Alara Stormbrook

Alara Stormbrook is a character played by Ryan Neenan. A human sorceress who focuses on the power of color, she currently serves as a supporting character.

Description
Alara is a striking woman, tall and well built. Her short black hair has streaks of silver, giving away her advancing years. She always tries to be regal in appearance, and is sure to have all seven colors represented somewhere on her clothing.

Personality
Alara is a confident woman, sure of her magical skills and her knowledge over most others. Though she does not always voice her opinion, she never evades the truth or saying what she means, although her cynicism often gets in the way of her true feelings. She dislikes those who try to force her opinion or actions, and has been known to be defiant in the past to what she calls "ignorant leadership." She has an adventurous and open attitude toward her life, and enjoys challenges that test her intellect and magical aptitude. As an Abjurer, she focuses on the ability to protect herself, and others, making her a formidable opponent and valuable ally.

Family & Relationships
Alara lived a happy family life in Darromar. This life was shattered in 1370 when her husband Randal, a well respected and powerful knight, was slain while protecting the new monarchs of his nation. While Queen-Monarch Zaranda and King Haedrak III were left unharmed by the assassin attack, Randal and 3 others were killed in the assault.

Alara has several members of family in Darromar. Her two sons, Warrick and Jandar, now both in their late teens, have followed in their father's footsteps and are serving in the Royal Guard in Darromar. Her sister, Cylla Stamaraster [CG Evo3/MstS10], is also an accomplished Wizard and teaches at the Arcane Academy in the city.

Early Years
Alara Stamaraster was born in 1334 to two merchants in the city of Darromar, 13 years before the beginning of the civil war that tore apart most of Tethyr. As a result, most of Alara's and her younger sister's youth was spent secluded in the city, away from the battles raging in the countryside. Both sisters turned inward to learning, and books of wizardry in particular grabbed their attention. Despite the ongoing civil war, Alara was able to study the magical arts, and eventually became an apprentice to an elder wizard in the city, focusing on abjuration.

A Man, A Family, A New Nation
During the troubling times of the civil war, Alara met a young knight by the name of Randal Stormbrook. Though rather opposite in personalities, she felt drawn to his sense of honor and chivalry. Randal, however, was drawn to the ongoing struggle, feeling strongly that the war needed to be stopped to help Tethyr survive. Alara found herself agreeing, and the two enlisted on the side they felt had the just cause. Though not a deciding force, they helped to win many victories needed for the resolution of conflict. The teamwork of the strong arm of Randel and the magic of Alara did well on the battlefield, and soon extended to a more personal arena.

With the civil war calming, they retired from the front line and were married. Shortly later in 1359 and 1361, Alara gave birth to her two sons. Insistant that her sons would grow up in a stable Tethyr, Alara worked at helping to bring the nation back together through the Reclamation War of 1367-1369, and both she and Randal rejoiced when Queen-Monarch Zaranda and King Haedrak III were crowned rulers of their nation in late 1369.

Tragedy and Trying to Move On
Happy with family life, Alara decided to stay in Darromar, raise her sons, and help apprentice aspiring young abjurers. Randal, on the other hand, intent on helping his new leaders, used his famed reputation from his work in the civil war to gain him a position as a personal guard to the monarchs. For nearly a year, Randal was seen at the Queen-Monarch and King's side at public events around the nation.

Despite the fact that the war was far over, there still existing much dissention among Tethyrians during this troubled year. There were multiple assassination attempts, but most were carried out by commoners or others who underestimated Randal's and the other guards power and intelligence. This changed on The Feast of the Moon in 1370, when during a celebration, a small force of rogues attacked the royal guard. The attackers were hopelessly outmatched, and the guard took them down with ease, dropping their watch a little too easily. Randal, however, knew a diversion when he saw one. Calling on a mage and two other guards to help, he dropped back in time to discover three powerful assassins, invisible and stalking toward the monarch's tent.

The battle that erupted was fierce, as the three attackers proved powerful in sword and magic. As Randal attempted to call for help, he witnessed his three men fall one by one. More guards arrived just in time to see Randal slice through the last assassin, killing him, and then falling to the ground, dead from the lethal poison from the assassin's sword.

Though attempts were made, Alara grudgingly realized that Randal's spirit was at rest and would never return. Randal was given a hero's funeral in the capital, and life moved on for Alara and her two sons. Alara, however, had a hard time adjusting. She dismissed her current apprentices, and spent much time alone, usually studying. Her personality grew more sarcastic and callous, and when her two sons left home in 1375 to start training in the Tethyrian military, her seclusion only worsened.

The Sevenfold Veil
It was her sister who managed to break the spell of her depression, when in late 1375 she introduced Alara to a visiting wizard who was a master of the "Sevenfold Veil," a defensive magic that harnessed the power of the seven colors. As an abjurer, Alara was instantly interested, and once she learned more of the power of color and its protection, the possibility of protecting herself and others in this way was intriguing. Seeing the interest, the Wizard agreed to teach her how to harness the first veil. By the end of 1375, Alara had a new purpose and a new breath on life: She would master the Sevenfold Veil and use it to protect herself and those who deserve protecting. Hopefully, this could help her stop the senseless deaths of good people like her husband.

The adventuring spirit of the civil war days awakened in her, and the feeling of a need for a new start grew larger and more urgent. At Midwinter 1376, she tearfully left her sister and two sons behind and in charge of her estate, eventually leaving her birth nation for the first time in her life.

Wandering - Cormyr and the Moonsea
Stearing clear of Amn, Alara eventually arrived in the Dragon Coast and the city of Westgate. Quickly disliking the city's hard-nosed justice system, she continued on and crossed the Dragonmere to Cormyr. There she found the city of Suzail to her liking and instantly marketed herself as a mage for hire. By the end of 1376, her reputation in Cormyr of her protective magic had spread enough for the leader of the War Wizards to hear of her, and Caladnei extended an invitation for Alara to join the group. Alara promptly declined the offer, siting that although she loved the country, she could not promise as of yet that she would not want to leave. Though dissapointed, Caldanei respected the decision, and kept the invitation open in case she should change her mind.

By mid-1377, Cormyr was much abuzz with regional happenings. The news of the "wedding" between the dasdardly Emperor Selkirk of Sembia and the queen of Impiltar dominated the talk in the city. When the queen was killed, and Sembia's obvious plans exposed, much of the city wondered if Cormyr would take a side. Despite being new to the nation, Alara could not shield herself from the local feelings, and every day as the warfleet approached the coast of Impiltur, her heart sank with thoughts of Sembia's victory.

With the abrupt end of Sembia's advances, Alara decided to move on. She again traveled north, wandering for some time through the Dalelands and eventually entered the Moonsea. Heeding warnings to stay away from Hillsfar, she entered the town of Yulash. There she stayed for the rest of 1377, witnessing the influx of pilgrims who have heard, like she had, of the happenings in the Blood Marshes. Intrigued, she traveled with one of the caravans to the city of Phlan, and it was there in Deep Winter 1378 that she drank to the death of Miklos Selkirk at the inn The Laughing Goblin.

Life in Phlan
See Also: Shrouded Wings

It was not long before Alara met both Mendor the Sage and Mozariq, and promptly accepted the opportunity to work for Mozariq as an Alchemist part time. It was through this association that Alara got more adventure than she bargained for. Mozariq at times told her of quite fantastic feats and missions he and his associates had performed, and Alara herself even got wrapped up in some of the turbulent times in Phlan.

Throughout 1378, she gained a deep respect for Mozariq and his talents. She also helped to defend the city against both a demon and dragon attack that occurred mostly due to Mozariq and his groups actions. It was also during this time that Mozariq came to Alara with a bold plan: he wanted to create a magical academy in Phlan. When Mendor was killed, Mozariq asked Alara to help him run it. Despite her initial feelings, she accepted.

By 1379, Mozariq and his group had fallen apart - Alara didn't quite know the specifics, but she knew enough to not like many of his former friends, including Desmond Taragon. With Mozariq moving back to Silverymoon, Alara was left running the academy in Phlan. The next 6 years were nothing but difficult: besides the obvious difficulty of starting such an establishment, Desmond proved to a difficult obstacle to many things Alara wished to do. Things had finally started running smoothly though, when The Year of Blue Fire came.

Though Phlan was not touched by the plague, the devastating loss of magic - Alara's whole life - was almost too much to bear. Losing contact with her family in Thethyr and Mozariq in Silverymoon, and the ability to go there at a whim, made Alara nearly lose her sanity. Some of her students were not as strong, however, and a short rash of suicides made Alara even more sick.

The next few years were a blur. Eventually, order began to restore itself, and the art was found once again by many. Alara resisted abandoning the town and her post - her students, as afraid as she was, were her motivation to stay.

Retirement
The death of Mozariq in 1404, coupled with her own sense of mortality, told Alara it was time to give up her art. Phlan had become a hotbed of politics in the Moonsea, and she had strong feelings that Desmond was being influenced by the recently arrived Shadovar Empire. Leaving the budding Mendor School of Magic in Phlan in good hands in a former student, she returned to Thethyr in mid 1404. Her two sons, now fully grown and parents themselves, welcomed her back into their home. Her sister, still teaching at the Black Towers Magic Academy, also welcomed her sister back home, and convinced her to continue teaching.

Death: 1411
Alara lived a relatively quiet life during her remaining years, teaching Magical History at the Academy. Her 5 grandchildren meant the world to her, and she was sure to teach them about magic and what she had seen during her many years.

Alara passed away in her sleep, on the seventh day of the seventh month of 1411, finally joining her beloved husband. She was 77. Her sister died 10 years later, and today Stamaraster Tower in the magic academy in Darromar honor their memory.