Iris Zianhur

It was a hot stormy night in Mulhorand when Layla arrived home after working a long day in the magic shop. After doing her normal chores around her small home she settled in to get a good night’s sleep.

Layla woke screaming, laying in the hot sand near the desert village of Sakha. She was alone, in a strange place and horrified from the dream she just had. A hunting group from Sakha was nearby and heard her screams, they quickly came to offer assistance. The leader of the group, Darius was instantly smitten with the dark skin beauty. After making sure she was not injured they took her back to Sakha and offered her sanctuary.

Sakha is a small village that is carved in the rockface of the mountain Mokattam. The inhabitants of this village live a simple and meager life. They rely on trade with nearby villages and caravans that pass by to acquire their items they need. None of their villagers have ever been blessed with the gift of having an arcane ability. They rely on skill and natural medicine for all their needs. Their customs and beliefs are based on Mulhorand on Toril, since many of their ancestors came from that region before the dream.

Darius discovered that Layla was a mage and used arcane magic. He took her in and offered her protection. The two of them quickly fell in love and started a life together. Layla’s arcane gift was soon discovered and she began enchanting items and weapons, allowing the villagers to have more valuable things for trade. Soon the village had luxuries of fine things they only dreamed about. This improved their economic systems and overall way of life. Females were looked upon as lower class, many were not educated and did not have political status. This was different for Layla since she brought such good fortune to Sakha.

After a few years they had a child, Iris. She was a beautiful baby with golden eyes that looked like a sunburst. As she grew, they noticed she had the gift of the arcane like her mother. Layla began training her as soon as she was able to speak. When Iris was a young girl Layla noticed her eyes having a slight glow when she looked at people. Layla recognized this ability to be like her own. Iris was able to read surface thoughts of others. Her people back in Mulhorand called them “Mindwalkers” and with the right training you can read more than surface thoughts, you could explore others' minds to find their darkest secrets. This was a skill that Layla was never able to master, but she would train Iris so at least she could protect herself from going too deep into someone's thoughts by accident. This ability was not something they shared with others for most would not understand and could fear them.

As Iris got older she helped her mother enchant items to sell. They were able to have a very comfortable life. Iris also received an excellent education, always reading and learning new things, she even mastered several languages. Riding a horse was one of her favorite things to do. She loved going on short adventures with her mother and father to find items.

On one of the trips Darius came across a slain female panther and her orphaned cub. He gave it to Iris and she raised it. The two were inseparable and as her magic grew, she bonded with the panther making it her familiar. She named her Heba, which means gift. Iris was concerned hunters might mistake Heba for being wild so she has a gold collar embedded with gemstones made for her. Heba wore it all the time, there was no mistake she was much loved and treasured pet.

When Iris was fifteen her parents were out looking for components and items to work with then they were attacked. Several of the men with them were killed along with her mother. Darius blamed himself for Layla’s death and was overcome with guilt and grief. Iris tried to comfort her father and mourn with him, but he was inconsolable. Six months passed and he was on a hunting trip when Iris received word her father was killed. Darius was an excellent fighter and she always wondered if he just gave up.

Iris was sad and overcome with grief, everything she loved was taken from her. She knew she would have to get over it and start her own life. It was late one night when she overheard a few of the elders speaking about her and they wanted to ensure that Iris would never leave. The economic stability of their village depended on her magic items. She would not be allowed to leave, even if they had to make her a slave to keep her.

There was a caravan at the village finishing up their trade. Iris quickly went home and packed her saddlebags with her valuables and got her horse. She paid for passage with the caravan and rode out with them before anyone noticed she was gone. They made their way to Fort Umber where they parted ways and she decided to stay for a while.

The people there were welcoming and she paid for a room at the inn. Needing to make money she worked part time as a waitress and then making items when she could and selling them.

After a long day working at the inn, she retired early that night to enjoy a bottle of wine in her room. She awoke having a very intense strange dream about a “Lord of Light”. She thought it was strange and figured it was having too much wine before she went to sleep. It was only after hearing several patrons speaking of having this same dream that caused Iris concern. When she finished her shift, she packed a bag and went to Sol’s Hope to visit the Mage Academy to see what information she could learn about this “Lord of Light”.