SOK: New Girls

More new character designs for some friends. Enjoy! 
~A few are still works in progress. 

Jacqueline: 
Before she was born, her father tried to kill her mother while she was pregnant with her. But Jacqueline's mother faked her death and gave birth at a performers caravan, where her mother later succumbed to her injuries due to infection. Jacqueline was then taken in by the people in the spanish caravan and was taught how to palm read and fortune tell for money. The one who taught her her tricks was her closest friend, Alejandro. Before long they became husband and wife and she bore him a son, Pedro. She adored her son and would fight for him if given the chase.
However, on one fateful night, Alejandro left her behind and took their son with him without a word. Jaqueline was heartbroken and assumed the worst, he left for another women and stole Pedro too. Ever since then she had trust issues with men both inside and outside the caravan. She kept seeing them as liars and cheats, so she became just as much of a liar and cheater as them in order to reach the top of her pecking order in the caravan. Any new male members would be challenged harshly to prove their worth in their circle. After all, one backstabber in their gang could be the end of them. With that, they'd go around preforming where they could, working together to earn money to get by. However whenever they couldn't make ends meet-- which was most of the time-- Jaqueline and her gang would resort to swindling pickpocketing.  
But on one particular day, Anya the governess, stumbled into her while traveling with a three week premature baby, who was desperate for milk. She couldn't stand hearing the child scream and cry, so she volunteered to act as a wet nurse for little Lola, since she still had some milk from Pedro. As a result, she allowed Anya and baby Lola to stay at the caravan while Jacqueline would became a foster mother to Lola. She was very strict and a heavy drinker, but kept a firm grip on how things were run in the caravan now that their circle was getting bigger and had more mouths to feed-- which meant more purses to cut. However, it didn't take long to discover this was no ordinary child, for she had fire powers. When the time was right, Jacqueline felt this girl could be of great use to her.
Once Lola was old enough, she had her preform as a fire breather to earn money. With the new spectacle on stage, this gathered up crowds town to town. Jacqueline could finally count her blessings with her foster daughter, since the caravan had been struggling to provide food and shelter for everyone in it, since times were dark and folks could't afford to waste time and money on such luxuries when the Scourges and Vikings were invading the boarders. She'd make strict rules towards Lola and how she as NEVER to show her powers outside the caravan and tried to make she she only stayed with them. But when she reached the age of 14, she had vanished. 
This left both Jacqueline and Anya devastated, both had lost important people in their lives and they were not going to lose another. They searched for weeks, until Lola returned with a monk from Iona--- much to Jacqueline's horror. Lola finally told her what happened and Jacqueline was furious. She scolded Lola afterwards for running away, disobeying her orders--- and near lying getting killed as a result. Yet she couldn't deny but hold her close in utter relief to find her alive. 
The caravan left and moved elsewhere across the isle. It had gotten to a point to where they had traveled across Europe with all the money they had earned and stolen. The caravan was growing more and more famous with their acts and more members started joining them, like Giacomo the escape artist-- whom Lola fell head over heels for. 
But as they moved, Anya finally asked her why they had to travel all the way to Spain? Jacqueline was in fact searching for her long lost son Pedro. She opened up after Anya gave her some more wine to let her upwind, and Jacqueline ended up showing a side she never showed to anyone. It made Anya compelled enough to be her secret lover.  
After days of endless traveling and searching, Lola begged that they return to the Isles. Frustrated, Jacqueline gave up on her search and had the caravan go back. However, when they were crossing Ireland, Jacqueline sensed they were being followed by something. Something she couldn't explain. One one fateful evening, Lola was lured by Barael who was tempting her to join him and his cult. But Jacqueline found them and stepped in to stop him. But Barael was not fazed in the slightest, and attacked Jacqueline. 
Killing her instantly!
Giacomo then saved Lola and forced the caravan to flee. Anya and Lola were devastated. But Lola was the passed on the title as ring master of the spanish caravan. 
It was years later, one of Lola's sons, Joseph was saved by a man.
A man named Pedro...

The Stag Witch:
One one hallows eve, Aidan the other apprentices of Iona were sent out to gather supplies. However Simon soon spotted a jousting match going on and encouraged the others to follow-- since they had never seen one in person. They sat and watched in the crowd as the two horsemen clashed brutally knocked the other off their horse. Simon was enjoying the action, but Aidan and Bernard thought it was too barbaric and could only shudder that the crashing armor during the impact. They wandered around the spectacle to find a lunar festival was taking place for All Hallows Eve, the three of them seized at the opportunity to go around exploring. But beyond the festive colored fabrics and strange goods sat a fortune teller with a great stag mask on her head staring at them. It took Aidan by surprise, following Bernard and Simon not too long after; they could feel her eyes on them. All three felt very uneasy by this; Aidan was almost tempted to investigate, but once he brought it up Simon and Bernard only pulled him back and strongly swayed not to. With that the Stag Witch had moved from her tent… And was coming their way!
The three of them knew they had overstayed their welcome and ran. It was almost getting to be about sundown. They didn't even bother paying attention to Syrus's scorns when they got back to the boats. This slightly unnerved him when he noticed all three of them pulling the ores faster than usual. Even though they were back safely on Iona, all three of them sill felt uneasy, though they chose not to share with their elders what they saw. They were sent off to bed after supper, when suddenly the Abbey was awoken by Syrus's screams. Abbot Matthias and the brothers gathered to the cove to find Syrus unconscious. When he came to he kept raving about a cloaked woman with the head of a stag attacked him. Aidan, Simon, and Bernard couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over them.    
Had the old crone followed them back?
Nights were plagued Aidan and Bernard with vivid nigh terrors while Simon and Syrus grew hysterical over that they've seem the stag witch following them. This was taking it's toll on the brotherhood, Matthias set up sentries to scout for any signs of this old crone on the island. There was nothing they could find at night, until the early mornings when they'd discover animals missing their heads at the door step of the church, scriptorium, and worst of all--right outside the apprentice's quarters!

Anya: 
A governess to Princess Dinah, who accompanied her on the road to Iona. She's a very jolly lass, who unfortunately can come off a tad dim to her constant daydreaming. But she can immediately turn around with a quick temper if someone dares to not give her princess the full respect she deserves. She constantly butted heads with Simon because of this. But on the side, she was indeed a hard worker once she was put on the right track and helped the abbey in harvesting crops as well as tending to her Princess's needs. Though it would take her by surprise when she'd find Dinah pitching in on her own terms to help out too. This initially confused Anya at first, but she got used to it pretty quickly.
However everything changed when Dinah was raped by a gang of cultists. Anya watched in horror as she witnessed her precious princess become a mere shadow of her former self and fall into a deep depression with her unwanted pregnancy. She and the other brothers tried to be there for her, but something  wasn't reaching her. The horrid day came months later when Dinah requested her to bring back a list of herbs, it was up until gathering them all together did she realize the purpose behind them. Princess Dinah was going to try and abort the unborn child with poison. Upon returning, she begged and pleaded Dinah to reconsider, knowing if the potion didn't kill her the people will for milling the baby. But Dinah told her she was far from saving, that she was a disgrace to herself and her kingdom, and she couldn't bare to raise this "monster" once it's been born. Under the threat of death Anya reluctantly sat and let her mistress drink the toxic potion. The brothers then flocked to the scene, but it was too late to save Dinah… However it was not too late for her child. Defying everyone's beliefs the three week premature baby survived, but she desperately needed milk. Under the cover of darkness, Anya took her late mistress's child and left Iona.
They joined a caravan where Lola became a performer and Anya became a successful trades woman.       

Princess Dinah:
Dinah was sent away from her kingdom in Ethiopia with her governess Anya to Europe for both safely and political reasons. After traveling through the silk trade, they finally came upon the secluded island of Iona. The brotherhood was both surprised and honored to being having someone of royalty in the abbey. Everyone tried to give their full respect when encountering the Princes-- all except Simon, who didn't seem to take her position seriously, due to his personal views on women. The two would get into arguments, but Dinah would grow tied with the delinquent brother and leave him alone. It struck her odd to find someone who would dare defy bowing to her, but at the same time she found it almost humorous that it was coming from a mere monk.
Dinah usually would offer help to the refugees of Iona and pitch in harvesting the crops-- much to her governesses surprise. The princess had a reputation of acting like a sister to everyone she met, and had a way of taming the wild birds of Iona, from the puffins to the golden eagles who would fly to the island. She grew particularly fond of Aidan and Abbot Matthias, they reminded her of her family back home on Ethiopia. 
On one fateful night, Dinah was kidnapped by a pagan cult. They took her deep into the woods where she was raped by the head priest. Before they could complete the ritual, Matthias came in and killed the priest and his followers. The rest of the search party gathered around and Brought the shattered Princess back to Iona. Everyone noticed how broken she looked; Matthias, Anya, and the brothers tried to console her, but Dinah would refuse to leave her hut and lost all connections to her friends and birds. Much to everyones horror, Dinah was pregnant. The princess became even more withdrawn and fell into a deep depression, resenting the "thing" that was goring inside her belly. A part of her tried to stay strong, but as the months had passed and her belly grew larger… She had enough.
One fateful day, Princess Dinah ordered Anya to bring back several toxic herbs from the garden. Reluctantly she obliged. There Dinah concocted a poisonous drink and drank it, intending to abort the child, knowing full well she'd die one way or the other. The brothers soon discovered her writhing on the ground having a seizure. Dinah was gone within minutes. As a last resort, Aidan and Matthias preformed a C section, expecting the worst had happened to the baby too… Only to find the child very small, but very much alive and crying out her first breaths.   
Everyone was shattered, but Matthias was hit the hardest in both grief and blame. Dinah reminded him of his late wife Genevieve and as a result blamed himself for not being able to protect her; repeating the same fate as his wife and unborn son. Aidan stood by his master's side and helped him slowly ease his pain, as they both watched over Dinah's daughter, who Anya took when the brothers couldn't provide a wet nurse for Lola. 

Lola: 
While everyone grieved over the death of Princess Dinah, Aidan stood by his master's side and helped him slowly ease his pain. They both watched over Dinah's daughter, whom Anya had named Lola as a mark of sorrow for the sad tidings she had brought during her mother's final moments. Several of the brothers like Syrus and Hector believed the child wouldn't survive, but against all odds the child fought for her life. During that time, everyone, including Aidan, had a very hard time deciding on whether to nurture or despise the child after everything that had happened. Until one evening Lola vanished. Taken away by Anya when the brothers couldn't provide a wet nurse for Lola. 
Being a bastard child, Anya knew only death and shame would befall Lola is she were to come to Ethiopia. So as a result Anya joined a traveling caravan where she mercifully found someone to nurse the child. Jacqueline. 
However, as time went on both of them discovered Lola was no ordinary baby. During one of her outbursts, flames sprouted from her fingers like claws. Only when she was soothed, did the flames die down-- yet Lola remained unharmed. Once Anya had told of the tragic tale of Lola's mother, Jacqueline then realized the cult had preformed a demonic ritual and had sealed a fire spirit inside Lola. Jacqueline had encounters with this group before on her travels and speculated the cult was trying to resurrect the spirit through Dinah, but when it failed during Matthias's interference, the spirit remained trapped in Lola.
From that day forward Lola was raised under strict observation, but her "gifts" were used on stage for performances to help the caravan earn more money. But Jacqueline instructed her NEVER to use her powers off stage and NEVER to show them to anyone else. Lola, being young, never truly understood as to why she had to keep her talents hidden off stage and only grew more rebellious in nature as she grew older. One day the caravan stopped at the beach, across from Iona. She had heard tales about her mother by her guardians, and only got curious about the land her mother once lived at.
One one fateful day, she found and befriended two children, Desmond and Nona. She joined them on the road back to Iona, without her guardians knowing, where she took in the sights around her with great wide eyes. As soon as people on the abbey cause whiff of her name and appearance, both the villagers and brothers knew it was Lola, the lost child of Princess Dinah. Everyone had a mixture of joy and sorrow upon hearing her return, though Lola was never fully told why.
Against the wishes and warnings of Jacqueline, Dinah showed off her fire bending abilities to Desmond and Nona, keeping it as their little secret whenever they played. However, while preforming a stunt, Nona got hurt and fell unconscious. Fearing she had killed her friend, Lola broke down crying and began showing her flaming ora. Everyone saw the commotion and fire red light coming from the girl and began fearing the worse. Witchcraft!
Bernard and Madailien quickly swooped up Nona to take care of her injuries, while Abbot Syrus and other members of the brotherhood worked together to bring down Lola and cease her flames. For the sake of protecting the people on the Abbey, Syrus ordered Lola to be put to death, much to Aidan's shock. Lola was put to question, but refused to speak or show her powers. After getting no answers she was imprisoned until further notice.
Later that night, Nona awoke to Desmond and was told about the grave news. Not wanting her friend to be put to death, both her and Desmond broke Lola out and fled back to the mainland. The abbey was thrust into a state of shear panic with the children missing along with the demi-demon. Abbot Syrus preformed a search party and had the brothers venture to the mainland in search of them. However it was Aidan who stumbled upon them as they all tried to hide together in a thicket. Desmond and Nona begged him not to turn Lola in, but to their surprise Aidan had no intentions of doing so… And helped them reach caravan unscathed. However, before Lola could reunite with her folks at the caravan, Aidan warned her that she must never return to Iona for it will cost her life. With that, Lola bided all three of her friends goodbye and thanked them for saving her life.   

The Secret of Kells © Cartoon Saloon & Tomm Moore 
© Princess Dinah, Jacqueline, and Lola
© Anya