Lysara Stormwind is a child of both light and shadow, born to the renowned warrior Fulgur Stormwind and the compassionate healer Eliara Stormwind. Though still young, her life has already been touched by fate in ways few could have predicted. One fateful evening, while wandering too far from the safety of her home, Lysara found herself lost in the thick woods at dusk. Drawn in by the soft hum of fireflies and the rustling of unseen creatures, she unknowingly stumbled into danger, right into the hunting grounds of a swarm of ravenous stirges. The bloodthirsty creatures descended upon her, their sharp proboscises glistening in the fading light, eager to drain her small form. Before the stirges could claim their prey, salvation came from the most unexpected of sources, a band of wandering bugbears. Normally feared by Elves and Humans alike, these creatures did not come as raiders or hunters but as unlikely saviors. With guttural roars and powerful swings of their crude weapons, the bugbears tore through the stirges, swatting them from the air and crushing them beneath their claws. Terrified yet unharmed, Lysara clung to the largest of them, a battle-scarred but surprisingly gentle bugbear. Amused by her bravery, the bugbear scooped her up and carried her on his broad shoulder, guiding her safely back toward civilization. When Fulgur and Eliara found their daughter in the company of such fearsome creatures, their hands went to their weapons, until they saw how the bugbears merely stood, claiming to want peace, and a meeting with their King before fading back into the forest like phantoms of the night. Since that day, Lysara has spoken of the "Shadow Guardians," her name for the bugbears who saved her. She insists that not all monsters are monsters and that even those feared by many can possess great kindness. She refuses to believe that her saviours were just using her in a plot to throw the people of Newhaven off guard, and the experience has already shaped the young Half-Elf in ways her parents can only begin to understand. One thing is certain, Lysara Stormwind will never fear the dark, for she knows that sometimes, the shadows watch over her. |
