Danica Maupoissant

Danica Bonaduce, formerly known as Danica Maupoissant, was a human monk from Westgate who settled at the Edificant Library in the mid–14 century DR.

Relations
She was the wife of Cadderly Bonaduce and mother of their three children.

Description
A small woman, Danica was hardly taller than and weighed little more than, so foes tended to dismiss her as a threat. However, every inch of her body was lean, toned muscle, a testament to her strict martial training. She had strawberry blonde hair, which fell just below her shoulders in unruly curls. Her eyes were dark and almond-shaped, thanks to her Tabotan heritage.

Personality
Danica was wholly devoted to the teachings of the great monk, Grandmaster Penpahg D'Ahn. As such, she was disciplined, ordered, and in complete control of her emotions at all times.

Though she abhorred needless killing, she would not shy away from it if she believed it necessary.

Danica also seemed to have a talent for insults. She was able to taunt both Fyrentennimar and the vampire Histra into rages so severe they were unable to fight properly.

Early Years
Danica Maupoissant was born in Westgate, the only child of Pavel Maupoissant, a master wagon-maker, and his wife, who hailed from Tabot, a land far to the east. Her father was one of the best wagon-makers in Westgate and often drew jealousy from rivals. Because of their threats, at twelve years old, Danica was sent to a local potter, Turkel Bastan, a monk and disciple of Penpahg D'Ahn, who also also hailed from Tabot and was possibly related to her mother. Learning only the art of pottery, Danica spent a year dividing her time between her parents' house and her duties with her master.

Then her parents were killed by a guild of assassins known as the Night Masks, leaving her an orphan. From that point on, Danica was raised by Turkel. Now he trained her not in pottery but in the martial arts and mental disciplines of Penpahg D'Ahn and in his faith. She was an eager student, not least because she worked and trained to bury her pain. In time, Turkel told her the truth of what had happened to her parents. Though he knew the identity of her parents' killers, he did not tell them to Danica as he knew she would seek retribution, and wanted her to put the past behind her.

Six years passed and Danica continued to grow in strength and skill, eventually surpassing her master and becoming arguably one of the finest fighters in the region. Finally, circa 1360 DR, her master informed her that he had nothing left to teach her, but suggested she travel to the Edificant Library to study directly from the texts of Penpahg D'Ahn. As a parting gift, he gave her two enchanted crystal daggers, one with a hilt carved in the likeness of a tiger and the other that of a silver dragon. She departed with sadness but also anticipation to learn more of what he had taught her. Danica planned to return and visit when she completed her studies at the Edificant Library. But fate would have other plans for her.

Time at the Edificant Library
Following her master's advice, Danica traveled to the Edificant Library, deep in the Snowflake Mountains. She quickly attracted the attention of two junior priests of Deneir, Cadderly Bonaduce and Kierkan Rufo. Though she politely ignored Rufo's advances, she quickly became attracted to Cadderly, being charmed by the young priest's good looks and innocent, boyish demeanor. She also became fast friends with the library's two dwarven cooks, Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder as well as Headmistress Pertelope.

Danica spent her time studying the preserved texts of Penpahg D'Ahn and wrestling with the resident priests of Oghma, who often refused to help her navigate the large library unless she beat them, which she always did. Before long, Danica's relationship with Cadderly became the talk of the library.

Some time in the, Danica wrestled with a priest of Oghma so he'd tell her the location of a particular scroll she wanted to examine. After she easily defeated him, Danica met Cadderly, who was trying to recreate a drow hand crossbow. The couple sneaked away to kiss; when Cadderly groped her, Danica immobilized his arm with a technique she called 'Withering Touch', and was annoyed not for his attempt but that he'd only been interested in the technique. She explained she was in the process of researching one of Penpahg D'Ahn's highest techniques: the 'Iron Skull', the ability to break a large slab of stone using only one's forehead. Cadderly expressed concern, but Danica held her course and demonstrated her mastery over her body by using only her finger to hold herself upright on a table top.

The Iron Skull and the Chaos Curse
A priest of Talona, Barjin of Castle Trinity released the Chaos Curse into the Library. Danica was among those infected by the noxious gas and began to relentlessly pursue her goals without inhibitions. In her room, Danica focused on performing the dangerous Iron Skull on a block of stone. Rufo, also under the influence of the curse, put his hands on her, but Danica beat him bloody for the interruption. After some difficulty, wherein Danica attempted to seduce Cadderly, he managed to convince her to hold off on it, allegedly so the event could be properly documented for future students.

Yet she attempted it anyway, repeatedly, and when Cadderly returned to check on her again, he found her unconscious with a head injury. With the help of the druid Newander, Cadderly put Danica in her bed and had the druid restrain her with vines for her own safety. Fortunately, Danica was then able to use her meditation and concentration techniques to resist the effects of the Chaos Curse. Temporarily in control, Danica, along with Newander, followed Cadderly down into the cellar to stop the effects of the curse.

Along the way, the pair ran into a group of zombies, which Danica had little trouble dispatching. They also found Percival, Cadderly's white squirrel friend, who was able to lead them to Cadderly.

Following Percival, Danica came across Pikel who had been severely poisoned by the imp Druzil. After Newander neutralized the poison in Pikel's body, Danica used her knowledge of the body to revive the dwarf. Continuing onward, they found Cadderly in a losing battle against the evil priest Barjin and his undead bodyguards. Leaving the Bouldershoulder brothers to deal with a mummy, Danica and Newander fought Barjin. Despite putting up a good fight, and the druid transforming into a wolverine, they were hopelessly outmatched. Eventually, Cadderly was able to kill the evil priest and save the Library from the Chaos Curse, although Newander was killed in the struggle.

Following the defeat of Barjin, Cadderly was proclaimed a hero, though the thought of having killed another sentient being left him confused and despondent. Danica did her best to support him and give him the space he needed to come to terms with his lost innocence.

Five weeks later, Danica felt confident to try the Iron Skull once again, having reached the required level of spiritual mastery and in the proper frame of mine. She successfully shattered a solid slab of stone in a live demonstration and was named the highest-ranking disciple of Penpahg D'Ahn.

War in Shilmista Forest
One of the spectators was Elbereth, the elven prince of Shilmista, who became quite taken with the beautiful monk. Elbereth invited Danica to come with him to Shilmista Forest to investigate unusual orc activity. Danica only agreed once she learned that Cadderly and the Bouldershoulder brothers would be going as well.

En route to Shilmista, Danica watched the verbal sparring between Cadderly and Elbereth. Annoyed at times by the elf prince's disparaging remarks, she nonetheless trusted Cadderly to hold his temper in check. The group came upon a squad of ogrillons in the employ of Castle Trinity. Danica took a major role in the ensuing battle, personally killing several of the monsters. Cadderly and Elbereth once again got into an argument when the elf prince killed the lone surviving ogrillon, despite Cadderly's protests. Though she sympathized with Cadderly's emotional turmoil, Danica agreed with Elbereth's assertion that it was necessary.

Cadderly left the war to find his own answers, and Danica quickly came after him. After a series of battles with the Night Masks, she joined him in seeking out Castle Trinity, source of the evil Chaos Curse. Facing magical monsters, the red dragon Fyrentennimar, and the soldiers of the castle, Danica accompanied Cadderly up until his confrontation with his father, Aballister Bonaduce.

Returning to the Edificant Library, Danica found it under the control of Kierkan Rufo, who had become a vampire by ingesting the liquid form of the Chaos Curse. Beaten by Rufo and his undead horde, she was taken prisoner. Rufo attempted to turn her into his queen, but she was able to escape his thirst for blood by employing the ultimate technique of Penpahg D'Ahn: suspended animation.

Later Life
Sadly, Danica was later forced to watch for five years as Cadderly gave up his own life force to construct the Spirit Soaring cathedral, making him an old man. Her only comfort was that she conceived and bore fraternal twins, her son Temerle and daughter Hanalesia, during this time. Another bright side was that as time went on, she became pregnant again as Cadderly began growing younger again, and bore a third child, her second son Rorick.

Catti-brie found a kindred spirit in Danica when she and Drizzt Do'Urden came to the Spirit Soaring in search of Cadderly, needing his power to commune with the demon Errtu. The two talked, and became quite friendly before Catti-brie was forced to leave.

Still later, Danica accompanied Cadderly on his quest to destroy Crenshinibon. She found a natural antithesis in the form of Artemis Entreri, who was in the company of Jarlaxle Baenre. After a grueling battle against both the red dragon Hephaestus and the drow band Bregan D'aerthe, they succeeded, but shortly thereafter parted ways.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Cleric Quintet: Canticle • In Sylvan Shadows • Night Masks • The Fallen Fortress • The Chaos Curse
 * The Drizzt Do'Urden Series: Passage to Dawn • Servant of the Shard • The Ghost King