Iridia World Building Wiki

Poppy Handyleaf – The Tinkering Star of OR

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Poppy Handyleaf was never quite like the others. Among the chattering gnomes of The City of OR winding streets, she blended in being the same size, her luminous eyes hinting at something otherworldly. Raised in the heart of the Gnomish quarter of the great dwarven city, she was a peculiar blend of angelic blood and gnomish mischief, her mind a constant whir of curiosity and invention.

She was found as an infant, swaddled in strange silken cloth, tucked in a basket outside the bustling workshop of Silke Handyleaf, a gnome whose sharp wit and sharper tongue made her the most successful informant in Or. Rather than question fate, Silke took the baby in as her own, naming her Poppy, after the bright, stubborn little flowers that forced their way through the cracks in dwarven stone.

Poppy's childhood was a cacophony of hammer strikes and bubbling alchemical brews, with the scent of burning oil and metal ever in the air. She learned early how to tinker, to carve, to fix—anything that could be made, she wanted to know how it worked. Her grandfather, Wormbrand Marrowgold, was the most eccentric of them all, filling her head with stories of clockwork dragons and invisible cities, of living statues and stars that whispered in forgotten tongues. Most dismissed his tales as the ravings of an old, imaginative mind, but Poppy? Poppy believed. She had to.

Yet, for all her talent and brilliance, there was always something offbeat about her. She was too methodical for the gnomes and too unpredictable for the dwarves. She spoke too precisely, worked too quickly, and thought too deeply. A product of two worlds, yet belonging fully to neither.

Creations

In time, she honed her craft, becoming a skilled artificer, wielding her intelligence like a chisel against the unshaped stone of reality. She could weave magic into metal, breathe life into gears, and create things that should not have existed.

The Density Calibrator

At the heart of the Glimmering Ashenburrow, the Density Calibrator is an unassuming yet vital device that ensures the stability of this hidden city within a city. It is a delicate balance between magical engineering and arcane craftsmanship, designed to regulate the shifting forces of The Dense, the compressed, unstable realm that exists within Or.

Vexley (Homunculus)

Her prized companion Vexley, a homunculus construct, was forged from a large, ancient tooth she had found deep in the markets of Or. Some said it belonged to a dragon, others to something even older, but Poppy simply saw potential. She shaped it, coaxed it into being, and now it follows her, a tiny, chittering presence ever at her side.

The Gearwright's Key (Wrench)

The Gearwright's Key is an enchanted tool designed by Poppy to fix and fine-tune magical and mechanical constructs. At first glance, it looks like a regular, oversized wrench with intricate rune engravings along the handle. However, when wielded by Poppy or someone with knowledge of its use, the wrench emits a soft, humming sound as it magically realigns any misaligned components in mechanical systems, helping to recalibrate and repair delicate creations.

Personality

Yet, beneath her clever hands and calculating mind, Poppy is self-conscious—not of her skill, but of her place. She is healthy, fit, and restless, her fingers always moving, her mind forever reaching. Rash in action but meticulous in her craft, she thrives in the unpredictable chaos of creation, where mistakes are just blueprints for better inventions.

A Chaotic Neutral spirit, she is neither hero nor villain, neither saint nor scoundrel. She is pragmatic, impulsive, and utterly unpredictable—loyal only to her own curiosity. If a scheme is brilliant enough, the consequences matter little. If an object is fascinating enough, it must be understood, no matter the risk.

OR is her home, but the world is her workshop. And as long as there are mysteries left unsolved and contraptions yet to be built, Poppy Handyleaf will always be in motion.

Poppy Handyleaf

  • Small humanoid (gnome), Chaotic Neutral
  • Armor Class 16 (Enhanced Leather Armor)
  • Hit Points 72 (11d8+22)
  • Speed 30 ft.

|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |10 (+0)|15 (+2)|15 (+2)|17 (+3)|13 (+1)|11 (+0)|

  • Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +6
  • Skills Arcana +6, Investigation +6, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +5, Tinkering +6
  • Tools Mason’s Tools, Smith’s Tools, Tinker’s Tools
  • Damage Resistances Radiant
  • Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages Common, Gnomish, Dwarvish
  • Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Gnome-Taught Ingenuity. Poppy can use an action to magically tinker with an object, granting it a minor property (such as a faint glow, a recorded message, or a simple mechanical function).

Divine Spark. Once per long rest, Poppy can heal herself or another creature for 2d8+3 hit points.

Impulsive Genius. Poppy can use her reaction to add +3 to an ability check or saving throw, three times per long rest.

Actions

Multiattack. Poppy makes two Arcane Bolt attacks or one attack and one use of her homunculus construct's abilities.

Arcane Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 60 ft., one target.
Hit: 2d6 + 3 force damage.

Homunculus Assist. Poppy’s homunculus can use the Help action as a bonus action on her turn.