Also see
Sisterhood of Magic

Where it all began.
Shanna was born and raised in the Mage town of Providence, a strange and unique place resting on the border of Beldorn, Lanth, Berthain and Elandia. As the only child of Mindas the Artificer and Lowinda the Spell Merchant, Shanna had a loving childhood filled with magical spells, enchanted toys and spectacular birthday parties (as was the Providence way). But the day she learned of her people's Fate was the day she really decided her future.

Providence in the 21st Century.
In their folly the Mages of Providence ( a loosely formed group numbering less than 10) had researched magic to a dangerous degree and begun using it more and more openly causing the normal folk of Providence (a then rich and prosperous trade town) to resent their power. Visitors to Providence were beginning to fear the wrath of Providence mages. This and other minor political squabbles consequently resulted in a fall of Providence's trade.

2089 - The Year of the Mist
On the 19/7/2089 the people of Providence awoke to find their entire circular walled town surrounded in a thick white luminescent mist. People entering the mist failed to return and as hours turned into days no one came through it and it refused to fade or disappear.

The Mages were immediately blamed for its existence, sparking a town wide hunt to bring the culprit's to justice. Nearly all of Providence's mages were rounded up by a mob of mad townsfolk and brutally tortured. When none of them managed to shift the fog the townsfolk began clutching at straws - convinced that the mist was in fact the curse of some angry God. Inevitably a mage called Krondak was killed in the hysteria, sealing Providence's future.

People flocked to the Temples and prayed. They prayed for months until the months turned into years with no result. The mist only formed a barrier around the town - not over it so the people could see the sun, moon and stars - helping them to still believe in the Gods.

As a large area of land still surrounded the town (approximately 5 miles in every direction of the wall), the townsfolk were able to grow and harvest crops - enough to feed themselves. Without a Lord or King to make decisions a council was formed to control resources, keep up morale and come up with ways of getting rid of the mist.

Unbeknownst to the normal folk, three mages snuck their way onto this council and began taking charge. The mages refused to squander Providence's supplies and set up strict guidelines and laws, enforced by even stricter punishments as they knew that for the town to survive, it had to be tightly controlled.

Monsters.
After 20 years the entire 9 person Council of Providence consisted of mages. Changes in public opinion meant the normal folk were no longer so eager to blame the mages for their imprisonment but willing to look for a solution from anyone. This acceptance of the mages was reinforced when one wintery afternoon a giant 30' long fire breathing lizard wandered out of the mist and started eating farmers.

The mages rode out to meet the creature after hearing its hide was invulnerable to weapons and from a nearby hilltop threw down several deadly spells. When the creature eventually keeled over the mages were hailed as heroes.

A month later something similar happened. This time during the night a strange winged creature was seen in the sky above the town. The next morning four people had been plucked from their beds and vanished without a trace. Again the mages stepped in, used their spells and brought the creature crashing down to its death.

It didn't stop there though. Every month or so another creature or creatures would enter the area around Providence - The Council of Mages began calling the occurrences "attacks" - attacks that happened on a frequent basis. But try as they might they could not work out why?

They tried flying out and over the mist - after reaching a certain height their spells failed. Two mages died this way.
They tried the simple plans - sending someone into the mist with a rope tied to them. The rope always ended up frayed or cut and the person lost.
They tried dispelling the mist - with no effect.

They tried 1000 different plans and all of them failed until after thirty years of imprisonment the council decided the only way out of the mist was magic. This is when Providence underwent an important cultural change.

The council passed new laws implementing a structured training program for new mages. Everyone in the town (out of a population of 2900 people) was tested for the potential to be a mage. If they were able to cast the simplest cantrip they were trained. Those unable to do anything were given training as research and ritual assistants. In short, everyone in Providence became involved in a magical revolution.

Within 100 years to any casual observer, the entire population of Providence would have passed as mages of varying degrees. Imagine the farmer who toils all day in his fields but at weekends studies in class learning the fundamental theories of matter transfusion. This was the New Providence.

Research.
Over the years the Mages of Providence researched hundreds of new spells and abilities. By 2600 they had accumulated the largest library of experimental research on Eldahar.

Shanna's decision.
When Shanna was only 6 years old her mother Lowinda wandered off into the Mist to never return. In later years Shanna blamed her father for the event and the two refused to talk to one another.

From the day her mother vanished Shanna became obsessed with The Mist - another reason she and her father couldn't see eye to eye. Mindas was just one of 98% of the mages in Providence who had given up long ago on ever escaping the Mist and returning to the real world. Instead Mindas and his ilk had accepted the Mist as a way of life. Indeed for him and for many others it had now been there all his life (even with the extension of Providence's typical life span) - he hadn't known any else.

When Shanna was 17 she had to face the fact that no matter how well she studied or practiced her magic, she would never reach the higher echelon's of Providence's mage class. Shanna found difficulty in even the most simple of catnips - refusing to accept her teacher's reason;- "Unresolved emotional conflicts interfering with the magical focus point." Basically Shanna's problem was in her attitude.

As a wild element in a highly organized and lawful environment Shanna grew more and more frustrated with the town's archaic beliefs and stubborn refusal to allocate funds or research time into the most simple of experiments involving The Mist. "We have explored those avenues already. To try them again would be a waste of magical resources." - The High Council.

The Council gave Shanna three chances to reform her ways and abide by the laws. After her third failure they decided to wipe her memories and give her new ones. Her father Mindas agreed but when the Council came to take Shanna away, they found her already gone.

Like her mother before her Shanna chose The Mist over Providence Law and stepped into its white nothingness.

Escape.
Shanna arrived on a stony island completely surrounded by the mist. At the island's center stood a huge twisted tower over 100' high. Cautiously entering she found the place deserted save for a strange golden stone covered in glyphs on the floor. Tired she lay to sleep in one of the tower's dark corners.

She awoke to hear someone else moving through the tower - a stranger with white hair and a peculiar (over-sized) lizard hand. The stranger introduced himself as Nathaniel and with his aid, Shanna was teleported from The Mist into the outside World - becoming the first ever Mage of Providence to escape the mist.

A new power.
During her time in the strange "Vanishing Tower" due its magical nature, Shanna's pool of magic underwent expansion - raising her potential to use magic. Overcoming her own personal conflicts she began eagerly learning spells.

After that Shanna had many adventures in and around the country of Esium. She made some good friends - especially Beth of the World Song, Adunathel, Tess Hardy and Colene, becoming part of a Sisterhood of Magic and establishing herself as a heroine in the Undead War of 2600.

The Return.
After teaming up with Lord Ross and the Esian Resistance Shanna was astounded when the whole of the town of Merlendy became surrounded in a very familiar Mist. Recognizing it as the same Mist around Providence, she assisted Lord Ross in exploring the Mist and fighting its monsters. To her amazement she began to realize Providence was just one of hundreds of pockets in the Mist containing creatures and beings of all races and species - The Mist was in fact The Mist Realms - a kind of magical zoo.

Hollis' incredible mental powers managed to contact the Keeper of these Mist Realms in an ancient Titan made city surrounded in you guessed it, white mist. On Ross' order Hollis took charge of the Realms, splitting her consciousness so that only a quarter of her mental strength remained trapped in the Keeper's chair. Suddenly in charge of the Realms Hollis discovered she could release anything already trapped but had to maintain a balance of power and trap something else in its place.

Hollis moved Shanna back to the Realm of Providence. Shanna's arrival caused a furor!
Within hours Providence materialized back where it belonged and the Mages of Providence gazed for the first time in hundreds of years upon the Real World.

Trade in Magic
Suddenly having a thousand magic users turn up on your border is something to throw any King into a state of blind panic. It didn't take long for the bordering countries to notice Providence's return and its change in fortunes.

Acting quickly before anyone could make a move or mobilize an army, the Council of Providence declared independence and allegiance to none. Despite very reasonable offers (above and below board) from all the neighboring countries Providence declined - only lending magical aid to Esium in return for their release.

As a way of surviving, after a couple of months the Council began hiring mages (their only tradable resource) for a fixed fee, establishing Providence as the only Magical Town where people could hire magical services.

Late 2601. Shanna takes up a position on the Council whilst still remaining part of the Sisterhood.

Heal minor 1st
Remove pain 3rd
Remove bruising 4th

Dispel magic 6th
Sparkles 2nd
Detect Magic 2nd
Paralysis 3rd

Force, minor 3rd
Force Wall 4th

Other Stuff
Shanna's favorite color is yellow.
She is a night owl - likes staying in bed during the mornings and going to sleep about 4am.

Pendant of Fire (90 pp power store)
Mantle of Fire Immunity (absorb up to 50 hp dmg)
Unknown spell scroll
Onyx egg of Boiling

Mirror of Change (creates physical illusions so that Shanna can appear as someone else)

Jade pin of Paralysis (prick and save vs 5th)
Flame in a Bottle (adds +1 INTENSITY to all Fire magic)

Ring of Unseen Servant (1/day for 2 hours)
Gold Ring of Health bolts (Up to 10 charges)

Feather (adds +1 COM)
Locket of Locating
Rose bracelet of the Sisterhood. (Communication aura to aura up to 1500 mile range)

Wolf Dagger (contains spirit of a wolf that howls on an impale. +15% +3/+3)

Tucha's Spell book (contains Fire Lore spells up to 14th level, Dark Contacts up to 8th and Fell Rituals up to 12th)

Marvek's Golden Spell Staff (x1.5 pp multiplier and 50 pp store). Can be used by any mage.

Shadow Stroke (Shortsword that delivers a second magical "shadow strike" on every swing. +10% +2/+2

Ring of Spell storing (40pp)

The Brimstone Staff (A fire artifact that enhances all fire spells.  x1.25 damage, range and radius. Does 1/day Immolation, 1/10 days Cone of Fire (7d6+4), 1/2 days Wall of Fire 2300 cubic feet, Protection vs Fire (half damage).

Phoenix Statue (Allows Shanna to transform into a Phoenix where Hit points = total amount of fire put into Phoenix's creation in damage points.
 

In 2597, suffering from acute paranoia and mild schizophrenia, Colene was forced to flee Poru for the safety of Esium after spending three years as a prostitute. Wanted for stealing and owing several debts to wealthy Poruans she tried hiding in Esium's underbelly but soon ran into trouble again.

It was in Esium city that she "befriended" Beth, Shanna, Aduna and Tess of the Sisterhood of Magic, finding sanctuary in their house and a new purpose in life.

Abilities
Summoning 1st to 7th level.
Binding up to 4th level.

Colene's Poruan Spirits
Fithanazi - a dwarven spirit of knowledge specializing in metals and mineral.
Drudig - A horned Ogrim spirit that protects Colene, thinking she is "cute".
G'ruk-kitan - A Minor Spirit of Earth. Appears as a lump of black rock. Causes vibrations.
Culoom - A Spirit of Flesh and ecstasy - For those cold lonely nights.
Pepetra - A fox spirit. Used for locating animal sacrifices.
Quizim - Spirit of Cutting. Adds +1 damage to any slicing implement.
 
 
 

Colene's colorful language
Colene always presented a vicious, bitch like exterior, even to her friends. She would seldom let herself relax and show signs of weakness, preferring to hide behind swearing, rudeness and arrogance.

However when put to the test, Colene always came through for her friends.

For friends and allies see -
Lord Ross of Merlendy,
Jase Brose,
Yainar and Marion

Dorran cut his teeth adventuring in Esia around the Downs of Dunbar. There he met Jansen Sorr and Ross of Mengale after losing many of his first companions in several disastrous missions. After two years on the road he decided the adventuring life wasn't for him and moved to Gost Yaroch after getting an offer from the Temple of Koen there to make weapons.

In Gost Yaroch he met Henna Grum, daughter of the infamous Ilio Grum (a Daasin merchant known for his superb bartering skills). He married Henna late in 2598, having a daughter by her in 2599 called Kassandra and a son in 2600 called Malcolm.

Hobbies - Fishing.

He became known as the Singing Smith because of his passion for singing whilst drunk. To this day he still possesses a powerful singing voice, entertaining the people of Daas with his Esian war songs.

Arcana
Celeste was born and raised in the City of Arcadia on the World of Arcana. A glorious World rich in magic, myths and legends where almost every being could command some sort of magic power, Arcana nevertheless met its match with the arrival of the Ice Giants of Tarot. Within two short years the World became overrun with ice and snow as the Tarot Gods destroyed city after city with their Pine men armies and baying Ice Hounds.

Despite being steeped in magic lore and bountiful nodes gushing essence into everything, Arcana lacked one important ingredient to defeat the Tarot Gods - violence.

Long before the giants arrived, for two thousand years Arcana knew peace and prosperity. Its people had long since given up settling disputes and arguments with violence. Instead they existed within a complex but well balanced judicial system that over time had literally grown into a template for society.

Without the need to go to war, all magical theory and practice became based around everyday problems. There were no Battle Mages, no Spell wielding paladins or fearsome Warlocks to turn back the Ice. Only scholars and spectacular conjurers.

Rescue from Pandemonium
Arriving in Pandemonium Celeste was horrified to find the Ice Giants had followed her. She wove a protection around herself just moments before they imprisoned her and set her adrift on the Sea of Extinction (a particularly nasty sea that erodes reality into nothingness). She prayed someone would find her before her protections failed and luckily someone did.

Unconsciously sensing her plight - even though he was a World away, Kaine Orgath of Urth and his companion Faith O'Beau arrived at the City of Jeopardy (just on the Shore of Extinction) and saves Celeste's life. As Kaine was fighting the Ice Giants as well, Celeste entrusted Kaine with her greatest gift - the Blade of Judgment. Carried by Celeste from Arcana to safety, the Blade burned with a blue flame in Kaine's hand, identifying itself to Chaos as the Sword of Law.

Celeste's abilities
As the sole survivor of her World, Celeste managed to salvage 8 of Arcana's rarest objects - The Weaving Rings. Each ring increased mastery over a particular type of magic; to a skilled Spell Weaver like Celeste these rings could weave spells up to 6 levels above her own!
 
 

During her battle against the Giants on Urth, Celeste demonstrated the ability to heal, teleport short distances and conjure immense (seemingly real) creatures (16th level). She also commanded the air and weather at 18th level calling up frightening storms.

Celeste could create a three dimensional illusion of almost anything and almost any size (up to 500' by 500') - then she could weave solidity into it and make it seem "real".

The Black Witch of Arun

K'Dina and her sister K'Deva were born and raised in the land of Dark Moon in the Far north. Married at the age of 13 K'Dina spent several years completely in love, doting upon her childhood sweetheart Dalen. But at the age of 21, after a relatively normal life as a housewife she caught her husband cheating with her sister. Never recovering from that betrayal, she found herself gripped by a growing madness that caused her to poison her husband so that he died retching, poison her sister so that she became blind and infirmed before finally poisoning herself.

Embracing Destiny.
But as it turned out, it was not K'Dina's destiny to die. Summoned by her grief, Arun - Greatest of all Warlocks, snared her distraught spirit and brought it to his innermost sanctum. There he consoled her and wiped away her grief until before she knew it, it was as if she had never loved before. Arun became her world and one true desire.

Thus did K'Dina begin her new life, to study under the Warlock and become one of his Witches.
But at K'Dina's heart there still existed a black and rotten core. On the day of her ascension to Witch hood, Arun came unto her and said "K'Dina my love, there is someone here to meet thee. She hath also studied as my lover and stands as you, ready for ascension to true power."
Then Arun gestured and K'Dina saw her hated sister K'Deva walk into the chamber.
Blind from the poison and awkward of limb, K'Deva's beauty still managed to rival K'Dina's (if not surpass it). "Sister, I forgive you," Deva began to say but K'Dina lashed out in an unquenchable  fury, cursing and spitting.
Before any harm could be done, Arun stepped between the warring siblings and said, "You hath both given yourself unto me, in entirety. I own your souls and as such, forbid you do harm to one another."

So K'Dina and her sister suffered one another's presence but only in so far as Arun was aware. At every opportunity they plotted each other's downfall using friends and allies to perform the tasks and act out the nefarious plans (as Arun was aware of anything they directly did).

Years passed and Arun's power grew as the number of his Witches grew. He stretched forth his power and seeded his witches in far off lands to do his bidding. One day K'Deva approached him and asked to travel to a distant land. When Arun asked why, K'Deva said "I have had visions with my third and one true eye. They have revealed many things to me." Arun asked her to share them and she did. When he had heard them all he nodded and said "Very well you may go, but not alone. I will send your sister with you as your powers are at their strongest when you are together. There is a little bit inside both of you that you have refused to give to me. It is the hate you have for one another. Use it wisely."
K'Dina of course was furious. She didn't want to leave the northlands at all and blamed her sister. "You can see me gaining more power than you. Gaining more favor with our Lord and master. This is your way of undermining my authority and destroying my plans!"

K'Dina and K'Deva arrived in the 7 States of Esium in the year 2563. Initially far away from Arun's direct influence it wasn't long before the two sisters were at each other's throats, resulting in K'Deva's death in 2581.

Into hiding.
Fearing Arun's anger, K'Dina retired to lick her wounds inside a specially warded house near Gost Iren in Esia.  There she remained until 2595 and the arrival of a north man called (as fate would have it) North.
Lured from her house by North's great destiny, K'Dina bound the young man with a powerful oath - to serve her in return for the use of her powers. Accepting, North and K'Dina became allies.

But it wasn't long before a cloud passed over K'Dina's mood;  to her horror she heard rumors of a spirit called Deva, existing in western Daas and aiding the Priesthood of the Moon.
Somehow Deva had transmuted herself into a spiritual form;  no wonder Arun hadn't summoned K'Dina to account for Deva's death! K'Dina had hidden for years and for no reason - her white and goodly sister (called the White Witch or White Spirit) out performing deeds whilst she sheltered in fear from the world. As you might expect, K'Dina's hate burned anew.

During K'Dina's pointless sojourn in her Glass House, Arun had sent another of his witches into Esium to finish what the two sisters had begun. This witch, an old hag called Molgwin had also begun stirring up a lot of  trouble and acting above and beyond her Lord's wishes until in the end, during 2600, Arun was forced to directly intervene wih events in Esium.

2601 - The End of Days.
With Arun's permission, K'Dina is summoned by North back into the northlands. Once there she accompanies him into Mordark and the lands of Evermore to fulfill his destiny and save the world. K'Dina dies fighting demons alongside Fiann Frostbringer, Mirabore of the Qual and Red of Dawn.
 
 
 

SKILLS
DODGE  SR 58
UNARMED SR 32
LONGSPEAR SR 68 Spear of Ages, The weaving Spear. +15% +4/+4 (+8/+8). Special +30% bypass

Early History
Kryss began his life in the southern hills of Mekley in Whailin. When he was 10 he stumbled into a hunter's pit and broke his leg. He would have died from the across the hut of Saintaira the Wyrm Witch of Worsted Heath and 

DESCRIPTION
Blonde haired, brown eyed. 6’2” in height and medium build. Kryss has shoulder length hair, tied back, and a short blonde beard. He wears a scalemail half-suit and fur trews. Arm braces and a 65% helm. He loves Red dearly and would die for her and only her. As Lord of Citadel North, he supports her, but she runs the show. Calm, cool, reflective and thoughtful, Kryss is a stable addition to any group and only speaks when necessary or if he has something worthwhile to say. He does however hates trolls with a passion because they killed a childhood friend called Adria.

Kryss in the Lands of Midnight
In 2616 after 15 years as Lord of Citadel North bordering Aegis and Daydark, Kryss journeyed with the beloved heroine Red (his wife) along with Ragnek the Wise, under the Frostspines and into the Foribidden lands of the Far North. There he underwent a magical transformation, caused by the strange powers of the Midnight Sun. His mind became capable of great clarity and insight, helping him "see" things other people could only guess at. (+50% to meditation, +6 to SEN and +5 to WIS and +3 to INT.)

But back in 2587 she broke her pact with the Witch King by trying to sire a child with Keos, the Living Spirit of War. At the time all Keos wanted was a son, the son of a Witch with an affinity to the Midnight Sun. It was always Keos' plan to raise that son as a Warrior Warlock and use him to overthrow the Witch King himself. But during the child's birth, the Witch Sidhe (having spied on the affairs of her sister for some time) sent her Witch Guard to surround them in their forest cabin. Overwhelmed by superior numbers, Keos' body was "slain", forcing his spirit to seek out a new host. Then Sidhe emerged from hiding and confronted the weakened Syrene. Knowing that Syrene's voice could influence the mind, Sidhe had put wax in the ears of her guards befforehand. This way they were able to drag Syrene, naked and out into the snow.
Holding the newborn boychild aloft (the child that would become Hurin Havoc), Sidhe proclaimed "I shall raise this child as my own. But unlike you, I am wise enough to not spread my legs. This child will be a warrior but no warlock. As for you, if you favor the company of strong warlike men so much, then let me help you enjoy it."
With that Sidhe ordered her Guard to cut out Syrene's eyes. Then with Syrene's Craft nuetralised, Sidhe had her bound, gagged and transported back to Citadel Ice Gard. Once there Sidhe placed a strong curse upon her Witch sister. "You will hunger for the intimate company of man or beast (if no men are present) until this hunger becomes unbearable. You will rut like the sow you have become."
Sidhe then threw her former Witch sister to Ice Gard's troops, telling the Lord of Ice Gard, "Let this woman be your army's entertainment but be careful not to remove her gag."
Poor Syrene was then abused and raped by nearly all of Ice Gard's troops (on Sidhe's command). Whenever she became injured her wounds would be mysteriously healed by the next morning. What's more, as she was passed from man to man, poor Syrene became increasingly younger and more desirable in her appearance, arousing the troops into a frenzy. Henceforth known as the "Whore of Gard," Syrene could quite easily have killed herself then and there. But deep down she hoped Keos would rescue her - even though he never did.

Eventually Syrene began causing more trouble than the Lord of Ice Gard could handle. He begged Sidhe to take Syrene away as the fights breaking out among his men were too frequent and dangerous to quell; it seemed as if every foolish warrior in the Citadel now wanted to rescue the former Witch.
Sidhe saw how her curse had in a way backfired and agreed, imprisoning the now very young Syrene in one of Ice Gard's oldest towers. For company (as Sidhe knew without someone to be intimate with, the curse would kill her), Sidhe placed one of her pet white apes - an experiment in surgery she named "Feez."
Imprisoned for the next 30 years, Syrene resisted the temptation to commit suicide many times. Continually raped by the ape Feez, Syrene spent the rest of her time singing, sowing and contemplating her child. Havoc never came to visit her, not once in all that time. For him she was the greatest embarassment imaginable - The Whore if Ice Gard. Stories attribute his birth to any number of things - the most popular being that his father is the whole Army of Ice Gard, which is why he loves it so much!

Description.
Syrene stands 5'9" tall and because of her starved state appears thin and physically weak. However beneath her under nourished and abused flesh still shines a resilient soul. She has a head of dark chocolate brown hair and brown eyes, speckled with hints of green.
Born and raised in the land of Ice Gard, a place called Vallen, over 85 years ago, Syrene retains her youthful looks because of her links with the Witch King and Sidhe's curse.

Her voice acts as a continuous "charm" spell of 7th level to all males.
She now appears to be approximately mid 20's (although after her experience with the army of Ice Gard her physical appearance dropped down to about 10 years of age.) She has the benefit of being able to completely heal herself through intimacy with a member of the opposite sex.

She wears a strip of simple cloth around where her eyes once were - as they were completely removed and used by Sidhe to cast Syrene's Curse spell. Inquisitive and highly intelligent, Syrene longs to return to the Witch King and make amends for her betrayal.

STR	INT	WIS	DEX	AGI	CON	CHA	COM	SIZ	POW
7.87	17.97	11.90	14.12	10.32	12.00	16.56	19.90	9	15
SEN	DBON	Height	Weight	Hair	Eyes	DOB	MHP	Stuns	Dodge
9.89	-1d2/+0	5'9"	129 lbs	Brown	Brn/ Green	14/4/2504	25	2	+35

Abilities / skills / powers