Long-Ears The Mage

Deep in the Hills of Many feet, there lived a family of Lapine warriors, each gifted with incredible strength and dexterity. Swift-Foot, the matriarch, led the clan with pride and cunning, ensuring their survival in the wilds, where society could not reach them. His three sons, Tall-Leap, Wind-Eyes, and Grass-Step, were trained in the ways of the hunter, exploring the plains and forest edge in search of food so that their clan may survive the harsh winter to come.

The matriarch of the Lapine clan was expecting, her predicted Day of Birth arriving soon. She was the most... kindhearted of the clan. Her name was Flower-Dance, descended from a long line of performers and artists. She had met Swift-Foot while he was out exploring the world at a young age, an activity rarely permitted among Lapine-kind. The pair had decided to marry after a long journey together, in which they found a cure for a blight that had stricken Swift-Foots village.

But that is a story for another day. Today, the birth of our hero was nigh.

The boys of the clan returned to their den, only to find Flower-Dance kneeling on the floor, crying out in pain. Swift-Foot rushed her to bed, his experience with the last three children quickly turning to instinct, as soon his fourth child was brought into the world. However, as he laid eyes upon his first and only daughter, her eyes lay hidden behind her set of long, floppy ears. Most of the clan, save for Swift-Foots father, had been born with ears that stood tall. The fact that she had inherited such a rare trait made Swift-Foot believe that she would become like her grandfather, a powerful General that would command armies of Lapine.

The years following her birth convinced him otherwise, however. The young girl, named Long-Ears in honor of her grandfather, had very little interest in the ways of the Warrior. She spent her days tucked away in a small cubby of their den, reading books that her mother would buy for her at a market once every full moon. Long-Ears was incredibly devoted to her studies, particularly of the languages of other races. She found a particular interest in the arcane arts, which she practiced in secret due to them being forbidden in Lapine culture. At the edge of the forest, where her brothers only came every Winter to hunt, long-ears practiced her evocations, summoning forth clouds of smoke and flames that scorched the earth beneath her feet.

Eventually, her father discovered her secret, flying into a rage and banishing her from their clan. Flower-Dance argued for hours, but Long-Ears simply packed her books, threw on her cape and coolie hat, and left the den, leaving her family at the age of only thirteen. Her mother wept. her brothers looked to their father in disappointment, having defended their little sister and kept her secret for her entire life. But the word of Swift-Foot was absolute. Thus began the long journey of Long-Ears the mage.

From there, she would travel from town to town, dazzling men and women of every race with her feats of magic, even coming to the aid of multiple kings and emperors. Her exploits reached far and wide, even her family catching wind of their wayward daughter's heroic status.

One day, Long-Ears was called to halt the invasion of the Kingdom of Talon. She stood beside the king on the battlefield, blasting the many soldiers of the invading army with all manner of flame, frost, and bolt. It was not until the enemy General revealed himself did Long-Ears realize who her foe was. There, clad in Lapine Armor, was her father, Swift-Foot. He looked upon his child with disgust, donning his helm and charging her, blade aimed at her neck. Her reaction was pure reflex, as she reached out her hand and launched a spike of ice straight into her father's shoulder, intentionally missing his heart.

That day, Long-Ears vowed to never again involve herself in the affairs of war, choosing to wander the world as a hermit, one who would very soon find herself assisting a band of three travelers in their quest to unify the kingdoms and bring peace to the lands.

This is the story of Long-Ears, member of the heroes Four, and mightiest mage in all of the lands.