The Spriggan Mirror

Chira the Clever – known as Chira the Also Clever until her oldest sister began her apprenticeship and moved out of the family home – was born on the seventeenth of Leafcolor, 5193. She served her sorcerous apprenticeship from 18 Leafcolor 5205 through 16 Leafcolor 5214 under the famous Thellesh of Tazmor and wed Cardel the Locksmith on the eleventh of Newfrost, 5214, setting up her business in his existing storefront at the corner of Wizard Street and Tinker Street in Eastgate. They have seven children; five girls and two boys.

Pyata was born on the third of Newfrost, 5195, and apprenticed to Alladia the Priestess on the first of Newfrost, 5208. She never formally completed her apprenticeship, leaving Alladia’s home and shrine in 5213 when she felt her master was behaving unreasonably. The tantrum that prompted this turned out to be an early symptom of Alladia’s final illness; Alladia died before Pyata could be convinced to return. Under the name Pyata the Divine she has done well for herself despite her lack of credentials, thanks to an unusually high success rate in her invocations. She has never married.

Shesta was born on the twenty-first of Thaw, 5196, and apprenticed to Garven the Demonologist at an undetermined date in Rains, 5209. She completed her apprenticeship some time late in 5214 and took the name Shesta the Black, but for health reasons did not actively go into business until 5220 – demonology is not a healthy business. She was able to make ends meet by hiring herself out as an intimidating presence, more or less.

In 5220 Garven made a fatal error of some sort, though the resulting fire was put out by neighbors before his home and shop were destroyed. His last apprentice, Neran of Pawnbroker Street, sold the ruins and remaining supplies to Shesta at a bargain price and gave up demonology.

Shesta married Ferral the Black, a warlock, in 5224. None of their three children survived infancy; demonic influence is suspected.

Gresh was born on the twenty-second of Greengrowth, 5198, and served an apprenticeship with his father from 5210 to 5216 before setting himself up as Gresh the Supplier. He has not yet married and is unaware of having sired any children.

Setta was born on the nineteenth of Icebound, 5199, and studied herbalism under multiple masters from 5211 through 5220 before using her family’s money and contacts to go into business as Setta the Green. She married Abran the Chandler, son and heir of one of her father’s oldest friends, on the fifth day of Festival, 5224. They have one daughter, Tarissa the Fair, born on the thirteenth of Midwinter, 5226.

Akka the Graceful was born on the second of Midwinter, 5201, and admitted into the Eastgate Circle as a trainee in Summersheat, 5214. She married Tresen the Handsome, of no fixed address or recognized occupation, on the twenty-fifth of Thaw, 5218. She was elevated to full participation as a ritual dancer in the Circle on the third day of Festival, 5220. She and Tresen have no children.

Neva the Strong was born on the seventh of Greengrowth, 5204, and went to sea as a deckhand aboard the freighter Swift Profits in the summer of 5217. She married Derath the Pilot on the fourteenth of Longdays, 5221. They have one son and two daughters.

Deka the Strong – known in childhood as Deka the Also Strong – was born on the twenty-sixth of Longdays, 5206, and enlisted in the city guard of Ethshar of the Rocks on the fourth of Newfrost, 5222. She married Kelder the Armorer on the fourth of Newfrost, 5224. They have one daughter, Piri the Younger, born in 5226.

Ekava the Nimble was born on the thirtieth of Icebound, 5207, and apprenticed to Inririan the Dressmaker from the sixteenth of Thaw, 5219, to the seventeenth of Rains, 5226. She married Agaram of the Golden Dagger, a journeyman wizard, on the thirtieth of Longdays, 5227; they have no children as yet.

And Keshan and Piri’s thirteenth and last child, Twilfa the Helpful, was born on the twenty-ninth of Snowfall, 5210, and hired on as her brother’s assistant in Greengrowth of 5226.

The Spriggan Mirror

A Legend of Ethshar

“Sirinita’s Dragon”

(a companion piece)

“You’re going to kill him?” Sirinita said, staring at her mother in disbelief.

Sensella of Seagate looked at her daughter with surprised a

“Well, of course we’re going to kill it,” she said. “What else could we do? In a few weeks it’ll be eating us out of house and home – and in a year or two it might very well eat us. Just look how big it’s getting!”

Sirinita looked.

She had to admit, Tharn was getting large. When he had first hatched she could sit him on her shoulder, with his tail around her neck, and almost forget he was there; now she could barely pick him up with both hands, and he certainly didn’t fit on her shoulders.

And he did eat a lot.

“Really, Sirinita,” her mother said, “you didn’t think we could keep a full-grown dragon around the house, did you?”

“No,” Sirinita admitted, “but I thought you could just let him go, somewhere outside the walls – I didn’t know you were going to kill him!”

“Now, you ought to know better than that,” Sensella said. “If we turned it loose it would eat people’s livestock – and that’s assuming it didn’t eat people. Dragons are dangerous, honey.”

“Tharn isn’t!”

“But it will be.” Sensella hesitated, then added, “Besides, we can sell the blood and hide to wizards. I understand it’s quite valuable.”

“Sell pieces of him?” This was too much; Sirinita was utterly horrified.

Sensella sighed. “I should have known this would happen. I should never have let you hatch that egg in the first place. What was your father thinking of, bringing you a dragon’s egg?”

“I don’t know,” Sirinita said. “Maybe he wasn’t thinking anything.”

Sensella chuckled sourly. “You’re probably right, Siri. You’re probably just exactly right.” She glanced over at the dragon.

Tharn was trying to eat the curtains again.

Sirinita followed her mother’s gaze. “Tharn!” she shouted. “Stop that this instant!”

The dragon stopped, startled, and turned to look at his mistress with his golden slit-pupilled eyes. The curtain, caught on one of his fangs, turned with him, and tore slightly. The dragon looked up at the curtain with an offended expression, and used a foreclaw to pry the fabric off his teeth.

Sensella sighed. Sirinita almost giggled, Tharn’s expression was so fu

“Come on, Tharn,” she said. “Let’s go outside.”

Sensella watched as her daughter and her pet ran out of the house onto the streets of Ethshar.

She hoped they wouldn’t get into any trouble. Both of them meant well enough, but the dragon did have all those claws and teeth, and while it couldn’t yet spit fire it was begi

But then, that was hardly a unique fault, or even one limited to children. Sensella wondered again just what Gar had thought he was doing when he brought back a dragon’s egg from one of his trading expeditions.

One of the farmers had found it in the woods while berry-picking, Gar had said – had found a whole nest, in fact, though he wouldn’t say what had happened to the other eggs. Probably sold them to wizards.

And why in the World had she and Gar let Sirinita hatch the egg, and keep the baby dragon long enough to become so attached? That had been very foolish indeed. Baby dragons were very fashionable, of course – parading through the streets with a dragon on a leash was the height of social display, and a sure way to garner invitations to all the right parties.