Elleanna (Ellie) Aster

## Elleanna Aster

**Elleanna Aster** is a half-drow-half-high-elf, but looks much more Drow than High Elf. She was 256 years old at the time of her death, approximately 23 'human' years, and was resurrected by Death in session 1.

## Appearance

She is on the short side at 5'2, and weighs approximately 115lbs. Her skin is a dark purple-gray, her hair is white, and her eyes are a slightly unnerving pink. Ellie lost her arm in the Massacre of the Drow, but the Moon Tree she and her family tended returned the favor and granted her a new one of Moon Tree Wood. It is dark blue with opalescent veins and smooth bark. Ellie also wears thick, wire-rimmed glasses, as her father did, probably because of her Drow-leaning genetics--her vision is very weak in sunlight.

In clothing, Ellie values comfort above all else. She has a few favorite garments that she wears in different combinations that nearly never match. She is very sentimental and hates to throw things away, so instead of getting rid of old or damaged clothing, she mends it with colorful thread or patches. Embroidery is another hobby she enjoys, and she frequently decorates clothing with celestial imagery or mushrooms. She carries a leather bag that her father gave her for school many years ago. She wears simple leather shoes, and prefers organic colors over bright and flashy.

## Death

Ellie's arm was severed by a soldier while attempting to flee during the Massacre of the Drow. She and her sister, Sidra, made it to the Moon Tree in the woods behind their home, but reached safety too late. Ellie's injury was fatal, and though Sidra pleaded her sister "not to leave her", Ellie was unable to hang on and expired, her final words an apology to her sister for leaving her.

## Personality

Ellie is (and was in life) often told she had no tact and a poor 'beside manner' when helping her father in his medical practice. She doesn't always think about how her words will be received before she speaks, which often causes her to come across as rude or crass. She states facts, and often doesn't understand why people react poorly when she hasn't said anything untrue.

In life, Ellie lived partially in her sister's shadow. She didn't talk much to the people outside her family, and preferred the company of her books and star maps to peers. Her father was her best friend, teacher, mentor, everything, and she always aspired to be just like him, but struggled to emulate his confidence and easygoing demeanor. However, after her death and resurrection, Ellie found she cared far less about what others thought of her or her opinions, and became just a little more confident. Though she struggles to defend herself from unkindness, she easily stands up for others and isn't afraid of backlash when doing so. She values justice, however unconventional or vigilante.

Ellie has a dry sense of humor and is quite quippy, finding humor even in unfortunate situations. Many of her friends find her funny even when she isn't intending to be, but she doesn't appear to care.

Ellie's biggest flaw is her assumption that everyone who is 'sick' wants to be fixed. She asks Archive if he'd like her to fix his hunched back, and doesn't understand when he refuses. She offers to repair Jackie's 'broken looking' nose and does not understand her reaction, nor Lilith's comment: "Don't you have *any* tact?". Ellie also tends to bottle emotions for the sake of others. She never wants anyone to worry over her or change their plans to accommodate her needs, and therefore rarely shows any strong outward emotion. However, she is quite sensitive, and it is easy to hurt her feelings, though she rarely reacts.

A sort of 'renaissance man', Ellie has many unusual skills and hobbies. She loves studying anatomy and astronomy (and astrology, but she won't admit it because it's 'pseudoscience') and has extensive knowledge of each. When she expressed the desire to learn medicine as a child, her father suggested she practice drawing humanoid anatomy. She copied illustrations from her father's medical textbooks, and in the process became quite a good artist. She is able to draw from life pretty well, and especially likes creating scientific illustrations of plants and animals, particularly her dog, Andromeda, a sandy colored mutt she found in the alley. In fact, she has quite an affinity for animals, and loves them all. Her father told her of the Druids and their deep connection to nature, medicine, and animals, and Ellie began to study. She's still learning, but for a self-taught magic user, she thinks she's doing a pretty good job.

## Family

Ellie was close with everyone in her immediate family, but never knew any relatives beyond her household.

### Cassia Aster

Ellie's mother, Cassia, was secretive about her aristocratic past, no matter how much Sidra pressed, and never introduced the girls to any of her relations in the city. Cassia was a straight-laced yet kind woman, raised in Catharsis City in an Aristocratic family, but never spoke of them and, as far as Ellie knew, never returned to the city. She was a smart woman who valued intelligence as much as she valued etiquette and manners. Ellie always looked up to her for her assertiveness and confidence, but they shared few interests. Cassia quite enjoyed local politics, though she rarely became involved, and was nearly always keeping the house in impeccable condition. Even so, she did spend time with Ellie, going to the market every week, walking in the woods, collecting flowers and weaving them into bouquets and crowns. Sidra took after Cassia much more than Ellie, sharing not only her interests but her complexion and beauty, which Ellie envied at times. Cassia always made sure to tell Ellie how smart she was, and that she didn't need to be like Sidra to earn her love.

Cassia was killed during the Massacre of the Drow, though not a dark elf, due to her marriage to Gillead and her 'mixed' family.

### Gillead [Arkenheld] Aster

Ellie's father, Gillead Arkenheld [Drow clan name, did not retain after marriage], was a Drow man who left the Underdark many years ago for an undisclosed reason, loosing his right leg in the process. Aside from this, he had few secrets and seemed largely carefree. Though he came across a bit absentminded, he was the doctor and surgeon in Mosswood, and a very good one. While many doctors in the area depended solely on magic to heal, often to uncertain ends, Gillead was a pioneer of physical medicine and surgery assisted by magic, but largely dependent on knowledge of the body.

The 'fun parent', Gillead was always lenient with the girls, particularly Elleanna, as they had much in common and experienced similar struggles due to their appearance and mannerisms. He immediately took Ellie under his wing when she showed interest in medicine as a child, and encouraged her to learn as much as she could by watching, helping, taking notes, drawing diagrams, and even performing minor surgery herself.

Gillead had attempted to talk with the soldiers who massacred Mosswood, to reason with them in an effort to save his children after his wife was cut down. His stalling, though ultimately unsuccessful, gave Sidra and Ellie enough time to flee the residence.

## Quotes

* "Look, I don't know who you are, I just treat everyone the same!" *(to Death, Session 1)*
* "Just close your eyes and keep being brave." (*to May when witnessing Sidra's memory of the Massacre of the Drow, Session 6*)
* "I often try to be someone I'm not." (*to Archive, Session 6*)
* "Why does everything have to get wrecked? Even the tree... even the tree." (*in the Great Oak Amphitheater, Session 7*)
* "Looks like you broke your nose. Can I fix it for you?" (*to Jackie, Session 8*)
* "I wasn't always this confident, you know. But I've found that after you die, you don't really care." (*to Archive after destroying the first rune, Session 9*)
* "I've been thinking about your eyeballs all night." (*to Archive, Session 10*)
* "I guess you really have been watching over me - I'm not very good at communicating." (*to Cassia in a dream, Session 11*)
* "Are you mad at me?" (*to Lilith, Session 11*)

## Trivia

* Ellie is terrified of becoming close to anyone, particularly romantically.
* Ellie is asexual, but won't admit it because she feels like something is wrong with her.
* Asters, the small, fluffy creatures Watzenburg discovered in the forest, are named after Ellie's family
* Ellie's favorite animal is a hedgehog.
* Though rarely seen reading them in public, Ellie is a big fan of cheesy novels and reads them frequently.
* In Madam Menagerie's tarot reading to the party, the Moon card represents Ellie.