Now nearly 60 years old, Beneva Chan is one of the most powerful women in Sartar? and a famous and influential Ernalda Priestess. Chief priestess of the important Earth temple at Clearwine, she is given respect from most every priestesses in Sartar and acknowledged as the senior priestess of the goddess.

Many years ago, Queen Beneva was wooed by Kallai Rockbuster, chief of the Taralings. Their courtship was legendary and their love magical. When Kallai became King of the Colymar, Beneva became his Queen. When Kallai was exiled following Starbrow's Rebellion, she followed her husband into exile at Karstanstead?. In 1616, when he learned that his foster-son (who had overthrown Queen Leika with Lunar aid) converted to the ways of Shepelkirt and gave the Lunars land for a slave plantation, Kallai threw himself onto his own funeral pyre.

After a long mourning, Queen Beneva joined Queen Leika at Whitewall and has thrown her support behind King Broyan, being one of those who acclaimed him as High King of the Hendreiki. She might not have had she known that Queen Kallyr Starbrow would be joining King Broyan's household. (But Kallyr had been there since 1613! <Jane>) Beneva hates Kallyr. She disliked Kallyr before the Rebellion but now as a result of Starbrow's fiasco, thousands are dead, her husband was exiled and died, the Colymar (her beloved tribe) are immersed in kinstrife, and the Lunars became more powerful than ever.

(From an email from Jeff Richard 7/5/04)

My current write up for her is (c. 1613):

She's got strong connections to the Clearwine Earth Temple, and lots of contacts amongst the Shaker Priestesses. After the Rebellion, she probably has a Hate Starbrow skill of between 1 and 5M. She's got a variety of helpers and ritual items. She was initially from the Zethnoring clan, but has been the chief priestess at Clearwine since about 1595 (give or take a few years). She was born c. 1570.