Dara

The young Dara was wise beyond her years.
Dara
Basic Information
Home	Elturgard, Western Heartlands
Former home(s)	Tower of Willful Suffering, Eshpurta
Sex	Female
Race	Human
Occupation	Chosen
Age	10 (as of 1492 DR)
Patron deity	Ilmater
Knownlanguage(s)	Common, Celestial
Dates
Born	1482 DR
Rules Information
5th Edition Statistics
Alignment	Lawful good

Dara (pronounced: /ˈdɑːrɑː/ DAH-ra) was the chosen of Ilmater who served her deity during the late 15^th century DR. Merely a young girl raised by Ilmatari priests in Amn, Dara demonstrated profound wisdom and understanding well beyond her years. Her divine mission took her to different realms across Faerûn and beyond, into the depths of the Nine Hells and endless horrors of the Abyss.

“

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's appearance was similar to that of any other ten-year-old Faerûnian girl. She spoke in a small, mousy voice that contrasted with her profound confidence.

While her physical form was unremarkable, Dara's soul was said to be wholly pure, and marked with supernatural fortitude.

Personality

Dara remained entirely focused on taking action to further the mission she was granted by Ilmater. While she would let nothing stand in her way, Dara could be rather single-minded in the execution of that mission.

Abilities

As a child, Dara read from the Book of Exalted Deeds, an act that granted her divine powers aligned with the Ilmatari faith. The holy tome led her on the path to find the souls of former holy warriors that had become trapped in the eternal battlefields of the Hells.

As Ilmater's chosen, Dara possessed immunities to certain forces, such as radiant energy and charm magic, inherent protection from physical harm, specifically those from non-magical sources, some resistance to magic, and innate spellcasting powers. It was said that if she ever died―and was subsequently resurrected―she would lose one of these divine powers upon each return.

Dara also wielded enigmatic and unique powers, that were seemingly unavailable even to other chosen. Notable among these was her ability to bring back to existence any angel with a single kiss.

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. Like Dara, the two companions had more to their characters than their simple appearance let on.

History

As a child, 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.

Saving the Innocents

When the city of Elturel was pulled down from Faerûn into the depths of the Nine Hells, in the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, Dara took on a divine quest from her god. She was to save as many innocents that were affected by the catastrophe, and rally a group of righteous warriors to venture with her into the Nine Hells. She immediately sought out survivors along the outskirts of Elturel and gathered them to a refugee caravan, bound for Baldur's Gate. Dara compelled a group of adventurers to gather supplies, and help several Elturgardians get to safety. Together they managed to save a smithy named Wellum, his assistant Gordrick, Ippon the miller, and her assistant Pal, a reclusive writer named Billiam, the loving couple of Segren and Vasha Hall, and Hastrine Leaftender, an elven traveler of the Feywild.

The caravan of refugees made its way westward towards Baldur's Gate. One night during the journey, Billiam was slain in an especially 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 discovered that Billiam's killer was Vollis Foote, a cultist of the fallen solar Zariel who had also joined the refugee caravan.

Once the caravan arrived at Baldur's Gate, soldiers of the Flaming Fist interrogated each member of their party. Unfortunately, more murders broke out in the Baldurian Outer City. 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 again act freely within the city.

Divine Revelation

Some time after the Elturgard refugees regrouped in Baldur's Gate, Dara and Ghorin both went missing. Hastrine became upset hearing of this news. Dara's adventurer allies took action, and discovered that a devil named Gharizol was summoned into the city's docks. Th devil orchestrated a plot to kill any mortal descendants of Hellriders, a soldiers that famously accompanied Zariel in the Ride into Avernus many years ago. Two members of the refugee group, Segren and Wellum, were such descendants and became profoundly endangered by Gharizol's presence. 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 divine mission in Elturgard, to conscript a band of heroes brave enough to accompany her and her companions into the Nine Hells, and recover the souls of the deceased Hellriders. Ghorin and Clyde then revealed their true identities: as Rinzel, a planetar of the heavens, and Ausuriel, the goat-legged deva who served as both the Herald of Shiallia and patron of lost children. The group was soon joined by Fai Chen, an enigmatic wagon-driver capable of driving the party down to 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.

Dara and the adventurers, accompanied by the two angels and Fai Chen, traveled across the plains Avernus for some time, before coming upon the Wandering Emporium. The group met several personalities, but were eventually granted safe travel with the emporium for one month, by it's rakshasa proprietor, Mahadi. The group came to learn of the presence of a powerful silver dragon hiding in Avernus, one who could prove a powerful ally for Dara's cause.

After arriving at a rough plan to uncover the whereabouts of the Hellriders' souls, Dara bid the adventurers well as they ventured off across Avernus. The adventurer's first mission took them to the fortress of Plagueshield Point, where they uncovered the battle plans of the Hellriders company known as the Bloody Hooves. These plans pointed them to the site of the Hellriders' last battle, which occured at the Canyon of Screams on Avernus.

Recruiting Allies

Dara and the heroes focused their efforts on recruiting allies for their quest. The group first ventured through the hellish forest of Bloodroot Grove. There they rescued Zhalruban, the celestial unicorn, the former mount of Shalral Prall, Zariels' lieutenant during the Ride. In gratitude, Zhalruban dedicated itself to serving Dara as a mount and protector for the duration of their quest. The group continued on to Weatherstone Keep, which had descended from Faerûn like Elturel. Within the keep, they rescued Glanring Ironbelly, a dwarven Hellrider who found refuge within a temple of Torm. Glanring also pledged himself to the heroes' cause. Finally the heroes delved into the recesses of Diremire Pit, where the silver dragon Gaarelmorian was being imprisoned. The adventurers outwitted the dragon's captor 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 had gone missing, and had made exact copies of himself to escape servitude to Mahadi. Dara implored her friends to help find the missing Fai copies. The heroes tracked down the multiple Fais to a Temple of Asmodeus, where the copies being tortured by the merchant's former friend Su Zhen Kang. The adventurers defeated Kang, rescued the Fai Chens, and returned with them to the emporium, and Mahadi's good graces.

At some point during their journey across Avernus, another group of adventurers set in motion a series of events that returned Elturel to its rightful place in Faerûn, back on the Prime Material plane.

Saving the Angels

Some time later, Dara began receiving visions from Ilmater about the mutilated skull of an angel named Verwyyr. 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 then stole the skull-chalice for the young priestess. Dara placed a single kiss upon the skull, and instantly returned the angel Verwyrr to life, endearing him to their cause. Dara and Verwyrr came across another celestial ally―an owl-headed angel named Raskamedies―from a severed heart the adventurers uncovered within a nest of hellwasps. Finally, Verwyrr and Raskamedies directed Dara and the adventurers to recover a set of bracers called the wards of suffering in the Dolorous Adytum. The Adytum was an ancient Ilmatari monastery situated beneath Elturel back on Toril. The group ventured from Avernus into the depths of the monastery and found solar Yuriial, who was 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. In return, Yuriial planeshifted them all back to Mahadi's Emporium on Avernus.

Reuniting 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 its madness-inducing effects. They waited for years in futility for Zariel to come to their rescue. Using the wards of sacrifice to protect her, Dara journeyed through a series of tunnels to find the Bloody Hooves' resting place, the site 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 necessary for the next step of their journey. The party 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. After freeing High Priest Horst Atheraice, the group allowed the Hellrider 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, Rotger 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 Rotger 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 made their way into the House of Gore, a colossal war machine and mobile siege tower that roamed across the battlefield of Avernus. While within, they discovered that the commander's soul had been stolen by the chosen of Yeenoghu, and sent through a portal in the heart of the war machine, to the Death Dells, a plane of the infinite Abyss.

Dara and her allies journeyed through the portal and made their way through the wretched Death Dells. There they encountered another young lady with a divine spark, Elisande, the chosen of Cyric. After delving deeper into the dark plane, they found the soul of Commander De La Reue, just as it was being fed to the demon lord Yeenoghu. They successfully rescued the commander's soul in time, and returned to Avernus through the portal in the House of Gore. Dara and her adventurer companions had finally, successfully completed their quest for the souls of the Hellriders.

A Final Decision

Upon returning to Avernus, Dara, her steed Zhalruban, the adventurers, their celestial allies, the dragon Gaarelmorian, and the Bloody Hooves were presented with an opportunity to alter the fate of the Blood War on Avernus. Some of their group wished to strike out against the infernal forces of Avernus, blaming them for Zariel's corruption, while others wished to ride out against the growing demon horde, just as the Hellriders had done years before. The presence of celestials on the battlefield proved problematic, as they were sworn from affecting the Blood War in favor of either side. It was unknown which choice they made that day, though their adventure had already ensured the salvation of heroes that fought valiantly to their deaths.

Appendix

Appearances

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Avernus Rising