First Appearance: Mages of Mâvarin, Chapter One

Trivia: The first magic Darma ever did was to rock her own cradle.

Quote: “What one mage can invent, another can learn, if she’s talented enough.”

Darma Cheneli, the surviving daughter of Archmage Sunestri and the treacherous Lormarte, is a descendant of Danali the Great, founder of Mâton, and of most of the other ruling mages in the eight centuries since then.  Thought to be the most talented magician now alive, her only passion is to master every magical specialty and every spell. No one has ever managed to come close to doing this, but if anyone can, it’s Darma.

Unfortunately, her personal goals have just been hijacked by her parents. Darma’s Robing as a mage adept leaves her with a new name, Darsuma, a small piece of her father’s spirit, and a new purpose of which she is unaware: to become the Queen of Mâvarin!

Darma’s Otherworld counterpart, Darlima, does not appear in Mages of Mâvarin, but is mentioned in passing. She is a known Mâ-Na-Mâ sympathizer, and therefore a traitor to her father.

The Robing

The chanting of the ceremony began.  Darma lifted her arms, and her white student smock was pulled away by three of the most powerful Mages of Mâton: Jonono, Bernoli and Calavica.  Three lesser mages removed Sunestri’s gold robe.  Then six more mages stepped forward, covering Darma’s white tunic and Sunestri’s black one with identical red robes.  As chanting continued to fill the Hall, Darma grew drowsy, her will dropping away as her mind was filled with the sound of the ceremony.

She could not be sure whether she was lifted onto the cot or floated there.  Vaguely she was aware that Sunestri was on the cot beside hers, but did not know when or how he had reached that position.  Her eyes closed, but still she saw her father’s face, larger and larger, overwhelming her even as it changed to the face of a red-haired woman.  Darma could no longer remember what her own face looked like.

Suddenly her mind was filled with unexpected thoughts and emotions.  A wave of hatred swept through her; hatred for the rulers of Mâvarin.  They were mere usurpers of the vast land her ancestors had ruled for centuries before Epli and his children had taken over, and denied Mâton its just tribute.  ...

Then something surfaced in her, struggling against the tide.  In her mind’s eye she saw herself half-drowning in a sea of hate-red blood.  As the last vestiges of consciousness drained away, she realized that the thoughts of vengeance were not her own.  This was not a standard Renaming after all.  Sunestri had tricked her.

--from Mages of Mâvarin, Chapter One

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Introduction and Sample Scene from Heirs of Mâvarin

Introduction and Sample Scene from Mages of Mâvarin

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