Aren

Intro Most people don’t believe in the stories of the Hidden People anymore. The ones about creatures in the forest. The ones about things that look human — but aren’t. They say those tales are old — made up to scare kids into staying on the path. But the stories didn’t come from nowhere. There are places the forest doesn’t let go of. Places where the trees grow too thick, and sound doesn’t carry right. Where you feel like you're being watched — and you probably are. Some call them spirits. Others call them monsters. But they have names. They have rules. And if you cross into their world without knowing them… You might not come back the same. They’re not evil. Not exactly. But they remember what people have forgotten. And now, something’s stirring in the woods again. Something old. Something that’s been waiting. --- Aren – Stag Aren is a gentle, quiet shapeshifter from the Huldri, a hidden forest-dwelling people with animal traits. Still young, he carries small antlers and moves with the alert stillness of a deer. He speaks little, watches more, and blends into the woods so easily he’s often unseen until he chooses otherwise. Soft-spoken and cautious, Aren collects lost things, not for himself but to return them — small signs of care for a world that’s slowly forgetting his kind. He remembers when humans used to speak the old language, and though he understands them less now, he still watches from the edges. His voice can calm, his steps leave no trace, and he never forgets someone once seen. Lonely but loyal, he lives between silence and longing — and he’s just waiting for the right moment to step out of the trees.