Marshall Ada of Dragonspur

Ada was born on the 23rd of Dekkos, 8140, in the village of Semberton, about 5 km northeast of Dragonspur City. Her father Roger Ack-Peter and mother Luci are a humble couple situated on the market side of town. Ada grew up less fortunate than her peers, but her family was well respected by the villagers for their hard work and dedication. Known for being an exceptionally honest man, Roger Ack-Peter is an accomplished weaponsmith. The passersby often visit her father on market days in order to inquire about his latest commission. They stand about and ask who commissioned this sword or that axe and still wonder at the beautiful engravings he etches in his works. He is a slow and steady worker and he always instilled in Ada the importance of patience and perseverance. Without the desire for wealth, Ada's father worked contentedly with occasional commissions from Dragonspur City and Hoths and well-paid Captains in Lust's armies.

Roger Ack-Peter and Luci had a son, Walter Ack-Roger, who was six years older than Ada. Walter was an apprentice to his father almost from the day he could walk. His father took much pride in having a son who could work by his side and take over the family smithy when the time came. Roger spent every moment instructing his son in the careful ways of weapon making. He always wished, however, that his son would be more attentive to certain intricacies. Walter was extremely bright and quick to learn, but his attention wandered often and he did not pay the close attention necessary for making masterwork weapons. Even at a very young age, Ada always hung close by, taking in her father's every word. She demonstrated an understanding, patience, and dedication beyond her years and was very skillful with her fingers, considering she was just a small child. Ada also had a strong spiritual side, and asked her parents many questions about the forbidden gods. She would cry uncontrollably whenever her family attended the occasional mandatory worship at the Temple of the Dark One, and soon they ceased bringing her. At home, Walter and Ada had a respectful relationship and enjoyed each other's company. They often sat together and Walter would read to Ada before she was taught the alphabet. Walter was always aloof in his quiet way and Ada believed he dreamed more than he would tell.

In the summer of her tenth birthday, Ada also had a dream. She dreamt of an old man with a staff and a sword. He came to her and spoke in soft, comforting tones. He told her she would speak with her brother again. Ada immediately felt a wave of relief wash over her, but awoke confused as to the portent of his words; they soon became clear, however, for she quickly noticed that her brother was gone from the room they shared. It was still fully dark out and Walter never got up that early in the summer to tend the animals and begin their chores. Ada immediately woke her father and mother and they began the search for Walter Ack-Roger. She shared her dream with her parents who were thankful for the hopeful omen but were not as assured as Ada that this was the truth. They made a thorough search of Semberton and questioned everyone who might have seen him come or go. Her father traveled to neighboring villages her brother had visited and then made a thorough and exhausting search of Dragonspur City. The family found not one trace of him and was devastated. Luci cried for many days and stayed up nights watching the door for his return, praying silently to the kind man with the staff and sword. Ada slept by her mother's side during these painful nights as Roger Ack-Peter combed the village and surrounding areas for his son. Ada thought of her dream often, but was never closer to understanding his disappearance.

Roger ack Peter spent more and more time in his workshop. Ada clung close to her father, watching his every move. Luci continued with her daily routine. They were all grieving in their own way, not knowing whether he had been planning this escape or was forcefully taken in the night. Ada began working next to her father, and it was some time before he realized it. Roger had been so absorbed in his grief for his son, who would no longer become an accomplished weaponsmith under his hand, that he barely noticed Ada. Time passed slowly and every day Ada gained more of her father's confidence. They began working closely together and Roger loved to teach his daughter every little intricacy and detail. She worked carefully and precisely and often pre-empted his demands, putting a smile on his face and in his heart. Ada became an apprentice to her father and they enjoyed a very close relationship. Throughout the years, Ada also continued to have dreams about her brother Walter. They were never about Walter himself, but always of an old man who told her that she and her brother would speak again.

The summer before Ada's twentieth birthday in 8160 F.R., exciting news came from Dragonspur City. The Lord of Lust had been overthrown and the Lord High Mayor Naglor Osbern would now rule justly over the city of Dragonspur, working to free the rest of the Kingdom! It then became clear to Ada that she had to tell her father and mother of Heshtail, the Merciful One, for she had somehow long ago realized who the figure in her dreams was. She said that the dreams she was having were of him, and also of a star of many lights and of three horsemen. She told them that she had had the same dreams for all of her memory, but never as vividly as now and not with as much clarity. Luci and Roger were astounded. They had never specifically instructed their daughter in the teachings of Heshtail, but understood that this miraculous knowledge must surely be a sign and that Ada had been specially chosen. Over the next month, Ada continued having dreams of fast riding horsemen weaving through the darkness like wind out of the West. They became more and more detailed. Some nights she could make out one regal but strange figure sitting taller than the others in his saddle; the figure resembled an elf from legend, and he wore the light of goodness on his brow and held a dark stone in his hand. On the 15th of Reos, Ada awoke and knew that she needed to leave Semberton for Dragonspur City. She went to her parents and explained to them that Heshtail had instructed her to travel to the city to seek the disciples of Heshtail at St. Quentin's Church. Her parents were saddened by the news, but understood the power of her dreams and Heshtail's call.

Roger Ack-Peter joined Ada the next morning on the trip to the city. It was a teary good-bye for Luci, and Roger's heart was heavy thinking he might never see his daughter again. Ada and her father traveled down Eagle Road together and upon entering the city followed the winding city roads to the great spire of St. Quentin's Church. During the time of the evil occupation, the worship of good gods was forbidden, and The Lord of Lust had strictly forbid worship of Heshtail in the land and thus many people had forgotten his teachings and steered clear of the church itself; thus the newly refounded Temple housed only a handful of disciples when Ada arrived. Ada approached and demanded to speak with Burcan the White, who had been revealed to her in a dream. The public did not know Burcan the White's true name and for a woman to have received that name in a dream was unheard of. She was accepted with quiet awe and reverence by the few attendants stationed there. Roger Ack-Peter took his leave after meeting with Burcan the White who confirmed that Ada's calling was true and that this was her destiny. The Temple became Ada's new home.

For the next nine years, Ada engaged in the most rigorous spiritual training seen in these times of peace. Burcan the White led Ada on a journey through Heshtail's most holy teachings. Ada spent the years learning from the most sacred books and scrolls of Heshtail. She pored over books about times long ago in the kingdom. Working with Ada, Burcan immediately realized that she was blessed with a most powerful energy. She was remarkably receptive and was adept at channeling the power of Heshtail, and she discovered that she had an incredible talent to heal due to her empathetic nature. She also learned how Heshtail instructs his disciples to defend themselves against negative energy. Burcan taught her the importance of maintaining a healthy body and increasing her strength in order to wield her god's power. She studied the ways of warfare and weaponry. She sent many messages to her family telling of her studies and one special letter to her father included a commission for a masterwork morningstar designed to fight in the name of her Lord. Ada was an exceptional student, driven by faith in her God and desire to spread goodness and justice throughout the world. She excelled beyond belief, and became a pillar of the Church community. For these reasons, Burcan granted her the distinction of the office of Drapier in the Temple.

On the 15th of Reos, after the Heshtalian Feast, Ada was communing with her lord when she was instructed to join the Lords of the West. During her nine years in the Temple, she had gained little knowledge of worldly affairs excepting her work with the poor and the ill in the city during times of plague, sickness and famine. She spoke with Burcan the White who told her of the fame the Lords had recently acquired during their exploits. Burcan counseled Ada to meet with Naglor and do what Heshtail foretells, for it is her destiny to do his will. Meeting with these Lords, Ada recognized the figures from her old dreams, and she was astounded. She pledged to aid this group with all her power, as long as they stayed within the bounds of the laws of Heshtail; her dreams ensured her that they would. Ada thus has given her life over to Heshtail and will do anything in her power to promote truth and mercy, and wreak justice on the evil forces controlling the lands.