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"I never liked spring, but I think you just made it better."
—Ranita Riverchild to Merrium Kraemer
Ranita Riverchild is a druid trained deep in the Grosseben Wood by the nature spirit Zaghnol. While she was once young, innocent, cheery and starry-eyed, she has grown into a silent hunter, a killer of beasts.
Having trouble adjusting from the savage wilds of the forest to the complexities of human society, Ranita nonetheless carries on, trying to make sense of the world.
Biography
Early Life
Childhood Adventures
Life in the Woods
Fighting the Order of Praavda
Soulbinding
Appearance
Personality and Values
Ranita grew up in the forest where the list of rules is short, but deadly important. Ranita holds true the cycle of nature and respects the times of birth, life and death. Out of the forest she is a fish out of water and finds towns to be extra uncomfortable. She finds very little in the world for her, save her companions. She views her companions as her "pack" and is willing to fight to the death for them.
Ranita runs on instinct. She smells the air, listens and thinks on terms she learned from the beasts. Predator and prey. Pack loyalty and hierarchy. The strong survive. She is animalistic, fierce and efficient.
She is also curious. She finds this new world of man to be fascinating, if not sometimes frustrating. Whenever she finds a new place, she familiarizes herself by sniffing around, mostly literally, and poking through possessions and property she finds odd.
Ranita respects nature and the spirits that represent it. The four great spirits, Zaghnol, King Vodyanoy and any others command her attention and comradery. She is aware that she is connected to nature in the same manner as these spirits, if lesser so. Her connection to the element of water gives much to her nature.
Ranita doesn't dream about becoming a powerful general or hero. In general, she awaits the day she can head back into her forest where things make sense to her, find a decent tree and sleep peacefully.
Powers and Abilities
Ranita's connection to elemental water lends her a more personal tie to the fundamentals of nature. She has the uncanny ability to detect the presence of nature spirits nearby and to gain their good natured trust.
She is also a valiant fighter with her magic spear, Himinn Hermaður. She has a savage way of battle, hissing, screaming and biting with her attacks.
One of the final lessons Ranita received from Zaghnol was the lesson of "form beyond flesh"; her ability to assume the forms of beasts. Commonly taking on the form of a black eagle for stealth and travel, she also assumes the form of bears and boars for combat, which makes her more formidable than before.
Her ability as a spellcaster, though used sparingly, should not be overlooked. She is capable of healing her "packmates" from what would otherwise be grievous wounds as well as calling enormous lightning storms to strike her enemies.
Groshmog
"Okay, I have to ask; Why is there a pig in the room?"
—Sangar Zolmir II
Groshmog is a wild boar who chose Ranita as a spiritual companion. He is a large male, loyal to a fault to Ranita with a love for mushrooms.