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Kiaransalee (pronounced: /ˌkiəˈrɑːnsɑːliKEE-uh-RAN-sa-lee[2][1]), sometimes spelled Kiaransali, was the drow lesser goddess of revenge and undeath, a former necromancer queen consumed by thoughts of retribution. The Lady of the Dead was driven insane ages ago, yet retained her twisted cunning, recalling clearly every slight towards her whether real or imagined. The Vengeful Banshee was said to have repeatedly died before coming back with a vengeance, and the Revenancer gifted her favored drow with existence as undead driven by hate and spite.[1][6][2]

The dead are more reliable than the living.
— Hissboda of Naratyr, Kiaransalee's city in the Abyss.[11]

Description[]

Kiaransalee appeared as a sinuous drow female wearing only silver jewelry and black veils. Her only obvious weapons were her long, sharp nails and her curved dagger.[2][3]

Personality[]

Kiaransalee was a cruel, spiteful goddess, both quick to anger and the kind to scheme vengeance over long periods of time. The Lady of the Dead preferred the company of mindless undead over sentient beings that are possessed of independent thought. She rarely trusted anyone else to do justice to her vision and thus preferred to settle her problems herself.[2]

Relationships[]

Kiaransalee symbol

The holy symbol of Kiaransalee.

Kiaransalee had many foes and only loose allies. In the hopes of loosening Lolth's web she allied herself with such deities as Hoar, Velsharoon, Malar, and Vhaeraun. Her chief enemies were Deep Duerra, Dumathoin, Eilistraee, Kelemvor, Laduguer, Jergal[2] and the demon lord Orcus.

Worshipers[]

Kiaransalee priest

A typical priestess of Kiaransalee.

Kiaransalee's clergy comprised of orderly regimented cells, but the faith lacked in overall organization. The Revenancer's clerics were mostly found in small drow communities or in special enclaves, and acted constantly in secret. Her clerics were agents of vengeance who plotted against anyone who ever slighted the faith. They regularly organised slaying missions to acquire corpses for animation, and were very active in persecuting slaves. Higher-ranking priestesses were called Yathrinshee. Many clerics were also necromancers. A few of the church also joined the Cult of the Dragon and became Wearers of Purple. Eventually, most became undead themselves.[2]

Other worshipers of Kiaransalee were the Crones, female drow priestesses dressed in loose black robes and sporting at least one silver ring in each hand. Some of them had smeared their skin with a mix of ash and fat. They mostly resided in the Acropolis of Thanatos and were capable clerics and necromancers.[12]

Orders[]

Legion of Vengeful Banshees
These banshee knights' sole purpose was to battle the undead tanar'ri servants of Orcus. Their base of operations was the Acropolis of Thanatos in V'elddrinnsshar.[1]

Rituals[]

Clerics of Kiaransalee prayed for their spells at midnight, the time of day in which spirits are most restless. Each individual cleric performed a handful of minor devotions to Kiaransalee each month.[2]

The Graverending[]

The single annual holy day of the faith was called the Graverending and was celebrated each Midwinter Eve. The Graverending was an individual ritual, where each cleric animated as many undead as she could handle. These undead were known as the Vengeance Hunters and they were consumed only with a desire for revenge against those that ended their lives. They hunted down this killer unerringly within 24 hours. When a Vengeance Hunter was destroyed it did not rise again. These undead returned to their graves after their 24 hours or after their vengeance had been executed, if possible.[2]

Temples[]

Main article: Category:Temples to Kiaransalee

History[]

Kiaransalee was, in her mortal life a powerful lichdrow necromancer-queen from another plane. Upon becoming a demigod, she was made an unwilling vassal of Lolth and was until shortly before her death. She was only capable of small acts of rebellion against Lolth. Kiaransalee once took over Orcus's realm but was repelled by the resurrected demon prince not long afterwards. She was then completely aimed towards destroying every trace of the demon lord of the undead.[2]

During the Silence of Lolth, Kiaransalee received a massive influx of worshipers that elevated her from the rank of demigod to lesser deity.[5]

After the silence ended, Kiaransalee joined the sava game between Lolth and Eilistraee as a 3rd party faction. In order to have a one-on-one fight with Lolth, she dedicated her moves towards eliminating Eilistraee from the game. In the end, though, she failed, and Q'arlynd Melarn performed a High Magic ritual aimed to wipe her name from the minds of all mortals and gods, even Kiaransalee herself. She apparently faded from existence along with her demiplane,[9] but her name remained known to some and kept being invoked in necromantic rituals,[13][14] leading to her return during the Second Sundering.[15]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. Kiaransalee's status was given, possibly incorrectly, as lesser deity in the Underdark Campaigns web enhancement, and she was killed in the course of the Lady Penitent trilogy at the end of 3rd edition, presumably in preparation for the simplification of pantheons that took place in 4th edition. For simplicity's sake, her status as a demigod (attested to in multiple sources) is the only one listed here.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 23–25. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 112–113. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Frederick Weining (August 2002). “The Vault of the Drow”. In Jesse Decker ed. Dragon #298 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87.
  4. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 25. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 James Wyatt (2002-09-07). Underdark Campaigns (Zipped PDF). Web Enhancement for City of the Spider Queen. Wizards of the Coast. p. 10. Archived from the original on 2017-10-28. Retrieved on 2009-10-07.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-0786966240.
  7. Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  8. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Lisa Smedman (September 2007). Storm of the Dead. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. ?, p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-4701-0.
  10. Hal Maclean (September 2004). “Seven Deadly Domains”. In Matthew Sernett ed. Dragon #323 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 65.
  11. Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 19. ISBN 1560768746.
  12. Lisa Smedman (September 2007). Storm of the Dead. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11, p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-4701-0.
  13. Richard Lee Byers (February 2014). The Reaver. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 2, p. 37. ISBN 0-7869-6458-8.
  14. Will Doyle (2015-08-01). Blood Above, Blood Below (DDEP3) (PDF). D&D Adventurers League: Rage of Demons (Wizards of the Coast), p. 43.
  15. Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 23, 108. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.

Connections[]

The Drow Pantheon
EilistraeeGhaunadaurKiaransaleeLolthMalykSelvetarmVhaeraunZinzerena

Deities of unknown worship status in the Realms

Keptolo

Deities of the Post–Second Sundering Era
Ao the Overgod
Faerûnian Pantheon
Akadi | Amaunator | Asmodeus | Auril | Azuth | Bane | Beshaba | Bhaal | Chauntea | Cyric | Deneir | Eldath | Gond | Grumbar | Gwaeron | Helm | Hoar | Ilmater | Istishia | Jergal | Kelemvor | Kossuth | Lathander | Leira | Lliira | Loviatar | Malar | Mask | Mielikki | Milil | Myrkul | Mystra | Oghma | Red Knight | Savras | Selûne | Shar | Silvanus | Sune | Talona | Talos | Tempus | Torm | Tymora | Tyr | Umberlee | Valkur | Waukeen
The Morndinsamman
Abbathor | Berronar Truesilver | Clangeddin Silverbeard | Deep Duerra | Dugmaren Brightmantle | Dumathoin | Gorm Gulthyn | Haela Brightaxe | Laduguer | Marthammor Duin | Moradin | Sharindlar | Vergadain
The Seldarine
Aerdrie Faenya | Angharradh | Corellon | Deep Sashelas | Erevan | Fenmarel Mestarine | Hanali Celanil | Labelas Enoreth | Rillifane Rallathil | Sehanine Moonbow | Shevarash | Solonor Thelandira
The Dark Seldarine
Eilistraee | Kiaransalee | Lolth | Selvetarm | Vhaeraun
Yondalla's Children
Arvoreen | Brandobaris | Cyrrollalee | Sheela Peryroyl | Urogalan | Yondalla
Lords of the Golden Hills
Baervan Wildwanderer | Baravar Cloakshadow | Callarduran Smoothhands | Flandal Steelskin | Gaerdal Ironhand | Garl Glittergold | Nebelun | Segojan Earthcaller | Urdlen
Orc Pantheon
Bahgtru | Gruumsh | Ilneval | Luthic | Shargaas | Yurtrus
Mulhorandi pantheon
Anhur | Bast | Geb | Hathor | Horus | Isis | Nephthys | Osiris | Re | Sebek | Set | Thoth
Other gods of Faerûn
Bahamut | Enlil | Finder Wyvernspur | Ghaunadaur | Gilgeam | Lurue | Moander | Nobanion | Raven Queen | Tiamat



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