Qilué Veladorn

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 1372 DR. .

Description
Qilué was a 6 feet tall drow female of wild, dazzling beauty (as opposed to the sleek, well-groomed appearance of most drow priestesses). She had silvery hair that flowed down to her ankles, and silver eyes, like her goddess, that were larger than those of most drow. Her appearance was so awe-inspiring, imperious at times, that Liriel Baenre believed Qilué to be Eilistraee herself when meeting her for the first time.

Personality
The seventh among the Seven Sister, or the Dark Sister, 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.

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, even if 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 who they are (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 was angered by tyrants and slavers or by anything that would oppress intelligent creatures, and she acted to contrast 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 was 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.

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 had 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 light her. Qilué sometimes purposefully showed herself in this way to lure drow of other faiths or any individual that she wished to talk to.

The Dark Sister had a talent in playing pranks and mischiefs 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, prankful ways and dalliances with human men gained her sister quite a reputation among the nobility. The Dark Sister could be totally unhibited 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.

In contrast to most clergy of Eilistraee, the priestesses of the Promenade -Qilué included- didn't spend much time on the surface, concentrating their activities underground. However, eventually, the happenings in Waterdeep came to concern Qilué. She was particularly careful of the intrigues of the Waterdhavian nobility and of the criminality that they hired to advance their shadier affairs, 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 folk for sale into slavery in Calimshan or for work in Calishite-owned mines in Chult). She would often travel to Skullport, or 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.

Possessions
Qilué possessed a unique Singing Sword that could be stored in an extradimensional space for her retrival. Others who tried to trace where the sword comes from or enter the extradimensional space, would find their way barred by a manifestation sent by Eilistraee, equal in effect to an Evards black tentacles spell that materialized right in front of them, accompanied by the discharge of a lightning bolt

Whenever Qilué was outside the temple, she wore a single bracer on her right forearm that was a sheath for a magical, silver-plated dagger and that also had the power of storaging six spells of any circle. It was gifted to Qilué by three of her Sisters and she held the item dear, as it reminded her of the love of her Sisters whenever she looked at it. She kept it loaded with the spells find traps, locate object, remove curse, fire storm, regeneration, and sunray. She didn't wear the bracer when dancing to Eilistraee.

When not dancing to the goddess, Qilué wore a robe that flickered with a shifting, silvery glow. It had the power to protect her from spells up to 3rd circle and to reflect back at the caster the first spell of 7th circle or greater that struck the robe every 12 hours. The robe was linked to Qilué's life, and it instantly lost all its powers when not touching her. It could be made invisible, or made glow with a soft radiance of a chosen color, or made emit mists that could cloack her identity and allow her to hide in shadows.

Qilué also often carried a blast scepter) and a special wand of magic missiles that could unleash about 1 missile per second and recover its magical energy with time (roughly, every hour it gathered the power to unleash one missile). Both were found in the tomb of an archmage of ancient Netheril. The blast scepter was an artifact capable of absorbing heat and electricity and reflecting the blast force of all explosions away from the bearer. The scepter could be used to stun a creature by touch, generate a conic shockwave of sonic energy (capable of knocking away and paralizing those hit) and powerstriking a target, severely damaging most creatures on touch (targets made up of material that had never been alive were disintegrated by it, as per spell effect).

Powers
Mystra gifted Qilué the power to disrupt any magical item within 90 feet of her body. She could choose to selectively block items or use the energy of one item to power the effects of another. The precise limits of this power were not known. Qilué was also immune to one spell of each circle: magic missile, web, lightning bolt, Evards black tentacles, cone of cold, chain lightning, power word stun, sink, and imprisonment. Mystra and Eilistraee also granted Qilué the power to cast some spells without the need to pray for those or to use material components. If cast, they returned to her mind by Eilistraee's grace 24 hours later. They were cure light wounds, charm person, dispel magic, neutralize poison, raise dead, blade barrier, and resurrection. Qilué was careful to pray for spells often; it was a needed precaution as the Promenade was often under attack, and its survival could depend on her strength at any time. As all priestesses of Eilistraee, Qilué could manifest her Moonfire. Her other powers remained mysterious.

Family
Qilué had a particular bond with Laeral Silverhand. As a childhood habit (that carried on to her adulthood), she used to take Laeral's appearance to wander the surface world, play pranks or join nobles' parties, at times getting her sister in real troubles. This initially damaged their relation, even if with time Laeral came to accept her sister's ways and even be amused by those (at times she would ask Qilué to impersonate her) and the two became very close. They kept in touch with each other and Qilué gave Laeral an ear cuff that allowed her to transport directly to the Promenade of the Dark Maiden. She could work with Laeral's harpers, but at times their directives could come into contrast. The Seven Sisters had personal names only known to each other, Khelben, Elminster, Lhaeo, and certain trusted Harpers. These truenames were used in messages and communication and guardian magics, so that the Sisters could recognize each other without breaking any disguises. Qilué's truename was Ilindyl.

Qilué had a daughter named Ysolde Veladorn, who was also priestess of Eilistraee until her death in 1361 DR.

Others
Elkantar Iluim, a drow former noble who had been sold into slavery by his matron mother because of his rebellious tendencies, was her consort until his death at the hands of Gorlist in 1361 DR.

With time, Qilué gained the reputation of protectress of adventurers, as she was known to often rescue those who ventured in the Undermountain from the perils of the dungeon. Most of those who received her help showed deep gratitude, seeming to almost revere her. In exchange of any aid or healing offered, Qilué usually asked for their help in a single, simple mission or favor and those whose work and attitude managed to win her liking, were offered the chance to enter in the service of the drow of the Promenade (rewards consisted mostly of riches in form of gems or magic items; rewards for mages were known to also include spell scrolls and even tutelage in magic useful in the Underdark). When pleased by the work of the adventurers in her service, she could give them some magical means of communicating with her, which could be used to call upon her help when they got in troubles. However, each time she had to come to the rescue would carry a price in the form of a further task and some adventurers would find themselves involved deeper and deeper into the plots of the Dark Lady in Skullport and Waterdeep.

Background
Though born to a human couple, she was full-blooded drow, due to the bizarre events surrounding her birth. Her father killed her mother when he found out that she had been possessed by Mystra, the goddess of magic. Mystra, seeking to keep the child alive, came upon a pregnant drow priestess of Eilistraee whose child had died in her womb, and made a pact with Eilistraee that served both their intentions.

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 magical-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 them to destroy the Pit of Ghaunadaur, a mile-deep shaft conncetd to the third level of Halaster's Undermountain, from where the slime god could have creeped to 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, fighting their way --with the protection of the Dark Maiden-- to the Pit, where Qilué faced an avatar of Ghaunadaur itself. Eilistraee's and Mystra's power infused the child's body and, through her, silvery fire burned away at the elemental 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 retrun. The voice said:

''You must make a stand here close to the surface world, and you must be ever vigilant against the return of Ghaunadar. 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.''

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 envisioned for her. In the subsequent years, obeying the order of the Dark Dancer, Qilue 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 have later built).

Death
In Flamerule 1379 DR, she was killed while the goddess Eilistraee possessed her body. Qilué/Eilistraee was beheaded by Halisstra Melarn when she was tricked by the balor Wendonai as she was on the verge of redemption. Despite Qilué's sister's (Laeral) thinking, the Blade couldn't destroy souls anymore after it was reforged, as proved by Cavatina Xarann's soul surviving after her body was killed by the weapon, so Qilué's soul wasn't destroyed.

After the events of the Sundering, Eilistraee managed to make a comeback, but whether Qilué's soul currently was in her divine realm remained unknown (speculations were that she had become a Voice in the Weave ).