the globe to add to the environment. On the Brightwater estate multiple Biomes exist in relatively close proximity and plants that would normally not be able to grow in the conditions flourish. The assumption is that the Feywild keeps these plants alive and having similar plants together strengthens the bond of their native soil. No one knows for sure and they don't tend to spend a lot of time asking. It works because it works and that is good enough for them.

Some years ago a human paid a visit to the lands and dined with the family. He discovered that the spirits which the family had been making for each other for years was much better than the rough ale that he was used to. He bartered for 4 bottles and took it to sell to the outside world. From that beginning spirits from the Brightwater Distillery became desired by a much wider audience.