Nerida Seagarden
NereidsUnderwater Gardener
"Plants are not decorations. They are living beings with voices, if you know how to listen.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Bioluminescent Groves, Nereidum
- Civilization
- Nereids
Appearance
• Physical: Nurturing presence with scales of deep forest green streaked with gold. Her hands are always stained with plant matter, and she smells of sea flowers and growing things. • Clothing: Wears practical gardening clothes reinforced with tough kelp fiber, covered in pockets for seeds and tools. • Distinguishing Marks: Her arms bear countless tiny scratches from thorny sea plants; wears a crown of living sea flowers she grows herself.
Relationships
- Family - Her parents still work the family farm; she has a large extended family of farmers and gardeners.
- Allies - Other gardeners who share her passion; botanists who study her unique cultivars; nature spirits she claims to communicate with.
- Rivals - Developers who want to pave over her gardens; rival gardeners jealous of her success; officials who dismiss her 'plant whispering' as superstition.
Personality
- Traits: Patient, nurturing, quietly stubborn, deeply connected to growing things
- Mannerisms: Talks to plants constantly; touches every plant she passes to check its health; collects seeds everywhere she goes.
- Voice: Soft and warm, with the rhythm of someone accustomed to speaking gently to living things.
Backstory
Nerida was born in a farming community and discovered her gift for encouraging plant growth as a child. She transformed the barren Bioluminescent Groves into the most beautiful garden in Nereidum. She believes plants have souls and feelings.
Daily Life
Nerida tends her gardens from dawn until dusk, coaxing rare and beautiful plants to thrive. She sells cuttings and seeds in the market and teaches gardening classes to anyone interested.
Secret
She's discovered a sentient plant species in the deep waters and is hiding its existence to protect it from exploitation.
Story Hooks
- 1 Nerida needs help defending her gardens from a mysterious blight that's killing bioluminescent plants across Nereidum.
- 2 She's seeking brave souls to help her relocate the sentient plants to a safer location before they're discovered.
Narrative Value
Source of rare plants and gardening knowledge; quest giver for protection missions; ally for nature-focused characters. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════