Halisstra Melarn

Personal History
Halisstra entered the Forgotten Realms as a pivotal character during the War of the Spider Queen. An heiress to House Melarn, she enjoyed all of the benefits of a drow noble. House Melarn was a ruling House of Ched Nasad before it's subsequent fall and absorbtion by the clan of half-shadow dragons. She was cited as a spoiled devotee of Lolth, enjoying only hedonism and the company of her battle-captive Danifae Yauntirr. Halisstra also had been taught the magic of bae’qeshel, the gift of bard magic through dark litanies to Lolth.

In the events of the War of the Spider Queen, Halisstra lost faith in Lolth during an excursion on the surface. She was captured by the faithful of Eilistraee and converted to that faith. One of her first assignments as a initiate was to recover the Crescent Blade, a task seen as suicidal. She overcame this challenge and bore the Crescent Blade when her and two other priestesses of Eilistraee invaded the Demonweb Pits in order to slay Lolth. She once again had a crisis of faith, after she watched her fellow priestesses get slain and partially devoured by the draegloth Jeggred Baenre, at the instruction of Danifae Yauntirr. During this battle, the Crescent Blade was broken. Halisstra left the blade in a consecrated temple to Eilistraee that the three priestesses had raised in the Demonweb Pits, both as a place of refuge and as a statement to Lolth.

Halisstra accompanied Quenthel Baenre and Danifae Yauntirr into the tabernacle of Lolth, to sit in the very presence of the Spider Queen. When told that only one member of the trio would leave the tabernacle alive, Halisstra assumed she was going to be obliterated. Lolth was not finished with Halisstra, however. When Halisstra threw herself on the mercy of Lolth, she was rewarded with eternal service as Lolth's Lady Penitent.

She was sent back to Faerûn and began to hunt priests of Vhaeraun. When she was found by priestesses of Eilistraee, she convinced them that the Crescent Blade still existed in the Demonweb Pits. The priestess Cavatina Xarann followed her into the Abyss, and found the blade still in the consecrated, but collapsing temple of Eilistraee. Cavatina Xarann used the blade and the assistance of the Lady Pentitent to kill the demigod Selvetarm.

Years later Lolth gave her to the balor Wendonai. He sent her back to Faerûn, to search for Cavatina Xarann and take her to the demon. The balor discarded her once she delivered the priestess. Looking for a way to kill herself and escape Lolth, the Lady Penitent entered the negative material plane. Unfortunately, this was also not enough to kill her. Eventually, Halisstra came to the Acropolis of Kiaransalee in the Underdark, where her actions were unknown. Some time after that she was summoned to an ancient temple in the ruins of Ilythiir. She was freed by T'lar Mizz'rynturl and the Lady Penitent believed herself to be a new god. T'lar Mizz'rynturl started the Cult of the Lady Penitent and planned to gather influence in the drow city Sshamath. When Qilué Veladorn came to Ilythiir, possessed by the balor Wendonai and the Crescent Blade, she tried to kill Halisstra. Halisstra defended herself and slew Qilué Veladorn. Eilistraee entered the body of her fallen priestess and tried to show Halisstra a path back to the light. Wendonai whispered through the Crescent Blade to the Lady Penitent, that the goddess inhabiting Qilué Veladorn's body was not Eilistraee, but Lolth. Halisstra decapitated Qilué Veladorn with the Cresent Blade, killing Eilistraee. Another priestess of Eilistraee took revenge with the Crescent Blade, and finally ended the sad existence of Halisstra.

Current Appearance
Lolth's magic has transformed Halisstra into a twisted mockery of her former svelte drow form. She appears to be a hybrid of demon and drow is known as the Lady Penitent, and stands twice as tall as a typical drow. She is still slightly feminine, with eight spider legs protruding from her chest. Her hair is a matted tangle that looked like old spider silk. Under each of her eyes is a hairy bulge, from which a fang-tipped jaw curves, the points meeting above the mouth.

With all of these physical changes, the most affluent is not visible. Lolth also injected Halisstra with a venom that causes constant agony, without killing her. The only reprieve she receives is when she follows the will of Lolth.

Combat
Halisstra's new form is much more powerful than her former one, and can regenerate wounds nearly instantaneously. Her strength has increased exponentionally, and she seems to enjoy all of the resistances of the demon races.

She still has control of her bae’qeshel abilities, even though the litanies are now mangled owing to her disfigured mouth.

Whether or not her clerical magic remains is unknown, though, as Lolth's champion, some sort of power is to be assumed.

Halisstra Melarn