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Originally posted by The Hooded One ('04)

I dealt with your requested character sketches for THE SEVEN SISTERS at great length in the book of that name, but let me give VERY brief thumbnails here. The names that follow are those by which the Seven are commonly known.
Storm Silverhand: the Bard of Shadowdale, a warmly affectionate midwife and mother to the children of others who gives shelter, refuge, aid, and advice to many; a guide and tutor to fellow Harpers; a singer and harpist of skill; fearless in battle, and an increasingly cynical strategist when viewing Zhent activities and politics in general
Alustriel: the High Lady of Silverymoon and founder and current head of the Silver Marches, a diplomatic friend and lover to all who by her sunny personality and giving nature has forged the Gem of the North as a city of culture and concord; lacks all sense of shame but has her own dignity that overrides all the ‘free love’ that pervades her court; very like Storm, but aims high (ruling, society, alliances) rather than low (Storm prefers to work with farm wives, orphans, loners, and other individuals); see my Realmslore column on the WotC website for details of her current consort [four parts]
The Simbul: Queen of Aglarond, a wild-eyed, unkempt woman who spends much time flying about the Realms shapechanged or slaughtering Thayans (she’s less than sane in her glee over destroying Red Wizards). Swift to fury and recklessly mighty in her hurlings of magic, she’s currently the lover of Elminster of Shadowdale, who’s trying to mellow her as fast as he can. She plays a part in the action of ELMINSTER’S DAUGHTER.
Laeral: the Lady Mage of Waterdeep and consort to Khelben ‘Blackstaff’ Arunsun, Laeral is quieter and more prim than her sisters, but that’s a matter of style more than any prudishness or lack of humour. She prefers the velvet glove, but her tongue can be as sharp as the rest of them when need be. Prefers to teach folk to master magic (working on their characters and foresight for consequences as much as technical mastery of spells) in Blackstaff Tower, and takes a longer, cooler view of life than either Alustriel or Storm. You’ll probably see her VERY briefly in the Waterdeep novel Elaine Cunningham and I are working on right now. See HAND OF FIRE for brief glimpses of her working in concert with Alustriel.
Dove: married to Florin Falconhand of the Knights of Myth Drannor (they have one child, and all three of them enjoy the freedom of Evermeet, and means of teleporting there at will), Dove enjoys the plain life of the warrior, viewing ‘losing oneself in magic’ as a character flaw that can blind one to the simple joys -- and hard truths -- of life in Faerun. She prefers blunt, honest speech to cleverness and deceit, sleeping and living in the open to cities and high fashion and intrigues, and exercise over idleness. If you need help branding or rounding up cattle or raising a roof in Shadowdale, expect to be able to call on Dove -- and don’t be surprised to see her hefting logs unaided, joking and sweating along with everyone else, doffing clothes for comfort just as the men do, and alone wrestling a steer off its feet so it can be roped, branded, or whatever.
Qilue Veladorn: [accent grave missing over the “e” in “Qilue” thanks to my primitive e-mail] the Chosen of both Mystra and Eilistraee, Qilue looks like a drow, albeit with silver hair, and in manner, speech, and expression, is the least friendly and approachable of the Seven (except when compared to an angry Simbul), and is as restless as the Simbul, torn between “her two mothers” and unsure of her destiny and what she should be doing; enjoys human company (see SILVERFALL) but prefers dancing in worship of Eilistraee in moonlit forest with fellow drow more than anything else; half-fears and yet is strangely excited that either Mystra or Eilistraee intends her to wed someone she might not like (she has no idea who, this is just a notion); is most like an adolescent in lack of confidence of all the Seven. In dealings with strangers, will be polite, wary, yet quick to warn of offense (and servile to no one).
Sylune [ditto missing accent]: formerly the Witch of Shadowdale, Sylune perished a few years back, and lives on in a unique undead form: she can materialize as a wraith-like being, or in a seemingly-solid-to-the-eye-but-intangible image of her body, when within a certain distance of a stone (no matter how small the fragment) that was formerly part of the floor of her now-vanished hut in Shadowdale. Many Knights and most of her sisters and a few other persons carry such fragments, or have them stored in various places, and she can ‘jump’ from one to another -- as well as possessing the bodies of the living under certain circumstances. In undeath as in life, Sylune is a kind, motherly healer, midwife, loremistress, and herbalist who delights in learning and knowing lore (not gossip) and freely passing that knowledge on to others. Like Storm, is happiest dealing with individuals -- but like Laeral, can take the long view and see it more clearly than any of her sisters.
If you want to “hear” something of the characters of the Seven, check out my novel SILVERFALL, or my two-part 2003 Spin A Yarn tale on the WotC website, ONLY A WOMAN CAN TAKE THIS SORT OF ABUSE. Each year, this story is concocted from audience suggestions (and this year, that included the title, too), so it tends to be wildly silly, but this year’s offering includes some repartee between some of the Seven that will help you capture their natures when irritated. The Sisters are deeply bonded friends, with only Qilue standing a shade apart, and it shouldn’t be possible for PC or NPC machinations or events in your campaign to make them enemies of each other.
I hope this helps. I wish I had time to provide more.

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Originally posted by Kuje


Maybe Wooly, or someone, will drop by and post the link to the dragondex site, where it should list the issue #'s. :)

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