Kelandra

Kelandra was a young woman from Adra. Her spirit protector was the snake Akeshi.

She was the Shaman's daughter, she had the power, and had been trained from childhood to become one. But she got arrogant. When 15, she liked a youth from Gothmeg but he had his own lover. She used magick to change his feelings about her. But it twisted to hate and hurt her.

When the Shaman found out she was brought before the village elders. They said she'd acted like a serpent and some wanted to stone her to death. A wandering priestess of Thera, Rhea, was visiting, strong in rune magick. She made her a weresnake to learn patience. After that, she was an exile living outside the village.

Her snake form, doesn't anger, and it doesn't age. As she mastered herself, she learned to master her shape as well and she had trouble only during a full moon.

While she was off in the woods to collect herbs, she found everyone dead and Tse'Mara feeding on the bodies, followed by Une-Makhar who came to loot the dead. When they left, she dragged the bodies to the hollow hills. The carrion that the Tse'Mara scorned to take. She carved spirit-masks to ward off the spirits, according the custom of the savages.

She then went to Gothmeg to warn the warriors but she was late. There she found two throgs who had stayed to loot the dead. She killed them after questioning them. She started hunting Throgs in the daylight. She killed 11 and put their skulls as a pyramid in a pigpen.

She wore a short garment made of animal skins. Her wrists and ankles were encircled with copper bracelets. She had tangled, dark hair, sharp features, and large green eyes. Her skin was smooth but deeply tanned, long limbs left bare by a short garment she wore. A scar run down one cheek and scratches on her arms from branches and thorns, giving her an air of coltish beauty. She looked like a wild wood spirit

One day as she was hunting near Gothmeg she came upon tracks leading northeast, perhaps by 2 or 3 dozen throgs and a score of Tse'Mara. She followed them for the rest of the day. That night, she saw wings against the moon. A dozen Tse'Mara had turned back south. In order to see what they were hunting, she turned back also.

The rains came then, and the Tse'Mara went to ground. Then she found a slaughter- ground and saw Rathe and Tam atop the hill. She realised the creatures killed people from Stonekeep before going north. But for some reason they were back. She guessed they'd come to hunt the band. After the rain stopped and the soldiers camped, she knew they would attack before dawn. So she warned him while he was guarding the camp. When Dren approached them, she disappeared.

Kel stayed nearby and saw the soldiers battling the creatures from the forest's shelter. She came back when the Tse'Mara were gone, and saw the soldiers dragging unconscious Rathe off.

Later, she found him in the ruins of Adra. She tried to stub her knife in his heart but he parried her. When she realised it was Rathe, she told him her story.

Trivia
Although Kelandra did not introduce herself with her full name, Rathe called her Kelandra when they first met in the ruins of Adra.