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, stating it should be a calling, not an excuse. She proved willing, if asked, to join in the hero's quest to obtain Avatarhood, if the Stranger wasn't a druid themselves. The journey eventually would be finished in the depths of the Abyss when the Stranger gained the wisdom of the Codex.

Due to her strong association with the Avatar, Jaana was declared an outlaw during the time of Blackthorn's regime and, along with many of the Avatar's other companions, was forced 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 dominion 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 that even though it was unbecoming of a simple druid to miss the life of excitement that her adventures with the Avatar had offered her, and would gladly join the party if asked. Despite being a strong magic user, she did not seek to employ these talents during the adventure, instead relying on her regular combat skills for the duration of the quest. She also had come into possession of a powerful storm cloak, which could be found in her house. She also shared what she knew of the mage Nicodemus.

Age of Armageddon
By the time of Ultima VII two hundred 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 magicians in Britannia in those days, however, she remained in full possession of her mental faculties. If the Avatar requested it of her, she would join the hero's company once again with her hawk companion, 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. However to free the way to the column, the Avatar first had to lie that they would free her if she opened the doors, which they didn't - at least not until after taking the glyph and rendering her harmless.

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

The Ultima 6 Project
In the Ultima 6 Project, Jaana had no reservations about using her vast magical powers. She was also working as a member of the druid circle in Yew. She could tell the Avatar more about the supposed gargoyle raid on Yew some days prior, and remarked that since Yew had no inn, they could sleep in the guard tower. She also gave directions how to reach the Shrine of Justice northeast of Yew, remarking how the terrain seems to change between each of the Avatar's visits. She did not have her storm cloak in her house however, having lent it to Mariah at the Lycaeum prior to the events of the game.

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.


 * Jaana's hair color, like her fellow companions Julia, Mariah, and Gwenno, is inconsistent throughout the series. Her slight frame in Ultima VI is adorned by flowing white hair, which later becomes blonde in Ultima VII. In Ultima IX, however, Jaana is depicted with brown hair, particularly in her appearance on the Tapestry of Ages.


 * In some ports of 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 VII, Jaana will not charge for healing services if in the Avatar's party, but she will quickly tire and be unable to perform further magic. If removed from the party, she will mysteriously regain her strength when charging the hero for her services.


 * 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.


 * In early drafts of Ultima IX from Bob White's tenure as lead designer, Jaana was to have remained in Cove throughout the Guardian's incursion on Britannia, acquiring the sanctuary town's supplies of food and Serpentwyne from Asylum (the former Buccaneer's Den) in her capacity as High Druid, Cove's leader. While not able to join the party on account of her duties, in this version of events Jaana would have been able to provide the Avatar with food, Serpentwyne, and healing at no charge, as well as counsel on particular matters from a just perspective. Her curative talents would have later afforded her the position of Master Healer at the infirmary of Valoria's Citadel of Courage, the stronghold of Britannian resistance forces preparing for a comprehensive assault against the Guardian.