Jaana

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Jaana
Jaana.gif
Jaana, from Ultima VII
Species: human
Profession: druid
Appearances
Ultima VII
Location: Cove
Ultima IX
U9Jaana-Face.jpg
Jaana, from Ultima IX
Location: Wrong
Transcript: Jaana
Ultima VI
Jaana U6.GIF
Jaana, from Ultima VI
Location: Yew
Transcript: Jaana
The Ultima 6 Project
Jaana-U6Project.png
Jaana, from The Ultima 6 Project
Location: Yew
Description: druid
Ultima V: Lazarus
Jaana-Lazarus.jpg
Jaana, from Ultima V: Lazarus
Location: Yew
Description: Companion
Ultima V
Jaana (U5).png
Jaana, from Ultima V
Description: Companion
Location: Yew
Transcript: Jaana
Ultima IV
Jaana (U4).png
Jaana, from Ultima IV
Description: Companion
Location: Yew
Transcript: Jaana

Jaana [yah-nah (audio)] 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.

History[edit]

Age of Enlightenment[edit]

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 was not also a druid.[1] The journey eventually would be finished in the depths of the Abyss when the Stranger gained the wisdom of the Codex.

Due to her 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.[2] 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.[3]

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 it was unbecoming of a simple druid to miss the life of excitement that her adventures with the Avatar had offered her, but would gladly join the party if asked.[4] 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[edit]

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.[5] 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.[6] 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 "Anaaj" 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.[7] However to free the way to the column, the Avatar first had to promise to free her if she opened the doors, which was fulfilled 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.[8]

The Ultima 6 Project[edit]


This is an Ultima 6 Project-related NPC article or section. The information within may not apply to Ultima VI or other Ultima games.


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, the hero 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.

Lore[edit]

Jaana-U6.jpg
The next morning I continued my search for clues about the Quest. In a small grove of trees north of the entrance to the town, I found a group a druids sitting around a small fire. Two of them had their eyes closed and the soft murmur of their voices floated over me. Over and over they chanted, "Beh, beh, beh." I went up to the one who wasn't chanting. She was small, with an athletic body and long golden hair braided into one long plait.

"Hello," I said. "What are your companions doing?"
"Chanting," she replied.
"I can see that. Why aren't you doing it?"
"I'm seeking Justice," she said. "May I join thee on thy Quest?" Nobody had asked to join me before. I was surprised by her question, but my gut feeling told me it was the right thing to take her with me.
"Sure," I said. "You can come along. I could use the company. By the way, what's your name?"
"Jaana," she said.
I remained calm on the outside, but inside I rejoiced.

Ah, 'tis a shame, for Nastassia is very lovely. But then again, so is my dear Jaana. She once traveled with the legendary Avatar, assuming thou dost believe in that sort of thing. Well, I still love her despite her persistence in fueling such rumors.

Services[edit]

Prices in Ultima VII were as follows:[9]

Services Cost
(gp)
Healing 30
Curing poison 15
Resurrection 400

Note that should Jaana join the party, she does these services for free, but will need time to recover after each healing, until the Tetrahedron Generator is destroyed. She however can always resurrect only a limited number of times outside of her shop.

“The Tale of Jaana and the Goblin: A Parable of Justice”[edit]

Main article: The Tale of Jaana and the Goblin

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.

Trivia[edit]

  • Jaana's counterpart in reality is an eponymous personal friend of Ultima creator Richard Garriott. She is of Finnish heritage.[10]
  • 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 the Nintendo remake of Ultima IV, Jaana gained the ability to wear a protection ring (armor exclusive to the NES remake).
  • In some ports of Ultima V, Jaana's sprite depicts a white bearded, robed man, that is the default image for all mages. This seems strange, given that she and Mariah (both major magic using characters in Ultima IV and Ultima 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.[11]
  • 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.[12]
  • 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.[13]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Jaana. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima IV transcriptUltima IV. "job, justice".
  2. JuliaUnderworld Dragon’s Ultima V transcriptUltima V. "Blackthorn, Shadowlords".
  3. Jaana. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima V transcriptUltima V. "job".
  4. Jaana. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VI transcriptUltima VI. "job, join".
  5. Jaana. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcriptUltima VII. "job, Lord Heather, magic".
  6. Lord HeatherUnderworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcriptUltima VII. "everyone".
  7. AnnajQuill Dragon’s Ultima IX transcriptUltima IX.
  8. Null Pointer. “Let's Play Ultima IX - Chapter 12, Part 1”. Let's Play Archive. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  9. Morris, Andrew P. Ultima VII Clue Book (Ultima VII). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Page 49.
  10. McCubbin, Chris; Ladyman, David. "An Interview with Richard Garriott". Prima's Official Guide to Ultima IX: AscensionPrima Publishing: 1999. Page 292.
  11. Jaana. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VI transcriptUltima VI. "join, leave".
  12. Jaana's GhostQuill Dragon’s Ultima IX transcriptUltima IX.
  13. White, Robert. Ultima IX: Ascension - Plot Treatment. July 17, 1997. Pages 13, 14, 31.

The Companions of the Avatar
The Companions MariahIoloGeoffreyJaanaJuliaDupreShaminoKatrina