Zoe

Zoe
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Leafcrown Dryad.jpg}}|250px]] A nymph dryad
Details
Race	Nymph Dryad
Birthplace	Theros
Lifetime	Mending Era
Colors
Sources

Zoe is a Euphoran dryad - a nymph of Nylea on the plane of Theros, who is granted the will to explore the plane, capable of traveling on purposeful quests.

History

Upon her creation, Zoe deeply felt the sadness of the loss of the legendary hydra Polukranos. Her master Nylea told Zoe she was born from the sadness of a dying legend, and that that would shape her course through Theros. She bid Zoe dance with her sister dryads for a while first, which caused her sadness to melt away.

As a Euphorean, Zoe had a special place in Nylea's forest, and the other dryads looked to her for guidance. She became their caretaker, singing them to sleep and protecting their animals. When the humans intruded, she would scare them away without hurting them, for she believed they deserved no pain just like the creatures of the forest.

One evening, Zoe witnessed a hunter's death, pierced by another human's arrow. This frightened Zoe, and she felt sickened by the thought of a being assaulting another of its kind. When the murderer knelt to retrieve her arrow from the body, two fiery oreads appeared and consumed her instantaneously. Zoe asked the oreads why they had killed, and they told her that blood guilt cannot be forgiven. The mortal had claimed three souls already, and no more blood would be shed. This human wanted currency, and she was willing to kill for it. This is dishonorable and worth punishment.

Like Zoe, these oreads were Euphorean, serving their master Purphoros, and capable of thought and free will. Worried they might cause harm to her forest, Zoe bid the oreads leave, and they respectfully complied. The encounter inspired Zoe, who wished to know more about other types of Euphoreans. Receiving guidance from the Euphorans who had traveled more than her could lead to fulfilling her purpose of protecting the woods more satisfactorily.

Her first journey led her to where the end of the woods and the meadow begins, where she met a Euphorean alseid of Heliod who asked her to not bother her meadow's sheep. The alseid explained that human warriors sometimes massacred her flocks, stole their wool, took their hide, and ate their meat. Sadness flooded within Zoe at the thought. The alseid shooed Zoe playfully away, and Zoe understood that she just wanted to protect her home. It seemed to Zoe that all of nature was harmed by humans.

Once back deep into the woods, Zoe drank from a stream. She wanted to see how far it stretched and fed the trees in her woods, to ensure that her beloved home would have all it would ever need in dry spells or hot times. She also felt there might be a Euphoran of the water itself, who might have insight as well.

Zoe journeyed away from the grove for a couple of days before she happened upon a cliff. Ahead was a lake. She no longer feared the river's depletion, but she wondered what else was inside. It wasn't long before she saw a naiad splashing ahead. This nymph rippled like waves, as though she were carved out of water. The naiad at first waved with a webbed hand, but then dived into the watery hole and didn't return for quite some time.

Zoe sat near the edge of the cliff and watched the figure making circles beneath the surface. It danced underneath the waves, much like Zoe danced beneath the trees. The blue face looked up, smiled playfully, and flew out of the water up to where Zoe sat, where she hovered, her flowing arms outstretched and her starry shadows moving against the blue sky.

The naiad told Zoe of the dangers of the water. Krakens and sharks and eels linger in the dark down below, yet far worse are ships floating on the waves, killing and stealing from the water. Then the naiad dove into her pool and was gone.

Zoe carried with her a feeling of hopelessness before going back into the safety of her trees. She had an empty tunnel that didn't hold love as she felt for the rest of the animals she had met. Humans were the one creature Zoe didn't seem to understand. Perhaps one more Euphoran could answer her. One she heard lived near herself, but one that she'd heard wanted to be left alone.

Zoe risked traveling into the darkest parts of her forest. The areas where shadows seemed to crawl and trees seemed more dead than alive. Eventually, she reached a deep, dark cave. Inside, a voice cried for her to stay away.

Squinting, Zoe could make out a dark lampad, thin and glowing with stars. This face was not playful or loving like other nymphs. She was just as beautiful but sad as Zoe's heart. This face, surrounded by darkness, knew grief as Zoe had experienced on her first day of existence. Quietly, hauntingly, the nymph said that she was waiting for death.

Suddenly, Zoe saw a hunter across the stream, bow pulled on a sleeping wolf. Zoe sang a charming song that caused the man to lower his bow and step into the stream towards Zoe. He fell into the stream and stayed there, drowning. Zoe didn't feel grief for the man, but pride in having saved the wolf's life.

The lampad approached the motionless body, swaying as she howled a somber tune. She encircled the body as her hands drew up what looked like white smoke. Once the mist was wrapped up in the lampad's starry hands, her enchanting dance stopped. Slowly, the lampad and the man both disappeared into the cave.

After a stretch of silence, bird chirping was restored, and Zoe too returned to her path home, her quest complete. A morning later, Zoe was back in her olive grove. Her sisters greeted her with open arms and they danced with the trees while she sang a song of her journey.

Story appearances

Title	Author	Publishing date	Set	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Nymphs of Theros	Jennifer Robles	2013-10-02	Theros	Theros	Zoe, Nylea, Purphoros, Heliod