Atala Jassan's Backstory

Atala grew up in a village so small and unimportant that it wasn't even on most maps, and had no true protection from the dangers of the nearby forest without the help of passing rangers, and hunters who went into the forest would sometimes go missing or would return empty-handed after fleeing for their lives. This environment left her with what she sees as a mostly healthy fear and paranoia about the various monsters and creatures of her world.
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​Bright and inquisitive even as a child, but never particularly strong, she saw the passing rangers casting spells, which started her on the journey to learning magic herself and becoming a wizard. One of those rangers decided to entertain her interest in magic and gave her two scrolls that she'd found on her travels, each one detailing a (mostly harmless) spell that Atala eagerly read and studied until she had learned all they had to offer.
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​When she was 16, tragedy struck her personally when her mother was killed when some of the creatures from the forest attacked while she and a friend were out walking alone together when they apparently got too close to the forest. A few months after this, feeling lost and alone, she sadly decided there was nothing left for her in her small, fragile village and left, accompanying a former hunter who had grown tired of the constant dangers of the forest and wished to move to a real city, with walls and lots of guards. They packed what they could easily carry of what they wanted and needed, and left the village behind them.

After finding a road and travelling along it for a few days, they were picked up by a passing caravan and taken along to one such city, a large and busy place with more people and buildings than Atala had ever seen in one place. She and her traveling companion parted ways, and she was left to wander the city alone. Eventually she found a wizard's shop and was naturally drawn inside, finding to her disappointment that most books and scrolls were kept in (locked) cases, and there were many items and contraptions she could only guess as to what they were and what they did.

Still, she was fascinated by everything she found there, and looked longingly at the display cases as she stolled through the shop. The wizard who ran the shop, an old gnome woman, finally approached her after she'd spent over a half hour just browsing and staring longingly at the things in the shop. After hearing Atala's story, and getting her to cast spells for a short while, the wizard - named Waywocket Herbalbend - offered to take her in as an apprentice. In exchange for helping around the shop and the city, Waywocket would give her a place to stay, train her, and even pay her for her work.

She also helped foster a sense of bravery and purpose in Atala with her agreement that yes, there are innumerable things in the world that can kill someone, or worse, but that they can be challenged with proper planning and skill. And beyond that, even if you yourself don't have the means to stop or destroy these creatures, that you can assist others in doing so, whether it be by standing by their side with spells at the ready or giving them the potions or supplies they need when they're stopping in at the shop.

After 12 years of studying and training, Atala decided to see the world for herself, and try to provide help in any way she can against the horrible creatures that lurk in the dark - and light, even - places of the world. She still writes Waywocket from time to time, eternally thankful for her mentor's help through the years.