Jaana

Jaana is a recurring character. She first appears in the Ultima IV, and is one of the companions of the Avatar, being a Druid and therefore strong magic user.

Age of Enlightenment
In Ultima IV, the Stranger met Jaana within the city of Yew, where she was seeking to understand the virtue of Justice. She proved willing, if asked, to join in the hero's quest to obtain Avatarhood. .

Jaana was declared an outlaw during the time of Blackthorn's regime and was forced, along with many of the Avatar's other companions, into hiding. Jaana joined the Resistance early in the Blackthorn's reign, retreating to a secret group of tunnels that the organization had developed under Yew, where she worked against the Dark Lord's rule. Upon the Avatar's return in Ultima V, Jaana asked to join the hero's ranks again, in the hopes of quashing the rule of the corrupted regent. .

After the end of Blackthorn's rule, Jaana continued to live in Yew as a druidess, blessing crops and tending to sick animals. In Ultima VI, if pressed, she would admit to missing the life of excitement that her adventures with the Avatar had offered her, and would gladly join the party if asked. . Strangely enough, despite being a strong magic user, she did not bother with using these skills during the adventure, instead deciding to use her regular combat skills for the duration of the quest.

Age of Armageddon
By Ultima VII 200 years later, Jaana had left Yew and relocated to the town of Cove, where she worked as a healer in the local hospital. When the Avatar met her again, she was in a relationship with the town's mayor, Lord Heather. The disturbance in the ether at that time limited her magical abilities to some degree and she was loathe to use them for any purpose aside from healing. Unlike many of the magician in Britannia in those days, she however remained in full possession of her mental faculties. If the Avatar requested it of her, she would join the hero's company once again, promising Lord Heather that she would return safely to him. She would admit relief over how her magic had returned fully to her after the destruction of the Tetrahedron Generator.

In Ultima IX, Jaana, like many of the other companions, had been seduced by the power of the columns, taking on the name Aanaj and the mantle of the Wyrmguard. She could be found guarding the column near Dungeon Wrong. If the Avatar was able to trick her into a locked cell, rather than slaying her outright, she could later be found in Yew, after the Shrine of Justice had been restored.

Later, Jaana would aid in the final defeat of the Guardian, journeying to the Wrong again to cleanse the corrupting column linked to it, helping to cut off the Guardian's power and to divert the catastrophic collision of Trammel and Felucca.

The Tale of Jaana and the Goblin: A Parable of Justice
''You know that the fellowship of the Druids is dedicated to the Virtue of Justice, and that Druids are from ancient times the custodians of the High Court of the land. It was also the custom, in bygone days, for Druids to wander the land in the King's name, acting as circuit judges and agents of the high court. It was their lot to adjudicate those cases that did not require the attention of the high court. At the time of which I speak, Jaana was such a Druid. She was a strong young woman, with no fear of a life of travel, and so it pleased the elders of her order to give her a large and wild portion of the land. She traveled about between nearly a score of small towns and villages, visiting each two or three times in a year.''

''Now it happened that one of the larger towns in this region - a walled mountain fortress - was engaged in a fierce and ongoing battle with a tribe of goblins that lived in those parts. The object of this contention was the control and security of a nearby mountain pass, which brought trade to the humans and plunder to the goblins. The chief engine of this conflict's continuance was a goblin chieftain of exceptional wit and ambition, who for years bedeviled all humans who passed through his territory.''

See the complete tale at: The Tale of Jaana and the Goblin: a Parable of Justice

Trivia

 * Jaana's counterpart in reality is an eponymous personal friend of Ultima creator Richard Garriott. She is of Finnish heritage.


 * In Ultima V, Jaana's sprite depicts a white bearded, robed man - the default image for all mages. This seems strange, given that she and Mariah (both major magic using characters in Ultima IV and V) are women.


 * In Ultima VI, Jaana gets seasick easily. This will become apparent if she is asked to join or leave the party whilst on a water-traversing vessel.


 * In Ultima VI, Jaana is in possession of one of the three magical storm cloaks available in the game. It can be found in a chest in her place of residence.


 * In Ultima IX, the Avatar may opt to slay Jaana when encountering her as a Wyrmguard. If this happens, Jaana will later appear as a ghost, thanking the hero for releasing her from her bondage to the Guardian and begging forgiveness for her transgressions. She will later be restored to life along with Dupre and any other slain companions once the Shrine of Spirituality is cleansed.


 * Her hair color is inconsistent. In Ultima VI it is white and in Ultima VII blonde. While her hair isn't seen in Ultima IX thanks to her hood, the Tapestry of Ages shows it as brown. The character looks noticeably younger in her appearance in Ultima VII than Ultima VI, which occurs 200 years later.