| Relatives | Mother: Lady Celenica Luanach Sibling: Callista Luanach/Ronin |
|---|---|
| Languages | Celestial, Common, Infernal, Sylvan |
| Affiliations | The Moon Court, The Celestial Watch (formerly), Duchess Nuala |
| Aliases | Heiress |
| Marital Status | Married to Sayla Allurian |
| Place of Birth | Cressida Weald |
| Date of Death | N/A |
| Place of Death | N/A |
| Species | Satyr (formerly), Feral Tiefling |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 6'0 ft |
| Weight | 145 lbs |
| Eye Color | Purple (formerly), Red |
Trickery Domain Cleric. Fiend Warlock. She/Her.
Previous Physical Appearance[edit | edit source]
Amaris is relatively tall, standing at about six feet when she isn't slouching. She has a pale complexion contrasted by even paler hair and fur that look moon touched; they even take on a subtle glow under moonlight. Amaris has two curved white horns on her head and possesses white, pointed ears that stick out. Her eyes are a clearly inhuman lavender that might give her status as fey away if not for that already being done by her goat-like legs. Amaris has an intricate, lunar tattoo on her back that was given to her by the Moon Court's High Priest--it supposedly depicts her destiny and takes on a warm glow when she furthers her fate. She typically wears a dark purple cloak with stars woven into it; this, combined with the amethyst and silver emblem worn over her forehead, symbolizes her status as the heiress to the Moon Court.
Current Physical Appearance[edit | edit source]
When looking at Amaris out of the corner of your eye, you might notice that she seems anywhere from one to a few inches taller, but this height difference vanishes when looking at her straight on. Her once white hair is now primarily black except for some white segments on her right side. The left side of her face is a deep purple with specks of stardust; her left horn and ear are darker now, too. Amaris’ skin has always been pale, but now it’s so pale that it’s almost sickly. The lunar tattoo on her back is now pure black instead of a moonlit white, almost like it was etched with void; it no longer has its warm glow, instead being ice cold to the touch. Perhaps the most notable change is Amaris’ eyes: they used to be lavender, but now they’re much paler and have pinpricks of burning white stars in them. Amaris doesn’t wear her amethyst and silver emblem anymore. To channel her divine magic, she uses an amulet-shaped spell focus that she acquired on one of the Tempest Brothers expeditions.
Personality[edit | edit source]
Amaris can come across as bored or unenthused because she often sighs and mutters under her breath. In reality, she's both wrapped up in her own thoughts and resentful of the position and job her mother has assigned her. Despite being the Moon Court's Hunter, she shies away from physical conflict. Though she is averse to conflict, Amaris occasionally enjoys a good debate. She is unable to lie, in accordance with the Moon Court’s tenets, and openly baring her opinions in a potentially tense situation can—at times—feel liberating for her. She genuinely enjoys her clerical studies and likes taking the time to meditate and pray to induce lunar visions in herself; through these, she claims she's able to come to a better understanding of how to harness lunar energy to heal.
History[edit | edit source]
Amaris is said to have been shaped from her mother’s prayers and the essence of pure moonlight. This is one explanation for why neither Lady Luanach nor any other member of the Moon Court has never mentioned Amaris’ father, however likely it actually is. Amaris was born on Die Tenebris Luna or The Day of the Dark Moon and is considered an omen of hope and a harbinger of sanctified darkness because of this. As the eldest daughter of Lady Luanach, Amaris was born into great privilege. She was instructed in the ways of fey diplomacy and war from a young age, but showed more interest in religious matters than politics. As such, she was mentored by cleric Elara Witcress from the time she was eleven. Amaris was a rather willful student, much to the annoyance of High Priest Rosemaris. She also felt the need to question everything, including the Moon’s power. Amaris was almost immediately interested in the history of the Lunar Faithful and this led her to learning of Rosemaris’ former lover and one of the founding figures of the Moon Court: Cosmystia Lunari. As she delved into the story of Cosmystia’s betrayal of the court, she eventually learned that Cosmystia had a daughter. When she asked what became of this child, she was met with silence.
Amaris took her clerical pledge to the Lunar Faithful at the age of fifty, when she had reached adulthood in satyr years. She chose the Trickery Domain to honor the wit bestowed by the Moon. By then, Amaris was trusted to help perform lunar rituals and interpret the writings of Celestic Runes, which she took to like a changeling to shapeshifting. After she had been a cleric for a year, Rosemaris approached her, begrudgingly wanting to bestow her with a lunar tattoo: a series of markings made from special moonlight-infused ink that would depict what the Moon foresaw within their fate. Amaris’ lunar tattoo, like all of them, was left incomplete as her fate was still being written. It did, however, depict two conflicts: one with the Wynteria Court of nymphs and changelings and one with enemies to the Lunar Faithful—the Duskvale Court of shadows and corrupted fey.
Amaris was never particularly fond of the Moon Court’s penchant for experimentation. While she thought the desire to achieve something greater through the soul was admirable, she didn’t like seeing fairies undergo harsh treatment to achieve these ends. Whenever she spoke up about such things, her mother laughed her off and ignored her. Amaris then tried another approach and went about attempting to prove that fairy souls weren’t malleable enough to serve as good fodder for soul experiments. While this did stop the court from using fairies, it also led them to steal away animals from the Material Plane to conduct their work on instead. Animal souls proved to have a much higher success rate than fairy souls and so Amaris was left without a way to further curb the court’s efforts. All Amaris could do was attempt to liberate animals whenever she had the chance, one of whom was a small brown rabbit who went on to become the Under Rabbit or She. The war with the Cult of the Under Rabbit that eventually followed this release was brief and only led to the recapture of She (until She was later released by one of Her followers). Amaris’ penchant for releasing test subjects was soon discovered, however, and she was punished by her own mother putting a geas on her to better keep track of her doings.
When Amaris was fifty-five, Lady Luanach and the members of the Celestial Watch decided that the Moon Court was far too isolationist and that they needed more fey allies, especially considering the predicted conflicts with Wynteria and Duskvale. Surprisingly, Lady Luanach’s first choice for an ally was the Wynteria Court; her thinking was that they could circumvent fighting with them entirely by befriending them. And so, Lady Luanach and Amaris met with the nymph Archfey leader of Wynteria and her adoptive changeling daughter: Eminence Aurora Allurian and Sayla Allurian. The meeting went well until Lady Luanach offered to play a song on her lyre. As always, Lady Luanach’s music was filled with palpable enchantment, something Eminence Aurora assumed was part of some trick. The two Archfey got into an argument during which Aurora insulted Lady Luanach’s skill and Lady Luanach insulted Aurora’s beauty. Amaris and Sayla themselves got into a heated debate about whose fault the argument was. The two courts were not formally considered enemies until Eminence Aurora sent a changeling spy to assess whether or not the Moon Court intended to escalate the situation which was itself taken as an escalation. The resulting Moon-Wynteria Discord was less about bloodshed and more a series of elaborate attempts by the courts’ Archfeys to one-up each other. One court would hold a grand celebration lasting for several days and the other would hold a celebration so grand that some participants would end up in comas, etc.
The whole thing became tiring over time and Amaris decided to reach out to Sayla to see if they could lead their mothers to a resolution. Sayla agreed, but when the two met, Amaris found Sayla’s chaotic nature and penchant to treat situations without any seriousness rather tiresome just as Sayla thought Amaris was dull and spent too much time looking inward. Still, the two agreed to work together and convinced their mothers to sit down and have a conversation, each taking special care to prepare gifts and compliments for the other’s parent. Just as the two Archfey were reaching good terms, their second meeting was interrupted as all the shadows in the area seemed to become sentient at once and attempted to strangle both Amaris and Sayla. Their mothers worked together to fend off the shadows, bringing them closer in the process. After this, the Moon-Wynteria Concord was signed (despite neither Amaris nor Sayla being particularly enthused about getting married) and both courts agreed to work together to look into and root out the shadowy attackers.
When Amaris was fifty-nine, the Duskvale Court made their official appearance by launching a full-scale invasion of the Cressida Weald. All manner of Shadowfell-touched fey creatures attacked and it was only through the leadership of Lady Luanach and the Celestial Watch that the Moon Court was able to fend the attack off and keep control of the Weald. The assault lasted for two weeks, during which The Hunter of the Celestial Watch—a hobgoblin named Mazral—was slain. For her work defending the Selenic Oak during the attack, as well as the natural favoritism that resulted from her being Lady Luanach’s child, Amaris was awarded the place of Hunter. It would become clear to Amaris that she had been made Hunter for, perhaps, a very specific reason. The Moon Court spent the next years trying to gather information about the Duskvale Court and bolstering defenses to prepare for the possibility of another attack. The Wynteria Court offered assistance and it was agreed that Amaris and Sayla’s wedding would be postponed until after the defeat of Duskvale: this way, their marriage could serve as a celebration of the two courts’ unified triumph.
At sixty-seven, Amaris became capable of receiving lunar visions without using crescent tea to induce them. She was also able to see more from the Moon’s perspective than she had before and could have glimpses of specific lives lived under the Moon’s light. One night, she had a lunar vision about a fairy named Luster and saw that she was once an eladrin elf who bore a distinct resemblance to Cosmystia the betrayer. When asking Rosemaris about this, she was met with somber silence except for the advice to go ask her mother, so she did just that. Lady Luanach divulged the story of what had become of Cosmystia’s daughter with an eerie calm that unsettled Amaris. According to Lady Luanach, being entirely stripped of her former life was the only way Luster could be kept alive as she would have surely attempted to avenge her mother if she still possessed her memories. When Luster fled from the Moon Court, Amaris was ordered to recapture her as the Hunter. In reality, Lady Luanach had suspected that Luster would eventually learn of her true identity and wanted her daughter to be the one to put an end to her because of how thematically fitting it would be for her child to put an end to Cosmystia’s line. Having no choice, Amaris reluctantly pursued Luster into the Material Plane.
Touched by the Void[edit | edit source]
Amaris slept for days after meeting the Leviathan. Her dreams were almost empty, but in their emptiness she was reminded of just how insignificant she was in the face of the beast that so easily ruptured her mind and then casually pieced it back together. It haunted her that she was only alive because the Leviathan had, for some reason, allowed it. Perhaps it had deemed her life so insignificant that killing her would have been an unworthy expenditure of energy. More than that, even as she drifted through the nothingness her mind saw fit to trap her in, there were flashes of Callista: flashes of how abandoned Callista had been and the expression that must have crossed her face when she realized Amaris had left without her. The Moon had apparently shunted her from its embrace and into the clutches of some other that Amaris could barely comprehend. Amaris had promised not to leave her sister behind. She had sworn that the two of them would make it out of that nightmare together. What good was a fey that lied, even without meaning to? There was no way Callista would ever place her faith in Amaris ever again. She had failed her as her mother had so cruelly reminded her. Sometimes, in her slumber, the face of Amaris’ mother would appear. Amaris would be laid bare before Lady Luanach’s cold, discerning gaze and have nothing to show for any of her effort. This was almost as painful as what the Leviathan had done to her. The Moon never came to her in her dreams. That might have been the final death knell.
When Amaris finally awoke, she was in her old room in the Selenic Oak of the Cressida Weald. The first thing she saw, upon managing to push herself into a sitting position, was her own reflection in the mirror across from her bed. She saw how much she had changed. Fey, at least in the Moon Court, are prone to undergo changes to their physical form in response to life-changing events, particularly traumatic ones. In a clearer state of mind, she might have been able to recognize her reaction as normal. As she was, she viewed it as a permanent stain left by the Leviathan; it was another crack in the already weakened armor of her faith. Servants were alerted to the fact that she was awake by the sound of her screaming. They rushed to calm her, but Amaris had already stopped shouting by the time they reached her bedside. She did not speak for the rest of the day, and no one tried to force any words out of her. Lady Luanach was either too busy to see her daughter or simply didn’t care. And why would she? It wasn’t as though Amaris had been in serious peril. At some point, Amaris found it within herself to pray. She knelt beside her bed and muttered Celestial words that all Lunar Faithful were taught to say from a young age. Amaris prayed for a lunar revelation, then for a simple vision, then for a mere whisper: anything that would explain what she had experienced and give it meaning in the greater design that the Moon surely had for her. She even considered confiding in Rosemaris before reminding herself of the dryad’s distaste for her.
In the dark of her room, with no word from the Moon, Amaris cried. She cried for her sister who’d been suffering alone for years while they all heedlessly invoked her name in regard to the Moon. She cried for the caring mother who had never even existed. She cried for herself: someone cast into a position they had never quite fit and couldn’t hope to understand. When her tears dried, she was wracked by a spell of uncontrollable laughter. It was all terribly funny when she thought about it. Amaris had heard sayings about the void looking back when you looked into it, but nothing could have prepared her for what actually laid behind the stars. Nothing would prepare anyone. Minutes became hours as she laughed about how utterly doomed everyone would be if that thing decided to launch a full scale assault. At any moment, anyone in the Tempest Brothers Company, perhaps anyone in the Moon Court, could be snuffed out and mentally ripped apart. Servants came and went, bringing her meals and retrieving them after they went untouched. Newt eventually came to visit Amaris. Blessedly, he didn’t comment on her appearance, for that would have truly sent her over the edge.
Newt found her curled up in a corner, still occasionally chuckling, with stars burning in her eyes. His first reaction wasn’t to pull her into a hug—he somehow knew that might be too much. Instead, he collected his lute and began to play the first song he had ever taught Amaris: The Dying Dryad. It was a somber melody with lyrics about a dryad’s last words to her forest before she passed on and her intent to leave them with some hope though she knows they’ll never move on from her loss. Others would have questioned the decision to play such a depressing song, but to Amaris, it was comforting to hear a reminder that there were others who weren’t okay and that not everyone’s unhappiness was her fault. Amaris hummed along with Newt. When he asked her if she wanted to talk, she considered bringing up the Leviathan, but was unable to make herself utter the creature’s name, so she simply shook her head. Newt spent the next several hours playing a catalog of Amaris’ favorite songs. He only stopped because Lady Luanach requested his presence and saying no to her simply wasn’t an option for any member of the Moon Court.
After the Wedding[edit | edit source]
Amaris’ P.O.V.
Honestly, I should have anticipated something like this coming to pass. Poor Sayla. Before, I was worried that whatever curse she has when it comes to love might rub off on me—it somehow didn’t occur to me that making her my mother’s daughter-in-law couldn’t possibly end well for her. I don’t blame her for playing into my mother’s hand. If I were in her position, I certainly wouldn’t think myself capable of leading a court. Why wouldn’t she hand over leadership to an archfey she’s supposed to be able to trust? When I think about it, she trusts her because I’ve never given her a reason to do otherwise. Yes, I have reason to worry that the geas my mother has over me would create a problematic situation if I tried to disclose the extent of her true nature, but does that exempt me from trying to make a difference? Would it even make a difference if I told her now? Leadership of the court isn’t hers anymore. We’re not devils—we don’t need formal contracts to seal promises.
Then there’s the issue of the Duskvale Court. The more I consider them, the more I realize that a good deal of their attacks have allowed my mother to achieve some sort of gain. When they assaulted the Cressida Weald, they killed the former Hunter of the Celestial Watch and gave my mother the opportunity to give me the position despite me not being suited for it: I think she more so wanted an excuse to make apprehending Luster my responsibility. When they attacked Sayla and I, it forced my mother and the late Eminence Allurian to set aside their differences and work together, allowing them to forge an alliance and arrange my marriage to Sayla. They attacked the wedding and killed Eminence Allurian, leaving Sayla so grief stricken that she handed control of the Wynteria Court over to my mother. In the past, I dismissed the idea, but now I think my mother has been pulling the strings behind Duskvale this entire time.
Speaking of the death of Her Eminence, the arrow that took her life was strange. Usually, death for fey isn’t considered as horrible as death for a mortal because we reincarnate. But the usual essence that flows through a fey body and allows that reincarnation… When I examined Her Eminence’s body, it felt like her essence had been disrupted somehow. I don’t want to think about what that could mean. I can’t stomach the notion of having to tell Sayla that her mother is truly… I have to start thinking about what I’m actually going to do.
Obviously, taking directly confronting my mother would be suicide. I don’t know if she would kill me, but honestly she could likely do far worse: twist my will so horribly that I become naught but a puppet, force me to reincarnate so she can mold me into her image, do something to Callista, etcetera. Right now, I’m lacking in people who would believe me or care even if they knew. One of the keys to taking a stand is going to be making contact with Luster. The Moon Court is rightfully hers. Fey memories are long—there must be some people who still harbor even a shred of loyalty to Cosmystia Lunari.
Until then, I suppose I should attempt to enjoy my honeymoon? Sayla is distant, and I don’t blame her. Even if our marriage wasn’t political, I couldn’t see myself asking anything of her right now. I’ll just try to focus on the beauty of the Feywild. Venturing through my home plane like this almost makes me miss being a child. My life seemed so certain back then: I wanted to prove that I was worthy to wield the power of the Moon and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that my mother loved me. To be that innocent girl again… I wouldn’t do it. No matter how much easier it would be, I refuse to go back to living in ignorance.
The Moon, The Duchess, & The Plan[edit | edit source]
The decision to seek the Moon’s grace was one that was hard made. After being tainted by the Leviathan, Amaris thought the Moon no longer cared for her and doubted if it ever did at all. But, frankly, she grew tired of stewing in her misery. It was tiring to be the sort of person who preferred to burn their paints instead of taking them to canvas and who was so obsessed with what lurked beyond the stars that she couldn’t see the stars at all. So, she decided she would ask the Moon for another chance.
To her surprise, the Moon heard her prayers and made itself known to her. Amaris was given the chance to draw her magic from the Moon’s graceful patronage once more. While she gratefully accepted that chance, as she stood beneath the moonlight in Amusa, a flame flickered out of the corner of her eye. In that flame she saw potential. It wasn’t the potential for power that intrigued her—it was the possibility of taking away the things her mother was holding on to. As she approached the fire, she saw Philani, but the familiar archdevil wasn’t the one who intrigued her. There was someone else, someone familiar, though she didn’t think she had ever met them.
Amaris didn’t expect to make contact with the Cosmystia Lunari of old and, well, she didn’t. The person she actually encountered went by the name Nuala, Duchess of the Starless Sky; she also attempted to choke the life out of Amaris upon learning that she was Celenica Luanach’s daughter. Even as she was being held above the ground and grasped by hands as cold as a dark night, Amaris held no anger towards Nuala. Instead, she did what you’re supposed to do when dealing with a powerful, angry devil. She offered up something she was certain Nuala would want: the opportunity to corrupt Celenica Luanach’s child and the chance to get back at her most hated enemy. Amaris offered up herself. She offered Nuala everything. And the duchess greedily accepted.
So it was that Amaris burned in the fires of the Hells and a pact between the two of them arose from those flames. Amaris gained powers of a warlock and the winged body of a tiefling. And maybe it was the infernal influence or the hatred of Amaris’ own heart, but in that moment, it was worth burning to think that she might soon burn away everything her mother held dear.
There was no specific plan locked into place just yet, only feelings of perhaps sadistic glee as Amaris twitched her new wings and was branded with the infernal name Szir. But there was something that Amaris would go days without even realizing she had noticed. There were tears in Nuala’s eyes as she watched Amaris be transformed by the Hells. Nuala may have become a hateful archdevil in the centuries since Lady Luanach snatched the Moon Court away from her, but she was more than just her fury and spite. And, days later, when Amaris realized that, an actual plan formed in her mind.
Amaris had been right to think that she needed to find Luster. But now, she wanted to find her for more than just an opportunity to get back at Lady Luanach. Luster deserved a chance to meet her mother. And Nuala deserved a chance to see her daughter. Amaris didn’t know if a reunion between the two would be tearful or awkward or painful or if it would even change anything for either of them. But something deep within her was certain that it needed to come to pass.
As for Nuala, well, most would consider the idea that an archdevil could be redeemed naive at best and utterly idiotic at worst, but Amaris knew that Nuala at least needed to be shown that she could choose. When she became a Duchess of the Hells, she must have felt desperate and as though there was no other option. Now, by the Moon’s grace, Amaris would find some way to give Nuala back the choice she was denied even if she’d have to burn in even hotter flames than hellfire to do it.
Languages[edit | edit source]
Since she was born in a pocket of the Feywild, it was only natural for Amaris to learn both Common and Sylvan as she grew up. Her position as an heiress ensured that she was taught to speak both as regally as possible for formalities, though she rarely resorts to speaking this way. When Amaris began training to become a cleric of the Lunar Faithful, she was taught Celestial so she could speak it during prayers and have a basic understanding of how to decipher Celestic Runes. Amaris' favorite known language is Celestial because, for her, it encapsulates the mysticism of the heavens. Amaris taught herself Infernal sometime after Philani left for the Hells; she decided that if she was to maintain a political relationship with a devil, she would be best off learning their tongue.
Powers and Abilities[edit | edit source]
Amaris doesn't like battle, but when she is in combat, she likes to make it almost impossible for opponents to hit her by utilizing spells such as Mirror Image, Sanctuary, and Shield of Faith. When using Mirror Image, rather than attempting to move rapidly, Amaris slows herself down and only moves when necessary. Her Shield of Faith manifests as a subtle aura of moonlight and her Sanctuary flashes as a Celestic Rune ward. Since she is one of the Lunar Faithful, all her spells show off the connection she has to the moon. When forced to fight, Amaris will hang back and fire off Guiding Bolts to hamper foes so that stronger allies can finish them off. On top of being able to heal with Cure Wounds, she can also buff those she fights with using Bless and Aid, all of which are serene lunar gifts. If she sees lingering, weakened opponents, she may attempt to strike them down with a combination of Toll the Dead and Spiritual Weapon. Her Spiritual Weapon, like all Lunar Faithful clerics, incorporates the Moon into its design.
Spells[edit | edit source]
Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Guidance, Prestidigitation, Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Toll the Dead
Prepared 1st Level Spells: Command, Cure Wounds, Faerie Fire, Guiding Bolt, Inflict Wounds, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith, Sleep
Learned 1st Level Spells: Charm Person, Hellish Rebuke, Hex
Prepared 2nd Level Spells: Moonbeam, Prayer of Healing, See Invisibility, Spiritual Weapon
Prepared 3rd Level Spells: Aura of Vitality, Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Revivify
Magic Items (Past & Current)[edit | edit source]
Circlet of Blasting: While wearing this circlet, you can use an action to cast the Scorching Ray spell with it. When you make the spell’s attacks, you do so with an attack bonus of +5. The circlet can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.
Pearl of Power (Attuned): When this pearl is on your person, you can use an action to speak its command word and regain one expended spell slot. If the expended spell slot was of 4th level or higher, the new slot is 3rd level. Once you use this pearl, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
+1 Spell Focus: Confers +1 to spell DC and spell attack rolls.
Clockwork Amulet: This copper amulet contains tiny interlocking gears and is powered by magic from Mechanus, a plane of clockwork predictability. A creature that puts an ear to the amulet can hear faint ticking and whirring noises coming from within. When you make an attack roll while wearing the amulet, you can forgo rolling the d20 to get a 10 on the die. Once used, this property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Zephyr Blade: +1 Longsword. Possessed by the Djinn Sabraa. Advantage on History Checks 3/day. Walking speed increased by 10 ft. Can cast Gust of Wind 1/day.
Callista Luanach[edit | edit source]
“Oh how sweet
The slumbering babe
With selenic shine
Upon her face.
Oh how dear
The dreaming girl.
Our wistful wish:
Don’t see the world.”
—From “The Ballad of Callista Luanach” by Newt
Amaris’ younger sister, Callista Luanach, was born one year after Amaris and was on the verge of death after being born. High Priest Rosemaris took the dying babe and performed a ritual to channel the revitalizing properties of moonlight into her by using the Selenic Oak as a conduit. As a result of having so much pure moonlit energy channeled directly into her soul, Callista lived, but was trapped in a permanent state of lunar vision, ever seeing the world from the perspective of the Moon and being unable to open her eyes to see it for herself. Callista is said to be an avatar of the Moon since, by praying beside her slumbering body (or even sometimes by just invoking her name during prayer), the Lunar Faithful are sometimes able to achieve heightened lunar visions that reveal all manner of things.
The Many Forms of Sayla Allurian[edit | edit source]
Amaris’ P.O.V.
It was awkward when the last part of the Moon-Wynteria Concord was announced. I don’t think Sayla or I could have expected that we would have to marry, but at least the wedding won’t be immediate. During the celebration, Sayla came to me and asked if we could take a walk. I agreed—even if we weren’t the most compatible, I thought it could only help future arrangements for us to get to know each other. When she came to me, she had taken the form of an elegant high elf with gold hair and blue eyes. Changelings can only transform into people they’ve seen before, so I asked her who it was that she’d shapeshifted into. Apparently, all of her different forms had stories attached to them, and she told me all of them. The more I listened, the more troubled I became.
The elf was Marigold Sunbloom. During a ritual to weave together ambient magic from the Material Plane, Feywild, and Shadowfell, Marigold unintentionally ripped open a portal and cast herself into the Feywild. Upon falling through the portal, Marigold ended up in the icy lands of the Wynteria Court: apparently, she fell face-first into the Reflecting Pool during the Day of Reflection, something that immediately cast her in a negative light. While Sayla’s mother, Eminence Aurora, was suspicious, Sayla helped Marigold get to her feet and attempted to help her get her bearings. The elf had lost all of her memories during the planar jump, only able to remember her name and that she was a practitioner of planar magic. Over the next several weeks, Sayla took responsibility for Marigold, keeping an eye on her to ensure that she wasn’t some sort of spy and trying to help her regain her memories. Sayla took Marigold on walks across the Wynteria Court’s three lakes and Marigold talked to Sayla about the wonders of the magic she practiced. The two grew closer and soon became lovers. Then, one day, Marigold remembered something about the ritual that had led her to the Feywild. Just as she was about to confide in Sayla, another planar portal opened at seemingly random and threatened to envelop her. Sayla tried to keep hold of Marigold, but the force of the portal was too strong. Several days passed, during which Sayla tried convincing her mother to allow her to go plane-hopping so she could find Marigold. Eminence Aurora refused, too fearful of the danger. On the seventh day after Marigold’s disappearance, Sayla found a scrap of parchment with Marigold’s handwriting in her room. It simply read: “don’t look for me”.
After telling the tale, Sayla transformed into Helga Blackbrew, a red-headed dwarven woman with an eyepatch. Sayla met Helga when she had snuck out into the Material Plane from the Feywild behind Eminence Aurora’s back. She ventured into a tavern called the Fullwit Pint and saw Helga serving drinks, singing atop tables, and beating patrons at minor tests of strength. She was immediately enamored and offered to buy everyone in the tavern a drink just to catch Helga’s attention. Considering that Sayla had taken the form of a plain, nondescript human to better blend in, Helga didn’t believe that she had the money to pay for everyone present. Sayla insisted that she could put her money where her mouth was (since she had picked more than a few rich pockets during her time in the Material), and Helga instead offered to give everyone a round on the house if Sayla could beat her at arm-wrestling. Obviously, Sayla wouldn’t have stood a chance if she’d played fair, so as soon as their hands were locked Sayla hooked her thumb around Helga’s, distracted her by claiming someone was making a mess of the bar, knocked her elbow, and secured a swift win. Instead of being upset, Helga laughed the loss off, impressed by Sayla’s craftiness. The two got to talking over ale and felt as though they’d known each other for ages by the end of the night. Sayla talked about how overbearing her mother was and Helga discussed her debt to the local thieve’s guild. Eventually, Sayla fell asleep and Helga carried her to a spare room. When Sayla woke up, the tavern had been ransacked and Helga was nowhere to be found; she ran outside and found Helga’s body next to the corpse of what was probably her assassin. After that, Sayla spent a few more days in the city gathering information about the thieve’s guild. She set fire to the guild’s base and was promptly whisked away by Wynteria Court guards her mother had sent to find her.
Then, Sayla turned into Nightshade, a purple-skinned tiefling with ram-like horns and green eyes of slightly differing shades. Sayla told me she had known Nightshade all her life. The two met when they were young because of a deal between Eminence Aurora and an Archdevil named Nesoren. As part of that deal, Sayla had to spend two years within the Ten Hells while the child of the Archdevil spent that same year in the Feywild. The two of them exchanged letters during this time and though both of them hated their new environments at first, they adjusted over time. Nightshade grew to enjoy the beauties of the Wynteria Court’s waters and the introspective nature of its magic; she studied illusion and enchantment spells that went nicely with the evocation magic she already had. Sayla liked getting to witness how devils interacted with mortals as well as their court proceedings: seeing loopholes at work was amusing for her. When the two year time period was up, both girls had developed an appreciation for each other’s homes and could act as effective diplomats for future transactions between the places. They would make time to visit each other whenever they could and their friendship evolved into romance. Sayla learned that Nightshade was planning to become involved in an ongoing war between devils and demons; she wanted to prove herself as more than just her father’s child. When Nightshade left for the war, she wrote letters to Sayla proudly declaring that the tactics of the demon army were inferior. After eight months, the letters stopped coming and Sayla found out that Nightshade had fallen in battle, prompting her father Nesoren to go into a rage and join the fight himself, thus putting a pause on the deal Wynteria had struck with him.
Sayla shifted forms again to become the human Iris Waylane, a tan-skinned woman with pink hair and cool brown eyes. Iris was an adventurer and a philandering rogue, wandering through countries and planes and leaving the broken hearts of men, women, and other folk in her wake all while making herself richer. She was also a highly valued, if hard to pin down, member of a plane-spanning thief organization called the Copper Mockingbirds. Through the Copper Mockingbird information network, Iris learned of one of the Wynteria Court’s ancient treasures—the Glass Heart: a mirror said to have been crafted from the waters of the Reflecting Pool with the power to show the true heart of any who looked at it. Iris intended to steal it, and thus ventured into the Feywild. Sayla came across her during another attempt to venture out of the Feywild to explore the Material Plane. Iris had crossed a tribe of hobgoblins and was fleeing from them—putting on quite the acrobatic display during her escape—when she quite literally stumbled into Sayla. The two ended up in a heap on the ground, allowing the hobgoblins to have an easy time of capturing them. They were dragged away in the same net, and though Sayla probably could have invoked her status as Successor to the Wynteria Court to guarantee their release, she found the situation (and proximity to a beautiful woman) exciting. When they were hauled before the hobgoblin chief, both made a show of running their mouths, talking circles around both each other and the hobgoblins. The resulting irritation they induced caused the chief to order an execution and, as the hobgoblins charged, they were both nimble enough to leap and duck around the assault, with Iris leading quite a few attackers to hit each other while Sayla dazed them with her magic. As they ran away, laughing all the while, they got to talking and found that they had much in common in terms of tastes. The two of them would spend the next several weeks running from whatever groups they managed to tick off as well as Wynteria guards. Iris soon got Sayla to reveal that she was from the Wynteria Court and started subtly sneaking in questions about the Glass Heart. Sayla came to suspect Iris’ motives, but this game of thief and Successor only added kindling to the flame of their romantic involvement. When Wynteria guards finally apprehended them, Iris used the opportunity of being brought to the court to try finding and making off with the Glass Heart in spite of Sayla warning her to leave the relic alone. No one is entirely certain of what happened, but some time after Iris held the Glass Heart, she was never seen again.
Lastly, Sayla turned into Pari Silentsong, a tan halfling with brown hair and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Pari had been playing as a bard for the Wynteria Court for several years. Despite being a bard, Pari was mute and played lyricless songs, but sometimes her spirit would yearn to sing so much that onlookers would swear they could feel the touch of her unspoken voice. Sayla would often converse with her after her performances with both of them using a mix of written notes and sign language to communicate. One day, after one especially frantic performance, Pari ran from the audience and hid herself by the court’s three lakes. Sayla followed her and found that she was being strangled by her own shadow; Sayla tried using magic to help her and the shadow eventually left Pari alone. Pari was reluctant to talk about what had just happened, but with coaxing from Sayla, she confessed that she’d been cursed by another court. According to the curse, her own shadow would hold hostage her voice and forever be her enemy. On top of that, she had been robbed of her memories of which court cursed her. Sayla offered to help Pari find a way to break the curse and, though Pari had already searched for a cure, something about Sayla’s sheer earnestness convinced Pari to keep trying. For weeks, the two of them searched for a way to help Pari. They looked right up until the day Pari died at the hands of her shadow. Sayla regretted never telling her she loved her.
When it was clear she was finished, I asked Sayla if she bore some manner of curse. Naturally, I was even more worried wedding her now that I knew all her previous lovers had all either gone missing or died. She just grinned at me with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and walked away. Was she warning me? I have no control over the requirements of the Concord. Her Eminence would likely take great offense to any attempt to back out of marrying her daughter and that could land us right back where we were before the Concord. So why did she tell me at all?
Relationships (Moon Court)[edit | edit source]
Callista Luanach[edit | edit source]
Amaris was enthused when she found out she was getting a sister and as a child didn’t understand why others were at times somber about Callista’s condition—she was always happy just being near her and would dedicate periods of time to talking to her about anything and everything. As Amaris took on more responsibilities and came into conflict with her mother, she began to feel that Callista was the only one who truly understood and wouldn’t judge her. Amaris spent less time talking to her sister and more time meditating “with” her. She believes it was this time spent in her presence that allowed her to begin receiving deeper lunar visions. Even if Callista will never awaken, Amaris loves and is thankful for her.
Lady Celenica Luanach[edit | edit source]
As a young child, Amaris believed her mother was someone to aspire to. When she learned about the Moon Court’s soul experimentation on “lesser beings” like fairies and animals, she glimpsed Celenica’s true nature as an Archfey—someone whose whims dominate the freedom of others. Amaris became outright wary of her mother when she was forced into a geas by her and disappointed when she discovered what had happened to Cosmystia Lunari’s child and was assigned to hunt said child down. Amaris still carries love for her mother and often attempts to try not to think about the worst parts of her, though that isn’t always easy. Celenica has great expectations of Amaris, or perhaps it would be more accurate to state that her daughter is a key part of some of her grand designs.
Elara Witcress[edit | edit source]
Elara has been Amaris’ mentor since she first expressed interest in becoming a cleric of the Lunar Faithful. She always guided Amaris with a gentle hand and helped her gain a true understanding of the faith. Elara was there when Amaris cast her first spell and when she took her clerical vows. She is a confidant of Amaris, though she will sometimes report back to Lady Luanach—this willingness to disclose information is part of why Elara was chosen to be Amaris’ mentor. Elara has been firmer with Amaris since she joined the Celestial Watch, encouraging her to rise to the position of Hunter by tapping into her inner fierceness, though Amaris has yet to really heed this advice.
Erma Goodgrove[edit | edit source]
Erma considers herself Amaris’ aunt, though she insists that almost everyone calls her aunt, and it isn’t wholly certain what this means. As the Celestial Watch’s Enforcer, Erma has always been gruff and somewhat rough around the edges, but she has a great deal of respect for Lady Luanach and this naturally extends into how she treats her daughter, though Erma’s version of respect comes with bone-breaking hugs, and she isn’t above pulling either of them into pacts. Erma created the amethyst-silver emblem that Amaris uses to channel her magic and she appreciates seeing one of her pieces put to good use. Erma is one of the people Amaris would most want to have by her back in a battle and she is grateful to have her on her side in life; at least, that’s the way it seems. One never fully knows with hags.
Lamura[edit | edit source]
Amaris and Lamura rarely cross paths and they both prefer it that way. Lamura is still upset with Amaris for releasing some of his most promising test subjects and Amaris feels unnerved by Lamura, believing him to be cold and remorseless. Lamura sees Amaris as a child who would have no place in the Moon Court’s politics or Celestial Watch if not for her position as heiress. He does, however, respect her clerical abilities and the information she can garner through lunar visions. Lamura and Amaris have never fought in a scope beyond passive aggressive commentary and, given their penchant for avoiding one another, it is unlikely that they ever will.
Newt[edit | edit source]
Though Newt is of the opinion that Amaris’ talents would be better utilized outside of the Celestial Watch, he doesn’t begrudge her taking Mazral’s place as Hunter the way others in the Watch do. Newt would sing Amaris to sleep when she was young and is the one who taught her how to play the lyre harp. Amaris regards him as her mother’s cleverest advisor, and he regards her as a credit to Lady Luanach. The two of them sometimes have music sessions together wherein Newt teaches Amaris new songs and Amaris offers honest critiques of Newt’s new material. They don’t spend an abundance of time together, but they enjoy each other’s company. Newt does, however, believe Amaris to be a bit naive and she thinks he is a tad too big for his britches.
Rosemaris Trueleaf[edit | edit source]
Rosemaris has disliked Amaris since the day she was born. Rosemaris was in love with Cosmystia Lunari and she became like a mother to Cosmystia’s daughter, Luster. Despite Cosmystia’s supposed betrayal, Rosemaris still has affection for her and she was the most vocally against Luster being turned into a fairy and used for soul experimentation. Amaris now understands that Rosemaris resents her for having everything Luster could have had. Amaris has recently tried to bridge the gap between them by asking Rosemaris to help her companions in the Tempest Brother’s Company train their mental fortitude, but Rosemaris has taken these requests as Amaris invoking her power as heiress to summon her.
Lady Luanach’s Notes About the Tempest Brother’s Company[edit | edit source]
*Note: Due to the prior presence of Luster and the current presence of Yewvane Eedryll, all individuals, likely including those not noted, have preconceived notions about the fey. They have expectations about the effects of fey food and are wise to our pacts, though this is not necessarily unique. Luster also did not spread positive information about the Moon Court. Thankfully, the chaotic and volatile nature the fairy was cursed with likely made her words perceived as unreliable (to most except Yewvane). All of these notes have been made with limited interaction and may be changed or expounded upon in the future. Amaris will have to exacerbate her courteousness at every turn to gain trust, especially having joined the company so recently. She is capable of accomplishing this. She must be.
Finnegan: Puffin Aarakocra. He is fey-touched and likely still linked to the Feywild in some way. It will likely be easy to use this link, but he needs to be observed further to ascertain what his exact situation is and whether he bears a connection to another court.
Idi: Earth Genasi. He admitted that being in the Tempest Brother’s company is the most at home he has felt in some time and that he would go to far lengths to preserve those he cares for. The ongoing conflict between Jim Stacy and Lambda also makes him uneasy. If his companions are in perceived danger, or if his place within the company is threatened, he will likely agree to go along with extremes. Idi was amicable to being painted by Amaris.
Jim Stacy: Human. He had some level of connection to Luster given that he attempted to hunt down Amaris and was part of the party that captured Elara. He bluntly asked Amaris if she had killed the fairy, but it is uncertain whether he actually cared about her fate or wanted to see whether his efforts had been wasted. He is grumpy and appears to be putting up a front to hide fears and insecurities. Jim Stacy is insecure about losing the ability to paint and has a fear of fire. Annoying him is easy, but it would be better to learn and tug at his more deep seated issues. Pushing him to break the right boundary could create fissures within the company.
Lambda: Robot. Very calm and principled. He possesses a capacity for kindness not expected from a sentient machine. He has an ongoing conflict with the human Jim Stacy. Their relationship is so volatile that it has led to multiple physical fights, including one involving fire. The way Jim Stacy crosses Lambda’s wires offers a way into future manipulation. Lambda cares at least somewhat about his reputation among the company, and decisions involving Jim Stacy have led him to risk damaging it. Was amicable to being painted and to Amaris’ gifts after having them evaluated by Yewvane.
Marion: Tiefling. Gives off the aura of being a gentle soul. They have a fear of fire that led them to seek refuge in Amaris’ quarters during one of Jim Stacy and Lambda’s more explosive arguments. They showed interest in getting to know Amaris and agreed to let her paint their horns. This one may prove easy to get close to.
Nassir: Dragonborn. He seems tired of the infighting and disquiet that has become commonplace within the company. He eventually agreed to try Moony, which will be an entertaining experience if nothing else. Nassir cares for those in the company he has grown close to, such as Wiggler, and worries over their well-being. He has the aura of being harder to manipulate than others and will not cave to threats easily. The key to getting to him will be getting to others first.
Sabbatical: Tiefling. She is matter-of-fact and professional. More observations need to be made to peer beneath the surface of her hard exterior. Everyone has cracks.
Sneeze: Kobold. He is not to be underestimated. He was able to best Elara in combat and detain her enough to cut her horns off as a trophy. He appears food driven, given how eager he was to eat Amaris’ gifts, but is willing to listen to those who know better at least to some extent. He isn’t particularly intelligent. This coupled by his seeming desire for short-term satisfaction can be exploited if he is without guidance.
Wiggler: An awakened worm. They have recently developed telepathic powers. Wiggler quickly accepted comfort from Amaris (she now calls them lithika) and divulged information about their connection to the Feywild and a Kenku druid. Amaris summoned Rosemaris to help them through mental exercises to hone their telepathic control. Their softness is easily exploitable.
Yewvane Eedryll: Eladrin. He held Elara prisoner and demanded liva’servios of Amaris in exchange for her release. Yewvane had the arrogance to demand an unspecified future favor despite the knowledge that not releasing Elara would have angered the Moon Court. He wishes to return Luster to her original form, which obviously cannot be permitted. If there were a way to corrupt his views of love and light, that would be ideal.
