"Well, I'm a ranger, so I guess I'll just go back to drinking urine and eating spiders." ― Helike
Helike Eltanin is a half-elf ranger of the Horizon Walker subclass. He is aloof and condescending, and also constantly seeking to prove himself.
Early Life[]
He was born to Cynosura Eltanin and an unknown human father. Cynosura was a well-regarded elven healer, most well known for curing the Queen Feria of the Casper Dwarfhold of her wasting disease. Due to her skill and reputation, she was often away from home and thus Helike was raised with his elven relatives in the Eltanin household, near Chezalia. Helike's cousin were cruel and condescending to Helike due to his half-human heritage. When Helike's mother was home, she offered comfort in the form of stoic philosophy, telling him to "be like the moon."
In his teenage years, Helike taught himself herbalism, forestcraft and celestial navigation in the Sovagxa Woods. During his exploration of the woods, he met Jack Mycos (a.k.a Slippery Jack) who would later become his lover.
Cynosura was exposed to a flesh-eating ooze during one of her travels and began to rapidly deteriorate. Helike frantically searched for a cure with Jack, but was unable to find the cure in time. Cynosura died, and, blaming himself, Helike left the Eltanins to go live in the woods with Jack.
Career as a forest guide[]
During his years living in the woods with Jack, Helike's knowledge of forestcraft deepened. His skills earned him a reputation for being a good forest guide and he gained employment guiding travelers from one side of the woods to the next. Meanwhile, Jack Mycos' began experimenting with using his fungal control to re-animate the dead and control the living. When Helike discovered this, he rejected Jack and tried to turn him into the authorities. Jack escaped and vowed to take revenge on the world. He would eventually become the feral Circle of Spores druid known as Slippery Jack.
Adventuring Career[]
Helike would later join with a band of adventurers including Carnelian, Lenny, Scourpax, Castelis, Tolko, and Gurney with the mission to defeat the mysterious, undead warlord known as Buggo.
During their adventures, Helike and his fellow adventurers were transported to the Abyss where they became aware of the impending return of Ylil. During their time in the abyss, each of the party members was tempted by an infernal device that seemingly fulfilled their truest desire. Helike was given an incredibly powerful bow inscribed with the phrase: "Best of all Elves." Helike realized that there were dangers to the Material Plane of an extra-planar nature, and in this he discovered his life's mission: to become a Horizon Walker, guardian and ranger of the Outer, Inner, and Elemental Planes.
Weapons and Artifacts[]
- Herzenbrecher: an oathbow with the ability to target and destroy a single sworn enemy every moon-rise
- Cynosura's Notebook: His mother's book of medical knowledge that was willed to him after her death.
- Moon Ring: On every Full Moon phase, Helike gains advantage on all attacks.
Special Abilities[]
- Detect Portal: the ability to magically sense the presence of a planar portal. As an action, you detect the distance and direction to the closest planar portal within 1 mile of you.
- Planar Warrior: Helike is able to draw on the energy of the multiverse to augment his attacks.
- Detect Good and Evil
- Ranger Spells: Hunter's Mark, Cure Wounds, and Fog Cloud
- Helike is a skilled archer and expert woodsman.
- Helike has demonstrated resourcefulness by using mud and blood to render invisible enemies visible.
Favored Enemy[]
Oozes and other parasitic, colony organisms.
Relationships[]
Helike has not gotten along very well with his other adventuring party members due to his condescending demeanor:
Carnelian Silversmith:[]
Helike is currently in a feud with Carnelian after refusing to hand over a energy crystal that tethered the souls of several dwarven guards to the Material Plane, which Carnelian wanted to safeguard himself. Telling Carnelian that he is "just not very smart," Helike proceeded to give the crystal to one of the ghosts instead.
Gurney[]
Helike has been trying to needle Gurney for his tragic backstory ever since meeting him. Once Helike found out that Gurney's husband had died, he teased him by pointing out many male NPCs as potential second husbands.
Lenny[]
Tolko[]
Castelis[]
Scourpax[]
Trivia[]
- Both Helike and Cynosura's names are based on different names for Polaris, the North Star.