Cavatina Xarann

Cavatina Xarann was the Darksong Knight in service of Eilistraee who proved to be pivotal to the incidents in The Lady Penitent Trilogy. She was the 4th generation devotee of the Lady of the Dance. . Her mother was a Sword Dancer, Jetel Xarann, also a priestess of Eilistraee.

Involvement
Cavatina was the Darksong Knight of The Promenade and was the central figure in The Lady Penitent Trilogy. She first appears in Sacrifice of the Widow as a proud yet arrogant cleric of Eilistraee serving in The Promenade, accompanying a novice in a routine patrol. It is during the patrol that she encounters a Spellgaunt. Demonbane, her blade that was handed down from Jetel Xarann, her mother, was destroyed in the combat with the spider. It is she who also encounters the Selvetargtlin aranea that triggers the events of Sacrifice of the Widow.

She is later ordered to go to Velarswood to investigate the appearance of Halisstra Melarn, and is gifted with a Singing sword to replace Demonbane. Her search proves successful and Cavatina is led to the Demonweb Pits, where she recovers the Crescent Blade and slays Selvetarm after a furious battle, aided by the Lady Penitent. She returns triumphant, only to discover that Eilistraee has killed Vhaeraun and has taken his portfolio along with his followers. .

She returns in Storm of the Dead, now having to share her faith with the former Vhaeraunite clerics. This rankles her, as she believes the Nightshadows to be nothing more than conniving assassins. She is later ordered by her superior, Qilué Veladorn, to lead an assault to the Acropolis of Thanatos, the main temple of Kiaransalee, when the Promenade and the wizards of Sshamath discover that the Crones' plot is augmenting the Faerzress and rendering the drow incapable of divination and conjuration, as well as keeping them Underdark-bound. Unable to accept the Nightshadows joining the ranks of Eilistraee's faithful, she constantly argues with the drow priest and the Dark Moon Kâras, a former Vhaeraunite cleric leading his fellows. However, she is trapped by Halisstra Melarn, who was given by Lolth to Wendonai as a plaything, to be brought to the Abyss to be Wendonai's victim instead.

Deceived by Halisstra, Cavatina was tortured by Wendonai, being told of her Tainted lineage and that it was impossible for her to be redeemed. Yet, through faith and logic, Cavatina managed to find the illogical claims, freed herself and slew the corporal body of the demon. She then returned to the Prime Material Plane, where she came out to the Acropolis of Thanatos and where Halisstra was wreaking havoc. Naked, armed only with her Holy symbol and her Singing sword, she joined the battle, her pride tempered and her faith renewed. Yet, a powerful Crone mortally injured Cavatina only a moment later.

She was revived by her fellow cleric, Kâras, and was then informed that the Spirit of the Crone had slaughtered all other clerics of Eilistraee and they were the last two remaining. Certain of their deaths, the Darksong Knight and the Dark Moon disguised themselves as Crones to near the pit where the source of the Faerzress augmentation - the Voidstone - was located, determined to make the last stand.

As they were battling through the horde of Crones, Q'arlynd Melarn, armed with the knowledge of the Selu'kiira with the help of his apprentices, performed the Arselu'Tel'Quess that wiped out Kiaransalee's name from every memory in existence, thereby killing the goddess. With the death of their patron deity, the Crones lost their powers, and thus Cavatina and Kâras turned the tide of the battle. She then proceeded to destroy the Voidstone with the help of the priestesses that had arrived as reinforcements.

It was around this time that Qilué had put forth her plan into motion, in which she would draw in all of Wendonai's Taint within her, then purge it with the Silver fire. Unaware of the details of the high priestess's plan but aware that something was wrong and the source of the wrongness, Cavatina tried to organise an exorcism for the high priestess. However, before she could organise enough clerics to perform the exorcism, The Promenade was attacked by Ghaunadaur's minions, and Cavatina was rendered insane in the battle. Turned ethereal and teleported to Skullport, she remained addled until Laeral Silverhand came to ask for the Darksong Knight's help to restore her sister. Healed by Laeral's friends who were Chauntea's clerics, she returned to the High Moor to do as Laeral had asked. She encounters Halisstra there yet again, and just as Wendonai's possession of the high priestess seemed complete, Eilistraee purged her disciple of the corruption and possessed the high priestess to offer redemption to the Lady Penitent. Joyous to be in her deity's presence, Cavatina forgot Halisstra's presence for a moment, which proved to be her demise; for the Lady Penitent had taken up the Crescent Blade and had beheaded the Darksong Knight.

She is last seen on the Fugue Plane, awaiting for her goddess to come retrieve her, unaware that Eilistraee had been killed by Halisstra's hands. Instead, Lashrael and Felarathael, the solars in service of Corellon Larethian, come to retrieve her. She is informed of Eilistraee's sacrifice, the transformation that followed, and accepts the solars' offer to take finally her home to Arvandor.

Appearance
Cavatina is noted to be tall, thin and toned. She has black skin, as is the norm for the drow, with long, ivory hair.

Equipment
After the loss of her mother's sword, Demonbane, she wields one of the twenty-five Singing swords given to her by Qilué. She is also equipped with an Iron flask, a magical hunting horn , and usually wears a breastplate embossed with Eilistraee's symbol that has been dented from her battle with Selvetarm. .