Elizabeth Van Dalen

This article is about the Practitioner. For other uses, see Elizabeth.

A powerful Practitioner and Molly’s mentor. She first appeared in “Authenticity”.

## Biography

Elizabeth Van Dalen probably grew up and learned Hermetic magic in Belgium before she emigrated to the United States. She lived in Seattle for seventy years, and it is implied that she had been a Practitioner since the First World War.⁠ During her time in Seattle she accumulated property, secrets, and contacts.⁠ That included owning and running an occult bookstore, where Molly worked.

Compared to most Practitioners and Hermetics, she was open to other Practices, and made a point of studying their different approaches to magic. This meant that she could mentor Molly effectively, despite them following different Practices.⁠⁠ Combined with her power and experience it also meant that she could serve as the center of the Practitioner community in Seattle.⁠

Three or four years after she cut ties with the Light she was murdered by Leon with Evelyn’s assistance.⁠

After her death her arcane belongings and knowledge were distributed across Seattle’s circles and Practicioners. The most important item, her Book of Shadows, was bequeathed to Molly and Onyx.⁠

## Relationships

>
> “I met Elizabeth a few times, but that doesn’t feel like it was enough to say we were friends.”
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> Kate’s smile remained, though it turned sad. “Elizabeth wouldn’t have said so.” She gestured to the others in the gallery. “I’ll grant not everyone here is a friend. Some came as a formality or out of self-interest. But if we’ve ever had a community in Seattle, Elizabeth was at the center.”
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— Onyx and Kate Oakwood, “Authenticity”

Elizabeth served as Molly’s mentor and guide, though never formally as master and apprentice.⁠ She however saw Molly as her heir. She recognised the close bond between Molly and Onyx, and probably some of Onyx’s talent too.⁠

She took care to keep good relations with as many Practitioners and circles as she could, and tried to keep a magical peace in Seattle even after her death. She seemed to have a close and respectful relationship with Kate and Jin, entrusting the execution of her will to them.

The only known Practitioner or circle she explicitly rejected was the Light and its leader Leon.⁠

## Abilities

Elizabeth was a powerful and experienced Practitioner. She was capable of casting complex spells without the assistance of wands, and exert fine control over the bodies of several different people at once.⁠

## Trivia

Elizabeth was described as talking with a Belgian accent, but Belgium is tri-lingual (Dutch, French, and German). Van Dalen is a Dutch surname, implying that Elizabeth was Flemish. The meaning is either “from Dalen in northeastern Netherlands or a change from “van Dale” (from the valley). In Flanders, the form “van Daele” is most common. Given that Elizabeth immigrated to the USA during a period when name changes and adjustments were common, any of these could have been Elizabeth’s name in Europe, or she had some entirely different name.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3  *Personal Demons*, Prologue
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 “Authenticity”
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1  *Personal Demons*, chapter 23
4. ↑  *Personal Demons*, chapter 4