Aspen

Aspen was a hunter and member of the Nurmendemar. They were one of the people who went on the trip to retrieve the Shield of Sandamar. Aspen was a skilled hunter and survivalist. Their knowledge of Carufell’s woods and of medicine, helped the group reach Tarabrenth safely. They had a pet ferret named Track and was a great friend of Morgar.

History
Aspen was a member of the Nurmendemar. They were born in Kerriisk and learned how to hunt in the cold woods. Aspen avoided towns for the most part. While the Order of the Burning Palm controlled the Nurmendemar towns, Aspen stayed away only returning to sell the results of their hunt. They were one of the few people to continue practicing and learning the old ways. When visiting towns, they would make a point of seeing Morgar.

At the end of AeP 446 Morgar asked Aspen for their help. He wanted them to help lead a trip to Tarabrenth to recover an old relic from the King. The Lorekeeper could think of no one better to guide the group through the woods. Aspen would be leading the trip with Alekiai. The other members were Deacon Valera, Willa, and Calvin who were all part of the Nurmendemar, as well as the travelling Poi’Mareath Tiihbid and Staavin. The seven of them met in the longhouse in Agnoor. After introductions they set off for Morgar’s camp. Aspen was glad to see the shaman again. Morgar told them more about the relic they were trying to get back. It was the Shield of Sandamar, a former king who took the shield into battle against Hlesmil and lived.

The trip to Tarabrenth would take about three weeks. Aspen led the group through the woods. They stuck close to the Emerin river but avoided roads. At nights Aspen would set up camp while Alekiai secured the area. A few days into the trip the winds began to pick up. The group looked for shelter and came across an old abandoned tower. Though it gave Alekiai a bad feeling, Aspen trusted Track who was calm. They spent the night and were not harmed. The next day the group got caught in a blizzard. Flurries of snow caused limited visibility. Aspen did their best to find a shelter. However behind them, Tiihbid used his innate magic to temporarily clear the snow. He found a small hill where they could hide. But Aspen didn’t see the group moving away. Seeing this Valera ran up to grab them. She led Aspen back to the hill with the help of Willa. A week later the group was trying to cross the frozen Emerin River. All was alright until Track suddenly tensed. Aspen had learned to trust him and knocked an arrow. The group was suddenly attacked by two White Badgers of Nezeril. In the fight Aspen mostly worked to heal their allies. They helped both Willa and Valera overcome devastating wounds. Aspen saw it as a bad sign that these monsters had crossed the Spiked Peaks.

When the group reached Tarabrenth, Aspen took a smaller role. They had never been to a city before and were out of their area of expertise. Still they worked with their ally in the city Luka to prepare for the heist of the castle. When the group split up they escorted Calvin around Mercenary Town. The two talked about how Calvin felt out of place and wished he could train with Morgar. Aspen assured the boy that he was going to be fine. After all he was on this expedition and none of Morgar’s students were. They returned to the others. The next day it was time to sneak into the castle. Aspen disguised themselves as a Mercenary and stood watch with the group. They helped grab the shield and everyone made it out safely.

Appearance
Aspen was tall, standing a couple inches above six feet. They had straight black hair that came down to their chin. They were skinny and had a sharp face. They wore green war paint, a green bead necklace, a high collar fur cloak with a long fur-trimmed hood, tall black boots, and leather armor. They never went anywhere without their bow, a quiver, and their hunting knife. Nor very far from their pet ferret Track.

Relations
Aspen had a pet ferret named Track. He had white fur. Track was often Aspen’s only companion on long hunts. They developed a bond where they could read each other. When the group of Nurmendemar lead by Alekiai and Aspen were attacked by White Badgers, Track warned Aspen before it happened.

Morgar was Aspen’s oldest friends. Before the return of the Nurmendemar, whenever Aspen visited the towns they made sure to see the shaman. Morgar taught them much about the woods and hunting. They also learned about the history of their people. Until the return Morgar considered Aspen his likely successor. Aspen didn’t have much interest in that position though and was glad to relinquish it. They also didn’t have much interest in old relics but joined the expedition to recover the shield as a favor to Morgar.

Alekiai and Aspen knew of each other after the return. But the first time they worked together was during the expedition. Both gained a respect for the other and considered the trip to be a huge success.

Powers
Aspen was a skilled tracker and survivalist. For most of the year they lived alone with no company but Track. They had to learn to care for themselves. Part of this included mastering archery and medicine. Aspen was a skilled healer. They took care of both Valera and Willa after their scrap with monsters. Aspen was also a proficient archer.

List of Appearances
Campaigns
 * 1) Of Shields, Stories, and Hammers