Qilue Veladorn
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Qilue Veladorn

This character is dead.
The Dark Sister
Forgotten Realms

Qilué Veladorn was the youngest of the Seven Sisters, the Chosen family of Mystra, goddess of magic, and was a drow cleric of Eilistraee as of the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR. 

Qilué was the focus of wild rumors, her reputation on the surface Realms being made up of whispers and voices, but nothing more (and often far from the truth). More than any of the other Sisters, because of her service to (and her being a chosen of) two free-spirited goddesses (Eilistraee and Mystra—The Two Who Watch, as she called the goddesses when weary of their directives), she was always careful of her power and of using it properly. Qilué Veladorn was the high priestess of the Promenade of the Dark Maiden, a temple to Eilistraee that she founded near Skullport, in the Undermountain, an underground dungeon that laid below the city of Waterdeep. The other drow of the temple regarded her as the Chosen of the Chosen (Chosen of Eilistraee was often used as an alias by her followers), as she was a leader and an inspiration to them: they looked to her as an exemplar and both respected and loved her. Even if Eilistraee's clergy didn't have a hierarchy, most priestesses (within the Promenade and outside it), recognized Qilué as a guiding figure.

Differently from most clergy of Eilistraee, the priestesses of the Promenade—Qilué included—didn't spend much time on the surface, concentrating their activities underground. Nonetheless, Qilué was concerned by the happenings in Waterdeep. She was particularly careful of the intrigues of the Waterdhavian nobility and of the criminality that they hired to advance shady goals, mostly related to slavery. Qilué fought and vehemently opposed slavery-focused organizations in various ways, either directly, or by sabotaging their activities (like the making of potions and poisons used to kidnap folks to then sell them as slaves in Calimshan, or to be forced to work in Calishite-owned mines in Chult). She would often travel to Skullport and Waterdeep, attending significant meetings hidden by her magic, learning useful information for her goals, and she had many agents on the surface world. Her other major concern was to convert (or, if truly forced to, destroy) the increasing numbers of drow who came to the temple complex with hostile intent, as the Promenade was seen as an abomination to be destroyed by most followers of Lolth, Ghaunadaur, and even Vhaeraun.

History

Background

Though born to a human couple, Qilué was full-blooded drow, due to the bizarre events surrounding her birth.[4] By the time her mother (the half-elf soreceress Elué Shundar) was bearing the seventh child, the woman—possessed by Mystra—was almost reduced to a husk by the goddess' power that flowed in her body. Believing his wife to be the victim of an evil spirit, Qilué's father (the human Harper Dornal Silverhand) killed her, endangering not only the child's life, but her soul as well, as she would have been completely destroyed by the power of the Lady of Mysteries that was flowing in her. Looking for another pregnant female strong enough to bear the child, Mystra chose a drow follower of Eilistraee, Iliryztara Veladorn, who was leading a group of like-minded drow to found a community on the surface, near the spot where Dornal killed Elué. Iliryztara's unborn daughter had perished during the journey, and that would have eventually led to the mother's death. Since Eilistraee was trying to find a way to save her follower, Mystra offered to replace the dead baby with the soul of the seventh sister, Qilué, to save both. Eilistraee accepted Mystra's offer, and the Dark Sister came to life—and so did the friendship between the Dark Maiden and the Lady of Mysteries.


As a child, Qilué dwelt in Buiyrandyn, a tiny drow settlement in the Underdark beneath the northern Sword Mountains that had spurned Lolth and the other drow gods.


When Qilué was but a child, Eilistraee (in the form of a 9-foot-tall, stunningly beautiful drow maiden) appeared to her, asking her to lead her friends to aid nearby drow in need, and gifting all the drow children holy singing swords (precious blades that sang when unsheathed, capable of protecting the wielder against fear, despair and magicaly induced fascination/domination effects) to assist and protect them in their efforts. Later, a greater mission was awaiting them, as the Dark Maiden manifested again, asking to destroy the Pit of Ghaunadaur, a mile-deep shaft connected to the Sargauth Level of Halaster's Undermountain, from where the god of abominations could have assaulted the surface world. Surrounded by a glowing aura, symbol of Eilistraee's favor, Qilué led her friends from their drow settlement of Buiyrandyn in this quest. With the protection of the Dark Maiden, they fought their way to the Pit, where Qilué faced an avatar of Ghaunadaur. Eilistraee and Mystra used the Chosen's body as a conduit for their power, and silvery fire burned away at the evil god, until it fled for its life, much reduced in strength. The remaining servants of the god fled with their master, and the divine fire melted and sealed the tunnels and entrances used for the escape. Then Qilué collapsed, and her playmates heard the voice of Eilistraee warning that Ghaunadaur had only been driven away, but not permanently defeated, and that he would one day try to return. The voice said:


“You must make a stand here close to the surface world, and you must be ever vigilant against the return of Ghaunadaur. For a mighty city of humans shall rise above this place, and if you are to make peace with humankind and your elven kin of the surface world, this place is best suited for you.”
— Eilistraee, to Qilué Veladorn and her friends


When Qilué regained her consciousness, her experience and the two goddesses' gifts marked her with wisdom and an innate magical talent, which would help the Dark Sister in the role that both goddesses had envisioned for her. In the subsequent years, following the instructions of the Dark Dancer, Qilué and the rest of the Chosen of Eilistraee (the title that the drow gave themselves) started to regularly patrol the region, checking for signs of ghaunadan activity (which often led other inhabitants of the area to mockingly refer those patrols as promenades, even though the Chosen proudly used the term as a name for the temple that they would later build).

April 29th, 2022 April 29th, 2022

Title
The Dark Sister

Type
NPC

Age
725 (Aged 612)

Gender
Female

Pronouns
She/Her

Appearance

Hair
Silvery (flowed down to her ankles)

Eyes
Silver (larger than most drow)

Skin
Dark Grey

Height
6'

Personality

Behavior
Qilué could be firm and commanding when needed, but she usually was a kind and warm person (even if she could also be impish and rather irreverent). The Dark Sister disliked violence and preferred to avoid combat through the use of diplomacy, although she didn't hesitate to attack and could be as cold and merciless as any drow, when it came to protect herself and her people. Her supporters would often speak of intense personal friendships with the high priestess, of her relaxed and understanding nature and of her ability to accept any individual for whom they were (even when she could see their darkest secrets). They trusted her word and often didn't hesitate to redirect lost adventurers (or individuals who felt lost in their lives) to see Qilué, because:

“She sees the ways of things in Faerûn clearly, and can reveal how anyone may forge a life of importance in steering the way of the world into peace and prosperity for all races.”

— Albither of Athkatla, on Qilué Veladorn


The Dark Sister had a talent in playing pranks and making mischief, and she—covered in illusions—would often visit the city of Waterdeep, joining parties of the Waterdhavian nobility or learning about the human society. She particularly enjoyed taking Laeral's appearance, and her wild, mischievous ways and dalliances with human men gained her sister quite a reputation among the nobility. The Dark Sister could be totally uninhibited at said parties and celebrations: her duties didn't leave her much time to dedicate to herself, so she fully enjoyed any chance to unwind, often letting all control escape her, dancing and frolicking with wild abandon.

Likes
Qilué loved to dance and to hear and perform singing. She never danced for Eilistraee when clothed, as the Dark Maiden was celebrated through nude dance. Many people in Skullport have been surprised, sometimes even enthralled, by the sight of a nude drow lady dancing alone in a far cavern, with only the bio-luminescence of underground mushrooms to illuminate her. Qilué sometimes purposefully showed herself in this way to lure drow of other faiths or any individual that she wished to talk to.

Dislikes
The Dark Sister was angered by tyrants and slavers, and anything that would oppress intelligent creatures. She was very proactive in contrasting such forces (which often led her and her drow to battle bands of followers of Vhaeraun and Lolth, slavers and organizations like the @Zhentarim or the Cult of the Dragon). She also despised all drow who acted with arrogance and cruelty, and all those people whose prejudice led them to draw their weapon against drow, expecting them to be enemies even before a single word could be spoken. In many occasions, she humbled all those who underestimated her and the drow of the Promenade (trying to to raid it and get rid of the dark elves in it), teaching them a lesson that they would hardly forget.