By Kyle Holmquist

Elena Elkhorn, the young protagonist of Whispering Willows, is 13 years old and is one of the last remaining members of the Kwantako tribe, a fictitious Native American tribe we created for the game. She’s smart, playful, angsty, stubborn, and free-spirited. Elena’s a lot like other girls her age, but the depth of her courage is what truly sets her apart from other people.

Elena gets her native blood from her father John, who taught her to commune with nature and the spirits that abound in the world. Elena’s father’s a free-spirited man who always tried to show her the beauty in life. He took her to the Willows Mansion grounds on a few occasions and it was there that he taught her the most about spirits, though he didn’t teach her much.

Elena’s mother Sandra is actually a descendant of Wortham Willows and never much approved of her husband and daughter’s trips to the old mansion. The derelict structure loomed on the outskirts of the town her whole life, a constant reminder of the family’s past glory and eventual financial ruin. She’s a bit more uptight and controlling than her husband and that part of her personality really came to bear once John disappeared.

Elena is 13 years old. After her father disappears, Elena’s mother forbids her from going to search for her him, despite the dreams she’s been having. But Elena can’t ignore what she feels is surely real and runs away to find him. Along her journey to find her father, Elena learns a great deal more about the two sides of her past than she ever thought possible.