Brin Ohmsford is a main character in The Wishsong of Shannara. She is the daughter of the legendary hero Wil Ohmsford and the Rover Eretria. Her possession of the magic of wishsong leads to the arrival of the Druid Allanon at her home in Shady Vale.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Brin has her mother's looks and her father's calm temperament, while her younger brother Jair Ohmsford has Wil's looks and Eretria's fiery demeanor.
As the daughter of Wil Ohmsford, Brin has Elven blood, and because Wil's use of the Elfstones tainted his body with Elven magic, she inherited that magic from her father as well, in the form of the wishsong. Unlike her brother Jair, who can create illusions with the power of his wishsong, Brin's wishsong can alter reality to any extent she wishes.
As a child Brin used the wishsong as a harmless toy, using it to do small things such as making flowers bloom or to enticing animals to come close to her.
Quest to Destroy the Ildatch[]
Allanon arrives in Shady Vale and tells Brin he needs the power of her wishsong to get past the Maelmord and destroy the Ildatch, a dark book of magic responsible for the current rise of the Mord Wraiths and for turning the Druid Brona into the Warlock Lord. Although intially reluctant to listen to Allanon, Brin decides to set out for the Maelmord with the Druid, accompanied by her friend Rone Leah.
As she travels with Rone and Allanon, Brin comes to a horrifying realization about the wishsong: for years she had believed it no more than a toy, but under Allanon's tutelage she sees that it is actually a deadly weapon. Her doubts grow with the death of Allanon at the hands of the Jachyra, and with Rone's increased addiction to the magic Allanon had infused into the Sword of Leah.
Along the way to the Maelmord, Brin meets Cogline, Kimber Boh, and Whisper the moor cat. Kimber and Whisper soon become Brin's closest friends alongside Rone. Brin also incurs the wrath of the Grimpond, a mystical shade who enjoys telling lies and half-truths, by using the wishsong to force the creature to tell her how to get inside the Maelmord safely.
Brin with the moor cat Whisper. Artwork by Darrell K. Sweet for the original edition of The Wishsong of Shannara.
After realizing she could use the wishsong to make entry into the Maelmord on her own, Brin comes to a decision to separate from her companions so as to save them from potential death. She accomplishes this by creating a false Brin to travel with them, distracting them while she goes on her own way. However, traveling on her own leaves her vulnerable to the Ildatch, a corruptive and sentient force, which begins to capture her mind and transform her into something evil. Deep within the Maelmord, she is saved from the Ildatch's influence by her brother Jair, and she manages to destroy the dark book of magic with her wishsong. Afterwards, she meets with the shade of Allanon at the shore of the Hadeshorn, who warns her not to use her magic again.
Brin's Legacy[]
Brin marries Rone Leah, and centuries later her family line would mix with Kimber Boh's. The Druid trust given to her by Allanon would be assumed by the last of her bloodline and the first Druid since Allanon, Walker Boh.
Brin's use of the wishsong against the Grimpond would result in the shade bearing a centuries-long grudge against her and all of her descendants, most notably Walker Boh.
Although Brin's line ends with Walker, the wishsong lives on in Jair's descendants: various members of the Ohmsford line such as Par Ohmsford, Grianne Ohmsford, Railing Ohmsford, and Chrysallin Leah all have varying levels of mastery over the wishsong. Some of them have the illusory powers of Jair, others have magic that can be used as a weapon and alter reality, and still others seem to oscillate between both types of magic as situations change.
A dying Allanon wipes his blood on Brin's forehead, imbuing her with the Druid trust that her bloodline will carry. Artwork by Darrell K. Sweet for the original edition of The Wishsong of Shannara.
Physical Appearance[]
Brin is a tall girl, taller than both her parents and almost as tall as Rone Leah. She is repeatedly described with references to her black hair and "dusky" skin. She closely resembles her mother Eretria.