Joanna

Biography

Tutorial crafter

Joanna entered the Tutorial as one of Jake Thayne's coworkers and chose a caster class. A boar crushed one leg early, leaving her mobile only with assistance until a later race evolution restored it. Because direct combat and spell accuracy were not her strengths, she made herself useful through tailoring, advancing to Experienced Seamstress, repairing robes and cloaks, conjuring arrows when needed, organizing crafters, and teaching Caroline. She also opposed Richard's unnecessary aggression toward Hayden's faction. (Chapters 1, 3, 5, 33, 49)

Near the Tutorial's end, Joanna joined Jacob's plan to preserve the remaining souls rather than let William simply slaughter them. Her human life ended in that transfer, leaving her husband Mike to learn that William had caused the deadly situation. In Holyland she later manifests as a Holy Spirit, able to contact her family through a séance and finding peace in simple activity such as crochet. (Chapters 82, 123; standalone intermission “Holyland: All By the Grace of the Holy Mother”)

Appearance and personality

As a human, Joanna is a middle-aged woman who wears large earrings and conspicuous makeup. Her Holy Spirit projection retains her recognizable appearance but has golden pupils. She is energetic, social, practical, and protective of ordinary survivors, though skeptical of grand religious claims until her final circumstances force a choice about death and faith.

Path, class, and abilities

Joanna begins as an inaccurate caster but finds a productive Path through tailoring. As an Experienced Seamstress she repairs and creates cloth goods, supports archers by producing arrows, and coordinates other craftspeople. Her Holy Spirit state is a separate post-death existence: she has a tangible-looking projection, physical ability roughly comparable to a peak human athlete, no ordinary bodily needs, and access to family through the Holy Church's séance. The text does not give her a new combat specialty.

Relationships

• Mike Elkmann: Her husband, reunited with her temporarily through a Holyland séance.
• Marco and Lily: Her children, whose lives she follows after death.
• Jacob: The Augur whose final Tutorial plan preserves Joanna as a Holy Spirit.
• Caroline: A fellow survivor whom Joanna teaches and supports among the crafters.
• Holy Mother: The divine ruler of the Holyland in which Joanna persists.

Items

No separately cataloged notable item is finalized for Joanna.