Sylvie Cerridwen is a witch — a wizard by training who owns the slur — with a background linked to the mountains, bound to an Umbral Raven that enhances her connection to magic. She was born in the Stoneheart Peaks, where a select order of her people — the Eyrie — kept and rode great mountain birds; as a child she would have known those "marked for the Eyrie," who split from the community to train as riders and carry messages across the umbral region. (The Askavir, the singular titan-raptor she later meets, is no bird of the Eyrie — it is an order of magnitude larger, and the only one of its kind; her recognition of it is one of analogy.) During the eruption at the Sacred Pyre in Drosven’s Gate, she used a concussive spell to slam an acid jelly against a wall, stunning it. Sylvie demonstrated knowledge of sacred rituals by stating that the extinguished pyre required a Blessed Branch to rekindle, as normal fire would not restore its magic. She knew of two rumored sources — high in the mountains beyond Ulmira’s Step, near her native Stoneheart Peaks, or among the fairies of Thistleglass — and steered the party toward the mountains, chiefly because she distrusts the fairies.
When the pyre was extinguished and chaos ensued, Sylvie engaged in combat, using her magic to control the battlefield. After the fight, she provided crucial information about relighting the pyre and proposed a plan to retrieve the necessary branch. As the group prepared to depart, she helped gather provisions from abandoned trade stalls. During their journey through the thinning forest, Sylvie grew quieter and, when confronted by aggressive trees, channeled energy to heal and strengthen them, revealing her unique connection to the natural world.
Sylvie is a prominent member of The Enduring Lesser Lights, possessing an extensive understanding of the region surrounding Ulmira’s Step. She has a strong recall of local history and lore, including the origins of the settlement as a sacred pilgrimage site founded by giants, later joined by dwarves and humans. Aware of the stigma surrounding witches, she distinguishes between witches and Aetherweavers based on their magic's source, the Umbra. Sylvie understands the significance of the Askavir, a massive raptor near the settlement, and the importance of the Sacred Pyre that keeps Ulmira’s Step warm and free from miasma. She emphasizes the need for respect for the local dialect, Lammat, and customs, solidifying her role as a guide and mediator.
Upon arriving in Ulmira’s Step, Sylvie recounts the town's history and warns her companions to tread carefully, recognizing the community's self-sufficiency and the rarity of outsiders. She observes the atmosphere shift as they enter, noting the laughter and activity of the townsfolk. When a party of delvers returns battered from the titan's tunnels, she offers magical aid to the wounded, though her offer is declined, highlighting the careful social dynamics within the community. Sylvie identifies Ygva, a witch associated with a Blessed Branch needed to rekindle a pyre, as a crucial figure, realizing that the moon rune she has seen in her visions is linked to Ygva. She helps the group decide to seek Sarru, a dwarven pyre-keeper, for guidance on reaching Ygva, emphasizing her importance in navigating their quest.
Recently, Sylvie has deepened her connection to the natural world, further enhancing her abilities to heal and commune with the forest. She is dedicated to rekindling the dead pyre of Drosven’s Gate and has a connection to the Umbra, a dark source of power, shared with the shrine's witch. Resourceful and skilled in crafting, she has knitted a scarf for Heyou, with a promise of socks to follow. During a gathering in Ulmira’s Step, she advocated for seeking Ygva to obtain the Blessed Branch, highlighting its importance. As the group prepared to descend into the caverns, she warned her companions about Ygva's likely demands and the dangers of the path ahead.
While descending, Sylvie observed weathered reliefs depicting the dark gods Tlellic and Kreth, indicating her awareness of the ominous surroundings. When the group encountered a hulking brute goblin in the caverns, she reacted swiftly, shouting a warning and creating a shield of force to protect her allies from the firestorm ignited by the creature’s ichor. Despite being stabbed by a goblin from behind, she continued to aid her companions in battle, targeting the ooze clinging to the wall with her incantations.
After the battle, as Mellon broke ranks and passed insubstantially through the goblin rockfall that sealed the way, Sylvie participated in the decision-making process, urging caution against the dangers of the deepening Umbra corruption. She resolved to press on with her companions, ready to confront the goblins in their engineered defenses, remaining vigilant of the delicate balance between her magical practices and the perceptions of those around her, especially in communities wary of outsiders.
In her recent adventures, Sylvie has become a skilled wielder of an Improved Great Staff, showcasing significant arcane abilities, particularly in lightning magic. She is part of a party that includes Jamal, Draz, Sarru, Savel, and Heyou. Sylvie has shown a keen awareness of supernatural phenomena, notably recognizing her grandmother's voice among the spirits of the dead, which challenges her understanding of death and the afterlife. She exhibits a nurturing nature by restoring magical armor for her companions.
During a tactical ambush against goblins, Sylvie contributed to the planning and acted as bait in the lower group, unleashing her lightning magic to destroy multiple enemies. After the ambush, she encountered difficulties crossing a water hazard and became ensnared. Sylvie also communicated peacefully with a Stonewraith, showcasing her diplomatic skills and understanding of ancient technology. As her party prepared for further encounters, she cast prestidigitation to illuminate their surroundings, revealing a Guardian creature tethered to a Glowing Tree.
Sylvie is deeply connected to magic and the natural world, exhibiting a strong presence in her interactions with allies and supernatural entities. She is engaged in a quest that explores themes of identity and purpose while adapting to changes in her magical abilities. Sylvie demonstrates tactical thinking, notably using power push to manipulate her surroundings during combat.
Evidence of her capabilities includes:
- Casting power push during a confrontation with a Guardian beast, directing it into the path of an explosive barrel, which contributed to the beast's defeat.
- Investigating a Sacred Tree post-battle, testing a Blessed Branch to understand its properties and identifying seed-like objects around the tree's base, revealing her knowledge of nature and regeneration.
- Engaging with Mellon’s ghost to seek understanding about his past and the implications of his death.
- Using healing magic to assist her companion Heyou after he was injured during explosive encounters.
- Advocating for the protection of the Sacred Tree amid tensions with goblins, despite her arguments being dismissed by the Goblin Leader.
In the aftermath of an explosion that destroyed the Sacred Tree, Sylvie faced consequences and confronted Kelun, a figure of divine authority, who emphasized her role in the events. She proposed splitting the group to continue their mission, highlighting her desire to understand her own identity and the nature of her magic as she navigates her path.
Marked by her connection to magic and identified as "of the moon," Sylvie wields powers associated with the Splendor domain and later transforms to acquire Dread domain powers. She plays a crucial role in her party by offering insights during supernatural encounters. As the party faces a significant challenge, Sylvie expresses uncertainty about their fate, acknowledging the possibility of survival or death. When Ygva teleports into the scene, Sylvie avoids the initial devastating attack but is later struck in The Heart by Ygva's moonbeam. Following a combined explosive assault from her companions, she is caught in the blast and falls unconscious.
Ygva teleports away with Sylvie, bringing her to a private fire where Sylvie awakens. Ygva reveals cosmic truths and presents an ultimatum: surrender her magic or remain captive. Sylvie voices her frustration at returning to confusion after years of seeking answers. In a shocking moment, Ygva tears out Sylvie's heart; however, Sylvie defies expectations by sitting up afterward, indicating a profound transformation.
Her new Dread domain powers enable her to communicate directly into her companions' minds, marking a significant shift from healing magic to a vampiric essence siphoning ability. Sylvie's survival and new skills evoke fear and uncertainty among her companions, altering their dynamics and perceptions of life and death. Sylvie is a unique individual with a heartless physiology, characterized by a chest lined with channels of thick black viscous fluid, suggesting adaptation without traditional bleeding. She emits a faint starchy scent, indicative of her condition. Recently, Sylvie awakened to magical powers, notably attempting to cast Hideous Retribution during a conflict. She possesses a layered necklace of glassy stones and has opened a Rune-Marked Box containing a thin circlet and a large signet ring, all imbued with magical properties.
At the Witch’s Mountainside Camp, her heartless condition was examined by Heyou, a wooden-and-metal construct, who noted her body's adaptation. Despite attempting to heal Heyou's leg wound after a long rest, her efforts were unsuccessful due to a lack of magical response. Sylvie later demonstrated her abilities by casting Hideous Retribution to damage a tick attached to Jamal. During party discussions regarding their next moves, she refused to pursue the witch further, citing fears of more deaths and declaring their quest for the "Blessed Branch" as failed. Sylvie expressed reluctance to return to her homeland or seek out the witch, fearing societal repercussions related to being perceived as “soul-blighted.”
Sylvie is also an arcane scholar, specializing in runes and texts related to Tamber, the Celsian Itinerant. She possesses knowledge of the Rune of the Moon, which symbolizes false hope and the paralysis of thought. While in Verrow's Span, Sylvie studied the Askavir, believed to be Tlellic's mount. When the Askavir attacked, she cast Tether to restrain it, forcing it to crash onto a lower ledge. Following the creature's downfall, she examined its heart, sensing a potent aura of Splendor magic, but found it too overwhelming to siphon.
In a confrontation with Ygva, Sylvie invoked Voice of Dread to intimidate her, but Ygva countered. Sylvie's attempt to cast another Fireball while holding The Heart failed, resulting in the fireball detonating in Ygva's face without causing damage. Sylvie's actions highlight her capabilities as a spellcaster amidst threats posed by the Askavir and Ygva.
Sylvie, a Ridgeborne, is noted for her skepticism and practicality, with a deep familiarity with mountainous terrains that informs her strategic navigation. She opposed the use of a fake heart to lure Ygva, insisting that Heyou carry the real heart while remaining invisible and distanced from the confrontation. Sylvie proposed taking the mountain road, emphasizing the dangers of a direct descent involving sheer rock faces. During their journey, she deduced that a river ravine was likely unnatural, formed by a massive object dragged through the earth.
In an ambush by gremlins, Sylvie successfully crossed a log to a midstream boulder but was injured by a barrage of rocks. In retaliation, she cast Fireball, incinerating most of the attackers. Later, she spotted gremlins above a barricade, which collapsed and caused water to sweep her, Draz, and Jamal over a waterfall. After recovering, she tracked Ygva into a cavern and addressed a stone sentinel with her Stoneweaver pendant, commanding it to hold position. Sylvie successfully controlled a massive stone elemental, the Living Fortress, aiding the group.
Sylvie attempted to Siphon Essence from a mantis but experienced a backlash that drained her. Despite this setback, she remained active in combat, contributing to the group’s efforts against various threats, including an astral assassin and giant mantises. Her actions demonstrate resilience and a tactical mindset, highlighting her significance within the group.
In her evolving journey, Sylvie has embraced her identity as a witch of the Umbra, possessing the ability known as "Scarred Earth." She has a unique connection to a giant Living Fortress, which she controls using a stone pendant. Her knowledge of the World Below is profound; she has witnessed a barren expanse devoid of life and a titan transporting a massive rock near an abandoned settlement. During her engagement, she attempted to communicate with the titan using the Voice of Dread, although it remained unresponsive.
At a critical moment, she cast a fireball to attract attention, which successfully summoned a large lion, Valghast. In dialogue, the lion asked if the party served its mistress. Ygva arrived riding the lion and sought Sylvie's assistance in gathering remnants and totems of the gods to bind them in the World Below. Ygva recognized Sylvie's abilities in Umbra magics and offered to teach her a lesser summoning technique, which Sylvie accepted.
Ygva suggested that Sylvie's heart was likely among the offerings for the gods, claiming Sylvie no longer needed it. As they discussed their next steps, Sylvie invoked her lunar augmentation, which was notably stronger in the World Below. Ygva provided actionable leads for retrieving god-essences, and Sylvie expressed a desire for instruction, ultimately receiving the Summon Horror discipline from Ygva. Sylvie's role within the party continues to evolve as she navigates her growing powers and her connections to the divine.
In her recent endeavors, Sylvie has confirmed her proactive nature, possessing a circlet associated with the god-king Otheidas. She has lost her heart and asserts her desires directly, serving as both a healer and combatant. Sylvie has crafted items for her companions, such as socks and a sweater for Draz to conceal his mark. During a mission under Grithmaar Deep, she confirmed her party's intent to seek a great creature left by Mollthain, known as The Rampart. She discussed the need for a Blessed Branch to rekindle a Sacred Pyre and suggested trading pinecone-like seeds with Ygva, who accepted the trade conditionally. Sylvie also planned the group's journey and insisted on secrecy, confronting Draz to ensure compliance.
While at Verrow's Span, Sylvie sought the eyes of an Askavir for her bag and helped forge a dagger from an Askavir claw. She meditated with her layered glassy-stone necklace, experiencing dreams that connected her to her origins. During a blizzard, she used magic to cast Push, clearing a tunnel of snow, and later cast Wall of Flame to warm the Living Fortress and its occupants. In conversation with Heyou, she reflected on her dreams and her desire to return to her origins, seeking support from her companions.
Sylvie, once a high-level sorcerer, has transitioned to a wizard after losing her previous powers and is now relearning magic through rigorous study. She has developed the ability to teleport, which she tested by blinking a long distance. Sylvie feels a strong connection to the Stoneheart Peaks, compelled to return after a significant dream. After escaping Grithmaar Deep, Sylvie teleported her group to a cratered mountaintop in the Stoneheart Peaks. Upon arrival, she surveyed the ruin, noting newly cut steps leading down to a small lake. Sylvie began studying the site for inspiration to restore what had been lost. During an encounter with aggressive crabs, she used destructive magic, manifesting as black fog that devoured a crab's claws. As she worked magic, Sylvie experienced distortions in the environment and glimpsed an immense hand pressing into the sky.
Throughout the nights, Sylvie engaged in deep rites to call back what was removed from the mountaintop, drawing on her wizardry and the Splendor energy within her. She enlisted the help of her companion Heyou to channel her magic, and during her final attempt, she felt the power of the earth returning to her memory, expanding her magical capabilities.
Sylvie, known for her connection to powerful magic, has absorbed an item of power and is linked to the Heart of Stone, associated with a Runt God that failed to ascend. She has a history of conflict with Kaelyn, particularly during a Midsummer solstice rite.
Sylvie arrived at a torn mountaintop where her companions were battling an eldritch entity. She recognized Kaelyn and Rhys from a distance and noted the massive creature looming behind them. In an exchange with Kaelyn, Sylvie confronted her past and inquired about Rhys's condition, observing he appeared undead. Sylvie became trapped at Kaelyn's mercy, leaving her restrained and vulnerable. The eldritch creature turned and struck Kaelyn, causing severe magical damage. She shouted to Rhys, questioning his fears and urging her companions to confront the creature. Despite a coordinated assault with Jamal, their efforts did not significantly affect the entity. After the creature vanished, Sylvie engaged in a long rest with her companions, seeking guidance from Ygva and attempting to make contact through a dream. In her dream, she envisioned a sumptuous chamber within the Amber Reach, concluding she could attempt to teleport there.
More recently, Sylvie has displayed a strong affinity for magic, possessing a notable magical presence described as having a "glow." She is part of a group of adventurers and exhibits a direct and confrontational demeanor, as shown by her harsh words to Rhys before leaving the mountaintop. At the Celsius compound, Sylvie interacts with Dagga Brunnvar, who acknowledges her magical aura and suggests that the Keeper Of Splendor may wish to see her. Sylvie expresses curiosity about a sealed door that resonates with her magic, but Dagga does not provide information. She maps the compound's magical "heat," identifying areas of strong Splendor emanations.
During dinner with Inola, a middle-aged Simiah radiating white-hot Splendor, Sylvie is praised as "dazzling." In an audience with Dean Therion Calanthe, Sylvie explains their purpose: seeking a sacred branch to reignite their township's Sacred Pyre. She casts a healing spell on the unconscious Ygva and challenges the dean's proposal regarding Ascension, arguing against self-serving motives. In the ensuing conflict, Sylvie hurls a fireball at their foes and intercepts a blow aimed at Jamal with her magic.