Kirin

"Things cannot be simple forever. As wonderful as it is to dally peacefully among the blossoms of spring and summer. Autumn comes. The leaves will fall and turn brown. The flowers wither and die. Then winter will come and what was green and full of life will be smothered with the cold whiteness of snow. The blizzard will come Alia. And you will need to be ready if you wish to survive" -- Kirin, to Alia Ashfeld

Kirin is a major supporting character in the Legends of Altmar campaign and is one of the party's many allies. Kirin is a unicorn and a forest spirit that protects the woodlands of Altmar. Having run into the party on several occasions, and being an avatar of goodness, Kirin helps guide the party into doing the right thing as well as fights alongside them in their quest to stop the Demons from conquering Altmar. He has taken a particular interest in Alia Ashfeld and serves as a mentor to her.

Biography
Little is known about Kirin's history except that he has existed presumably since the forests first sprouted on Altmar. As a being of nature he tends to allow things to unfold along a natural course, staying out of the way unless the balance of life is threatened. As such he does not have much contact with humanoids, though he has been seen among circles of druids, and is familiar with the old elven kingdoms that were once based out of Altmar's forests. Kirin does not rule over the Altmaran forests, but his wisdom is heeded by those who seek to preserve forest life and all the inhabitants of the various woodlands revere him or at the very least respect his guidance immensely.

Threat From Beyond
Kirin investigated the evil that loomed over Silver Woods in the year 1376, and discovered dark alien beings intruding near Arlien's chapel. The demons wounded him briefly and escaped back to the chapel. While the forest's druids tended to his wounds, the Legends of Altmar stumbled upon his glade, and he informed them of the creatures' presence and location. While he recovered the party slew the demons and shut down the portal they came from. Kirin offered them his thanks and granted them safe passage through the forest.

Bad Tidings
Alia encountered Kirin in the Magewoods where he saved Atlas from the monsters that lurked within the forest. He lectures Alia about standing up for the right thing and defending those weaker than herself. He informs her that bad tidings are near and the world will soon be plunged into chaos. He grants her a blessing of protection, but warns her the path ahead will not be simple and that she will need to quell the darkness within her to succeed.

The party meets Kirin again in Fairn Forest where war has broken out between the invading demons and the denizens of Fairn Forest. Kirin offers guidance to the council of animals including Wotjek the Bear King and Anaj the Wolf Mother. The party saves the forest spirits upon Kirin's advice and closes the demon portal in Fairn Forest. Kirin once again warns Alia of his concern for her actions, but heals the party and thanks them again for their continued efforts to aid him.

Kirin rushed to the aid of the party in Eastwood when they entered the fallen forest. He explained that the forest had become lost to the daimons and that little hope remained for the forest, noting that things were very bad for this area, and that they must continue to fight to keep the daimons' vanguard at bay. He protected them from monsters as they escaped and he quickly left once more for his next battle.

Personality
Kirin is somewhat detached due to his being a divine being. He typically stays away from humanoids and allows things to play out naturally, and as a result comes off as somewhat aloof. This is exacerbated by the fact that he speaks somewhat cryptically and in metaphors. Despite this it is clear that he cares a great deal for all life, particularly those who dwell in Altmar's forests under his protection. Kirin is a noble soul and as a being of goodness works tirelessly to do the right thing for the benefit of all. While he is somewhat concerned about human encroachment upon the continent's forests, he respects their ingenuity and potential to do good. In all Kirin is good-hearted, noble soul who cares deeply for others and seeks to help all he can, even if he seems somewhat distant.

Alia Ashfeld
Kirin has taken a special interest in Alia as he senses her pained soul and has been attempting to guide it into something positive and good. He is disappointed in many of her decisions such as her abandoning the forest spirit in danger in the Magewoods out of fear, and the anxious anger that lingers within her. Despite this he truly believes she can do the right thing and become a true protector of the weak and a force for goodness and justice.

Baravio Lanar
Kirin is somewhat mistrustful of Baravio's motives and the magician's curiosity clashes against Kirin's reserved and quiet nature. Kirin is however grateful for the work Baravio did with the party to save Silver Woods and Fairn Forest and has respect for the magician even if he remains skeptical about his true intentions.

Wotjek
Kirin and the Bear King had a somewhat strained relationship. While he never attempted to overrule Wotjek's authority, he considered Wotjek to be too rash and bold and considered him dangerous. Despite this, the two remained strong allies and worked together to stop the demon invasion of Altmar. Kirin was with Wotjek when the bear was slain by demons in the Battle of Fairn Forest.

Appearances

 * Threat From Beyond
 * The Root of All Evil
 * Bad Tidings
 * Revelations
 * Fairn Forest
 * The Path

Trivia

 * A Kirin is a mythical being in its own right, typically viewed as the Eastern equivalent of a unicorn, however Kirin's name is actually a reference to Magispecter Unicorn Kirin, a monster from the Yu-gi-oh! Trading Card Game.
 * Kirin was the first non-human character encountered by the party.
 * Kirin was originally intended to be a one-off character but was brought back to develop storylines for Alia in Revelations and the forest subplot came as a result.