Erika Syfrain
(a.k.a. Water Witch, Jack)
Born in the coastal city of To'ckie in Waran, Erika showed an early affinity for the elements and magic in general. When the Wanderer happened to cross paths with her, her obvious gift led him to offer the young human girl an apprenticeship. After around thirty years of Dast's rather eccentric tutelage, Erika justified his choice by being ready for her Journey. Having inherited the Wandering Archmage's wanderlust, but none of his subtlety, and having kept her innate lack of any sense of direction, she set out to see the world.
Erika's Journey years coincided with the invasion of Waran by the Orcish Warhost of the Aggradon Range. Indeed, she even took part in the storied defense of the wall at the East Mouth of Darnodyn, where her actions led to delaying the orcs for a whole month and gave enough time to evacuate the capital before the valley was finally overrun.
Her earlier adventures understandably centered around the war and she and her party were instrumental in easing tensions in To'ckie, quelling unrest in Blooddock, and even starting a whole new town out of the small village of Lithino. The fledgling town prospered and ended up erecting a four meter tall statue of Erika and her friends in the town square and offering them the keys to the city and an honorary mayorship.
Eventually not even the war could contain Erika's wanderlust. For a couple of years she traveled a large part of the western coast from Pelasgia down to the Five Kingdom Brawl. On those travels she met with the dread pirate Twinblade Zakraldaken, when she raided her pirate ship in an effort to put an end to her reign of terror. The charming and thoroughly evil pirate queen managed to win the Journeywoman's heart and Erika made the fated decision to abandon her Journey so she could "keep an eye on her dear Zakken and limit the damage she would do to innocents".
However, instead of surrendering her spellbook and swearing off magic as is customary, and indeed required, after a failed journey, Erika simply took off with Zakken. She now stays mostly with the pirate fleet, using the saltwater's interference to help hide her spellcasting from the Archmages. Her affinity for the elements, and especially water, has allowed her to work around the damping effect of the sea and cast her spells easily even across large bodies of water, earning her the nickname of the Water Witch.
Erika is known for her direct approach to any problem and her brute force solutions. She is both cursed and loved as she continues to help Zakken loot, pillage, and even outright conquer coastal territories, but also curbs the pirate queens most bloodthirsty urges. She is also highly regarded by the clergy of Aiyonia who she worships devoutly and at times more often than Zakken can handle. Suffice it to say that the Water Witch is often content to do considerably more lusting than wandering.
-Master Dast, as nicknames go, Jack is maybe a bit, uh, unrelated to, uh, anything.
-I thought it was obvious, what with how you wield my scalpel like an axe.
-Just admit it was a bad nickname! I won't tell anyone.
-Jack comes from Lumberjack.
-...You old sack of... Never mind, that's fair...
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