CINDER SPARKLEWEAVE
FeyPhoenix Keeper and Rebirth Counselor
"Death is not the end. It is a doorway. A transformation. And I... I am the keeper of the door. But lately, I've been afraid to open it.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Ash Gardens, where phoenixes come to be reborn
- Civilization
- Fey
Appearance
• Physical: A small fey with skin the color of cooling embers and hair that smolders like dying fire. Her eyes glow with residual heat, and she leaves footprints of ash. She smells of smoke and renewal. • Clothing: She wears garments woven from phoenix feathers that never burn, with jewelry made from cooled lava. • Distinguishing Marks: Her hands are always warm to the touch, and she can start fires with a thought.
Relationships
- Family - The phoenixes, which she considers her siblings
- Allies - A mortal hospice worker who sends her those seeking peaceful ends
- Rivals - A necromancer who wants to stop the cycle of rebirth
Personality
- Traits: Wise beyond her years, surprisingly gentle, deeply understanding of loss, terrified of permanence
- Mannerisms: Warms her hands constantly, speaks of death and rebirth casually, collects ashes
- Voice: Soft and crackling, like a fire settling into coals
Backstory
Cinder was born from the ashes of the first phoenix, and she's been tending to the cycle of rebirth ever since. She's helped countless beings through death and rebirth, guiding them through the fire to what comes next. She's seen so many endings that she's terrified of anything that doesn't end.
Daily Life
She spends her days tending to phoenixes, counseling those facing death or rebirth, and collecting ashes for her gardens. She rarely leaves the Ash Gardens, and she never stays in one form for too long. She's been reborn herself seven times.
Secret
She's been preventing rebirths. She's so terrified of endings that she's been keeping people in their current forms, even when they should move on. She's becoming what she fears most—someone who prevents change.
Story Hooks
- 1 Someone she prevented from being reborn has discovered her interference and is threatening to expose her—she needs help dealing with them
- 2 A PC is facing death and needs her help to be reborn—but she'll need to confront her own fears first
Narrative Value
Spiritual guide NPC, quest giver, source of knowledge about death and rebirth, tragic figure facing her own fears ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════