The series of articles about Black Rose Wars continues to present the Mages of the Black Rose Order. Following Jaf’ar, let’s introduce Tessa, the Faun from the Umbrian woods.

Tessa, the Faun from the Umbrian woods, will manipulate the force of nature to overpower her rivals.

Tessa

  • Favorite School of Magic: Transmutation
  • Custom Spell: Wrath of Nature

Her powerful goat’s legs had her darting between the trees at an almost supernatural pace, her hooves kicking up huge clouds of dirt with every change of direction. Despite the grueling chase, Tessa’s fierce gaze filtered through the enormous trunks, until she finally identified her objective in the distance. The faun deftly leaped over a bush without slowing her stride, swiftly ducked her head, scraping a hanging branch with her curved horns, and sprung to the side of one last tree before finding herself finally out of the forest’s confines. Making one final effort, she ramped up the pace to take one more surprising leap, covering a distance of almost 10 meters. During her flight, arms outstretched, she mumbled a rapid sequence of incomprehensible words, after which a thick layer of stone enveloped her hands, from the tips of which emerged sharp-edged growths. As she landed on the ground, both of Tessa’s stone claws impacted with an enormous mass. A series of deep cracks opened up in the rock, which nonetheless remained essentially intact. The faun looked on breathlessly at the result of her attack, then shook her head in disappointment.

“You shouldn’t train so hard before taking on such a long journey.” The nearby voice of Larssa, her chieftain, took her by surprise. “You’re the best student I’ve ever had, and the magic of nature flows pure and fluid through your veins. You need not be afraid of the battle that awaits you, nor of those who will take part.”

Tessa's Custom Spell.

But Tessa didn’t agree. “Save your advice, I’m not an apprentice anymore,” she responded, still annoyed at her failed attempt. The stone covering her hands disappeared, as she reached up to touch the small pendant with the Black Rose around her neck. “I know she’ll be there, and I know perfectly well she’ll be seeking revenge for what happened to her master. But Rebecca won’t be my only enemy in the Lodge, and to be granted the title of Grand Master, I’ll need to fight them all unconditionally. It’s the only way to gain the power we need to protect our people from the humans.”

The chieftain stared once more at her pupil, who had by now become an expert enchantress.

The gloomy sound of a horn echoed from far away among the Sibylline Mountains. “I must go now. They are waiting for me to say my last goodbye, to the clan,” said Tessa, and without another word, she turned around, heading off toward the sunset at the same pace with which she had arrived. Larssa watched the athletic physique of her only daughter disappear among the woods, leaving her completely unaware of the fact that just a few seconds later, the enormous mass she had struck shattered completely.

The next article will present Rebecca.

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