Zhan Ila
by Mischa E GelmanHistory: Zhan Ila is a 44-year old woman, having born on Vanya's Day, 956 AC, in a small Ochalean village. She was married off at age 13, and has raised 3 children. Her life has been rather uneventful.
Personality: Ila disapproves of the adventurous women of other lands (and especially those Ochaleans who dare violate the customs of their home) and is content to be a housewife, tending after her home, her family and her garden. She is fairly personable, and only really gets riled up if someone tries to bring harm to those people and things she treasures. As a mage, she seeks to hide her abilities, as she knows they will bring rejection and disapproval from her neighbours. Rather than risking her life like other mages, she merely uses her abilities to create a better domestic scene - for instance, she uses sleep spells on her children at bedtime if they're acting up, wizard locks to safeguard the home when she's away and growth of plants to help make her garden more fashionable.
Other mages may see such practical spell use as wasteful, but she sees fireballing and magic missiling humanoid life in foreign lands as far more wasteful and mindless. Such magical applications count in many ways as magical research, and in addition to actual spell research she has done, help explain her current level of ability, despite a lack of adventuring.
Appearance: Ila appears as a middle-aged Ochalean woman of average height and weight. She wears typical Ochalean garb and is never armed. She often will be seen with her youngest, 4-year old Meng, when out of the home.
Combat Notes: She is a 10th-level mage. AC 9; hp 21; at by spell; D by spell; save MU10; ML 9 (12 if family is threatened); Al N; S 7, I 16, W 12. D 11, Co 9, Ch 10. Languages: Neutral, Common, Ochalean, Thyatian.
General Skills: Labour (Housewife) (I+3), Detect Deception (W), Guidance (W+1), Knowledge (Gardening) (I).
DM Notes: Zhan Ila may present an interesting encounter for thieves or kidnappers seeking what appears to be an easy target in a typical Ochalean household. She is likely to try to encourage Ochalean lasses not to adventure, and will look to redirect such individuals into more rational (in her mind) venues. Similarly, male Ochalean mages will be greeted with the same unwanted advice. Storm Soldiers could seek to strike in Ila's town, potentially resulting in her assisting the party in defeating the Hattians. Ila can also serve as an example of pragmatic magical use, a nice deviation from your typical adventuring magic-user.