About The Teller of Tales
Jayne
A white crow flew in front of the sun, a strange portent announcing Jaynes arrival into the world. Her mother was a weaver whilst her father, a leather worker, or so everyone thought. They joined quite late in life, even for those "of the Blood" (Golden-elves). Their child, Jayne had shown a prodigious talent from a young age. She even performed simple scrying for their Lord Xantos, though this seemed to upset her father slightly.
Lord Xantos was the hereditary ruler of the small Duchy. With bolt steel hair and a the lines of age creeping upon his face, his demeanour was generally grim and serious. Upon his shoulders there was a mantle of power - a great weight of untold secrets.
After an accident in which Jaynes father was injured during the night, a tanning incident he said - though it left his arm weakened.
As the seasons passed, Lord Xantos ensured that Jayne was apprenticed to Magister Alton. A handsome, but older elven wizard, he lived in a remote tower. More years passed and they grew closer as they learnt together, their studies exploring the secrets of the arcane. Lord Xantos' financial aid was great though it kept Jayne from her family, from her fathers' side.
Then in the middle of the night her mentor Alton handed her a letter and his journal, he rushed her to the stables and bade her to ride for "Forest's Edge & the East". His parting words chilled her to the bone "I'll find you... if I can..."
With tears in her eyes Jayne rode fast and hard 'til mornings first light crested the horizon. Upon a branch flecked in dawn's first rays sat Altons' familiar, Karon. Jaynes heart sank, why was he here - to protect her or had her master fallen. As she rode into the Hamlet of Forest's Edge she found respite in a small taverna.
Cracking open the dark leather-bound journals her life was turned upside down. It was dark before she put the book down and then she rode through the night again.
"Inside the journal, it detailed the Dark dealings of Lord Xantos.
An ancient enemy was preparing for a war against their people. Thus the taxes were harsh and dissent was rife in the Duchy. Xantos saw this as dissidents and traitors to his rule, trying to weaken his power. Thus he looked to the Caste, those who walked in Shade and Shadow. Shadow-assassins who infiltrated, stole secrets and stole lives in the dark.
Jayne's father was one such, his cover a simple leather-worker, his training dark and arduous meant he never made friends or mates lest Lord Xantos use them against him. That was until he met a simple weaver woman, instantly they fell in love - though it doomed her as it did him. For Xantos made sure that she was watched whilst Jayne's father went upon mission, lest he betray Xantos then her life would be forfeit.
For as Jayne grew, Xantos saw how attached the Shadow-assassin was to his daughter. Thus Xantos put her under Alton's tutelage, with instructions that Jayne was to die if her father turned traitor. At first Alton submitted to his liege's orders but then he got closer to the precocious youth and heard more about the growing paranoia of Xantos. Until finally, Alton realised that Xantos suspected him of treachery."
And so she stays in a hamlet or town scribing for just long enough to earn her passage.... to the East. Many questions are left unanswered in the journal, who is this Ancient Enemy, what are the co-ordinates in the front of the journal?
Thus she travels in the hope that her mentor catches up with her, whilst Lord Xantos does not. Taking refuge with new companions believing as a group she may be safer....
6 items Jayne always carries:
* Spellbook
* Feed for familiar
* Altons' Journal
* Jewellers Loop
* Sigil ring that is used to unlock the journal.
* A single blossom of a red carnation.
Her face slightly too fine, giving her a frail appearance even for an elf. Pale hair bound back by a gauze veil, creating a shimmering cascade of liquid ivory down to the nape of her back. Her smaller companions often use this as a bell pull to get her attention. However during her meditations and rituals, the veil is pulled forward across her eyes – enabling the use of her second sight. A long riding dress the pale blue of sun-dappled forget-me-nots accentuating the iridescent blue of her eyes.
