Emerge: The Scholar: A Fully Illustrated Character Journal

by Melissa A. Craven

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  Naeemah El Sadawii

  Naeemah first came to my attention when she was a young girl, living in Alexandria, Egypt, before her life took a perilous turn. At that time, she was a carefree girl with an enormous heart, uninhibited by the harshness of the world around her. Years later when I met her as the Empress of the Mughal Empire, I found a regal, intelligent woman of the world sitting beside her mortal husband, the Emperor, Shah Jahan. I knew then that this woman would rise to any challenge set before her. I have every confidence in her ability to not only face our uncertain future, but to meet it with grace and dignity, ever with the calm voice of reason.

  AGE: 489

  BIRTH DATE: Spring of 1527

  BIRTH STATUS: Natural born Immortal - born along the coast of Alexandria, Egypt.

  COMPLEMENT: Greggory McBrien, bonded since 1787

  CURRENT LOCATION: Kelleys Island, Ohio

  APPEARANCE:

  EYE COLOR: Lapis Lazuli

  HEIGHT: 5’4”

  HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown with auburn highlights.

  ETHNICITY/CULTURAL INFLUENCES: Egyptian and Minoan heritages

  OCCUPATIONS: Owns a yoga studio and spa where her advanced classes are in high demand. She also owns an antiques gallery with her Complement, Greggory McBrien. She spends a great deal of her time there, using an aspect of her telekinesis gift that allows her to authenticate the items that come through their gallery. She is Governor of the Great Lakes Region with Gregg and manages their Senate duties with her lieutenants.

  HISTORICAL BIO: Naeemah lived an idyllic childhood along the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. For forty years, she knew a happy home with a simple life. Years later, when her paternal grandfather placed her on the Mughal throne of India, Naeemah grew unhappy with her false life. When she finally escaped the palace and fled the city, she traveled with a caravan heading north to Nepal. She disguised herself, working as a guard for the caravan, offering protection from robbers and thieves. It took them many weeks to reach Kathmandu, where she broke away from the caravan and disappeared for more than a century. Not much is known of her life at that time. Not even I know where fate led her during those intervening years. The next time she surfaced, Naeemah was a changed woman. A fierce, Proven warrior, scarred from battle, but she was a warrior who vowed to lay down her weapons and fight no more.

  CURRENT BIO: Naeemah’s finds her greatest joy in teaching her children. She grew up as a lonely child in a family of much older Immortals. She was eager to adopt after she and Gregg bonded, and they welcomed their first son, Seamas in 1825 when they found him on their doorstep at an inn in Scotland. Their other sons joined them over the years, but in 1998, Naeemah and Gregg planned to vacation in the Dominican Republic, but at the last minute, their plans were cancelled. For the next five years, Naeemah felt a strange sense of loss that wasn’t alleviated until she finally found her Haitian daughter, Sasha. They missed their chance to bond with her at birth, but she was meant to be their daughter and fate wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Naeemah loves all her children, but she has a special bond with her youngest son, Aidan. Because Aidan is one of the most powerful Immortals of his generation, Naeemah has always struggled not to show the discomfort she feels at his touch. As an infant, she resisted holding him and she’s never been able to forgive herself for what she perceives as her greatest failure. She’s made an effort every day of his life to show him he is loved, but it breaks her heart to watch him struggle in his loneliness, much as she did as a child.

  ABILITIES: Naeemah was once able to resist the pull of gravity, but the gift was taken from her when she was still a young women, Unproven. Because she is a powerful Immortal, this gift returned to her in time, but it was never quite the same.

  She can move objects with her mind and feels a connection with the physical world around her. She can see and understand the geometry and physics that allow her gift to work and it makes perfect sense to her or anyone with a gift for telekinesis. Watching her clean the house when no one is home is fascinating––and dangerous to the unsuspecting bystander.

  Naeemah's mind control gift manifests through her singing voice. No one can resist the power of her voice, although she only uses it when she absolutely must.

  WEAPONS: Naeemah experienced much violence throughout her life and will not fight unless it is to defend herself or her family. She put down her weapons long ago and focused on a different path. She is a master Yoga instructor and teaches her children and their friends to focus and concentrate—to be continually aware of the world around them. She also teaches them to look for a peaceful solution to a problem, but when a fight is necessary, to face it with determination and skill.

  TALENTS/SKILLS: Naeemah is a gifted storyteller. She can spin her words into vivid illustrations that come alive right before her audience’s eyes.

  KNOWN ALIASES: Known as the girl, Arjumand Banu Begum who later became Mumtaz Mahal, Empress of India and chief wife to Emperor Shah Jahan of the Mughal Empire.

  TOP SECRET NOTES: Naeemah was a member of Kassandre and Ashar’s private council but she was extremely close with Ashar in particular. The two stood on the outside of the bond Gregg and Kassandre shared and it wasn’t always an easy place to be. When he died, she felt like she lost her best friend.

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  Daniel Loukas

  Daniel's hisstory is a sad cautionary tale. For centuries, he lived behind the powerful magnetic fields of the Coalition prison in Tunisia. I've known many Immortals who have fallen victim to our enemy and have eventually escaped. For those like Daniel, a full recovery is unlikely. The weight of so many years lost is something few can overcome. Daniel, despite his limitations, gives me great hope that when the time comes for my wife to escape her prison, she will be able to find the same kind of redemption. Daniel has fought to find his way back from the brink of ruin. He will never be what he could have been, but he grows stronger with each passing year.

  AGE: 632

  BIRTHDATE: Winter of 1384

  BIRTH STATUS: Unknown Origin, born near Athens, Greece.

  COMPLEMENT: Emma Renard, bonded since 1760

  CURRENT LOCATION: Kelleys Island, Ohio

  APPEARANCE:

  EYE COLOR: Amethyst with hints of Citrine

  HEIGHT: 6’0”

  HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown with silver at his temples (a sign of his age and his difficult past.)

  ETHNICITY/CULTURAL INFLUENCES: Greek

  OCCUPATIONS: Daniel has worked as a lawyer and financial planner. He is also a Lieutenant Governor and legal advisor, along with his Complement, Emma Renard, to Governor Greggory McBrien and Naeemah El Sadawii.

  HISTORICAL BIO: Daniel spent nearly three centuries as a Coalition prisoner after his years as a merchant sailor and explorer ended badly. He is the adopted son of Ming Lao Long and his mortal father, Xavier Loukas. Ming Lao married Xavier Loukas when Daniel was five years old and he still identifies with Xavier as his father. Although he maintains a strong relationship with Ming’s Complement, Jin Jing, they have never bonded as father and son.

  In the years after his escape from prison, Daniel and his Complement, Emma Renard, retreated to the islands of the Caribbean for his recovery. Emma devoted these years to helping her husband regain his life and overcome the magnetic sickness he had succumbed to for so long. Together they trained, fighting for the recovery that would allow him to live a normal life. Emma was ruthless, pushing him harder than any wife would ever dream. But it was because of her ability to be merciless and loving at the same time that Daniel was able to claw his way back and attain his Proving at the age of four hundred. Over two centuries later, he still struggles––and probably always will––but I have always been impressed by his sheer will to overcome his weakness.

  CURRENT BIO: Daniel tires easily and spends much of his time training, working hard to maintain control of his power. His time in prison still affects him, leaving him with limitations most Immortals his age will never have
to face. Because of his struggles, he no longer works a full time job and is instead, a stay-at-home dad. He trains his children and their friends, but focuses on their education concerning the Immortal world and leaves their physical training up to their other teachers. Despite his limitations, Daniel is a powerful Immortal. It is because of his power that he has to work so hard to maintain control.

  ABILITIES: Daniel has a minor gift that allows him to influence tides and winds for optimum sailing conditions, but the gift is limited and only useful for a short time. He also has an affinity with horses, and runs a small ranch and vineyard on Kelleys Island. He also owns a much larger ranch and vineyard in the Azores, an archipelago of nine islands he discovered in 1427. Daniel's defining gift is his powerful ability to alter memories, replacing old memories with false ones or wiping out entire periods of time. The Senate finds his gift useful, and he is the best of those with similar gifts, but because the use of it costs him so much strength, the Senate does not require his ability unless no one else can perform the task. He is much more capable than the Senate realizes, but he uses his malady as a means to avoid falling under their control. If the Senate could find me, they'd be surprised how quickly I would follow Daniel's lead.

  WEAPONS: Prefers a double edge Katana or a Long Nodachi

  TALENTS/SKILLS: Has a talent for training horses

  TOP SECRET NOTES: Daniel was confined to one of the oldest Coalition prisons in Africa. During his time there, he interactted with his fellow inmates. Most were ancients. Some were enemies. Few were friends. And some were the remaining Enlightened––those responsible for the travesties of the Great War. Daniel is one of the only Immortals alive and free who can identify the last surviving Enlightened. That makes Daniel one of my favorite people on the planet.

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  Emma Renard

  What a woman! And such a complete conundrum. She's ruthless, cunning, kind, beautiful, quick-witted, talented and generous. Just keep an eye on your wallet when she's around. Her penchant for sticky fingers is a habit she's not quite overcome. As I've watched her through the years, I've always seen a woman at war with the two opposing sides of her nature. She punishes herself for her past mistakes and refuses to see how much this world needs her. I know without a doubt in my mind that she will always rise to the challenge and do what she must. I just wouldn't want to find myself on the opposite side of a battlefield from her. I would surely lose my shirt.

  AGE: 799

  BIRTHDATE: Spring of 1217

  BIRTH STATUS: Unknown Origin, born near the French province of Anjou. Emma was taken in by a village woman until the local Immortal landowners adopted her and raised her as a noble woman.

  COMPLEMENT: Daniel Loukas, bonded since 1760

  CURRENT LOCATION: Kelleys Island, Ohio

  APPEARANCE:

  EYE COLOR: Diamond clear

  HEIGHT: 5’10”

  HAIR COLOR: Black

  ETHNICITY/CULTURAL INFLUENCES: French

  OCCUPATIONS: Emma handles acquisitions for Gregg and Naeemah’s antiquities gallery. She is also a lawyer (this makes me giggle) and Lieutenant Governor with her Complement, Daniel Loukas.

  HISTORICAL BIO: Emma has a colorful past as a thief, a pirate and a slave—even step-mother to a queen of England. After she was captured by a Coalition slave trader, she was sold to the Mughal court, where she eventually met Naeemah. Emma was a proud woman and the three decades she spent as a slave to the Mughal Empire was a humbling experience that has never left her. After she met and bonded with her Complement, Daniel Loukas, they settled on Barbados, in the Caribbean. They established a sugarcane plantation there, but refused to own slaves, choosing instead to hire and pay a fair wage to anyone willing to work. Living along the slave trade routes, the ships from the Congo and Angola passed frequently on their way to Jamaica, Richmond, Charleston and New Orleans. The pirate life beckoned to her once more, but this time, Emma’s goal was a self-sacrificing one. She and Daniel policed the waters of the Caribbean, attacking slave ships and freeing those bound for a life in bondage.

  Later, during the American Civil War, Emma and Daniel were active participants in the Underground Railroad. This more than anything shows how far Emma has come from the pirate she once was. The old Emma would have been a blockade-runner during the war, caring little for the lives of slaves. This new and improved Emma is a woman I greatly admire.

  CURRENT BIO: Emma is still haunted by her past and the woman she once was. For much of her eight hundred years, she thought only of herself and the adventurous life she craved, never giving much thought to the future. The experience of bonding with her Complement, Daniel Loukas changed her. Daniel made her want to be a better person, not for him, but for herself and their family. After leaving her oldest daughter, Helena Renard, for a short time, (which ultimately became a long separation), Emma resisted becoming a mother again. She felt unworthy, until 1945 when she met and bonded with her daughter, Mia Renard, a twelve-year-old survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. In the following years, she and Daniel went on to adopt both Quinn and Graham when she felt the familiar pull toward those who were meant to be her children. She has never felt confident enough to mentor a child, but when Allie Carmichael joined the Kelleys Island families, Emma was the only one available to act as mentor to the young, naive Immortal. She was hesitant at first, but she sees a great deal of herself in the strong-willed young woman. The two are a good match and Emma is learning just as much from the experience as Allie is. Perhaps she will finally learn to forgive herself for her past mistakes.

  ABILITIES: Emma is one of the most powerful of the Kelleys Island adults. Her defining gift functions much like a truth serum or lie detector. She knows when someone is lying and can coerce the truth from them. For most, it takes time and effort, but when she wants the truth, she will get it, although it leaves her drained. She also has a gift of stealth, which aided her in her more dishonest past. She is a master thief and can break into any structure, despite the best security measures.

  Emma absorbs sunlight, which she can use as a light source whenever she has need of it. She can even make the light visible to only herself, which was useful to her as a thief and pirate. Emma can also see Complements. If she knows both parties, she can tell they are Complements even when they have not yet bonded or recognized each other. This is information she never divulges to anyone, but when she can steer two people together, she does, but it is up to them if they are ready for it or not.

  WEAPONS: 16th Century Saber

  TALENTS/SKILLS: Master fencer

  KNOWN ALIASES: Jeanne de Laval - the second wife of René I of Anjou, (King of Naples), and step-mother to Margaret of Anjou, (Queen of England from 1445-1461, a principal figure of the War of the Roses.)

  TOP SECRET NOTES: Emma Renard is on the Margrave’s most wanted list (the leading counsel of the Coalition, much like the Immortal Senate) and has been since she abandoned her post with the Coalition and absconded with her Complement in 1755.

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  Jin Jing Long

  I'm no prophet. That gift and burden belongs to my lovely wife. But I've spent my considerably long life observing the affairs of mankind, and that has given me an unparalleled insight––or rather, the ability to guess really, really well. I sense a great change for Jin Jing and Ming Lao. It looms on the horizon like a dark storm. Some terrible tragedy will befall them soon. The degree of severity has yet to be decided, but this tragedy will affect the entire extended family—and that could spell ruin for us all.

  AGE: 756

  BIRTHDATE: Fall of 1260

  BIRTH STATUS: Natural Born, but he doesn’t know his parent’s true names. They ruled China for centuries under various names. In the late 18th Century, Jin and Ming adopted the last name “Long” to modernize their family surname.

  COMPLEMENT: Ming Lao Long, bonded since 1510

  CURRENT LOCATION: Kelleys Island, Ohio

  APPEARANCE:

  EYE COLOR: Blue Agate />
  HEIGHT: 5’10”

  HAIR COLOR: Black

  ETHNICITY/CULTURAL INFLUENCES: Chinese

  OCCUPATIONS: Jin has worked as an engineer and architect, but currently, he is a stay at home dad. He is also Lieutenant Governor of the Great Lakes Region with his Complement, Ming Lao Long.

  HISTORICAL BIO: Never has such an honorable man been born to such wicked parents. Jin was the unwanted, natural son of two ambitious rulers. His father had a gift for absorbing the appearance of others for himself and his Complement. Each generation they would orchestrate the birth of a mortal heir and pass him off as the Crown Prince of China. When the Emperor grew older in the eyes of the world, he would take to his sickbed and only admit his chief wife and heir. Using his gift, he would trade physical appearances with his son, making him look like the ailing Emperor and then the “mother” would take the young man’s life with her deadly embrace. Together they would emerge as the grieving family of the dead Emperor and the crown would pass to their beloved "son." When their natural son, Jin Jing was born, his presence hindered their schemes. He was lauded as the lesser child of some concubine and placed in the palace nursery with their next victim. When Jin finally understood their plans, he was forced to comply and held captive within the palace. Once he proved he could be trusted, he was given the position of General of the Imperial army. It took many long years to defeat his father, but Jin finally brought an end to their evil ways and exiled them from their native land. When Jin Jing and Ming Lao bonded as Complements, they ruled China and raised the next Crown Prince. When he came into power, they left their homeland in the hands of a capable and just ruler.

  CURRENT BIO: Jin worked as a structural engineer for many years, but since Chloe’s birth, he has retired to spend more time with her while he has the opportunity. His days are devoted to training his daughter and her friends. It is possible that Chloe will manifest as a Scholar like her maternal grandparents and myself, so Jin wants her to be prepared. If she does become a Scholar, she will need to train with her grandparents who are the Governor of the Vancouver territory. He dreads the day his youngest child might have to leave them, but I believe his fears are unfounded. Chloe is so much like her father with her quiet strength and gentle spirit, I believe she will also take after him in other ways as well.