Glamourpal (talk | contribs) (added more to the section about Sayla (including pictures).) |
Glamourpal (talk | contribs) (added more to the section about Sayla.) |
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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”. |
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”. |
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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 |
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. |
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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 Nine 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. |
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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? |
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== ???’s Notes About the Tempest Brother’s Company == |
== ???’s Notes About the Tempest Brother’s Company == |
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<nowiki>*</nowiki>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. |
<nowiki>*</nowiki>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. |
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Revision as of 19:29, 9 May 2023
| Relatives | Mother: Lady Celenica Luanach Sister: Callista Luanach |
|---|---|
| Languages | Celestial, Common, Sylvan |
| Affiliations | The Moon Court, The Celestial Watch |
| Aliases | Heiress |
| Marital Status | Engaged to Sayla Allurian |
| Place of Birth | Cressida Weald |
| Date of Death | N/A |
| Place of Death | N/A |
| Species | Satyr |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 6'0 ft |
| Weight | 145 lbs |
| Eye Color | Purple |
Trickery Domain Cleric. She/Her.
Physical Appearance
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 looks moon touched. Amaris has two somewhat small white horns on her head and possesses white animalistic ears that stick out. Her eyes are a deep, clearly inhuman purple 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.
Personality
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
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 Neoma 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.
Languages
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.
Powers and Abilities
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, is scythe.
Attacks and Weapons
Cantrips: Mending, Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy, Toll the Dead
Prepared 1st Level Spells: Bless, Charm Person, Cure Wounds, Disguise Self, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith
Prepared 2nd Level Spells: Aid, Lesser Restoration, Mirror Image, Pass Without Trace, Spiritual Weapon
Callista Luanach
“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
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 Nine 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.
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?
???’s Notes About the Tempest Brother’s Company
*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.
