Arianna

Arianna, Ary to her friends, is a Dakarian woman of above-average height (5'11“) with long blond hair streaked with small lines of white that nearly reaches her waist. Her gray-blue eyes are set into a face good enough to gain attention, but not enough to turn the eye of every man. She holds the title of Lady Blue Heights herself as well as Lady Oxford through her husband. She is genuinely well liked by the peasantry although anyone in her company has quickly learned to avoid her presence when large storms are brewing. Even after all of these years a large storm can make her very temperamental.

Ary is one of the great storm wizards of the north and one of the few that still lives south of the Iron Mountains.

Born to Helen and Wilbur of Scottsdale, Arianna grew up like many young girls in her village. She enjoyed the simply village life; however long ago it seemed. It was during a large storm in the summer of 433 that changed her life forever. It was unlike anything the village elders had ever seen before. Hail the size of stones and drenching rain attempted to destroy the village. Then just when it seemed to let up lightning fell from the sky, laying waste to nearly any building still standing. As the destruction fell around Wilbur and Helen's farmhouse they were huddled in the storeroom below the house.

Just as lightning struck their house everything changed. A cold icy wind began to whip around young Ary's body and began to lift her up. As her horrified parents looked on the roof was torn up and Ary floated into the remains of the house. Lightning struck at the young girl repeatedly, but its fury shattered against the winds the surrounded her. In response Ary raised her hands and two large twisting cones of wind flew skyward. For what seemed like hours Ary and the sky did battle with each responded to the actions of the other. Finally, as the morning sun rose over the horizon the storm retreated. Once the storm left the area Ary fell from the sky and crashed into the remains of the house.

She woke up three days later to a village that was coldly distant. It seemed that word of what happened spread through the village the people no longer seemed to want Ary around. Worse, the village's friar was stirring up the people against her parents; claiming they were in league with demons. For the sake of her family, Ary packed up some of her things and left her village.

For two years she traveled west into the most dangerous forests of Dakar, each day hoping that something would finally get her and end her life of suffering. It was on the same night that the storm hit her house that she stumbled upon a old cottage. Fearful that a storm was once again hunting her she knocked on the door. In the past she was able to barter her skills with sewing or cooking to find shelter, but the person that answered the door seemed more interested in the storm than her. He was a old man with long whispy hair and limping from an old injury to his right leg. Something about the man felt familiar and reassuring. He allowed her to stay the evening if she would just tell him of her travels.

It was well into the night when the storm's fury it the cottage. Something about the man changed. He no longer acted so old or frail, it was as if with every passing second of the storm he was invigorated. That was when he told Ary that he was a storm wizard. Ary was confused about the name, but she had seen wizards practicing their tricks at fairs over the years. It seems that a storm wizard draws his strength from the natural ebb and flow of storms. That all seems plausible, but when he told Ary that she also possessed the gift of storm wizardry she stopped her laughing.

Five years later and Ary was still at the small cottage with Waldhramm ; although he seemed to age faster as time progressed. Ary had advanced considerably under the man's tutelage and was starting to feel the need to venture farther afield with her gifts; however Waldhramm needed her far more each day. One day he sent he to town to purchase some supplies. Inside the money pouch he gave her was a small note. It told her to take the supplies and money and make a new life for herself, that it was time he joined the other storm wizards who live in the clouds. He did tell her that she must not squander her gift for one day an apprentice will seek her out and she must be prepared to pass unto them all of her knowledge. He also warned her about confronting other storm wizards, most are as temperamental as the storms themselves. So, she dropped a hundred raindrop flowers into a nearby stream and wished her master well on his new journey, while she began her own.

Arianna is a Dakarian woman (standing around 5'11”) with long blond hair streaked with small lines of white that nearly reaches her waist. Her gray-blue eyes are set into a face good enough to gain attention, but not enough to turn the eye of every man. Although her master taught her a great deal about numbers, letters, and the basics of language; her peasant background is unmistakable. Still, she is a quick study and takes every opportunity to improve herself.

For clothes she favors long flowing hooded cloaks brightly decorated in blues, whites, and blacks. Rather than subdued patterns, if given a choice she will pick something that is harsh and jagged instead. Under her cloaks she traditional wears a dark blue tunic with a black and silver trimmed vest. A heavy leather belt, because she is somewhat of a pack rat and carries a great deal of pouches, hangs off-kilter on her wide hips. When traveling she favors heavy wool pants with leather patches on the knees and thighs, but in town she loves the feeling of light woolen dresses.

Although not into wearing the finest clothes, this is more because of her lack of money than her lack of desire. Ary has always loved fine clothes and will seek every opportunity to expand her wardrobe. This is very much in evidence in her wide collection of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, and other bits and pieces of jewelry.

Main Article: order_of_himmel

The Order of Himmel is a small group of dedicated Dakarians that have worked to gather information from inside Xian. they accomplish this by freeing women and children that are kept as slaves by the rulers of Xian. The Order brings the freed slaves back to the Kingdom of Dakar where they live their lives in small villages in Gravholz. Several members of the Order have been sacrificed by the Xianese priests, but that has only hardened the resolve of those that remain.

Arianna was granted the manor of Blau Heights by King Reiner IV for service to the crown in Y446. The heavily forested land is so named because of the colorful limestone that is found on the northern banks of the Kur River. In Y449 construction of a small manor house and lumber mill were completed just outside of Blanock village, which is the largest settlement on these lands.

Arianna rents these lands from Queen Aurora I so that she could support the Order of Himmel that she founded. The land's main feature is that it contains a large bluff that overlooks the Wer River. At the peak of this bluff Arianna built a sturdy fortress, while the base has a dock and sheltered beach. North of this fortress are two small unnamed villages where the freed women and children live.

This ash staff is just over 4 foot long and has been burnt in several places along its length. There are small silver caps that have been engraved with deep whorls. The wood of the staff was crafted by Arianna from a tree that she found that survived near the land of ice. With this staff she can better call upon the power of the Winter Lord of the Storms, who is loathe to give any measure of his power to mere mortals.

This scroll is fashioned from white linen and fire-hardened bone and written in gold ink. Simply opening up this scroll causes a small wind to flow across the scroll. To those that have mastered the scrolls writings it allows them to call upon Giomar, the great bear of the west.