Nana Tulla is a 102-year-old human Druid who occupies a unique position within the magical ecosystem of the Sapphire Weald. Known for her gruff demeanor and practical approach to life, she is both a nurturer and a protector of the forest’s delicate balance. Her relationship with the Weald is one of deep symbiosis, characterized by a profound understanding of the natural world and the arcane energies that pervade the region. Unlike the treants and other native creatures, Tulla’s connection to the Weald is not inherent but earned through decades of dedication to its preservation and study.

Background

Born in the lowlands beyond the Onyx Peaks, Tulla was drawn to the Sapphire Weald in her youth by the potent magical forces that emanated from its depths. Her early life was spent learning the craft of Druidry from nomadic elders, but it was in the Weald that she honed her abilities, adopting a custodial role similar to that of the treants though distinctly human in method. Where the Weald’s native guardians relied on arcane symbiosis to maintain balance, Tulla employed knowledge, observation, and discipline.

Her relationship with the Weald’s other inhabitants, particularly treants such as Cleverbeard, has been one of mutual respect. Her long presence and protective efforts have earned her the trust of the forest’s most ancient denizens. Over time, she has woven a deep personal magic drawn from the Weald itself, augmenting her natural Druidic abilities.

Personality

Tulla’s personality is defined by sharp wit and a distinctly crotchety temperament. She has little patience for unnecessary conversation or frivolity and prefers action over deliberation. She holds to a practical, no-nonsense view of nature: life is harsh, magic can be unpredictable, and survival is not guaranteed. This sternness extends to her interactions with Hazelnut, the Tiefling child she discovered abandoned at the edge of the Weald. While her outward demeanor appears gruff, Tulla has served as a nurturing figure, teaching Hazelnut the ways of the forest, survival, and Druidry through experience rather than comfort. She cares deeply for Hazelnut, though she expresses this care through actions rather than words.

Her philosophy is firmly rooted in pragmatism and self-sufficiency. She distrusts outsiders, particularly the Tatharians, whom she has seen encroaching on the forest through mining and exploration. She has always warned Hazelnut to steer clear of these expeditions.

Abilities

Tulla’s ability to predict both natural and magical weather stems from a lifetime of paying attention to the signs nature offers. She notices the way the wind shifts, how the leaves of the Sapphire Sentinels tremble before a storm, or how animals behave before an arcane event. Her knowledge of the Weald’s magical rhythms is sufficient to detect dangerous fluctuations, including approaching Mythek Vortex events. She documents her observations in terse, functional field notes rather than scholarly treatises.

She is the inventor of the only known cure for Crimson Crying, which she developed and refined herself. The preparation is difficult to produce and she can complete no more than two doses in six hours of work, but a written recipe exists, so the remedy is reproducible rather than a personal secret. Its usefulness is bounded by a narrow window: it must be administered after contraction and before the end of the patient’s next long rest, after which the dose is wasted and the disease proceeds unchecked.

She is a member of the Order of the Branch and Bramble.

Current Status

Tulla reportedly had a vision of Hazelnut playing a pivotal role in saving the world from chaos, a prophecy whose details and origin remain unclear. It was this vision, combined with her detection of the approaching Mythek Vortex, that prompted her to send Hazelnut on her druidic journey ahead of schedule.

Tulla’s medicine network has deepened its connection to Murkelwood, a hamlet in the Weald’s interior that was recently affected by Mythek Vortex events and Crimson Crying cases. Her longstanding investment in the hamlet’s health infrastructure proved critical during its recovery.

She joined the Girlsquad party at the Bough and Root tavern as a participant in the circle-casting protocol for Locate Object, part of the search for an Azure Bloom. Her bastion, an enchanted treehouse with a magically expanded under-basement, serves as the party’s base of operations within the Weald. Tulla will not travel beyond the Weald’s edge.

In Lotus Secundus of 409 TC she administered her cure to two members of the party who had contracted Crimson Crying in the aetherite workings beneath the Adamantine Reach, both of whom reached her inside the window. It is the first recorded use of the remedy on the party itself.

The same visit brought her the fullest account she has yet received of the Mythek Vortex, delivered by Hazelnut and discharging at last the errand Tulla had sent her out on. Tulla’s conclusion from it was not about the vortex. She holds that something is wrong with Rolara itself, and that the world is sick or dying. The vortices, in her reading, are a symptom rather than the disease.

Physical Description

Nana Tulla is a human woman, Neutral Good alignment. Born in 1428 PE (102 years old). Her birthplace is Ebonora.

Relationships

  • Hazelnut: Adoptive daughter and druidic student.
  • Cleverbeard: Mutual respect between two guardians of the Weald who approach the same role through different methods.
  • Murkelwood: Connected via her medicine network; the hamlet’s recovery relies in part on her support.