Kiaransalee
(Lady of the Dead, the Revenancer, the Vengeful Banshee)

Demipower of the Abyss, CE
Portfolio: Undead, vengeance
Domain name: 113^th Level/Thanatos
Superior: Lolth
Allies: Hoar, Myrkul (dead), Velsharoon, Lolth, Malar, Selvetarm, Vhaeraun, Blibdoolpoolp, the Blood Queen, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother, Gzemnid, Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed, Maanzecorian (dead), Psilofyr
Foes: Deep Duerra, Dumathoin, Eilistraee, Kelemvor, Ladugues, Herfal, Lolth, Orcrs (dead)/Tenebrous (undead), the Seldarine
Symbol: Female drow hand wearing silver rings
Worshippers alignment: LE, NE, CE

Background:
Kiaransalee is the drow deity of both vengeance and the undead. She is called upon by those seeking retribution, the dark arts, or to prolong life. Although the Lady of the Dead has historically demonstrated relatively little interest in the lands of Faerun or the Underdark beneath them, the recent rise to prominence of the Cult of the Goats head in Vaasa under the leadership of Zhengyi the Witch-King renewed her intrest in the Realms and fueled the emergence of the Vengeful Banshees cult as a power in the north central Underdark.

Kiaransalees ascension as a dark goddess of evil predated even the banishment of Araushnee from the Seldarine, but the Lasy of the Dead has long been an unwilling vassal of the Queen of Spuders, capable of only small acts of rebellion (such as assisting the elven heroine Kethryllia in rescuing her beloved from Lolths demesne). Kiaransalee was once a mortal power, a powerful dark necromancer-queen on a world known as Threnody. The Revenancer was named drow and banished by her husband, the king of Threnody, for her unholy experiments on the once-living. The Lady of the Dead continued her unholy experiments in secret for centuries before raising an army of undead to exact her vengeance. In the wake of the Revenancers army, Threnody was a dead world, and the architect of its destruction flew with her unthinking servants into the Abyss- where she eventually assumed a measure of divine power herself- to escape the wrath of the Seldarine.

Only in recent memory has Kiaransalee achieved a measure of independence from the Spider Queen, a result of a successful attack on a rival power long resident in the Abyss. Not too many years ago, Kiaransalee wrested Thanator, a cold plane of ice, thin air, and a black, moonlit sky known as the Belly of Death, from Orcus, the formal Abyssal lord of the undead, in revenge for some long-forgotten slight. Although she lacked the power to eliminate the very memory of Orcus from the minds of the multiverse after killing the Prince of the Undead, Kiaransalee magically erased the name of the late Abyssal lord wherever and however it had been recorded. With her foe slain and his corpse adrift in the Astral Plane, the Lady of the Dead slew all the servants and proxies of Orcus (save one, whom she accepted into her own service) and hid the legendary Wand of Orcus where none could ever find it- or so she thought. Recent events suggest that Orcus returned, at least for a time, as an undead god who called himself Tenebrous. It is unknown, even to Kiaransalee, whether the Prince of the Undead has successfully transformed himself into an undead god, has been destroyed forever, or simply waits for another opportunity to return to (un)life. Regardless of the truth, Kiaransalee is convince that her former foe will eventually return, and thus the Lady of the Dead is consumed with renewed efforts to find and eliminate every last trace of both Orcus/Tenebrous.

The Lady of the Dead has long chafed under Lolths suzerainty, and only the Spider Queens overwhelming strength has kept Kiaransalees long-planned vengeance in check. Consumed as she is with the unknown fate of Tenebrous, Kiaransalee has little interest in interacting with other powers. Nevertheless, her activities on Faerun have earned the Lady of the Dead the enmity of Dumathion, Kelemvor, and Jerhal and the possibility of an alliance with both Hoar and Velsharoon.

The Lady of the Dead is cruel, twisted, and consumed by thoughts of vengeance. Kiaransalee descended into madness long ago, but she retains her twisted cunning and clear recollection of every slight or insult done to her- real or imagined. The Revenancer is powerfully chaotic and swift to anger, and she schemes dark revenges against all who have wronged her. Kiaransalee prefers the mindless company of the undead, whom she can manipulate at will, to sentient beings capable of independent thought. She prefers to solve her problems herself rather than trust someone else to do justice to her vision.

The Clergy:
Clergy Alignment: CE
Command Undead: Clerics- Yes; Specialty Priestesses- yes, at priest level +2

The Church:
All clerics and specialty priests of Kiaransalee receive religion (drow), religion (elven), and reading/writing (drowic), as bonus non-weapon proficiencies.

Kiaransalees clergy are collectively known as the Crones of Thanatos. Novices of the Revenancer are known as the Commanded. Second level members of the clergy are known as Nighthags. Third through tenth level titles include Bones of the Dead, Flesh of the Zombie, Terror Touch of the Ghoul, Chill Touch of the Shadow, Raking Claws of the Wight, Life Leech of the Wraith, Rot of the Mummy, and Spirit Harvest of the Spectre. High ranking priests of the Lady of the Dead have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as Yathrinshee, and become so only after an arduous process any time after reaching eighth level.

Not all of the clergy who choose this option actually survive the procedure. The test of a high priestess is taken after eighth level, then the cleric must advance to tenth level. One full year must be spent in study at the school during this time. Then the Test of the Yathrinshee is performed. The cleric has to walk the Dark Path of Kiaransalee and survive in order to be permitted entrance, then loses all skills she formerly had as a cleric and starts out as a first level Yathrinshee. As such, they are separated from the rules that guide the rest of the clergy, having been specially chosen by Kiaransalee for their viciousness, ruthless, and near fanatical dedication. In patrols that contain other clerics of the same level, a Yathrinshee must at least listen to her sister clerics words. She does not have to abide by her sister clerics words if she does not wish to with good reason, as is her right as one more experienced and being specially chosen to higher duties by the goddess.

As one might expect, many of Kiaransalees faithful are transformed into undead servitors either by their own hands, by the hands of other priests, or- in very rare cases- by the hand of the goddess herself. High-ranking priestesses may become banshees, liches, vampires, or- if truly favored- kiaranshee. (Kiaranshee are banshees who retain their spellcasting powers, whether they were necromancers or priests.)

Dogma:
Death comes to all, and cruel vengeance will be exacted on those who waste their lives on the petty concerns of this existence. True power comes only from the unquestioning servitude of the once-dead, mastery over death, and the eventual earned stature of one of the ever-living in death. Hunt, slay, and animate those who scorn the Revenancers power, and answer any slight a thousandfold so that all may know the coming power of Kiaransalee.

Day-to-Day Activities:
Kiaransalees priests are agents of vengeance, plotting revenge on those who have slain, harmed, or insulted the priesthood in any way. They also regularly go out on missions to kill others to acquire corpses for animation or steal corpses of the recently buried. They take a prominent role in persecuting slaves of the drow.

To venerate the Lady of the Dead, a priest of Kiaransalee simply lies within her personal sarcophagus while holding her holy symbol clasped in two hands across her breast. According to legend, if a living priest of the Revenancer is disturbed while so engaged, Kiaransalee grants her the powrs of a vampire for the next 24 hours.

Holy days/Important Ceremonies:
While each priest performs a handful of minor devotions to Kiaransalee every month, the Crones of Thanatos venerate the Lady of the Dead on a single annual holiday- the Graverending- celebrated each Midwinter Eve. The Graverending is celebrated individually, with each priest animating as many undead creatures as she can. All such undead- known as the Vengeance Hunters- are consumed with thoughts of revenge against their killers and unerringly seek them out over the next 24 hours. If destroyed, a Vengeance Hunter does not rise again. Vengeance Hunters return to their graves, if possible, once 24 hours have passed since their animation or once they have exacted their revenge.

Priestly Vestments:
The church of Kiaransalee favors loose black robes with hooded cowls stitched with bone and ivory. The clergy wear gray skullcaps on their shaven heads and thin silver rings on every finger save the thumb. They spread a grayish paste made of the ashes of incinerated corpses over all uncovered skin, such as the face, hands, and feet. The holy symbol of the faith is the silver rings worn on as above.

Adventuring Garb:
Priests of Kiaransalee are forbidden to wear any sort of armor, preferring to trust their own magical defenses and the combat skills of their undead bodyguards. Many priests substitute a silver ring of protection for one of their ceremonial rings to supplement their defenses. Members of the Revenancers clergy are trained in a wide variety of weapons, but most favor slim poisoned blades, garrotes, and maces so as to minimize the damage to bodies that could later be animated.