- "That demure smile masks a holy recklessness. And ruthlessness. "
- ―Lewko describes Hallana[src]
Learned Hallana was a physician-divine of the Mother's Order and a sorceress-divine of the Bastard's Order who taught at the seminary in Suttleaf, in the Weald. Her mother and grandmother were also physicians. She was married to Learned Oswin; they had two children at the opening of The Hallowed Hunt and she gave birth to a daughter shortly afterwards.
Near the end of Hallana's apprenticeship as a physician she was called to attend on a dying sorcerer. When the sorcerer died, his demon jumped over the young divine who was the intended recipient and into Hallana. A number of attempts to rid herself of the demon failed and she started a second apprenticeship to the Bastard to learn to control it.
When Ijada was a 10-year-old child, Hallana served as a medical missioner at Ijada's father’s fort on the west marches. She would treating the fen folk's illnesses to draw them to the fort and to Quintarian teachings. At the same time for the Bastard’s Order, she was learning the fen folk wisdom songs.
Personality and Traits[]
- "A female sorcerer must be extraordinary clever, attentive and experienced to sucessfully manage a demon and a pregnancy both at once."
- ―A description of Hallana[src]
Hallana was matronly, short and plump, and had curling sand-colored hair.
Early in the events of The Hallowed Hunt, prompted by dreams from the gods, Hallana, very pregnant, traveled to meet Ijada at Red Dike. Hallana then broke the geas on Ingrey by using her demon to increase the disorder in him.
During the uncanny night in the Wounded Woods when Ingrey released the souls of those who died at Bloodfield, Hallana served as the gate of the Mother.
Behind the scenes[]
Hallana used "dratsab" (Bastard spelled backwards) as a curse, borrowed from usage on the Lois McMaster Bujold mailing list.