The Drawhammer Shield
Description
Princess Onolodia is the fifteen year old niece of Queen Doria and has led a life of luxurious isolation. She has rarely been allowed outside the palace spends most of her time in academic pursuits. Her writings of austerity and personal responsibility are at odds with her aunt’s own profligate twenty-year reign. Events thrust the girl into the spotlight and suddenly she is a danger to the throne.
Onolodia heads into the wilderness with the stolen Drawhammer Shield, her friend Sir Avakubia, and a young soldier enamored with her writing. There she finds living a life of struggle is much more difficult than philosophizing about such. Along the way she learns what it means to rely on her own resources and becomes all the better for her journey.
Will she return to the capital with enough support and wisdom to overthrow the corrupt regime of her aunt or will she succumb to the dangers of the wild?
Ideology
Onolodia is the fifteen-year-old Princess of Doria and niece of the Queen. In reality she is a prisoner in a golden cage having never been allowed to travel in the world or interact with anyone other than her teachers.
In such a world she is well-read but inexperienced and a diet of steady sweets combined with a total lack of exercise has left her weak of body. She sets on her adventure as a naïve ideologist with no practical experience and in terrible physical condition.
The hardships of the road, both physical and mental, slowly change Onolodia and it is this transformation that is the theme of the novel. As her physical health improves so too does her understanding of the difficulties presented to any ruler and the pragmatic realities that must temper ideological dreams.
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Characters
Avakubia
Sir Avakubia is a childhood friend of Onolodia who joins her on her quest to slay Eleniak the Golden Flame. He is an intelligent young man with a penchant for strategy and an understanding of the nature of rule although hardly a fine swordsman.
Carria
Lord Carria is the chief advisor to the Queen of Doria and he plots against Onolodia to prevent her from coming to the throne. He is a pragmatic man who largely is without ethics or morals and will do what is required to ingratiate himself with the Queen and further his own career.
Edorin Firefist
Edorin is a dwarf on a secret mission from the hidden enclave of Craggen Steep. He meets up with Seymour and Oliver and travels to the Maw in hopes of using the ancient Fire Elemental there for his own ends. When they encounter Onolodia on a similar quest he joins with them. He is a master blacksmith although somewhat young and idealistic.
Insignis
Insignis is an idealistic young soldier in the Dorian armies who was attracted to the writing of Onolodia and chosen to accompany her on her quest to destroy the great Fire Elemental. He is battled hardened and eager for the fight although not particularly wise to the manner of the high society.
Oliver
Oliver is the bodyguard to the Prince of Tarlton, Seymour, and has accompanied him on the quest to help Edorin the dwarf. He is a skilled swordsman with a flair for style. He is utterly devoted to Seymour.
On
Acolyte On is a young Thilnog Monk and it is he who firsts encounters Onolodia as they attempt to scale the Maw. He is an energetic young man with fine skills in martial arts. He is devoted to the order of the Thilnog Monks but willing to help Onolodia on her quest.
Onolodia
Onolodia is the niece of the Queen of Doria and has been kept a prisoner in the palace her entire life. Before the novel starts she has built up a small but devoted following through her writings extolling a stoic lifestyle. A successful speech in front of a large audience propels her to prominence and she must flee the City of Spiders to avoid being summarily killed by her aunt. She steals the Drawhammer Shield from it's hallowed place and, along with her two companions, goes on a quest to kill one of the ancient Fire Elementals in the hopes of becoming a hero.
Seymour
Seymour is the Prince of Tarlton on has set on his 18th birthday to make a name for himself along with his bodyguard Oliver. They met the dwarf Edorin on his own quest and agreed to help him. They are traveling to Maw in this pursuit when they encounter Onolodia and her two companions. The six join forces. He is a powerful priest of Ras, the sun god, and has deeply held religious views.