The Cpise Circle | NPCs

September 29, 2023
Posted by Lucus Hart

By Hana the Lorekeeper

Need a quick NPC you can drag and drop into your RPG? Whether your players wandered off the beaten path again, or you're just fleshing out a town, these unique and interesting NPCs can help!

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People of Nature: The Cpise Circle

Druids are people who live their lives connected to the land city-dwellers rarely stop to consider or thank. Mostly, these people are content to live and not be disturbed, but when outsiders come into their homes and start making changes, how will they react? These five individuals are tied to nature and represent the good, the bad, and the neutral.

Ivy

Androgynous plant, chaotic neutral

Description. Once a powerful archdruid named Ivy Windwaker, Ivy now walks the forests of their home as a sentient mass of vines, moss, and flowers, tied into a humanoid form with bones. They carry the intricately carved staff and bow they possessed in life and harbor a strong dislike of settlers that attempt to conquer nature and do not respect it. Ivy is a being of few words, preferring to let their actions speak for themselves, and believes that anyone who can wax poetry is not worth listening to if their talk doesn’t match their walk. Their silence and unsettling appearance scare the youngest children of the circle. Her favorite wild shape form when she was alive was the air elemental.

Occupation. Ivy’s sole reason for existing is the protection of the forest they call home from threats, both natural and unnatural. Due to their long lifespan, Ivy also assists the leader of the Cpise Circle (currently Paprika Windwaker) in training the newest generation of druids in combat.

Secret. Ivy’s body is beginning to break down after many centuries of their second life. They fear for the fate of their home once they leave, particularly since threats against nature are beginning to stir. Although Ivy has never regretted becoming a blighted walker, they are uncertain if another druid would accept the same fate.

Paprika Windwaker

Female tiefling (druid), neutral good

Description. This russet-skinned tiefling wears a bleached wooden mask covering her face, a simple woolen dress, and leather armor. Despite the mask, she has no problem projecting her voice, speaking in a firm tone no matter the circumstances. She is seen as the hardest worker in the circle and trains relentlessly when not dealing with druidic matters. She steps lightly and takes secret pleasure in startling people when unintentionally sneaking up behind them. Her love of untainted nature is only second to her love for her son, Zaafaran. Her favorite wild shape form is the giant spider.

Occupation. As the leader of the Cpise Circle, Paprika leads her circle with as much wisdom and grace as possible. Not only does she serve as the primary voice of nature, but Paprika also provides guidance and training to the younger druids. She is perceived as a strong leader amongst her people, and they look to her for how to react to changes.

Secret. Paprika inherited the position of circle leader from her mentor, a powerful archdruid named Ment Bluflor. Despite her coming along in years, she is nowhere as powerful as Ment was and worries that the circle doubts her ability to protect them, despite their assurances that she is doing fine. This fear drives her to intense training to better her magic and combat prowess.

Zaafaran Windwaker

Male tiefling (druid), chaotic good

Description. The first and only child of Paprika Windwaker, Zaafaran is a dashing young man who does his best to make his mother and fellow druids proud. In addition to the simple clothes of leather he wears, he has taken to adorning his horns, quarterstaff, and braided black hair with tiny, polished stones held together with string. He walks with a spring in his step and an easy smile. He is adept at creating jewelry from natural objects around him. His favorite wild shape form is the constrictor snake.

Occupation. Since becoming a full-fledged druid, Zaafaran has taken to helping his mother with her circle leader duties. His positive relations with many circle members and charming nature have helped increase his popularity, particularly among his generation.

Secret. Zaafaran doesn’t believe that the settlers coming into the Cpise Circle’s territory are as bad as the senior druids (his mother among them) think. This is primarily due to the time he spends near the hamlets with his secret girlfriend, Lacy Roosevelt, who finds his more rugged lifestyle charming and wants to join the circle.

Sakura Bloodleaf

Female gnome (vampire spawn), neutral evil

Description. Appearing as a pale-skinned gnome with wild brown hair, Sakura is dressed in leafy green robes and walks barefoot across jagged stones. Her nails are sharp, and fangs sprout from her mouth. Druidic warpaint covers her arms, legs, and face, but this intimidating appearance is nothing compared to her burning red eyes that glow under the night sky. Once an ordinary druid, her connection to nature has been severed, and she now uses others’ vitality to wreak havoc on rural villages and hamlets. Her favorite wild shape form when she had the ability was the panther.

Occupation. Sakura once spent her life tending to flowers, but now her nights are filled with terrorizing travelers and isolated farms. A former member of Cpise Circle, Sakura felt the threat of settlers and creeping civilization more strongly than her fellow druids. When she traveled to a nearby town to search for exploitable weaknesses, Sakura was captured and bitten by a low-level vampire. Although she slew him, she eventually transformed into a vampire spawn. Initially furious and horrified at the transformation, she now revels in the power it brought her. This has turned the Cpise Circle against her; she is dead to them.

Secret. Sakura claims to feel no guilt about draining humanoids and animals for blood to survive, but a tiny voice in the back of her mind shames her for her decisions. Perhaps the voice is the untainted gnome druid she once was, perhaps it is her mother's voice, or maybe it is the voice of Paprika Windwaker, her former best friend. Whomever it won’t go away, no matter how hard Sakura tries to ignore them.

Buck

Male moose (elk), neutral

Description. Awakened by a long-dead druid who wanted company, Buck is an older moose that meanders the forests and grasslands separate from other creatures. He does not fear death and is satisfied with his long life. His human-like intelligence allows him to escape, outwit, and frustrate predators and hunters. Buck’s pelt used to be a bark brown color, but age has allowed grey and white streaks to creep in, giving his hide a patchwork appearance. He speaks Common in a slow, drawling tone if drawn in conversation.

Occupation. Once the companion of a druid named Pine Bluflor, Buck lives on his terms, one day at a time. He knows and is known by the Cpise Circle and Ivy, with whom he shares an easy-going relationship. The humanoid hunters that prowl the land are determined to catch him, and Buck has decided they must work for it if they are to kill him.

Secret. Although Buck thinks fondly of his time with Pine, one bitter root refuses to go away after all these years: no matter how he begged, Pine would never awaken another moose to be a friend or companion. Buck has since avoided his kind as he sees them as unintelligent and bestial, much like he used to be.