#qilué veladorn

[banished-away]

starlight and shadows + textposts, because i think about this series a normal amount

[crowofjudgements-blog]

Soror mea, connexa per dolores

Halaena 🤝 Karlach:

Having awesome mom’s who tried everything in their power and life to protect their little girls only to be slain and forced to watch her suffer from the afterlife 🥰

While Karlach isn’t her love interest THIS TIME I literally yearn for the sweet embrace of the forbidden kiln over here 😔

Also introducing my main BG3 oc Halaena Daimos 💀

A Seldarine Underdark exile forced from her home after her contact with the Weave caused a significant explosion of arcane energy and killed a bunch of people. Now she’s a Wizard female drow in a world that despises her very essence, constantly torn between following her mother’s path to Eilistraee and personal choice or yielding to the will of Mystra (both goddesses directly play a huge role in Halaena’s life)

In other words, she’s just a girl and she did nothing wrong, your honour 😔

P.S. Daimos ain’t her last name, you��ll have to find Qilué to figure that out 😉

[lunastrophe]

Drow Lore 🕷️ Height and Weight

🕷️Drow height parameters differ slightly in various game editions, but on the average, adult drow height ranges between 4,5 and 5,5 feet (around 137 to 168 cm), and weight – between 85 and 130 pounds (around 39 to 59 kg).

🕷️Taller Females? - drow females are said to be typically taller, heavier and stronger than males, although sources are not always consistent on the details. According to some, such differences are minuscule and hard to notice on the average – and in some others, size differences between female and male drow are quite noticeable.

Also, to make things even more confusing, sometimes male drow are depicted as taller than females, not the other way around (*cursor hovering over BG3 icon*)

🕷️Possible Explanation - differences in height between female and male drow seem to be inspired by real-life spiders, since female arachnids of various species are often bigger, heavier and stronger than males. In the most extreme cases, male spiders can be tens of times smaller than their female counterparts and they can weigh one hundredth of their weight.

Drow females who worship Lolth – especially priestesses and other females from noble houses – may emulate spiders in their preferences, typically choosing males of smaller stature than them to be their consorts.

It is possible, then, that differences in height and strength between female and male drow are more common among nobles from Lolth-oriented societies, due to culturally induced selective breeding. It may not necessarily apply, though, to all drow societies.

🕷️When Male Is Bigger - drow priestesses of Lolth who openly favour taller and stronger males are apparently rare, at least in some heavily Lolth-oriented cities like Menzoberranzan. Mez'Barris Armgo, who took the largest and the strongest male drow in the city as her consort, was even being teased because of that:

Mez’Barris took all of that in stride, as well as the teasing she endured from the other priestesses, both here and out in the city. “How can you be with a man who is stronger than you?” most women asked, seeming sincerely aghast at the thought. “It isn’t natural! Are you sure that you don’t simply prefer the bed company of women?” Mez’Barris was sure. Yes, it was unusual, almost unheard of, for a drow woman to be attracted to a man so physically superior to her (…). She would take their barbs and simply smile, and never let them all know the power of her lover, and the thrill he could give to her (…). (R. A. Salvatore, Boundless)

🕷️Tall Drow > around 5,5 ft (168 cm)

In Menzoberranzan, Uthegentel Del'Armgo – standing near to 6 ft (183 cm) and weighing nearly 200 lbs (91 kg) – was considered one of the largest drow ever seen in the city. His unusual size, combined with his violent nature and superior battle skills, were sometimes making other drow suspect that he was not a pureblood drow.

Some other notable male drow warriors, like Dantrag Baenre, Andzrel Baenre or Ryld Argith, were also described as tall – Dantrag was especially tall, being closer to 6 ft than 5 ft (between 168 and 183 cm).

Among female drow who were considered exceptionally tall, there was Halisstra Melarn (almost 5,5 ft / 168 cm), Matron Mez'Barris Armgo, who was not only a priestess, but also a fierce warrior, and Briza Do'Urden, daughter of Matron Malice Do'Urden and Uthegentel.

🕷️Small Drow < around 5 ft (153 cm)

At least two drow matron mothers were considered short even by drow standards: Triel Baenre (less than 5 ft / 153 cm) and K'yorl Odran, who looked not only small, but also physically weak and unremarkable.

Iljrene Ahbruyn, priestess of Eilistraee and friend of Qilué Veladorn, was described as „tiny” and could be easily mistaken for a little girl.

For more of my drow lore ramblings, feel free to check my pinned post 🕷️

[fellsilver]

I see an opportunity to tempt some folks into writing the Seven Sisters, so here's my crash course on the topic 👀 Disclaimer that I don't claim to be an expert on all of them. I know Greenwood has youtube videos up about some of them, and at least some of the books featuring them can be borrowed from the Internet Archive and Open Library. The best source to get a feel for them is The Seven Sisters sourcebook in my opinion, though the novel Silver Fall is also good! Both are a bit older, but they give a good idea of their personalities, activities, etc.

BACKGROUND.

Mystra, of all the gods, needs Chosen in order to bear the burden of Her office. The problem is that the world produces suitable individuals all too rarely. Thus She sought to create them Herself. (We have also learned as of Death Masks that She seeks to always keep one alive so they can replace Her in the future. Part of Elminster's job is to ensure this.) To that end, She came to the half-elf sorcerer and adventurer Elué Shundar. She possessed Elué with the intention of using her as the vessel to birth Her Chosen. Elué was initially unaware of this possession, but once she realized, she fervently agreed.

Now comes the other parent. A human ranger, noble, and former Harper named Dornal Silverhand had been attempting to woo her — unsuccessfully — for two years. Possessed by Mystra, "Elué" finally seemed to return his affections. They were married. Within the span of seven years, "Elué" gave birth to seven daughters. Unfortunately, the weight of Mystra's possession in conjunction with birthing powerful children so close together took its toll on her body. She essentially became a lich by the end, unable to survive without Mystra.

This did not go unnoticed by Dornal. He sought answers about her condition, and was told that she was possessed by a powerful entity. Believing this to be the only way to free his love, he led Elué to the woods and beheaded her. It was then that Mystra rose from her and revealed the truth to Dornal. He was destroyed by it all, though, and simply abandoned his home and daughters. (He eventually became the Watcher, but that's another discussion).

The Seven Sisters were then split up. Syluné and Alustriel were placed with the Harper Thamator the Old, presenting them as his lost nieces. Dove, Storm, and Laeral were raised by Elminster in what remained of the Silverhand home. Alassra — better known as the Simbul — was raised by Oraumae, a witch of Rashemen, in exchange for powerful spells to keep Thay at bay. Qilué presented a problem, however, as she was still in Elué's womb. With Eilistraee's permission, she was placed into the womb of a drow faithful to Eilistraee: Iliryztara Veladorn. She was thus born a drow.

ANASTRA SYLUNÉ. The Witch of Shadowdale, the River Witch, the Ghost Witch

Although Thamator wished to raise Alustriel and Syluné as rangers, they both showed aptitude for magic. A Harper named Hauliyr, known as "the Old Witch", took her to his home near Everlund as an apprentice. She decided to settle a land somewhere and nurture a community to show that "magic was more than just a weapon" with an additional goal of founding a school for magic. She seems to have been unaware of her connection to Mystra, however, until this search for a place to claim led her into conflict with Laeral. Then Mystra appeared to them, told them all, and offered them a chance to become Her Chosen. They accepted, and traveled together for some years under the direction of the god Azuth.

Syluné traveled extensively, even to Kara-Tur, and finally settled in what is known now as Shadowdale. There she married the land's lord, Aumry. She was an integral part of the fledgling region's survival, particularly for the pull she had with the Elven Court. Although some feared magic on principle, she was nevertheless regarded favorable as someone kind-hearted, wise, and stern when need be. Some even said she was a seer, but in truth, she was only incredible perceptive about people and thus able to predict their actions.

Unfortunately, three dragons attracted Shadowdale in 1356 DR. But, she had been the wielder of the Scepter of Savras for many years. Savras, contained within the scepter by Azuth ages ago, gave her the ability to turn into an adult silver dragon at will. (She's a WEREDRAGON.) This allowed her to withstand dragonfire. And when she broke her staff and sacrificed herself to bring the dragons down, it helped her "live on" as a spectral Harpist and Weave ghost. (Once a year for seven hours, she can solidify into a silver dragon with all the powers, and I think that's cool.) She is now watched over by Azuth who protects her from any further destruction. Attack her, and He'll fuck you up.

She is currently keeping Laeral company in Waterdeep and acting as a sort of "ghost spy". However, Elminster and the Simbul have created bodies for her to possess in the past, and we know Mystra can "mother" her a new one to resurrect into. So if you don't want to deal with her being a ghost, you can believably diverge from canon to bring her back.

ENDUÉ ALUSTRIEL. The Bright Lady, The Shining Lady, Lady Hope, The Queen of Courtly Love, etc.

While Syluné was taken as apprentice by Hauliyr, Alustriel remained with Thamator. However, he was a man with high and specific standards who desired her to be a ranger and Harper as he had been. His disappointment was her constant companion — until she fended off an "overly amorous" suitor with magic, thus proving she could make it as a Harper. She did take up such a career, but abandoned it early "to pursue her vivid dreams of peace, harmony between the races, and a place where the arts (of all sorts) would be revered and celebrated". It is further said of her relationship with Thamator that "her unhappiness gave her determination to find her own way — and make her own happiness."

She is gifted in magic even as far as the Seven go, quickly excelling in leaps and bounds during her travels. She came to Silverymoon under an alias originally. There she became close friends with the High Mage Amaara Nharimlur and her sister, Lynnàsha "Lynx" Nharimlur. Together, she and Lynx founded the Lady's College. She added a number of other accomplishments to her name, including establishing the city's mythal. She was named the next High Mage in 857 and held that position until 876.

She has a lot of accomplishments, in fact. In 1235, her true identity was revealed after saving Silverymoon once again. She was elected High Mage once more, this time under her real name. She became the most beloved ruler in all of Faerûn. She eventually stepped down as ruler of Silverymoon, but she was key in the creation of the League of the Silver Marches (which became the nation of Luruar) and became High Lady of the Silver Marches. Alas, the Silver Marches collapsed after disagreements in 1488.

There's . . . so much to cover with her actually. She's done a LOT. So here are some fun facts: she has a LOT of children, including twelve famous half-elf sons known as the Tall Ones. She is very good at remembering people and details about them, and she is incredible at multi-tasking. She is also an expert at identifying gems, even ones that have been altered.

She faked her death around a century ago alongside Laeral, and the two hid among Candlekeep's monks. The intent was to thwart Larloch's schemes, but that didn't quite work out. Although she's no longer in hiding, she hasn't contacted Silverymoon or her heir / son. She's on some secret mission from Mystra we don't know much about.

AMBARA DOVE. Knight of Myth Drannor, Lady in Green

Dove was one of the three troublesome girls raised by Elminster. As such, she was aware of her true lineage from an early age. She became an adventurer and Harper early, later joining the Knights of Myth Drannor. She can lay claim to levels as a sorcerer, wizard, rogue — but prefers strength at arms and is a capable ranger and warrior. Though she could be quite the hellion when she was younger, she grew into a calm, quiet, capable woman. Completely unflappable but with a great sense of humor. That having been said, she can and will pick a man up by the neck and throw him bodily across the room.

In fact, she's known for her broad-shouldered, 6' tall physique. She further favors masculine dress, and has at times lived as a swanmay and as a man. She at some point married Florin Falconhand, at least partly in thanks to the mandates of Mystra and Mielikki. The goddesses charged them with marrying and bearing a child, Azalar, who would become Mielikki's Chosen. This son was born in 1358 and was raised by them, alternating parenting duties, in secret in Evermeet.

Nevertheless, she and Florin seem to have had a loving relationship. It's unclear when Florin died, but she did outlive him. In 1487, she herself was slain by Vattick Tanthul, though she took him with her to death. Laeral cites her desire to be reunited with Florin as part of the reason for her departing her body.

Dove is currently a Weave ghost. Like Syluné, she is in Waterdeep keeping Laeral company and acting as a sort of "ghost spy". Also like Syluné, you could easily diverge from canon to give her a body if you don't want to deal with ghost stuff. Same reasoning applies.

ETHENA ASTORMA. The Bard of Shadowdale

Storm is perhaps the best known of the Sisters — which is saying something actually. She was another of the troublesome three raised by Elminster. Unlike the other two, she took to running away pretty early. Unfortunately, this led to her being grabbed by a slaver who dampened her magic and enspelled her appearance. She spent years in slavery, as a dancer, and as a festhall mascot in Calimshan until she stole a flying carpet and made it home. There she demanded Elminster return her to her original shape. Despite all that, she is known to be closest to Elminster of all the Seven Sisters not only as family but also as a friend.

Although that experience taught her much, she remained a, shall we say, enthusiastic adventurer for some years. She's the sort who had to learn from the school of hard knocks. Her early years as an adventurer weren't easy. This has given her a soft spot for youth who are rebellious or feel mistreated "by parents, neighbors, rulers, and the gods in general".

That having been said: "Mystra admires Storm's buoyant spirit and zest for life, and she has often whisked Storm away from certain death. She is further pleased by the fact that Storm has not come to expect such rescues, or exalt herself because of them." Mama does play favorites lmao (Ironicially, though, she's not much skilled in magic — at least in a wizarding sense — and strongly prefers a bard's and warrior's skillset. She has 5 classes as of 3e lmao)

She is widely known and loved — and in fact, many are smitten with her upon first meeting, such is her charisma. Her exploits are numerous, being not only a Chosen but a prominent Harper and famous bard. In fact, she serves as "den mother" to Harpers in Shadowdale, training them up and sending them out. And truly, she is a household name for her many compositions as well. She has had lovers and spouses down the centuries, but despite her desire for children, Mystra has never granted that.

She has worked closely with Elminster down the years, including during the Spellplague and leading up to the Second Sundering. She's currently helping him train his successor, Amarune Whitewave. This is in addition to her usual heroics and training Harpers.

ANAMANUÉ LAERAL.

I don't have to do this blurb, right? Y'all know Laeral? Let me say, though, that I am very duplicate friendly. If anyone else wants to pick her up, you have my FULL support. I will pool resources with you like you wouldn't believe.

ALASSRA SHENTRANTRA. The Simbul, The Storm Queen, The Witch-Queen

She is THE badass of Forgotten Realms. "In all Faerûn, no living mage has aA fearsome a reputation as 'the Storm Queen', the fiery-tempered, wily, ruthless, awesomely powerful Witch-Queen of Aglarond." She was delivered as a babe TO Oraumae, a witch of Rashemen, in exchange for powerful spells against Thay. At some point, she left Rashemen and began wandering the planes, showing she was an accomplished caster and planeswalker at a relatively young age. This she did for four hundred years.

Then a lover of hers perished, and Mystra afterward revealed her lineage and destiny to her. But, the Simbul has never been one to simply accept other's mandates, even the gods. She has more than once defied Mystra, Azuth, and everyone in between down the years. When Mystra set to claim her as Her Chosen, the Simbul fought Her and had to be literally worn down til she accepted lmao

After this, she became the apprentice of Ilione, a sorcerer and ruler of Aglarond. She came to love her home and her people fiercely. She succeeded the throne in 1320 and became a highly respected, even revered leader — if not a loved one. She's not the cuddly sort. But, she protected them tirelessly and capably from threat after threat after threat (Thay in particular), and she was almost a goddess to them for it. She keeps no true schedule, requiring the chaos to keep her enemies on their toes, and often moved about in one spellguise or another — animals or objects or gods know what. There's no one more accomplished at shapechanging than her.

This is more a personal note, but I love that, despite being extremely capable and confident, she's also sorta socially anxious. Her behavior doesn't necessarily come off as awkward — not always — but she often feels awkward and uncertain in social settings. She's a loner and doesn't have many close relationships. Never has. She's uncertain even in her relationships with her sisters because, again, she's used to being alone. She is a fierce friend, though.

Another personal note is she's supposed to be Elminster's lover of many centuries. I personally don't love that, but that's me.

Unfortunately, she was killed permanently in 1479. She sacrificed all of her silver fire to restore Elminster's destroyed body and return him to it. Her body and soul dissipated, leaving her unable to even become a Weave ghost. I, like many others, don't care for this overmuch, though. Diverge from canon. Make her a Weave ghost. Bring her back to life. Whatever, fuck canon, she's too badass for death to claim. In fact, a line from The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide implies she still lives. So. Fuck canon.

QILUÉ VELADORN. The Dark Sister, The Chosen of the Chosen

Qilué is a bit of an odd case. Elué was pregnant when she died, but Mystra wouldn't allow the child to simply die. Below the surface nearby, a drow named Iliryztara Veladorn who was leading a group of drow to establish a community after being ousted for refusing to worship Lolth. They were faithful of Eilistraee, and Eilistraee watched Iliryztara most closely of all. Iliryztara herself was pregnant at the time, but her child had died in her womb and that would eventually have killed her as well. Thus Mystra sought Eilistraee's blessing to replace the child with Qilué. Eilistraee assented. Thus did Eilistraee and Mystra become allies.

Eilistraee revealed herself to Qilué when she was only a child when she was tasked to lead her friends to aid nearby drow. Eilistraee gifted all the children holy singing swords to do so. This was only the first of the quests She sent her on as a child, and Mystra came to aid her in these quests as well. She became the Chosen of both deities at this time, often calling them the Two Who Watch. Thus balancing the power of two goddesses, it is said she has the most respect and care in wielding that power out of all the Seven.

She became High Priestess of the Promenade of the Dark Maiden, a temple she founded near Skullport. Her statue stands in the Cavern of Song at its heart. Her temple welcomes drow and non-drow alike, including escaped slaves. She is the foremost of Eilistraee's Chosen — the Chosen of the Chosen — and is loved and respected by her people.

Honestly? She's a magical badass. She fought off GHAUNADAR as a CHILD. She is known to be gentle and warm but can have a firm, commanding manner — as well as an impish streak. She is adept at disguising herself, including the use of a robe attuned to her life force that hides her in shadow, and often walks about unseen or disguised. She's actually stolen Laeral's appearance throughout her life to have some fun on the surface — often to Laeral's annoyance lmao

She is currently . . . dead, I am sad to say. This death did cause a problem for Eilistraee for a time. She's currently a Weave ghost, though. She took a bit of a break from mortal affairs but still interacted with mortals when needed. We have not heard much about her since. You can easily diverge from canon to bring her back imo, same as with Syluné and Dove. Get funky with it.

[kurczakmarty]

Shout out to Leah putting up with me texting about Eilistraee for like few hours last night UFNDK I was reading on her chosen, Qilué Veladorn, and man!!! She was awesome, definitely an inspiration for Eliseris. I’ll drop some of my fave parts on her descriptions.

[alicelufenia]

Had a nice long play session with Tavierra today, so here's the latest for my chosen of Eilistraee:

Met the Dream Visitor! Her appearance is the spitting image of Qilué Veladorn, cleric of Eilistraee and chosen of Mystra. Qilué famously bore such a striking beauty that she was often mistaken for Eilistraee Herself. She's also been dead over a hundred years, so Tav is pretty sure this isn't her.

She's VERY cute tho!

Am determined not to use the tadpoles. Except, specifically, to help her comrades. So far she's used the Illithid influence three times; to free Shadowheart, to see into Astarion's mind after he tried to bite her without permission, and to see Lae'zel's fears when she held a knife to her throat. Ironically, that means she's already used the influence power more times than Alice did in her whole playthrough LMAO.

Also unlike Alice, Tav went through with Volo's lobotomy

That look when everything is fine and you'll love the results.

Kaylin don't give your oc heterochromia challenge (impossible)

Confronted and fought Kagha and the Shadow Druids. No reforming her this time, she was horrible. Except I did have non-lethal on, so she got knocked out, and everyone talked about her like she's dead, but when Rath walked near her body he had the same banter he has with Kagha after she sides with us against the shadow druids. Very weird.

Realized I had fucked up the stealing idol quest by not accepting it when I talked to Mol about it the first time, so no Ring of Protection for me T_T

Back into the Underdark! We find our way to the beach coming from the south, so we meet the duergar before the Myconid colony. She's not going to help a bunch of slavers, but does take advantage of their assuming she's a True Soul to sneak past them and steal their boat.

We hit level 5 as we enter Grymforge and instantly everyone's power level spikes (even the multiclass party members). Hearing about Nere for the first time in Grymforge, Tav is intrigued by another drow True Soul.

Pictures taken seconds before a whole lot of slavers die (Wyll approves)

Between the slavers and dead Harper-aligned drow (who have historically been allies of the followers of Eilistraee) Grymforge is officially flagged for killing everyone (except Tav stops for architect nerd talk, those guys are alright). Gotta do it subtly though without alerting the whole fortress.

Shadowheart spikes the ale flagon with drow poison to kill two slacking guards, and the rest of the team busts heads in isolated corners away from patrols.

Had an unexpectedly difficult fight with the oozes on the way to Philomeen, as Gale's Wild Magic surge made his level 1+ spells heal nearby creatures whenever he dealt damage, so I stupidly targeted a weakened ooze with magic missile, and it HEALED the ooze to full instead (healing procced on each missile hit!) So yeah Wild Magic has been working out great on this Tactician run, highly recommended.

Encountered the mimics and have realized Wyll might be my strongest combatant so far.

Once Hunger of Hadar went down these mimics couldn't do SHIT and got eaten away over the course of 4 turns. Also if you're wondering how Karlach has a 95% on a throw, Tavern Brawler + Hill Giant Strength elixir is a really good combination <broken>

Gonna rest up and then plan how I'm taking out the rest of the fortress (I really don't want to fight Nere + all the duergar, even with the ones that can help us)

[margridarnauds]

Whichever OCs you'd like to answer for - 38, 45, & 49 for the ask game?

Thanks! Symryvvin Sisters, let's go.

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Kitrye admires faith and loyalty, especially under duress. She deeply admires Isobel and her faith in Selune, genuinely being awed and touched to see Isobel's continued defense of the Last Light Inn. (Part of why she has little tolerance for Drizzt is that she feels like he doesn't do Eilistraee enough credit, and THAT irritates her.) She also respects Liriel Baenre and Qilué Veladorn and defers to them when it comes to matters of faith. She admires confidence and intelligence, especially since she often finds herself lacking basic knowledge about the world aboveground despite having lived there for over a century and a half at this point. Part of what draws her to Raphael is how confident he is, how easily he seems to do things, and how intelligent he is. (As well as physical attraction. Because of course.) Courage, especially the courage to do what is right in the face of condemnation. She proudly stood with the Githyanki against Vlaakith, stood with the Gnomes against Nere, and helped Shadowheart rebel against Shar and, in one future arc, assists Zariel in her final redemption.

One embarassment for Kitrye is that, despite being devoted to Eilistraee, she has often been poor study with regards to music and dance. She doesn't often dance in groups, even when she's around Eilistraaen settlements, and she has tried, on and off, to pick up the lyre for years. (She finally learned, having been inspired by Alfira.) She wishes that she could blend into a room like Mallathalra. Her entire life has been marked by her appearance, and there's a certin brutal irony to the fact that the paladin, the one who is most outwardly helpful, is shunned by society, while Malla, as an albino Drow who can therefore pass as an albino Elf (while Kitrye actually IS half-Elf) is allowed to mingle freely with Baldur's Gate's elites. (Meanwhile, Malla envies Kitrye for her blood ties to House Symryvvin, while Malla was an urchin adopted by the family. No one wins in Drow society.)

Malla admires a cool head and pragmatism, but can also find herself respecting a rebel. She is formally neutral evil, but, like many Drow, there's a sense of chaos in her evil. She, like her sister, appreciates elegance and style, but in a different way -- while Kitrye likes fashion and luxury, Malla likes cool efficiency. Rather than a flashy entrance, she prefers a swift dagger to the heart. While she is loyal to Lolth in name, she is not attracted to blind faith, but rather to understanding where the balance of power lies at any point and acting accordingly. She was attracted to Minthara before she even knew her because of the stories that she had heard of the powerful Drow woman, and meeting her in person only confirmed them. There are few people she truly admires, fewer outside of House Symryvvin, but she does respect Minthara for her intelligence and her pragmatism and Lae'zel for her military prowess (and, admittedly, for the few times that they slept together), even if the blind devotion that the latter displays towards Vlaakith is offputting to her. (She is gradually starting to realize that, by allowing Lae'zel to kill Voss, she created a monster, turning her into a zealot. Woopsie.)

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves?

Kitrye is seen as this sort of....unimpeachable, purely heroic figure, albeit one with a silver tongue. The sort of friend who you tell all your woes to and, five years down the line, you realize that you literally don't even know a single fact about their personal life. A paladin and a cleric, she helped every single person she could on her quest, even in the face of the racism that she experienced as a half-Drow, never letting it openly crack her...while she sat on top of a truly massive, twisting pile of childhood traumas, insecurities, and weaknesses, which she kept well concealed beneath her shining armor.

To herself, she sees herself as pretty much always being half-finished. She has spent what amounts to her adult life as a Drow on the run, constantly looking behind her back for the other boot to fall. She's rarely truly happy, almost never at peace, to the point where, along with many other Drow, she actually physically CANNOT enter her trance and has to sleep instead (and her dreams are often filled with nightmares, courtesy of Lolth), while being forced to smile through micro and macro aggressions because if she snaps, the blame will be put on her, using her tongue to get out of difficult situations and de-escalate combat before it begins. She walks apart from both the surface dwellers and the Drow, with the only one to truly understand her being Raphael. When she eventually joins him, it's seen as a massive betrayal by most, since it's a betrayal of her heroic ideals, but in reality, it's a betrayal of a version of herself that never really existed, or that, when she did exist, was a front that Kitrye put up because she thought it was the right thing. In reality, it's her choosing the one person, next to Malla, who really loved her, and the ONLY person, at all, who understood her. Her companions...I think that they thought they were her friends, but for a variety of reasons, some of them Kitrye's fault, some of them not, they really...weren't. She was by their side more than they were ever by hers. And it wasn't entirely their fault, since she never learned to ASK for anything, she was accustomed to the silence, but...I do think there might have come a time when they forgot that she was a person *too*.

After she turns to Raphael finally, I don't think the world can come to terms with the great hero of Faerún willingly choosing to be consort to a devil. It's too sickening a thought. I've thought that there might be multiple stories spread about her over the years -- that she made a deal with Raphael in order to defeat the Netherbrain, that he abducted her, that the REAL hero of Faerún died and the devil's consort is someone else who coincidentally has the same name/a false image of the real hero, intended to mock her/a decoy, etc. In the same way as they couldn't believe that the great hero Balduran was a mindflayer. If they do believe it, it's treated as a betrayal, a fall to darkness for a great hero, who defeated one of the greatest evils the Sword Coast had ever seen but allowed herself to be seduced by a devil. (Meanwhile...the truth is somewhere in-between. She's neither totally GONE from what she used to be, but nor is she a quivering captive in Raphael's realm, she did choose him, and she did make the only decision that she felt like she could make, even if it was a thoroughly selfish one.)

Speaking of which...God, Malla. She sees herself as being brutal, efficient, and uncaring. She does what she needs to do, and she has lived her life according to the principles of the Drow, minimizing every weakness so that they can't be used against her. She is loyal to Lolth, but not out of love like Kitrye with Eilistraee, but out of fear, knowing that one wrong move and she will be sacrificed or turned into a drider. She's the embodiment of that one Animorphs line about ruthlessness: "It’s about seeing the bright, clear line that leads from A to B. The line that goes from motive to means. Beginning to end. It’s about seeing that bright, clear line and not caring about anything but the beautiful fact that you can see the solution. Not caring about anything else but the perfection of it.”

The truth is, she is far softer than she believes. She loves her sister and repeatedly refuses to kill her or even let her die when it would have been convenient. She adores Minthara, even though she's betrayed Lolth and so could bring Lolth's wrath upon her. She has a noted soft spot for street urchins, seeing a bit of herself in them, and she protects the gnomes, who she views as valuable assets after being rather accidentally named as their savior. She's often seen, by people who know her true nature as opposed to the front she puts on for her infiltration schemes, as coldhearted, brutal, and proud to the point of murder; Kitrye simultaneously loves and is terrified by her sister, and that is the image that Malla sells of herself. In reality, though, there is a soft spot buried down in there, even if she will likely deny it until the day she dies.

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

Kitrye -- Phalar Aluve. Her sword is her most important item, an extension of herself and her bond with Eilistraee. Its presence in her life is often calming to her, she will often listen to its song by the firelight, or call down its shriek upon her enemies. When she breaks her oath, she actually refuses to wield it for a time, substituting it for another weapon, and her accepting the sword back is the sign that she's finally back in the game.

Kitrye is sentimental, especially given her upbringing -- she often keeps items from questlines tied to certain characters. For example, she refuses to part with Lenore's ring from the arcane tower, even though she has no need of it. She also maintains an archive in her chest in camp of all the books, memoirs, diary entries, and scraps of paper that she comes across in her quest, as a way of trying to remember the people who died on the road to finishing her quest.

Malla - So, in her game, I came across an owlbear plushie and I toyed with selling it, but I thought it would be much funnier if Malla canonically had an owlbear plushie that she carries around with her everywhere. Unlike Kitrye, she is not sentimental at all, a combination of her upbringing as a Drow and her training as a Ranger. She can't allow herself to establish roots, and so she doesn't. She maintains a relatively small inventory and chest in camp, the contents mainly consisting of active quest items, things that she intends to sell off, and things that she can't sell off, her inventory packed with her collection of poisons and specialized arrows. She will sometimes keep papers that she feels contain important information, especially about the Drow, but other than that? Every scrap of paper takes up space.

[alicelufenia]

On my very first playthrough where I knew nothing, I made them kinda resemble G'raha Tia from Final Fantasy 14 (I based my first Tav after my main in that game).

After finishing that playthrough, on my current one Tav's guardian wears the appearance of Qilué Veladorn, a famous cleric of Eilistraee, Tav's deity.

For the next playthrough, which will be my first Tav again but as a Dark Urge, I'm going to use the default lolth sworn drow guardian, because I've decided they resemble an important person to my Durge from before they lost their memory. Which actually works well for gaining trust, as Durge finds them so enticing, but can't recall why so doesn't get too suspicious.

when y’all make the guardian for your tav do you have someone specific in mind or do you just randomize them?

When I first played the game I had no idea what or who the guardian was. I had thought up a tiefling Tav and decided she needed an orc wife so I made her guardian into that Orc Wife. Very surprising later on to find out what was going on with the guardian lol.

[themagentadragon]

Rylaenvol Ssikseoulen

"Are we sure he's not a bard?"

Ryl is a traveler. He has travelled through planes, through spaces and through time. He has been many places, and has many places yet to go, all in his quest to gain the power he needs to defeat Lolth and free his people from her web. He is an artist, a crafter, a rogue, an alchemist, a chef, a freedom fighter, a barbarian, a musician, a murderer, a skirmisher, a friend, an ally of Ilmater, Eilistraee's partisan, an enemy of Lolth. He is many things. He is not a bard.

(Art by Lilithblack)

Name: Rylaenvol Ssikseoulen ('Sunstone')

Titles: The Dark Maiden’s Partisan

Aliases: Rylaenvol Daugirin, Moonshadow, The Painted Drow, The Scourged God, The Fool, Interloper, Trespasser

Home: Northwest Faerun

Former Home(s): Garethbalt, Underdark, Ethos, Bladur’s Gate, Waterdeep, Mithral Hall

Sex: Male

Race: Drow (Quasi-deity/Quasi-power)

Patron Deity: Eilistraee (Formerly Lolth)

Born: 1289 DR (Equivalent) (Tenth son of Issarezz Daugirin)

Spouse(s): Jeanne Renaud, Trelasarra Zuind

Sibling(s): Arraneth Daugirin (deceased), Akwaer Daugirin (deceased), Angjhul Daugirin, Quewune Daugirin, Amtsama Daugirin (deceased), Seven Unknown Brothers (all deceased), Several Unknown Sisters (some deceased)

Child(ren): Iejirvethivuthavaecaesin (Jiji), Rhydar, Gabrielle, Nymli, Kalon, Talvra, Nounrae, Klaris, Qilué Veladorn (Reincarnated)

Alignment: Neutral Good (Chaotic Tendencies) (Formerly Neutral Evil)

Class: Skirmisher 20 (Rogue Scout 8, Barbarian Totem Warrior 6, Aberrant Mind Sorcerer 3 (Elena), Fighter 1, Ranger 1, Monk 1)

Worlds Visited: Ethos (homeworld), Abeir-Toril (Forgotten Realms), Nirn (Elder Scrolls), Thedas (Dragon Age), The Continent (Witcher), The World (Pokemon)

(Art by Notesz)

Rylaenvol spent a little over two hundred years as the elderboy and slavemaster of House Daugirin, in the city of Garethbalt. He and many other Lolthite drow lived under the Dragon Spine Mountains committing atrocities to each other and to the people of the country of Drakos in the realm of Redspace. He served Lolth willingly and faithfully, murdering, torturing, raiding and enslaving many creatures of both the surface and the underdark. He knew his place and submitted himself to the whims of the matriarchy, doing all he could to please them, and by extension, please Lolth. Despite his loyalty Ryl never held Lolth's favor, for reasons he did not understand, and ultimately, never learned. He knew it was his destiny to die one day in service to his House and his Goddess and that day came when a powerful House accused House Daugirin of an attempted assassination, after one of the slaves they had purchased from the Houser had disobeyed orders and tried to kill the Matron Mother, grounds to destroy the weaker House Daugirin on. Knowing the maneuver to be one made as a precaution, to keep House Daugarin from amassing more power than they had already and threatening the other House's position, Ryl submitted himself for judgment, and offered to pay for the crimes in their entirety. He offered himself as a sacrifice to Lolth. He was executed through use of a Whip of Fangs, and shortly before his death, felt rage at the unfairness of it all. He was brought back to life through means he isn't fully aware of, knowing that it was part divine intervention and part the intervention of his mother. He was scarred, body and spirit, and the longer he lived the more he understood that the world around him was a terrible, violent and bloody lie. Knowing that he was still unlikely to survive the underdark, he planned to make a break for the surface to die there instead, all for the sake of granting his slaves the freedom he had taken from them. After a harrowing journey, Ryl did not find death on the surface, but was instead given a second chance at life, one he took whole-heartedly with a desire to change and to do good with this new life, beginning anew under the light of the sun.

(Art by S0nkur0) Ryl found his chance in the office of Drakos' Spymaster, a szarkai drow also escaped from the underdark. What Ryl did not know was that the mission, 'stop the slave trade between Drakos and Lithic' was as much of of a wild goose chase as the spymaster could send him on. Ryl found himself kidnapped onto a slaver's ship, which was attacked by a kraken just off the shores of Rassic, and shipwrecked with the other survivors on the beaches south of Lithic. Ryl joined with the group after some rocky introductions, and together they made their way north. Ryl learned about a surface world even more different than the one that had felt so foreign to him before. Here was a world of brightly colored birds, dinosaurs, plants and people. The more Ryl was immersed in this world of color, the more he came to love it and the people in it. He learned to trust others, and through that, heal himself from a past that he had not realized had been as almost as scarring on him as it had been on others. Lithic, he had found, was a place of rich culture, lead and inhabited by goblinoids and other 'monsterous' races. Including drow. Drow who walked the surface, who lived under the sun and lived among people, as people themselves. He found in these people no sense of belonging, but he did find hope. Still burdened by guilt he worked wherever he could to help those around him, be they his friends or complete strangers. Small tasks led to larger jobs, until one day they were tasked with finding out what had happened to the empress of Lithic who had gone missing years ago. Ryl found himself back in the underdark, an underdark removed by an entire ocean from the one he had known, and one devoid of Lolth and seemingly of life. His party tracked down and found the empress, cursed into the form of a medusa and guarded by a diseased troll. Thus rescued, the empress was returned to her throne, her curse broken, and she asked of them what boon they may wish from her and her husband. Ryl looked to his friends, who encouraged him, and asked that the empress abolish slavery from Lithic. It was done, his impossible job was complete, but his desire to help kept him in Lithic with the others, to participate in the finalization of the war that had stagnated between Lithic and an empire run by Yuan-ti, suspected to have been behind the empresses' disappearance and confinement in order to gain the upper hand. Though Ryl felt that war was not their business, his friends wished to make a final push against ending the evils of the land, and Ryl, knowing the Yuan-ti practiced slavery as well, could not sit by. After an arduous battle, the lord of the Yuan-ti, steps away from ascending to godhood, was slain. His presence and the presence of his divinity began to make Ryl question. He had heard various stories of mortal becoming dieties, and here before him was one such mortal. If a creature as vile as this emperor who killed and sacrificed others, might Ryl be able to, in order to save the drow from Lolth. In this he knew he had an ally: Eilistraee, a goddess wishing to free the drow from Lolth's web, one he had become familiar with through the surface-walking drow. In this, Ryl had another ally, Fal'el, a son of Lolth sealed away in his temple, whom Ryl and his friends had previously freed. With this goal now in mind, Ryl began making his preparations to do what he could to reach Lolth's level, and bring the Spider Queen Down.

(Art by SerenaVerdeArt)

Shortly after becoming a quasi-power, Ryl was kidnapped and taken by mindflayers from his home of Redspace and transported onto their Nataloid, where he was infected with a specially-engineered illithid tadpole. Either the forced removal from his home plane, the tadpole's insertion, or a combined effect of both, caused Ryl to lose nearly all of his memories, and severely weakened him physically. The Nataloid made its way back to Realmspace where it was set upon by gith warriors riding red dragons. The ship was pursued through the planes, before being severely damaged while travelling through Avernus, and finally returned to the material plane and crash-landed east of Baldur's Gate. Ryl and other survivors of the crash banded together through the mutual desire to remove the tadpoles that they had been infected with, ineviteably crossing paths with The Absolute, lead by equally infected 'True Souls' under the service of a goddess figure, seemingly responsible for mindflayers' actions. With so many affected by the machinations of the Absolute, Ryl set aside his own dilemma time and time again to lend aid to those in need. His constant rebuttal against the tadpole and refusal to use its power, culminated into an attempt by the aberration to seize control of Ryl's body. Ryl responded by threatening to kill himself, and it by extension. The tadpole was quelled by the sincerity of the threat, and the two forged an uneasy pact after. Ryl's mind was his, the tadpole's its own. If one lived, the other lived, if one died, the other died. This caused Ryl to form an unusual bond with the tadpole, one that, once he and the others had the opportunity to have the tadpoles removed, cause Ryl to decide to allow the aberration to live with him until a time that they found a way for it to live freely. After the defeat of the powers behind the Cult of the Absolute, a victory that almost came at the cost of Ryl's life, Ryl travelled with one of his companions to Waterdeep, to see about crafting a spell to safely send him back to Redspace. To help fund this research Ryl opted to join a group of adventurers operating out of Trollskull Manor unaware that he would soon be entangled in the events that would be known as 'The Dragon Heist' of Waterdeep. Ryl was scouted by Bregan D'aerth almost immediately after his arrival, and was soon given an invitation to join the drow mercenary band, lured by the ideal of its leader to turn Luskan into a safe haven for drow on the surface to escape from Lolth and live peacefully. Ryl was not certain he could trust the Lord of Luskan, but was able to determine that whatever his ulterior motives, the dream of creating a city for drow on the surface was real. Ryl worked to pursue the interested of Bregan D'aerth where it fit his morals, up to reluctantly turning against his friends after the discovery of the Vault of Dragons, in order to secure it for Bregan D'aerth, an act of betrayal that ultimately resulted in failure. Ryl was rescued and nursed back to health, but the dream of a surface drow city and the guilt of his failure haunted him. Eventually Ryl concocted a plan to travel back in time by a few years to give Bregan D'aerth the secrets of the Vault before the Trollskull adventurers would ever find it. Using the funds he had been gathering to send him home, and requesting his companion's aid, with additional backing from Bregan D'aerth, Ryl was successfully sent back in time, but something had gone wrong. Instead of five years back, Ryl had been transported over a century back, into the middle of the 14th century. At a loss, Ryl followed rumors north until he arrived at Ten Towns, seeking out a ranger said to be a kind-hearted drow. But on the road Ryl was passed by a member of Bregan D'aerth who did not recognize him, and should not have been alive in the era he was in. Worried about what this meant for the people in the town ahead, Ryl pursued the assassin, unaware that he was about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

(Baldur's Gate 3 © Larian Studios)

[sageadvicednd]

What was unique about Qilué Veladorn’s singing sword and did it have a name? @TheEdVerse What was unique about Qilué Veladorn's singing sword and did it have a name? Need it for a game.

[drivingbear-blog1]

Thierriadin Xa: uncertainty and forgiveness

From Iskandr Tirielthin, ed., A Thousand Darks Before the Dawn: Points and Arcs in Elven History, Huzuz: Al-Bidir Sal’ah, 1926 DR.

Araushnee and Corellon were once consorts and the foremost deities in the elven pantheon, the Seldarine. Something went wrong between them — so the story goes — and eventually Araushnee, finding few allies among the Seldarine, conspired with powers from the demon realms to organize an army to invade Arvandor, the celestial home of the elven pantheon. They had one goal: to kill Corellon. Eilistraee, the free-spirited, kind-hearted daughter of Araushnee and Corellon — and herself deity of the hunt, dance, freedom, moonlight, and swordwork — knew nothing of these plans. During the battle, Eilistraee — a skilled archer — defended Arvandor, firing arrows at the demonic invaders. But Araushnee’s allies had cursed the scabbard of Corellon’s sword to draw arrows to itself; Eilistraee’s arrows, uncharacteristically, flew wide of their marks, finding their way instead to her father’s chest, wounding him grieviously.

The invaders were nonetheless repelled, and Corellon survived his wounds. Araushnee was exiled to the demon realms, where she took a new name: Lloth. Lloth accepted the ruthlessness of the demon realms, and eventually embraced it, establishing a new dominion as the deity of spiders. At the same time, the dark elves — the drow — who had worshipped Araushnee were exiled from the surface world into the Underdark. They went on worshipping Araushnee in her new form, Lloth, and their society turned brutal. They executed worshippers of other deities and enslaved the other creatures of the Underdark. Lloth encouraged murderous competition for power and status among their noble houses, and they sacrificed their third sons to her in an effort to gain her favor in their deadly games.

In Arvandor, the curse on Corellon’s scabbard was discovered, and Eilistraee was exonerated. She could have stayed in Arvandor, but chose instead to follow her mother into exile, saying, ‘The drow will need a light in the long darkness.’

This, anyway, is the story told to all novices beginning study of the long and intricate history of the elven pantheons. But as Thierriadin Xa writes in this short excerpt from the Way of Eilistraee, much remains unknown about the events leading to the invasion of Arvandor. What happened between Araushnee and Corellon so many thousand ages ago? It may be that no mortal will ever know. One could say that it occurred so long ago that it cannot possibly matter any longer: whatever happened happened, and things are as they are. Yet for followers of Eilistraee this uncertainty about what happened ‘before’ is a pillar of religious practice. This ‘not knowing’ is the stepping stone to refraining from judgment, and therefore a key to seeking understanding and forgiveness in their quest to bring peace to the mortal realms. Xa writes (Way of Eilistraee, Vol. VII):

All this we know: Araushnee’s conspiracies against the Seldarine, against Corellon and against her own daughter; her expulsion from Arvandor and her transformation into Lloth; the descent of the drow into the Underdark and the gradual but inexorable conversion of most of them to the worship of Lloth; their fear, in their isolation in the vast darkness, and their slow but inexorable conversion to militarism; their quest for security, which became inevitably a quest for power; their delight in the ability to exercise their power over others, which manifested so often as simple delight in cruelty; the deadly intolerance of Lloth’s clerics for even the acknowledgment of other gods, which they called heresy. All this is beyond doubt. Even those who never lived under Lloth’s yoke do not question the accounts of those who escaped to the surface. Yet we remember always that we do not know everything. Why did Araushnee conspire with the demons against Arvandor, and especially against Corellon? The answer that she was simply always hungry for power, though in some ways consistent with later history, has never been truly satisfactory. Every relationship is its own universe, and the gods, unlike the primordials, are as complex and contradictory as any mortal — and at times just as passionate and imperfect. However good and just Corellon may have always been to the other gods, and to his subjects, we may never know what truly transpired between him and Araushnee. This uncertainty must temper our understanding of Lloth’s evil. We know that malice never springs from itself but always from history — that a heart bears scars only because it once bore wounds. It is this knowledge that allows us to say we are reluctant to believe either in pure evil or in pure goodness, and finally to say that no mortal is beyond forgiveness. As Eilistraee herself is said to have once told Veladorn Qilué, we all have complicated relationships with our parents.

[alicelufenia]

Totally agree that if it had more narrative impulse behind it, similar to with Minsc, I would feel less strongly about it. The fact that you do recruit Minsc in that way in act 3 is no doubt the inspiration behind people asking for the same thing to apply to Minthara, though I imagine at release they too were just as interested in a narrative support for it as it just being a mechanical possibility to play with flags. Either way, I can also see it the other way; saving Minthara from the Absolute is basically the proof of concept that using the prism could free the True Souls, and calls into question how many of them you could or couldn't save, basically at the whim of the Emperor (anything to brew more animosity between the player and the Emperor is fine by me too)

All of that being said, that doesn't change the fact that going forward, none of my playthroughs will fail to have her, so even I will be utilizing knocking her out pretty much every time I'm not killing the grove; but I also am not romancing her each run (I won't deny it's always tempting). I'm really experimenting with my current Tav, a former assassin-bard from Menzoberranzan brought into Eilistraee's light later in life, and has a spiritual interest in drow liberation, to the point that when she speaks with Minthara she has to stall her by falsely claiming the prisoner she secretly released gave a false location before the goblins disposed of him, and takes the time gained by the order to go searching herself to seek guidance from her god about what to do. This leads her to the secret entrance to the Underdark, and very nearby, she finds one of the legendary singing blades gifted to the followers of Eilistraee. Shortly after, the dream visitor appears for the first time, in the spitting image of—not Eilistraee herself, but that of Qilué Veladorn, one of her most famous and beloved clerics of all time. Tav is unsure if this is also a sign, or a trick by the tadpole, or something else entirely, but between reflecting on the gift from her goddess, her dreams, and the look in the other drow's eyes when their mind connected and she saw that vision of her before the pale eyed woman... Tav knows something is seriously wrong here, but doesn't know what to do, and that hesitation leads to her leaving Minthara unarmed and dazed, but still very alive when they finally make their move on the goblin leaders later, both of them unsure what it means.

I dunno, I like to give my characters complicated dilemmas they're not nearly smart or experienced enough to navigate, and have them go about it messily anyway.

I do agree with Emma Gregory that, while it's nice the knock out method has allowed more people to enjoy Minthara's character, it has the potential to weaken the complexity of her character, especially for those who never experience her full arc (act 1 included) as intended. It also, I think, fundamentally changes the relationship between her and the main player character.

The decision to raid the grove is a deliberately heavy one, and I think there's an irreconcilable difference in the dynamic between Minthara and a player who actively participated in one of the Absolute's atrocities, and that between Minthara and a player who remained morally irreproachable throughout act 1. Raiding the grove leaves you with no moral high ground over Minthara post-mind control, except for what you do going forward.

That's how it worked for my Tav (now a Durge)—she regretted it at the time, but as her bond with Minthara grew she found her confidence in her own Paladin ideals returning, and she sought to not fall into despair or seek atonement, but to carry on doing good despite her fall. Had I skipped that entire dilemma by knocking her out, that bond wouldn't be the same, they wouldn't be struggling with such similar past burdens, and their story would suffer as a result.

As Fray the Dark Knight trainer from Final Fantasy 14 said, "Do not seek forgiveness, for it will not ease the burden. It weighs as it should."

Killing the grove, I think, weighs exactly as it should.

[sageadvicednd]

Qilué Veladorn have been a undying warlock patron for a young drow?

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/01/24/qilue-veladorn-have-been-a-undying-warlock-patron-for-a-young-drow/