| Character
Description and History
Born in Menzoberranzan, Amlurith lived her
first years as any other drow female first daughter. Upon reaching
her adolescence, she had already witnessed the horrors of following
Lloth. Her brother was given to a demon to apeace him, a ruse by
the hands of Kellarthe, matron mother of House D’Argoth, a
priestess of Loth and an adept witch. Her mother, Vierna Dárguth,
brought back her son but the child returned as an undead. Vierna
sealed a pact with Kellarthe’s demon and gave her soul to it,
falling the house in her hands. For a period, Vierna became Matron
Mother of house D’argoth, keeping at her side her current husband
Ventree, and watching her daughters closely. Vierna wanted Amlurith
to follow her path as priestess of Lloth, but even more she wanted
another witch. Amlurith showed some potential for magic, but not
by demons. Amlurith could mimic any spell that she witnessed just
by moving her hands, dancing and singing special tunes. The child
refused to take part in blood sacrifices, and proved to be a happy-go-lucky
troublemaker, much looked up by male drow. When the House depended
on Vierna’s exploits to get slaves, Amlurith took the opportunity
of being less watched to follow her heart and help some drow and
slaves… Soon she became a protegé of a drow lady named
Kyrith, who had been watching her for some time… Kyrith eventually
revealed her faith in Elistraee.
Amlurith was taken from Menzoberranzan at 66. The child was endangered
by her mother’s run, which left her homeless. Kyrith Brightkeep
took the girl to Erelhei-Cinlu, keeping her concealed under the
name of Shenéyrune and under the custody of her trusted friend
the bard Kelminite Throgarth. He teached the girl lessons about
old tales and old history of the city, the nearby regions and some
uncommon lore. Amlurith was expected to behave as all other drow,
and so Kelminite encouraged her use of magic to disguise herself
in the evil world as one more. The girl would behave as any acolyte
for the Lolth priesthood for her safety in town. Her appearances
in taverns as dancer and singer earned her a reputation among male
drow in the city, especially when reaching the year for her Run.
She participated, faking the death of an elf, gained adulthood honorably
in her people, celebrated her 100 years, and then secretly freed
the elven minstrel. Later on Amlurith was startled when at a reunion
with Kyrith the elf appeared with her mentor. Turned out that the
elf, Swiftlin Xayflare, was a partner for Qilué’s order
and was very pleased to inform Kyrith of Amlurith’s kindness
with prisoners.
Kelminite took Amlurith to diverse cities after her adulthood embracing.
They traveled far and deep into the Underdark, facing dangers together,
and entertaining both friends and foes. Everywhere they went Kelminite
found allies, in places and races that Amlurith watched in marvel.
They traveled to diverse if not most cities of the Underdark. For
decades they performed in the eyes of everyone, joining merchant
caravans sometimes, gaining profit and fame, yet in darkness when
the shows were over, they helped prisoners and slaves escape into
freedom. In such a business the day came that Kelminite was trapped
and killed, in front of Amlurith. She was to be killed as well,
but was taken as a slavegirl and eventually sold to a noble house
in southern drow city Calimshan. She had just reached her 146th
year.
Under her new master things went very differently. Treated as a
mere whore, she was taken to guests to both entertain and bed. Refusal
meant hours of “enlightment”in a dungeon after being lashed
and punched heavily. The year was coming to an end when her bedchamber
became disturbed and flooded with blood. She looked up and saw Kyrith,
who had just thrown two guards into the bed, both with their throats
cut side to side. She took Amlurith out of the city, into the Underdark,
home. Kyrith had been severely wounded, her left arm had been replaced
by a silvery adamantite replacement. She had been traveling in other
planes, quested for a secret mission when the accident took place.
She barely made it alive… Amlurith tried in vain to get details
of what she was doing in such place. Kyrith just seemed enraged
that no one went to get Amlurith although they knew… “They?”
Kyrith sighted and said no more.
After that event Kyrith took the girl as her protegé. She
became a mentor, teaching her the ways of Eilistraee. Amlurith savored
every moment, learning and putting into practice the teachings.
They helped strangers, healed, freed slaves… Whenever their
path crossed evil, Kyrith faced it, showing Amlurith that evil had
to be defeated swifty so the dark brothers wouldn’t suffer
much. She told Amlurith of the surface and its wonders, of the Land
of Light in which all races lived in harmony, not hiding. They traveled
from city to city, Kyrith being surprised at the people that Amlurith
atracted, some people that remembered her as Kelminite’s bardic
daughter.
Many winters passed, and from the south, they returned to Menzoberranzan.
There, they contacted Quilue’s minions and Kyrith decided to
take a new course, to Hellgate Keep. She said she had business there,
and that Amlurith should stay at the temple near Silverymoon in
case she needed help. Once again Kyrith had a silent plan or mission
to accomplish, and Amlurith had to stay behind. The drow reached
Eilistree temple, and Kyrith left Amlurith with tears in her eyes.
Amlurith had a bad feeling about it… It was her 189th year.
The service required pristesses to go into Erelhei-Cinlu and help
slaves and prisoners. Amlurith volunteered many times, establishing
a show in the infamous drow citadel, that served as a base for the
good drow deeds. She entertained as did her praise teaching some
young drow how to play the harp, sing and dance for Eilistree, all
keeping her mind busy for the long wait ahead…
Kyrith’s call for help came one night, after 12 years. It
was in the shape of a creature of the surface, a rat. It brought
Amlurith a piece of parchment, with a small pin depicting a silvery
harp. The rat took the shape of a human male of dark clothes and
long braided red hair, whom Amlurith instinctively got away from.
She did not fail to notice that he had only one gloved hand, as
well as a scar that went fron the back of his head forking to his
face and towards his left arm. His piercing grey eyes looked deeply
sad, as he told her about Kyrith. She had been hunting a demon that
controlled Hellgate keep. She got to him, after all these years,
as “they” wanted. She was uncovered… And he arrived
too late. Kyrith’s dying wish was for Amlurith to keep her
greatest possession… the silver harp… Amlurith cried both
in pain and in anger, as well as in realization of her mentor’s
business… She was a Harper… and had died a Harper’s
death… In the name of the greater good… The male human
vanished without saying his name. Later on Amlurith gained strenght
to read the small parchment. “My dear, sweet little one…
I fear I won’t return from my journey, this time things are…
difficult… But your memory pulls me to go ahead, for you and
for the others as well… I harp… And I know that you will
follow that path if given the chance. I give you my greatest, humblest
possession besides my heart… This will identify you to them…
This will bring them closer to you… This is a great burden
that you may not wish to keep, but I know you will… I have
raised a reflection of myself, and so I trust I will live on. I
wish I would have been your blood mother, but at least I know I
am mother to your soul… Live well… Die well. Eilistree
bless us. Kyrith.”
Amlurith was brokenhearted, but her faith gave her strenght to
keep her “business” a little longer. She left Erelhei-Cinlu
two winters later, as she received a notice from a servant of Quilué.
She had turned 203 years old, so she was no longer a youth but a
woman that could lookout for herself, and who had gained enough
knowledge about her own kin. She had to complete the quest in which
Kyrith failed. She had to stop Lloth’s coming into Faerun,
which had only been delayed. Help was on the way, but someone closer
was needed…
Amlurith took her staff, her daggers and her sleep poisoned darts.
She looked around, at her little entertaining shop… at her
students… She vowed them farewell, her family… Then she
went on, leaving the place in hands of a priestess that lived in
Erelhei’s vecinity. With that, she left. The greater good needed
her, and more than anything, she would honor Kyrith’s sacrifice
at all cost. The invitation for harping was on… And she had
to do so. Amlurith took off to the Underdark, looking for answers,
clues, trails… She went on for almost 3 more winters looking
for answers… All headed to the surface, to the Land of Light.
She had never been in the surface before, just near it, during her
Run… but that was so many years ago… She was scared but
trusted Eilistraee’s words, and so she went on to the surface’s
trail. And so, her greatest quest begun.
Amlurith joined the crew of the Cutlass, battling against demons
and evil, and eventually has helped the Harpers on personal requests.
More adventures are to come, but those tales of this Spellsinger
are another story...
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