Sir Greenroot, Knight of Dawnwood

"For our realms to endure for all time, we must put aside the petty grievances that have driven us apart. Our ability to survive depends upon our ability to coexist. The Empire, the Dawnwood, all of us. We are the ones who determine the future, and must make sure that the future doesn't hold greater strife."

— Sir Greenroot during his first diplomatic meeting

Sir Greenroot of the Dawnwood, often shortened to just Sir Greenroot, is a Gladeborne knight in service of Lady Thalindra of the Dawnwood Forest. Born during a time of great change in the Dawnwood, Greenroot wanted nothing more than to be a great protector of his homeland, eventually coming to learn of the legends of noble knights from other lands. After reading these stories, and convincing the Westland Empire knight Altrea Galiel to be his mentor, Sir Greenroot would go on to become one of the most famous Gladeborne in recent history, traveling all over Bariquel and beyond in search of glory. Despite his short stature compared to most of his kin, he fights with the fury of the forest itself, combining his martial talents with his kind's natural abilities to bring down foes several times his size.

Sir Greenroot's knightly accolades have even earned him a prominent position in Lady Thalindra's court, acting as the chief diplomat to the Western Empire. Though far more skilled with a blade than with words, his unique perspective between the natural and civilized worlds have allowed him to avert disaster several times,keeping relations between the Dawnwood and the empire in good order. But despite numerous offers by the Westland Empire to become a general, Sir Greenroot's loyalty remains to the Dawnwood and Lady Thalindra.

History

Origins (2,990 YM)

Greenroot was born in 2,990 YM in the Dawnwood, being one of the newer Gladeborne created by Lady Thalindra. For thousands of years, the Gladeborne of the Dawnwood were among the wisest and most sagely of their kind, offering their wisdom to any who cared to listen. Many of their teachings would be used by officials of the Westland Empire, acting as a framework to help create the empire's earliest laws. However, the coming of the Alls-Rule War and the devastation that followed led to a shift in philosophy among the Gladeborne, who were becoming concerned that the war would eventually reach the borders of their home. Though they were rich in wisdom, their martial might was sorely lacking, which prompted Lady Thalindra, queen of the Dawnwood, to undertake a drastic project. Using her magic, she influenced the forest to create Gladeborne far larger and stronger than others of their kind. She also cut off all relations with the outside world, erecting a fence of enchanted stone monoliths that surrounded the entirety of the Dawnwood.

Even after the end of the war, Thalindra maintained this strict policy of isolationism, forbidding any outsiders from entering the Dawnwood. She would continue to produce the enhanced Gladeborne, creating a mighty force of towering warriors larger than most peasant homes and strong enough to rend stone with ease. However, not all of her creations would turn out as the forest queen hoped. In fact, some would end up being... stunted. During the gestation process, some Gladeborne end up becoming far smaller in stature than most of their kin. This can be for a variety of reasons, ranging from poor soil quality to improper amounts of magical energy.

Such was the case with Greenroot, for while his brothers and sisters were immense, awe-inspiring titans of nature, he ended up being the size of the average Mythra. His small size made him unfit for combat duty in the eyes of Thalindra, who assigned him to more menial tasks where he would be safe from harm. But Greenroot would not content himself with merely watching as his siblings went on to become great warriors of the Dawnwood. He swore to himself that one day, the whole forest would come to know the name of Greenroot, champion of nature and defender of Lady Thalindra.

Delusions of Grandeur

One night, while Greenroot was wandering around the outskirts of the forest, he spotted a light in the distance. Curious, he slipped beyond the protective monolith fence and towards the direction of the light, which he discovered to be the fire of a traveling caravan that had set up camp nearby. Creeping his way into the camp, Greenroot saw things he had only ever heard about before from his elder kin. Cooking spits, bottles of all shapes and sizes, and the strange garb worn by the camp inhabitants. But what intrigued him the most was a stack of books in one of the wagons, each one emblazoned with some type of weapon, crest, or other adornment on the cover. Greenroot had never seen books before, but he knew that outsiders used them to record and store information. Information that he could potentially use in his quest to become a great warrior. As such, he took the books and slipped back into the forest before being noticed, eager to find out what their contents were.

Sure enough, the books were full of stories of noble knights who traveled the lands in search of glory, smiting any evildoers in their path and earning the favor of their lords and ladies. Greenroot was amazed, voraciously reading the books several times over until he could memorize their contents by heart. That's when it hit him; if he were to become a knight, then he could earn the respect of not only his kindred, but Lady Thalindra herself. As such, he set about fashioning himself a sword (in truth just a length of wood with sharp rocks tied to it) and left the Dawnwood, vowing to only return when he had become a knight.

For the next few weeks, Greenroot wandered aimlessly about the lands, hoping to test his mettle against any villains he could find. However, the most "evil" things he could find were either angry badgers or woodpeckers trying to drill holes in his bark. Frustrated, Greenroot was about to give up until one day, noticed sounds of revelry and merry-making. As Greenroot came closer, he discovered another campsite, but this was not like the caravan he had encountered before. Indeed, what he discovered was a bandit camp, filled to the brim with thugs, crooks, and other lowlifes who were busy counting up their ill-gotten gains. Piles of stolen goods littered the camp, taken from travelers who passed through the area between cities. It was at this moment that Greenroot knew he had found his quarry. He would slay these fools in the name of the Dawnwood.

As the bandits were celebrating their latest haul, they were suddenly ambushed by a strange, wooden figure who came crashing into their campsite. This figure proclaimed itself as "Sir Greenroot", knight of the Dawnwood and champion of Lady Thalindra, and that he would slay the bandits for their wrongdoings. However, the sudden shock of Greenroot's arrival quickly wore off, and soon the bandits were upon him with blade and torch. Though Greenroot fought valiantly, he'd never had any real combat experience before, overwhelmed by the numbers and superior weaponry of the criminals. But just as the bandits were about to chop the poor Gladeborne into firewood, they were interrupted by the sudden sound of thundering hooves. Turning around, they saw a figure on horseback charging into the camp, clad in shining armor and wielding a heavy blade. Fear filled their craven hearts, knowing that an actual knight had come to put them down.

Greenroot's Savior

The mysterious knight, clad in the fine livery of the Westland Empire, cut down bandit after bandit with ease. A few tried to fight back, but they could hardly match the knight in skill, their blows effortlessly parried and deflected. Even those who were lucky enough to score a direct hit barely left scratches in the knight's finely-crafted plate armor. Within the span of a few minutes, the entire camp had been cleared out as the few bandits smart enough to flee scattered into the surrounding forest. Greenroot could only watch in awe as this mounted warrior bested the entire camp single-handedly without so much as breaking a sweat. The warrior then approached, dismounting their horse and removing their helmet. The warrior introduced herself as Altrea Galiel, offering Greenroot a hand up and asking him what in the world he was doing trying to fight those bandits.

Greenroot, still in awe at Altrea's skill, haphazardly explained how he had been trying to find evildoers to slay in the name of Lady Thalindra and the Dawnwood. The knight was surprised, with no one having seen a Gladeborne of the Dawnwood in over a century. But as she prepared to leave, Greenroot begged the warrior to take him with her, wanting to learn how to be a proper knight. Altrea refused at first, believing that this over-eager plant-man would only get himself killed. However, she recalled how her knightly order required knights like herself to train a squire in order to advance further up the ranks, and Greenroot showed more eagerness than most of the candidates sent her way. With a resigned sigh, she accepted, taking Greenroot with her to the city of Felvast.

Greenroot the Squire (3,000 YM - 3,003 YM)

Upon arriving at Felvast, Greenroot was brought before the head knights of Altrea's order, where she explained to them her intentions of making the Gladeborne her squire. The council was awestruck, a few enraged that one of their own would choose a walking plant over any fine imperial citizen. However, most quickly changed their opinions when Altrea explained that Greenroot could be the key to finally reestablishing contact with the Dawnwood, and maybe even recruiting some of the enhanced Gladeborne to the imperial military. As such, Greenroot was accepted into the order, becoming an official squire under Altrea’s stewardship.

For months Greenroot trained with the other squires of the order, learning the arts of war, horseback riding, and equipment maintenance. However, his unfamiliarity with the customs of the civilized world led to a few notable incidents. For instance, while staying at an inn one night, Greenroot had been approached by the innkeeper and asked to pay the tab for the drinks he had purchased for the other patrons. The Gladeborne, still unfamiliar with the concept of currency, reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of acorns, confident that the eventual gift of wood would please him. He was swifty chased from the inn that night, the innkeeper shouting curses and throwing bottles the whole way.

Another incident came during Greenroot’s training in the ways of chivalry, where he was supposed to kiss the hand of a noblewoman who had come to observe the squires. When Greenroot’s turn came, the Gladeborne was confused as not only was kissing a foreign act to him, he had no lips with which to kiss. As a workaround, he decided to use his abilities to grow flowers for the lady, producing a bouquet of roses for her. However, he poured too much energy into the flowers, causing them to grow out of control and entangle the poor lady in vines. While she was eventually freed, Greenroot was made to clean the stables for a week as punishment.

But despite these setbacks, Greenroot gradually progressed through his training with the other squires, becoming a skilled fighter in his own right under Altrea’s watchful eye. After around a year, he was finally deemed worthy enough to accompany the knight on her quests. The two would travel all over the empire, the Gladeborne learning more and more about the lands beyond the Dawnwood. His voracious appetite for knowledge led him to eventually study the history and laws of the Westland Empire, learning at such a pace that would put some of the greatest imperial scholars to shame. It was this knowledge that would especially come in handy when his home was in danger.

A Baron’s Greed

Though the Alls-Rule War had ended years ago, much of the Westland Empire’s land lay in ruins. To help in the reconstruction, the Empress spearheaded a program in which local lords and ladies would be tasked with rebuilding a specific area of the empire. Baron Angval Toorish was one such lord, having been tasked with helping to restore the towns and villages near the Dawnwood. Toorish was a notoriously greedy man, well-known among his kin for frequently depleting areas of resources for maximum profit. When all of the locally-available sources of lumber dried up, there was only one forest left, the Dawnwood itself.

Most people living near the Dawnwood were unaware of the existence of the enhanced Gladeborne, only occasionally hearing immense, creaking footsteps coming from the trees. Any sane person would turn away at those noises, but the baron was undeterred. The trees of the Dawnwood, tall and strong, would provide an excellent source of lumber for imperial reconstruction. He even had plans to sell the wood to other parts of the empire for even greater profits, making himself immensely wealthy in the process.

Greenroot and Altrea learned of the baron’s plot after several reports of Dawnwood Gladeborne attacking travelers came to the attention of their order. The squire was confused, his kin would never lash out at those living near their home. That is… unless they were in danger. The realization that his fellow Gladeborne would massacre innocent people if left unchecked prompted the two to set out immediately. They reached the Dawnwood the next day, greeted by the sight of hundreds of lumberjacks hacking away at the forest’s edge. And at the head of it all was Toorish, carefully observing as dozens of fallen trees were piled onto wagons and sent away.

Enraged, Greenroot charged through the crowds of woodsmen and met face to face with the baron, angrily denouncing him for the wanton destruction of his homeland. Toorish merely scoffed, stating that he was simply carrying out the Empress’ will in the reconstruction of the empire and that since the Dawnwood lay within imperial borders, it was under imperial jurisdiction. Greenroot shot back by citing the ancient pacts made between the Dawnwood and the empire, recalling how the Gladeborne of old and Empress Aylliana Ravenborne made an agreement to safeguard the Dawnwood from any outside affairs.

Toorish was unfazed, declaring that if the Greenroot did not leave immediately, he would have his woodsmen hack him to pieces. However, his haughty attitude was quickly put down when Altrea rode into the scene, raising the symbol of her order up high and declaring the baron a criminal and that he would face the judgment of the imperial court. Panicked, Toorish ordered his men to kill the pair, promising a big reward for their heads as hundreds of lumberjacks surrounded Greenroot and Altrea. The two drew their blades, the squire eager at finally getting to put what he learned to the test.

Though Greenroot fought with everything he had, Toorish’s men were slowly wearing him and Altrea down as the two were backed against the forest’s edge. But just as the baron’s lumberjacks prepared to bring their axes down on them, a strange rumbling echoed out from the Dawnwood, one that was drawing closer and closer. The rumbling soon revealed itself to be footsteps, the footsteps of a massive, twenty-foot Gladeborne that roared at the gaggle of stunned woodsmen, causing most to flee at the sight of it. Those who stood their ground were soundly beaten, the huge Gladeborne swatting them away like insects as Greenroot and Altrea chased after the baron.

Toorish’s Downfall

The chase led the two to a waterfall, with Toorish being cornered against a steep drop. Not wanting to plummet to his death, he surrendered, declaring that he would immediately halt all lumber-harvesting operations in the Dawnwood in exchange for letting him live. Greenroot and Altrea agreed, placing the baron in cuffs as they prepared to mount their horses. But as their backs were turned, Toorish lunged forwards and wrapped his cuffs tight around Altrea’s throat, dragging her to the edge of the cliff and threatening to throw her off unless the two agreed to let him go.

Greenroot froze, internally panicking as Altrea struggled against her captor. Suddenly, the ground beneath her and the baron began to crumble, the squire rushing forwards in an attempt to save his mentor. The combined weight of Greenroot, Altrea, and Toorish was enough for the ground to give way, causing all three of them to plummet down into the falls below. Fortunately, Greenroot and Altrea managed to catch themselves on a ledge, but the Gladeborne found that he was still being pulled downwards. Sure enough, Toorish was clinging onto his leg, begging the squire to pull him back up.

Not wanting to cause any unnecessary death, Greenroot agreed and began to pull the baron back up. But as the Gladeborne lifted him up to grab the ledge, Toorish pulled a hidden dagger from his cloak and stabbed Greenroot in the side, the squire feeling a rush pain surging through him as the baron used the extra leverage to try and throw Greenroot off. But unfortunately for Toorish, the wound he had inflicted on Greenroot triggered the Gladeborne’s natural defenses as a series of thorns sprouted from the spot where the dagger had pierced him, piercing the baron’s hand in return.

This unexpected counterattack caused Toorish to lose his grip on the Gladeborne, leading to him stumbling further down as his free hand gripped tight around Greenroot’s ankle. But this time, there would be no second chances as the baron found his grip loosening more and more until it slipped, sending him plummeting down into the falls below. Angval Toorish was no more.

Reunions

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Greenroot the Knight

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Sir Greenroot of the Dawnwood

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Characteristics

Appearance

Despite sharing many similarities with his fellow Gladeborne, Greenroot stands out among them for being quite short by the standards of his kind. Unlike his brethren, who tower over the other intelligent races of Haven, he himself is as small as the ones who dwell outside the trees. Additionally, he keeps a flower attached to his body given to him by Lady Thalindra. This rare bloom occasionally lets off pollen that provides a calming effect, though it does tend to attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds that annoy Greenroot to no end.

Greenroot also carries around a number of trinkets gathered from his journeys across Barquiel. Most of them are from fellow knights who he fought alongside, some are from damsels he rescued, though one stands out among the rest: a small golden chain worn on his wrist. This chain, inscribed with iconography from the Westland Empire and the Dawnwood and forged from gold taken from the hoard of the dragon Cinderwing, symbolizes the link Greenroot has forged between the two realms

Personality

Sir Greenroot is what one would call the archetypal knight. Courageous, chivalrous, and more than willing to put his life on the line if it means those he cares about will live on, he has thrown himself into more life-threatening scenarios than most could count. One may mistake this eagerness to leap into the jaws of death as pure recklessness, but the Gladeborne is anything but. He knows that sometimes one must take great risks to ensure victory, especially when victory means charging headlong into an enemy army in order to slay their leaders and champions. To Greenroot, the potential of these risks paying off is all the initiative he needs.

In addition to his martial pursuits, Greenroot has also developed a scholarly side. When not on the battlefield or discussing policy between the Dawnwood and the Westland Empire, he is often found pouring over stories, old documents, and ancient reports of all kinds. These habits have given Greenroot quite the repository of knowledge, which he is more than happy to share with any willing to lend an ear. However, he does tend to talk peoples’ ears off, which has led to many imperial delegations falling asleep while the Gladeborne recites an old tale. He has tried to curb this habit, though with admittedly limited success.

Despite being considered middle-aged by most outside the Dawnwood, Greenroot is still very young by the standards of his kin. As such, he retains a naive, somewhat innocent view of life, which has put him at odds with both the knights of the Westland Empire and his fellow Gladeborne. Though they respect his martial and diplomatic skills, they tend to view him as childlike and impressionable, especially since he asks enough questions to fill a library. But while most won’t admit it, they appreciate Greenroot’s sense of wonder as it helps to ground them to reality.

Abilities

Having trained for years under the knights of the Westland Empire and given the blessings and enchantments of Lady Thalindra, Greenroot has risen to become a powerful warrior equal to some of the Westland Empire’s finest soldiers. He has slain countless bandits and outlaws, clashed with the champions of foreign lands, and defeated powerful beasts both mundane and magical. Unlike his fellow Gladeborne, whose large size leaves them with comparatively slow reflexes, Greenroot is able to think much faster on his feet, adapting to new combat scenarios faster than any other Dawnwood warrior. This adaptability has led to him being the lynchpin of many of Thalindra’s greatest strategies.

Though Greenroot is a masterful combatant, he considers himself more of a diplomat than a fighter. Since his ascension to knighthood, he has found himself moderating and overseeing many meetings between imperial officials and his kin, helping to keep the peace between the two realms. His unique perspective between the natural and civilized worlds allows him to come up with solutions to problems that his fellow diplomats wouldn’t have even considered. As a result, relations between the Dawnwood and the Westland Empire have been stronger than ever.

As a Gladeborne, Greenroot has the ability to harness the power of nature itself. He can influence plants around him to ensnare and immobilize his enemies, holding their weapons and limbs in place. He can also use plant matter to repair damaged areas of his body, melding them into himself and speeding up his natural regeneration. However, plants that are substantially different from himself might end up messing with his body, causing all sorts of issues such as wilting leaves, flaky bark, or even accidentally introducing wood-eating fungi to his system.

Equipment

Sylthros - Sylthros is an immensely powerful enchanted sword gifted to Greenroot by Lady Thalindra. The sword itself is a living thing, grown from the Dawnwood’s oldest tree and given a blade of magically-enhanced emerald. When used in battle, it sometimes acts on its own to parry blows Greenroot might not have seen coming. Should Sylthros’ blade be damaged or otherwise destroyed, the sword will regrow a new one in no more than a few days’ time.
Dawnpiercer - Dawnpiercer is an enchanted lance gifted to Greenroot by his old mentor Altrea, herself having gotten it from the Westland Empire’s trove of magical relics. A series of runes run along the lance’s entire body which, when activated, coat it in blazing white flames. When used in a charge, the Dawnpiercer coats Greenroot’s entire body in a halo of light that shields him from harm.
Ironwood Bastion - The Ironwood Bastion is a living shield grown from the sturdiest trees in the Dawnwood. In addition to its protective capabilities, it can also grow additional defences such as extra-hardened bark or piercing thorns. It can even be stuck into the ground to grow into a temporary shelter, returning to normal size once picked up again.
Eikrost - Eikrost is an immense Stoneheart Elk said to be among the eldest beasts in the Dawnwood. He presented himself to Greenroot following his induction ceremony, becoming the Gladeborne’s most trusted partner. The two have fought in dozens of battles, with hundreds of unfortunate evildoers meeting their ends by Eikrost’s antlers.

Trivia

Greenroot was loosely based on Don Quixote, a fictional Spanish hidalgo from the novel of the same name.