Tallulah, Queen of the Woods

Many ages ago, in a time when even Landow did not dream of existing, a Goddess was born. Her name was Gaia, the mother earth and personification of the planet. From her body, the tides and continents were formed, and from her breath, the heavens were born.

After their birth, a race emerged, created by the Creator in his image and likeness. A race similar to the primates, but more intelligent and shrewd, but such shrewdness would become ambition, and from ambition... the desire for power is born. As the ages passed, humanity would become more and more ambitious, the soil from which they originated was now used as the foundation for their castles and villages, structures that swallowed the forests and hunted the animals that lived there.

Gaia, disappointed to see what her "children" had become, decided to distance herself from humanity. Not out of hatred or disdain, but out of such profound sadness at witnessing human wickedness and greed that it would wound any loving mother.

But this would not last long. Centuries after her departure, a human, a young child, would catch her attention. A small, fragile girl left in the woods by her parents, probably left to die. For Gaia, this was unacceptable—how could parents leave their daughter to die?!—cried the Mother Goddess with such force that she made the celestial vault tremble. Gaia then used her divine powers to incarnate in a physical, humanoid form, manifesting herself in that woods and welcoming the little child into her arms, giving her the name Tallulah, and vowing to nurture and protect that child as if she were her own blood daughter.

At some point in the past, a group of pilgrims led by Duke Wolfgang Anderfith settled near the Anwyll forest to found a village, the Village of Wolfden.

But among the pilgrims, one stood out for his eloquence and talent for writing; his name was Vincent Lumen. A dreamy young man with a great passion for writing and literature, he dreamed of writing his own book recounting all his stories, fables, and tales.

But who would have guessed that this dream would become such a reality, one night at the duke's camp while the plans for the construction of Wolfden were being made? The young chronicler, who was sitting near the woods, ended up spotting something that caught his attention. A beautiful young woman with fair skin and brown hair in the middle of the forest, gazing at him from afar with bright yellowish eyes.

When Vincent saw the young woman, he thought she was the daughter of one of the pilgrims who had gotten lost in the forest. So, he decided to approach to see if he could recognize her. At first, the young woman cowered behind a sturdy tree, but then, out of curiosity or naiveté, she decided to respond to the chronicler's approach.

Ao encontrar de seus olhos, a primeira interação foi feita sob o véu do olhar da lua e das estrelas. Tallulah contou-lhe sobre sua história ao cronista, pelo qual, Vicent anotou cada palavra com precisão e a empolgação de um escritor. Algo simples, mas que já germinou as raízes de algo muito maior. Depois daquela noite, todas as noites enquanto os peregrinos dormiam, Vicent saia do acampamento para se encontrar com Tallulah na fronteira do bosque. Noite após noite se tornando mais próximos, enquanto um contava sobre suas histórias fantásticas que coletou durante a peregrinação, a outra contava sobre sua vida naquela floresta tão exuberante e verdejante. De algo que começou como um simples encontrou, tornou-se uma amizade firme, mas talvez... fosse algo à mais.

But all was not well. The Duke, noticing his chronicler's constant disappearances during the night, decided to investigate him personally in case he was hiding something.

And on that fateful night, the Duke pretended to be asleep, waiting for Vincent to get up. As soon as the young chronicler rose and made his way to the woods, the Duke secretly followed him. And after walking and walking, he spotted them near a huge tree. The Duke saw his chronicler kissing a young woman with fair skin and brown hair. How could he, the Duke wondered, how could his chronicler have hidden an intruder in his territory, in his woods, his future fiefdom? This would not go unpunished, the Duke thought as he planned his retaliation.

The following night, the Duke gathered his best and most loyal men and marched with bows and swords in search of the "intruder." His dogs tracked Tallulah's scent and guided the true invaders to her. And as soon as she was seen, without any pity, the men raised their bows and the tips of their arrows, and began to fire at an unarmed young woman.

Tallulah ran into the forest, knowing that woods like the back of her hand; she shot quickly, faster than any normal person. But the men and the Duke did not stop, even as the forest itself tried to stop them, they advanced and continued their hunt. Firing arrows that almost hit Tallulah or grazed her.

But then, several arrows struck her in the back, fatally wounding her. She collapsed onto her own legs, weak from bleeding and exhaustion, falling beside an ancient tree where Gaia had found her years before. The Duke, thinking he had surrounded his small prey, was about to execute her with his saber, but then... the world trembled, the Fury of Mother Earth, Gaia, erupted upon those men. Cursed to endless hunger and never again able to enjoy the blessings of the earth.

Gaia, devastated by the death of her beloved daughter, would not let her go in such a cruel way. So, using her divine powers, she granted her little protégé some of her ambrosia blood, granting her immortality and making her a demigoddess of the forest.

Her wounds healed instantly, her injured legs took on the shape of goat legs and hooves, spiraled ram horns grew on the sides of her head, and her eyes became like those of a goat.

When Tallulah awoke, she felt... well, invigorated and better than ever. As soon as her mother told her what had happened, Tallulah embraced her with such gratitude that it made that day the most radiant in centuries, due to the immense happiness Gaia felt from that embrace.

After the embrace, Tallulah sought out her beloved to give him the good news. But when she found him... he was no longer the same. The small encampment had become a village, and her beloved, visibly older, was at home... playing with his children while his wife watched from the veranda.

A golden tear rolled down Tallulah's cheek, but soon after, a small smile formed. She was a mix of emotions, sad to lose her beloved, and happy to see him happy with his family. Then, she turned and returned to the forest. She wanted to see both Vincent and his descendants well, so she decided to secretly help them, using her newfound powers to bring fertile and fruitful harvests to that village, helping those who get lost in its woods return home, and protecting them from wild evils. Always protecting those of good heart and bringing justice to those of evil character.

And during those 5 centuries, she helped Wolfden and Vincent's descendants like an invisible guardian, never seen or remembered, yet a welcoming and kind guardian, at the same time, the Queen of Anwyll and Princess of Nature.

Vincent Lumen fulfilled his dream of becoming a chronicler by writing and sharing numerous works that spread throughout Landow. From chronicles and fables to true and fictional stories, Vincent became one of the most renowned writers of his time and is still remembered today.

But without a doubt, his most acclaimed work is his book, — The Queen of the Forest — a story inspired by everything he experienced with Tallulah, narrating a fantastic tale of a dreamy young man who fell in love with the beautiful forest nymph, a story of romance and tragedy inspired by his own history with Tallulah.

Vincent lived a long and happy life alongside his wife and children, but he never forgot his first love (Tallulah) and lived blaming himself for her death. Sadly, Vincent died at the age of 87 without knowing the truth: that his beloved, his forest nymph, had secretly always been there, helping and protecting the family and the village without ever revealing herself. A myth, a fable, and a tale for the world, but a love so real and palpable for Vincent. A love that, even without knowing it, never died, only... ascended and still protects him, his descendants, and the village.

Tallulah, in her mortal life, was a young woman of calm beauty and gentle countenance, with long brown hair like oak bark, skin as fair as snow falling from the sky, and eyes as yellow as the morning sun. A young woman who lived in the forests, and even without status or riches, she was happy alongside nature and her foster mother, Gaia.

But after her ascension to demigoddess, Tallulah gained new characteristics. Her legs became like those of a goat, and her feet became hooves of the same; spiraled ram's horns grew on the sides of her head; her eyes, now similar to those of a goat or feline, glowed in the dark with a yellowish hue like the glow of fireflies. She now wore: a long oak-brown skirt that reached her ankles, a red sash around her waist, an elegant white garment under a brown coat matching the skirt, several animal necklaces around her neck that fell to her chest, and a veil similar to a hood thrown behind her head.

Her personality has remained unchanged even after 5 centuries, continuing to be the gentle and sweet young woman of the past, but more mature now. She is kind and welcoming like a mother, calm and solemn in her patience and dedication to helping those in need without asking for anything in return, for her heart is as gentle and welcoming as when Gaia embraced her. But despite all this gentleness, Tallulah is no longer naive or defenseless; all those who threaten the forest or those of good heart must first pass before the Queen of the Anwyll Forest and Guardian of the Village of Wolfden. And before the princess of nature and daughter of Gaia, there is no support that can buy the lady of all the land; all those who do evil will be duly punished, neither lightly nor excessively, exactly proportional to their wickedness and transgression against Nature or the Village.

As a semi-goddess princess of nature and daughter of Gaia, Tallulah has complete dominion over the natural elements and wildlife.

Elemental Manipulation — able to control fire, earth, wind, and water in their three states: solid, liquid, or gaseous. She is a master of natural refinement.

Metamorphosis — she can transform into any animal or living being found in nature, being able to use its attributes completely.

Natural Connection — possessing a strong connection with nature and Mother Earth, she has a greater affinity for wild natural environments.

Universal Communication — Tallulah can communicate with any animal or living being fluently and flawlessly, being able to understand and comprehend them at the same time that they understand and respect her.