3. Alliana Brenheld

Alliana Brenheld


  • Alliana was born into slavery in Eltabbar on the shores of lake Thaylambar, Thay. Her family for many generations now had been servants under the roof of the Brenheld household, for so long in fact that their family name as with the one other that served with them had become one in the same with their owners. The Master of the House, Malanor Brenheld, held rank within the Red Wizards and some of the whispers from the servants in the halls said that he also held sway within some of their higher councils. None the less, Alliana found herself in the same room with him on only a handful of occasions, and never did he lower himself as to speak to her.

    Placed into service from a very young age and appointed as a 'Handmaid', as far as such titles go within the drudgeries of slavery, to the Brenheld's only daughter, Eltenia. Who although two months Alliana's senior, certainly acted less than two years her junior. Many a sleepless night caused by the whims of Eltenia quickly wore Alliana's patience to a fine, fine line. Between the audacious Brenheld daughter, her other minor chores and rest, Alliana found time to amuse herself with the antics of the other sevant families son, Erik. One of their primary past times involving the young Alliana standing watch as the older boy made his way into the House's Kitchen's to pilfer them extra tid-bits for added nourishment, plus the wonderful flavors were infinetly better than what was served up to them at night.

    In the morning of a Summer day in Alliana's seventh year, an envoy of the Red Wizards arrived at the House to conduct a routine inspection of the occupants youth for arcane spark. Whether natural talent for study to be spirited away for development, or unnatural ability to be spirited away and made to 'disappear'. Never the less Alliana was returned to her quarters as dusk was falling, her mind raw and bent, her body battered from mishandling, she was to cry herself to sleep that night. Along with the parents of the other servant family, Erik was not returned.

    With her only friend gone, Alliana sought another release in her world of muffled pains. She found it in the House's small Library, which she was stationed to thoroughy clean once a week. Being unable to read, her inquisitiveness began with merely flicking through the lighter Tome's and glancing at the odd illustration here and there, whilst keeping a sharp eye on the oaken doors to prevent an awkward situation. When Alliana's Father found a book on Dracology swaddled in her bedding, after recovering from his initial shock of knowing his daughter was 'borrowing' from the Master, he took it upon himself to teach her what he could of the languages the pair found in the pages Alliana brought back from her work.

    Years past and the girl became a young woman, still under the word of the loathsome Eltenia and the rest of Malanor's Family, but quietly biding her time making her way through the text's of the Brenheld's Library. Every so often Alliana would happen upon a Tome versed in the mysteries of the Arcane, these times always set her blood afire as she found this, Art, absolutely fascinating and utterly curious. But it is said that curiosity killed the cat and in Alliana's case…it did not kill, but it at least shocked it's tail. One night, nearing her nineteenth birthday, seated on her bed Alliana read from one of the largest Tome's she'd braved to work back to the servant quarters. Coming across a passage that she could now identify as the incantations and gestures to a minor cantrip of the Art. She smirked as she read over it, picturing herself wearing the robes she had seen the Master in strolling about the halls. Leaning the heavy book against her thighs and moving her back up against the rough wall with a large smile, she read over the small passage whilst making the appropriate gestures with her hands and fingers. She laughed loudly as she finished but quickly bit her lip as she heard the echo bounce back in the night air flooding the lower rooms. Smirking and running over it against, this time adding a little gusto and flair, playing the part she'd heard of in her bedtime stories as a child. But this time there was no laugh, Alliana's cheery disposition evaporated as a small bluish light, no larger or brighter than a candle flame, winked in and out of existence between her outstretched hands.

    Her mind racing but always coming back to focus on a single image that seemed to become snagged in her mind, Erik and his parents. A solid numbness decended on her, sweeping away reason and sense. A letter left folded under her father's pillow...stealing into Eltenia's chambers for an acceptable robe and a coin purse...staring up at the towering House from the cobbled street...a payment to a merchant caravan for passage north, all the stuttered memories from that night of misty reality. Left for the first time to truly fend for herself, Alliana made her way from town to city to town, accepting the work she could find to generate gold for further travel and living expenses. Her only solace found in the search for knowledge and a place to study this apparent Art.

    Further years past, Alliana's windblow travel hurling her into the frozen north, past the dark Rawlinswood and along the merchant lines to the Port city of Peltarch, nestled near the foothills of the mighty Giantspire and over the unforgiving shore of Icelake. Finding a new appreciation for fur garments, she applied for citizenship papers hearing from the populace that nothing lay north of here other than an icy grave. On the verge of giving up hope of ever locating a suitable locale of tuition in the Art, Alliana was approached by a Cerulean Knight and told of an Academy to the South, in a small town called Norwick, on the opposite end of an icy rock pass known as the Nars. The Knight offered to escort her through the pass and even buy her a meal on the other side, in order to seek an application at this Spellweaver Academy. Closing a recently acquired book on the history of this land known as Narfell, Alliana set off to the south with the Knight, smiling once more, the hope restored to her heart.


  • Reviewed - XP Pending.