Bramble-Maiden

Bramble-Maiden is an ancient Sylvaneth, a branchwraith handmaiden to Alarielle. ^[1]

Appearance

She is beautiful in her own way, but definitely not human with her form partially hidden beneath layers of creepers and cobwebs. Her face is a twist of bramble and bark whose features shift constantly, for a moment resembling an attractive woman’s and the next moment something much more frightening. Her hair is bramble vines, heavy with berries and spiky leaves with gnarled claws of splintered wood. Although her voice sounds like the murmur of fresh water over smooth stones, soft but persistent, her laughter sounds like thorns clattering over bone. ^[1]

History

She is well known to the Order of the Furrow who regard her with wary but deep respect as the right hand of the Goddess of Life and like all branchwraiths - Alarielle’s word given physical form, sent to do her will in the world of men. Members of the order are taught to respect her, but not to trust her, likening her to a storm or the flood. ^[1]

Seek no favours of the tree-kin, but sink deep the roots of every bargain ~The Order of the Furrow. [1]

A story is told by the same order that a young knight wasted away for want of voice and touch having once met her so she took him away and entombed him to sleep eternally. She says there is little truth in the rumour but that the knight does indeed rest hidden at another’s command. ^[1]

To Sir Roggen, she states that: I have as many names as there are leaves on the trees before she dispatches him on a quest to retrieve an axe that is tainting the Writhing Weald^[1]

Quotes

Take care with your words, Roggen of the Ghyrwood March. A spirit crueller than I might take that as a binding oath, rather than a simple boast ~Bramble-Maiden to Sir Roggen.[1]

Sources

• 1: The Tainted Axe (short story) by Josh Reynolds