Check out BTS art of Daisy Head’s Sofina from the Dungeons and Dragons movie

Behind every great party of adventurers, there’s a villain who wants them dead — and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among ThievesThis is the same. They are up against the schemes of a Red Wizard of Thay who plots to… spoiler!

We can however tell you this: Shadow and Bone’s Daisy Head plays the necromancer Sofina with the uncanny grace befitting an undead sorceress — and that courtesy of Ten Speed Press, we can present an excerpt from The Art & Making of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among ThievesThe book is full of the concept art for Sofina, Red Wizards and their frightening emperor Szass Tim. It also includes insight from actors, creatives and others behind the scenes.

[Ed note: This excerpt contains spoilers for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.]

Sofina

Sofina is a mysterious person. She hides that she is a Red Wizard. “Red Wizards are the ruling class of Thay, and their leader, their ruler, is Szass Tam,” says actor Daisy Head. “They are ultimately feared as some of the most powerful and nefarious wizards in all of Faerûn.”

Szass Tam can be a strong necromancer. He reorganized Thay’s citizens to be loyal to his and other necromancers when he conquered it. The undead can’t be killed using conventional methods, making this threat brewing in Thay especially frightening. “It’s a tricky concept to play someone who is essentially undead because it was interesting to try to understand if and how they emote,” Head explains. “There’s more dimension if it is rooted in something real and something emotional. So, I essentially didn’t want her just to be bad for the sake of being bad. So, I developed my own very dark … backstory from when she was a child, and essentially, she felt she had nothing left to lose, which is why she decided to sacrifice her soul and become one of Szass Tam’s undead. I think she emotes a lot of anger, as you’ll see in the film. I think that the emotions of her past have kind of left a ghost of a blueprint on her soul that is no longer a soul.”

Forge is using Sofina in order to assist him as Lord of Neverwinter. However, Sofina has her own ulterior motives for joining forces with Forge. “Forge is essentially a pawn in the master plan,” suggests Head. “Sofina basically has to do as Szass Tam says, and as much as she loathes Forge, she sees that it is the best opportunity to fulfill Szass Tam’s goals.”

Sofina has been a wizardA group of people who can use magic after studying hard. In Dungeons & Dragons, wizards are able to choose an arcane tradition — the study of a particular school of magic. Sofina belongs to the School of Necromancy. Necromancy emphasizes spells that can control both life and death. It even allows people to summon the dead.

Edgin is hired by Sofina to help her break into an impenetrable fortress to retrieve an item. Sofina is the primary reason for Edgin and Holga’s capture and imprisonment, as she and Forge double-cross the group. Sofina is Forge’s top advisor after this event.

Red Wizards are feared in the entire land, so Sofina wears a cowl to hide her identity. It covers the permanent arcane symbols that are permanently placed on the heads of Red Wizards. These sigils visually indicate their loyalty to Szass Tim. “The costume department has worked absolute miracles,” confirms Head. “The details and just the use of the fabrics and the way that they’ve tailored it, and the cowl, and having the wire [in the robe’s collar] that is able to shape it and mold it, it’s just astonishing.”

Magic isn’t the only weapon that Sofina wields. She also carries a Red Wizard’s blade, which brings swift death to anyone it cuts. “What we needed with Sofina was something that was a bit more vicious,” Dunne explains. “That’s also something that she hides under her cloak. So, you’ll never see this on her person, as in, worn on the belt, or in a sheath. It is held in one place. This is always hidden under her sleeve, so you’ll only see it when you need to.”

Szass Tam

Szass Tam is the chief necromancer and lurks under cover, commanding his legion. He once co-ruled Thay with eight other zulkirs. However, over 100 years ago, he gained more control of Thay through dark magic. Now Szass Tam is no longer satisfied ruling just Thay — he wants to take over all of Faerûn. “Szass Tam is trying to extend his power and his empire,” states actor Ian Hanmore. “He uses people in that way, you know? He is a master of undead and uses the living as his slaves. He is capable of appearing in many forms. Always, he’s striving to increase his power.”

Sofina’s role is crucial in Szass Tim’s plan to conquer Neverwinter. “He’s basically on a complete power trip and wants to expand the Thay empire and rule as much of Faerûn as he can,” remarks Head. “And Sofina is a very loyal and willing ally and servant to achieving his goals of domination.” But she isn’t the only Red Wizard aiding Szass Tam’s quest for dominance. Other undead necromancers assist in Thay’s dark plans. “The Red Wizards of Thay are a corrupt group of sorcerers who seek to promote chaos and misery,” Smith explains. “They are trying to basically create an army of undead slaves in order to cultivate ultimate power. Our group has to stop that from happening — reluctantly at first — because throughout the film, our group goes from being motivated by self-interest to seeing the importance of helping others.”

Here’s the full cover of The Art & Making of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which Ten Speed Press describes as a “gorgeous tome” showcasing “the storytelling, worldbuilding, and creativity behind the movie with sections that highlight fan-favorite characters, monsters, and settings, plus explorations of key scenes from the film, this book is packed with production photos, concept art, storyboards, interviews, and more.”

On April 4, the book will be available in stores.