eliá has only been around for a mere two centuries, but her species has been around for a much longer time. she is often confused with cetrion, despite the dryad species being created by the god of all elements herself. while the have a few similiar moves, they could barely be considered kinned to one another.
dryads are tree nymphs, or tree spirits. they are basically a tree-human hybrid, taking human features with the powers of earth-bending. in their nature (pun inteded), dryads are often shy to others, considering they aren’t your typical, everyday beings. that being said, eliá is most definitely shy, but will not go down without a fight. she will stand up to what is right, or to protect her others.
dryads are a dying species, maybe only 50 are left actively roaming earthrealm to present day. most are in a ‘hibernation’ state to conceal their identity and live on as long as they possibly can without being hunted, so including these rested dryads, there is about 200 left.
eliá’s moves and skillset revolves around her nature powers. she can grow vines to constrict her opponent with the flick of the finger, she can command that poison oak brings her opponent a deadly itch, and things of that nature. (will the puns ever stop?)
the dryadess’s elemental damage is physical and poison damage. all of her attacks are physical unless she summons her poison ivy/oak/sumac/hemlock, etc. etc.. eliá has a few rock attacks up her sleeve that she can combo into her attacks. her other main defense mechanism is her vines that she can either summon on herself, or in the earth around her. if she summons them on herself, she is capable of grabbing and pulling them closer, or like stated above, constricting her opponents.
eliá’s appearance is very earthy, but depending what day it is, her looks vary. most times, she’ll be in her humanoid form, with dark, chocolate hair and fair skin. all the while, her eyes will remain the same, multi-coloured, pale eyes that make her true to her species. when she’s in her human form, you can sometimes find leaves or flowers in her hair that grew unintentionally there. when she’s not taking on her human form, you can see that she has tree limbs and vines wrapping around her arms and calfs, and her hair might actually turn to beautiful greenery, hence why she could often be confused with cetrion. most times, you can find her in a variety of clothing, ranging from outfits with cloaks and a dress, or maybe a simple shirt and pants/skirts, if you’re lucky. that being said, she is more apt to wear a dark green cloak and a pale green dress that stops at her ankles. she’s 5’3, and often has to look up to people.
eliá allies herself with the white lotus, kitana kahn, jade, hanzo hasashi, and kuai liang, and their respected clans. cetrion used to be an ally, but when she started to work with kronika to reset the timeline, eliá drew the line. unfortunately, eliá’s future self became a revenant with her friends and lover, kung lao.
to find more about eliá’s style and aesthetic, i have made a pinterest board for her! click the link here.
the pronunciation of her name is: ah-lee-yuh.
also, yes. i had to make her love interest lao. leave me alone 😂
