A principal character from the Ring of Steel, a Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign set in and around Harrowdale. “Lux could barely believe her eyes. It was bad enough that the drow had infested the forest, but now it seemed the locals were welcoming them! She had slipped through the Elven Court undetected, moving south west from Elventree toward Harrowdale. Once across the river Duathamper, she thought she would be clear of drow territory. But there they were, a female drow and a male human, and both seemed quite pleased with the other’s company. Moving closer to their camp, Lux felt the nip of the early spring night’s chill. She had seen the fire from some distance away, and hoped to join their camp for the night. But now, she just wanted to get close enough to hear what plans they were hatching. Inching forward, she suddenly realized that the man was missing. “Can we help you?” She spun to see him standing over her. He was unarmed, but stood confidently, despite the bow she held, with an arrow knotted and ready. Then she noticed the silver amulet at his chest: the eyes and stars of Selune. “You serve the moonmaiden?” Lux announced more then asked. “Yes,” Coren responded, noting the symbol hung at her throat, “and you serve Mielikki.” Recognizing each other as worshipers of good aligned deities, they both relaxed and Lux rose from the crouch she had been in. Sabrae had moved to the edge of the brush, standing at the ready, but Coren motioned for her to stand down. “It’s a chilly night,” Coren addressed Lux with a warmer tone, “perhaps you’d like to join us?” Nodding her acceptance, she moved slowly into the clearing, returning the arrow to her quiver as a sign of her peaceful intent. “Who are you, and what are you doing out here alone?” Coren asked as he settled down by the fire, with Sabrae at his side, almost in his lap. “I am Luxana Miir,” she began. “I came through the Court from Elventree to see how far the drow had spread. But, I didn’t expect to find any south of the Duathamper.” She eyed Sabrae with clear suspicion. She had heard tales of female drow who worship a good goddess in the woods of Harrowdale, but this one did not look of a priestess. “You crossed the Court alone?” Coren questioned in a surprised tone. “That’s nearly suicide!” “The drow may hold elven lands,” Lux replied. “But they still know little of the forest’s ways.” Coren had to admire her courage, but questioned her wisdom. “What are you doing out here?” Lux inquired, still eyeing Sabrae, whose attire seemed more fitting for a city then the forest. “That’s quite a tale,” Coren replied, glancing down at Sabrae, who looked back at him with a wicked grin…” Raised in Elventree, in the northern fringe of the Cormanthor, Lux heard the call to serve Mielikki in her youth. Although she sees the drow infestation of the Elven Court as a blight, it is the cruelty of humans, particularly those of Hillsfar, against the denizens of the forest that draws her greatest wraith. A true daughter of nature, she opposes any intrusion of civilization into the woodlands, wishing men to live in harmony with nature, rather then in dominance of it. Lux often seems an outsider, even in the midst of the Ring of Steel, never truly being comfortable in even the must rustic of civilized lands. But, her influence on her companions runs deep, and is mostly responsible for the brevity of their time outside the forest. The fifth image in my second pass through the Ring of Steel characters. This one gave me fits! I must have tried over a dozen different versions with Victoria 4, but just couldn't get her right. After two weeks of failure, I finally ended up one of the first character packages I bought for Victoria 3: DM's Denise! Thanks for looking... Hope you enjoy! Comments and suggestions always welcome and appriciated!