Zaela¶
Zaela is a powerful witch of Floren in the Fifth Age who keeps a Hollow of her own and holds the village of Guillon in the Florentine Woodlands "under protection from the witch" (S161, S162). She speaks to petitioners only through her spokesman Igli, sets them hard tasks for an audience, and is hunted by Sancturi witch hunters (S161, S162).
Also called: Zaila (S162); Maefrel or Meafrel in the earliest note (S129).
Guillon¶
The village of Guillon lives under her protection; its people include the herbalist Mildritch (S161). Those who want her help must first win an audience. Igli offers the ways: "gift an object of power, or drive off/kill some witch hunters", or sabotage a Vigil at a town on the border (S161). Later he names them again: destroy the Vigil; kill the Floren family she cursed; kill or drive off all five witch hunters and their informant, who "may include their spy (an old woman in the village who blames the death of her son on the witch)"; or "bring Zaela an offering of a powerful hollowed object", which "she uses ... to expand the power of 'her' Hollow" (S162). Zaela "will not grant an audience" while the witch hunters remain (S162).
Her enemies are many. Five witch hunters watched the village, believing the travellers "are being manipulated by the witch" (S162), and Sancturi Dae'Venari under the High Venator Trakin, with a brigade of Arbitori Bannerguard, could be sent after her, "more brutal" men who "will kill villagers to create a Spectre to force the witch out" (S162). Petitioners came from far off: a man of Floren whose land was "beset by beasts (dire boars)", and an Oesterkull, Ukret, whose children had been taken by Sancturi raiders and who left with "the talisman he needed to get into the Sancturi town" (S162). The witch hunters' informant, the old drinker Astalis, was "crucified in town center" (S162).
Judgement¶
To those she receives, Zaela gives a judgement and a choice. For the travellers bound by the pact of the devil Hal'Gamesh she named every road she knew to break it (S162):
- destroy the Vigil for her, and "she will expend the necessary time/energy to break the pact";
- go north to Ablingen in Brusau, to Matron Martyna, a priestess of Arya "powerful enough to break it, but she is a busy woman consumed with other concerns";
- kill Hal'Gamesh "with a blade coated with mixture of each of their blood";
- travel into the Abyss and destroy the curse-demon, with someone to open a gate and a guide;
- seek a man named Amer, nearby, who "has a talisman capable of breaking it, but she can't guess what would convince him to part with it";
- destroy or capture the Asgor family of Floren.
The company chose Amer (S162). The Sancturi Campaign tells what followed.
Igli¶
Igli is "spokesman for Zaela", who receives her petitioners and lays out the terms of an audience (S161). He tells those who come back too soon "they already have options and not to return to him until they have really fulfilled one" (S162).
The Asgor family¶
"Zaela long ago cursed an entire Floren family. This curse continues to weigh upon her" (S162). The family is the Asgors of Floren, and to be rid of the weight she would "deal with the pact" for anyone who killed the whole family (S162).
Gap
The sources do not say what the Asgors did, what the curse is, where Zaela's Hollow lies or how she came to rule one, or what she looks like.
Earlier accounts¶
The earliest note for the witch of the region names her Meafrel (Maefrel in the note's title): "the witch is a famous and powerful and grey witch. She is quite evil in her own way, but also does good" (S129). The first session record says the company went looking for "the witch Zaela (was supposed to be Maefrel)" (S161).