Quest for Glory/Plot

Plot Summary for the Series

Quest for Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero?

The user-named hero of the series begins the game as a recent graduate of the Famous Adventurer's Correspondence School for Heroes as either a Fighter, Magic User, or Thief. The Hero learned from his local Adventurer's Guild that the Barony of Spielburg was in desperate need of a hero to defeat a vicious band of brigands and that there was "No Experience Necessary."

He arrived in Spielburg valley just before the passes were cut off by a late Spring snow. When he got to the town, he learned the full nature of Spielburg's problem. A viscious band of Brigands led by a canny and brilliant Leader were terrorizing the land. The Baron of Spielburg was missing his daughter and son and was under a curse placed on him by the evil Ogress Baba Yaga:

"Upon von Spielburg and all his clan, this curse I now demand.
What I will shall come full measure, so shall ye lose all that ye treasure."

According to the Wizard Erasmus, the only way to break the curse was to fulfill its equal and opposite countercurse, in the form of a prophecy:

"Comes a Hero from the East
Free the Man from in the Beast
Bring the Child from out the Band
Drive the Curser from the Land."

Within the land our Hero met many strange characters. The Innkeepers, Shameen and Shema, were Kattas from the land of Shapeir to the South and had come North in search of wealth (and, as is revealed at the end of Quest for Glory II, to find a hero to save Raseir). Abdulla Doo, their dear friend, was brutally robbed by the Brigands and now lives with them, a pauper.

Bruno was an unsavory thief with poisoned daggers who enjoyed hanging out outside the town gates in the afternoons. For a price, he would give information that usually led the Hero to his near-death. Sam was a poor beggar living in the alleyway and hearing rumors. The local tavern served up a drink called Dragon's Breath that would instantly kill the average human drinker. The tavern also housed the local Thieves' Guild underground, and if one knew the password he would be in.

The Faerie Zara, along with her familiar Damiano, owned and operated the magic shop in town. Erasmus and his familiar Fenrus had a house atop Mount Zauberberg, and the Magic User could engage in a rousing game of Mage's Maze with him for the Dazzle spell. In a small clearing to the North stood Erana's Peace, a place of tranquility and a haven for those caught out in the night created long ago by the mysterious Wizard Erana. 'Enry the 'Ermit was a hermit that lived by the flying falls and enjoyed company whenever it was around. A small band of Meeps camped out in the West.

Our Hero helped the Dryad of the Forest by retrieving the seed of the Spore Spitting Spirea, and in return she gave him the ingredients for the creation of a dispel potion. Monsters were everywhere, and a horde of goblins had an encampment in the forest.

Our Hero managed to find his way into a cave guarded by an Ogre and occupied by a terrible Kobold magic user. After defeating the Kobold, the Hero then freed the Baronet von Spielburg from an enchantment that had turned him into a bear.

Eventually the Hero found his way to the Brigand's headquarters. There he encountered Yorick, the Baron's court jester, who had been posing as a Warlock to stay close to the Brigand Leader, whom was an enchanted Elsa von Spielburg, the Baron's daughter. He also encountered Toro, Elsa's loyal minotaur, and escaped a gauntlet of enemies on his way to fulfill his mission. Right before the leader was about to skewer him, the Hero splashed the dispel potion on her and she returned to normal.

After defeating the Brigands and returning the two children to the Baron, our intrepid Hero fulfilled the last part of the curse by defeating Baba Yaga, reflecting a spell back upon her that turned her into a frog. Her hut, with chicken legs and wings, flew off into the sky, hopefully never to be seen again.

After a great party and award ceremony bestowing upon our hero the title "Hero of Spielburg," he traveled with Shameen, Shema, and Abdulla on a magic carpet to the land of Shapeir and further exciting adventures.

Quest for Glory II: Trial By Fire

The hero then found himself in Shapeir, a sprawling Arabian metropolis in the middle of a great desert. Despite the ideal conditions and pleasant demeanor of its citizens, the city was marred by tragedy. Its sister city, Raseir, had become a place of great oppression, and the laws had become more important than the men. The Emir Arus Al-Din had been missing for a year, and his brother Ali Hasan ruled with an iron fist. The Katta, who lived in Raseir before there was a city, were driven away from their ancestral homeland and scattered to the winds. Few people now entered Raseir, and even fewer left it. Neither the reason for this tragedy, its extent, nor those responsible for it were known.

Shameen and Shema, the Katta innkeepers from Spielburg, quicky set up the Katta's Tail Inn and became the premier spot of culture and entertainment for the city. The poet Omar, famous weaver of words, performed shows on select nights, and Shema performed her spellbinding dance.

Shortly after the Hero's arrival, Shapeir became plagued by elementals, fierce personifications of fire, air, earth, and water brought to life through dark sorcery. With the help of the Enchantress Aziza, the Liontaur Paladin Rakeesh, the gnome Keapon Laffin, and Harik the Apothecary, the hero discovered the knowledge to best each elemental and turn their destructive power into helpful tools in his quest.

The Magic User traveled through the streets of Shapeir guided by his Detect Magic spell and discovered the Wizard's Institute of Technocery (WIT). After undergoing an intense initiation, tested by his sponsor Erasmus and the Wizards of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, the Hero was given the rank of Wizard and was offered a chance to spend 20 years studying at WIT, forgetting the material world. The Hero refused and the Wizards turned him away. As a graduation present, Erasmus gave him the spell of Reversal.

The Fighter, after performing many great deeds, underwent a test to enter into the Eternal Order of Fighters (EOF). The Thief, as always, stole things, aided and abetted by Dinarzad, the sultry moneychanger.

In the desert, there existed a woman Healer named Julanar who was transformed by a Djinni into a tree hundreds of years ago. At the request of the Enchantress Aziza, the Hero journeyed to her and restored her soul with acts of kindness and love, reminding her that there was still joy and good in the world. While she would not be returned to human form until she encountered her true love, the Hero restored her hope and faith in mankind.

After the Hero defeated the elementals in Shapeir, he journeyed by caravan to the broken city of Raseir. There he met Signor Ferrari, the slimy proprietor of the Blue Parrot Inn, who enlisted the hero in the retrieval of the fabled Blackbird from the house of Khaveen, the despotic leader of the Raiserian Guard. The Blackbird, however, was discovered to be a fake. Shortly afterward, Signor Ferrari's friend and henchman Ugarte was discovered smuggling water by Khaveen and dragged off to an uncertain fate. Ferrari explains that Khaveen had always known about Ugarte's water smuggling, but he was only arrested now because he asked questions about the Hero.

The Hero then encountered Zayisha, the daughter of the Emir, and helped her to escape the city by disguising herself as the Hero, taking his Visa. The next day, without a given reason, the Hero was arrested and thrown in the dungeon.

In the dungeon he encountered Sharaf, Shema's cousin and leader of the Underground Resistance in Raseir. Sharaf helped the Hero to escape, and as the Hero was making his way back to the Blue Parrot Inn he was stopped and hypnotized by Ad Avis, the true reason for all the troubles of Raseir. Ad Avis, after convincing the Hero that he was his best friend, took him to the Forbidden City to retrieve the Statue of Iblis and fulfill a prophecy. Once the Hero retrieved the statue, Ad Avis trapped him and took the statue back to Raseir to perform a ritual binding the evil Djinn Iblis to him, making him immortal and giving him the ability to rule the world.

All was not lost, though, as the Hero discovered another Djinn, "He Who Waits Behind," inside a ring, who granted him three wishes and took him to the Palace of Raseir. After sneaking into the Palace and having a final confrontation with Khaveen, the Hero burst into the ritual room and disrupted the ceremony, ruining Ad Avis' plan. After avoiding Ad Avis' magical attacks, the Hero knocked over his brazier, setting him on fire and pushing him off the balcony where he was to fall to his death.

The Underground Resistance made a final siege on the Palace and forced the Emir to end the reign of terror that was run by Ad Avis. During the final celebrations, the Hero sneaked away to Raseir's dry, cracked fountain and released the essence of the Water Elemental into it, making the fountain flow again and magically restoring the city. His task complete, Shameen, Shema, and Abdulla returned on the flying carpet to escort him to the Sultan.

In a final ceremony, all those the Hero helped along the way spoke for his bravery and his truth. Roget, the Hero's trusted Saurus, was revealed to be the true Emir of Raseir, and was transformed back into his true form with the aid of a dispel potion. The Sultan Harun al Rashid -- revealed to be the Poet Omar -- adopted the Hero as his son, titling him the Prince of Shapeir. If the Hero was honorable above all exception, put others before himself in all areas of his journey, and showed mercy to his enemies, he was given by Rakeesh the magical sword Soulforge and deemed a Paladin.

Quest for Glory III: Wages of War

The hero begins the game by learning of the uncertain fate of Ad Avis and someone he referred to as the dark master, and is transported to the world of Tarna by Aziza with the Liontaur Rakeesh. Rakeesh reunites with his wife, Kreesha. The hero explores the city of Tarna and learns that it is ruled by Liontaurs, and that humans are only allowed into certain parts of the city. Rakeesh brought the hero to Tarna in the hopes that he could prevent a war between the Simbani and the Leopard Men, a war which Rakeesh believes has demonic influence surrounding it. When trying to explore the Liontaur temple the hero learned that he would need to bring a gem from the heart of the world to reveal his destiny. The hero also stopped a thief from escaping in the streets of Tarna, and was summoned to the court to testify before the Rajah, Rakeesh's brother. The hero later testified before Rajah and swore to seek peace at all costs, and Rajah agreed to delay waging war on the side of the Simbani for a while.

The hero traveled with Rakeesh to the Simbani village and stayed with Uhura, where he learned that the Leopard Men had stolen the Simbani's Spear of Death and that they were holding the Magical Drum of the Leopard Men in exchange. The hero befriended Yesufu, the son of the leader of the Simbani, and tried to persuade the people there to seek peace. The hero rescued a monkey named Manu, and also traveled to the heart of the world to gain a magical gem. A magic user could also acquire magical wood to create a magical staff. Back in Tarna, the hero learned his destiny to seek balance by returning to the temple of the Liontaurs, and found the thief he had stopped earlier to be wandering the streets, unable to buy or sell from anyone.

Upon returning to the Simbani village, the hero discovered a caged Leopard Man who was being guarded by the Simbani. By using a dispel potion the hero revealed the human form of the Leopard Man to be a woman. By paying a bride price the hero was allowed to take the prisoner for himself. The hero tried giving her gifts to soften her heart, but she ran away as soon as he opened her cage. The hero met with her in the forest and learned that the Leopard Men were convinced the Simbani had stolen their Magical Drum and so were holding their Spear of Death. A Fighter or Paladin would compete in the Simbani trials to be declared the best warrior and win the Magical drum, to be exchanged for the Spear of Death held by the Leopard Men, a thief would have to sneak into the village of the Leopard Men and steal the Magical Drum, and magic users would engage in a duel with the greatest wizard of the Leopard Men to win their respect and take the Spear of Death. After the two items were restored to their owners, the leaders of the two villages left for peace talks in Tarna, and if the hero was a fighter he had the chance to become a Paladin.

In Tarna the peace talks went wrong when a demonic influence caused the leaders of the two tribes to kill each other, and the hero left Tarna to try to find the cause of these events. The hero met the monkey Manu who agreed to take him to his village if the hero would keep safe. The hero convinced Manu to take him to the lost city however, which he believed to be the source of the demonic influence. After fighting their way through the jungle and crossing a bridge with the help of his skills, the hero went into the lost city and used a magical stone he obtained from a friendly forest creature to enter the lair of the demons. The hero met Rakeesh's missing daughter, Reeshaka, and saved her from demonic influence. All the hero's friends united to fight the demons, and the thief the hero had met earlier ended up saving him from a fight with a demonic double.

The hero then defeated a demon wizard, by sacrificing his magical staff and detonating its energy as a wizard, by using a magical grappling hook as a thief, throwing away his Paladin sword as a Paladin, or using the Spear of Death as a fighter. The hero destroyed the demonic portal serving as the source of the demons, and re-united with his friends, only to be ripped away by dark magic to some other realm.

Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness

For the first time since the first game, you carry over no inventory, tools, or money from the previous game. All character classes start essentially with a suit of armor and nothing else, after being transported to the valley of Mordavia by unknown forces. After escaping the cave of the Dark One the hero meets a friendly woman named Katrina who offers to be his friend. The hero turns out to be an unwelcome presence in the town of Mordavia however, where they are suspicious of strangers and afraid of the undead monsters in the valley. The valley of Mordavia was host to an epic battle between Erana and the followers of the Dark One, and ended with both Erana and the Dark One being sealed away in another dimension, and the cave of the Dark One being a lasting sign of his presence in the valley. The cult of the Dark One also built a monastery in the town of Mordavia itself, which is also host to an eccentric scientist named Dr. Cranium, a grumpy Burgomeister named Dmitri, and a family of innkeepers, Yuri and Bella who lost their daughter years ago.

Tensions ease towards the hero after he saves the gravedigger Igor from being trapped in a tomb and clears the name of a gypsy suspected for the crime. The gypsies take the hero under their wing and help him learn of his fortune and the events and characters affecting his present. The hero learns that he was transported to the valley of Mordavia by the dark wizards living in the castle of the Boyar, and that they intended to bring him straight to the castle but the influence of the Dark One's cave threw their spell off and dropped him in the middle of the cave instead. He also learns of the presence of seven ritual spells which were designed to bring the Dark One into the world of the living, which were all apparently hidden away inside the valley of Mordavia.

The hero also ran into his own nemesis Baba Yaga, who had deprived a local gnome of his sense of humor. After preparing a gruesome meal for the witch the hero was able to restore the gnome's humor and in return the ultimate joke, which was guaranteed to make anyone that heard it laugh uncontrollably the first time it was used. Exploring a crypt which led to the castle of the Boyar, the hero found that Tanya, the daughter of the innkeeper, was still alive... in a sense. She had been turned into a vampire and was living in the castle with Ad Avis, and Katrina, who turned out to be a vampire herself and the source of all the problems in Mordavia including the hero's presence there. Ad Avis had been turned into a vampire by Katrina, his dark master, and forced into servitude to her. By bringing her a doll from the inn the hero was able to gain Tanya's trust, and offer her a chance to become alive again and rejoin her family if some creature was willing to sacrifice its life for her. Her monster pet Toby agreed to the promise, and traded his life for hers using the staff of Erana so Tanya could rejoin her family. The hero gained the staff and won the adoration and respect of the townspeople.

The hero received an urgent message from Katrina asking that they meet, but was surprised to find his old enemy Ad Avis, who captured him and locked him up in the castle, with a hammer and stake inches away, taunting him. The hero was able to free himself and travel down to where Katrina slept in her coffin, but he was unable to bring himself to kill her, also knowing that that would allow Ad Avis complete freedom to do as she wished. Katrina was nonetheless angered by the intrusion and unwilling to let the hero go. She bound his will with a magical spell and forced him to return in a week's time with the five rituals hidden throughout the valley. One ritual, the ritual of the mouth was owned by Katrina herself and used to open the cave of the Dark One so the hero could escape at the beginning, and one ritual, the ritual of essence was inside the Dark One's cave itself guarded by the last Borgov.

The hero retrieved the ritual of blood by gaining entrance to the cult's monastery and traveling to its basement to drink unholy drink and receive a vision of the Dark One arising to destroy life within the valley. The hero gained the ritual of bone by revealing a secret within a squid-shaped stone in the swamp, and gained the breath ritual by doing another favor for Baba Yaga, who had removed it from the hangman's tree. The ritual of the senses was hidden within the swamp and guarded by followers of the Dark One. The heart ritual had to be obtained from the fairy queen seeking Erana's staff for a magic user, and the other classes would need to raid the lair of a wraith.

Thieves also had the ability to investigate the Adventurer's Guild to find a hidden Thieves' guild and restore a cursed chief thief to human form, as well as rob the Burgomeiser's and old man Nikolai's house, and free the gypsy by breaking in. All classes could reconcile the shopkeeper Olga and her husband, and burn down the monastery for good measure. Paladins could free the Rusalka from an undead existence and restore the honor of the Burgomeister Dimitri.

After bringing the rituals to Katrina, the hero was taken to the cave of the dark one where he had to seize the ritual of essence by sneaking past or defeating the last Borgov, and use the rituals to unwillingly bring back the Dark One. After completing the last ritual the hero was attacked by Ad Avis, and Katrina retaliated against the hero's nemesis, breaking the bonds which bound him to servitude. Ad Avis attempted to cast a spell to kill the hero but Katrina sacrificed herself to save his life. The hero managed to do away with Ad Avis by telling him the ultimate joke he had learned, and using Erana's staff to knock him away so he would be consumed by the Dark One. The hero then was able to use Erana's staff to revive her, who was able to remove the Dark One from the world of the living forever.

In the celebrations that followed, Dmitri was appointed the new Boyar of Mordavia, and trade was finally reopened with the rest of the world. It wasn't too long however, before the hero was summoned away by Erasmus and Fenrus to save the land of Silmaria.

Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire

After being summoned to the land of Silmaria by the wizard Erasmus, our hero learns of the assassination of the king of Silmaria, and how his old friend Rakeesh is helping the centaur Logos choose a new ruler by the Rites of Rulership. With the help of Rakeesh and a gift from his father, the Sultan of Shapier, the hero set out to enter the rites and find the assassin and the sinister forces trying to undermine Silmaria. The hero's old friends Salim and Julanar worked as healers in the village, Rakeesh's son owned a magic shop, and Ugarte and Ferrari were back as members of the Thieves guild, and Ferrari hosted a tournament where champions could go to fight. Nawar and Budar, the harem girls from Rasier worked in an inn owned by Ferrari. The hero also met the Famous Adventurer (FA) who had taught the correspondence course he initially took, and was able to restore the old man's strength with some hippocrene water.

The hero competed in the first rite of rulership, the rite of freedom, by freeing a fishing village from the clutches of Hesperian mercenaries. His competitors were his old friend Elsa from the land of Spielburg, a Silmarian guard named Kokeeno, a Roman general named Magnum Opus, and a strange sort of Frankenstein's monster named Gort. Gort was sponsered by the scientists at the Academy of Silmaria, Dr. Mobius and Praetorius, and Elsa was sponsered by a wealthy man named Minos, an advisor to the king, and previously part of a ruling family. Not long after the hero completed the rite Kokeeno was found dead, and his blood used to shatter a dragon pillar. The seven dragon pillars and a prophesy stone were erected to imprison a dragon that had previously risen and destroyed the kingdom of Atlantis.

The hero then was summoned to compete in the second rite, the rite of conquest, by defeating the mercenary General Claudius. To do so he had to travel to the isle of Sifnos by boat and fight a horde of mercenaries. The hero's friend Ugarte was also attacked by the assassin for trying to give him information. When he returned the hero Magnum Opus was found killed, with another dragon pillar nearby destroyed.

The next rite the hero had to complete was the rite of valor, which required defeating the immortal hydra. The hero built a pair of wings with some materials from the academy of science, and was able to fly to the Hydra's island. With some help from Elsa Spielburg, the two of them were able to cut off the Hydra's heads and burn the stumps. The hero had to decide which one of them would receive credit for the rite. Rakeesh was also attacked by an assassin during this rite, and the wizard Erasmus was found drugged by magical chocolates.

For the rite of destiny, the hero had to travel to the oracle at Delphi to learn his future. With the help of the local innkeeper, gnome ann, and a friendly wolf who had drawn a flying balloon, the hero was able to build a flying balloon at science island and travel to the Oracle at Delphi and learn his future, as well as be able to dance with the dryads. The hero also gained a flower which helped the healers in town provide an antidote to the assassin's poison.

For the rite of courage, the hero journeyed to the depths of Hades itself, passing by the three-headed dog Cerberus, and entering the heart of the underworld to gain water from the river Styx. The hero also could choose to revive one of his lost loves, Erana or Katrina, at great cost to himself. The hero also gained waters from the river Lethe to aid the drugged wizards Erasmus, and Rakeesh's son Shakra.

The rite of peace forced the hero to travel to the kingdom of Atlantis to seek a treaty with the Tritons who had disrupted all sea travel. With a water-breathing-amulet and some advice from the famous adventurer he was able to return with a sign of peace. Dr. Mobius and Praetorius were discovered to have been drugging the wizards, and were also revealed to be the same person as Gort was disqualified from the contest, leaving only the hero and Elsa.

The final rite was the rite of justice, and had the hero search to discover the evil force behind the problems in Silmaria. The dragon pillars had almost all been broken, and the dragon itself was on the verge of being unleashed. Elsa also warned the hero of the treachery of Minos against the land of Silmaria. After helping out gnome ann in recovering her inn from Ferrari, and getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, the hero did battle with the assassin, who turned out to be the deadly poison-dagger wielding Bruno of Spielburg. The hero informed Logos of what he suspected about the assassin and Minos, and confronted Minos, who escaped to his island. The hero sent out to storm Minos's fortress alone, and defeated his Minotaur as Minos broke the prophesy stone at the cost of his own life and released the dragon of doom.

With the help of all his friends, including the guildmaster and minotaur Toro, Elsa's friend from Spielburg, the hero challenged the dragon of doom and defeated it once and for all, and was offered the ultimate reward of ruling the kingdom of Silmaria. Thieves also had the chance to find the real blackbird they had been searching for since the second game, and steal it twice from unwary opponents, and Paladins were able to forge a Paladin's ring to reveal all lies.

Notable Characters

• Devon Aidendale, often referred as The Hero is the main character of the game. His name, however, can be selected at the beginning of the game, and Devon Aidendale is only used for strategy guides and other documents where a "formal name" has to be given. In the games themselves he is usually referred to by one of his titles, such as "Hero of Spielburg" or later on, "Prince of Shapeir." He completed his Famous Adventurer's Correspondence School course, and left his homeland to become a hero. He arrived at Spielburg just before the snows blocked the only exit, and helped finding both the Baron's lost children and scare Baba Yaga away, earning him the title of "Hero of Spielburg". After that, he restored peace to Raseir, eliminated the demon threat in Tarna, freed the soul of Erana, stopped the resurrection of Avoozl and in the final game, became the king of Silmaria, also marrying Elsa, Katrina, Erana or Nawar.

• Rakeesh Sah Tarna, the liontaur which introduces the Hero to honor and becoming his guide in the ways of the Paladin. A former ruler of his hometown of Tarna, where he was injured by a demon while defending it. He forfeited the throne in favour of his proud brother Rajah Sah Tarna; Rakeesh disagrees with his brother on many points, especially on Rakeesh's decision to become a Paladin. He left his wife Kreesha Mar Asha and his homeland due to his duties as a Paladin - be where needed, and later overviews the Rites of Rulership in Silmaria. He helped run the Adventurers' Guild in Shapeir with his friend Uhura, the Simbani woman warrior who left her village in the outskirts of Tarna as she wanted to be both a warrior and a mother, a thing Simbanian people would not allow.

• Erasmus is a powerful, friendly and somewhat insane wizard that helps the player in his quests. Always with his familiar Fenrus, both provide some comic relief with witty comments and bad jokes. In the second game, he can introduce a magic user to the Wizard's Institute of Technocery, turning the Hero into a wizard.

• Erana, a powerful fairy who was killed battling Avoozl (the Dark One) in Mordavia along with the mythical paladin Piotyr. Erana only appears in character in the fifth game (with a brief appearance at the end of the fourth), but in each game except Trial by Fire there is a spot named after her where the player is able to rest peacefully and recover his strength.

• Baba Yaga, an ogress-witch known for her chicken-legged hut was the villain of the first game. When she first arrived in Spielburg, the Baron tried to force her to leave so she put a curse on him that led to the death of his wife and the disappearance of their son and daughter. After the Hero forced her to leave Spielburg, she settled in Mordavia. Her hut is always guarded by Bonehead, a talking skull. In order to access Baba Yaga's hut in both games, the Hero must give him something he wants - first an eye, and later something with which to cover his head.

• Elsa von Spielburg, the daughter of the Baron, kidnapped very young, who grew to become the Brigand leader without being aware of her past. In Dragon Fire the player learned that she and Toro, her guard minotaur from her Brigand ways, left Spielburg as his brother, Barnard von Spielburg did not approve of her adventuring ways.

• Shameen and Shema, the Kattas who fled to Spielburg in search of a hero after Ad Avis took control of their native city of Raseir. While expecting to return with their friend, the trader Abdulla Doo, he was robbed of his magic carpet by the brigands. In the second game, after returning, they set up an inn in the twin city of Raseir, Shapeir, and at the start of the third game they appear for a final time, asking the Hero to deliver a note to their nephew in Tarna, Shallah.

• Ad Avis, the wizard who controls Raseir, and supposedly dies when the Hero knocks him out from the tower where he was attempting to summon Iblis. He re-appears in Mordavia, serving his Dark Master, later revealed to be Katrina, the first human (in reality, a nosferatu) the Hero sees in Mordavia, and acting mysteriously, she plays with him long enough to awaken the Dark One, Avoozl. As the story closes, Ad Avis, now serving as a servant to Katrina, attacks the hero out of rage; Katrina sacrifices herself to protect the Hero, giving him enough time to kill Ad Avis once and for all.

• Salim Nafs, the herbalist in Tarna, resembles Corey Cole. When he heard the story of Julanar, the healer woman turned to tree after being lured to a trap, which had her faith in humanity restored by the Hero, he left for Shapeir and completed her transformation from tree back to woman with the only thing the Hero couldn't do - love her. Both moved to Silmaria to run a local apothecary.

• Henry the Hermit, 'Enry the 'Ermit lives alone in a cave upon a rocky ledge near the Flying Falls in the Valley of Spielburg. He is a magician, master cribbage player and source of information on all topics. Henry loves to talk and is known to be friends with the great wizard Erasmus, his associate Fenrus and the mysterious Brigand Warlock. Henry can be quite ruthless when crossed, but otherwise is very friendly and always offers guests to 'hit the hay' in his glowing moss covered cave.