# Alana The Fair

This is a description of Alana the Fair, an NPC who might fit into a medium level campaign.

Alana the Fair is a noblewoman from Dara Happa. She is of the House of Alan, a minor noble family, and is the daughter of Alana the Bold, daughter of Alana the Quick. Alana the Fair is a Star Maiden and has ridden Shanat, her unicorn, for fifteen years. She is stunningly beautiful with jet black hair, snow white skin, grey eyes and a figure born of riding for twenty five years. Alana and Shanat are currently searching the Wastes for Alyssa's Spurs, a long lost family heirloom. Alana knows that she only has another year before Alana the Archeress comes to claim Shanat for her own.

The House of Alan is a minor noble house, founded nearly 1200 years ago. Alan was the illegitimate son of an illegitimate son of an illegitimate son of the Emperor Anirestyu. Although illegitimate and without claim to a title, Alan had the blood of the Emperors flowing through his veins and went searching for a position at court. He was unsuccessful until he met Alyssa, a young noblewoman and Star Maiden. Alyssa's family had survived the wars against Nysalor and the following disorder, but had a tendency to produce daughters who followed Yerlorna's ways. They were descended from Hyalor Horsebreaker and Alyssa had a set of magical spurs that could help her mount leap incredible distances. Alan fell in love with her and tried to woo her, but she remained true to her vows, until she was captured by raiders. Alan performed a HeroQuest to rescue her and succeeded, but Alyssa was forced by the HeroQuest to marry Alan, yet she received a geas on the HeroQuest that Alan could not be her first lover. Since she was betrothed to him, there seemed no way out of this situation, except to have a celibate marriage, which neither wanted. However, Shanar, Alyssa's unicorn found a solution. He was grateful to Alan for rescuing him from the raiders and showed Alyssa an old Yelornan HeroQuest where a retiring Star Maiden could mate with her unicorn in order to break the bond between them. Alyssa agreed and performed the HeroQuest, mating with Shnar and then marrying Alan. She soon became pregnant and bore twins, but there was a suprise for everyone, for the first twin was a unicorn and the second was a baby girl. The unicorn was named Shanat and the girl Alana. Alyssa tried to settle down to domestic life, bearing Alan several other children, but she was always restless and set off on one last adventure. She went to the Pent Wastelands and tried to secure a Goldeneye Horse, but she failed and was never heard of afterwards. She lost her life and her Spurs.

The House of Alan survived the problems that beset Dara Happa as it was a military house, specialising in cavalry warfare. Many of its sons worshipped Hyalor Horsebreaker as well as Yelm and more daughters than was thought healthy favoured Yelorna. About once every century one of the daughters of the House rode Shanat and became well known. About 150 years ago, one of the daughters of the House, named Alyssa, tried to regain her namsake's Spurs. She rode Shanat and headed for the Wastes where she had heard the Spurs had been seen. She was captured by the Broo King of the Mountains who wanted a virgin and a Unicorn for a HeroQuest ritual where he mated with both to bring forth a son and a daughter who would mate and found a set of unicorn broos. He prepared for this ritual for a whole year, but another daughter of the House, Alana, travelled to the Wastes to stop him. She had the support of the House of Alan and held the birthstones of all her ancestors in a pouch. She performed a counter Quest and gambled the spirits of her ancestors and the spirits of her descendants against the Broo King and she won! Together they escaped, but not before Alyssa received a grave wound. Alana performed the Unicorn Quest and took Shanat as her Unicorn, for Alyssa could no longer ride and must retire. But, Alana carreid the souls of her ancestors and those of her descendants and she used them in the HeroQuest and bound Shanat to their service as well as her own. She made him swear to take her daughters as his riders too, but he swore to take his daughters instead. Thus was born Alana's Bond, where Shanat was sworn to accept the descendants of Alana as riders, but only where they were his own daughters. This Bond would end when Shanat had fathered a son on one of his daughters. When Alana retired, she peformed Alyssa's HeroQuest and mated with Shanat, giving him twin daughters, Alyssa and Alana. Alana grew up to be a fine horsewoman and Alyssa to be a skilled archer. When they turned fifteen, they searched for Shanat and found him on his Mating Day. Alyssa performed a HeroQuest and mated with Shanat, bearing him a daughter called Alana. The older Alana then performed the Unicorn Quest and gained Shanat as her Unicorn. When Alana the Younger turned fifteen, she sought out Shanat and they did the same, the older Alana performed Alyssa's Quest and retired, the younger Alana performed the Unicorn Quest and became Shanat's rider. This continued every fifteen years or so until the present day.

Each of the daughters of Shanat were named Alana and were trained in Yelorna's ways. Each married after they retired, normally to minor Yelmic nobelmen, and bore many children. However, each was the daughter of Shanat and each was more beautiful than her mother. Each generation became more and more refined, fair in face and body, quick and nimble, wise and powerful, strong and supple. The daughters and their descendants were seen as attractive and had no problem in attracting spouses. Shanat was not pleased with the outcome of this Bond, for he seemed only to bear daughters to his daughters, but Alana had carried a secret with her, she had a bracelet that meant that the wearer could only bear daughters if she mated wearing the bracelet. That way, she could ensure that Shanat did not sire a son and remained in sevitude.

This heritage has several effects on the Alanas born of Shanat. They had enhanced characteristics, they were more nimble than normal people, more powerful, more intelligent and more attractive. In RuneQuest terms, each of INT, POW, DEX and APP are rolled with one D6 set at maximum. In addition, the Unicorn Quest always succeeds where Shanat is the unicorn.