Elma

Artwork by Hazmi Thariq

**Elma** is a guest player character in the *Vestige of Ophiuchus* continuity of Nat19. She is a pétratára sorcerer and is portrayed by special guest *Corinne Sudberg*.

## Personality

A very kind, pure and selfless girl. She is willing to help and please those close to her even if it might risk her own safety or happiness. This said she wishes to be free above all else and to make her own decisions and shape her own destiny not just be an extension of her own mother.

## History

Born to Tomyris and an unknown Stheno male, Elma had a very sheltered childhood. At a very young age, her father would leave her for “unknown reasons” making her mother the only family she had. Because of her father leaving, she would need to spend much of her childhood in her room which also functioned as a cage under the watch of a variety of handlers. While most of those who watched over her viewed her as no more than the property of her mother, one man named Ajax, who had been close friends with her father, seemed to always care and try to make her life joyful. During this time in her room, she enjoyed reading books and from this most of her knowledge of the world would be formed. One day hooded men would attack the temple in which she lived, and while the other pétratára would fight off the intruders, Elma used this chaos to escape her room and make her way towards the surface. Before she could make it to the surface, however, she would get lost in the labyrinth that was the ancient sewers that connected her city to the surface and chased by Lizardfolk.

## Role in Plot

After the drow attack on the city of Summergrass, Vogun, Lexie, and Fenris accompanied by Tantya went into the sewers in search of a necromantic cult. During this excursion, they would stumble upon Elma, who was being chased by a group of lizardfolk. Once the lizardfolk were dealt with, Elma explained that she was born in those sewers and wished to escape as she wanted to see the sky and didn't feel like she belonged in her home anymore. When questioned by the group, she responded that although she hadn't seen anyone with necromantic magic, she had encountered hooded men who invaded the temple in which she lived. In addition, she explained that it may not be safe for humans to visit her temple as the members of her race - the pétratára - take humans from the surface for experiments. She also mentioned that she was blessed by the Eidolon Vestias, resulting in her powers and angel-like appearance. Elma and the group came to an agreement that in exchange for safe passage out of the sewers, Elma would show the party to her temple.

Once Elma and the group entered the underground city, Elma suggested they should head to the lighthouse which is located on an old crypt to light up the area and make travel easier as they continue through the city. Going through the lighthouse, Elma and the group traveled floor by floor to the top, defeating cultists and a giant, undead snake along the way. With the enemies defeated, the group questioned the last cultist and learned that their cult was trying to obtain a scroll of Resurrection, which confused Elma, as she was told by her mother that the scrolls were cursed, and hidden behind an illusionary wall. Tired from the previous fight she would take a rest at the top of the lighthouse.

After a short rest and her being enamored by the cuteness of Lexie’s fox form Elma and the rest of the party would travel to the lowest level of the city. Once there, she would start sneaking towards the temple through a field of statues and blood caused by the ongoing battle between the pétratára and the cultist. Eventually, Elma and the group would encounter two undead ogres which they couldn’t bypass, resulting in combat. After the fight concluded they would continue farther into the temple hearing the distressed voice of one of Elma’s handlers, Goreious, whom she trapped in her room during her attempt to escape. Following the voice to the treasury, they would find Moltem the left hand of Agzehrt accompanied by 3 Gazers and a Specter threatening Goreious for information on how to open the door. After a drawn-out fight and defeating a couple of the Gazers the balance started shifting against the party. To try to save her new acquaintances Elma offered to open the door in exchange for their safety.  As soon as she opened it a bat that had been following her and the group wild shaped back into his actual form restarting the combat and leading to the deaths of the hand and the remaining subspecies of Beholder. With the combat over Elma would shut the doors to the treasury to protect the cursed resurrection scrolls that were held inside.

Now that the cult had been dealt with for the most part the party agreed to get Elma to the outside world. In this process however, they would run into some complications as a chimera from earlier tried to kill them and a group of pétratára led by Ajax, one of her mother’s ranking officials, would run across them on their escape. With the explanation on the part of Elma that she was saved by the Highest Standard and that only Ajax and maybe her mother cared for her, combined with the reassurance from the group that they would protect her Ajax would hold off the rest of the pétratára while Elma was allowed to escape. As a parting gift, Ajax informed Elma that the token she was given was from her father and should help her get to the surface. As Elma and the crew were making their escape, they would see her mother accompanied by her pet basilisk, however, in that moment Elma pulled out the feather and said the phrase Ajax told her summoning a Roc carrying the group to safety. As the Roc transformed back into the token Elma would see for the first time in her life the outside and the soft glow of the rising sun. With her newfound freedom, Elma would open her wings and fly, seeing the majesty of the town and the vast stretch of the ocean. In the distance, a memory from deep within Elma’s mind resurfaced as she saw the stretching expanse of the Skywall mountain of a story Ajax had once told her about better times, and for Elma if she was to find her father this mountain range would be it. However, for now, she would stay with the Highest Standard until she felt comfortable to journey on her own.

## Abilities

### Sorcerer Abilities

* Font of Magic
* Metamagic
	+ Distant Spell
	+ -
* Sorcerous Origin: Divine Soul
	+ Divine Magic
	+ Empowered Healing
	+ Favored by the Gods
* Spellcasting *(Charisma-based ability)*

### Pétratára Abilities

* Darkvision *(60ft)*
* Eyes of the Snake
* Heritage of Stone
* Stonewhisperer
* Subrace: Stheno
	+ Clear Eyes
	+ Cursed Allure
	+ Gorgonic Wings

### Spells

##### Level 1 Spells

* Bless
* Cure Wounds

## Special Equipment

### Other

* **Feather Token**: A feather given to Elma by Ajax that was from her father. When used it can summon a Roc that can carry her and others. The Roc cannot be used for combat

## Trivia

* Elma's race, the Pétratára (previously known as the Medusaborn), is a custom race created by *Logan Laidlaw*, which can be purchased as a PDF here, or as a Fantasy Grounds mod here.

## Gallery

Elma
(Artwork by Hazmi Thariq)