Cere Aizlewood

 

Cereus Aizlewood, simply known as Cere by her friends and foes, and mistakenly dubbed  'the Slayer of Crondusa' by the Commonwealth of Tormenta Navy, is a young female halfling pirate, who is also the most junior (youngest) member of the Weastern Pirates. Cere serves as the crew's onboard medic.

 

History
Cere's story begins with her mother Dianthus. A florist and wife to Aspen. Aspen himself was a botanist and lightfoot halfling man of nature based science and magic. They lived together in a secluded greenhouse in the Secartha Desert, made sustainable through both Diane and Aspen's skillsets. Diane was a mother to 3 children before Cere. While pregnant with Cere she would experience bouts of insomnia. She spent many nights in the greenhouse her husband built and she cared after. On one night in particular the cacti that she was so familiar with began to bloom flowers she had never noticed before. That is when Dianthus gave the name Cereus to her unborn child that had coincidentally surprised her mother with a new detail of her garden that she might not have noticed otherwise. Dianthus passed during child birth unexpectedly, leaving a large void within the family. One too large for even the new born Cere to fill.

Her father and siblings never seemed to properly heal from Dianthus's passing and resented Cere for it. As she grew it became more and more apparent that Cere was a peculiar child. Her quirks and perceptions of life were misunderstood as morbid and unempathetic only worsening her relationship with her family. After many years of at best indifference and at worst disdain Cere cried out to her Goddess, Eldath, Goddess of Peace and Nature, for a sign of where she is truly meant to be. She was suddenly struck with visions of a beautiful Oasis surrounded by desert for miles. An anomaly and more than enough reason for Cere to pack her things and run away from her home, convinced that she was surely meant to find this oasis and her true purpose can be found there.

Since leaving home Cere had been on a small number of adventures on her search for the Waterfall Oasis. She and a few others aided Lord Summershield in clearing out Castle Arevon of its star-crossed haunts. After some searching she did manage to find a waterfall. However as she approached it a portal opened before her. She felt this was no coincidence and took a leap of faith, stumbling through and into Aigora where she believed her story was meant to continue. And so it did, for shortly after she encountered the Weastern Pirates.

From shy, pessimistic, and misplaced to insightful, courageous, and loved; Cere's life has gone in a direction she never could have predicted. She has learned much from her experiences on the Wind of the Weast and is better for it. Now with her friends at her side she has complete confidence and faith in their ability to thwart the evils that they may soon encounter.

Personality and Growth
When the Weastern Pirates first meet Cereus she soft spoken and shy. A bit of a pessimist. A devout Cleric of the Grave Domain to Eldath and has strong values on life. Although she is confident in these beliefs she is awkwardly misunderstood at best and unsettlingly morbid at worst when it comes to expressing them.

After some time on the Wind of the Weast, getting to know these rowdy pirates and vice versa, Cere for the first time has found herself in the company of people she might be brave enough to call "friends".

Life at sea is a tough one, and life at sea as a Pirate is even tougher. Cereus soon starts to build some confidence in her abilities. Her large doll like eyes, once wide with fear paranoia, are now filled (and just as wide) with judgment as she uses her high insight to keep her friends safe from liars and crooks. She is skeptical of the strangers she meets on her travels. She is dubbed the Ship medic and doubles as the crew's primary health physician and therapist as he cares for the crews ailments, both physical and psychological. Despite being wise beyond her years, she is still a teen at heart. She can often lose her mature visage when her buttons are pushed (which they often are), getting competitive during games, or interacting with her crush Davadus (a.k.a. David).

Icks:

 * Beetles (Newly Acquired)
 * Hearing all the small races be called "Dwarves"
 * Necromancy
 * Being Underestimated because of her age/height.

Likes:

 * Flowers and gardening
 * Checking in on her friends.
 * Flying on her Broom
 * Inner tubbing

Strengths:

 * Planning
 * Reading People
 * Healing and nursing
 * Bolstering her friends in a fight
 * Holding tight to hope and faith

Struggles:

 * Speaking to children
 * Persuading people
 * Academics
 * Walking fast
 * Crafts
 * Cold weather

The Weastern Pirates

 * David
 * Cere has always been a sheltered child, having been homeschooled for all her life and mostly having to make do on her own academically. When David was first introduced as Jebbedo's newest recruit and apprentice, Cere was immediately smitten by his academic achievements at such a young age. Their relationship has blossomed from shy glances to officially confessing their "like" for one another.


 * Jebbedo
 * An uncle figure to Cere. She admires his intelligence and can always count on him to solve a tough problem. She also finds his photographic memory impressively useful time and time again. Before renovating the Weast they shared a room together and spent much time together as a result. She would pray before bed as he tinkered and identified items. He, Tohnkh, and Cere created a close bond very quickly, as the small gang.


 * Khemmis
 * Cere and Khemmis originally did not get along very well. Khemmis was reckless and full of rage when they first met. He and Nessaj were two of Cere's first impressions of tieflings. They were both scarily violent and even directly hostile towards her at some points. After Nessaj's departure and some steady bonding over nature, open conversation about how his recklessness affects herself and the party, Cere and Khemmis are now very close friends. She lends him an ear when he faces moral dilemmas and he has shown her how to be confident in her fighting skills. She seems to have also influenced some interest in becoming a devout Champion to Baal in him.


 * Loth
 * Cere has pulled Loth's soul from the edge of the grave once before. She cares about Loth just as she does the rest of her crew, but is particularly concerned for him in regards to his "complicated" relationship with Pickle Eater.


 * Neko
 * Cere serves as Neko's offical vet for all of her pets. Cere respects her skills in the ship's kitchen, as Neko has made some of the best pastries Cere has ever had. Cere has made it a point to return the favor in the form of a Hero's Feast sometime soon for Neko and the others.


 * Pickle Eater
 * Pickle Eater has proven herself to Cere as a capable crewmate upon the ship, however she does find some of the advancements that she has made to some of the male crew members rather problematic. Pickle Eater has attributed this to Cere's innocence as a child but Cere isn't convinced.


 * Pinoch
 * Jebbedo's son who Cere relies on often in battle even now after his passing through Hound. Cere believes him to be the goodest boy, and ponders how his soul is manifesting now that he is no longer with us physically. Pinnoch cannot be reached through the Magic Mirror but somehow speaks to Shrim still which she finds rather curious.


 * Savina
 * The single saving grace to Cere's early perception of tieflings, Savina has always been a leveled and reasonable person in Cere's eyes. They don't do many personal missions together as Savina can sometimes be a bit of a lone wolf, but when they have they have made some of the most fond memories Cere has with the Weastern Pirates, such as the discovery of H.O.O.T Juice and Scrying on Razgaal together.


 * Shrim
 * The Mushroom Knight is one of Cere's favorite examples of something small but mighty. She considers Shrim a fearless and loyal warrior whom she finds very endearing. She is currently cultivating mini Shrims in her room on the ship, although they will not be sentient. She asked this favor of him so that she may have something physical to remember him by should his time come on the battle field some day, though she plans to defend him as he has defended us.


 * Tohnkh
 * The first Weastern Pirate she came to trust. It was Tohnkh's friendly face that she met in Port Tormenta and she clung to him immediately in this scary new place she found herself in. It was Tohnkh who she turned to when the group became overwhelming. She does not only consider him her Captain through and through, he has also filled somewhat of a fatherly role to her as well in listening to her feelings of guilt when Desmond slew many of their crew, as well as sizing up David and encouraging their relationship to take flight. Cere knows him to be an exceedingly trusting person, so she makes sure to insight the people they meet to protect Tohnkh and the others from harm. Their bond is so close, that Tohnkh is the only person who has been able to respond to Cere's Ghostwise halfling ability, Silent Speech.


 * Weast
 * After the ship became sentient Cere has had multiple conversations with her. Cere visits the bow often to touch base with Weast as she figures it can get lonely facing the sea all the time. They talk about magic and the other crew members. Weast can hear conversations on the ship but can only be heard when someone enters her radius. Cere has asked Weast not to listen in on the Sick Bay when she is doing physicals as this could be considered a breach of confidentiality between her and her patients.

The Deities

 * Ariaial
 * Cere being the only one of the party able to speak Celestial and communicate with Ariaial, they got on well immediately. After she and her children were freed from an elemental engine by the WP she helped them locate Desmond and Cere is very grateful for her help.
 * Baal
 * A bit of a mystery still to Cere, but she is grateful for his influence on Khemmis. She believes the nature magic and the gales that affect Khemmis because of Baal are exactly what Khemmis needed to gain stability and control of his rage because nature is the perfect example of an otherwise impossible balance of chaos.
 * Eldath
 * Cere's guiding light. Eldath is the Goddess Cere has vowed to follow. She had faith in Cere when she felt most alone at home. Listened to her prayers and has always delivered. Cere's faith in Eldath is unwavering and when Nathair cast her out of Aigora Cere, with Opteima's assistance, did her rightful duty as Eldath's cleric and bolstered her influence through spreading that faith to all the other lives Eldath has touched through Cere. In doing so Eldath has become more strongly connected with Aigora, so much so that Nathair will soon no longer be able to keep her at bay.
 * Nathair
 * A pathetic pretender in Cere's eyes. He has made many attempts to unnerve Cere to no avail. With each attempt she simply strengthens her resolve to rid Aigora of him and is reassured that he does not have the power he threatens to have. Cere has no doubts that the WP can defeat him. It is only a matter of time before Nathair learns that fact for himself.
 * Opteima
 * She is Cere's temporary source of divine magic while Eldath is shunted out of Aigora. Opteima has expressed a lack of faith in Cere's ability in being able to stop Nathair. Cere was initially discouraged but almost instantly decided to turn this into a learning opportunity for Opteima. Cere plans to teach Opteima what it means to be a Cleric, and the power that faith can bestow on a Goddess and her Cleric. Cere checks in with Opteima in the Womb of the Grave while she sleeps. After much work to prove to Opteima that through faith powerful things can be achieved, Opteima has become Cere's first Cleric of the Blooming Domain.
 * Trix'alleb
 * Maxedine's wife in another life. Cere finds Trix'alleb to be the heroine of a romantic tragedy. She admires Trix'alleb and hopes she can soon repair her domain. Trix gave Cere the immunity to the medallions that Nathair possesses, and Cere is very grateful for this ace up her sleeve against Nathair.
 * Opteima
 * She is Cere's temporary source of divine magic while Eldath is shunted out of Aigora. Opteima has expressed a lack of faith in Cere's ability in being able to stop Nathair. Cere was initially discouraged but almost instantly decided to turn this into a learning opportunity for Opteima. Cere plans to teach Opteima what it means to be a Cleric, and the power that faith can bestow on a Goddess and her Cleric. Cere checks in with Opteima in the Womb of the Grave while she sleeps. After much work to prove to Opteima that through faith powerful things can be achieved, Opteima has become Cere's first Cleric of the Blooming Domain.
 * Trix'alleb
 * Maxedine's wife in another life. Cere finds Trix'alleb to be the heroine of a romantic tragedy. She admires Trix'alleb and hopes she can soon repair her domain. Trix gave Cere the immunity to the medallions that Nathair possesses, and Cere is very grateful for this ace up her sleeve against Nathair.

People of Sang-Lothor

 * Danimus
 * When Cere first met Danimus he was under the influence of a Mind Flayer. Since getting to know him she knows he's been having a very rough time over the past several years. After watching him succumb to the Blannis Curse and losing his leg in battle after doing close to nothing, she pities him and has decided to ban people from tagging along on Weastern Pirate Adventures outside of the Main Ensemble. For their own safety.
 * Desmond
 * A terrible father and person altogether. Desmond is a man blinded by arrogance and a hunger for power. He has killed many in the pursuit of power to surpass Nathair, making him unredeemable in Cere's opinion. Were it not for Razgaal, the WP all agree that Desmond would have died long ago when they secured the hourglass.
 * Khallis
 * One of the newer members to the group. Cere is hesitant but tolerant of Khallis's deceptive and condescending nature our of respect for Khemmis. She doesn't take much of what he says at face value. She often bumps into him because she assumes him not to be where he claims to be, as he uses "Mislead" often. It was revealed that his Patron has been Nathair for many years now without his knowledge, and Cere is silently weighing the severity of that and what her next moves should be next in reference to Khallis.
 * Razgaal
 * A naive girl looking out for her deranged father. Cere knows Razgaal's intentions are pure, but her faith is severely misplaced in her father. Cere looks past this though because Savina is in love with Razgaal, and if Razgaal makes Savina happy, then what more can be said? Cere is a sucker for love stories, and officiated their wedding herself.
 * Razgaal
 * A naive girl looking out for her deranged father. Cere knows Razgaal's intentions are pure, but her faith is severely misplaced in her father. Cere looks past this though because Savina is in love with Razgaal, and if Razgaal makes Savina happy, then what more can be said? Cere is a sucker for love stories, and officiated their wedding herself.

Civilians of Weastworld

 * Anaise

Commonwealth of Port Tormenta

 * Grandma Venus:

 

Trivia

 * Cere's shampoo at the Weastkeep is eucalyptus scented.
 * Cere has a bounty on her head for 30,000gp for being the Slayer of Crondusa.
 * She was titled Slayer of Crondusa by the party to boost the morale of Weast World, but did not actually land the killing blow on the Queen of Teeth.
 * Cere has crafted 2 gifts for Savina in the past. A shirt made out of a potato sack on a dare, and an owl chia pet. Both were ugly and accepted by Savina.
 * Cere was originally meant to be from Faerûn. But Erica realized she used Cere in a one shot in another player's world, so adjusted her backstory accordingly.
 * Cere is very intolerant of cold weather having grown up in a desert. She often shuts down in the snow to preserve heat.
 * After finding some scrolls of Find Familiar, Cere now has a Spider familiar she has named Cleome after Cleome Spider Flowers, Cleo for short. As a result, Cere and her possessions are lightly covered in cobwebs.

Personal Quests

 * Find the Waterfall from her vision.
 * Cast Hallow on the ship to protect against fire after Desmond's attack. (ACHIEVED)
 * Spread the word of Eldath in order to bring her influence back to Aigora.
 * Abolish slavery in the Sang-Lothor Imperium.
 * Find the Butterfly Globe left for her by Eldath with Aroo Goola.
 * Visit home with her newfound friends.

Quotes

 * "Your mother is dead. And that is okay." (In an attempt to comfort a fresh orphan who's mother perished in the fireball incident at Port Tormenta)
 * "Oh grand and most impressive Crondusa. Queen of Teeth. Please allow us the honor of displaying our most beautiful entertainment magics before you." (An attempt to give the Weastern Pirates the advantage of setting up their attack on Crondusa, which was successful)
 * "Dead men can share a lot of tales despite popular belief." (In reference to the Speak With Dead spell)
 * "I pray he finds guidance. To be able to fight for those who are chained in the most productive way. I know he wants to do good and right by those who cannot defend themselves. He forges the path himself, but there are many rocks on this dirt road and they cut at his feet. I know that the cutting and bruising and edges is all he knows as proof of him moving forward. But with guidance the rocks can get sifted. The dirt, become fertile. And the path become plush with flora." (A prayer to Eldath for Khemmis)
 * "Describe them and their auras" (When asking for details on a possible spotting of Black Roses Assassins in Weastworld)
 * "Uh fear not. We will take this head off your hands and this will be taken under further investigation by the loose law enforcement department...aka us." (When finding Red Herring's head with Tohnkh in the garden of a Weastworld Civilian Anaise)
 * "Your current state is unnatural. Your very existence is proof Nathair has given you no choice. Not even the choice to die. You jumped into the maw for your wife. Ready to die by her side. And he forced your hand, turning you into this abomination. Your flesh should have nourished the sea life. Your bones eroded by the waves till they were but calcium in the salt water. And yet you stand before us a menace. You serve no purpose but to avatar against his father's champion. An echo of a legacy he can't claim. I pity your soul most. For it has been caught in the crossfire of a feud because it was convenient to manipulate." (When reasoning with the undead Maxedine while he was under Nathair's manipulation)
 * "You will share your words whether we spare you or not." (When attempting to interrogate Danimus Blannis)
 * "I'd rather not." (When asked by Jebbedo to cast Sending to the late Boss Baby)
 * "This whole SHIP is a CELL!" (In response to Milo bragging that he broke out from the Weast's Brigg after being imprisoned there on account of multiple thefts and crimes against the Weastern Pirates)
 * "She, the plunge of a waterfall, and the stillness of it's pool. In Eldath's name I plead out to you. Lend your prayer as aid." (A plea to the many people she has met on her journey to give support to Eldath after Nathair cast her out of Aigora. Sent via several Sending spells)
 * "I'll put in a bad word for you with Opteima" (To Kalkstein just before Savina stabs him in the chest)
 * "And may we continue to protect this love as we have till now, fore what purpose have we if not to protect those feelings which deserve it? By the Power vested in me by Eldath and Opteima, it is my honor and delight to declare you married." (While officiating Savina and Razgaal's wedding Ceremony)
 * "Put your faith in a Goddess who deserves it." (To Young Fang as she gives him the Eldath leaf flyer)
 * "Oh. There you are. Do better next time." (To the Abbot after Cere spots him through his natural 20 for a total of 29 stealth)
 * "You think you know everything, but I don't need to be omniscient to know your end is near. See you soon." (To Nathair as her divine intervention succeeds, causing Eldath to pull him from Jebbedo's possessed body.)
 * "The Verdict. Damnation." (To the Abbot, Uisce, when Cere judged his soul in the Womb of the Grave.)
 * "You remind me of Snow Glories. They can cover fields of grass. And when the winter has killed everything off, the snow glories are often the first to bloom. The first signs of spring, poking out of the natural desolation. Proof of the cycle of life never ending." (Cere to Opteima after she becomes Cere's first Cleric of the Blooming Domain.)

Ability Score Stats

 * Strength           12
 * Dexterity           14
 * Constitution     16 (with Medallion for +1)
 * Intelligence       11
 * Wisdom              22
 * Charisma           8

Feats

 * Telepathic at level 8
 * Resilient at level 12

Equipment

 * Holy Symbol - A glass spherical terrarium that holds an impossibly small waterfall and other foliage. An heirloom of her mother's Cere happened upon in the Greenhouse.
 * Breastplate of Wisdom - Breastplate that gives +1 to Wisdom. Given to her by Khemmis
 * Magic Mirror - Those that look through this mirror see not themselves, but the visage of a person they once loved who has passed away. Sound passes through the portal, allowing a conversation between the deceased and the viewer. If the viewer has not lost anyone they hold dear, the mirror appears empty. Given to her by Jebbedo.
 * Holy Cross of Blannis - a Cross that can be used as a Bludgeon and has a variety of magic abilities when introduced to the blood of a Blannis. Found in a chest in the Blannis tomb beneath the Magdreal.
 * Broom of Flying - A broom with gold detailing. When mounted can be used to fly and run other simple tasks using the magic words "Please" and "Home". Made for her by Jebbedo.
 * Mists of Eiton - +1 shield that allows you to switch places with a person within 30ft of you when expending a 3rd level spell slot. Traded for Hound with Jebbedo.
 * Magical Tattoo - Cere received a +1 to Wisdom through a tattoo she received in Port Tormenta. It's located on her shoulder and depicts a cactus with a night blooming cereus flower growing out of a skull.
 * Tear of Opteima - The essence of the Goddess Opteima, absorbed by Cere, granted her with the wisdom needed to perform Opteima's responsibility as the overseer of the Womb of the Grave in her absence. +2 to wisdom, and an aligntment change from Chaotic Good to Lawful Neutral.

Divine Intervention Successes
 
 * Session 67: The Exorcism of Nathair from Jebbedo.