New D&D character! Zush is a half-elf (drow descent) bard. She's smol at 5'3" (again min-maxxing height) and likes to preserve stories rather than share them. As such, she has the habit of removing herself from her goings-on to document them. She's a follower of the Luxon, and the pendant she wears is shaped to be like one of the sacred Luxon Beacons. Her adventuring gear's aesthetic is inspired by dunamancy, a school of magic focusing on the manipulation of time and gravity. She's sensitive to bright lights and prefers to stick to the shadows.

She once avoided a combat encounter with a cultist who worshipped Lolth, the Spider Queen, by pretending that she too was a follower. Since Lolth is a common deity amongst drow, and the cultist didn't notice the Luxon pendant, he believed her story and allowed the party to advance. Having to take advantage of racial stereotypes against her people was mortifying.

This is a "peel back the layers" project inspired by my friend Dragonsushi! I was drawing Zush for another picture and her outfit was getting too complicated for me to understand without knowing how each piece looked and functioned. It's also fun including some of the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount content in a character's background.