Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage/Characters

''During Alaron's lengthy quest to acquire a true name, he may recruit several members to aid his party and fight for his side-three of which he must choose before he sets out.

The descriptions under each character come from the game manual.

Alaron
A headstrong young squire whose eagerness to prove himself often conflicts with his inexperience. Orphaned as an infant after a Goblin raid, Alaron was adopted by the King of Gwernia, who seems to have a special affection for the boy. The knight Abrecan, however, resents Alaron's headstrong attitude and fears that if Alaron continues to leap before looking, he'll tarnish the reputation of the castle knights. . . if Alaron lives long enough to become one, that is.

Alaron is a good all-around fighter with some talent for magic. He's able to learn all schools of magic, and has good melee skills.

Brenna
You'd never know it from watching them, but the constantly feuding Brenna and Alaron are actually the best of friends. They have a great deal in common: Brenna was also orphaned while very young, but unlike Alaron, she had to make her own way in the world for a little while before being taken in by the King, which is why her thieving skills are unmatched. Like Alaron, she feels as if she doesn't get enough respect in Gwernia, especially from Abrecan, and she wants to find her place in the world as badly as Alaron does.

Although she hates being called a thief, the fact of the matter is that Brenna is a Thief, and a good one. Without her Thief skill, Alaron's party has little chance of getting the goodies out of locked chests, And without her Mechanic skill, some of those chests are likely to blow up in the party's face. Developing her talent with Thrown weapons makes her a worthy addition to the group. She's able to learn Elemental magic.

Abrecan
Captain of the Gwernian knights and possibly the greatest living Warrior in the kingdom, Abrecan's prowess in battle is matched only by his surliness in social situations. He never misses an opportunity to grumble at Alaron or Brenna, and very few of his compatriots' misdemeanors escape his notice. But behind the hard exterior is a committed, disciplined warriors who wants nothing more from life than to serve his king and country and uphold the honor of the Gwernian knights.

Abrecan is good for two things: absorbing punishment and dishing it out. He is vital to any low-level party because he's able to destroy Minotaurs and Goblins without breaking a sweat while the weaker adventurers are having trouble with Giant Rats. He should be at the front of any combat, holding enemies back from the other characters, who are free to attack with magic or missile weapons (or to heal Abrecan).

Rheda
High-strung and as demanding of others as she is of herself, Rheda is the apprentice of the Wizard Bowden. When you first meet her, she's trying to remove a curse laid on her friend Niesen by Shamsuk, a Wizard who's a little on the power-hungry side. She'd rather spend her time at the castle trying to cure Niesen, but if Alaron is persuasive enough, he can get her to join him on his quest.

Skilled in the magic arts, Rheda is an initially weak Wizard who can become a powerful and valuable member of the party, provided there are a few warriors who can hold back the monsters. Rheda works best as support for the rest of the group, casting defensive and offensive spells. She can use Naming magic, and also uses Pole weapons.

Godric
Godric is nuts. He lives in the basement of the Wizard's Keep, guards his laboratory with Giant Rats and Bats, and can't remember conversations he had five minutes ago. His talent for Alchemy and his scattered knowledge of Gwernian history, however, almost make up for his mental lapses. He uses Elemental magic, and has little in the way of combat skills.

Becan
A former Gwernian knight, Becan left Gwernia and the king's service after the Goblin raids of Alaron's early childhood. His residence in Gwernia is still unoccupied, though, and he left his journal sitting on the kitchen table. It reveals that Becan did save the King's life, but he seems to have some regrets about the way he did it. Alaron can find Becan in peddling wares in the Mirari village Erromon. If Alaron is especially persistent, he can convince Becan to once again take up the axe and crush some Goblin skulls.

Becan's fighting skills are comparable to Abrecan, and having both in the same party ensures a solid wall of blades and armor through which few enemies can pass.

Arturo
With a head as thick as his Improved Plate Mail, Arturo is the quintessential big dumb fighter. His father was a Gwernian knight, but the closests Arturo ever got to meeting him was receiving his armor after he died. His drive to live up to the honor of the Code of Knights is limited only by his almost subhuman lack of Intelligence. The party meets him while he's "guarding" the bridge to Port Saiid, not letting even legitimate travelers and merchandise pass.

Arturo's good for only one thing: fighting. Fortunately, he's really good at fighting. Not only can he dish out a great deal of damage, but he can also absorb a lot of punishment. By the time Alaron meets him, he might be ready for a break from Abrecan, and Arturo is a worthy replacement.

Keelin
The daughter of well-to-do traders in Talewok, Keelin turned to a life of mischief when she was quite young, and she's only gotten worse as she's grown. If she can't get her way by using her womanly charms, Keelin isn't above using her light fingers or ever-present dagger to get the job done.

Keelin is Brenna's rival in every way. By the time Alaron meets Keelin, Brenna has started hinting that she's a little jealous of the female attention he's been getting. . . and Keelin gives Alaron a lot of attention. She's also a very talented Thief. She's also skilled with Missile weapons.

Donovan
Swashbuckling superhero or self-absorbed sword-slinger? Donovan thinks very highly of himself. . . so highly, in fact, that he has grown tired of giving fencing lessons to the children of aristocrats in Terminor, and longs for adventure. His prose (and armor) lean towards the melodramatic, but his skills as a Warrior and a Wizard compensate.

Rheda's obligation to Alaron's quest ends with Niesen's death, so Donovan (who is a Naming Wizard, like Rheda) might be a good replacement for her.

Baird
Baird's sheer size could give Arturo's bulk a run for its money, but, unlike Arturo, Baird has something between his ears. He is an able Warrior, and he fancies himself a poet. He will regale the group with tales of their legendary quest at every opportunity (even if he does run into a couple of tricky rhymes along the way). More importantly, he claims to know the Jundar desert south of Terminor like the back of his hand.

By the time the party returns to Terminor after Shamsuk's Tower, they've probably outgrown Arturo, and Baird's axe is a fine replacement for Arturo's sword. Baird is also a talented Loremaster and Troubador, as opposed to Arturo who isn't a talented anything.

Sholeh
A Jundar woman living in the desert near Ugarit, Sholeh is one of the few of her kind who does not display the customary Jundar dislike and distrust of humans. She discovered the blind Wizard Fyrsil in the desert after he failed to stop Mago's magic storm, and she has cared for him ever since.

Sholeh is a strong warrior, deadly with Missile weapons, and a good choice if you need to add some long-distance power to your party. She also knows Star magic.

Dougal
Dougal is one of the last playable characters your party encounters, and one of the most well-rounded. He's an accomplished Warrior and Troubador, with strong Thief skills and some powerful magic to boot.

Unfortunately, Dougal is a little too good to be true, which you will discover if you add him to the party. When you reach Rooughah's Lair in Erromon, Dougal reveals himself as a traitor to the group and a servant of Rabisat and Chaos. He threatens to steal the Horn of Kynon and fights the party for it. Even if you win, you'll still be short a party member.