Shar Cultist Shrine - Thayan Enclave

[Gusty]

"Dark Justicar Thorstein, you acknowledge my authority over you in matters pertaining to the cult in this region?" The beautiful raven-tressed priestess looked down upon the heavily armored behemoth before her.

"Aye, Priestess Zoha, direct my axe to the will of Shar. I have answered your summons have I not?" The barbarian blackguard knelt at the feet of Zoha before the Idol of Shar in the Hall of Shrines in the Thayan Enclave. Many seasons had passed since the dark knight had last trod these grounds. Taking a wife and the siring of spawn had distracted him for a time but the Dark goddess had need of him again it seemed.

"Do you know what your Mistress wills of you?"

"I can guess..."

The priestess of Shar then unfurled a scroll and began reading the latest edict of Princess Alusair denouncing the open worship of Shar in Cormyrian lands. A gravelly chuckle was Thorstein's only response to the proclamation.

"This legislation amuses you?" Zoha for her part was clearly unamused...

"I was just remembering the last time the regent sought to root us out. The Silver Shields tried to do it. Where are they now eh?" Thorstein fingered the axehead of the Silver Shield Dwarven War Axe he had taken from one of their corpses and then proceeded to turn upon them with great effect. It had been long ago but the carnage of those glory days always brought a smile to his scarred face in remembrance. Thorstein wondered what delightful tasks would be assigned him now...

It was a low time for the cult to be sure, the Temple of Shar in Cormyr was no more. Lost, buried in the Stormreach Mountains outside of Skull Crag. Perhaps the halls of the temple yet remained underground waiting to be unearthed again. Thorstein vowed he would search for any clues or remnants to someday restore it to its former majesty.

Zoha interrupted his reminiscing with her first commandment of him.

"The Thayans have agreed to grant you asylum within their borders. Outside of these walls you are on your own. Try to avoid Cormyrian authorities at all costs, only kill citizens of the realm in self-defence until further notice..." Thorstein could not help bristling at this... He knew that his rage at times overcame him. If he was insulted he could not guarantee he could restrain himself... Barbarian pride... His strength, his curse...

"I will do my best to obey..."

"You will take a room at the Standing Stone Inn. I will be sending cult members your way as they reveal themselves. You will protect them and guide them in the ways of Shar and you will seek allies within the other outlawed cults... You are acquainted with the one called Ranan are you not? Begin with him. Discover what the other cults are planning to do about this affront. Offer them our aid. Do you have any questions?"

"Much has changed since I was last in these parts, I will need to explore, am I given leave to roam where I will?"

"Yes Dark Justicar, but avoid arrest at all cost. The time for now is for secrecy and the gathering of allies and information, not for war, not yet... Though that time will come again. It always does..."

"Aye Zoha, I understand. Send our people to me. Shar's will be done." The blackguard prostrated himself before Shar's idol and made silent prayers to Mistress of the Dark swearing eternal loyalty to her causes in repayment for the great gifts of power she had bequeathed to him. He was forever her devoted servant.

Before leaving the shrine the mighty Thorstein gave his tithe to the priestess. "Any task you set to me Zoha I will carry out. No matter how large or small. Fear not. A shadow is looming over Cormyr. My old enemies will have new cause to fear me. My new enemies I look forward to meeting. I will return for your blessing on the morrow..."

OOC: Any Shar cultist characters who want some fun action should please send me a message either here on the boards or look for Thorstein Gorganesson in game. Woot!

[tidwwaters]

On her second vist to the shrine to the Mistress of the Dark the young priestess is given a smal folded parchement. Under her dark hood and in her black robe she tucks it away till she is in her room.

There she reads it. It is short. It tells her to look for a man named Thorstein often to be found in the local inn of the Enclave.

//ooc
hello there. would love to run into you. I am playing a cleric of Shar. I am new to FRC. One month time but finding it a fun place with some great ppls and staff.

[Dobian]

Having long heard of this shrine, Salina was finally able to visit. Handing priestess Zoha a small pouch containing a hundred lions, Salina received her blessing, then prayed to her dark mother. As she prayed, she could feel each black and purple disc tattooed on her upper arm become cold, like someone pressing a piece of ice to her skin. Her prayer ended, and the sensation passed. Salina was pleased.

[Dobian]

Salina stirred restlessly in her sleep, her dreams a collage of disturbing images. Towns aflame, undead unleashed across the countryside, demons demanding obedience. These images dissolved, and Salina was alone in an empty and darkened room. From the floor arose a column of black smoke which resolved itself into the form of a woman, fluid and ethereal... the Lady of Loss? Salina could only guess. "Now is the time," she said. "I have allowed you to stumble around Cormyr for months on your various fool's errands. You are now a wanted fugitive, consort with a demon follower, and do the bidding of someone who is not of our faith. I have only tolerated this because I am patient, and felt it was important for you to experience certain things."

"Well," Salina began in her typically irreverant manner, "I must say I have had some kicks these past..."

"Silence!", the shadow woman yelled. "I may be patient, but that mouth of yours is quickly bringing my patience to an end. You will do as I say, and only as I say. You will seek the counsel of Mikki, who you have been working with. The pair of you may continue to work for that employer for a time, but let me make it clear that your ultimate mission is not to do his bidding, and that little diversion will end when I say it ends. In a short time, you will come in contact with a dark justicar, and you will report to him. You will also visit the Priestess Zoha and begin formal training as a priestess of the faith. No more freelancing for you."

"Well, I was never much of a student...", Salina began.

"The next time you open your mouth I will cut your tongue out, and believe me, this may be a dream but when you awake it will be on the pillow beside you!"

Salina gulped and nodded. "Talk to Mikki, and remember my words," the shadow woman said. And with that, Salina awoke with a start, unconsciously running her tongue over her teeth. "Godesses can be so temperamental!," she exclaimed.

[Dobian]

Salina awoke with a start, her cheek stinging. Looking up, she saw Priestess Zoha standing over her with a riding crop. "Get up," she said. It's already five past six and you have a long day ahead."

Salina rolled back over and closed her eyes. " Just give me a few more minutes...'' Whap! The riding crop came down on her backside. "Ouch!," Salina yelled. "Alright already, I'm up."

Zoha looked down on Salina sternly. "Why Shar would want someone as incorrigible as you in her service I will never understand, but I have my orders," she said. "You need to polish the marble altar this morning, and do it right this time. No smudges. The chamber doors need oiling, furniture needs dusting..."

"What am I training for again, to be a chamber maid?," Salina interrupted. The crop came down again on her right arm, causing Salina to wince.

"You must learn discipline and obedience before I train you in anything," Zoha replied. "Prayer and meditation at noon as always, followed by supper," she continued.

"I've been doing this for a month now," Salina said. "I know the schedule." Zoha raised the crop again. "Okay, okay, save it for your horse."

"There is something special planned for you soon...a test," Zoha said. "But in the meantime, you have chores to do."

"Gee, I hope I pass," Salina said with mild sarcasm.

"For your sake, you'd better."

[Dobian]

Salina was on her knees scrubbing the floor by the altar when Priestess Zoha came up behing her. "That's a good position for you," Zoha said. Salina said nothing, but with her back turned, mimicked Zoha by making silly movements with her mouth.

"When you are finished I have another task for you," Zoha said.

"I can't wait, I always get excited when you announce a new one," Salina replied.

Zoha tapped Salina on the should with her riding crop. "I think you should be excited about this one," Zoha said. "It's the task you have been waiting for."

"Really?". Salina perked up, turning her head with brow raised.

"Come to my chamber when you are finished, and you missed a spot," Zoha pointed.

Priestess Zoha's chamber was spartan in appearance. It contained only a bed, a dresser, and a desk on the far wall. Zoha was seated at her desk sorting through some papers when Salina knocked. "Come in," she said.

Zoha picked up an envelope as Salina approached. "These are your orders," she said. "You do not need to know from whom they came."

"Why...," Salina began, but Zoha cut her off with a sharp look.

"There is a shopkeeper in Valkur's Roar named Jestin," she continued. "You are to kill him."

"Why...," Salina began again.

"'Why' is no concern of yours, now stop interrupting!...As I was saying," Zoha continued, clearly perturbed, "this shopkeeper is a Selunite, and must be eliminated."

"A Selunite? I think I like this task already," Salina said.

"Good. This is your test. You must kill him, make sure no one sees you, and leave no evidence. Am I clear?"

"Yes, priestess," Salina smiled.

"And do not tarry, this is to be accomplished within the week," Zoha said.

"I think I can manage, priestess."

"Very well then, see yourself out and shut the door."

[Dobian]

"You did...well," Priestess Zoha said evenly.

"So what do I get?," Salina smuggly replied.

"What do you...," Zoha began, flustered. "You get to live another day!," she flared angrily. "Just because you completed one small task without a mishap, don't let it go to your head. You have much to make up for from your past mistakes."

Salina watched the priestess quietly with the barest hint of a smirk.

"Anyway, it is time for you to focus more on learning how to better tap into your abilities, blood mage. Your talent, I must admit, is impressive, but there is a lot you do not know."

"Then show me," Salina confidently replied.

"I will show you what you need to know, when you need to know it," Zoha stated crossly. "Oh...I almost forgot, you are now officially accepted into our order. Congratulations. We have one rule: betray our secrets or attempt to use the Shadow Weave without permission, and we will kill you. Now get back to your duties..."

"And when do I get my next set of orders?," Salina interrupted.

"When I tell you, now begone!"

Salina left the priestess' chamber with a satisfied smile.

[Dobian]

Salina walked through the Thayan Enclave lost in her thoughts. Earlier that day, Zoha had summoned her, and told her that it was time to make a decision about her future.

"You have met our expectations, but to advance from a novice to a full-fledged member of our clergy you must undergo cleric training. That will of course include learning the ways of divination, as well as all the associated rules, history, traditions...and so on and so forth," Zoha said.

"And what if I don't want to continue to be a part of this order?," Salina replied.

"You will, of course, never become a part of the cult's hierarchy. You will never have any authority, never be part of the planning or decision-making at any level. You will simply go back to being a follower. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Shar needs followers, especially here in Cormyr. She also needs powerful agents, particularly those with talents in your area. You will be allowed to continue studying the Shadow Weave, but we reserve the right to let you know when or if you can use it. In most cases its use is not recommended for anyone but our highest ranking priestesses. And if you ever leave the faith and attempt to use the Shadow Weave, Shar will know, we will know, and you will cease to be. Understood?," Zoha concluded.

"Would I still receive orders from you?"

"Of course. You would be an agent in the field, and if your services were needed, I would send word to you. Our ranks are thin here...we need all the help we can get," she admitted, begrudgingly. "You would also be called up on from time to time to spot potential new recruits, and report back to us with this information. You would still be a valuable ally to our mission of expanding and solidifying the cult's presence here in Cormyr."

"But...," Zoha continued. "Either way, I need your answer soon."

Salina's gaze was fixed on the painting hanging behind Zoha's desk. It was a lurid depiction of Selune lying prostrate, encircled by black tentacles, and Shar standing over her with a wicked smile.

"Salina!," the priestess yelled.

"Oh..uh..of course, high priestess," Salina stuttered.

Salina knew she was never cut out to be part of any group or organization. Rules, schedules, deadlines...Rules...commitments, responsibilities...Rules...it was just never her thing. Salina was a freelancer and a free spirit. But if she could still remain in the faith, and practice her art, and get to make a difference without having to deal with all of that other nonsense..."like that order I joined that time in Neverwinter," she thought. And so she smiled and headed out the front gates of the enclave, feeling the best she had felt in weeks.

[Dobian]

Contains spoilers related to a recent event involving Salina Pandora
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Salina looked down at the spot where the Nightbringer had stood a moment before, when she had killed it. "We will process her shortly," it had told Zoha before going off to prepare for something Salina would rather not think about. The thought of one of these things taking over her body while her own soul was cast to the winds sent a shiver down her spine.

The Nightbringers had wanted Salina very much. She had been brought to their attention by the Shadovar, her reward for snooping around that time she was in Sembia. The retrieval of her body after the execution had given them their opportunity. But the clever Zoha had given Salina a choice after raising her. She could willingly give herself to the Nightbringers - a great honor, some would say - or she could fight to save herself. The high priestess had divined from Shar herself that Salina could continue in her service to the Lady of Loss if she could defeat the Nightbringers and escape from the cave where she had been brought. If she failed, then the Nightbringers could have her. "Shar only wants those who are strong," Zoha had told Salina, before releasing her from the arcane symbol on the floor of the cave that held Salina captive. Then Zoha walked out, leaving Salina alone to face whatever was waiting for her in the dark reaches of the cavern.

Salina summoned her undead minion and surprised the Nightbringer as it returned for whatever horrid ritual it had planned. Its death came quickly, as others rushed to join. But they were no match that day for the sorceress, who felt power she had never known before, if only from the knowledge that by completing this final test, she would at last prove herself to the Dark Goddess and be accepted as an agent of the faith.

Salina bent down to pick up the only thing that remained of the shadowy creature she had slain: its hood, made from what seemed to be shadow itself. "I did need a new hood," she said aloud, her voice now sounding like the rustle of leaves, a reminder of what had been done to her in Gaunt. Salina took off her old hood and absentmindedly touched the thin scar that ringed her neck. She then pulled on the Nightbringer's hood and felt its magic energy course through her. Shar had thrown Salina a rope alright, the second time in her life that the goddess had done this for her. The fickle deity had wanted Salina to take on the Nightbringers, and would want more from her now that she had succeeded.

Salina walked out the mouth of the cavern into another chamber. A rock quickly slid into place behind her, sealing off the way she had come. "This place looks familiar," Salina thought. It was. Salina soon realized that she was in the Upperdark beneath Skull Crag. Exiting through the mine, Salina walked into the chill night air outside. In the dark sky above her, she knew that the Mistress of the Night was watching, and she smiled.

[Dobian]

Contains mild spoilers related to current events
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A slender, shadowy figure entered High Priestess Zoha's office. The figure stepped lightly, her hood casting an unnatural blackness across her face. Zoha looked up at the female with a bit of surprise and also a touch of unease, which increased when the visitor spoke.

"I passed Her test," she said, her voice a whisper, like the sound of paper fluttering.

"Ahem...," Zoha began. "I had full confidence that you would." Zoha tried to read her visitor's face, but it was impossible to see with that hood on. "I do wish you would take that thing off," she said. Was that a request she just made? I should demand it, she thought. What is the matter with me?

"Do you have any instructions for me, high priestess?," the figure said, ignoring Zoha's last remark.

"Yes," Zoha replied, flustered. "There is dissent among the Banites. It is building into a civil war of sorts. Shar cannot have this, as she depends on the Banites to further her own interests."

The figure nodded.

"You are to seek out your old Banite contacts and quell this dispute," Zoha concluded. "Shar does not care how you do it, just that it gets done before these fool Banites bring ruin upon themselves."

"I understand, high priestess," the figure bowed.

"One last thing, before you go...I'm not going to ask how you did it, but what was it like to dispatch a Nightbringer?"

The figure simply touched her shadowy hood and cocked her head. Zoha thought she saw a smile for a moment, but couldn't be sure. It must have been her imagination, she thought. The high priestess watched as the figure turned and glided out of the room, closing the door behind her.

[Dobian]

Contains spoilers related to recent events.
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Salina entered Zoha's chamber with great trepidation. What had happened outside Suzail was a complete disaster, magnified by the fact that her mission as well as her very identify had been compromised. Fortunately, her distress was somehow sensed by the Sharrans - perhaps Zoha's use of the Shadow Weave - and they came to collect her and Aris' charred bodies, teleporting them back to the Thayan enclave to be resurrected. But the question was, who attacked them and why? What was alarming was that the tips of her ears had been cut off, meaning that the attack was deliberate and even planned, and that at least one of the assailants - if there were indeed more than one - was an elf. Only an elf would do such a deed. It also meant that the person had taken her hood off and seen her face. Did this person recognize her? Even though she was dead once more, her body had been recovered, and it wasn't a great leap to conclude that certain people might believe she had been brought back, and also knew who she was. Salina shuddered.

On top of this was the fact that her Banite mission had stalled. There was a meeting rescheduled for a few days hence, but she had no good news to report to the high priestess. Salina had failed in more ways than one, and had put both herself and the Sharrans at great risk. She sat down in the chair facing Priestess Zoha's desk; nervous, her hands fidgeting, wishing she could crawl into a hole someplace, expecting the worst. What she got was surprising and unexpected.

"I hope you were restored to your satisfaction," Zoha said. Her tone was not what Salina expected. The usually commanding high priestess was rattled and uncertain.

"Yes, high priestess," Salina whispered. "Even the old scar around my neck healed...though I still haven't gotten my voice back."

"Your voice is the least of your worries," Zoha said. She was clearly out of sorts. "We are all in grave danger. You and that fool Banite were attacked, as were we here at the shrine two days ago."

Salina stared at the high priestess in alarm.

"Both I and the Banite priestess Tholara fell," Zoha continued. "We were tended to, of course, but no one got a good look at the assailants."

"Who do you think..."

The high priestess waved her off. "I don't even have any ideas yet. The reason I called you to my chamber was to tell you that you need to go deeper underground than before. And I want you to limit your contact with that Banite, he is obviously a risk."

"Actually, he is not a Banite...they kicked him out. He wants to become a Sharran," Salina said.

The high priestess let out a hoarse laugh. "A Sharran...that one? Well that fits. The whole world has gone mad these past few days!" Zoha picked up a jewelled dagger and began absentmindedly running her finger along the blade. "What is going on with your mission to the Banites, anyway?"

"We are meeting in two days," Salina replied.

"Good. Stay undercover until then, and don't let anyone see you come or go from that meeting. And Salina..."

"Yes, high priestess."

"The fate of this sect is in your hands...don't screw it up."

Salina got up, gave an awkard bow, and left the chamber, letting out a deep breath when she closed the door behind her.

[Dobian]

Contains spoilers
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“You have got to be kidding me!,” Priestess Zoha exclaimed. “That one is too reckless, not to mention the fact that he consorts with a demon.”

“I can control him,” Salina whispered. “The fact is, Mikki left months ago, and she was our only other agent in the field. You yourself have said that your other clerics already have commitments. So we need the help.”

The high priestess paced from her desk to the bookcase. “So why can’t you simply use him as a third party?”

“Because, high priestess, we need to present the image that the Sharrans are providing full support to the Banites – not just sending them a token agent, which looks at best indifferent, and at worst, weak,” Salina explained.

Zoha tapped her chin. “Very well then,” she said. “He can serve under you as an apprentice agent, and will be your responsibility. But…” she continued, “if he screws up just once, it will be both your heads. The moment I hear word of Great Gaunt burning to the ground again, or some other foolish exhibition, I will know where to look.”

“Yes, high priestess,” Salina replied, appropriately deferential, but inwardly triumphant.

As soon Salina left Zoha’s chambers, though, she frowned a bit. “What I promised the high priestess is easier said than done,” she thought. “I know how he is.”

[Dobian]

Contains spoilers
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"We killed two purple dragons and their companions," Salina said. Priestess Zoha had been satisfied that Salina had made progress with the Banite alliance, but Salina knew she would not be pleased with what she would say next.

"Excellent. And you got away unnoticed?," the high priestess asked.

"Well...," Salina began.

"Well WHAT?," Zoha demanded.

"Revan decided that it would be a good idea to raise one of the companions to go spread the word about what we did to the purple dragons, induce a little fear among the people," Salina said.

"Please tell me you're making this up," Zoha said, her headache from earlier that morning already returning.

"I protested to them that it wasn't a good idea, but you know Banites," Salina said.

Zoha huffed.

Salina continued, "Unfortunately, the girl saw Ronso's face and heard him say Revan's name aloud. They dismissed the importance of..."

"IDIOTS!," the high priestess yelled. "I knew an alliance with them was a risky proposition, but this is worse than I feared. Tell me that the fool didn't say your name as well."

"No, high priestess. And I kept my hood on and never spoke in her presence. I also reprimanded the two of them later," Salina stated, looking a mortyr bowl to avoid Zoha's hard gaze. She didn't mention the dwarf who witnessed the whole thing and snuck away - that would have pushed Zoha over the cliff.

"Well, at least you have the good sense of a Sharran."

Salina remained silent, willing this meeting to end.

"As long as we're in bed with these fools, I need you to stay vigilant and do whatever you can to keep them on a leash," Zoha said. "Obviously, 'Cordal' can't control them."

Salina fought down a laugh at that one. "Easier said than done, high priestess," she half-blurted out.

"I never said your job was supposed to be easy," Zoha said through pursed lips. "Don't fail on this one...keep them in line, before they bring all the forces of the crown down on us!"

Salina nodded, turned, and quickly exited Zoha's office, hearing a torrent of growls and muttering behind her.

[Dobian]

“ ‘Hooded woman – elven build. Goes by Mistress Caffyn…’,” Priestess Zoha said, shoving the parchment across her desk at Salina.

“Surely you don’t blame me for this? It was those idiot Banites who exposed themselves and me. I told them not to let that witness go. All I could do was stay quiet and keep my face covered,” Salina defended herself.

Zoha was momentarily taken aback. “Your voice…it’s normal again,” she said.

“Yes…during a recent escapade I had been drained of some of my powers. When a priest later restored them, my voice was completely healed for the first time since your sloppy resurrection,” Salina said smugly.

Zoha’s eyes flashed. “My, how unappreciative we have become! Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you back to begin with, since you are not happy with the job I did!”

Salina looked down, knowing she had crossed the line. “I’m sorry for being disrespectful, high priestess. I do appreciate it, and the goodness of Shar,” she said.

Mollified, Zoha got back to the main issue. “it seems that you have two options. One, change your appearance somehow. New clothes, a disguise…something to make you look less like this Mistress Caffyn. Effective in the short term, but not a permanent solution. And the other…”

Salina looked at her expectantly. “Yes?”

“The other,” Zoha continued, “is that you return to being yourself again.”

Salina looked deadpan at the high priestess. “Surely you jest,” she said.

“Think about it. Mistress Caffyn is a wanted criminal. Salina Pandora has paid for her crimes,” she said. “So put on a dress, show your face, be everything this Caffyn is not. Be yourself. Plus, you've got your voice back.”

“And be under the scrutiny of half the people I run into,” Salina grumbled. “How exactly do I explain my return?”

“You tell the truth, of course. Some evil woman in league with the Shadovar purchased your body to feed to a nightbringer. You killed the creature and escaped,” the high priestess said. “The next part is where you have to embellish a little. The incident transformed your life…which is true, when you think of it. Except you will say that it caused you to reject your past and lead the life of a law-abiding citizen. With your natural charm, I am confident you can pull it off.”

Salina stifled a laugh. “You really think people will buy such nonsense?”

“Do you have another choice, aside from leaving Cormyr itself?,” Zoha shot back.

Salina considered this. “True enough,” she said. “If I say that it was a Sharran who was responsible – which it was – then that would explain why I turned my back on the faith. It would be like hiding in plain sight. There would also be the added advantage that I could now monitor people and gather information out in the open.”

Priestess Zoha got up and took a book off the shelf behind her. “Think it over, but I think that is your best chance of avoiding capture. Keep in mind that the next time you get executed will be your last. Shar will not save you again.”

“I understand, high priestess,” Salina almost whispered.

“Go then, and do tell Than the next time you see him that he needs to tighten up his ship if he wants to continue relations with us,” Zoha finished.

[Dobian]

Salina sits alone in the small, sparsely-furnished room she uses when visiting the Thayan shrine. She clasps her hands together tightly and looks down at the floor as her body shakes again. She has been having these bouts for the last few weeks, but she tolerates them, as she knows what they precipitate: The Change. This is what all blood mages go through, but these symptoms seem to be worse. And the intensity of these latest episodes leads Salina to believe that this change will be different from the rest. It will be bigger, she has no doubt. Another tremor, and she lifts her head up. Her emerald green eyes are now black as onyx as powerful magic surges within her. And then, as quickly as it started, it dissipates, and her eyes return to their normal color.

"I hope I am almost through this," she thinks. "I have the feeling I'm going to need all the power I can command, and very soon."

[Dobian]

Warning: Contains spoilers related to recent events:
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Salina arrived at the Thayan Enclave after recuperating from recent events at Immersea. As far as she knew, the attempted rescue of Revan Rasputin was completely botched. When Erynne discovered that Ronso was going to attempt a rescue with Salina’s help, she made Salina promise that there would be no bloodshed, or Erynne would gather all of her allies in Suzail to stop it. Salina would have to get into position to teleport Revan out, there was no other way.

The only problem was, the damn war wizard had true sight, and when Salina tried to teleport Revan, it failed. There must have been strong counter-spells in place. Salina defended herself and her cohorts in the ensuing attack by Purple Dragons and War Wizards, taking down many with her barrage of spells, but Revan fell. She again tried to teleport him out, and this time the spell blew up in her face, burning her. Dead bodies lay all around her as she ran to the far side of the Royal Gardens. In her panic, she lost sight of Ronso and his underling. She tried one last time and cast her remaining teleport on herself, and it worked – probably because the War Wizard responsible for the counter-spells had fallen. But something went wrong and she mis-teleported south of Immersea. Not a problem as far as Salina was concerned. She hid out at the inn there until she was sure no one was searching the area, then teleported to the Thayan Enclave. She was safe, but she had no idea what became of Ronso and his subordinate, not to mention Revan. She feared the worst.

Now Salina sat in her room at the shrine building, brooding over her promise to Erynne, and what Erynne must be thinking once she learned the news of what had happened. “I tried to do it like you said, I really did,” she thought. And this right on the heels of their reconciliation – the timing couldn’t have been worse. Salina also felt uncomfortable being in the place where the Thayans had briefly held her friend captive, before sending her off to her intended slavery. Salina didn’t like Thayans. She had serviced a few when working at the brothel in Calimsport when she was a young girl. How she wished the Sharrans could operate out of a different location, but that was a matter for another time. What was more immediate, was that “Mistress Caffyn” was on the list of known and wanted terrorists, and word was out that the RCMH was about to step up efforts to find the ones on their list. Fortunately, there was little if any evidence connecting Salina Pandora to Mistress Caffyn, and so as long as she retired this alter-ego she should be safe. And minimize her contact with the Banites. And keep her undead minion locked away. “Why must everything always be so damn complicated?!,” she fumed.

[Dobian]

Warning: Contains spoilers related to recent events:
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Salina sat in her room again at the shrine, staring at the far wall, her face blank an unmoving. She had just given the high priestess her latest report about the nearly-botched rescue of Revan Rasputin, and the increased security across Cormyr as the Purple Dragons and War Wizards hunted for the assailants, as well as for the identified domestic terrorists posted in notices across the kingdom. The news didn’t go over well with Priestess Zoha, who ordered Salina to lay low and minimize her contact with the Banites for the time being.

“They are reckless idiots, and they will bring you - and us - down with them,” she said.

Salina decided to leave out any mention of her recent misadventures with Ronso, involving their contract with the devil servant of Asmodeus. That would just push the high priestess over the cliff. But none of it really mattered anymore. Salina had just concluded in her own mind that Erynne wasn’t the friend she thought she was, and then…Aris. Poor, dear Aris. Murdered in front of her by the man he had traded places with in the service of Graz’zt. Aris was killed, and incinerated, his remains too obliterated to ever properly raise. He was gone. In a violent rage she killed his assassin, and scattered his ashes to the wind in retribution before collapsing in despair. Salina could not bring Aris back, so she had accomplished nothing. She had failed.

So now she sat and stared, her mind numb, her soul empty. There were very few people Salina had ever cared about in her life, and she had just lost two in a matter of days: one figuratively, and one literally. But this was nothing new. No one in her life ever lasted for very long.

Salina pulled her dagger out of her robe and began cutting her left forearm, blood trickling down to her hand and dripping on the floor.

“The Dark Goddess is right,” she said in a monotone, “Love is a lie, only hate endures.”

[Dobian]

Descent into Madness

Salina finished her lunch in the common room and returned to her quarters. She slipped out of her robes and sat nude on her bed, her dagger laying next to her. There were cuts on each arm now, some fresh and some days old. She sang to herself in a sing-songy voice while she worked the knife again into her left arm.

There was once an elf from Silverymoon
He loved the lasses, he made them swoon
But he could never find one as pretty as him
Until the day he met the fair Seraphim

He took her to parties and revels and dances
And yet she continued to reject his advances
At last he asked how she could be so cruel
To which she replied, for love give me jewels!

Salina finished carving the first two letters into her skin. She giggled as she recalled telling Aris' poor brother about his death. The poor boy didn't take it very well that his sibling was a pile of charcoal.

"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!," and Salina flopped backward, the blood from her fresh cuts staining the sheets. She held he dagger up and ran her finger along the tip, then mumbled an incantation and set the blade on fire. She then traced the burning tip along the lettering she had just cut, cauterizing the wounds.

Salina dispelled the knife and tossed it onto the nightstand. She then laid back and traced a finger along her scars while her mind raced like a runaway horse.

"I...am...going...to...get...all...of...you," she said in babytalk while touching each scar on her arm in synch with the words, and giggled again. Then her face instantly resolved itself into a twisted mask of hatred while she stared at the ceiling through cold, dead eyes.

[Dobian]

"Where are you, Salina?" The high priestess paced back and forth in her chamber.

Her spy sent word about Salina's beheading, and also about how some Helmite had procured the remains and taken them. Zoha also knew that there had been some attack on the party transporting Salina's body by shadow minions of the Dark Goddess who were led by a shadow lord. Her agent had hung back and witnessed the whole thing. The shadow beings were defeated, and the group headed on to Waymoot, where they consulted for a long time with a priestess there, before continuing on to Immersea by caravan. At that point, her agent lost track of them.

But she searched the city until she came to the shrine of their arch-enemy, Selune. And there, under cloak of invisibility, she spied on a Selunite priest speaking with an acolyte. He told the young initiate of a woman he had just resurrected, and of the shadow being that left her body as she was brought back to the living. He did not give her name, but spoke of the long argument that occurred beforehand between the people who brought her there. Two of them were opposed to bringing the young elven woman back to life, while the other argued for it. A fourth stayed out of the dispute. In the end, the request was made, and it was left to him to decide to perform the service or not. Against his better judgment, he did, he told the acolyte.

"You're alive," she said with a grim look. "Cheated death again. First by the blessing of the Dark Goddess, and now by the hand of her hated sister."

Priestess Zoha sat down behind her desk and thrummed her fingers on the blotter, pondering what to do. Find Salina and kill her? Capture her and bring her back to the fold? Drop the matter and leave her to her fate? Only through inspiration from the Dark Goddess would she find an answer. Yet she smiled, in spite of herself - a cold, dark smile, but with a hint of begrudging respect.

"Who are you, Salina Pandora?," she said, thoughtfully. "Who are you, indeed?"

[Dobian]

Spoiler Warning:
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"A wedding!," the high priestess exclaimed when her acolyte spy told her the news. "In the King's Forest? That insolent bitch really thinks she can find happiness away from the Dark Goddess?" Zoha paced her chamber with a mix of amusement and rage. Salina was either playing a clever game, or had really switched sides from Shar to Selune. "You may have bought yourself a reprieve in this world, girl, but don't expect it to last long," she said. She dismissed the acolyte and went back to her correspondences, but was constantly distracted as her thoughts kept returning to Salina.

[DM Valkyrie]

*background flavor(i.e. spolier?/OOC info)*












Her private chambers, were by no means lavish. Within the obsidian stone walls, there were no windows, no decorations on the walls. The only furniture was the canopy bed, draped in the finest black silks imported from Calimport, to her right as she stepped through the shadow door. In front of her, her ebon ironwood desk, regal intricate carvings weaving around the edges of the desk in what seems to be one continueous line. Upon the desk on the right, sat a brass brazier, holding within a continually burning dark fire. On the left side of the desk, the only illumination for the room, a single black candle. Behind the desk, sat the room's only chair: High backed, velvet lined and cushioned, trimmed in gold. This was her sanctuary.

As she slid into her chair, her thoughts were simply upon the letter she bore, delivered to the shrine. She'd already read it, and now set it upon the desk. Resting her elbows upon the golden arms of the chair, she steepled her fingers in front of her face, her lips brushing her fingertips as she closed her eyes.

There was utter silence as she considered the webs and tangles of her domain. Only she knew the extent of her influence, though it suited her to be considered a minor priestess in charge of a very small shrine shared with other shrines of greater power within one common hall. She simply paid the 'rent' upon the space to the Thayans, and they left her alone.

Stirring from her thoughts, her gaze goes to one of the corners of the room.

"Geoffrey..."

The shadows swirled, and gradually coelesce into a roughly manish shape, the only feature being a pair of glowing ruby eyes.

"The gentleman who left this message. Find him. Deliver my answer..."I'm listening." "

Without a word, or so much as a sound, not even disturbing the candleflame upon the desk, the shape loses its form and as nothing more than a darkened mist, leaves the chamber.

As she watches her servant leave, she unsteeples her fingers, and with a single flowing motion, picks up the letter, and holds the corner of it to the fire. Slowly it lights, and she holds it up before her deep dark brown eyes, watching the tendrils of flame slowly, gradually consume the parchement. Once half burned, she tosses the rest of the parchment to the brazier.

And retires for the evening.

[Dobian]

Each day, a petite figure enters the shrine, changes into robes behind the partition, and makes an offering before kneeling in prayer. Her demeanor and countenance here is so different from how she is known on the outside that one might not even recognize her at first glance. Cold, serious, almost old-looking, eyes filled with a century of dark mysteries, a fragile smoked glass figurine that would shatter at a touch and form a dark mist that drifts toward the ceiling and envelopes the room in blackness.

[Asgardian Grey Hawk]

Every now and then charming figure can be seen paying homage to the shrine

[Unknown]

The Shrine-Hall has been empty of its usual caretaker for two days now. Zoha, High Priestess of Shar, has been kidnapped along with one of the Temple's Thayan Guards. The Enclave was under high alert for two days, but has since opened its doors, an investigation well underway...

[Dobian]

A diminutive figure in dark robes and hood skulks about the enclave, casually observing the shrine and the people coming and going.

[Asgardian Grey Hawk]

A dark figure would be seen coming and going atleast until he finds the priestess missing.