Rivalen Tanthul

Nightseer Rivalen Tanthul was the second-eldest of the twelve Princes of Shade as well as the High Priest, personal champion, and eventual chosen of Shar, the Goddess of Loss and Night. In his service to his goddess, Rivalen gained divine power that eventually dwarfed that of his father, the Most High Telamont Tanthul, and nearly destroyed an entire realm in Faerûn in her name.

"I'll be the last living thing on this planet, Brennus, screaming into the void as everything dies."

- Rivalen Tanthul, 1484 DR.

Description
Rivalen's was an imposing figure, with broad shoulders that narrowed to a slender waist. He regularly dressed in armor, and wore a helmet adorned with curved horns atop his rather square head. He had striking eyes, golden eyes that shimmered like gemstones.

This appearance was not his true form however. Like the other Princes of Shade, Rivalen's shade body obscured what little remained of his once-human form: a beating black heart set within a ribcage of black bone, attached to whatever was left of his blackened spine.

Personality
"If it helps, I believe Rivalen is being punished, Brennus. He's gone mad. He thinks he's going to end the world...he stares at a hole in reality for days on end. His thoughts bounce around in the cage prepared for him by his goddess. He only dreams of darkness and endings and suffers for it."

- Telamont Tanthul, to his son Brennus.

For much of his life, Rivalen remained composed and in control of his actions, despite constant conflicts that arose in his life. His dedicated to the goddess Shar was incompatible with the life's work of his family and the Most High.

While Rivalen believed that non-existence was an inevitability of life—and was in fact part of Shar's will—he did all in his power for a time to delay that fate. He hoped to help achieve his father's dream of a restored empire of Netheril in Faerûn for at least some time, before Shar's Cycle of Night claimed Toril and its people.

Over time Rivalen became cynical and embittered in the face of Shar's inevitable will, and even found his god-like powers pointless. He became spiteful, fed off the suffering of others, and began to descend into madness. He became obsessed with the end of the world, and focused only on the role he would play in it on behalf of Shar.

Abilities
Rivalen was unique among his fellow princes in that he was a theurge, a spellcaster that blended the magic of the Art and the Power. The elder prince became both an accomplished archwizard as well as Shar's Nightseer, an over priest within her church, Rivalen even developed a ritual that allowed human servants to transform themself into shadar-kai, a transformation he declared was a miracle bestowed upon them by Shar.

In his service to Shar, Rivalen took for himself one third of the divinity of the god Mask, with the other portions taken by Drasek Riven and the archdevil Mephistopheles. He became a godling, accumulated powers comparable to that of a deity's exarch, and eventually arose as Shar's own chosen.

Possessions
Prince Rivalen's personal sigil was the holy symbol of Shar, set above a pair of deep purple ram's horns, set on a field of dark grey.

He was an avid collector of historical coins, believing each one served as a reminder of the momentous occasions he had witnessed in his centuries-long life. His collection spanned eras across Faerûn's history and beyond, and included one coin from a planet alien to Toril itself.

Rivalen was also an appreciator of fine art. For a time he owned the sculpture titled The Descent of the Shadow Army, carved by the famous stone giant artist Aris, before offering it as a gift to Myrmeen Lhal of Arabel.

Activities
While Rivalen's father Telamont was the secular ruler of the Shadovar people, Prince Rivalen server as their leader in faith. He led the flying city's Sharran clergy from the magnificent Hall of Shadow, located near the Palace Most High.

Family
For much of his life, Rivalen was truly afraid of his father Telamont, more so than any terrible beast or foe he faced in battle. Rivalen dedicated himself to help carry out his father's vision for the renewed empire of Netheril for centuries, until he acquired the divine power that irrevocably altered his perspective. After coming to see Shar's annihilation of Toril as inevitable, Rivalen believed himself superior to his father in every way. Telamont believed his son was truly lost and mourned the memory of who he once was.

While Rivalen's favorite of his siblings was his elder brother Escanor, Rivalen was perhaps closest with his younger brother Brennus, despite their distinct differences in personality. They embarked on ventures across the Realms, working together to raise the lost enclave of Sakkors, and fighting alongside one another in grand battles. The brothers had a tumultuous falling out however, when Brennus learned of Rivalen's part in their mother's death. Near the end of their lives, each brother wanted the other dead, but Rivalen spared his brother's life as he was needed to fulfill Shar's will.

Rivalen was also well-served by his brother Yder, who acted as his right hand within the Thultanthan church of Shar. As one of the Lady's divine champions, Yder shared Rivalen's zealous drive to spread her faith across all of Faerûn.

Rivals
In Thultanthar, Rivalen found a rival for his father's approval in Hadrhune, the Most High's chief advisor. Rivalen resented the non-Tanthulan shade and worked to secretly worked undermine his efforts in efforts in Thultanthar. After Hadrhune's apparent death, Rivalen was in the perfect position to become his father's favored advisor and best aid him in the reconstruction of the second Netherese empire. Over time, Rivalen attained enough power to kill Hadrhune on a whim, but by that time had shed his trivial rivalry with the inferior shade.

Rivalen's true rivalry lay, with another favored priest of his goddess Shar, Kesson Rel, who led a "heretical" sect of the Sharran church. Kesson Rel emerged as Shar's preferred servant to take on the mantle as her Herald from the god Mask, and carry out her Cycle of Night on Toril. Rivalen became embittered after not being chosen by Shar—a favored technique she employed upon her followers— and deeply resented Kesson Rel for this fact. In the end Rivalen stole the rival priest's power, and took on the mantle of Shar's herald (at least in part), fulfilling the role of Shar's chosen servant he so deeply desired.

Allies
As the head of the Sharran church in Thultanthar, Rivalen was aided by numerous priests and priestesses of Shar, including the devoted shade Variance Amatick.

Rivalen had a brief, but tenuous alliance with Erevis Cale the chosen of Mask. They banded together to defeat their common foe in Kesson Rel.

History
In the, when he was still a mortal man, Rivalen slew his mother Alashar by command of Shar. In doing so he fulfilled his "Own Secret" that he shared with Shar, the single most important requirement to supplicants of her clergy.

The Return
Sometime during their time in the Shadowfell, Prince Rivalen's powers of divination aided his father in his quest to return Thultanthar to Faerûn, until his younger brother Melegaunt and his pupil Galaeron opened the way for them in the. Rivalen and Escanor were the first two of the remaining princes to step foot on Faerûn, an immediately set to work against Mystra's chosen Elminster, unsure just how much a threat he would pose to their plans. Ultimately their use of shadow magic trapped the old sage in the Nine Hells, a tragedy they maintained was entirely accidental.

After Melegaunt's pupil Galaeron—who held secrets secrets vital to the Shadovar people—had a falling out with the Most High Telamont Tanthul, the young elf stole a number of valuable items from Thultanthar and fled the flying city to Cormyr. In Mirtul of 1372 DR, Rivalen appeared before Cormyr's regent Alusair Obarskyr to negotiate the release of Galaeron and the return of the Shadovar's goods. In the end, Galaeron was held overnight within the Citadel of Arabel. Rivalen and his Shadovar attempted to "free" Galaeron and return him to the Most High in Thultanthar in the middle of the night, but were outmaneuvered by Alusair Obarskyr and several of his men were executed.

Following Rivalen's failure, the Most High offered him a chance at redemption by leading the Shadovar forces at the invasion of Tilverton. After his shade soldiers stormed city, Rivalen opened a rift to the Shadowfell that let loose a growing vortex of shadowstuff that destroyed any matter it touched. The was soon confronted by Galaeron and the Cormyrean Court Mage Vangerdahast and the three fought in a short battle. While Galaeron distracted Rivalen, Vangerdahast struck him with an arcane blast, temporarily destroying much of his shadowy form. What remained of the prince's corporeal body—his black heart still beating within a ribcage and spine—lashed out at Vangerdahast for a moment, before being filled with golden fire and cast into the vortex bound to the Shadowfell.

By Kythorn of the, Rivalen had recovered from his ordeal in Cormyr and had returned to Thultanthar to preside over Shar's temple. That month he granted permission to Variance Amatick to undertake her search for the Leaves of One Night. While the Sharran priestess was successful, the tome was yes incomprehensible to the Nightseer.

War in Sembia
"I will capture Tilverton and destroy the Alliance army or I will die trying.

Die if you must, but death does not excuse failure."

- Rivalen Tanthul and his father Telamont's response.

In Uktar of the, Rivalen and Brennus undertook two quests to help bring back to Faerûn a new empire of Netheril: the raising of the crashed enclave of Sakkors, and the subjugation of one of the terrestrial realms that neighbored Thultanthar.

Later that month, the brothers manipulated the erratic Sharran priestess Elyril Hraven and her power-hungry aunt Mirabeta Selkirk, to spark the Sembian Civil War, which led to the eventual subjugation of Sembia as a vassal state to Thultanthar and the restored Empire of Netheril. Rivalen and Brennus assassinated the merchant nation's Overmaster, installed Mirabeta as an interim ruler whom they could control, and forced a conflict of arms between cities of Ordulin and Saerb. Rivalen then ingratiated himself to the new Hulorn of Selgaunt Thamalon Uskevren II, and set the already-divided realm against itself at a decisive battle, one that saw the Shadovar emerge as the saviors of Sembia. Thamalon II was then brought on as the new Overmaster of Sembia and transformed into a shade, ensuring Netheril's control over the nation for the following century.

To ensure that the Princes' success with Sakkors and Sembia were not all for naught—and the emerging second Empire of Netheril could thrive before Shar's ending of the world—Rivalen was forced to confront Kesson Rel, his main rival for Shar's favor. He accompanied the two chosen of Mask, Erevis Cale and Drasek Riven, on their quest to kill Kesson Rel. Rivalen sought to claim the divinity for himself, but ultimately was forced to split the power with Drasek, and the archdevil Mephistopheles.

The Cycle of Night
"Rivalen wants to die, Hadrhune, but he wants to kill the world first."

- Telamont Tanthul, 1484 DR.

In the late 15 century DR, Rivalen sought to complete the Cycle of Night on Toril, a century after it was initiated. He spent much of his time in contemplation at the Ordulin Maelstrom, searching for insight as to how it could be done.

After Brennus Tanthul uncovered the whereabouts of Vasen Cale, the long-lost son of Erevis Cale, Rivalen struck out at the pair and further drove his troubled brother towards utter despair. He then recruited the spellscarred ex-soldier Sayeed to the worship of Shar, and forced him to reveal the invisible words of The Leaves of One Night at the Ordulin Maelstrom, so that Rivalen could receive Shar's hidden truth from the tome. He then took control of the flying city of Sakkors and drew it towards him at the dormant shadowstorm. He would kill his remaining enemies in Faerûn, force Vasen Cale to read the script of The Leaves of One Night to bring Shar to Toril and watch her consume the world.

The returned Erevis Cale and his son Vasen confronted Rivalen, but were no match for his power. Rivalen swiftly forced Vasen to read aloud from Shar's holy tome, immediately causing the restored shadowstorm to grow in size. At the same time, Drasek Riven teleported himself and Mephistopheles from Cania to the Ordulin Maelstrom, reuniting the power of Mask's divinity. Strengthened by his father and his friends, Vasen resisted Shar's influence and erased the words from The Leaves of One Night, destroying the artifact and halting Shar's Cycle of Night. The mortal Rivalen died along with Brennus when Sakkors fell upon Ordulin, as his brother held him down, avenging their mother Alashar.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Return of the Archwizards (The Summoning, The Siege) • Mistress of the Night • The Twilight War (Shadowbred, Shadowstorm, Shadowrealm) • The Godborn
 * Fiction
 * Realms of War: "Continuum"