Saeraede Lyonora, better known as the Slayer, was a Netherese human sorceress turned into a unique undead creature that awakened in the mid–8th century and went on a slaying rampage following Elminster Aumar.[1]
Personality[]
When not slaying mindlessly, Saeraede was charming, but duplicitous and depraved, with utter scorn for anyone's life save her own, and very deliberate about its depravity. Also, despite it issuing from her, the twinkling sound she made while moving really got on her nerves.[3]
Description[]
Most of the time, the Slayer was just a faintly visible mist, which made a sound like bells as it moved.[4] It could turn into a whirlwind, or take other forms, becoming a morass of claws and jaws.[5]
When aping the form she had in life, Saeraede Lyonora had green eyes, glossy black hair to her slim waist, broad shoulders, and tufty eyebrows, though she made a point of projecting a figure that was taller, slimmer, and more buxom than she remembered herself to be.[6]
Abilities[]
The Slayer possessed a startling ability to devour living flesh in less than a heartbeat, leaving little but bones behind;[4] those bones sometimes crumbled into dust to be carried away by a stiff breeze.[7] As a formless thing, she was able to flow through small cracks, even shutter chinks. It also had the ability to turn into a ghostly mass of jaws, with barbed tentacles and long claws protruding from it. It was able to thwart many wards easily, though upon taking damage in that shape, it returned to its mist form.[5] The Slayer was registered by wards that detected uncontrolled magic; such wards made it out to be among the strongest things they were designed to detect. It could also draw power from items, somehow.[8] When it had drawn enough power, the Slayer could even thwart the magic of gods.[2] It also showed an uncanny ability to track, and even perceive past actions, showing agitation when it touched spots where strong aggressive magic had been used.[9]
Saeraede Lyonora was also a sorceress, and could cast at least one offensive, acidic spell, capable of reducing a man to sludge in moments. Her ghostly form was susceptible to spells such as shatterstar, which targeted incorporeal entities.[8] She could also project images, and scry with spellspheres, even towards distant mages.[3] Given time, she could also warp existing magic, no matter how powerful, to ensure it responded only to her touch.[10] While she could coalesce enough to move physical objects, that required her to expend much energy that she could only recover by stealing lifeforce.[11]
Possessions[]
Saeraede collected a number of feminine dresses in particular from passing caravans: one of them was blue and ruffled, one was black with slits, and another was red, with gem-highlighted dragons along the hips.[11]
Relationships[]
In her undeath, Saeraede had taken two lovers, both of which she drained to death: Brandagaeris and Sardon.[3]
History[]
Saeraede Lyonora considered that in life, she had been a feared sorceress.[11] At some point, she became a phantasmal entity and was entombed in a titanic stone casket at some location, which was surrounded by runes of some form.[12] Lettering outside the chamber was Netherese, indicating she had been imprisoned by people of that nationality.[13]
She was later disturbed, first by the Chosen of Mystra Elminster Aumar, and then, years later, by a nameless band of adventurers that included Iyriklaunavan, an elf wizard, and Nuressa, a warrior, on Mirtul of the Year of the Missing Blade, 759 DR. Elminster Aumar had become trapped in the tomb somehow and, after being disturbed by the adventurers, escaped. Shortly after, the runes went haywire and a strange mist was released from the giant coffin; the Slayer perceived that the creatures that had disturbed the tomb still lived.[12]
Later, in mid-spring of the Year of Laughter, 761 DR, the mist followed Elminster Aumar, who had first disturbed its grave, to Castle Felmorel; it followed him inside, and when he left in the middle of the night, it followed him outside. Along the way, it took a detour, passing through Torntlar's Farm, where the farmer Habaertus Ilynker swung his hoe into the misty body out of curiosity. The mist struck him, leaving only a wind-scoured skeleton.[4] The misty entity continued to pursue Elminster, lingering longer in places where he'd been, like the hill near Tresset's Ringyl, where it showed signs of distraction and hunger.[9] Afterwards, it headed for the path between Aerhiot's Field and Salopar's Field, where it consumed the farmer Nuglar and his three oxen.[7]
The entity then resumed its tracking, heading for Moonshorn Tower, where Elminster had been. There, it somehow forced the doors open, and flowed up into the repository for Netherese texts and trinkets. There, it was interrupted by the tower guardian, Mardasper Oblyndrin, who struck it with a shatterstar spell; though it was effective, she endured it and retaliated, killing him with a spell.[8]
In the Year of Mistmaidens, 764 DR, the entity assaulted the tower of Yintras Bedelmrin, devouring all the deer that grazed around it one night before squeezing in through a window that was ajar. It was, however, repelled by the mage, who was wielding a blessing from Azuth himself.[5] At some point during or after the crowning of the sorceress Dasumia as queen of Galadorna, the mysterious being assaulted Glymril Gard, slaying the mage Klandaerlas Glymril, the Master of Wyverns in that isolated castle.[14] Late into the year, it remained close to Elminster and followed him into Galadorna when he became the Court Mage, staying near the spires of the House of the Unicorn; the entity fled into the streets after the goddess Mystra revealed herself.[15]
Later, it had taken residence in a ruined keep between Starmantle and Westgate, which belonged to Karsus of Netheril, whom Saeraede Lyonora had been aware of.[10] This structure was called Karsus' Keep.[16]
In the early spring of the Year of the Awakening Wyrm, 767 DR, the monster had gained the nickname of "the Slayer" after settling in a section of the forest near Starmantle between Oggle's Stream and Rairdrun Hill, and completely depopulating it of any animal life larger than a mouse, giving the area the name the Dead Place.[17] It also eliminated merchants that passed by, livestock that got too close, farmers, woodsmen, a patrol of Duke Horostos's men, and even a large force led by a priest of Tempus. The thing was not spotted by griffon riders; the Duke sent a band of adventurers after it, the Frostfire Banner, which it eliminated without encountering any difficulties.[18] Afterwards, it schemed to lure mages to Karsus's Keep.[10] However, while it neared Westgate to seek mages, it learned that Elminster was approaching the location, and decided to target him specifically.[19]
Eventually, no one in Reth or Westgate would take on the assignment of slaying the monster, having heard of the fate of all who faced the Slayer.[11] By the time the Slayer had devoured the entire population of Ayken's Stump, a woodcutting village, the Harpers took notice of the situation and promised Duke Horostos a report on the matter by the end of the season. In the meantime, the Slayer, now planning on using its name in life, Saeraede Lyonora, continued to scheme on how to capture Elminster and to devour adventurers all the while.[11] She managed to draw Elminster to the Keep, where he was attacked by adventurers; she killed the adventurers and then lured him with her own twinkling down a well, leading him into a hidden throne room.[3] Elminster followed Saeraede's phantom into the throne room, neither of them aware of Ilbryn Starym, who was hidden there already.[20]
Saeraede Lyonora cast a spell to shut the well entrance, to trap Elminster there without him noticing, and then pretended to require a ritual to be freed. Upon being freed, she promised Elminster the use of those runes and their secrets. She then tried to trick him into a different casting,[6] which he fell into hook, line, and sinker. At that moment, she was only briefly cut off by the sudden arrival of Azuth, accompanied by the mages Caladaster Daermree, Tabarast, and Beldrune, but quickly resumed her attack on Elminster, Azuth's spells passing cleanly through her to attack the Chosen. At that precise time, the six dreadspells of Shar, led by the Sharran priest Elryn, discharged a fusillade of staves and rods upon the chamber.[21] Saeraede protected Elminster in those last few moments, to ensure she could feed on him herself.[22] However, just as she was on the cusp of regaining full form and life, she was stabbed through the heart by Ilbryn Starym. When he pulled his sword out to try and strike at Elminster, Saeraede's bulk exploded furiously, reducing Ilbryn to ash in return.[2]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 7, pp. 601–605. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 19, pp. 731, 736–737. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 16, pp. 692–695. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 3, p. 563. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 7, pp. 607–609. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 18, pp. 716–721. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 5, p. 587. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 6, pp. 598–600. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 5, p. 579. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 12, pp. 661–662. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 14, pp. 674–677. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. Prologue, p. 518. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. Prologue, p. 512. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 9, pp. 625–627. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 10, p. 640. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 12, pp. 653–656. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 13, p. 701. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11, pp. 643–648. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 13, p. 669. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 18, pp. 705–706. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 19, pp. 722–724. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 2010). “The Temptation of Elminster”. Elminster Ascending (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 19, pp. 726–727. ISBN 978-0-7869-5618-0.