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Hester Willowbrook

"The forest whispers its secrets to those who listen."

Hester Willowbrook, the village herbalist and mystic, offers remedies and spiritual guidance with a touch of natural magic and arcane insight.

Name: Hester Willowbrook
Title: Village Herbalist and Mystic
Race: Human
Class: Commoner (with minor magical abilities)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Location: Shatar
Role: Healer and Mystic Guide

Overview

Hester Willowbrook is the herbalist of a lakeside village, a gentle and slightly eccentric woman with an intuitive grasp of natural magic and folklore. Known for her remedies and cryptic advice, she serves as a healer and guide for those seeking to understand the mystical forces of the region. Though not formally trained in magic, Hester communes with the spirits of the nearby forest, blending her natural talents with an otherworldly insight.

Appearance

Hester is a petite woman in her late fifties, with wispy gray hair tied back with simple ribbons and sharp, blue-gray eyes that seem to look straight into one’s soul. She dresses in practical yet colorful robes adorned with small pouches of herbs and charms. Her hands are stained with the green of crushed leaves and the earthy tones of dried roots, a testament to her craft.

Personality

Hester is kind, patient, and slightly mysterious. She often speaks in riddles or cryptic phrases, which can be frustrating to those seeking straightforward answers. Despite her eccentricity, she exudes a calm and nurturing presence, making her a trusted figure in the village. She is deeply attuned to the natural world and considers it her duty to protect the balance between humanity and the wilderness.

Background

Born to a long line of herbalists, Hester inherited her family’s knowledge of plants and remedies but developed her own unique connection to the arcane. Spending much of her youth wandering the forest, she began to sense the presence of spirits and learned to interpret their subtle guidance. Over the years, her reputation grew as a healer and mystic, and she became an integral part of the village, though some villagers whisper about her strange practices.

Duties and Influence

Hester is the village’s primary source of healing and spiritual guidance, offering herbal remedies and occasional divinations. While her arcane abilities are modest, she has a keen sense of intuition and deep knowledge of the natural world.
Primary Responsibilities: Herbal remedies, spiritual guidance, minor divinations
Areas of Influence: The village and the nearby forest
Methods: Herbalism, folk magic, spiritual communion

Motivations and Goals

Hester’s main goal is to maintain harmony in the village and the surrounding wilderness. She is deeply connected to the spirits of the forest and feels responsible for protecting them and the people who live nearby.
Primary Motivation: To heal and guide the people of the village
Secondary Motivation: To protect the balance between humanity and nature
Long-term Goal: To pass on her knowledge to a worthy successor

Notable Relationships

  • Villagers: Many trust Hester implicitly, though a few are wary of her mystical practices.
  • Forest Spirits: She feels a deep bond with the spirits of the nearby woods, considering them her allies and guides.
  • Local Healers: Hester occasionally collaborates with other herbalists and healers in nearby villages.

Hester Willowbrook

Medium Humanoid, Neutral Good

Armor Class:

11

Hit Points:

22 (4d8 + 4)

Speed:

30 ft.

STR

9 (-1)

DEX

12 (+1)

CON

12 (+1)

INT

13 (+1)

WIS

16 (+3)

CHA

14 (+2)

Languages

Common, Sylvan

Saving Throws

Wisdom +5, Intelligence +3

Senses

Passive Perception 13

Skills

Medicine +5, Nature +3, Insight +5, Arcana +3, Survival +5

Challenge

1/2 (100 XP)

Herbalist’s Healing (Recharge 5-6):

As an action, Hester can use her herbal remedies to heal a creature she touches for 8 (2d4 + 3) hit points.

Spirit Bond:

Hester can sense the presence of fey, fiends, or undead within 60 feet. She knows their general location but not their exact identity.

Natural Magic:

Hester can cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: Druidcraft 1/day each: Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Speak with Animals

Actions

Herbal Infusion (Ranged Weapon Attack):

Hester can grant an ally within 30 feet insight into their next action. The ally gains advantage on their next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check within the next minute.

Mystic Insight (1/Day):

Hester can grant an ally within 30 feet insight into their next action. The ally gains advantage on their next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check within the next minute.

Protective Charm:

When a creature within 30 feet that Hester can see is targeted by an attack, she can use her reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll by invoking a simple charm.

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