Ladonna (ca. 296 AC - ? AC) was a powerful Black Robe Wizard who was the head of the black robes during the Age of Despair.
Early Life[]
Ladonna was born to a smith in Palanthas. Her father lost everything to gambling debts and Ladonna became an orphan at a very young age. She was taken in by another smith couple who took care of her when he was in trouble, but for the most part she was independent as a child. She made her way into the Thieves' Guild of Palanthas. At some point she was reconized by a wizard for having a natural ability to spot enchantments. She was taken to the Tower of Wayreth and apprenticed under Arianna. Ladonna caught the attention of the Master of the Black Robes Reginald Diremore. He understood her ambition and manipulated her into using her power and beauty to aid the Black Robes. Ladonna understood the game but took it personally.
In her twenties he was sent on a mission with Par-Salian and Tythonnia to stop a growing movement of renegade wizards near Palanthas. During the mission, Par-Salian and Ladonna forged a romantic and professional relationship. Though the mission was technically a success, Ladonna was unsettled by the complicated friendships she made. She helped cover up the incident by allowing some of the renegades to escape.
Ladonna and Par-Salian soon became inseparable and fell in love, believing that their dedication to magic would bridge their own philosophical choices between the path of Solinari and that of Nuitari. In time, both Par-Salian and Ladonna grew more powerful and rose through the ranks of their own orders. The final straw between Ladonna and Par-Salian happened when the white robe had an affair with Arianna. A heartbroken Ladonna ended her relationship with Par-Salian.
Following the affair, Ladonna took a newborn girl Kira to a trusted family in Palanthas to raise for her. Ladonna sent the child on a ship to Palanthas, however the ship vanished without a trace. However, she may have delivered the child herself and created the story about the ship. Ladonna maintained that he child was Arianna's, but it may have been Ladonna's. This became the only regret that Ladonna would ever feel over the course of her life. A few years later when Arianna died, Ladonna claimed her role as chief overseer of the library in the Tower of Wayreth, as well as a seat on the Conclave.
Age of Despair[]
By 339 AC, Ladonna was serving in the capacity as Mistress of the Black Robes, along with Justarius (recently appointed head of the Red Robes), and Par-Salian who served as Master of the Conclave and head of the White Robes.
Around that time she took on Dagamier, an orphan girl from Ergoth, as an apprentice. Once Dagamier proved herself and rose to a position of prominence, Ladonna waited to take on another apprentice.
Before the War of the Lance, a young woman from Khur arrived at the Tower of Wayreth, and Ladonna saw promise in her. She became Iolanthe’s master, and helped her study to take the Test of High Sorcery.
In 353 AC Ladonna was truly impressed by another: a young Silvanesti known as Dalamar entered the Tower of Wayreth and passed the Test of High Sorcery. Ladonna requested the services of the new mage to kill the dark mage Tramd o' the Dark, who whilst a black-robed mage, had been becoming a rival for Ladonna for some time. Ladonna is further impressed when Dalamar returns a short while later with proof of the Tramd's death. The Mistress of the Black Robes brings Dalamar before the Conclave, who are particularly pleased with Ladonna's charge and gives him the task of spying on the archmage Raistlin Majere.
Ladonna had already long ago learnt to allow her rivals to underestimate her, and through use of her magic, as well as assassination and murder to kill off any challengers to her position as head of the Black Robes. Following the War of the Lance, she is well aware of the power of Raistlin Majere and fears him. She is well aware that Raistlin could easily destroy her and take her place on the Conclave if he chose. Even though Dalamar reported back to the Conclave several times on Raistlin's actions, Ladonna and the rest of the Conclave find themselves powerless to do anything about the mage.
In 356 AC mounting pressure eventually led to Par-Salian stepping down as Master of the Conclave. For years, Ladonna had privately hoped to claim the seat of power as soon as Par-Salian retired. However her chief rival for the role, Justarius, was elected as the new master. Ladonna then stepped down as Mistress of the Black Robes, and is believed to have retired with Par-Salian.
Rumors exist that in the following year 357 AC, Ladonna and Par-Salian journeyed to a demi-plane in search of the Lost Tower of High Sorcery, where they faced an archmage known as Spyranus. Aided by a group of adventurers and ultimately the god Gilean, they were successful in defeating Spyranus and returning back to Ansalon. The validity of this final adventure is uncertain.
Alternate Krynns[]
Magocracy[]
In this alternate version of Krynn, Ladonna was also a black-robed mage who was in love with Par-Salian, a white-robed mage during her youth. However Ladonna was kidnapped by barbarians from the Plains of Dust and killed, cutting her life short before she could achieve magical greatness.
Personality and traits[]
A great timeless beauty, Ladonna was admired both in her youth and in later life, and refused to use magic to alter her appearance or hide her age. Following the War of the Lance, Ladonna was described as a striking woman with iron-gray hair that she wore in intricate braids. She stood at 5 feet tall and weighed 115 pounds. Ladonna was always garbed in lustrous black robes that were inlaid with silver runes of protection, and bore many jewels on her person, as she had a weakness for fine jewelry.
Kender Tales[]
Ladonna has been referenced many times with her name being spelled "LaDonna", but this is not the spelling of her name.
References[]
- The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, Time of the Twins, p. 180, 183, 185, 191
- Brothers in Arms, p. 9
- Dalamar the Dark, p. 1-3, 223-227, 247, 262
- The Day of the Tempest, p. 127
- Dragonlance Adventures, p. 111
- Issue 13 – High Sorcery 1 of 4 – 'Lost & Found', p. 2, 4
- Issue 14 – High Sorcery 2 of 4 – 'Through the Eyes of Time', p. 6, 24
- Issue 15 – High Sorcery 3 of 4 – "The Test", p. 9, 19
- Issue 16 – High Sorcery 4 of 4 – 'Flesh and Stone', p. 6, 24
- Dragons of the Highlord Skies, p. 56
- Legends of the Twins (Sourcebook), p. 44-46, 108
- Night of the Eye, p. 96-98
- The Medusa Plague, p. 4-5, 26, 56, 311
- The Seventh Sentinel, p. 139, 252
- The Second Generation, p. 92
- Tales of the Lance: World Book of Ansalon, p. 106
- Wanderlust, p. 216
- Renegade Wizards