Aha!
I'd promised to explain a doll before I left for the weekend, but I nearly had to resign myself to being cryptic. The
last time I mentioned this character, I couldn't find any info. But I was lucky. I found one whole piece of paper (I swear there should be more than that), which at least has names.
I also found an entire (completely unrelated) family tree which I know is full of Characters With Stories... unfortunately, that's all I remember about it.
Her name is Saralyn. (SAHRalyn, in case you're curious.) Saralyn is from a (very small) kingdom named Serynar, which is dominated by sorcery—particularly a very powerful sorceress who happens to be Saralyn's mother. (Serynar is one of those Places Without Surnames.) Besides being High Sorceress, Saralyn's mother is not a nice person. In fact, she's as thoroughly evil as I can contrive to make her. Sorcery isn't technically synonymous with
dark sorcery, but, under this lady, it might as well be.
No, evil sorceresses do not have green hair. That would just be silly. Saralyn's father was from a race of sea-dwelling people known as the Asheani, who don't come into the story very often. Actually, he was a prince, but, as he was completely lacking in morals and is now deceased, the less said about him, the better.
It is hard to say where Saralyn developed a conscience and a set of morals. Certainly not from her mother, or her mother's court. Possibly from one of her childhood tutors, who should really have a name because he shows up later in the story.
Now, the Sorcerers of Sarynar do not exist in a vacuum. They live in a world full of people who really don't like them (all that being evil will do that to you), but their number one enemies are the mages of Karthos. I am not clear if Karthos is the name of the entire kingdom, or just the city where they live. Either way, they're closely allied with the crown, so it hardly matters.
Meanwhile, having morals is rather difficult if you're a young sorceress who wants to keep her powers, mind, and body to herself, thank you. (The mother-daughter bond, which could be an asset if one got along with one's parent, leaves Saralyn acutely vulnerable to hostile take-over from that direction. It works in reverse, of course, but she won't be in a position to make a stand for some time.) Ultimately, Saralyn defects, which works out because the previously-mentioned former tutor manuevers her into making friends with a Karthan mage unbeknownst to either. (See cute couple
a couple posts back.)
Now, I can explain the doll in villager clothing—they're hiding out while Saralyn learns a second school of magic, the better to fight her mother.
A few words on the doll: She looked prettier before the makeup and the dark lipstick, but she also looked nice and sweet. That would hardly do for Saralyn in her mother's court, where she has to appear ruthless.
