Linda

Linda was an exceptionally strong summoner, known for her propensity to summon demons. For a while, she was part of the Triad of the Tower of Magi. Unfortunately, she became infatuated with Grah-Hoth and was ultimately responsible for the Tower of Magi disaster.

Banished to Exile

On the surface, Linda learned magic under the tutelage of her uncle, Feodoric, who was later tried and convicted of being involved in her kidnapping. It was part of a string of kidnappings resulting in bloody sacrifice to demons, which probably sparked her perverse fascination. It was this curiosity and drive which led her to a proper mage academy, where she quickly rose to the top of her class. Because of her success, she attracted the attention of both Erika and Garzahd, but chose to side with Erika in their political struggle. She was Exiled as one of the Five when Garzahd became chief advisor to Hawthorne II. She was a large part of the group that founded Avernum, and she personally helped lead the assault on Grah-Hoth at Akhronath.

Membership in the Triad

Soon after the establishment of the Tower of Magi, Erika Redmark left the Tower and the Triad to brood by herself, building her own tower in the Abyss in the far northwest of Exile. The vacated position on the Triad was then filled by Linda, who had proven her worth to Avernum as a battlemage and summoner. She remained on the Triad until 819 IE, when she was relieved of this office for her experiments in demonology. She was later to be allowed to return to the tower, but did not join the Triad again; her vacancy was filled by the teleportation sorceress Mahdavi.

First Summoning

In 817 IE, Linda used her expertise in summoning and demonology to call up a major demon named Adze-Haakai (the suffix Haakai is generally considered a title, not part of the name). Solberg, realizing her intentions, fled to his own tower in Northeastern Exile months earlier, but later assisted in Adze's disruption and removal from the physical plane. The Tower of Magi narrowly avoided destruction, but provoked the hostility of several very powerful figures on the nether plane, who were to brood over vengeance for the next few decades.

Soon after this incident, Linda was relieved from her position on the Triad and even cast out of the Tower of Magi, though she later returned.

Second Summoning & Tower of Magi destruction

In 831 IE, Linda requested to be allowed back in the Tower of Magi, assuring the Triad that she would desist from further demonological experiments. Solberg raised concerns, but was overruled by X and Mahdavi. It is not known whether Linda returned to the Tower already with the plan of summoning Grah-Hoth, or whether she only conceived of this later.

Linda wanted to make a portal to summon Grah-Hoth into the Tower, using her own soul both as a portal focus and as bait for Grah-Hoth. She intended to seize control of the same through letting him pass through the portal. However, Grah-Hoth - possibly assisted by other powerful demons who were also plotting their revenge, which Linda might have failed to anticipate - seized control of her soul and used the portal to send his demon minions onto the physical plane.

The Surface Explorers of Unspecified Services, in the absence of another able party that could be summoned quickly (and without having to break the immense barrier Grah-Hoth had sealed the main entrance with), cleared the tower of demons and with Linda's help destroyed her soul, using the blessed athame. The portal, powered by Linda's soul, was destroyed along with it. Linda's soulless body perished when the tower collapsed shortly later.