From Terees's Private Journal 2 - Shadow Guard Gifts

Will the Twenty Gifts I sought, fought for, and sometimes bought serve my Shadow Guard children well? I called their spirits up to fight with their full strength during those awful days while the War for Mirdoren raged in the heavens. Whenever I remember those moments I am in awe of the sheer power they unleashed there, but now I forget how I got them to that point. I know I trained them, sometimes harshly, in Resh'karitas, but I cannot even remember when. I think Pyroglyph will remind me, but I cannot be certain for she is, as always, perfectly neutral.

While I remember, I shall record the Gifts already allocated. These I may or may not have remembered eventually, but logically they fit best. In all cases, I always gifted the Guards based upon their own strengths.

Ember already knew many weapons, so I gave her the Gift Tellen prepared: Martial Weapons Proficiency. She can pick up nearly any weapon invented for soldiers and use it as if she'd been trained specifically on that weapon for three decades or more. Some exotic weapons might lay beyond the Gift's capabilities to cover; however, Ember's natural talents with weapons should allow her to use the weapon without harm to herself or allies. The only difference is that she would not be considered a "master" with such weapons.

Arleas already knew much about books and learning. She would have known more too, had she not been killed so abruptly. The potential for vast learning still lay within her, so when I gifted her with Divine Shared Knowledge, she learned to know what I know. Unfortunately, for both of us, my memory has rather large gaps. Since Arleas has a wonderful memory, whenever I do perchance stumble across a memory, I send it to her. She may not even know it, but sometimes, I think she's my literal sanity.

Shanyaks struggles with himself far more than is healthy. His questionable heritage, his sometimes dark tendencies... these things hit him far deeper than many beings. I think his biggest problem is forgiving himself. In short, he draws trouble upon himself. Therefore, I believe I gave him Gorb's Gift of Trouble Greed.

Naysia Ebberon is a very introspective young woman when she wants to be. I do not think she spoke much even as a child, but that natural instinct to deal with everything internally and always alone grew even more pronounced once she went to one of Elsen's temple. Sometimes I wonder why I picked such internally conflicted people to become my Guards. She's such a sweet girl, fire obsession aside. Who am I fooling? I love her partially because of that fire obsession, for it is a sign of the pure passion within her. One who thinks so much for herself could hardly help but naturally take to a Gift like Foresight. Sola's gift upon her own Race of Elves.

Kataryna Vaelryn trained for many, many seasons to become a seductive and highly successful assassin. Her natural beauty and well developed sense of how to handle people made her perfect for Quont's gift of Complete Attraction. Quont could always get whatever he wanted from any of us.