Nym remembers little of her childhood other than blood, fear, and hunger. Alone for as long as she can remember, save for a soothing presence that guides her, the young elf grew up in the woods that serve as a natural border between Mendev and Numeria. Frail, largely from undernourishment, Nym relied on an invisible guardian for survival, who taught her of flora and fauna, instilled the languages of the woods, and helped her control unusual mystical abilities.It kept her company in the form of woodland creatures but could not offer any insight about her past or the purpose of the strange, runic tattoo on her back.

As she grew out of childhood, Nym ventured further from her woodland home and encountered those like her – the two-footers. An elderly couple of human farmers, Annabelle and Marcus, took pity on the waifish girl and welcomed her into their home. While generally incapable at physical labor, her extensive knowledge of plants – especially medicinal ones – greatly improved the quality of life for her newfound caretakers. In exchange, they taught her the common tongue and the ways of civilized folk. Soon, word spread that their wildling daughter had a gift for healing and herbs and villagers sought her counsel on everything from warts to infertility. It would have been idyllic, but Mendev is no simple place to live.

Outside of city walls, the lands are rough and often violent. The small community had carved out a place for themselves, but were not immune to the occasional barbarian warchief attempting to claim the place for himself. Most of the villagers were retired crusaders – including Nym’s adoptive parents – and no easy pushovers, and supported by Nym’s growing powers, were able to withstand any assaults.

Unfortunately for the elf, no magics could help with human aging, so when Anabelle and Marcus passed on, she was left to her own devices. Their village had welcomed her, and she continued to ply her medicinal trade and grow her skills, both as a healer and guardian for nearly a hundred years. As she matured into adulthood, she also began serving as the town’s historian, her longer lifespan allowing her to teach generations of villagers.

Nym was known to venture into the forests for supplies and to commune with nature – and her unknown guardian – often gone for weeks at a time. It was on one such outing that she returned to find her home in smoldering ruins, her friends, charred corpses. Demons danced among the ruins, celebrating their victory over their ancient crusader enemies. Alone and overcome by grief, Nym rushed at them. The battle did not last long: her powers were no match for their sheer numbers. A killing blow never came; instead, a magical explosion tore through the plane. Before she lost consciousness, the elf’s back burned with silver fire and the demons fell to dust around her.

When she woke, Nym buried the dead and left the ruins to head to Kenabres. She had known many village children who had gone to the city to serve a higher calling and felt that they had to be informed of what occurred.

She finally arrived at Kenabres, weary and bloodstained, to find the city recovering from a demonic assault with an army gathering to head into the Worldwound. At its head, she recognized a young woman she once brought into the world – Irabeth Tirabade. As the two caught up, Irabeth offered Nym a place among the army. However, her decision to join was not entirely selfless. The markings on her back and the history of her true parents could be found somewhere out there, her guardian promised. A capable healer and surprisingly competent cook, the elf was quickly welcomed by the soldiers.

The army host was small but capably led. But the further they journeyed into the demonic lands, the quieter her mentor became. One night, the tiny scorpion that had been serving as Its host simply vanished in a burst of light, and in its place, a fae-like Azata. Elinzeth, as she introduced herself in a beautiful, melodic voice, could guide Nym where It could no longer go, for the taint could corrupt even the eldest of spirits.

When not assisting the commanding officers, Nym spends the majority of her time over a cauldron or in the company of her elders, Quendys and Aravashniel, picking up whatever bits of history and lore they choose to offer.

Nym likes sweet things. She also believes that Aravashniel is either her father or somehow knew her parents, though she’s not sure how to best approach this.

Background: Riftwarden Orphan
Witch Patron: Dimensions