#OC Miiren

[everythingdnddd]

Miiren

Ex Lloth-Sworn Drow || Circle of the Land Druid

Background:

Llothmiira was raised in one of Menzoberranzan's smallest, most insignificant houses. Her mother was ambitious, not caring about public attention or status, but entirely focused on gaining unseen influence, circumventing the social warring of the houses, and holding power over them without drawing their ire. She was talented at this, using Miiren as a pawn at times in her larger schemes and hoping to hand them down as a heritage to be built on. Loving in her own way, she demanded excellence in all areas.

As an adolescent, Miiren was singled out from her peers. She was taller than the others, and broader (Type 3), but also faster and had a natural affinity for moving through shadows that, alongside her mother's skills, earned her the favor of the Yor'thae, Lloth’s chosen. As she grew, she became her agent of sorts, an extension of her blade, both in force and in shadow.

The Chosen was never trusting though, true to patron and culture, and eventually centered her suspicion on Miiren's closest companion, a male, who had been beside her since birth. Tav, always in her shadow, was not treated as less despite his nature or unspoken status as her second, and this raised curiosity that Miiren's natural inclinations might not align as closely with Lloth's as they seemed. Amused by the idea of testing her, the Yor'thae set a trap designed to force a choice, betraying loyalty, and when the moment came, Miiren chose Tav, and in doing so, killed him outright according to the Yor'thae's design.

Many outcomes were accounted for, but Miiren's disillusionment with Lloth ran deeper than realized, and enraged by his death, she abandoned everything and fled Menzoberranzan in a fury of grief, leaving even her mother behind.

In the absence of Lloth's protection, revoked by the Chosen, the Underdark turned on her. Landscapes she had walked with ease turned deadly in an instant and she was forced above ground, taking weeks to find an exit unguarded by her kind or Lloth's. By the time she finally escaped, she had only her life, and even that, only by a thread.

Luckily for her, Miiren came up one fateful night in the southernmost region of the High Forest, not far from a small grove of druids, and was happened across by one out on a moonlight walk. She was nearly killed on sight out of fear and principle, but her helpless state saved her instead and half wary and half pitying, the man brought her back to his leaders, passing her off on them. Even more fortunately, one of the grove's Archdruids had a history with surface drow and advocated for her, taking her under his protection against his counterparts.

With his support, she was allowed to stay.

Over time, that refuge slowly became more. It became home and that protector became mentor and friend - even parent in the cast of a certain light. Miiren found the druidic beliefs fascinating, almost a complete reversal of Lloth’s teachings, and she eventually became one of them, dropping the first half of her name formally. She spent more than half a century with them, absorbing every bit of knowledge she could find - a ravenous academic to make up for time spent in opposite environs - and eventually earned a place as her savior's second, falling into a similar role as she had under the Yor'thae, but in a much more peaceful capacity. From early on in her time rest in the grove, the rest of Miiren's life seemed set. These people became her people and their life became her life.

Things would have stayed that way, except for a nasty encounter in a nearby community which was brutalized by a spider who came topside in the night. Miiren was part of a group sent to bring home the survivors, but the scene stuck in her mind. The tension between her two lives took on an identity of its own in the months that followed. It began to bother her that she was seen as an exception and irritate her that the druidic gods turned such a willful eye to the Underdark. Her memories of the caverns below were chaotic at best and burdened by the cult of Lloth, but also nostalgic and uniquely stunning. She became adamant that darkness does not equate to evil. (Ffs, can we get past that theme in fantasy already?) Any evil there belonged to Lloth, whose influence went unchallenged, suffocating the natural order and providing the only real shelter for people as a collective.

Still holding to the rest of her Druidic beliefs, Miiren eventually decided to leave, channeling the principles of this new life into the landscapes of the old.

With her mentor's blessing, she returned and spent nearly two centuries cataloging everything she could about the flora and fauna of the dark, hiding in its shadows to keep free of Lloth and her followers. There were no illusions about her ability to overthrow Lloth's cult, but she focused instead on nurturing small ecosystems, considering that her life’s purpose, a task she willingly sacrificed everything to.

At the start of the game, she's been alone at this for almost two centuries, aside from the odd, random encounter. As she passes through the caverns near Reithwin, word reaches her that Lloth's influence is gathering above ground, aided by Shar, and she comes above ground again to investigate, but never gets to, thanks to the Nautiloid.

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In-Game:

Miiren is a tried and true druid, but an unorthodox one at best. She has some rusty skills in stealth and subterfuge. Terrible at all charisma- related tasks though. Two centuries alone will do that to ya.

It takes her a while to get comfortable in the group, but the early members defer to her because of age and she eventually gives up on convincing them otherwise. Of them, she finds Astarion’s opinions a bit too similar to Lloth’s for comfort and is clueless about a lot of society (a theme with my characters, because I know no DnD lore lmao), but is naturally caring enough to support everyone's autonomy and try her best to bond with them. Lae’zel and Karlach each remind her of her younger self in different ways. She leans on Halsin a lot through Act 2 and they end up being weird counterbalances. She’s a little grittier and more cynical, but also more of a genuine optimist than he is. Opposite ways of coming to the same place. All that. They become a lifelong thing, but not in a way that will ever settle down and do the cliche thing. She still has her purpose and he has his. They just find ways to stay near each other and create crossover. 

I have a bunch of OCs and post-game thoughts, but this is long enough, so I'll just say she has some solo journeys to make afterward xD

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On Her Appearance:

The most important thing for me with Miiren's appearance was that it be able to swing a variety ways, differing by circumstance. She's been very different people at different times and I wanted her facial structure to reflect that - easily intimidating, but also soft. In my head, her skin tone is a little darker, but no more saturated.

The tattoos came from her time in the grove, normative to their culture, but since leaving, she takes very little care of her appearance. She stays clean, but beyond that, her hair gets lopped off when it starts getting in the way and that's about it. Midway through the game (entering Grymforge), she starts tying it up again in a modified version of the way she wore it under Lloth (see below).

And eyes - I know the idea that drow dissenting from Lloth lose their red is a controversial decision Larian made, so I go back and forth on that, but considering her direct connection to the Yor'thae, I think there’s a case for it either way. Undecided. They may stay red.

(Oh yeah... and her name may continue to evolve - I think I've settled on her chosen name, but the one given at birth may still adjust slightly.)

Below is pre-leaving Lloth (top) and current (below).

[everythingdnddd]

My formerly Lloth-Sworn Druid is 100% prepared to dedicated her life to this giant Sussur tree in the Underdark. Just sayin'.

Tadpoles be damned.