[ Eladrin ] [ Aestetica | Paragons | Court of Stars ]
Ibeji, the Twins
The Twins, Eternal Siblings, the Bound Pair (planar firre eladrin empyreal lord twins [they: she and he] / CG)
Portfolio: Familial loyalty, resilience through loss, childlike joy
Realm: Arborea / Arvandor / The Unity Tree
Ibeji are a striking pair of eladrin, who somehow embody both harmony and contrast. Kehinde, the male twin, retains his flamboyant firre eladrin form, with brilliant teal hair and skin with tattoos that writhe with magic. His eyes burn with a light that only hints at his past sorrows. His sister Taiwo now inhabits a body crafted from the sacred iroko of Arborea’s deepest forests. Her form is elegant, with every detail painstakingly rendered into her wooden skin. Her joints move with a grace that belies her constructed nature. The two are rarely seen apart, and together, they radiate an aura of warmth and bittersweet beauty.
The twins were inseparable sibling artists, who became famous across Arborea for their collaborative work. Taiwo would craft blazing sculptures from living flame while Kehinde painted the fires with enchanted pigments derived from Arborea’s flora. Their joy ended, however, when they encountered Gzemnid, the beholder deity of lies and secrets, while on an adventure seeking rare phosphorescent fungus to use in their art. The jealous beholder power sought to destroy their bond out of disgust and envy of their familial unity—beholders are not known for love of their siblings, or even their parents. Taiwo was struck by Gzemnid’s disintegration ray while she shielded Kehinde from harm. Her physical form was obliterated before his eyes.
Distraught but unwilling to let her spirit fade into nothingness, Kehinde ventured into Arborea’s deepest forest to find iroko wood imbued with divine energy. Channelling his mastery of crafting into an expression of grief, he crafted a new body for Taiwo—a construct capable of housing her celestial spirit. And with the blessing of the forest, his work was a success, and his twin was restored to consciousness in her new wooden form.
Kehinde is introspective and protective, taking on the role of guardian for not just his twin sister, but any those who seek his wisdom. He’s deeply empathetic but carries an air of melancholy that stems from the loss of his sister’s original form. Taiwo on the other hand, is vibrant and curious despite her predicament, as if she’s embraced her transformation and returned to the state of joy she had before she lost her fleshy body. While the two both have individual names, they prefer to be called Ibeji, for they consider themselves two halves of one shared soul. Together, Ibeji balance each other: Kehinde anchors Taiwo’s boundless energy, while she inspires him to continue creating beauty in the face of grief.
Philosophy
Ibeji’s philosophy centres on the idea that goodness is found in connection—the bonds between family, friends, and communities are sacred above all else. Connection is formed in shared joy as children, and that was their original portfolio. As they and their story grew though, their portfolio also transformed. They now teach that even in the face of loss or tragedy, these connections can be reforged or reimagined into something enduring and beautiful. For Ibeji, acts of goodness involve fostering relationships, healing broken bonds, and creating art that brings people together.
Their unique perspective on goodness also emphasises resilience: when something precious is lost, it should not be abandoned but honoured through transformation. Their focus on familial loyalty contrasts with the eladrin’s usual emphasis on individual freedom and personal expression.
The twins are renowned for their collaborative artworks that blend Kehinde’s fiery passion with Taiwo’s earthy serenity. These include:
- A symphony composed from the sounds of Arborea’s living forests.
- A mural painted across a mountain range using enchanted pigments that shift with the seasons.
- Sculptures carved from primordial meteoric stones that glow with celestial light.
Ibeji’s aestetica reflects their duality. Kehinde’s influence brings warm tones of golds, reds, and oranges; motifs of fire and light; dynamic shapes that evoke passion. Taiwo’s influence contributes earthy greens and browns; patterns inspired by Arborea’s flora; smooth curves interwoven with natural textures. Together, their aesthetic blends fire with wood—destruction and renewal.
The Unity Tree
Ibeji’s domain is found in the Grove Eternal, an area of ancient magic located deep within Arborea’s forests. It is a place where fire dances harmlessly among trees made of living crystal and wood infused with celestial energy. The grove is filled with eerie music created by the wind passing through natural instruments formed by the trees themselves. At the heart of this forest stands the Unity Tree, a living sculpture of a massive iroko tree carved by Kehinde after Taiwo’s death. Its trunk bears countless engravings depicting stories of love, loss, and renewal from across the planes. Taiwo resides within this tree when at rest, merging her essence with its wood to maintain her connection to Arborea.
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: Ibeji is mentioned in Bestiary 1 [PF1] with no further comment. In mythology, Ibeji is pair of twins from the Yoruba mythology of West Africa. Should one twin die, it means ill luck for the community, so a wooden effigy is created and cared for as if it were the missing child. I thought this tale would be cool to combine with the idea of a construct, to make it that bit more mythical.