Alisaire (prime)

Alisaire Frey As rendered by MAZEIKISJ. Uploaded with permission. Race Dark Elf Culture Dhe'nar Hometown Sharath Class Ranger Religion The Way Affiliation(s) Council of Light, Dark Alliance, Hand of the Arkati, Luukosian Order, Obsidian Tower, Order of Eternal Light, Order of the Shadow Disposition Lawful evil Demeanor Lawful neutral Spouse Extraplanar shadow unlife entities (Relationship status: It's complicated.)

Alisaire Frey, or Ali'shara, is a dark elf ranger and citizen of Solhaven. She currently resides beneath the city in the dwarven ruins of old Vorn Ahvis, near the Cascade of Tears. She has a modest collection of esoteric books, manuscripts, and relics, which has been expanded in recent years. One of her more powerful artifacts ensures that it is perpetually night in her immediate vicinity. As a result, her perception of some aspects of time - specifically the relative point in time within the Elanthian diurnal cycle - has changed, leading her to always say greetings and farewells in some variant of, "Good evening."

She has taken the basilisk, sometimes depicted wreathed in aconite, as a personal symbol. Her role in Elanthia has been compared to that of the classic crossroads demon.

Information presented here could be plausibly known in whole or in part by adventurers across Elanthia, though some parts are much more obscure than others.

"Alisaire is not the elf, she is the shadow. She bleeds centipedes. She is a ranger, in the sense that she stalks the world itself. She does not speak common, but rather a particular combination of Snake, Demon and Evil that happens to resemble common, and is often confused for it, though with vastly different meanings."

— Alosaka, probably.

Appearance

You see Night Marshal Alisaire Frey the Shadow of Vorn Ahvis.
She appears to be a Dark Elf.
She has almond-shaped dark violet eyes and sable skin.  She has jaw-length, fine snowy white hair glimpsed in the shadows beneath a deep hood of dusky pewter flyrsilk.  A cascading mantle of diaphanous folds of night sky clasped with a slim silver disk floats gently about her shoulders.
Her face is concealed by a scarf of loose dark linen strips.
She has a barely discernible labyrinthine webwork of shadowy sigils encircling her forearms in black ink, and a tattooed ring of shadow-swept flames awash in silvered undertones on her finger.
Dark shadows twist and swirl around her.
She is in good shape.
She is wearing a silver-bound shadowy crystal talisman, a darkened pewter flyrsilk frock coat, a long vaalin-buckled vest of ashen bourde over some pale ivory leather scale mail, a suede-bound scaled imflass bracer, a brushed suede belt, a pair of dark grey sueded linen pants, and some vaalin-buckled dusky leather boots.

Recent History

Alisaire is most commonly found in the regions surrounding Vornavis, Solhaven, and Wehnimer's Landing, although she sometimes travels further afield to the City-States, in particular Ta'Illistim, or sails to the various western island settlements, such as Kraken's Fall.

Her known animal companion is a huge dusky shrike named Faen. She has alluded to training at least one other, a caracal, for when her shrike eventually is either retired or dies, whether of old age or unfortunate circumstances.

Since about 5110, Alisaire has generally not visibly pursued actions that could be perceived as working against the best interests of her community or neighboring towns and cities. She occasionally provides assistance to locals, whether it is in the form of advising them of regional dangers or hidden sites worth visiting, providing defensive wardings for those adventuring nearby, or even sometimes recovering the corpses of the fallen. She briefly spearheaded a movement to increase the Council of Light's influence in the Vornavis region via the Lodge but met with limited success due to lack of outside engagement. Her primary pursuits since 5120 include an ongoing comprehensive catalogue of Elanthian flora, further exploration in applying aspects of sorcery to her research, increasing her skillset in sailing, and occasionally assisting on local bandit patrols or supporting charity ventures that align with her interests. She occasionally patrons artists of various vocations.

Rumors can sometimes be heard whispered in the Solhaven taverns late at night that those interested in pursuing new options in life can attempt to seek her out. It seems that her ties to the Luukosian Order may now afford new possibilities for those seeking to remake themselves, even as a member of a completely different race. Then again, those same hushed voices urge caution, for surely there is a price for such a remarkable opportunity. Further mentions of binding contracts are quickly silenced.

Player's Note: If you want an in character reason for your character to change via polymorph potion, I am willing to work with you for either in game or off screen RP opportunities. They probably won't be pleasant.

Known Background

Originally from Sharath, Alisaire briefly joined the Obsidian Tower in Wehnimer's Landing. In spite of being acknowledged as full blooded Dhe'nar by them, she left the Tower's ranks due to philosophical disagreements in interpreting the Way in approximately 5103 and, for a time, was considered outcast by most other Dhe'nar before rejoining the Tower in 5116. There she served as an Officer of the Tower for about two years before stepping down to encourage new and more active leadership.

A bit more than seven hundred years old, Alisaire spent several centuries living in New Ta'Faendryl and later outside of Ta'Nalfein before adventuring in western Elanith. She is still fond of New Ta'Faendryl and returns there periodically. She helped with research associated with alchemical applications in necromancy and in museum curation for magical artifacts, and it is remotely possible that Faendryl characters may recognize her name as a co-author in several minor studies related to those topics published in the approximate 4500-4800 year range. She remains active in researching flora - especially those plants with practical uses for alchemy or otherwise. She likewise remains an avid fan of philosophical debate, in particular as it pertains to the Way and to the concept of fate.

During the course of the Griffin Sword Saga, Alisaire participated on both sides of the war yet ultimately chose to support the Dark Alliance and became one of its more enduring members. She recovered one of the shards of the Griffin Sword in 5102, the quillions, for which she briefly entertained offers for purchase as advertised in an issue of the Elanthian Journal. She ultimately traded the quillions to Draezir Moltoniron, High Priest of Sheru, in exchange for the removal of his army from Solhaven and for a permanent bond with extraplanar shadow creatures, a hive mind collective linked to Unlife, that had formerly plagued the city. The initial bonding was successful, and on Eoantos 10, 6102, she will fully merge with the entities, a future event that has been prophesied multiple times by various seers (both PC and NPC). The sentient shadow entities occasionally manifest physically in her defense, and they are intrinsically linked to a talisman that she constantly wears.

Alisaire became a formal member of the Luukosian Order midway through the war. She was particularly supportive of Morvule Thinevael, High Priest of Luukos, though her interest in Luukosian philosophy more closely parallels that of Craelle, High Priest of the Luukosian Order's Ivory Path. She retains close ties to the Sheruvian Order. In spite of her association with Luukos and formal membership in the Order, she rarely discusses it unless others seek her out with questions and similarly upholds that the still follows the Dhe'nari philosophy known as the Way.

She had one known blood relative, her deceased brother Khein. For a time, she had one guard, Ysharra Nagorn, a half-elf who embarked upon a personal quest in the years following the Griffin Sword Saga and who has recently returned to western Elanthia. She has largely avoided romantic relationships but did briefly pursue them with Mnar Akurion, and before him Ruhk Catagne. Some of her other closer associates have included Aramana Leirath, Armaxis Telexana, Charna Ja'Varrel'Kav, Clunk LikeARockson, Mekthros Savius, Naamit DMVMD-Braggiani, Nevrek Araknathalin, Nofret Hrist, Raelee Svala, Rekarth N'Teclis, and Tanager Skydancing. In recent years, her ties to some former members of the Dark Alliance have become so strained that they are virtually non-existent, in particular among most followers of Mularos.

Prized Possessions

a silver-bound shadowy crystal talisman

Bound in flawless silver wrought with precise, flowing patterns across its surface, the talisman is crafted from a hexagonal piece of dark crystal. Shadows roil within the heart of the faceted gem, constantly shifting as if writhing within a miasma of night itself. A single intricate sigil of deep crimson eahnor is set upon the exact center of the crystal's surface, its edges seemingly burned into the jewel itself.

a slim silver disk

Eternal night.

Four concentric circles are centered within the slim silver disk, and small pockmarks mar its otherwise clean surface. Studying the unusually simplistic design further, you realize that the engraved rings and outer rim represent the four moons of Elanthia in Grand Conjunction.

a spherical deep black pendant

Crafted of a slick matte black metal, the pendant bears only a faint border of intertwined sigils across its surface.

a yellowed elapid fang

Gift from the Priestess Lucinne.

"The truth of existence is nothing more than the lie we embrace."

an emerald asp eye

The eye is a single flawless piece of emerald, its foggy depths holding an inky black blemish within the heart of the gem -- the cracks spinning a webwork of jagged veins within the foggy viridian depths.

a gnarled fingerbone key

Key to the ruins of old Vorn Ahvis.

Seemingly melted together, a pair of fused fingerbones forms a twisting key shank, the tips twisting sharply into a jagged bit. Darkened glyphs are burned into the bone, which culminates in a gnarled knob. A braided vaalin chain loops through a hole bored into the thick bow. A faint glow emanates from the edges of the fingerbone key.

a patchworked skin-bound book

Its sturdy cover encased in a patchwork of discolored and mismatched pieces of hairless skin, the book bears a singular triangular emblem upon its front face. Wrought from blackened iron, the crest's crudely shaped form is belied by exceptionally precise runes etched into its pitted surface that weave together in a complex array. Irregular charred marks spread outward from where metal meets leathery binding, offering only a hint of how it may have been affixed to the cover.

an enruned seraceris skull

This skull has been hollowed out and smoothed on the inside so that it can be easily worn. Its long muzzle is counterbalanced by spiraling horns, their shape arching backward in sweeping hooks. Interlocking chains of jagged sigils are burned into the skull, the dark shapes a harsh contrast to the pale bone as they wind around the gaping holes of its eye sockets. The sigils culminate at the forehead where they twist sharply around a circular eahnor seal that is embedded into the bone itself.

a pale ivory basilisk patterned with ridged ebon scales

a damascened dusky low steel falcata

"Ill Omen"

Bound to the falcata's hilt is a grey-swirled coraesine relic. A rippling pattern is borne across the falcata's gently curving blade, the darkened low steel bearing undertones of icy blue and cobalt that twist and whirl like living flames. Bound in dark suede, the hilt is hook-shaped and wrought into the likeness of a skeletal qyn'arj, its fanged maw grasping a chain drawn taut between pommel and guard. The serpentine monstrosity's eyes are mismatched, one a caliginous bleakstone with lurid speckles while the other is ghostly white coraesine swirled in dusky grey. You also notice a small enchanter's glyph. A strange necrotic haze radiates from the falcata.

a dark ruic crossbow

"Wyrmfang"

Awash with a natural variegation of deep red hues, polished ruic bears an inlaid motif of rolaren scales in the form of a stylized wyrm. Encircling both stock and foregrip in a sinuous embrace, the draconic beast's maw rests agape just behind the risers. Limbs of dusky horn arc outward gracefully from a raised front sight and are further reinforced by rolaren bracing. A hefty cable of the same twisted metal is held taught between twin cams and a small nameplate is affixed behind a wide stirrup. You also notice a small enchanter's glyph.

an ebon-tipped ora crescent dagger

Attached to the blade of the bodkin is a smaller, screw-shaped spike, meant to tear open any wound the dagger inflicts. The crossguard is iron-veined bronze, sculpted into a long, sinuous serpent, the coils and scales so cunningly crafted the snake almost seems to undulate across the quillions. The head of the serpent winds around the handguard until it merges with its own tail, holding the base of the blade within its grasp. Engraved on the flat are the words "Jormurgandr, Constricter of the World."

a nightshade green ora alfange twined with silver vines

"Echo's Sting"

a serrated dark golvern dagger

Nearly thirteen inches in length, the long dagger is forged of darkened golvern and bears a broad, serrated blade. Sharply hooked teeth curl wickedly along both edges of its keenly honed blade in a manner vaguely reminiscent of a shark's maw. Its hilt bound in ebon leather, the dagger is unfortunately a half-gram heavy on the back end.

a fel-hilted curved obsidian athame

Fitted with a blackened fel hilt, the athame is wrought from a single shard of obsidian that bears a gently sloping curve to its blade. Faint indentations pattern its thin edge in a wavy manner that mirrors the shard's organically molten form. Crudely rendered sigils are burned into the athame's hilt, which is fitted with knotted cording of bronze-beaded sinew.

Additional Illustrations

Comission by C. Lijewski.
Uploaded with permission.