Lady Wyndyfarh was an avoral[4][note 1] that dwelled within the Weathercote Wood in Faerûn for some time during the mid–14th century DR.[1] Regardless of her origin, Wyndyfarh was first and foremost a servant to the goddess Mystra.[5]
Description[]
Wyndyfarh took on the appearance of a tall and slender, pale-skinned woman with long brown-and-white striped hair that ran down to below her hips.[1] While she possessed great beauty, such as that possessed by elven women, Wyndyfarh had penetrating black eyes with no apparent irises,[6] that flashed with lightning when she was angered.[4] Her willowy hands looked quite unusual due to elongated fingers that were not found among most known humanoid races,[1] with long black fingernails resembled a bird of prey's talons.[7][8] While in this form she dressed herself in a fine silk-like gown that perfectly matched her warm-hued but pale skin and dichromatic hair.[6]
Her true form was more avian in appearance like that of a hawk, and even in her illusory form, Wyndyfarh's long, black fingernails resembled a bird of prey's talons.[8]
Personality[]
Wyndyfarh presented herself as a noblewoman of the natural world, expecting others to treat her with the reverence offered to a true lady of court. She was cordial to those she welcomed into her domain,[9] but arrogant with her great power,[10] and ruthless when it came to those that harmed her servants or spoiled her forest.[11]
Her favorite colors were green and blue.[12]
Abilities[]
Wyndyfarh had special magical powers that were unique from those wielded by most other spellcasters.[13] She could enter into and communicate with people in their dreams,[14] and could even alter their memory outright. She maintained an illusory appearance over her real form, which itself left distinct and different mental impression upon each individual person she encountered.[13]
She could place a person's mind in a sort of mental journey, or "mind-lock",[15] so they would contemplate the choices and experiences they held up until that given point, preparing themselves in some way for their future.[16]
Like other avorals,[3] Wyndyfarh conjure and launch lightning bolts.[17]
Activities[]
While in Faerûn, Lady Wyndyfarh dwelled in an enchanting glade of profound beauty,[19] hidden deep within the forest, accessible only by path of magically-illuminating amber.[20] Within her glade was a single structure, a simple circular temple of marble columns, next to a pool of shimmering water. The pool was fed by a cascading waterfall,[21][22] which itself hid a seemingly magical cavern.[23]
It appeared that while she was in Faerûn, Lady Wyndyfarh could not leave Weathercote Wood and only remained there as a sentinel in Mystra's service.[24] It was her duty to keep watch over the illithids of Toril,[25] and ensure they would not become a threat to the Weave in their never-ending war against the gith.[24][26]
Relationships[]
On her home plane of existence, Lady Wyndyfarh was subordinate to the Duke Windheir,[27] an avoral of Elysium,[28] and one of Talisid's Five Companions.[29]
While on Toril, Wyndyfarh regarded the female insects of Weathercote Wood as her own subjects[27][30] a myriad of awakened[31] bees,[32] mantises,[33] beetles, and other insects that resembled glimmering gems like aquamarines, rubies,[34] and jet.[22]
Her most trusted servant however, was the smart and kindly goblin named Sheemzher.[35] When the poor goblin's mate Elva was killed along with so many others of his kind by a cult that formed in Dekanter, Wyndyfarh sent her insectoid servants to beckon him towards her glade to recover and heal.[33]
History[]
After Mystra was reborn during the Time of Troubles, in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, Lady Wyndyfarh provided loyal vision and perspective for the Lady of Mysteries as the goddess "adjusted to new eyes".[18]
When the alhoon known as the Beast Lord recovered one of the Nether Scrolls in Dekanter a mere few years later, it began to conduct horrific experiments on the native goblin population en masse, using mantises taken from Weathercote Forest. When she witnessed the horrific beings spawned by those horrible experiments, Lady Wyndyfarh requested from Duke Windheir that she be allowed to claim revenge upon the undead illithid. She was ultimately denied this revenge.[27]
Lady Wyndyfarh's perspective changed following year,[36] when she encountered the goblin Sheemzher, and understood the greater horrors brought on by the Beast Lord's schemes.[27] Wyndyfarh dispatched Sheemzher to Parnast to seek out someone or some people of kind and good disposition to aid her in stopping the Beast Lord's horrific actions. After six long years, in the Year of the Banner, 1368 DR, Sheemzher met the honest and kind mage Druhallen and knew Lady Wyndyfarh would approve.[15]
Sheemzher beckoned Dru and his companions, Galimer, Rozt'a, and Tiep, to accompany him to the lady's grove in Weathercote.[37] While the group was hesitant to follow, the good lady appeared to Rozt'a in a dream and thoroughly convinced the otherwise skeptical and well-traveled fighter-for-hire.[38] When the young rogue Tiep aggravated the local wildlife,[39] attempted to steal valuable amber from trees, and needlessly killed the Wyndyfarh's awakened insects while traveling through the woods,[11] she was given reason in her mind to force their assistance.
As the group presented themselves before her temple, Lady Wyndyfarh received them with polite reticence,[9] until Tiep's careless and cruel actions were revealed for all to see.[7] Lady Wyndyfarh altered the mind of the group's charismatic leader Galimer, and ordered its other members to continue on their planned journey to Dekanter.[40] She tasked them with recovering the ancient Nether Scroll from within its depths and returning it to her glade within the forest.[31]
When the company returned some days later, she was pleased enough to reunite them with their dear friend Galimer,[41] and healed poor Sheemzher from the traumas he endured while in her service.[25] While she chastised Druhallen for bearing witness to the first section of the recovered Nether Scroll,[10] she quickly and discreetly made safe the ancient artifact.[5] She shared with the mage some about herself, her service to Mystra,[25] and the misguided and tragic motivations of the Beast Lord.[27] During their conversation, Lady Wyndyfarh transported them to some other location, with a different night sky than the one seen above the North, before returning to her work and sending the travelers along their way home.[42]
Rumors & Legends[]
Rumors about Lady Wyndyfarh appearing in Parnast during the night abounded within the isolated village. Some folks said she would abduct agents of the Zhentarim and deliver justice to those in the world that deserved it, while others claimed she visited towns to heal the sick and claim the last breath they took before their death.[43][44]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ While it is not stated directly, Wyndyfarh's relationship with Duke Windheir, service to Mystra, inherent powers, and overall appearance suggests that she is an avoral from the plane of Elysium.
Appearances[]
- Novels
- The Nether Scroll
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 96–97. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 69. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 42. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 120. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 301. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 104. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 300. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 101–103. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 299. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 95. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 67–69. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 110. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 117. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 161. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 119. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 93. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 216. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 113. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 298. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 107. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 145. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 216–217. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 302. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 304. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 305. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Steven Schend (1995). Blood Wars, "Duke Windheir". TSR, Inc..
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 140. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 306. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 108. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 160. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 100. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 217. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 77–78. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 88. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 119–120. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 303. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 307. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 70. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.
- ↑ Lynn Abbey (September 2000). The Nether Scroll. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 94. ISBN 0-7869-1566-8.