Name: Lavinia of Black Diamond
Age: 66
Race: Human
Residence: NewHaven Manor.
Lavinia the Burning Ice Princess, First lady of Blackstone Freeholding, the Black Diamond, liberator of the Kazim Sultanate, sister to the Baron of Black Diamond (Asteria), blood-sister to Princess Salissa of the Empire of the Fang. Lavinia grew up in the Barony of Black Diamond, in the Eastern Asterian Empire, and from birth it was assumed that she would be used as a marriage pawn to cement alliances. Her education was exemplary, and when she showed mage talent, was permitted to study with a reputable mage school: Burning Ice. What her relatives never found out (and this involved a number of well placed bribes) was that Lavinia was really good at magic.
Thus, in her seventeenth year, Lavinia was in Shrieksport attending a ball with a number of similarly placed young men and women, pretending to be enjoying themselves while their elders were upstairs in the drawing room bargaining for marriages like horse traders. Then she met Erlich. He didn't belong, even if he dressed the part, said the right things, and danced the right dances. His smiles were too genuine, his wit a touch sharper than proper, and he dances deliciously closer to Lavinia than any of the highborn pretty boys around him. Lavinia fell for him immediately leading to an exciting escape and an “I Will Show You The World” montage around the city. The next morning, when both youths were more sober, they decided to do just that, and began their lives of adventure.
For the next twenty years, Lavinia traveled the world, seeking adventure and excitement, almost always in the company of Erlich, and much of it as administrator of the Blackstone Company. Finally in 1231, the Company completed The Big Quest, and came away with enough riches to retire to a life of indolence and ease.
That lasted about three weeks.
Once the hangovers cleared, the Company put their heads together, and decided what they wanted was a place of their own, but one they would have to work for. (Also, one that would require less work as they entered their senior years). So they split up briefly, seeking out friends and contacts across the known world who might be looking for a fresh start, or a fresh environment in which to live. And in the spring of 1232, the expedition set forth from Rikkor, south along the Lazuli River along the Fallow Marches Old Trade Road. And by summer, they reached what would become the Blackstone Freeholding.
Lavinia has two children by Erlich: Colb, and Mavi. Colb ran off one night ten years ago with a selection of gear his father had carefully left out for this purpose. He sends messages back home from time to time: he and his kunochi adventuring companion are currently in the Southern isles, and promise to visit in “Midsummer”. Mavi already has three children, and is expected to take over the title when Erlich steps down.
Lavinia is an adept of the Burning Ice school of magic, whose philosophy states that there is a balance between heat and cold in the world, and a skilled magus can leverage that to great effect. Thus when Lavinia casts a fire spell, her next ice spell will be that much stronger, and vice-versa, unlocking higher tiers of her spell pool as the battle progresses. If things go on long enough, she will unlock her signature strategic battle spell, Cometfall, and no one on the other side of the battlefield will be happy.
Lavinia has two elemental spirits as her familiars: Hiro, a phoenix spirit, is the more active of the two, and spends most of his time manifested as a pyrefly. Olaf, the more sedentary of the two, manifests as a massive ice dragon, and spends most of his time slumbering as a diamond pendant.
- Staff of Mastery: Until her age caught up with her, Lavinia hated using this tool: only old geezers needing to prove something carried a staff. The Staff augments her magic in a variety of useful ways: accuracy, precision, power, or even adding a +1/4 advantage to Cometfall.
- Girdle of the Lover Spurned: a woven gold chain belt enchanted to absorb incoming attacks, and feed their power into the wearer's personal energy. Lavinia cut back heavily on her armor encumbrance after she picked this piece up. It also does venom damage to those who attempt to grapple her, something she and Erlich occasionally forget given their poison immunity.
- Ivory Statue of Princess Salissa: Part of a matched set. Used for two-way communication over vast distances, when activated, it mimics the voice and actions of the person at the other end. Best used on a wide table if your friend tends to pace a lot while on the phone.