Dame Imraldera

Sister: Fairbird

Great-niece: The Speaker

Great-great-niece: Sight-of-Day

Great-great-great-niece: Meadowlark

*"I am called Imraldera," she said, "and I am not silent." --* **Moonblood**

Imraldera is a Knight in the service of the Prince of Farthestshore. She is the Keeper of the Haven, which offers succor and shelter to travelers lost in the Wood Between. She also writes down and preserves in her huge library tales, histories, prophecies, prose and poetry from all realms of both the Near World and the Far. She was born mortal, but she has not aged for the last 1,600 or so years and is now considered immortal. In her homeland of the Southlands, she is known as the Silent Lady, a figure of ancient legend.

## History

"*You are the Panter Master's daughter, aren't you? Maid Starflower, the Silent Lady?"*  -- **Moonblood**

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## Starflower

Dame Imraldera was born some 1,600 years before the events of Heartless. Her birth name was Starflower, and she was the daughter of the Eldest Panther Master, who ruled the tribes of her homeland, the Land Behind the Mountains. When Imraldera lived there, the Land Behind the Mountains worshipped Amarok the Shifter, an evil Faerie that could take the form of a wolf. Under his rule, all women were forced to drink a poison at birth that rendered them mute, and only screams from the greatest of pain could break through the curse. When Imraldera's younger sister Fairbird was born, Amarok demanded her blood as a sacrfice, but Imraldera--then Starflower--refused. So Amarok agreed to let them be for a time, but warning that he would collect his sacrifice in time.

When Imraldera was a young woman, she was promised to marry Sun Eagle of the Crescent Tribe as a gesture of good will between Sun Eagle's tribe and her own. Then, during a manhood ceremony, Sun Eagle was lost in the Wood Between, not to be seen in the Southlands for some hundred years. Now released from her engagement, Imraldera was offered as a sacrifice to Amarok, but before he could take her, Imraldera's father freed her and staved off Amarok long enough for her to escape. Led by a mysterious gold and white Hound, she followed a Path that led underneath the Mountains and into the Wood Between. There she drank the water of a Faerie River and fell into an enchanted sleep.

She slept for some time until Eanrin, the Bard of Rudiobus, came across her during his quest to rescue Lady Gleamdren. He tried and failed twice to wake her, so he took Imraldera to the demesne of ChuMana the Snake. Cashing in a favor, he got one of ChuMana's prince collection to kiss Imraldera awake and break the curse, and then fled the demesne with Imraldera before a furious ChuMana could devour them both. Once Imraldera recovered from a fainting spell, they set off together to rescue Lady Gleamdren, though Imraldera was rather unwilling. During the coure of their trip Eanrin gave the girl the name of Imraldera, which she went by ever after.

When the reached the gate of Etalpalli, the ruined demesne where Gleamdren was imprisioned, the River tried to kidnap Imraldera again. Eanrin leapt to her rescue and together they managed to escape into Etalpalli before they were smashed to bits. Not long after they entered Etalpalli, Eanrin and Imraldera were separated. While wandering through the crazy streets of the burned demense, Imraldera came across one of the Black Dogs, servants of Death and the children of the Dragon Hri Sora. She managed to tame it somewhat and became friends with it, which led to Imraldera catching the notice of the Black Dog's mother, Hri Sora, who was keeping Lady Gleamdren prisoner. After Imraldera was reunited with Eanrin, Hri Sora sent her dogs to bring the girl to her, and they came and took Imraldera away while Eanrin and his rival Glomar were sleeping.

When Imraldera was brought before Hri Sora, she made a deal with the dragon: Hri Sora would release Gleamdren and allow Eanrin and Glomar to escape her realm on the condition that Imraldera would destroy Hri Sora's old enemy Amarok. Imraldera agreed, and they all managed to escape Etalpalli, and Imraldera departed for her homeland in the company of the Black Dogs. But Eanrin, who had begun to fall in love with Imraldera, chased after her and joined her on her quest, and with the help of the Hound, entered the Land Behind the Mountains. Imraldera then faced Amarok and lured him to the edge of the Mountains, where the Black Dogs were waiting to devour them. But Amarok would not exit the protection of his own land, knowing what awaited him. Then the Hound, who was in truth the Lumil Eliasul, the Prince of Farthestshore, removed the curse and released Imraldera's voice, and she spoke Amarok's true name. Furious, he leaped at her, exiting the protection of his own land, and the Black Dogs bore down on him and tore him to pieces. Then the Lumil Eliasul came to Imraldera and made her a Knight of the Farthest Shore, and charged her to rebuild the Haven in the Wood Between and offer succor and protection to those in need, and to keep the records of Imraldera's story and others like it so that they may not be lost. Then he left, and Imraldera was reunited with Eanrin, who had also been knighted by the Lumil Eliasul. Together they set off for Rudiobus, after Imraldera said farewell to her sister Fairbird, who had aged ten years while Imraldera was gone. After a very brief stay in Rudiobus, Imraldera and Eanrin set off together to rebuild the Haven and to serve the Lumil Eliasul.

## Dragonwitch

Some 100 years later, Imraldera met Etanun, the disgraced Knight of the Farthest Shore. He asked her to carry a message to Hri Sora, who had set herself up as a goddess in Imraldera's homeland. Imraldera did so, but was imprisioned. She sent her great-great niece, a girl known as Mouse, to find Etanun or Etanun's heir so they could released the fabled sword Halisa and kill Hri Sora for the final time. Eanrin meanwhile was doing his best to rescue Imraldera, but it turned out to be a little more complicated then he expected. But he did manage to rescue her, and Imraldera helped reunite Halisa with Etanun's Heir. Then she, Eanrin, and Mouse escaped the Diggins underneath Hri Sora's temple, and Imraldera was breifly reunited with her sister, Fairbird, who was now an old woman. They watched the death of Hri Sora from afar, and then Imraldera stayed for fifteen years in the Land Behind the Mountains to bring some stability to the land in the wake of Hri Sora's death.

## Shadow Hand

About twenty years after the events of Dragonwitch, Imraldera was once again reunited with Sun Eagle, the man she had been pledged to marry. Eanrin had encountered him in the wood between, where he was being attacked by Nidawi, a Faerie Queen whose demesne had been destroyed. Not knowing that Sun Eagle was in the service of an evil parasite known as Cren Cru, Eanrin rescued Sun Eagle and brought him to the Haven. Imraldera cared for Sun Eagle's wounds, and while she distanced herself from his affections, she refused to hand him over to Nidawi and got angry at Eanrin when he insinuated that all was not right with Sun Eagle.

She agreed to escort Sun Eagle back to their homeland, and Eanrin, despite his jealousy of Sun Eagle and his misgivings about Sun Eagle, Nidawi, and the entire situation in general, went with them. Not long into the journey, Eanrin confronted Imraldera about her behavior, pointing out that she was letting old emotions and feelings confuse her and was making stupid decisions because of it. They began to argue, and the argument ended with Eanrin declaring that he loved Imraldera. Imraldera repulsed him, shocked and not knowing what to think, then getting mad at him because of his actions towards Lady Gleamdren and herself. Before the arguement could progress much further, they were interrupted by Nidawi, who had captured another servant of Cren Cru, whose name was Daylily. But Eanrin and Imraldera did not know this, so they tried to rescue Daylily. Imraldera inadvertantly enabled Sun Eagle to kill Nidawi's only companion, a huge white lionnes named Lionness. Sun Eagle then tried to convince Imraldera to go with him, but she refused, and he left with Daylily, Eanrin chasing after them. Imraldera tried to comfort the distraught Nidawi, but Nidawi repulsed her efforts, blaming her for Lioness' death, and then ran off. Imraldera was left alone in the Wood, weeping from shame.

Later, Imraldera found a white lion cub and gave this to Nidawi. Nidawi graciously accepted the gift, and in turn asked Imraldera if Nidawi's freed children could stay with Imraldera, serving as attendants and helping Imraldera take keep care of the Haven until Nidawi could find them a permanent home. Imraldera agreed, and Nidawi left in search of a new home, leaving Imraldera alone with Eanrin. Eanrin announced he was leaving, and at first Imraldera protested, but then realized that was probably the best option at that point in time. Before he left, Eanrin gave her a poem to copy down, with instructions that she should give it to someone named Lionheart sometime in the future. About 1,500 years later, Imraldera completed that task.

## Golden Daughter

Imraldera is seen briefly on her knees in the Wood Between, praying during the Night of Moonblood.

## Heartless

Sometime around 1,500 years after the events of Shadow Hand, Prince Felix of Parumvir was brought to Imraldera's Haven, suffering the affects of dragon poison. She cared for him as best she could, but before he was fully healed, he demanded that he be allowed to leave and rescue his father. Imraldera was reluctant at first, but allowed Felix to go when he kept insisting, and he promised to return to complete his healing before the year was out. Later Imraldera gave the sword Halisa to the Prince of Farthestshore, enabling the Prince to rescue his beloved. She also attended the Prince of Farthestshore's wedding, during which she yelled at Eanrin because he had apparently departed for his assignment six years before without telling Imraldera.

## Moonblood

A few months later, Imraldera became worried for Felix, who had yet to return. She sent Eanrin to fetch him, but Felix's mind was nearly destroyed by the dragon poison, and while Eanrin was attempting to bring him back to the Haven, Felix was kidnapped by the Horned One. A little later, Imraldera was in her Haven when Eanrin brought a mortal named Lionheart to her, who was slowly being turned to stone. Together with Eanrin and Sir Oeric, she managed to heal him, and then later gave him advice concerning his quest. Then Eanrin, Oeric, and Lionheart set off for Rudiobus, leaving Imraldera alone in her Haven. While they were gone, Imraldera was confronted by a dragon, Diarmid, who had been Eanrin's nephew and a friend of hers. Diarmid brought her a message from Queen Anahid of Arpiar, asking Imraldera that they save Anahid's daughter, Varvare, the very person Lionheart was seeking. Then the Horned Beast arrived, slaying Diarmid but healing Imraldera's burns before leaving. After singing a song of benediction over the slain, Imraldera set out for Rudioubus, arriving exhuasted and trembling. Eanrin heard her calling and rushed off in the middle of a song he was singing to Lady Gleamdren, doing his best to comfort her. Then they split up; Eanrin and Imraldera headed off to the Village of Dragons to prepare an ambush for Anahid's evil husband, King Vahe, and Lionheart and Oeric to find an entrance into Arpiar. The ambush worked to a certain degree, but King Vahe managed to wake one dragon; the Bane of Corrilond. Eanrin faced the dragon alone and distracted her so Imraldera could free Varvare and tend to Lionheart, who had been greviously wounded and perhaps killed. Imraldera managed to free Varvare, but there was nothing she could do for Lionheart, who had died speared through the heart. After Prince Felix killed the Bane of Corrilond, Felix and Eanrin found the horn of the Horned One, who had been killed by the Bane of Corrilond. Imraldera took the horn and touched it to Lionheart's wound, healing him. Then the Prince of Farthestshore arrived and crowned Varvare the Queen of Arpiar, for Vahe had been slain by Oeric. Imraldera, Eanrin, Lionheart, and the rest all then attended Varvare's coronation celebration in Arpiar. Three days after Imraldera left the banquet, she gave Lionheart a scroll that had been written 1,500 years before.

## Description

*"...Her face was uncommonly beautiful for a mortal girl's."* -- **Starflower**

Imraldera is petite, with warm brown skin, glossy black hair, and black-as-night eyes, and is described as being extremely beautiful. Her teeth, though a little crooked, are a brilliant white. She is gifted at discovering people's true names, can find the good in everyone, and loves everyone, even her enemies. She can be kind and gentle, but is other times feisty, somewhat grouchy, and sarcastic, usually when Eanrin's around. She is uncommonly brave, fiercely protective, and utterly devoted to the Prince of Farthestshore. She used to wear clothes made out of animal skins, but now she usually wears a long, billowy lavender tunic with loose light green pants underneath, with a scarf over her long hair.