"She led the Lodge into Space II without a mistletoe. Fueled by grief and determination, the sixteen-year-old PSI-girl did what no Driver had done before."
-- Narrator, Booklet 038
Narda, later known as Narda del Drago, is one of the most important recurring characters in Die Terranauten, appearing in 34 of the saga's 99 booklets. Introduced as a twelve-year-old telepathic Driver girl in Asen-Ger's Lodge, she evolves over the course of the saga from a gifted child caught in a galactic civil war into a Dragon Witch, a member of David terGorden's inner circle, and one of his most trusted companions on his cosmic journey to reactivate the Intercosmic Anti-Entropy System.
Biography
Early Life and the Insurrection (2499-2500)
Narda first appears during the Terranaut insurrection as a young Driver with exceptional telepathic abilities, a member of Asen-Ger's Lodge alongside Rollo, Greeny, and Whity. When Max von Valdec initiates his pogrom against the Drivers, ordering the Gray Guards to take them into "protective custody," Narda flees Ultima Thule with David terGorden, Llewellyn 709, and the other rebels aboard a Razzo piloted by Norwy van Dyne (Booklet 004).
During the escape, Narda's telepathic skills prove invaluable. She and David together guide the Razzo through Space II, and she uses her abilities to assess the intentions of others and locate the Driver ship FENRISWOLF (Booklet 005). On Earth, after the Drivers crash-land in Greenland, Narda participates in the desperate defense of Yggdrasil against the Gray Guards. She is described as "sensitive to the emotions and thoughts of others," a trait that makes her both an asset and a deeply empathetic witness to the suffering around her (Booklet 006).
When Valdec's forces escalate their assault, Narda accompanies David, Asen-Ger, and the core group to Blumenau for failed negotiations with Carlos Pankaldi. She is among those who flee back to Greenland after receiving Llewellyn 709's telepathic warning that Yggdrasil is being poisoned by Shawn and the Kaiser Corporation scientists. In the final escape from the gas attack on Odrodir, Narda flees with David, Rollo, Greeny, and Whity to Merlin's glider hangar (Booklet 007).
Escape from Earth and the Fall of Zoe (2500)
Narda is part of the group that escapes the Holy Valley in a magnetic glider, with Asen-Ger's Super-Lodge creating illusions to confuse the pursuing Gray Guards. At twelve years old, she helps guide the glider with her telepathic powers as they flee to Space II and ultimately to Rorqual, where David delivers the medallion containing Yggdrasil's seed to a mysterious girl. They are then returned to Earth, crash-landing in northern Canada (Booklet 008).
When the MILAN, captained by Hadersen Wells, rescues David from the asteroid belt, Narda is among the crew. She uses her abilities to locate the Driver ship and assess intentions during the tense journey to Zoe, the planet of the Lodge Masters (Booklet 011).
On Zoe, Narda coordinates the parapsychic forces of the Drivers, helping to maintain the PSI-Shield that protects the planet from Valdec's fleet. When Zoe is destroyed by the Kaiser-Transmitter -- the saga's darkest hour -- Narda is among the Drivers captured by the Gray Guards. Unlike those who are stripped of their PSI abilities, Narda's fate takes a different turn: she is sent to an internment camp on Taschkanur (Booklet 012, 037).
Prisoner on Taschkanur and Narda's Stand (2500-2501)
The internment camp on Taschkanur represents a pivotal chapter in Narda's life. As a forced laborer alongside her friend Rollo, she endures brutal conditions while clinging to her belief that David terGorden is still alive. This faith -- dismissed as naive by others, including the initially skeptical Rollo -- becomes the driving force behind everything she does (Booklet 037).
After a deadly incident involving Greeny, Jalas, and the dangerous Schlicktaucher creatures, Narda resolves to escape. She learns from the newcomer Yamaysch about a planet called Ginger and rumors of David's survival. She plans an escape with Rollo, Greeny, and Whity, intending to steal a glider. The escape is betrayed, and Whity dies -- the first of several devastating losses Narda endures. The glider crashes, and Narda is presumed dead (Booklet 037).
But Narda survives. Rescued by Turg al Togman, a Schlicktaucher, she awakens in their cavern system and makes a remarkable discovery: her PSI abilities have returned, stronger than before, possibly restored by the healing properties of the Schlicktaucher's "Still Waters." She realizes the Schlicktaucher are intelligent beings whose habitat is being destroyed by human terraforming. In a display of the diplomatic instincts that will serve her throughout the saga, she convinces them that she and some other humans are allies, not enemies (Booklet 037).
Narda orchestrates a daring rescue. She convinces the Schlicktaucher to attack the internment camp, freeing Rollo and Greeny. She also rescues the imprisoned Drivers from the SONNENWIND, including Cler Masurin and Yoron Errehan, and the group escapes Taschkanur aboard the scout ship (Booklet 037).
What follows is the odyssey that gives Booklet 038 its title: "Narda's Stand." Aboard the SONNENWIND with a single withering mistletoe, a traitor Lodge Master (Mashram Eschrit) secretly working for the Kaiser Corporation, and companions who have lost their Driver abilities through brain operations, Narda leads her ragged band across the galaxy in search of David. They stop at Yamarahan, where their contact Gulben Horg is killed but reveals David is on Ginger. They head for El'ait in the Vennigat System, where they fall into a PSI-trap. Rollo is killed -- another devastating blow. Mashram Eschrit reveals himself as a traitor on Susmandor, but Narda stops him. Then Greeny dies aboard the SONNENWIND.
In her darkest moment, having lost Whity, Rollo, and Greeny -- the three companions who had been with her since the beginning -- Narda does something unprecedented: she leads the Lodge into Space II without a mistletoe, guided only by grief, determination, and a vision of Aqua and David. The SONNENWIND arrives safely, and Narda is reunited with David terGorden (Booklet 038).
Reunion and the War Against Valdec (2501-2502)
Following her reunion with David on Aqua, Narda resumes her place as one of his closest companions. On Rorqual, she accompanies David in investigating the plague-carrying CYGNI when it emerges from Space II (Booklet 047).
In the confrontation with Valdec at a Black Hole, Narda displays extraordinary cunning. When David, Lyda Mar, and Llewellyn 709 are pulled through a rift to an unknown planet, Narda takes command aboard the BERLIN. She manipulates communications to impersonate David terGorden, attempting to deceive Valdec into linking his computers with the BERLIN's. Though Valdec sees through the ruse, she successfully transmits false coordinates to his fleet. Her ability to act decisively in David's absence -- and to assume his voice and authority -- demonstrates how far she has come from the frightened twelve-year-old on Ultima Thule (Booklet 048).
During the standoff over the hate plague antidote, Narda supports David in his negotiations with Valdec and helps contain the explosion when Valdec's rigged bomb detonates aboard the BERLIN (Booklet 049).
The Fall of Valdec and the Hunt for Gorthaur (2501-2502)
When the alien Gorthaur attacks Earth, Narda is part of the Terranaut team that remains on Earth to track him down. Working alongside Asen-Ger, Llewellyn 709, and Mandorla, she is instrumental in the search across Paris, Sofia, and Perth. At fourteen, she is described as a Driver "with telepathic abilities" who is "instrumental in locating and understanding Gorthaur" (Booklet 053).
During Valdec's coup and the subsequent counter-revolution led by Chan de Nouille, Narda fights alongside Llewellyn 709 in the assault on Valdec's headquarters in Berlin. Together they breach his private quarters, only to discover he has been replaced by an Electrical Double that detonates, nearly killing Llewellyn. After Valdec flees into Space II, Narda and Llewellyn prepare to investigate trouble on Rorqual (Booklet 054).
Dragon Witch of Adzharis (2502)
Narda's transformation reaches a new stage when Asen-Ger takes her to the Sealed Land on Adzharis, the planet of the dragon-witches. Their mission: to seek help from the dragon-witch clans in finding David terGorden, who is trapped on Rorqual. Narda's exceptional telepathic abilities draw the attention of the clan, and a bargain is struck: the clan will help find David if Narda joins them and becomes a Dragon Rider. Narda agrees. A ritual is performed, and Narda, Asen-Ger, and Nayala del Drago disappear, presumably traveling through Space II to continue their quest (Booklet 056).
This initiation fundamentally changes Narda's identity. From this point forward, she is sometimes referred to as Narda del Drago, marking her adoption into the dragon-witch lineage -- the same lineage as David's mother, Myriam del Drago. She and Nayala form what is described as a "psycho-collective," a paired PSI bond that amplifies both their abilities.
When Asen-Ger and Narda arrive on Rorqual with Nayala and her dragon Sufnor, they rejoin David and accompany him on the perilous journey to the Great Abyss, through the hollow interior of Rorqual, and ultimately to freedom (Booklets 057-058).
The First Mistletoe and the Second Driver Space Age (2502)
On Adzharis, David cultivates a new Yggdrasil seedling and, after defeating Queen Stella by Starlight's forces and the traitor Patran Grevenhart, produces the first new mistletoe blossom. In a gesture of profound trust and recognition, David gives the first mistletoe to Narda -- a symbolic act that inaugurates the Second Driver Space Age. Narda and Nayala remain on Adzharis for Narda to complete her training with the Dragon Clan (Booklet 060).
This moment encapsulates the depth of David's regard for Narda. Of all his companions -- Llewellyn, Asen-Ger, Claude Farrell, Mandorla -- he chooses Narda to carry the single most important object in the galaxy: the key to restoring Driver space travel. It is an acknowledgment of her journey from captive on Taschkanur to the woman who navigated Space II without a mistletoe through sheer force of will.
Return to Earth and David's Personal Guard (2502-2503)
Narda accompanies David back to Earth when he returns to claim his corporate inheritance. She is described as a member of his "personal guard" alongside Nayala and Mandorla. Her PSI abilities are critical in protecting David: she and Nayala thwart a poisoning attempt and investigate the food supply manipulations traced back to Marya Briden. They are attacked during the investigation, and David is injured (Booklet 072).
On the expedition to Ultima Thule, Narda accompanies David, Asen-Ger, Nayala, and Mandorla as they explore the frozen city and descend into the underground bunker complex containing the Machines of Ultima Thule. When David and Asen-Ger are captured by robots in the Primeval Palace, Narda and Nayala sense the danger and attempt a rescue, though they too are captured (Booklets 073-074).
During the War of the Castes and David's brief tenure as Lord Colonel, Narda continues as a member of his personal guard, present during the final confrontation in Geneva (Booklet 079).
The Cosmic Journey (2503-2504)
After David resigns the Lord Colonelship and returns to Sarym, Narda is by his side for the most extraordinary chapter of their journey. When Cosmic Spores threaten to seal off the Norvo System, Narda and Aura Damona Mar extract David from the PSI-Net where he is trapped. Together, they board the Collector, a giant organic spaceship, which departs carrying David, Aura Damona Mar, and Narda to seek out the Buds of the Tree (Booklet 083).
Aboard the Collector, David and Narda discover it is infected with Gene-Parasites -- mutated Change Seeds that threaten to dissolve the ship in Space II. They fight through Web-Nets and the Collector's own antibodies before being ejected onto the Solitary Wanderer, a sunless planet. Separated from David, Narda is guided by Fhlimag, a native creature, and later by Perina, a Procontrabitterin, as she makes her way to the Stamm, the planet's World Tree. When David and Narda reunite at the Stamm, they unite their powers and awaken the Weltenbaum, saving both the Collector and the planet from a Kaiser Force accumulation (Booklet 084).
On a nameless planet housing the Buds of the Tree, Narda is captured by Kadir, a native leader who plans to send her into the Traumstatt, a dangerous plant labyrinth. David organizes a rescue party and ultimately enters the Traumstatt alone, communicating with the Sleep Guardian and uncovering the truth about the imprisoned Renegades. In the aftermath, Narda is briefly possessed by the Renegades but is freed when Schon-Duft, a Bud of the Tree, sacrifices herself (Booklets 087-088).
The trio -- David, Narda, and Aura Damona Mar -- continue aboard the Collector to the Old Forest, a solar-system-sized collective of intelligent plants. There, Luther Straightwire, the Lenker, reveals David's destiny as one of nine Spectra who must reactivate the Long Row. Narda is described as David's "faithful companion" who is "supportive of David and concerned for his well-being" (Booklet 094).
At the Pyramid of Knowledge in Star City, Narda pilots the Collector alongside David as they arrive seeking the Connex Crystal. They navigate Wandering Real Data Zones and reunite with Llewellyn 709's group before passing through the Sphere Tunnel to the Central World of the Entities (Booklet 095).
On the Central World, Narda assists David in his mission to warn the Entities about Valdec's incoming Kaiser Force attack and to prevent the threatened Final Strike against humanity. She helps rescue Kiram and Tremayne, Quasi-Reals, from shadow creatures, and supports David as he absorbs the Connex Crystal and negotiates with the Entities Ky and Renan Mer (Booklet 096).
Character Arc
Narda's arc is one of the saga's most compelling trajectories of growth. She transforms through several distinct phases:
- The Child Telepath (Booklets 004-012): A twelve-year-old PSI-girl, gifted but dependent on the protection of Asen-Ger's Lodge. She is sensitive and perceptive, reading the minds and emotions of those around her.
- The Survivor (Booklets 037-038): Imprisoned on Taschkanur, stripped of everything, Narda discovers her own resilience. She loses Whity, Rollo, and Greeny -- the three friends who defined her childhood -- and transforms grief into determination. Her navigation of Space II without a mistletoe is the saga's definitive act of willpower over circumstance.
- The Dragon Witch (Booklets 056-060): Initiated into the dragon-witch clan of Adzharis, Narda gains a new identity as Narda del Drago. Her PSI abilities are amplified through the psycho-collective with Nayala, and she becomes a figure of both mystical and practical authority.
- The Cosmic Companion (Booklets 083-096): In the saga's final arc, Narda is David's most constant companion, traveling aboard the Collector through Space II, awakening World Trees, and confronting Entities. She has evolved from a child who needed protecting into a woman who protects others -- including David himself.
Relationships
David terGorden
The relationship between Narda and David is the saga's most enduring bond after that between David and Llewellyn 709. From the moment she helps him guide the Razzo through Space II in Booklet 005, Narda's life is intertwined with David's. Her faith in his survival during the Taschkanur imprisonment drives her escape and her impossible navigation without a mistletoe. David's decision to give her the first new mistletoe (Booklet 060) is the saga's clearest expression of the trust between them.
In the later saga, Narda is described as the object of David's "affection" (Booklet 038) and as his most trusted companion. She is "fiercely loyal" to him (Booklet 058), and their combined PSI powers are capable of awakening World Trees (Booklet 084). Whether their bond is romantic, familial, or something beyond conventional categories is left deliberately ambiguous -- but its depth is never in doubt.
Rollo, Greeny, and Whity
These three Drivers from Asen-Ger's Lodge are Narda's childhood companions. Their fates are among the saga's most tragic threads: Whity dies during the escape from Taschkanur (Booklet 037), Rollo is killed on El'ait (Booklet 038), and Greeny dies aboard the SONNENWIND after guiding it through Space II one last time (Booklet 038). Each death carves deeper into Narda's soul, but rather than breaking her, these losses forge her determination.
Asen-Ger
Asen-Ger serves as Narda's protector and mentor from the earliest days. He is the Lodge Master who takes her into his Lodge, and it is he who brings her to the dragon-witches of Adzharis. Their relationship is one of mutual respect: Asen-Ger recognizes her extraordinary PSI potential, and Narda trusts his judgment even when his plans seem desperate.Nayala del Drago
Nayala del Drago becomes Narda's closest female companion after the death of Greeny. As fellow dragon-witches, they form a "psycho-collective" -- a paired PSI bond that amplifies both their abilities. Together they protect David, thwart assassination attempts, and investigate corporate conspiracies on Earth. Nayala is Narda's partner in a way that goes beyond ordinary friendship, linked by shared PSI abilities and their common dragon-witch heritage.Llewellyn 709
Narda and Llewellyn 709 share a battlefield partnership forged in the assault on Valdec's Berlin headquarters (Booklet 054) and deepened through the confrontation at the Black Hole (Booklet 048). Where Llewellyn is the saga's warrior-philosopher, Narda is its empath-tactician; together they complement David's leadership.
Aura Damona Mar
In the saga's cosmic arc, Aura Damona Mar becomes the third member of the trio aboard the Collector. As an Oracle with precosmic knowledge, Aura Damona provides cryptic guidance while Narda provides practical PSI power and emotional grounding. The three -- David, Narda, and Aura Damona -- form a functional unit for the saga's most far-reaching journey.
Abilities
- Telepathy: Narda's primary and most powerful ability. From childhood, she can read the thoughts and emotions of others, assess intentions, and communicate mind-to-mind across significant distances. By the later saga, her telepathic range and precision are among the strongest of any human Driver.
- Space II Navigation: Narda is capable of guiding spacecraft through Space II, initially requiring a mistletoe but eventually navigating without one -- an unprecedented feat (Booklet 038).
- PSI Combat: She can project PSI energy offensively and defensively, contributing to PSI-shields and Super-Lodges.
- Dragon Witch Powers: After her initiation on Adzharis, Narda gains additional PSI capabilities associated with the dragon-witch tradition, including membership in a psycho-collective with Nayala del Drago.
- Impersonation via PSI: She demonstrates the ability to manipulate communications to impersonate David terGorden, deceiving even Valdec for a time (Booklet 048).
- World Tree Awakening: In concert with David, Narda can channel enough PSI energy to awaken a dormant World Tree -- the Weltenbaum on the Solitary Wanderer (Booklet 084).
Appearances (34 booklets)
| # | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 004 | Insurrection of the Terranauts | Introduced. Young Driver with telepathic abilities in Asen-Ger's Lodge. |
| 005 | The Driver Fleet | Major. Guides the Razzo through Space II with David; locates the FENRISWOLF. |
| 006 | The Psi Inferno | Supporting. Supports David during the defense of Greenland; rescues David with Asen-Ger and Llewellyn. |
| 007 | The Children of Yggdrasil | Major. Accompanies David and Asen-Ger to Blumenau; flees with David from the gas attack on Odrodir. |
| 008 | City of Madness | Major. Helps guide the magnetic glider during escape; travels to Rorqual and northern Canada. |
| 011 | Planet of the Lodge Masters | Supporting. Part of the MILAN crew that rescues David; assists on Zoe. |
| 012 | The Supreme Colonel's Gambit | Supporting. Coordinates parapsychic forces during Zoe's defense; captured after Zoe's destruction. |
| 016 | Marooned on Rorqual | Referenced. Coordinated the defense shield on Zoe with David. |
| 037 | Star Legend | Protagonist. Prisoner on Taschkanur; escapes with Schlicktaucher help; rescues the SONNENWIND crew. |
| 038 | Narda's Stand | Protagonist. Leads the Lodge across the galaxy; loses Rollo and Greeny; navigates Space II without a mistletoe; reunites with David on Aqua. |
| 039 | The Gravity Trap | Referenced. Arrives on Aqua as an old comrade-in-arms of David. |
| 047 | The Hate Plague | Supporting. Accompanies David in investigating the CYGNI near Rorqual. |
| 048 | Narda and the Sky Marshal | Major. Takes command aboard the BERLIN; impersonates David via manipulated communications; negotiates with Valdec. |
| 049 | The Computer's Ultimatum | Supporting. Supports David in negotiations with Valdec; helps contain the explosion aboard the BERLIN. |
| 050 | Threat from the Stars | Supporting. Remains on Earth with Asen-Ger and Llewellyn to track Kormolan Jilith. |
| 053 | The Alien's Sanctuary | Major. Hunts Gorthaur across Earth with Asen-Ger and Llewellyn; uses telepathy to locate and understand the alien. |
| 054 | The Fall of the High Lord | Major. Fights alongside Llewellyn in the assault on Valdec's Berlin headquarters; triggers Valdec's Electrical Double. |
| 056 | The Dragon Witches | Major. Travels to the Sealed Land on Adzharis with Asen-Ger; agrees to become a Dragon Rider; undergoes initiation ritual. |
| 057 | Voyage to World's End | Supporting. Arrives on Rorqual with Asen-Ger and Nayala; accompanies David to the Great Abyss. |
| 058 | The Heart of Rorqual | Supporting. Described as "fiercely loyal to David" inside Rorqual's hollow interior. |
| 059 | A World for Yggdrasil | Supporting. Present on Adzharis during the planting of Yggdrasil's seed. |
| 060 | Duel in Solitude | Major. Receives the first mistletoe from David; remains on Adzharis for Dragon Clan training. |
| 072 | Legacy in Ice | Major. Accompanies David to Earth; thwarts poisoning attempt with Nayala; investigates Marya Briden. |
| 073 | The Machines of Ultimate Thule | Supporting. Accompanies David to Ultima Thule as part of his inner circle. |
| 074 | Yggdrasil's Legacy | Major. Forms psycho-collective with Nayala; attempts rescue of David and Asen-Ger from the Primeval Palace. |
| 076 | War of the Castes | Supporting. Present during David's tenure as Lord Colonel. |
| 079 | Dying for Terra | Supporting. Member of David's personal guard during the end of the War of the Castes. |
| 083 | Chaos Over Sarym | Major. Extracts David from the PSI-Net with Aura Damona Mar; departs aboard the Collector. |
| 084 | The Gene-Parasites | Major. Fights Gene-Parasites aboard the Collector; separated on the Solitary Wanderer; unites with David to awaken the Weltenbaum. |
| 087 | Labyrinth of Dread | Major. Captured by Kadir; rescued by David's party. |
| 088 | The Exile Planet | Supporting. Travels with David; briefly possessed by Renegades. |
| 094 | The Elderwood | Major. Travels to the Old Forest aboard the Collector; helps force an n-dimensional channel to escape. |
| 095 | Rendezvous in Star City | Supporting. Arrives at Star City with David in the Collector; navigates Wandering Real Data Zones. |
| 096 | Planet of Illusions | Major. Assists David on the Central World of the Entities; helps rescue Kiram and Tremayne. |
Themes and Significance
Resilience Through Loss: Narda's story is defined by what she endures. She loses her home (Ultima Thule), her planet of refuge (Zoe), her freedom (Taschkanur), and her three closest friends (Whity, Rollo, Greeny) -- all before the age of sixteen. Each loss deepens rather than diminishes her. Her navigation of Space II without a mistletoe, powered by grief and determination alone, is the saga's purest expression of human will overcoming cosmic limitation.
The Power of Faith: Narda's unshakable belief that David is alive -- maintained through imprisonment, betrayal, and the death of everyone she loves -- is not merely optimism. It is a form of PSI-intuition, a telepathic certainty that transcends rational evidence. This faith is vindicated when she arrives on Aqua, and it establishes the spiritual dimension of her bond with David.
From Protected to Protector: The arc from twelve-year-old PSI-girl to Dragon Witch and cosmic companion reverses the traditional power dynamic. In the early saga, David protects Narda; in the later saga, Narda protects David -- from poisoning (Booklet 072), from the PSI-Net (Booklet 083), from the Gene-Parasites (Booklet 084). The relationship evolves from guardian-and-ward to equal partnership.
Identity and Transformation: Narda's adoption of the "del Drago" name connects her to the dragon-witch lineage of David's mother, Myriam del Drago. This is not coincidence but thematic design: by taking the del Drago name, Narda becomes a living link between David and his maternal heritage. She carries forward the legacy that Myriam began and that David is destined to fulfill.
The Quiet Hero: Unlike David, who is prophesied, or Llewellyn, who is legendary, Narda earns her place through persistence and sacrifice. She is never called the "Heir of Power" or the "Bearer of the Monochord." Her heroism is the heroism of endurance -- of leading a broken Lodge through impossible odds, of standing watch over a friend's cosmic destiny, of being present when it matters most.
Narda appears in 34 of 99 booklets of Die Terranauten. She is one of the saga's most frequently appearing characters and, alongside Llewellyn 709 and Asen-Ger, one of David terGorden's three closest companions throughout the series.