Videne

    Few true refuges can be found across the battered planet. Many stretches of land are ravaged beyond simple repair, and what few verdant paradises are left are either guarded to the death or on the brink of destruction. It's a mad scramble for resources--weakened significantly now after so many casualties, but still.
    In the midst of a wasteland, Videne grows their claim of land, using their natural abilities and the aid of terraforming automatons to restore life where it had been bombed or burned away. They'll protect it if they must, but knock on their figurative door with a sad enough story, and you may find yourself a guest of honour among luxuries not know to many these days....

    For every one thousand deaths, a czylph is created, in a process referred to as being fate-born. In Videne's case those deaths happened over the span of just a few hours, in one of the largest battles on the planet, a frenzied grab for one of the last verdant places left in the world that ended with both sides in smouldering ruins. Awakening in this killing field wasn't easy, but Videne hardly had a choice; at the very least there was refuge in a mostly-constructed terraforming facility one of the factions had been erecting in a hurry. Much time was spent in hiding here. The carnage and the scorched earth withered away. But in the end it was impossible to resist the natural urge to explore this unclaimed, now-unwanted land, and slowly Videne began to venture out from their little haven.
    Despite the destruction of the area, it was perfect for a czylph's hand. Videne didn't need to be taught to make the springs flow, the grass take root, the new leaves unfurl. And as they grew more comfortable with their abilities, they began to expand their claim, pulling more land into their reach and growing more powerful in turn. By the time the forests where they'd started seemed stable, some animals had already returned, and the czylph was waking to birdsong each morning. But these few creatures weren't enough for the rapid expansion Videne desired, and so they returned to where it had all started--the strange facility now hidden beneath the trees, full of machines and silence.
    It took some doing, but eventually Videne found the power switch; and then the main console, and the operation software, and the controls that made everything lurch to life. The first machines that were churned out were a mystery to them, an echo of creatures perhaps another soul knew, but none they'd seen before themself. But they tended to the forest as if they were made for it (and they were), cutting away brush in strategic spots and bringing sunlight to the younger trees, turning soil and spreading insects and even planting when the need arose. With this support the growth in the hills and valleys of Videne's claim expanded exponentially, and as years passed the area became more lush than it had been when the warring factions had first arrived.
    The first soldier to stumble, bloodstained and thirsty, into this former warzone sent a ripple through the web of machines. Alerted by the facility's console, Videne was quick to spy on this new being--they were aghast at first at his resemblance to not only themself, but the corpses that had surrounded them in the first days of their life. But some deep instinct in them (no stranger to their grisly creation) pushed sympathy to the forefront, and before they knew it they were shyly following him about, until nearly startling him into a creek. Some awkward and oblique attempts at communication later, they'd established something of a companionship, and soon he knew the luxuries of natural paradise that had been missing for at least a generation. Society would ultimately call him back, but the experience would leave an impression on him, and make it into the tales he told; between him and other arrivals from skirmishes on either side of Videne's claim, the place would gain a bit of a reputation, only further adding to Videne's strength. Nowadays multiple small shrines have been erected on the borders of Videne's land, although the items and allegiances at each tend to vary: Videne does not discriminate between factions when welcoming in the battered, and it wouldn't be the first time were soldiers from different factions to cross each other in these dense woods. For their part, whether they're conscious of the factions or not, Videne doesn't seem to care. All they know is that their heart swells for these types .... and each one that speaks to the czylph's name is another upward tick in strength.

    Videne has a sweet temperament, naturally shy but eager to please. It's hard to believe based on the gingerness of their approach, but they're at their best with someone else around to pamper as their guest, the lavishness of their treatment in direct proportion to how poor of a condition someone is in when they arrive. Their sympathy for the war-torn in particular is so immense as to be a compulsion, and they're unable to resist the opportunity to welcome a weary soldier into their home--those from other circumstances aren't wholly uninteresting, but may not find themselves so beloved.
    Once they've gotten comfortable, Videne is revealed to be a bit naive, almost ditzy in the way they tend to forget things or misunderstand. For the most part it can be charming, but it does lead to some faux pas or other mistakes from time to time. Much of it can be attributed to a lack of social experience and cultural exposure, but sometimes it's not outlandish to think they may be willfully ignorant about something .... Videne is quick to apologize and bring a peace offering when rebuked, even if learned lessons seem to fade after a while.
    The only thing Videne can't stand is aggressive treatment. As the best (if not only) host for miles, they'll accept or simply ignore many things, but being attacked or yelled at is not among those. the bigger the offense, the harsher the punishment; usually it results in being booted from their little paradise, but they've been known to exercise their powers to great bodily harm, or sic the machines that tend their lands on the offender without mercy. Tears are shed, yes, but the offense rarely goes unavenged.

• Their name is pronounced "vih-deen".
• Despite loving the flora of their claim, Videne seems neutral on the fauna. For the most part they seem more interested in the machines that take animals' places, and are largely indifferent to the living creatures that have gradually returned to the area.
• The star shapes on their tassels are actually cut from a rare material used in powerful airship engines. As far as Videne is concerned, it's just pretty.
• While the machines used for maintaining the land are forged and built entirely by an automated facility, they do need to keep the materials coming in. Thankfully their czylph abilities allow them to keep ore veins stocked for harvesting.
• After sampling hot cocoa from a visiting soldier's supplies, Videne has been obsessed with the drink ever since. They've been trying to replicate it but have yet to see success; a packet of the stuff can be traded for virtually any service from them, great or small.