Lillian Quinn

Lillian Quinn is a Elven Druid living in the town of Crossroads.

Early Life
Though it may seem difficult to believe, the town of Crossroads was once even smaller than it is today. Little more than a few buildings that jutted awkwardly from the ground and seemed to sag as if to apologize for their presence there, the fact that it happened to lie on the intersection of two major trade routes was the only even mildly notable thing anyone seemed to be able to say on the town's behalf. Established as a farming community a few centuries ago, the tight-knit townsfolk were dismayed to find that a large lumber outfit from one of the nearby cities had designs to begin clearcutting on the woods nearby. Progress, however, waits for no man, and before too long the citizens of Crossroads were forced to play host to a company of lumberjacks, with the town's only sawmill seized for use by the company. The men were a crude, burly lot who treated the town as their own personal pleasure district, and though many in the town talked of petitions or open rebellion to begin with, they resigned themselves to their fate when it became clear that the clearcutters were there to stay.

It was several weeks before the first lumberjack failed to report in for his shift. Passed off as an anomaly initially, the next two missing lumberjacks confirmed that this was something far more serious. When nearly half the company disappeared while working in the forest, the lumberjacks began to turn, frightened and angry, towards the townsfolk, blaming them for the abductions. Though it was no secret that many in the town resented the presence of the encroaching lumberjacks, they denied their involvement in these disappearances vehemently. By this time, the remaining lumberjacks were far too terrified to enter the forest again. Deciding that measures needed to be taken, however, the company of lumberjacks rounded up a group of the townfolk at axepoint and forced them into the forest ahead of them, intending to use the citizens as bait to catch whatever had been vanishing with their fellows.

Hours passed before night finally fell and the townsfolk haddled together en masse, shuffling blindly through the dense forest. This was farther inside than any of them had ever gone before, but the band of lumberjacks behind them made it clear that there was no turning back. One of the townsfolk felt his foot sink into something and let out a sharp cry before he could help himself. The lumberjacks quickly ran up and shone a lantern at the spot, and shrieks of terror rang out from both groups. The man's foot was ankle deep inside of a partially-decomposing corpse, still wearing the tattered remains of his company uniform. As the light was slowly lifted higher, the faces of both groups followed. The area ahead of them was a catacomb of molded-over and fungus-ridden bodies, all strewn around the stump of an especially large tree. It seemed as if roots had grown straight through some, while others sprouted flowers from their mouths and eyes. Chaos broke the ranks of both sides, as townsfolk and lumberjacks alike ran screaming headlong through the woods.

Little is known of what followed immediately after, but what is known is that none of the lumberjacks made it out of the forest that night. The townsfolk escaped one and all, however, wide-eyed and shaking but otherwise unscathed. The lumber company ceased all operations in the area indefinitely, and the townsfolk returned to their lives. It was nearly a month before some of the braver townsfolk elected to return back into the forest during the daytime to search the area and see what exactly had transpired that night. It took them hours before one of them stumbled upon the same spot. Calling for the rest of the party, they approached carefully, not sure what to make of what they saw. A small child sat in the fetal position in the exact center of the stump. Her skin was stained green, and her hair seemed to fall like vines around her face. It seemed like an eternity before one of the villagers dared to approach. He was shocked to find that what had at first appeared to be a stain caused by the nearby vegetation was in fact the child's actual skin color, and that the vine-like projections seemed to stem from her head directly. The child was also hardly moving, and in fact looked strangely withered, almost in the same way the crops of their fields looked when they hadn't been watered in some time...scooping up the waif, the party returned to the village, and the child was given over to the care of the town's herbalist.

Though some in the village were understandably wary of the creature brought into their midst in light of what had occurred, it became clear that the creature bore the townsfolk no ill will. Though always strangely reticent around people, young Lillian seemed to retain the strange connection she had with plant life as she grew. She began working with the herbalist, and the concoctions and remedies she was able to produce out of simple forest herbs amazed even the seasoned expert. She claimed that she remembers almost nothing from her time in the forest or the day that she was found, but the sight of an axe is still enough to cause some deep rage to boil within her. Eventually, Lillian's presence in the village was accepted by nearly everyone, and though there are many unanswered questions about her past, most Crossroadians are quite content to count their blessings and accept her help in matters relating to the town.

Characteristics and Personality
Lillian's green skin and hair are unmistakably unique, but otherwise she appears as a normal elf would. Her connection to plants is immediately apparent in the way she moves and talks, however. She seems to float through the air almost in the same manner a leaf falls from a tree, and her voice is usually whisper-quiet. She prefers simple clothing woven out of plants, though she prefers to wear nothing at all. This behavior was rather frowned upon by the conservative townsfolk, however. Lillian is well-aware of her attractiveness, and it not shy about using her feminine charm to coerce what she needs out of those unwilling to help her.

She embodies nature's healing aspect when she works, as the medicines she creates at the herbalist shop are said to be the most soothing anyone has ever felt. However, Lillian can also represent nature's fury when roused, and if anything threatens her adopted town or any nearby plant life, Lillian will become enraged. Though the townsfolk attempted to instill some of their customs in her as she was raised, she is still very much nature's child-and consequently, will frequently act on behalf of nature in ways that seem cold-blooded or callous to outside observers. For example, if she sees a forest being threatened by a logging operation, Lillian will think nothing of taking the lives of everyone involved. To her, plant life is of the utmost sanctity.

Trivia

 * Lillian is rarely seen without her plant companion, a tangle of vines and snapping flytrap jaws named Harley.
 * She seems to have a similar connection with fungi as she does with plants, though this connection is significantly stronger at night.