Blog Entry #2

Book One of The Fortana Chronicles, The Starlight Crystal, establishes Amelia Bell and Gabriel Smith as the main characters…and the majority of the action does revolve around them. However, a number of colorful characters join our heroes along the way, and many of them come to play a much larger role as the saga unfolds. I wanted to take a little time in this blog entry to introduce you to some of the other inhabitants of the magical village of Fortana.

Thomas and Joanna Werner: Thomas is the resident cartographer in Fortana, and an expert in geography and surveying. His wife Joanna is a devoted homemaker, an excellent cook and a kind hostess. An elderly couple with no children of their own, they have known Gabriel much longer than any of Fortana’s other residents. First meeting him as a young teenager in a bad situation, Thomas and Joanna provide guidance and a loving environment for the boy on his occasional visits to the village. It is one of Thomas’ maps that helps point Amelia and Gabriel in the direction of the Starlight Crystal, the artifact that holds the key to defeating the shadows that plague Fortana.

Gregory Silverwing: The incredibly wise and exceedingly powerful Master of the Fortana Mages’ Guild, Gregory has been teaching and training mages for nearly 50 years. Amelia is his prize pupil, and he is protective of her to a fault. He initially regards Gabriel with a strong sense of scorn and distrust, and only allows Amelia to travel with him under great protest.

Beatrice Miller: Beatrice is Amelia’s best friend, and one of the few that will stand up for her against the other guild apprentices, who tease the girl mercilessly. She is incredibly studious, and spends hours with Amelia reading tales of great magical adventures and craving that kind of excitement in her own life. She is responsible and level-headed, and is Gabriel’s choice to assemble a team of apprentices to help battle the plague of shadows.

Bartholomew Birch: Bartholomew is one of Beatrice’s first recruits, a master of protection magic that allows him to create powerful force shields around himself and his allies. The defensive nature of his power requires him to have a keen mind for strategy on the battlefield, and he usually serves as Gabriel’s second-in-command. He has a bit of a temper and is very competitive by nature, leading him to often egg Gabriel and the others into games of one-upmanship…but he will always stand for what is good and pure.

Edith Baker: Edith is an expert at healing magic and a kind and nurturing soul. She is painfully shy, and will do her best to avoid any dangerous situations or physical altercations. Gabriel sees a powerful heart beating beneath her timidity and is instantly drawn to her, watching over and protecting her like a younger sister. Edith is the team’s soul, and in some ways its strongest member.

Archibald Black: Archibald specializes in illumination magic, using the rays of light he can shoot from his hands to light up the shadows and blind opponents in order to disorient them. He is outgoing and gregarious, and always does his best to keep everyone’s spirits high. He has a hard time taking anything seriously, and his love for adventure is only equaled by his love of food. He serves as the team’s heart, and his good-natured sense of humor helps to hold everything together when the going gets tough.

Philomena Hawthorne: A striking young woman with blue hair and lavender eyes, Philomena is gifted in spatial magic. Her powers include the ability to teleport as well as to create portals that allow her to move her allies and adversaries around the battlefield at a whim. She is particularly close to Bartholomew, and will go out of her way to spend as much time with him as possible. Her eternal optimism and undying love for her friends give them strength even in their lowest moments, making her the unquestioned spirit of the team.

Elizabeth Cook: Elizabeth is a conjurer, gifted with the ability to summon almost anything at any time. She can produce food and water from thin air and is able to bring forth powerful spectral allies from other planes of existence. Intelligent and analytical, she can usually be found with her head in a book. She is the brains of the team, devoting her pre-battle preparation to the research of new spells and tactics. Elizabeth tends to keep her emotions close to the vest, but she is deeply devoted to her friends and will do anything for them.

Richard and Colette Bell: Amelia’s parents, Richard is a humble woodworker and Colette is a loving housewife and mother. Richard and Colette know nothing about magic, but they support Amelia with all of their hearts. They take great pride in their daughter’s accomplishments, and go out of their way to lavish love on her at every opportunity.

Dave