Dara

Dara was the chosen of Ilmater who served her deity during the late 15 century DR. While she merely a young girl who was raised by Ilmatari in Amn, she demonstrated profound wisdom and understanding well beyond her years. Her divine mission took her to different realms across Faerûn and beyond, even into the depths of the Nine Hells.

"Time is against us, but not the gods. Even here, I feel Ilmater's guiding light. It is my destiny to join you on this quest."

- Dara, to her allies in Avernus.

Description
Dara appeared as any other ten-year-old girl in the Realms. Her soul was said to be wholly pure and marked with supernatural and divine fortitude. Despite her confidence, she has small, mousy voice.

Personality
She was extremely focused in her actions and kept true to the mission of her young life. While she would let nothing stand in her way, she could be rather single-minded in the execution of her plans.

Abilities
At some point in her life, Dara read from the Book of Exalted Deeds, granting her divine powers aligned with the Ilmatari faith. The holy tome led her on her mission to find the souls of former warriors that were trapped in the eternal battlefields of the Hells.

She had enigmatic and supernatural powers unavailable to others, such as the ability to bring back to life any angel with a single kills.

Relationships
She always traveled alongside an elder shepherd named Ghorin, and his goat Clyde. Ghorin was extremely protective of Dara, and never let her out of his sight.

History
In her early years, Dara was raised by Ilmatari clerics in the Tower of Willful Suffering, in the Amnian city of Eshpurta.

Divine Calling
"I know not where you are to go,

Or what you're looking for;

But if He say I make it so,

Then tarry shall we no more."

- Dara, singing to her companions.

When the city of Elturel was plunged from the face of Faerûn into the depths of the Nine Hells, Dara took on a divine mission: save as many innocents as she could, and rally a group of righteous warriors to venture into the Hells with her and her companions. She immediately sought out survivors along the outskirts of the city and gathered them to a refugee caravan, bound for Baldur's Gate. Dara compelled a group of adventurers to gather supplies, and helped several Elturgardians get to safety, including the smithy Wellum, his assist Gordrick, Ippon the miller, her assistant Pal, the reclusive writer Billiam, the couple Segren and Vasha Hall, and Hastrine Leaftender, an elven traveler of the Feywild.

One night, as the caravan traveled west towards Baldur's Gate, Billiam was slain in a particularly horrific manner. Dara pleaded with her new adventurer friends to find out the identity of the murderer, so the other refugees could travel in peace and safety. Eventually, they deduced the killer was none other than Vollis Foote, a cultist of the fallen solar Zariel.

Once the reached Baldur's Gate, soldiers of the Flaming Fist interrogated each member of their caravan. Unfortunately for them, additional murders broke out in the Gate's Outer City, and the adventurers were named as suspects, and held for trial by a local magistrate. Dara, Ghorin, and even Clyde remained by the heroes' side throughout the ordeal, and waited until they could act freely within the city.

Some time after the Elturgard refugees regrouped within the city, Dara and Ghorin both went missing. Hastrine became very worried and upset hearing of Dara's absence. During their absence, Dara's adventurer allies discovered that a devil named Gharizol was summoned into the docks of Baldur's Gate, and schemed to murder any mortal descendants of the ancient Hellriders that accompanied Zariel into Avernus many years ago. Two members of the refugee group―Segren and Wellum―were such individuals and grealy imperiled. Fortunately for them, the adventurers managed to defeat Gharizol and save the lives of the Elturgardian refugees.

Dara then appeared before the adventurers and revealed her true mission in Elturgard, to conscript a band of heroes brave enough to accompany her and her companions―who were in fact a planetar named Rinzel and Ausuriel, the goat-legged deva who served as the Herald of Shiallia and patron of lost children. The group was soon joined by Fai Chen, an enigmatic wagon-driver who could take the group down to the battlefield of Avernus.

Journey Through the Hells
"I pray for your return, my friends,

May mercy be by your side;

But if you happen to meet your ends,

Then that means you've all died."

- Dara, finishing her tune.

The group of adventurers, accompanied by Dara, the two angels, and Fai Chen traveled Avernus for over a day, before coming upon the Wandering Emporium. The group met several menacing beings within, but were eventually granted safe travel with the emporium for one month, by it's proprietor, the rakshasa Mahadi. Eventually they learned of a powerful silver dragon hiding in Avernus, one who would make for a powerful ally for Dara's cause.

After arriving at their plan, Dara bid the adventurers well as they ventured off across Avernus. The party's first mission took them to the fortress of Plagueshield Point, where they uncovered the hidden location of the Hellriders' last battle on Avernus, taken from the ancient Bloody Hooves company's battle plans. This pointed them to the Canyon of Screams, somewhere in Avernus.

Amassing Allies
They next focused their efforts on recruiting allies for their continuing mission in the Hells. The group traveled through the hellish forest of Bloodroot Grove, and rescued Zhalruban, the celestial unicorn, the mount of Shalral Prall, Zariels' lieutenant during the Ride into the Hells. Afterwards, Zhalruban dedicated itself to serving Dara as a mount and protector for the foreseeable future. The group continued on to Weatherstone Keep, which like Elturel had also been plucked from the face of Faerûn. There they rescued Glanring Ironbelly, a dwarven Hellrider who found refuge within the keep's temple of Torm, who subsequently pledged himself to their shared cause. The party's next mission took them to the recesses of Diremire Pit, the prison of the silver dragon Gaarelmorian, whom Dara and the others learned of in Mahadi's Wandering Emporium. The adventurers outwitted the dragon's imprisoner Yxxygirizeeg, broke Gaarelmorian free from his bondage, and reunited him with the soul of his love.

Upon returning to Mahadi's emporium, the group discovered Fai Chen was missing, and the merchant had made exact compies of himself to escape servitude to the rakshasa. Dara implored her friends to help find the missing Fais. The heroes tracked down Fai's copies to a Temple of Asmodeus, where they were being tortured by the merchant's former friend Su Zhen Kang. They managed to defeat Kang, rescue the Fai Chens, and return to Mahadi's good graces.

Recruiting the Angels
Some time later, Dara began receiving visions from Ilmater about the mutilated skull of an angel. The angel's skull had been used as a chalice by the archdevil Qirozz, a trophy she showed off at grand, infernal celebrations. Dara believed this skull would aid their journey to the Canyon of Screams. Dara's adventurer companions convinced Mahadi to attend one of the archdevil's parties, and managed to steal the skull-chalice for the young priestess. Dara placed a single kiss upon the skull, and instantly returned the angel Verwyrr to existence, in effect drawing another ally to their cause. Dara and Verwyrr found another celestial ally―an owl-headed angel named Raskamedies―from a severed heart the adventurers found within a Hellwasp nest. Finally, Verwyrr and Raskamedies directed Dara and her allies to recover a set of bracers called the wards of suffering in the Dolorous Adytum. The Adytum was an ancient Ilmatari monastary situated beneath Elturel—which had ascended up to Faerûn since Dara's initial departure to the Hells. Within the depths of the monastery, the adventurers found the solar Yuriial, being consumed by the vampire spawn of Krolfh Rorgur. Dara's allies saved the solar from his twisted fate, received the holy bracers for their quest, and allowed Yuriial to planeshift them back to Mahadi's Emporium.

Saving the Bloody Hooves
Upon arriving at the Canyon of Screams, the group came to learn that members of the Hellriders' Bloody Hooves company had hidden themselves away within the canyon walls, to avoid the maddening effects of the hellish landmark. In futility, they waited years for Zariel to come to their rescue. Using the wards of sacrifice to protect her, Dara journeyed through a series of tunnels to the final resting place of the Bloody Hooves, where souls remained bound in Avernus. The adventurers protected Dara from waves of assaulting devils as she revived the Hellriders' spirits, recruited Sir Gidor Honorsbright, and eventually received the ward of faithfulness, a key to the next leg of their journey. They used the ward to find unlock the resting place of the Bloody Hooves' clerics, who were kept in a state of musical slumber by Yalanue the Cloakwood. They freed High Priest Horst Atheraice and allowed the clerics to wake from their eternal sleep. With nearly all the Bloody Hooves soldiers rallied together, Dara and the others set out in search of the company's commander, Rorget De La Reue. They ventured through the Tomb of Trials, but were ambushed by Sareash and his infernal minions. After defeating the fiends, the heroes found the tombs of the Bloody Hooves, and awakened six officers of the company's officers. While they unable to recover Commander Rotger, Dara, her companions, and the Bloody Hooves company rode out of the Canyon of Screams together, determined to finish their quest.

Upon returning to the Wandering Emporium once again, the were made aware that a large horde of demons were ravaging the wastes of Avernus and en route to their current location. Fighting alongside their celestial allies, and other companions in the emporium, the group held back waves of undead, shadow demons, and various tanar'ri led by the glabrezu Methdokran.

After mustering a successful defense against the demons, Dara presented her final plan to save Commander Rorget De La Reue from the clutches of Zariel's lieutenant, General Everbleed. Their was temporarily halted by an assault from the Dread Eye of Tiamat, a band of mercenaries dispatched by Zariel to interrogate Dara and the Hellriders. The attack on the party was a failure, and only served to strengthen Dara's resolve. The group fought through scores of demons and into the House of Gore, a colossal war machine and siege tower that ambled across the battlefield of Avernus.

Appearances

 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Avernus Rising