Can you tell us some backstory on magran?
I would love to!
Magran was a D&D Character I made for a campaign in a friend’s custom setting, a world called “Arnen.” Arnen is a world much like Earth in terms of its geography, though smaller. The same gods you’d find in the Forgotten Realms setting are mirrored in Arnen.
Magran is a Firbolg. Firbolgs are a race of Lesser Giants with a natural penchant for Druidic magic and communion with sources of Primal Power (aka Spirits). They typically live hidden from other humanoid races, protecting forests, swamps, or other natural biomes. Their natural magical talent assists in keeping them hidden, or allowing them to disguise themselves among humanoids. They prefer indirect means of keeping civilization away from their lands, rather than the “GET OUT OF MY SWAMP” approach.
Magran’s tribe lives in an area of the world called Lyanka, located on the main Eastern continent in the southern hemisphere of Arnen. around 100 years ago, humans (and some members of other races) landed an exploration ship on the coast of Lyanka and began to establish a small town called New Camden - a colony of a faraway nation. Magran was the main voice among her people who called out for coexistence with these settlers, rather than killing them or forcing them out to sea. Thus, she was selected to join the settlement as a guide, to gently push the settlement, from its founding 100 years ago until now, in the direction of sustainable coexistence with the natural environment, without tresspassing on the tribe’s land.
The tribe was kept secret all these years by Magran, who had set up on the outskirts of the town, magically disguised as an Elf, to avoid suspicion of her not aging. She served the town for a full century as a Wise Woman, providing counsel to the people of New Camden on how best to survive in this territory (i.e. how to not push the Firbolgs’ buttons and get themselves slaughtered by the tribe).
Just before the centennial of the town’s establishment, New Camden was attacked. Enormous Man O’ War ships with siege equipment appeared as if from nowhere and bombarded the town with flaming artillery, while invading soldiers rampaged throughout the town, nonchalantly killing the town guard as though they were no challenge at all. The invaders, an army of Drow reavers, were after a certain material with magical properties that had been falling from the sky in meteorites, all around the world. Magran helped guide the survivors of the attack to safety along the secret forest paths known only to her tribe, and she broke the secrecy of her tribe’s existence, as well as her own disguise, to keep them safe.
She, and other capable people who either were established in town, or simply happened to be there during the attack, joined together on a journey to discover how to facilitate events that could bring a stop to the rampage of these Drow invaders.
Most notable among her allies were a Dragonborn named Bayard, a Storm Giant Runt named Ilikaan, and a Half-Elf Noble by the name of Xavier. The same Xavier who, while Magran was in her Wild Shape, shot her with his greatbow.
This was the event where I decided to cut off from the events of the campaign for Magran’s introduction to Blooming Dreemurr. One, because I don’t remember much of the events of that campaign which came afterward, and two, because I thought it made for a much more interesting and attention-grabbing introduction for Magran.
Being a Druid, Magran was very in tune with the woodlands she had called home for over a century. Upon being cut off, it felt to her like finding oneself suddenly naked and alone in the dark, where just a moment ago she had been comfortable, in her element, and with allies (albeit allies with terrible aim).
For Blooming Dreemurr, I brought in Magran as a higher level Druid than she was during the campaign, mostly because I simply enjoy seeing how Vee’s world reacts to various magics from a setting with a different set of rules on its magic.
In terms of how she acts, I’ve always thought of Magran as a motherly figure to those around her, particularly those who are very young. Of course, to her, an adult human is young, but she is a very warm and caring person. After all, she was the one voice in her whole tribe who saw trespassing settlers as an opportunity to nurture life, rather than a threat to it.
Magran’s name simply came from a video game. When I made Magran, I gave her a lot of fire spells initially, in addition to her blazing red hair - so I named her after the Goddess of Fire in Pillars of Eternity.
Magran was the first female character I ever played in D&D or in any roleplaying experience. Another I’ve played is a Dwarf Arcana Cleric named Balinda Flameheart (whose name is an amalgam of names from the Markus Heitz book series, The Dwarves). The only other is a Half-Orc Barbarian (flavored as a Fighter) named Droka.
