Banshee

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Banshee (女妖)
Species/Race	A Sarkaz race associated with the Banshee Royal Court and Wordcraft 13 20
Gender	Predominantly female; male Banshees are exceptionally rare 13 69
Affiliation	Banshee Court / Royal Courts; River Valley; historically connected to Kazdel 13 18 20
Occupation/Role	Wordcraft practitioners, Elegy singers, and battlefield combatants; the Banshee Queen leads and protects the race 18 20 34
Status	Extant but endangered after severe wartime losses; only eight young Banshees are noted in River Valley 15 50
First Appearance	Chapter 13 (described in Saria's records); Chapter 14 (first group appearance) 13 14

Background / History

Banshees are one of the more mysterious Sarkaz races. Their main settlement is River Valley, a place largely inhabited by Banshees and not directly connected to Kazdel, although their history and Royal Court remain deeply tied to Kazdel. Nearly all Banshees possess skill in Wordcraft, using language and written Incantations to alter their surroundings and fight. 13 14

In earlier eras, Banshees were beloved in Kazdel for their singing and feared on battlefields for the Elegies and Incantations they wielded. Their most gifted members could become rulers of the Banshee Royal Court, bearing responsibility for the entire race. 20 34

The war devastated the Banshee population, killing countless members and leaving the survivors unable to endure further losses. Lamaline relocated the remaining Banshees to River Valley, where preserving the bloodline and preparing a future generation became the Court's central concern. 15 18

Appearance

Banshees are generally humanoid Sarkaz. Known Banshees are often associated with feathered ears, veils, pale or elaborate clothing, Bone Pens, and ornaments shaped like Thorns. 8 18 45 50

• Feathered ears — a recognizable Banshee trait noted among Rhodes Island personnel 45.
• Veils — worn by Banshees such as Lamaline; a veil may have listened to countless Incantations 8.
• Thorn ornaments — Thorns are worn by Banshees and hold cultural significance as symbols of suffering 18.
• Bone Pens — common Wordcraft implements used to write, shape, and release Incantations 14 69.

Society and Culture

Royal Court

The Banshee Court is one of Kazdel's Royal Courts. Its ruler is expected to guide the race, distinguish reward from punishment, listen to younger Banshees, and preserve the community's future. 15 20

A Banshee's transition into adulthood is determined not by age, but by accumulated knowledge, skill, and wisdom. The Wordcraft Tower serves as an important place of study, testing, and instruction. 20 50

Elegies and Death

Banshees sing Elegies for their dead, viewing a final Elegy as a sorrowful honor. Older Banshees may choose not to preserve their appearance, believing that the suffering of aging allows them to sing gentler Elegies. 18

Thorns

Thorns symbolize suffering and death within Banshee culture. They appear throughout River Valley, are fashioned into ornaments, and are used as swaddling clothes for newborn Banshees. 18

Bloodline and Procreation

Because male Banshees are nearly nonexistent, Banshees commonly seek partners outside their race. A Banshee intending to remain with a chosen partner traditionally leaves the group to give birth, returning with the child only after the partner dies of old age. 34 35

The [Procreation] Incantation is used to preserve the Banshee bloodline when an outside partner is involved. A Banshee without a willing partner may attempt to persuade—or kill—a stronger outsider to obtain what is needed for the Incantation. 34 35

Abilities & Skills

Incantation and Wordcraft

Banshee Wordcraft gives concepts form through written or spoken language. Incantations can reconstruct phenomena in reality, from simple environmental changes to lethal battlefield effects. 20

• Environmental control — Incantations can regulate a room's temperature, create light-like spells, open doors, and alter interior structures. 13 14 15 32
• Construct creation — Banshees can form chains, shackles, shields, arrows, Thorns, and temporary objects from Wordcraft. 14 19 20 69
• Combat effects — Incantations can bind, weaken, restrict movement, create barriers, and overwhelm enemies through layered effects. 20 33 53
• Healing — Skilled Banshees can use healing Incantations, and Lamaline's authority can restore vitality through the Courtyard's bed. 21 33 35
• Limitation — Incantations can be cut apart or forcibly dismantled by Gerald's wind and swordsmanship, particularly when he identifies their source or structure. 14 21 32 69

Elegy

An Elegy is a Banshee song associated with death, grief, and remembrance. It is both a funerary tradition and a weapon.

• Funerary rite — Banshees sing for deceased kin in hopes that their souls return to Many Souls. 15 18
• Offensive song — Lamaline's ancient Elegy inflicts pain, disrupts concentration, and can force an opponent into a prepared trap. 33
• Cultural meaning — Banshees regard suffering as intertwined with their ability to create a gentle Elegy. 18

Royal Court Authority

A Banshee Royal Court ruler can impose overwhelming control within a personal Courtyard.

• Courtyard domain — The ruler can fill the space with inherited songs, Thorns, and Incantations that reshape movement and terrain. 32 33
• Territorial protection — Lamaline's Courtyard was intended to defend the Banshees against outside enemies, despite its older use as a hunting ground for challengers. 33
• Royal succession — Ai Fanier, the later Banshee lord, demonstrates mastery of advanced Incantation and uses wind as a protective blessing. 69 70

Equipment / Items

• Bone Pen — A Wordcraft focus used to write and direct Incantations; Bone Pens can create restraints, structures, projectiles, and combat effects. 14 69
• Banshee's Kiss — A sacred Banshee ornament given by Lamaline to Gerald. It later becomes connected to his altered dream experiences and recovery. 15 16 60 73
• Dreammist Essence — A Banshee-made fragrance whose scent remains on Gerald after his time in River Valley. 37
• Thorns — Plants and Incantation-linked constructs representing suffering; used in rituals, defenses, clothing, and Courtyard traps. 18 33

Known Banshees

• Lamaline — Banshee Queen and ruler of the Banshee Royal Court; leads the survivors in River Valley and seeks a future for her race. 14 15 20
• Nastya Runorui — An intelligent young Banshee whose determination and interest in engineering distinguish her from peers more talented in Incantation. 19 35
• Ai Fanier — A rare male Banshee and later lord of the Banshee Court; possesses exceptional Incantation talent and wind-based protection. 69 70
• Logos — A male Banshee affiliated with Rhodes Island whose reaction to Gerald suggests a possible familial connection. 68
• Theresa — The Demon King possesses Banshee blood and maintains a close relationship with Lamaline. 32 51

Relationships

• Gerald / Wind Chaser — An outsider regarded by Lamaline as a friend of the Sarkaz and entrusted with teaching the young Banshees about survival and the outside world 14 15 50 52.
• Theresa — The Demon King supports Lamaline's efforts to preserve the Banshee bloodline and recognizes the importance of River Valley's future 15 51.
• Kazdel — The Banshees historically served Kazdel as singers and battlefield combatants, but their wartime losses drove the survivors toward isolation in River Valley 15 34.
• Rhodes Island — Banshees including Logos are present among its elite operators; Banshee Incantation also concealed Gerald's existence from Kal'tsit for centuries 45 68.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• River Valley encounter — Gerald enters a dream-linked River Valley, where young Banshees attack him with Incantations before Lamaline intervenes and identifies him as a valued outsider. 14
• Bloodline crisis — Lamaline explains that the Banshees are nearing extinction and asks Gerald to help ensure their continuation. 15
• Wordcraft Tower duel — Lamaline publicly challenges Gerald, using the battle to establish a standard for the young Banshees and force the Court to confront its future. 19 20 21
• Courtyard conflict — Lamaline uses the Banshee Courtyard, Thorns, song, and the [Procreation] Incantation against Gerald, exposing both the Court's old traditions and her personal fears. 32 33 34
• Education of the young Banshees — Gerald teaches the remaining children about outside threats, individual problem-solving, flight, and survival rather than relying solely on Incantation talent. 35 50 52
• Ai Fanier's succession — Gerald meets Ai Fanier, the male Banshee lord and his son, revealing the continuation of the Banshee Court across decades. 69 71