Name

Arum.

Name meaning / choice

She chose a name that resonated with a toxic plant. The appeal is deceptive danger: a plant can look ordinary yet hurt when mishandled. The choice also suggests she has inherent or forgotten knowledge of poison despite her amnesia; why she knows such things is not established.

Aliases / titles

No established formal alias or title. “Wild witch” and “nature witch” are concept labels, not in-world titles. In The Pack alternate continuity she is later treated as the first/ancestral “dragon witch.”

Species/lineage

Human. Mechanically Variant Human. Sorcerous origin is Draconic Bloodline, intended Green/Poison; this is player/DM knowledge, not character knowledge.

Age

18 at the intended start.

Pronouns

she/her.

Background

Hermit.

Occupation

Not established. She has lived as a self-sufficient forest survivor rather than holding a social occupation.

Alignment

True Neutral at start.

World

Portable / not fixed. The broader project uses Forgotten Realms / 2014 5e material, but no specific portable-Arum location is established.

Current circumstances

Ready as a level-1 character for insertion into a campaign. She has lived alone in deep woods since childhood and is only now beginning to encounter human/humanoid society.

Arum is an unassuming 18-year-old human forest survivor whose posture, gaze, and reactions feel almost animalistic despite her clearly human reasoning and self-awareness. She survived alone from childhood through practical wilderness competence plus instinctive sorcery that amplified what she already did to survive. She is not “wrong” or aware that she is unusual; she simply assumes her way of surviving is normal and initially regards ordinary humans as surprisingly soft, careless, and dependent.

The central play arc is not discovering morality or becoming “civilized.” It is learning that survival can be shared. At first she protects others because they seem incapable of protecting themselves, without expecting anyone to protect her. The intended turning point is being deliberately protected by the group and slowly learning to rely on others rather than treating survival as exclusively individual.

Established/current traits

• Cautious, wary, curious, tenacious.
• Assesses before acting; unnecessary escalation is contrary to survival.
• Speaks little and watches first.
• Holds eye contact steadily, with a wolf-like evaluating stare.
• More comfortable with animals and wilderness signals than with human social conventions.
• Reads posture, breathing, movement, and spacing before rhetoric.
• Does not expect to be protected.
• Will protect companions, initially with the practical instinct of protecting vulnerable cubs rather than from an abstract heroic ideal.
• Does not naturally conceptualize “ideals” as moral abstractions.
• Nature is “true” to her: direct consequences, survival, and ecological reality make sense in a way society does not.
• She is fully conscious, rational, and capable of reflection; her animal-like presentation is learned body language and survival calibration, not reduced intelligence.

Values / bond

• The forest raised her.
• Survival matters.
• Nature is the system she trusts because it is direct and legible to her.

Flaws / friction

• Socially stunted.
• Overly cautious in unfamiliar environments.
• Slow to trust.
• Holds tension longer than necessary.
• Human society often seems foolishly unsafe to her.
• She may withdraw, watch, or remain guarded when others expect easy social participation.

Humour / emotional expression

• A private, small smile when she notices something interesting, such as a pattern in bark.
• When more relaxed, perhaps a single soft half-chuckle.
• She has not had the habit/opportunity to burst into deep loud laughter; loudness attracts attention.
• She may reproduce animal vocal patterns she learned in the wild. In threat, she can use a sharp chatter-like warning sound that may resemble laughter to human ears but is not amusement.

Social influence flavor

• No house rule was ultimately established.
• Persuasion/Deception aimed at Arum should be described, when fitting, through careful body language, calm movement, controlled breathing, and non-threatening spacing rather than merely “slick words.”
• She can still reason, disagree, and be convinced normally.

Established speech style

• Sparse.
• Literal.
• Direct.
• Common is retained for game playability even though her isolated history gives little obvious reason for fluent use; earlier discussion framed it as language she knows but uses minimally / may feel as though she is relearning socially.
• She does not cultivate mystery or speak in riddles.

Proposed example lines from discussion (examples only; not spoken in established story)

• “Human.” — possible answer to “What are you?”
• “It has always been there.” / “When I needed it, it answered.” — possible answers about magic.
• “I have not met one.” — possible response if told she has dragon blood.
• “I do not ask it for power.” — possible distinction from a druid.
• “I am speaking clearly.” — possible response when pressed socially.
• “I do not remember before the trees.” — proposed description of her amnesia.
• “I lived here.” / “I did not die.” — proposed terse first-contact style.

Not established as a spoken motto

“What survives is true.” This was proposed as a way outsiders might summarize her worldview, but the user explicitly preferred that Arum does not comprehend/organize herself around an “ideal” concept.

Established text description

• Young human woman, age 18.
• Red hair; original concept specified unkempt hair in a short ponytail.
• Worn/tattered forest clothing, pelts, herbs, leaves/handwoven cloth; later equipment flavor emphasizes handwoven fiber, leather, bone, stone, and earthenware rather than civilized metal/glass where avoidable.
• Carries a decorated natural-branch staff like the portrait: forked/organic, bark and natural shape retained, worn smooth where held, with herbs/forest material tied to it.
• Carries a short blunt shaped stone utility dagger and a long curved sharp bone dagger.
• Her stance is the unsettling feature: too still when observing, but normally low, knees bent, weight forward, ready to move. She moves crouched through underbrush rather than upright like a townsperson.
• Her eyes remain fixed on people in an evaluating, wolf-like way.
• No established dragon scales, visible draconic anatomy, or permanent monstrous features.

Visual-reference observations from the current portrait (image is included separately)

• Young red-haired woman in earth-toned, layered wilderness clothing.
• Strong forest/witch imagery, herbs/natural materials, and a staff.
• Treat the image as appearance reference; exact unseen measurements and mechanics must not be inferred from it.

Not established

exact height, weight, eye color, skin tone beyond what can be visually observed in the art, scars, tattoos, permanent markings.

• Name “Arum”: chosen for resonance with a toxic plant / deceptive danger.
• Staff: natural decorated branch, not a polished wizard’s staff.
• Fire-starting habit: uses flint as second nature. When conditions are damp or difficult, magic can amplify the spark; Fire Bolt is flavored as a flint strike becoming unnaturally forceful flame.
• Sleep: flavored as fungus spores / natural soporific material amplified by sorcery.
• Ray of Frost: flavored through natural particles/shards/dust and magic pulling heat / creating a cold ray.
• Poison Spray: her close-range “bite,” expressed as toxic breath/spray.
• Minor Illusion: “fake druid” aesthetic — static poison plants, denser-looking bushes/undergrowth, a pitfall appearance, or a hidden predator/wolf shape. Purely cosmetic/illusory unless the spell’s actual mechanics say otherwise.
• First-session gag possibility: a static “hidden wolf companion” illusion to let co-players briefly assume she may be a druid. This is a joke/misdirect, not an actual companion.
• Intimidation flavor: when cornered or interrogating, she may use a momentary static illusion/sound to make herself seem unnaturally menacing (sharper eyes, suggested fangs, doubled/animal-like warning sound) while remaining within Minor Illusion’s limits. Any mechanical benefit is DM-dependent and was not established.
• Herbalism materials are primitive/natural in presentation: leather pouches, bone tubes/tools, stone mortar/pestle, clay/wood containers, not glass-lab equipment.
• Notes: leather/bark records with plant/poison observations and unfamiliar religious symbols she somehow recognizes.
• Currency flavor: a small polished green stone/gem of approximately 5 gp value, intended so a merchant might simply point to it and say they will take it for the price. DM approval required to replace the literal background coinage.

Edition

D&D 5e, 2014 / legacy rules.

Source approach

Character was initially reviewed under PHB 2014 constraints; later discussion allowed all 2014-era books, but no accepted level-1 build change resulted from that expansion.

Homebrew/third-party

None established in the portable build.

Cosmetic reflavoring

Extensive; listed separately below.

House rules

None established. A possible Animal Handling/Persuasion interaction was discussed and explicitly reduced to pure roleplay/reflavoring rather than a house rule.

Total level

1.

Class

Sorcerer 1.

Subclass / Sorcerous Origin

Draconic Bloodline — intended Green / Poison.

Multiclass

None.

Starting level

1.

Species/race rules

Variant Human.

Background

Hermit.

Feat

Alert.

Alignment

True Neutral.

Age

18.

Important status: These numbers are the current saved level-1 reference, but the actual campaign may use rolled abilities. The roll method is unknown, so these are not guaranteed final campaign numbers.
- STR 8 (-1)
- DEX 14 (+2)
- CON 16 (+3)
- INT 10 (+0)
- WIS 14 (+2)
- CHA 16 (+3)
Documented planned Variant Human increases: +1 CON, +1 CHA were used in the build discussion to reach 16/16.
If abilities are rolled later, intended priority was discussed as CHA > CON > DEX > WIS > INT > STR, but final assignment is unresolved until rolls are known.

Proficiency bonus

+2.

HP

10.

Recorded HP calculation

6 base + 3 CON + 1 Draconic Resilience.

Hit Dice

Not explicitly established in the conversation/export sources.

AC

15.

Recorded AC calculation

Draconic Resilience 13 + DEX modifier 2.

Initiative

+7 (DEX +2 + Alert +5).

Speed

30 ft.

Other movement modes

Not established.

Passive Perception

Not explicitly recorded in the current Arum source snapshot. (Do not silently calculate for this export.)

Passive Investigation / Insight

Not established.

Exact saving-throw proficiencies and totals were not explicitly recorded in the conversation/export sources. Do not infer them here.

Established proficiency and current recorded bonus

- Survival (WIS)

+4. Source: Variant Human bonus skill.

- Medicine (WIS)

+4. Source: Hermit.

- Religion (INT)

+2. Source: Hermit.

- Insight (WIS)

+4. Source: Sorcerer skill choice.

- Intimidation (CHA)

+5. Source: Sorcerer skill choice.

Expertise

None established.

Desired-but-not-proficient skills discussed

Animal Handling, Nature, Perception. Their conceptual functions are partly covered in play by Survival/Medicine and Insight/Intimidation, but this is roleplay framing, not mechanical substitution.

• Common: explicitly retained for playability; Arum speaks little and is socially under-practiced.
• Additional languages: Not established. Standard race/background rules may require choices, but those choices were never made in this conversation.

Tool proficiency

- Herbalism kit.
Armor training: Not explicitly recorded in the conversation/export sources.
Weapon training: Not explicitly recorded as a rules list; current starting weapons are quarterstaff and two daggers from class equipment choices.

Draconic Bloodline — current recorded level-1 effect

- Draconic Resilience

AC = 13 + DEX while applicable; +1 HP per sorcerer level.

Narrative

This is not perceived by Arum as “dragon powers.” She simply has always been this way.

Variant Human feat — Alert

- +5 initiative.
- Cannot be surprised while conscious.
- Recorded shorthand: unseen/hidden attackers do not gain advantage from being unseen.
Narrative: hyper-alert survival instincts; she notices and reacts before danger closes.

Hermit

• Medicine proficiency.
• Religion proficiency.
• Herbalism kit proficiency.
• Feature: Discovery exists by background choice, but its actual content is unresolved. Unfamiliar religious symbols that she somehow recognizes are established flavor and may be used as the Discovery if desired, but that was not formally locked.

No weapon attack bonuses/damage totals were explicitly established in the Arum conversation. Current weapons

- Quarterstaff — chosen as the simple weapon starting option; mechanically a quarterstaff, cosmetically a natural branch staff.
- Dagger 1 — mechanically dagger; cosmetically short, blunt-shaped stone utility dagger.
- Dagger 2 — mechanically dagger; cosmetically long, curved, sharp bone dagger.
Spell attacks: Spell attack bonus +5 (recorded).

Spellcasting ability

Charisma (implied by recorded Sorcerer spell DC/attack values; explicitly used throughout build discussion).

Spell Save DC

13.

Spell Attack Bonus

+5.

Spell slots

2 x 1st-level.

Cantrips known

4.

1st-level spells known

2.

1. Fire Bolt
Rules effect detail beyond name and spell attack was not fully recorded in source conversation; do not reproduce unverified spell text here.
Narrative casting: flint strike / spark + sorcery becomes a forceful bolt of flame. Fire also supports her winter-survival flavor.

2. Ray of Frost
Rules effect explicitly discussed: slows a target / controls distance.
Other exact spell parameters: Not fully recorded in source material.
Narrative casting: shards/dust/natural particles + magic; heat is stripped and frost forms.

3. Poison Spray
Rules effect explicitly discussed: close range; high early damage was discussed; exact text not preserved here.
Narrative casting: close-range toxic breath/spray, her “bite” when cornered.

4. Minor Illusion
Recorded limitations from discussion:
- Static image OR sound.
- Image constrained to a 5-foot cube.
- Does not move/follow Arum.
- Physical interaction can expose the illusion.
Narrative uses:
- Illusory poison plants/brambles appearing around or between her and a threat.
- Undergrowth/bushes appearing denser to hide or misdirect.
- Illusory pitfall appearance.
- Static hidden wolf/predator at her side as a first-session “fake druid” gag.
- Momentary menacing overlay/sound during intimidation, with any mechanical benefit left to the DM.

1ST-LEVEL SPELLS
1. Shield
Recorded role: reaction defense / instinctive barrier.
Exact action timing/duration/rules text: Not fully transcribed in source material.
Narrative casting: air/magic tightens instinctively against harm.

2. Sleep
Recorded role: act-first crowd control; chosen because Alert lets Arum often open before enemies act.
Recorded discussion: 5d8 HP pool, no save, strong at level 1; exact full rules text not reproduced here.
Narrative casting: she crushes/blows fungus spores or soporific natural material; sorcery amplifies the effect. This is deliberately druid-like on first impression.

Current selected level-1 spells were not recorded as requiring concentration in the conversation. Exact ritual tags/durations were not systematically recorded; treat as Not established in this extraction unless listed above.

• AC 15 via Draconic Resilience.
• Shield is a known reaction-defense spell.
• Alert prevents surprise while conscious and supports acting first.
• No damage resistance or immunity is established at level 1 from Draconic Bloodline.
• Green/Poison affinity is intended lineage/theme; later draconic elemental features were discussed as future subclass progression, not level-1 resistance.

Class starting choices

• Any simple weapon -> quarterstaff.
• Component pouch -> chosen instead of arcane focus.
• Explorer’s pack -> chosen instead of dungeoneer’s pack.
• Two daggers -> retained, cosmetically primitive.

Quarterstaff

• Rules item: quarterstaff.
• Cosmetic presentation: decorated/forked natural branch like the portrait; bark/natural shape retained, smoothed by use, herbs tied to it.

Daggers

• Rules items: two daggers.
• Cosmetic presentation: one short blunt-shaped stone utility dagger; one long curved sharp bone dagger.
• Important: these remain dagger mechanics; material is cosmetic unless a DM rules otherwise.

Component pouch

• Rules item: component pouch.
• Cosmetic contents: dried fungus/spores, ash, bone fragments, crushed herbs, natural materials that visually support her spellcasting.

Explorer’s pack — recorded contents

• Bedroll.
• Mess kit, cosmetically clay/earthenware bowl and wooden spoon rather than metal.
• Tinderbox / flint and steel, wrapped in leather; fire-lighting is habitual and nonmagical first, with magic sometimes amplifying difficult sparks as flavor.
• 10 torches.
• 10 days rations.
• Waterskin, cosmetically leather.
• 50 ft hemp rope.

Hermit equipment / narrative presentation

• Herbalism kit: stone mortar/pestle, bone tools/tubes, leather pouches, clay/wood containers; no glass aesthetic.
• Scroll case / notes: cosmetically leather-wrapped bark/leather sheets with poison notes, plant sketches, and unfamiliar religious symbols she somehow recognizes.
• Winter blanket.
• Common clothes: cosmetically tattered/handwoven forest clothing, pelts, herbs, leaves/leather layers as shown in portrait.
• 5 gp: proposed cosmetic substitution with DM approval -> one small polished green stone/gem worth about 5 gp. This substitution is not a guaranteed rules entitlement.

None established.

Rations / torches from explorer’s pack. Specific herbs, poisons, antitoxins, crafted remedies, or poison doses are not mechanically established as inventory.

Default Hermit starting 5 gp was discussed. Preferred flavor is a polished green stone/gem of equivalent approximate value, subject to DM approval.

Established identity

• Survival through awareness, tempo, distance, and decisive response rather than soaking damage.
• Alert supports acting first.
• Against groups of low-HP enemies: open with Sleep when appropriate.
• At range: Fire Bolt for reach; Ray of Frost to slow/control approach.
• When cornered: Poison Spray as the close “bite.”
• When an attack would hit: Shield as reactive defense.
• Minor Illusion is primarily utility/misdirection/intimidation flavor, not a source of unlisted combat mechanics.
• She assesses before escalating; combat decisiveness begins after threat is established.

• Final rolled ability scores may replace current array.
• Additional language choices not established.
• Hermit Discovery not established.
• Exact saving-throw totals not recorded.
• Exact weapon attack totals not recorded.
• Exact full spell rules, durations, components, and ranges were not systematically transcribed from source material.

ESTABLISHED = current locked snapshot.
PLANNED = explicitly intended future development.
ALTERNATE = discussed but not accepted current route.
UNRESOLVED = intentionally left for actual campaign play.

Total level: 1.
Class: Sorcerer 1.
Subclass: Draconic Bloodline — Green/Poison intended.
Race rules: Variant Human.
Background: Hermit.
Feat: Alert.
Skills: Survival, Medicine, Religion, Insight, Intimidation.
Tool: Herbalism kit.
Spells:
- Cantrips: Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Poison Spray, Minor Illusion.
- 1st-level: Shield, Sleep.
Current/default stats: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 16; these may be replaced if the actual campaign rolls stats.
Narrative state: Individual-survival worldview; curious about other humans/humanoids, wary of society, does not expect protection, protects others as vulnerable pack/cubs.

Class expected if continuing straight build

Sorcerer 2 was discussed as the natural next level, but no actual level-2 choice is locked.

Feature noted in discussion

Font of Magic / sorcery points become available.

Spell choice

Not established.

Narrative

No locked change. Earlier discussion suggested this could represent conscious shaping of power, but this was assistant framing, not an accepted character decision.

Class expected if continuing straight build: Sorcerer 3.
Feature noted: Metamagic choices become important.
No Metamagic options are locked. Subtle, Twinned, Quickened, Careful were discussed in general; none accepted.
2nd-level spell choice: Not established.
Narrative: No locked level-specific development.

ASI/feat: Not established.
Earlier generic suggestions included CHA increase and several feats, but none were accepted for current progression.

Spell choices: Not established.
Earlier generic suggestions included various control/defense spells; none are locked.

No portable-Arum level-by-level plan is established.
Draconic subclass later features were discussed only generally. The current intent is to review choices when/if she is actually played rather than pre-solve progression.

1. Starts with individual survival as the only reliable model.
2. Joins/observes a group through curiosity and practical cooperation.
3. Protects companions because they appear surprisingly bad at self-protection.
4. Pivotal intended moment: companions protect Arum, forcing her to reconsider the assumption that protection only flows from the more capable to the less capable.
5. Gradual movement toward shared survival / mutual reliance.

• Tough feat: earlier candidate for raw HP durability; superseded by Alert for current build because tenacity/awareness better represents childhood survival.
• War Caster: serious alternate feat discussed for concentration resilience; not selected.
• Skilled / Observant / Resilient (CON): discussed candidates; not selected.
• Shadow Magic Sorcerer: considered after opening all 2014-era books; rejected for Arum because it felt too non-human/dark and lost the nature-witch / unknowingly draconic tone. It remains a concept for a different character, not an Arum alternate.
• Wild Magic: rejected for Arum’s controlled/cautious survival personality.
• Earlier spell candidates included Absorb Elements, Thunderwave, Witch Bolt. Current locked spells are Shield + Sleep; those others are not current.

Edition

D&D 5e, 2014 / legacy rules.

Source approach

Character was initially reviewed under PHB 2014 constraints; later discussion allowed all 2014-era books, but no accepted level-1 build change resulted from that expansion.

Homebrew/third-party

None established in the portable build.

Cosmetic reflavoring

Extensive; listed separately below.

House rules

None established. A possible Animal Handling/Persuasion interaction was discussed and explicitly reduced to pure roleplay/reflavoring rather than a house rule.

Total level

1.

Class

Sorcerer 1.

Subclass / Sorcerous Origin

Draconic Bloodline — intended Green / Poison.

Multiclass

None.

Starting level

1.

Species/race rules

Variant Human.

Background

Hermit.

Feat

Alert.

Alignment

True Neutral.

Age

18.

Important status: These numbers are the current saved level-1 reference, but the actual campaign may use rolled abilities. The roll method is unknown, so these are not guaranteed final campaign numbers.
- STR 8 (-1)
- DEX 14 (+2)
- CON 16 (+3)
- INT 10 (+0)
- WIS 14 (+2)
- CHA 16 (+3)
Documented planned Variant Human increases: +1 CON, +1 CHA were used in the build discussion to reach 16/16.
If abilities are rolled later, intended priority was discussed as CHA > CON > DEX > WIS > INT > STR, but final assignment is unresolved until rolls are known.

Proficiency bonus

+2.

HP

10.

Recorded HP calculation

6 base + 3 CON + 1 Draconic Resilience.

Hit Dice

Not explicitly established in the conversation/export sources.

AC

15.

Recorded AC calculation

Draconic Resilience 13 + DEX modifier 2.

Initiative

+7 (DEX +2 + Alert +5).

Speed

30 ft.

Other movement modes

Not established.

Passive Perception

Not explicitly recorded in the current Arum source snapshot. (Do not silently calculate for this export.)

Passive Investigation / Insight

Not established.

Exact saving-throw proficiencies and totals were not explicitly recorded in the conversation/export sources. Do not infer them here.

Established proficiency and current recorded bonus

- Survival (WIS)

+4. Source: Variant Human bonus skill.

- Medicine (WIS)

+4. Source: Hermit.

- Religion (INT)

+2. Source: Hermit.

- Insight (WIS)

+4. Source: Sorcerer skill choice.

- Intimidation (CHA)

+5. Source: Sorcerer skill choice.

Expertise

None established.

Desired-but-not-proficient skills discussed

Animal Handling, Nature, Perception. Their conceptual functions are partly covered in play by Survival/Medicine and Insight/Intimidation, but this is roleplay framing, not mechanical substitution.

• Common: explicitly retained for playability; Arum speaks little and is socially under-practiced.
• Additional languages: Not established. Standard race/background rules may require choices, but those choices were never made in this conversation.

Tool proficiency

- Herbalism kit.
Armor training: Not explicitly recorded in the conversation/export sources.
Weapon training: Not explicitly recorded as a rules list; current starting weapons are quarterstaff and two daggers from class equipment choices.

Draconic Bloodline — current recorded level-1 effect

- Draconic Resilience

AC = 13 + DEX while applicable; +1 HP per sorcerer level.

Narrative

This is not perceived by Arum as “dragon powers.” She simply has always been this way.

Variant Human feat — Alert

- +5 initiative.
- Cannot be surprised while conscious.
- Recorded shorthand: unseen/hidden attackers do not gain advantage from being unseen.
Narrative: hyper-alert survival instincts; she notices and reacts before danger closes.

Hermit

• Medicine proficiency.
• Religion proficiency.
• Herbalism kit proficiency.
• Feature: Discovery exists by background choice, but its actual content is unresolved. Unfamiliar religious symbols that she somehow recognizes are established flavor and may be used as the Discovery if desired, but that was not formally locked.

No weapon attack bonuses/damage totals were explicitly established in the Arum conversation. Current weapons

- Quarterstaff — chosen as the simple weapon starting option; mechanically a quarterstaff, cosmetically a natural branch staff.
- Dagger 1 — mechanically dagger; cosmetically short, blunt-shaped stone utility dagger.
- Dagger 2 — mechanically dagger; cosmetically long, curved, sharp bone dagger.
Spell attacks: Spell attack bonus +5 (recorded).

Spellcasting ability

Charisma (implied by recorded Sorcerer spell DC/attack values; explicitly used throughout build discussion).

Spell Save DC

13.

Spell Attack Bonus

+5.

Spell slots

2 x 1st-level.

Cantrips known

4.

1st-level spells known

2.

1. Fire Bolt
Rules effect detail beyond name and spell attack was not fully recorded in source conversation; do not reproduce unverified spell text here.
Narrative casting: flint strike / spark + sorcery becomes a forceful bolt of flame. Fire also supports her winter-survival flavor.

2. Ray of Frost
Rules effect explicitly discussed: slows a target / controls distance.
Other exact spell parameters: Not fully recorded in source material.
Narrative casting: shards/dust/natural particles + magic; heat is stripped and frost forms.

3. Poison Spray
Rules effect explicitly discussed: close range; high early damage was discussed; exact text not preserved here.
Narrative casting: close-range toxic breath/spray, her “bite” when cornered.

4. Minor Illusion
Recorded limitations from discussion:
- Static image OR sound.
- Image constrained to a 5-foot cube.
- Does not move/follow Arum.
- Physical interaction can expose the illusion.
Narrative uses:
- Illusory poison plants/brambles appearing around or between her and a threat.
- Undergrowth/bushes appearing denser to hide or misdirect.
- Illusory pitfall appearance.
- Static hidden wolf/predator at her side as a first-session “fake druid” gag.
- Momentary menacing overlay/sound during intimidation, with any mechanical benefit left to the DM.

1ST-LEVEL SPELLS
1. Shield
Recorded role: reaction defense / instinctive barrier.
Exact action timing/duration/rules text: Not fully transcribed in source material.
Narrative casting: air/magic tightens instinctively against harm.

2. Sleep
Recorded role: act-first crowd control; chosen because Alert lets Arum often open before enemies act.
Recorded discussion: 5d8 HP pool, no save, strong at level 1; exact full rules text not reproduced here.
Narrative casting: she crushes/blows fungus spores or soporific natural material; sorcery amplifies the effect. This is deliberately druid-like on first impression.

Current selected level-1 spells were not recorded as requiring concentration in the conversation. Exact ritual tags/durations were not systematically recorded; treat as Not established in this extraction unless listed above.

• AC 15 via Draconic Resilience.
• Shield is a known reaction-defense spell.
• Alert prevents surprise while conscious and supports acting first.
• No damage resistance or immunity is established at level 1 from Draconic Bloodline.
• Green/Poison affinity is intended lineage/theme; later draconic elemental features were discussed as future subclass progression, not level-1 resistance.

Class starting choices

• Any simple weapon -> quarterstaff.
• Component pouch -> chosen instead of arcane focus.
• Explorer’s pack -> chosen instead of dungeoneer’s pack.
• Two daggers -> retained, cosmetically primitive.

Quarterstaff

• Rules item: quarterstaff.
• Cosmetic presentation: decorated/forked natural branch like the portrait; bark/natural shape retained, smoothed by use, herbs tied to it.

Daggers

• Rules items: two daggers.
• Cosmetic presentation: one short blunt-shaped stone utility dagger; one long curved sharp bone dagger.
• Important: these remain dagger mechanics; material is cosmetic unless a DM rules otherwise.

Component pouch

• Rules item: component pouch.
• Cosmetic contents: dried fungus/spores, ash, bone fragments, crushed herbs, natural materials that visually support her spellcasting.

Explorer’s pack — recorded contents

• Bedroll.
• Mess kit, cosmetically clay/earthenware bowl and wooden spoon rather than metal.
• Tinderbox / flint and steel, wrapped in leather; fire-lighting is habitual and nonmagical first, with magic sometimes amplifying difficult sparks as flavor.
• 10 torches.
• 10 days rations.
• Waterskin, cosmetically leather.
• 50 ft hemp rope.

Hermit equipment / narrative presentation

• Herbalism kit: stone mortar/pestle, bone tools/tubes, leather pouches, clay/wood containers; no glass aesthetic.
• Scroll case / notes: cosmetically leather-wrapped bark/leather sheets with poison notes, plant sketches, and unfamiliar religious symbols she somehow recognizes.
• Winter blanket.
• Common clothes: cosmetically tattered/handwoven forest clothing, pelts, herbs, leaves/leather layers as shown in portrait.
• 5 gp: proposed cosmetic substitution with DM approval -> one small polished green stone/gem worth about 5 gp. This substitution is not a guaranteed rules entitlement.

None established.

Rations / torches from explorer’s pack. Specific herbs, poisons, antitoxins, crafted remedies, or poison doses are not mechanically established as inventory.

Default Hermit starting 5 gp was discussed. Preferred flavor is a polished green stone/gem of equivalent approximate value, subject to DM approval.

Established identity

• Survival through awareness, tempo, distance, and decisive response rather than soaking damage.
• Alert supports acting first.
• Against groups of low-HP enemies: open with Sleep when appropriate.
• At range: Fire Bolt for reach; Ray of Frost to slow/control approach.
• When cornered: Poison Spray as the close “bite.”
• When an attack would hit: Shield as reactive defense.
• Minor Illusion is primarily utility/misdirection/intimidation flavor, not a source of unlisted combat mechanics.
• She assesses before escalating; combat decisiveness begins after threat is established.

• Final rolled ability scores may replace current array.
• Additional language choices not established.
• Hermit Discovery not established.
• Exact saving-throw totals not recorded.
• Exact weapon attack totals not recorded.
• Exact full spell rules, durations, components, and ranges were not systematically transcribed from source material.

• Arum has no useful memory of her life before finding herself alone in the woods as a child. The exact age was discussed around roughly 7–8 but not finally fixed as a precise number; “since childhood” is the established wording.
• Her survival required a fortunate initial environment: shelter/cave, water, and relatively manageable predator pressure were discussed as plausible conditions, but the exact site is deliberately not fixed.
• She grew into a self-sufficient forest survivor and later lived in a small/log-cabin-type shelter in concept discussion. The exact cabin is not required for campaign placement and is not locked as a universal detail.
• She taught herself or instinctively developed practical Survival and Medicine competence, plus knowledge of herbs/poison.
• Her sorcery was present as part of how she survived. It is not experienced as a formal magical tradition.
• Player/DM layer: the intended source is Draconic Bloodline, Green/Poison.
• Character layer: she does not know that the power is draconic, does not know why it exists, and does not think of herself as unusually magical in comparison with other people before meeting them.
• At age 18, curiosity about other humans/humanoids is enough to draw her toward contact. Exact first-contact circumstances remain open for campaign insertion.

Portable/current Arum

• No named family, patron, faction, or companion is established.
• Her primary pre-campaign relationship is to the woods/natural world itself.
• Intended party dynamic: initially sees companions as strangely vulnerable and helps protect them without expecting reciprocal protection. Intended pivotal development is accepting protection and eventually shared survival.

The Pack alternate continuity (separate continuity; see STORY_CONNECTIONS.txt)

• Kastraer Deepmantle — Pack member, planner/negotiator/moral center.
• Fang / Erevan — Pack ranger/hunter. Arum and Fang eventually have an explicitly non-romantic, pragmatic/instinctive sexual relationship in the Pack story. They have children Wolf and later Azalea.
• Durgan — Pack member, support/morale/craftsmanship.
• Runt — Pack member, strength/protection/camp provider.
• Wolf — child of Arum and Fang; raised by the Pack; later hunter/scout.
• Azalea — later child of Arum and Fang in the Pack continuity; fire/red-draconic sorcerer, contrasting Arum’s caution with open joy.

Established intended character arc

1. Individual survival

she assumes everyone is responsible for protecting themselves.

2. Protective curiosity

she travels with others and protects them because they appear poor at self-preservation.

3. Disruption of worldview

another party member deliberately spends risk/resources to protect her.

4. Shared survival

she learns that relying on others is not weakness and that a group can distribute vigilance and burden.

Physical/emotional expression can mirror growth

• Early: crouched/ready posture, does not expect cover, minimal speech, private smiles, almost no open laughter.
• Later possibility: visible relaxation, more willingness to sit/stand openly, accept protection, and eventually laugh more freely. The exact timing is not established.

Unresolved / open for campaign

• Exact cause and circumstances of childhood amnesia.
• Exact source/history of the draconic bloodline beyond the intended Green/Poison mechanics.
• Exact place she first meets civilization / party.
• Additional languages.
• Hermit Discovery.
• Any romance/family future outside the separate Pack continuity.

Status

Current character concept intended for future play.

World/story

Not assigned to a campaign yet.

Role

Level-1 human sorcerer / wilderness survivor.

Relationships

None named before play.

Important

The portable Arum’s future is deliberately open. Do not import The Pack’s relationships, children, later levels, or dragon-origin revelations into a new campaign unless intentionally chosen.

Several first-contact ideas were discussed as DM fuel

- Arum breaks the treeline and encounters a field/farmhouse as her first close contact with settled humans.
- She watches from a distance for hours, curious but wary.
- A child is injured/poisoned by something the villagers do not understand; Arum approaches because Medicine/poison knowledge lets her help.
- The poison could signal something unnatural changing in the forest and could be related to why she has encountered civilization now.
Status: Proposed only. User explicitly wanted a portable character any DM can place anywhere.

Status

Separate continuity explicitly preserved in project files as “The Pack” fun story.

Role

Arum is one of five founding members of the Pack alongside Kastraer, Fang, Durgan, and Runt.

Initial story setup

They meet in Greybridge while investigating caravan disappearances and a larger effort to isolate mining settlements.

Arum’s Pack role

magical control, terrain awareness, strange knowledge; she studies people, animals, and magic.

Relationships in The Pack

• Fang (birth name Erevan, unshared): wood-elf ranger/bounty hunter. Their attraction is explicitly framed as non-romantic and biological/pragmatic. They eventually have children in this continuity.
• Wolf: child of Arum and Fang; raised by the Pack. Arum teaches forest survival, plants/toxins, patience, observation.
• Azalea: later daughter of Arum and Fang; half-elf red/fire Draconic Sorcerer. Her loud joy/laughter deliberately contrasts with Arum’s restrained emotional expression.
• Kastraer: Pack planner/negotiator/moral center.
• Durgan: Pack support/morale/craftsmanship.
• Runt: Pack strength/protection/camp provider.

Appearance/build differences in The Pack

• The Pack storyline later gives Arum newly formed green draconic wings when she returns after Wolf’s birth. That implies at least the later Draconic Sorcerer wing feature in that continuity; it is NOT part of level-1 portable Arum.
• The Pack continuity proceeds across years/decades and develops descendants known as dragon witches.
• Later story material offers a specific ancient-dragon explanation for the bloodline. This is a story-continuity reveal/plan, not portable Arum’s established origin.

Useful Pack continuity summary

The group forms around a caravan-disruption investigation, becomes a stable hunting unit, and adopts “the Pack” as its identity. Arum and Fang’s practical relationship results in Wolf and later Azalea. The Pack eventually becomes legendary, then scattered, while Arum’s descendants carry draconic sorcery through a lineage of “dragon witches,” often accompanied/protected by hunter-like relatives or companions.

The portable character is designed around not knowing why she has magic and around a future turning point of learning mutual protection. The Pack files already resolve many future relationships and bloodline developments. Treat them as an alternate/fun-story future, not default canon for a real campaign.

1. characters/arum/images/arum_primary_portrait.png
Original accessible file: a_fantasy_style_digital_illustration_features_a_yo.png
Resolution: 1024 x 1536 PNG.
Character: Arum.
Story/continuity: Portable/current character concept; also broadly compatible as visual reference for The Pack Arum, but not generated specifically for later Pack scenes.
Role: Portrait / full-body-ish character concept art.
Status: Current primary visual reference.
Recommended use: Primary portrait / hero image / gallery source reference.
Relevant established prompt/context: Young human woman with bright red hair in a short messy ponytail, loose strands, light freckles, worn forest robes/forest clothing, leather belts/pouches/herbs, practical boots, earth-stained hem, misty forest, subtle green/amber magic, self-sufficient nature-bound sorcerer. Generated result includes a forest witch/sorcerer with staff and woodland/natural motifs.
Current-character alignment: Strong. Later text specifically says staff and clothes should follow the picture. Some generated visual details (e.g., exact accessories, creatures, cauldron) were not separately established as inventory and should not be treated as mechanical possessions.
Discrepancies/uncertainty: Exact eye color, height, body measurements, and every depicted prop are not established by text. Do not infer mechanics from art.

2. stories/the-pack/images/fang_ranger_concept_uncertain.png
Original accessible file: a_digital_painting_in_a_dark_fantasy_style_feature.png
Resolution: 1024 x 1536 PNG.
Character: Original “evil ranger” concept; plausibly connected to Fang, who later appears in The Pack files, but the conversation did not explicitly state that this exact image became Fang’s definitive portrait.
Story/continuity: Potential The Pack visual connection; uncertain.
Role: Portrait / ranger + spider companion concept.
Status: Uncertain / concept reference.
Recommended use: Gallery / source reference, not primary canon portrait unless confirmed.
Original generation context: Pale male elf ranger with long greasy black hair, dark leather, longbow, large black spider companion, dim webbed forest, calculating/predatory tone.
Discrepancies/uncertainty: Pack Fang’s written character file gives pale-olive wood elf, oily black hair, longbow, Lolth/spider reverence, but this export does not assert the generated image is definitively Fang.

• No other Arum images are accessible in this conversation.
• Generated PDF character sheets contained the Arum image but were explicitly superseded/ignored by user request and are not exported as images or documents.

Export date

2026-09-29.

Scope

Arum as the main subject of this conversation, plus relevant separate The Pack continuity because Arum appears there and those source files are accessible.

• Arum name locked; chosen for poisonous/deceptive plant resonance.
• Age 18.
• Variant Human.
• Sorcerer 1, Draconic Bloodline, intended Green/Poison.
• Arum does not know the draconic source and does not think of herself as different.
• Hermit background.
• True Neutral starting alignment.
• Alert feat.
• Skills locked: Survival, Medicine, Religion, Insight, Intimidation.
• Cantrips locked: Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, Poison Spray, Minor Illusion.
• 1st-level spells locked: Shield, Sleep.
• Equipment direction locked: natural branch quarterstaff, two cosmetically primitive daggers, component pouch, Explorer’s pack, herbalism kit, bark/leather notes, wilderness clothing/pelts.
• Preferred 5 gp flavor: equivalent polished green stone/gem, subject to DM approval.
• Personality refinement: cautious/wary/curious/tenacious; assesses rather than escalates; low animal-like posture and wolf-like stare; human reasoning remains fully intact.
• Core development: individual survival -> protecting group without expecting protection -> being protected -> learning mutual/shared survival.
• Magic presentation: amplifies natural materials and survival techniques, initially reading as druidic; deeper inspection reveals arcane sorcery and eventually possible draconic/poison lineage clues.
• Minor Illusion is primarily used for environmental/nature-looking effects and a short “fake druid” misdirect, with momentary unsettling intimidation flavor as a secondary use.

• Tough feat was replaced by Alert.
• Outlander/Folk Hero were replaced by Hermit.
• Earlier desired skill set (Survival, Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception) was replaced by the current legal/selected set above.
• Earlier Shield + Absorb Elements / other spell variants were replaced by Shield + Sleep.
• “Tanky/enduring” language was corrected: Arum is tenacious, alert, and hard to catch/overwhelm rather than a character who simply absorbs punishment.
• “Quick to escalate” was corrected: escalation is contrary to survival; Arum observes, evaluates, avoids, then bites if necessary.
• Social mechanics house-rule idea was dropped in favor of pure descriptive reflavoring.
• Character-sheet PDFs were explicitly abandoned and excluded.

No previous export package is available in this conversation. This file does not claim knowledge of the user’s local D&D Character Pholio website contents.