Ilia Shrikewood

"[Sidd], you are never a disappointment. Please, whatever you choose to do, you have my full support, be it in matters of career or love."

## Character Info

### Profession

Tavern Owner
Former Traveler

### Nickname(s)

The Bitch-Slapping Ghost

**Ilia Shrikewood** is a major supporting character and the adoptive mother of Sidd Shrikewood. She, along with her husband Rennet Shrikewood, co-own the Sparrow's Roost Inn & Tavern.

## Appearance

Ilia is a relatively small bird with light blue, white, brown, and gray feathers, and dark gray markings on her face. She is regularly seen in her tavern work cloths, featuring a blue hooded tavern blouse and skirt. Being older and having worked many years at the tavern, her back has started giving out, and she occasionally rubs her back inn pain, much to the concern of Sidd.

## Personality

Ilia is the picture perfect definition of a mother hen. She is a very gentle and good natured person, greeting those she meets with a warm and welcoming disposition. She is perceptive to the emotions of others and is often able to notice when people are plagued with worries or distress. She enjoys engaging in heart to heart conversations with people, learning more about them and finding ways to ease their worries.

In contrast, Ilia is also extremely protective, especially of her son, and is prone to bouts of unbridled rage whenever she learns of any wrongdoing directed towards him, regardless of how minor or inane it may be. During these fits of berserker rage, she is unexpectedly violent and her morals become questionably loose. She has professed to being willing to leverage her social status as an old lady to shame people, provided she fails to brutalize them first, all for the sake of righteous retribution for her son.

Ilia does seem to be rather stubborn, noting herself that she can be quite persuasive, and not being afraid of being bullied or pressured by people bigger than her. She also appears to be capable of subtle petti/bitterness, as shown in the way she addresses her mother.

## Background

All that is currently known about Ilia is that she and her sister had a very poor relationship with their mother, and at sometime around/before the age of 20, they had ran away from home.

She has also confessed to having killed a man or two back in her day.

## Abilities

An experienced Bard, Ilia possesses an array of bardic spells and abilities, though in her current occupation, she mostly uses them for her convenience to keep tavern operations running smoothly. As Cole would insist, she is also an excellent cook, having the sacred wisdom of the legendary Cheesy Bread recipe.

### Spells/Cantrips

* **Mage Hand** - Mage Hand is a cantrip Ilia teaches to Cole during his party's visit to the Shrikewood family. She is also noted to have used it to attack some bullies that were picking on Sidd when he was younger. She also attests to having used it to "bitch-slap" the offending children from a long distance, spawning the legend of "The Bitch-Slapping Ghost", which persists among the Market District children even today.
* **Mending** - Ilia uses this to repair a vase that Artemi accidentally knocks over and breaks during her first visit to their family.
* **Polymorph** - Ilia polymorphs Calder into a boot as retribution for his bulling towards her precious son.

## Relationships

### Rennet Shrikewood

Beyond the fact that the two are married, there is not much details given with respect to their relationship. Presumably, they are very happy together, as there is little/nothing noted in the story which suggests otherwise.

### Sidd Shrikewood

As a mother hen does, Ilia is very protective and loving towards her son. She works hard at the Sparrow's Roost Tavern & Inn such that she can provide Sidd with a comfortable life. She is very protective of him, plainly expressing worry in regards to his desire to live a life of adventure as she does not want to see him get hurt, or even die. However, she ultimately wishes for Sidd to live the life he wants to and be happy, and so reluctantly allows him to become an adventurer with his newfound friends.

### Collodi Bonebreaker

As Cole and Ilia are both bards, the two take a natural liking to each other, with Ilia being eager to teach Cole new spells, such as [Mage Hand]. Generally, she is also very motherly towards him (and the rest of Cole's party), patiently making herself present as a support pillar if and when Cole is going through mental and emotional struggles.

## Trivia

* Ilia's last name, Shrikewood, is self-referential to her species.