Kiransalee

Kiaransalee: Lady of the Dead, The Revenancer, The Vengeful Banshee, Mistress of Unlife

Symbol: Female Drow left hand, wearing silver rings on all four fingers, except the thumb.
Home Plane: The Demonweb Pits (Thanatos)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Undead, Vengeance
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Retribution, Undeath
Worshippers: Drow, Necromancers, Sentient Undead, Those Consumed with Revenge
Aliases: N/A
Cleric Alignments: CE-CN-NE
Favored Weapon: “Cold Heart” (Dagger)

History/Relationships: Kiaransalee (Pronounced Kee-uh-ran-sa-lee) is the Drow goddess of undeath and vengeance. She is called upon by mortals seeking revenge, or by mortals looking to increase their power, or lifespans, using fell magics. Historically, Kiaransalee has never shown much interest in Realmspace, Toril, Faerûn or the Underdark Fairly recent events have prompted the deity to rethink her stance. When the Cult of the Goat’s Head gained prominence in Vaasa, thanks to Zhengi the Witch-King, Kiaransalee renewed her interest in Faerûn. The Revenancer would not allow her enemy’s power to grow unchecked. Currently, her cults are gaining more and more power in the north central Underdark- especially since Lolth went silent. Her most current plot includes turning Cormanthor’s Cult of the Moon into a cult dedicated to herself.

Though very few are aware, and even fewer actually care, Kiaransalee is not native to Realmspace. She is an interloper deity, and an ancient one at that. Even more surprisingly, Kiaransalee was once a mortal. Her apotheosis occurred on another world, long before Araushnee was even banished from the Seldarine.

Details are sketchy, and for obvious reasons. But, it is believed that Kiaransalee was once a mortal necromancer queen from a world known as Threnody. Apparently, she relished in conducting sickening experiments with the dead, and the undead. Her husband, the King of Threnody, pronounced his wife a traitor, for some transgression that the sands of time have since forgotten.

Kiaransalee and a group of loyal followers soon fled. It was not much long after that the necromancer queen turned those followers into undead monstrosities, to ensure their complete loyalty. For centuries, Kiaransalee hid, continuing her experiments in secret and slowly raising an undead army to extract her revenge.

Satisfied with the might of her army, Kiaransalee sprung her trap. In the wake of her surprise attack, Threnody was a dead world. It is believed that Kiaransalee killed every single inhabitant of the world. Fleeing into the abyss with her undead army, which now consisted of the entire world of Threnody, Kiaransalee somehow came upon a divine spark, and achieved divinity.

It was in the Abyss that Kiaransalee came upon the Tanar’ri, Lolth. Though the Spider Queen had lost her divinity, she was still a powerful demon- more powerful than Kiaransalee. Like Ghaunadaur, the ancient deity of slime, Kiaransalee was subjugated by Lolth, and forced to kneel at her throne. In exchange for her “life”, Kiaransalee became an unwilling vassal of Lolth.

Kiaransalee never forgot this humiliation, even though tens of thousands of years have passed. If anything, the Revenancer has been brooding for all of these years, making her venom all the more potent. Since this point, Kiaransalee has had one major goal- to take her revenge against Lolth, the Spider Queen.

Whenever Kiaransalee can act against Lolth, she does so. Kiaransalee has instructed her followers to slay Lolthites since she gained her first follower. On more than one occasion, Kiaransalee has aided those who defied Lolth.

One such example would be when the Elven heroine Kethryllia Amarillis of Sharlarion traveled into the Abyss to save her lover from Haeshkarr, a Tanar’ri in the service of Lolth long ago, in the Year of the Singing Sirens. Kiaransalee allowed the heroine to proceed to Lolth’s domain after confronting her, and the Revenancer also made Kethryllia swear to proclaim victory to Corellon Larethian for every demon that she slew. Ironically enough, this actually worked against Kiaransalee, because it caused Lolth become interested in Realmspace, where she would eventually gain many twisted worshippers, and would become a deity once more.

For reasons known not, Kiaransalee attacked the Tanar’ri deity known as Orcus. It is widely speculated that she was somehow slighted by Orcus, though the exact nature of this insult is up for conjecture. Some sages believe that because Orcus is a Tanar’ri, he aided Lolth in her bid for divinity, which is what gained him Kiaransalee’s enmity. Some say that his mere existence as a deity of the undead was an affront of Kiaransalee, the self-styled “Mistress of Unlife”

Improbably enough, Kiaransalee succeeded, and toppled the mighty and feared Orcus. She struck quickly, with surprise and treachery, allowing her to quickly usurp his realm and his divine power. After taking over his realm in the Abyss, Thanatos, and killing or converting many of his former followers, the Drow goddess proclaims that Orcus’ name would be spoken aloud no more.

It is said that after Kiaransalee destroyed Orcus, she gave the following speech, which echoed all over the Abyss and many other Planes. “Know that forevermore, he who once claimed Thanatos is no more. The past master of this place is gone and shall not return. I, Kiaransalee, Mother of Vengeance, and Mistress of Unlife, rule here now, and shall into infinity. My will is law in Thanatos, for it is now my realm.”

“Let no soul, mortal or otherwise, speak of the former ruler again. Let no written word, anywhere in all existence, past or present, record his misbegotten appellation. Let this be the last moment any creatures hear the name fall upon their ears. The last voice to speak his name shall be that of his executioner, and I say it now for the final time. Orcus!”

Though Kiaransalee- and the rest of the multiverse- did not know it, the recently born undead deity Tenebrous was actually Orcus reformed. In this guise, he was able to plan his revenge without being noticed until it was too late. For eons- because time is inconsequential and different for divine powers- he plotted to regain his former power, his former position, his former realm, his former name, and revenge on the one who killed him- Kiaransalee.

Eventually, Tenebrous hatched his evil plot, and was able to resurrect himself. The divine entity that was Tenebrous became Orcus again. Kiaransalee was ousted from the Abyss, and was forced to flee to her small realm in the Demonweb Pits. Much of the power that she gained after slaying Orcus was lost. Since his return, she has become paranoid (even for the insane Kiaransalee), and has been fortifying her tower, Thanatos, in preparation for an assault by Orcus. That assault has not come, but Kiaransalee is convinced that it is, and is coming soon. Armed with the power of the Last Word, the ultimate unmaking force, and the Wand of Orcus, the powerful symbol of Orcus’ might, Kiaransalee is seriously convinced that her end may be near. As a result, she has swallowed her pride and has been seeking to aid Lolth, thinking that Lolth would aid her should Orcus ever attack.

Kiaransalee has an impressive list of enemies. Her most hated enemy, obviously, is Orcus, and any vestiges of Tenebrous that remain after Orcus returned. Other enemies include Deep Duerra, Dumathoin, Eilistraee, Kelemvor, Laduguer, Jergal, Lolth, and the Seldarine. All of these deities have slighter her in the past, and the Revenancer intends to eventually get her revenge. Whether or not these slights actually occurred, or if they were only perceived slights by the mad Kiaransalee is unknown.

Unlike all of the other members of the Anti-Seldarine, Kiaransalee actually has a long list of allies. She allies herself with some of these deities because they share similar interests. She allies herself with other deities because she understands that they oppose Lolth, and can help her gain freedom from the Spider Queen.

Kiaransalee’s allies include Blibdoolpoolp, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Gzimnid, Hoar, Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed, Malar, Psilofyr, The Blood Queen, The Great Mother and Velsharoon. Before they perished, Myrkul and Maanzcorian were both allies of Kiaransalee.

Her realm, located on a small, desolate stretch of the Demonweb Pits, is called Thanatos. It is a single tower, made of bones, and surrounded by hordes of undead of all different stripes. Kiaransalee recently renamed this underused domain to Thanatos after she lost control of the 113th Layer of the Abyss, which bore the same name.

Dogma: Death comes to all, and cruel vengeance will be exacted on those who waste their lives on the petty concerns of this existence. True power comes only from the unquestioning servitude of the once dead, mastery over death and the eventual earned stature of one of the ever living in death. Hunt, slay, and animate those who scorn the Revenancer’s power, and answer and slight a thousandfold so that all may know the coming power of Kiaransalee.

Avatars/Manifestations: Kiaransalee’s avatar appears as a lithe, sinuous, attractive Drow woman, wearing only silver jewelry and black silks. At a sheath on her upper thigh is Cold Heart, a wicked dagger that drips acid. On occasions, Kiaransalee’s avatar wears the Mantle of Nightmares, a rattling cloak that is made completely of bones of different shapes and sizes. Kiaransalee rarely sends an avatar to Toril. Instead, she prefers to work through her underlings, and occasionally send a manifestation.

Her most common manifestation is that of a simple skull. It suddenly rises from the ground, and begins to spin. When it stops rotating, the skull suddenly takes the form of a Drow woman’s face. At this point, the skull usually communicates something, which is usually fairly cryptic, threatens vengeance against a past or future slight, and laughs, before disappearing. When Kiaransalee is feeling particularly angered, she has the skull let out a Wail of the Banshee instead of laughing.

Sometimes, Kiaransalee manifests as a dry, disembodied, chuckling laughter that seems tinged with madness, coupled with a chill down the spine. Those who hear the laughter are treated as if the Fear spell was cast. They also suffer mental, emotional and physical damage for a day (1d4 points of WIS and CON damage)

The Revenancer’s most terrifying, and rare, manifestation comes without warning. When a being is walking on soil that is at least six feet deep, skeletal hands suddenly grab the unfortunate victim by the ankles and drag him/her into the ground. If Kiaransalee is feeling generous, she expels the victim within a few second. If she is not feeling generous, she simply leaves the victim buried underground. In either case, the victim suffers from a weakened resistance against death magics for the next year (–4 penalty versus all death magic).

Agents/Petitioners: Kiaransalee prefers to work through her servants and petitioners, rather than sending manifestations or avatars. Her servants and petitioners include Banshees, Coffer Corpses, Crawling Claws, Crimson Deaths, Ghasts, Ghosts, Ghouls, Haunts, Heucuva, Kiaranshee, Larvae, Lhiannan Shee, Liches, Maurezhi, Nightmares, Penangglans, Phantoms, Quasits, Revenants, Shadow Fiends, Shadows, Shee, Sheet Ghosts, Sheet Phantoms, Simpathetics, Skeletons, Skuz, Slow Shadows, Spectres, Wights, Wraiths, Vampires, Vargouilles, Yeth Hounds and Zombies.

Kiaransalee has one proxy- a chosen being who carries a small portion of her divine essence, and performs important tasks for her. She obtained the services of this being after killing Orcus- after all, the being had previously been a proxy of Orcus. This being is a “berk” (whatever race that is) by the name of Rotting Jack. Kiaransalee knows that Rotting Jack only swore allegiance to her in order to spare his life, and that he really has no allegiance to her, but the “berk” amuses her, so she allows him to live.

The Church of Kiaransalee: Kiaransalee and her followers are little known on Faerûn, in the Underdark, and among Drow themselves. On the surface, only the well educated know of her- the ignorant masses know nothing of her. In the Underdark, more common folk know of her, but many commonly mistake her for something she is not. For example, many believe that Kiaransalee is not actually a deity, but is actually a Lich with divine aspirations and delusions.

For the most part, Kiaransalee is worshipped secretly, in hidden shrines kept far from prying eyes. In most Drow cities, open worship of any deity other than Lolth is forbidden, so the Revenancer has her faithful worship her in secret. Personal shrine worship makes up most of Kiaransalee’s unholy places.

Black marble sarcophagi, with carvings depicting the dead walking again and extracting revenge on the living are the most common shrines. It is said that the priestess’ of the Acopolis of Thanatos produce these items, so that their hidden brothers and sisters may be able to worship the Vengeful Banshee.

Those praying to Kiaransalee simply lie in the coffins with their holy symbols over their breasts, and ask for supplication and power. Legend has it that priestess’ who are ever disturbed while praying in this manner are granted the powers of the vampire for a limited time, usually up to a day. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm these rumors, but they are interesting, indeed.

Chapels dedicated to Kiaransalee dot the wilds of the Underdark. It is said that Kiaransalee herself leads her faithful to these shrines, hidden from the prying eyes of Lolth, to plot their revenge against her and her clergy. These chapels are usually small caves or clearings where the bones of the buried dead have been absorbed into the walls.

Collectively, the members of Kiaransalee’s clergy are known as ‘Crones of Thanatos’. Individual priestess’ titles are related to the undead. Novices and acolytes are known as ‘The Commanded’. Other titles include ‘Bones of the Dead’, ‘Flesh of the Zombie’, ‘Terror Touch of the Ghoul’, ‘Chill Touch of the Shadow’, ‘Raking Claws of the Wight’, ‘Life Leech of the Wraith’, ‘Rot of the Mummy’, and ‘Spirit Harvester of the Spectre’ and ‘Yathrinshee’. These titles are only used at the Acropolis of Thanatos, mainly. Kiaransalee only allows women in her clergy, although many do worship the Renevancer. Many Drow women, dissatisfied with Lolth, but who are reluctant to give up the special status their sex gives them, flock to Kiaransalee.

As one might guess, many of Kiaransalee’s faithful are transformed into undead- some by the hands of other priestess’, and some by their own hands! In some very rare cases, some of Kiaransalee’s faithful have been supposedly transformed into undead by the goddess herself. Most faithful are reanimated as simple skeletons and zombies. Those who are favored are usually reanimated as Banshees, Vampires, Liches or Kiaranshees (Banshees who retain their spellcasting powers and abilities).

Day-to-Day Activities: Kiaransalee’s priestess’ are secretive, and are rarely live in the more notable Drow cities, such as Menzoberranzan, or the fallen Ched Nesad. Instead, most tend to live in smaller cities, or secret enclaves founded by Kiaransaleens. They are masters of plotting revenge, and this task takes up a great deal of their time. They do not let even the smallest slight go unpunished tenfold.

When a priestess is not plotting revenge against someone or something, or not acting upon that plan, she is most likely acquiring corpses. The Kiaransaleens have no problem with digging though cemeteries, and burial grounds. In fact, some enjoy doing this. All in all, they will stop at nothing to acquire dead bodies for their necromancy. Some even go so far as killing slaves, or even other Drow, which many particularly enjoy.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Priestess’ perform minor prayers and ritual of supplication each day, and more important prayers and supplication rites each month. On Midwinter’s Eve, the clergy of Kiaransalee performs their most important, unholy ritual, called the Graverending. The unholy day is celebrated individually by each priestess, rather than a communal celebration. Each priestess animates as many dead as possible, and impresses upon their weak minds one thought- revenge.

Known affectionately as ‘Vengeance Hunters’, these creatures unerringly track down those who killed them, to extract revenge. If they are destroyed, they do not ever rise up again as undead. If you extract their revenge, the creatures pass again into death, satisfied. If a day passes without killing their quarry, or being killed, they pass back into death, but can be- and usually are- reanimated.

Major Centers of Worship: Deep beneath the Galena Mountains, in Vaasa, lies one of Kiaransalee’s grandest temple, known as the Acropolis of Thanatos. The brooding, black temple, built into a great stalagmite, rests in the ruins of the city of V’elddrinnsshar. The ruins and the temple rest in a cavern known as the Vault of Gnashing Teeth. Thousands of skulls lie embedded in the roof of the cavern, and their cacophonous chomping, which is caused by natural elements, such as water and wind, echo through the cavern. The skulls, and other various bones found in the cavern once belonged to the Lolthites who once controlled the area.

V’elddrinnsshar was once a typical Drow city, dedicated to the Spider Queen. In DR 1278, the majority of the city fell victim to the Ascomoid Plague. Ten years later, Duergar scavengers struck the final blow, and finished off the few who still inhabited the city, leaving it a ghost town. The city sat unoccupied until DR 1337, the Year of the Wandering Maiden, when a small group of Kiaransaleens was guided by their deity to the cavern. They immediately began work upon a grand cathedral dedicated to Kiaransalee. After ten years, when the Acropolis of Thanatos was completed, the skulls embedded in the roof were enchanted to sing an unholy choir, heralding the founding of Kiaransalee’s greatest house of worship.

Since being founded, Larynda Telenna has led her followers against the Cult of the Goats Head, in Vaasa. Because the cult swore allegiance to Orcus and Tenebrous, they were natural enemies. The Kiaransaleens have been most efficient in routing Orcus and Tenebrous’ followers. In fact, the people of Damara really have the Drow of the Acropolis of Thanatos to thank for being able to gain their freedom from the Witch-King so quickly, though they don’t know it.

Affiliated Orders: The Legion of Vengeful Banshees, known also as the Banshee Knights, is an order of zealots who are dedicated to the destruction of Orcus, and all of his followers. In the past, they were dedicated to destroying Tenebrous and his undead tanar’ri servants, known as Visages. Since Orcus’ return, they have shifted their mission to destroying Orcus , who was actually Tenebrous in disguise, and all of his minions.

The Banshee Knights are mainly based in the Acropolis of Thanatos. From there, they plan and carry out hunts in the Underdark, and on the surface world, for followers of Orcus, and the deity’s undead minions. The Banshee Knights are fervently dedicated to pleasing their master, and stop at nothing to appease her. They stop at nothing to destroy a minion of Orcus, regardless of the collateral damage. The Legion of Vengeful Banshees has had particular success against the Cult of the Goats Head in Vaasa and Damara.

Priestly Vestments: Priestess’ of Kiaransalee wear loose, black hooded cowls, stitched with ivory and/or bone. These cloaks are often modeled after the Mantle of Nightmares, a magical cowl that Kiaransalee herself is supposed to wear. Many priestess’ also wear black veils over their faces as well.

Priestess’ shave their heads, and wear gray skullcaps. They also wear silver rings on all of their fingers, except for their thumbs. These rings need not be mundane, and often have magical properties.

Kiaransalee’s priestess’ often spread a grayish paste over all of the uncovered parts of their bodies, such as their feet, their legs, their hands, their arms, and their faces. This paste is made up by combining unholy water and the ash produced after cremating corpses.

Adventuring Garb: Priestess’ of Kiaransalee are forbidden to wear any kind of armor, and instead, have to rely on their own magical defenses, and the combat skills of their undead servants. Most priestess’ wear Rings of Protection to fulfill their duty to wear silver rings on their fingers, and to augment their own defenses with magic.

Priestess’ of the Revenancer are skilled with the use of many weapons. For the most part, however, they favor weapons that inflict little physical damage, such as slim, poisoned daggers, garrotes and maces. The reason for this is so that they inflict as little physical harm as possible to their victims- bodies that can be reanimated at later points in time.