Heranor Family
The Heranor family lives in a place called Murias at the eastern edge of the Jengu forest and Cailleach mountains. It is a place avoided by mortals due to stories of wanderers getting lost and never coming back in this region. Stories that hold a lot of truth to them where the Heranor family is concerned. As a family of fae, they all carry their immortal morals and no general fondness for mortals.
The family is somewhat of an oddity, even among fae. The sheer size of the family if an outlier in and of itself. However, what sets them apart form other fae the most is that instead of simply following their whims as most fae do, they seem to follow a specific goal instead.
Important Characters
The Father
Adrik [ɑːdɹɪk] is regarded as the patriarch of the Heranor family and the one who ultimately guides its purpose. Among the fae he is known as a determined and uncompromising figure, driven by the belief that immortals were never meant to yield the world to creatures whose lives end within the span of a few decades. To him, such a state of things is not natural, but merely the result of a forgotten order.
Under his authority the Heranor family has grown into a disciplined and secretive force. Adrik rarely interferes in the daily lives of his children, but his word carries absolute weight when he does. Few would dare question his judgment.
Even among his own family he remains a distant presence. He does not seek admiration, yet he commands it regardless, along with a fair share of fear.
Adrik
Heranor
The Mother
Merianna [meɹiːɑːnɑː] holds an unusual place within the Heranor family. Though she shares its blood, due to merely holding the position of a broodmare, she is not regarded as a true part of it. Most members treat her with indifference at best and open resentment at worst, and few attempt to hide that she is seen more as an inconvenience than as kin.
Merianna lives largely confined to the lower levels of the castle. She is permitted to move through certain areas only under supervision and rarely leaves the castle at all. Her role within the family is not openly discussed, though it is understood that she is still required to ensure the family’s future.
Over time this isolation has left its mark on her. Merianna speaks little and keeps to herself whenever she is allowed to wander the halls. A few among the Heranors treat her with a measure of kindness, but most keep their distance. With so little power over her own circumstances, resignation has slowly begun to replace whatever ambitions she may once have had.
Merianna
Heranor
First Elite
Aneliese
Heranor
Eisblume
Eisblume [aɪsbluːmə] is the firstborn child of Adrik and Merianna and the most influential member of the Heranor family after their father. From an early age she was raised almost entirely under Adrik’s guidance, learning his ideologies as well as the practice of dark magic. She proved to be an exceptionally capable learner, inheriting much of her father’s sharp mind and quickly adopting his views of the world.
As she grew older, Eisblume took on the task of shaping the rest of the family. During the first century of her life she personally trained nearly all of her younger siblings, instilling discipline, loyalty, and the family’s guiding beliefs. Over time she stepped back from this role, leaving the instruction of younger members to the older siblings while she devoted herself to broader pursuits.
Though she spent long periods away from Murias, Eisblume remained deeply involved in the family’s direction. Only those siblings she considered especially promising received her personal attention.
In the year 1307, Eisblume left Murias and has not returned since. She now acts on a plan of her own design, one that concerns the future of Mereldia itself. The details of this plan are known only to her and Abigail.
Within the Heranor family, Eisblume is respected without question. Her judgment is rarely challenged, and many among her siblings see her as the true guiding force behind the family’s ambitions. To oppose her is considered unthinkable.
Second Elite
Liselotte
Heranor
Abigail
Abigail is one of the highest-ranking members of the Heranor family, standing only below Eisblume in authority. Though not physically the strongest among her siblings, she possesses an ability that makes her indispensable to the family: powerful telepathy. Anyone she has touched at least once can have their mind reached by her, allowing Abigail to read their thoughts and communicate with them across great distances. Through this network she maintains a connection with much of the family, something that functions almost like a shared mind, with Abigail quietly at its centre.
Despite this influence, Abigail herself is known for a calm and gentle nature. She despises unnecessary cruelty and often attempts to keep brutality within the family to a minimum. Her speech is unusual, often poetic and filled with riddles, and many of her siblings consider her difficult to understand. She spends much of her time wandering through forests or studying in Nordberg’s Grand Library, where her endless curiosity for knowledge has made her something of a scholar.
Among her siblings, Abigail’s closest bond is with her brother Jesse, who trained her during her early years and has remained a constant ally ever since. While Abigail rarely involves herself openly in the family’s harsher dealings, few doubt that she holds considerable influence behind the scenes. Even when she seeks peace rather than conflict, her power over minds and information ensures that she remains one of the most significant figures within the Heranor family.
Third Elite
Jesse [jæsæ] is one of the most influential members of the Heranor family and third highest member of the Elite. His position was not earned through overwhelming magical strength, but through an exceptional intellect and an unusual talent for shaping magic itself. Jesse is widely known for his ability to invent and refine spells, many of which have strengthened the family’s magical arsenal over the centuries.
Beyond his work with magic, Jesse also plays an important role in the family’s relations with other fae. His natural charm and keen understanding of others make him an effective negotiator, capable of persuading even reluctant allies to support the Heranors’ cause. Many of the alliances the family maintains today exist largely because of his efforts.
Despite his calm and often charismatic demeanor, Jesse shares the family’s general disregard for mortal life. Mortals rarely hold his attention for long, though he is known to treat encounters with them more as a game than a necessity.
Among his siblings, Jesse is particularly known for his loyalty to those he cares about. His bond with Abigail is especially strong, as he played a significant role in her early training and has remained protective of her ever since. Though he rarely displays such sentiment openly, those within the family know that Jesse’s devotion to his kin runs deeper than he usually allows others to see.
Ciaran
Heranor
Jesse
Fourth Elite
Chantrea & Estelle
Heranor
Jackdaws
Chantrea and Estelle both hold the place of the fourth highest Elite, sharing it due to the fact of being nearly inseperable twins and sharing most of their achievements. Due to that, they both also share the code name "Jackdaws." They are not only one of only few sets of twins in the family, but also some of the very few family members not related to Merianna. Their mother is a winged fae that joined the Heranors some centuries back, but left only a few decades after giving birth to the twins. By that point, both Chantrea and Estelle had already been educated thoroughly in the way of the family and started their apprenticeship, which made them unwilling to leave with their mother. In their eyes, their mother betrayed them and the entire family and they don't think highly of her as a result.
Their wings give them an advantage few other Heranors possess. Both sisters are exceptional fliers, capable of maintaining great speed and endurance over long distances while remaining highly agile in the air. Over time they refined these abilities into a specialization that made them invaluable to the family.
Chantrea and Estelle serve primarily as trackers. When someone attempts to hide from the Heranors or escape their reach, the twins are usually the ones sent to find them. Their keen awareness, patience, and ability to survey large territories from the air make them extremely difficult to evade.
Once they have located their target, they are equally capable of carrying out the elimination themselves. Working together with remarkable coordination, the twins are able to corner and overwhelm even skilled opponents. Because of this, few who are pursued by the “Jackdaws” manage to escape for long.
Within the family they are regarded as one of the most reliable tools for dealing with fugitives or enemies attempting to disappear. Their methods are efficient and precise, and once they are assigned to a hunt, it is generally only a matter of time before their target is found.
Fifth Elite
Sceana [ˈʃeɪ.nə] is, after Eisblume, the most ruthless of the Elite. She has discovered a way to create demons through her magic, a feat not seen since the time of the war, though the process appears to be slowly eroding her sanity. The longer she pursues this work, the more unpredictable her behaviour becomes.
Unlike many of the other Elites, Sceana rarely waits for approval before acting. She prefers to follow her own instincts, often launching into plans or experiments without informing the rest of the family. While this occasionally produces useful results, it more often leaves others to deal with the consequences of her actions.
Because of this recklessness, Sceana is both valued and watched carefully by her siblings. Her abilities are undeniable, but her lack of restraint makes her one of the most difficult members of the Elite to manage. Even those who appreciate the power she brings to the family know that her ambitions carry risks that cannot always be controlled.
Sceana
Heranor
Demon Master
Sixth Elite
Reverend is one of the oldest siblings after Eisblume and has been among the Elite ranks for most of his life. Instead of bringing a special set of skills or raw power to the table like the other Elites, he focuses on ensuring that nothing his siblings do topples the family’s carefully built structure. He does not possess an exceptional talent for strategy, but he values order and takes the time to think situations through, which often puts him at odds with the more impulsive of his siblings.
Reverend’s strength lies in his thoroughness. While others concern themselves with grand plans or displays of power, he occupies himself with the quieter matters that allow those ambitions to function in the first place. He keeps track of agreements, resources, and responsibilities, making sure that promises are honored and that the family’s affairs remain organised.
Because of this, Reverend rarely draws attention to himself. Few stories are told about his accomplishments, yet much of the family’s stability can be traced back to his careful oversight. Where others might overlook details in pursuit of larger goals, Reverend ensures that those details are accounted for.