Lily

"She grinned at her reflection in the mirror she stood before as she took her comb to her dark hair one last time."

A halvling woman hailing from The Protected Lands who has spent years on the road pursuing her own fortune in the dark underbelly of the world, guided by her cunning and the elusive powers bestowed upon her by Savrosil, the fickle god of lust. A thief and a whore, she makes her way in the world by never growing roots in one place and keeping a keen eye out for opportunities wherever they should present themselves, quick to leave should suspicions ever arise. And they do, for things always seem to happen around her.

Sharp-eyed, street-smart and a fast thinker, Lily is used to operating alone and dealing in no small amounts of secrecy. She trusts people slowly and is wary of strangers, but hidden behind the walls is a warm, caring heart - despite her best efforts to keep it from showing. She's a stalwart friend to those she chooses to trust and loyal beyond measure.

Like all halvlings Lily is short, and has a noticeably full figure. She has warm brown skin and short brown curls framing her round face. Her eyes are a striking green, unless she is using the powers granted by her god.

Servant of Savrosil

Not much is known about how Lily came across and won the favour of the god of lust, and she's keen to keep it that way. Though she is Savrosil's high priestess in the mortal realm and his favourite, she gets no preferential treatment in the terms of their contract: her soul for power, and an eternity of servitude as a shade in his realm in the Beyond once her time is due.

The powers Lily gains from his blessings do not come without a price. He demands obedience and regular offerings (rubies being his preference), though Lily's equally capricious nature often amuses him and can result in him being more lenient towards her lapses in judgment. Savrosil is a temperamental god, however, and her magic can wax and wane depending on his favour, a constant reminder that someone else is holding the leash in the shadows.

On halvlings

Halvlings are the shortest known mortal species, even smaller than dwarves, with whom they share a long history of peaceful trading relationships. Though often stocky with short limbs, they are fast, agile and adaptable, and they seem to possess an innate connection with the land itself, sometimes even lending itself to magical talent despite sorcerers, druids and other professional practitioners of magic being quite rare among the halvling population.

While not a reclusive species in the least, the majority of halvlings keep among their own in The Protected Lands, a country uniquely protected from outside influences and even the extreme weather phenomena that used to plague the region in the ancient times. While the source of this protection is unclear, The Protected Lands are known as a fertile paradise with distinct seasons and mild winters, so well protected from ill intentions that most travellers struggle to find their way in there even with a map, unless guided by a local.

Trade is largely focused on crops, fruit and artisanal goods, and halvling food is world-renowned for being delicious and of high quality. Halvling caravans travel between The Protected Lands and Kheranthar in the north during the summer months, and despite the geographical distance the two people have long since enjoyed firm ties of friendship dating back millenia.