Pen Ohmsford

Penderrin Ohmsford, or Pen for short, is a character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.

The son of Bek Ohmsford and Rue Meridian, Pen grew up around airships and was thus a superb pilot. However, unlike his father, Pen seemed to have no magic of his own, and his parents' distrust of the Druids led to little contact between him and his aunt Grianne Ohmsford. However, Pen actually possessed a kind of magic, an empathy with living things that allowed him to understand them.

When Grianne was imprisoned in the Forbidding, Pen was approached by her loyal servant Tagwen, seeking the help of Pen's father. However, they were forced to flee the Druid forces. During a brief stop, Pen was approached by the King of the Silver River. The faerie creature warned Pen of Grianne's predicament, and tasked him with finding the legendary Tanequil tree. From this tree, Pen was to obtain a darkwand, a magical talisman that allowed passage between the Four Lands and the Forbidding.

Pen traveled northward in the company of several other allies of his aunt, including Ahren Elessedil and his niece Khyber. Along the way, Pen met and fell in love with a blind Rover girl named Cinnaminson. However, he was also stalked by Druids and the assassin Aphasia Wye. Finally, Pen reached the Tanequil, but was forced to sacrifice two fingers and Cinnaminson in order to gain the darkwand.

Shortly after receiving the talisman, Pen was abducted by the Druids and taken to Paranor. With help from Khyber Elessedil, he was able to recover the darkwand and enter the Forbidding. While inside, he discovered that the darkwand had unlocked in him the magic of the wishsong, which he used to his advantage. After returning back to the Four Lands with Grianne, he helped send the Demon known as the Moric into the Forbidding. Afterwards, he was reunited with his beloved Cinnaminson, as Grianne took her place with the Tanequil.