Tarina

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Rhifox
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Tarina

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Portrait by CommanderKrieg
NicknamesWhisper, Little Lady, Kin, Sikerta Rina, Lovebird, Rina, the Witch of Darkhold, the Bone Lady
OriginShanah, Tethyr
RaceHuman (Tethyrian)
SexFemale
Age30
AlignmentChaotic Evil
ProfessionMaster of Darkhold, mage
Patron DeitiesMalar, Set
ClassesWitch, Blood Magus, Pale Master
LanguagesChondathan, Common, some Thoross, Abyssal, some Draconic, Infernal, some Alzhedo, some Undercommon, some Orcish
Height5'5" (165cm)
Weight105lb (47kg)
Distinguishable TraitsBrown skin, wild dark brown hair, red eyes, Infernal tattoos, proud posture, horned masks, savage attire, charms and talismans
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Tarina is a peasant from a small logging village called Shanah in Tethyr's Fyraven County, on the Dragon's Neck Peninsula. Her family owned a local shop and sold herbal ingredients for other villagers and travelers. Her father, Emell, had some experience as an adventurer in his youth, but he had chosen to leave that life behind and settle down.

Tarina was the family's only child. A quiet and withdrawn girl with few friends, she grew to hate the lonely little town. Toril is a magical world, but all of that was far away. Tarina dreaded the thought of spending her entire life a peasant girl in some forgotten village. Though she did love her parents, Tarina had a tenuous relationship with her father, who she blamed for refusing to use his adventuring skills and earnings to give the family a more prestigious, prosperous life.

Though coming from a magical lineage through her father, Tarina was not brought up as a mage. Perhaps because of a calling of her blood, or simply her natural curiosity and desire for a more dynamic life, she grew to envy the wizards and witches in the stories she was told and often wished she could do magic like they could. She began exploring other ways to get what she wanted, inventing crude rituals and offering gifts to any god or spirit that would listen. Eventually, one did. Tarina begged the spirit for help and allowed it anything it wanted. It chose to inhabit her body, and became Tarina's spirit guide. Though it was too weak to provide any real magic, its essence allowed Tarina to see and communicate with other spirits. She began trying new rituals to attract other spirits, eager to build on what she had.

Things became more difficult after that, however. Civil war erupted in her homeland, and while her village was able to endure for several years, it suffered from growing food and material shortages as a mix of taxation and conscription let many farms go fallow. Her family eventually fell victim to the chaos, and Tarina fled the country and had to learn to live on her own in a dangerous world. Her longing for magic had initially come from a desire to escape dreary boredom and insignificance, but now it was growing into a panacea, the solution for every trouble she had. She could have saved her family, if she had just had a little more power. She could survive, if she had just a little more power. She could someday find a life of wealth and prominence, if she had a little more power. Magic became her life, because magic let her control her destiny instead of be controlled by it... as long as the spirits allowed, at least. And what the spirits allowed became more and more limited as years go by, as she foolishly opened herself up to beings that saw her as a tool for their own ends.

Tarina ran north, briefly settling in Murann. She found a stable life there, but further hardships eventually drove her to depart. She cut through the rest of mage-hating Amn and settled in Baldur's Gate, and her stay in that region saw her make new acquaintances and become a seeker of Candlekeep. During her time in Baldur's Gate, Tarina used her knowledge of spirit magic to help others in various ways, though some of these experiences left her with lasting consequences. Beyond Candlekeep, Tarina found paid work with the Church of Ilmater and the Order of Pathfinders, collecting donations and providing for orphans. In these travels, Tarina found love again, of friends, family and more. Always were these relations marred by her darker pursuits, however.

Those pursuits eventually caught up with her. During a trip back to Tethyr in the aid of a friend, her demon made itself known at last and Tarina was forced to finally confront its evil. She promised those she had hurt that she would rid herself of it, but that promise would itself lead to heartbreak, as, after discovering her father still alive—a prisoner of a Tethyrian robber baron—she was cruelly forced by her demon master to slay him, an act which devastated her. While her demon was eventually expelled, Tarina found no victory in Tethyr. She stayed an additional 2 years at Thrynnar's Hold as she tried to deal with her grief, during which she found a surrogate father in Jonas Rokranon. Eventually, she decided to return to the Baldur's Gate region, as she promised she would.

Through it all, Tarina's magic kept her alive, but her abilities were spotty and she relied on the patronage of untrustworthy spirits and blood sacrifices to demons to shore up her deficiencies. Unfortunately, this deal with devils finally came to a head in the waning months of 1356, when her third eye left open the door for a spirit of the Night Serpent, which dominated Tarina's mind and body and devoured her dreams and emotions. Though the spirit was eventually defeated, the damage it wrought could not be undone. She became a husk of a woman, consumed from the inside out by the powers she sought to control.

But Tarina never stays down. And in some ways, this event was a rebirth for her. Divorced from her spirits, she was forced to develop new magic. Feeling betrayed by her friends and allies, who she blames for failing to saving her, she forged new connections. And with many of the best parts of her lost to the Night Serpent's gullet, she was unbound from many of the reservations that once held her back. Today she is a new woman, hardened by her experiences and stronger than what came before.

It was this Tarina that has risen to rule the Zhentarim castle of Darkhold.

Factions
Zhentarim (Lady of Darkhold, Black Cloak, Witch of the Lichwood)
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Former Factions
Candlekeep (Reader)
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House of Spades (Trusted)
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Goals
Overall, Tarina has simple desires of attaining greater wealth and magical and temporal power. She is afraid of a humble life of insignificance, and so she has always been attracted to things that appear (at least on the surface) to offer a path to greatness. This has made her become a servant of supernatural entities, and she is inclined to listen to otherworldly whispers and omens. While her life is not constantly lead by such entities she does answer when they choose to ring. They give her magic, afterall, and that's what she really cares for.

As the new lord of Darkhold, Tarina has achieved a significant goal in her life. Now she seeks to capitalize on her new position. She is working to shore up the defenses of her castle and organization, and achieve influence throughout the Western Heartlands and beyond. And after that? Well, godhood, of course. Tarina seeks eternal life, transcendance beyond the limits of the mortal form, and the worship of her subjects. Lichdom is one way of this... but perhaps not the only way.

Plot Hooks and Setting-Significant Details
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- Tarina has a criminal history in Amn from her time living in Murann, for violating their laws against magic use during her passage through the country and killing a lord during the Cowled Wizards' attempt to apprehend her. Though Tarina was licensed and working with the city guard at the time, the Cowled Wizards used their connection with a noble house in the city to revoke Tarina's license and condemn her to Spellhold so that they could study her spirit powers. This criminal record has followed her to Baldur's Gate and is now on file in Nashkel, though so far the Amnian authorities have chosen to only observe for the time being, possibly due to Tarina's connections with Candlekeep. (DM Galatea) Following Tarina's actions in Nashkel during the Night Serpent's possession, which resulted in the unwilling sacrifice of many local residents and the eventual need for the Cowled Wizards to travel north to banish the entity, she is almost certainly now treated as an enemy of Amn once again.(DM Vukodlak)

- During her possession by the Night Serpent, Tarina communed with the demon lord Dagon to decipher what was cursing her and how to cure it. A payment for this ritual was for her to corrupt a seagull egg with Dagon's essence and drop it into the ocean. This act poisoned the area of the Sword Coast surrounding Ulgoth's Beard, leading to low or toxic harvests by surrounding villages dependent on fishing. It is unknown how many people might have died as a result of this action, nor what the ultimate ramifications years or even centuries from now might be. Though Tarina did not know what exactly she was agreeing to, she knew that it was a gravely evil act. This action resulted in her alignment shifting from Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Evil.(DM Vukodlak)

- After losing her spirit magic to the Night Serpent, Tarina beseeched the Mulhorandi god of evil magic, Set, for his guidance in developing new powers. Unlike clerics, this is a transactional relationship—Tarina does not serve as a priest of Set, and cannot call on Set's power directly. Instead, she offers up magical artifacts to the deity in exchange for knowledge of spells. Her familiar, Herald, was provided as an emissary of sorts, to which Tarina "feeds" magic and who then in turn helps her prepare her spells. Though Tarina believes that the entity she is receiving instruction from really is Set, it is possible that another entity could be masquerading as the deity. If it is not Set, it may be a fiend of some kind, or perhaps a far realms entity. Abraxas, a demon lord of snakes and magical secrets, is a possible candidate, as is Asmodeus, the Lord of Lies, or even some eldritch thing.

- During the Darkhold-Lords Alliance War of 1358, Tarina, as general of the Darkhold advance armies, employed guerilla and scorched earth tactics to deny the significantly-larger Lords' Alliance access to vital crops and roads in an attempt to win the logistics war. As part of these efforts, she cast the corrupt spell evil weather in the lands surrounding Berdusk to despoil its farmlands. The evil of the spell still afflicts the land, even despite the efforts of druids and other healers. (DM Honk, DM Winter)

- Tarina oversaw the raising of armies prior to the Darkhold-Lords' Alliance War of 1358 from Darkhold's occupied territories in the northern Sunset Vale. After the war ended, Darkhold ceded its claims over these lands. Many of the residents chose to remain loyal to Darkhold, however, owing to fair treatment under Lord Selengil Harkonis's leadership, and have come to settle in the Darkhold Vale rather than return to their homes (which were destroyed in the war). This has lead to a growing civilian settlement in the Darkhold Vale. Furthermore, since becoming the lord of Darkhold, Tarina has been developing Darkhold's ties with the Dragon Coast, Roaringshore, Sshamath, and a fire giant tribe in the Grey Peaks, as well as gathering new mages to Darkhold's service. She is in particular developing a retinue of witches in the Lichwood, a forest in the Darkhold Vale. These mages (mostly women) receive direct tutelage from Tarina, though are only informally aligned with Darkhold.(DM Team)
Family and Personal Connections
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Emel yn Taaj el Mazir (Emell Mazir, NG Wiz/Ftr): Tarina's father. A moderately successful eldritch knight who became disenfranchised with the adventuring lifestyle after a series of incidents that lead to the death of several of his companions and the manipulation of his services towards evil. His adventuring wealth ensured that the family were freeholders in Shanah, and he sat on town council meetings. Tarina had a contentious relationship with her father, whose desire for a normal and humble life contrasted Tarina's ambition for something more. His hatred of magic (resulting from his own dark experiences with it) lead him to push against Tarina's burgeoning magical talents, which compelled her to seek outside tutelage instead. During the burning of Shanah, he stayed behind to protect the family from pursuers, and was believed dead. In truth, he was imprisoned and sold to a series of southern lords. He would later be killed by a demon-possessed Tarina when she returned to Tethyr with Ameris Santraeger. Though Tarina spent two years recovering at Thrynnar's Hold, with the help of Sir Jonas Rokranon and Saint Merielle Tessian, the event continued to haunt her. How much she still remembers of him following the scouring of her soul is unclear.

Aline Mazir (NG Com): Tarina's mother. A native of Shanah who fell in love with Emell and for whom he decided to settle down. Tarina was closer with her mother, rather than her father, as her mother generally gave Tarina words of encouragement. After the burning of Shanah, Tarina and Aline flee to Murann. During the journey through the Wealdath, they are attacked by elven occupants, who have little love for humans. Tarina survived, but was forced to watch her mother bleed out over several hours, which evoked an incredible feeling of powerlessness in her. Even after the loss of many of her memories, Tarina remembers this incident with complete clarity.

Casin Delvon (CE Swash): The son of the Shanah town mayor and Tarina's best friend growing up, who she was to be married to when she came of age. Casin was an intelligent boy, but he grew up cruel and ambitious, partly due to influence by dark spirits resulting from Tarina's early experimentations with spirits, which possessed him. Their friendship gradually eroded, finally breaking during the Ten Black Days when Casin coerced Tarina into stealing several poisonous ingredients from her father's shop, which he used to kill his father and several other village elders. Casin and his cronies would eventually slay the lord of the manor and take his place, becoming a petty robber baron ruling over Blackwood Barony for a time. The conflict between the Mazir family and Casin would eventually spiral down into violence, which triggered the burning of Shanah. Casin lorded over the barony for several more years, initiating a war against the neighboring elves of the Wealdath. He became known as the Lord of Knives for his habit of collecting the ears of elves he slew. Casin himself would eventually be displaced in the continuing chaos of the Tethyr Civil War. He may or may not still be alive.

Lavern (N): Tarina's spirit guide, Lavern was the first spirit Tarina encountered, the ghost of a woman who had drowned long ago in the great floods of the Velen Peninsula. Attracted to Tarina by the magic in her soul, it took advantage of the young girl's desires and possessed her so that it could live again. Tarina died that day, and what emerged was a gestalt entity made up of characteristics of both individuals. Able to see into both the living world and the spirit world, Lavern facilitated Tarina's development as a spirit shaman. Tarina would further split her soul as she bound herself to more and more spirits, until the day that the Night Serpent devoured them. Much of what was Tarina died then, but one piece of her shattered soul survived. Without Lavern, though, it is difficult to say that the Tarina that exists today is still "Tarina." More details about Lavern are provided in the Spirits chapter.

Jonas Rokranon (LG Pal of Torm): Tarina's surrogate father. Tarina was adopted by Jonas after their tribulations in Tethyr, as the paladin had developed a fondness for her. Since Tarina has returned to Baldur's Gate, however, she has fallen from the heights Jonas had hoped for her. Recognizing this, and not wanting to bring shame to the name, Tarina gave up her Rokranon signet ring to her "uncle," Rennec Rokranon, and divorced herself from any family connections. She pledged to be her own woman, tied to no one.

Ameris Santraeger (NG Cle of Ilmater): Though related by neither blood nor adoption, Tarina was considered part of Ameris's family by everyone except Telia (who never trusted her). Ameris was the first person in Baldur's Gate that Tarina met, and a fellow countryman of Tethyr. He gave her work and a home, and strived to help her overcome her flaws in spite of the doubts of those around him. Their relationship was close enough that Tarina agreed to travel back to Tethyr with him to help him deal with the troubling reemergence of his brother. They have spoken little since Tarina returned to Baldur's Gate. Ameris feels betrayed by Tarina's choice to join the Zhentarim.

Eldarian Al'maire (LG Pal of Lathander): The love of Tarina's life, Eldarian and Tarina were a curious pairing from the start. He strove to bring her into the light, to show her love, hope, and optimism, while she was drawn to his doubts and darker thoughts, which made him more real to her than any other paladin she had met. They were the sun and the moon, chasing each other around the earth, never to meet. Shortly before Tarina left with Ameris for Tethyr, the two finally kindled their relationship, and Tarina left him with the promise that she would purge her demons and come back so they could be together at last. But when she returned to Baldur's Gate several years later, Eldarian was gone. And since the devouring of her spirits by the Night Serpent, she remembers little of him.

Michael Dunn (CN Rng of Shaundakul): A close friend, Tarina and Michael met while working for the Santraegers. They bonded over their shared feelings of being outcasts (and their love of Michael's dog, Rain), and Tarina often spoke up on Michael's defense when he came under suspicion by others in Baldur's Gate. Their relationship has soured since Tarina joined the Zhentarim, as Michael lead an organization, the Whitewood Vanguard, that was dedicated to repelling Darkhold from the lands it had occupied. After failing to appeal to their friendship, and Michael's mercenary nature, Tarina cut ties with the ranger. Out of anger for his betrayal, Tarina cursed him to nightmares and sleepless nights.

Isabella Villame (LG Sor/Pal of Torm): A mother figure to Tarina, Isabella was among the first people Tarina met in Baldur's Gate, and, like Ameris, gave her work and lodging at a time when Tarina felt lost and alone. Tarina constantly sought Isabella's approval, but found herself increasingly growing frustrated with Isabella's rejection of Tarina's ambitions. Much like Tarina's father, Emell, Isabella chided Tarina for seeking greater things, and advocated for living a quiet life of humility. After waking from her coma following the Night Serpent's possession, Tarina sought Isabella out for comfort, but was met with a cold shoulder. Isabella sought to convince Tarina to take responsibility for the deaths she had caused under the Night Serpent's influence, and work to write those wrongs, but all that Tarina saw in that moment was rejection and abandonment. This severed their relationship, and their few conversations since have been terse and combative.

Nathan Goldenmane (LG Rog): A close friend and confidant. Tarina met Nathan during her employment with House Darius, which she had pursued due to her relationship with Carah Evenwood, another Tethyr refugee from the Velen Peninsula. At the Lewd Lyre, Tarina found in Nathan a kindred soul, someone who, like her, felt uncomfortable with the loud social situations that often occured within the tavern. Nathan reminds Tarina of her mother—though he disagrees with some of her choices, Nathan never judges her for them. Nathan is aware of some of Tarina's darkest acts, but still remains close to her, and speaks to her with acceptance and care. This unconditional love is something Tarina is unused to, and so she values Nathan's friendship a great deal. The two remain in touch despite Tarina's membership in—and now leadership of—Darkhold.

Selengil Harkonis (NE Wiz): A father figure to Tarina, Selengil offered her something no others ever had: approval. Where even her closest friends and family chastised Tarina for her deeds, telling her how much better she could be if she gave up parts of herself they didn't like, Selengil tells her that she is strong and capable as she is, that her ambition and the steps she has taken to fulfill it are something to be admired. Where others taught her to hide and submit, Selengil tells her to stand proud and be unashamed. Under Selengil's influence, Tarina has broken out of her shell and become a confident woman willing to do whatever she has to win and thrive.
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Tarina's features are of southern origin, and her accent is Tethyrian. To most, Tarina appears a beauty. Though not unattractive by birth, she has turned to spells of illusion, transmutation, and regeneration to mold her body into her idealized self, accentuating her curves and eliminating her imperfections, and since becoming the lady of Darkhold she has acquired a retinue of servants to apply beautifying powders, oils, and scents on the daily. She does not hide everything, though. The scars from her blood magic, in the form of Infernal script ranging up and down the contours of her body, are turned black with arcane ink and presented plainly, as are her red eyes. And over it she drapes both wealth and savagery, fine metal and silk decorated with crude charms and talismans of bone, feather, wood, and stone. These symbols of her power and individuality she does not hide, as she today takes pride in these dark and strange magicks and has chosen to own who and what she is. If others deride her for it, that is on them, not her.

Beneath the spells and pampering, Tarina's dark magic has been twisting its way through her body. Her natural features are hardened and sharp with predatory mien, and her eyes glow red in dark places, not unlike the crimson corpselight of vampires and liches. Even grafted vampiric fangs can be seen between her lips. Of course, most obvious is the corruption of her left arm, which, once withered and poisoned, has dissolved into rune-etched bone and sinew, held together through supernatural means.

Always tense and constantly roiling with hidden rage and fear, Tarina is always a hair's-breadth away from snapping apart. Even the smallest of setbacks can drive her into spirals of self-doubt and panic, as she worries this shaky tower she's set up for herself will collapse under its own weight.

Scars
Tarina has had most of her older scars healed with restorative magic. What remains is a latticework of tattoos made from self-inflicted cuts and infused with magic ink that allows them to draw on her body's life force. These tattoos travel across the mystical routes of her body, drawing up magical energy from the ground, through her vital areas, to her limbs, her throat, and her mind and soul. They are written in Infernal script, and call on fiends and other entities of various levels of power. The most obvious tattoo is perched in the center of her forehead, a third eye, slanted vertically, representing the opening of her consciousness to other dimensions. The Night Serpent may have robbed Tarina of her direct connection to the spirit world, but thanks to her new understanding of the cosmic forces of the universe she has pried that eye back open.

Beneath the surface of Tarina's skin is a different story, though. Any healer who has the opportunity to look under her skin may question if she is even still alive. Her organs are scarred, blackened, lessioned, and desiccated, corrupted by dark magic and negative energy. Her heart still beats, but the blood in her veins is thick and vile, and it travels slowly through her body. This internal corruption is resistant to magic, because it is the product of magic - the rotten essence of Set's blessings mixed with the dark transmutations of pale magic. This corruption rises to the surface at her left arm and hand, which, once mangled by cutting and toxins, has now shriveled up into scraps of flesh and sinew over bare bone.

By nature, these two things interact poorly. Where blood magic is fueled by life, pale magic is fueled by death. Tarina has thus focused her studies on vampires, a type of undead creature that explicitly uses life — blood in particular — to fuel its undead state. Darkhold's alliance with vampires has given Tarina many vampires to observe and learn from, and it was these creatures that helped Tarina begin her road into pale magic to begin with.

"Poisoned, possessed, and self-mutilated. You really are not treating your body very kindly."
- Khali Avadurhzaz

Notable Possessions and Heirlooms
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Heirloom Items
Resolution
This beautifully crafted weapon features excellent balance and workmanship that would make a dwarf envious. It once belonged and was bonded to the spellsword Emell Mazir. If the blade was not crafted for him personally, it was certainly made for someone of his eldritch knight skill set as it improves the wielder's martial and spell prowess alike. Resolution was thought lost when Emell disappeared after ordering his family to flee Shanah after an incident with the local lord's soldiers, but it was recovered by Tarina during her travels in Tethyr.

Because of its connections with her father, Tarina finds Resolution uncomfortable to wield. She has largely cast off the weapon, as it symbolizes her connections to someone else, rather than herself.

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Witherbrand
This powerful rapier was gifted to Tarina by Drego Ashe after her father's sword, Resolution, was lost to the Red Wizard Khali. Even after she got Resolution back, Tarina prefers Witherbrand. Her father's sword is marked with regret, and it binds her to her past, a family heirloom. Witherbrand, meanwhile, is hers, its story one that she alone will define.

Witherbrand's hilt is formed in the shape of twisting golden vines extending out over the hand to the pommel. The sword's name has been engraved along the blade, along with an inscription, which reads, "I am a thorn to the heart of my foes."

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Dagger of Nightmares
This darksteel dagger is the stuff of dreams—literally. When the Night Serpent sealed its hold over Tarina, it gifted her a dagger to use to sacrifice victims to it. Bound to the Night Serpent, those slain by this weapon had their souls sent to its worldly aspect to be devoured. During Tarina's first involuntary sacrifice to the Night Serpent, she was trapped in a nightmare with this dagger in her hand. Lavern, her spirit guide, begged her to kill her with it, an act which could have saved Tarina's soul at the cost of her magic and spirits. Tarina refused, and instead woke up with the bloody dagger in her hand and her victim's body a few feet away.

This dagger would eventually find itself in Isabella Villame's possession, who kept it locked away. After Tarina woke up from her long sleep, the Night Serpent gone and her spirits devoured by it, Isabella gave the weapon back to Tarina to remind her of the evils she had done and the need for her to make up for them. Tarina has kept the weapon, and can sometimes be found looking at it while she contemplates her life and losses.

Though of symbolic importance, this dagger is made for sacrifice, not warfare, and it has no enchantments that would make it an effective weapon.

Secret Information
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Since becoming a pale master, this dagger has taken on a new purpose: a soul anchor. With Tarina's pale magic emphasis on vampirism, she found herself needing an object reminiscent of the vampire's coffin. This dagger, which symbolized the "death" of the Tarina that existed before the Night Serpent's possession, and the "birth" of the new Tarina that has emerged since, made for the perfect receptacle.
Other Items
Githcrafted Mithral Armor
With her picking up study in arcane magic, Tarina has run into the issue of having her spells blocked by armor. She picked up several armors more suited to an arcane spellcaster in order to try to rectify this. These included a new gambeson made of a magic-tolerant material, as well as an apron of mail she could wear over it for some additional protection without greatly diminishing her spells.

That wasn't enough, though. With the help of the drow Aunrae, Tarina has since commissioned an armor from Sshamath, made from gith-worked mithral and treated aranea spidersilk. The specialized gith forging techniques, along with the inherent properties of the mithral, allows the armor to be both strong and magically pliant. Unlike many of her past armors, which were purchased solely on practical needs, this armor was made with no expenses spared. It consists of a fitted malachite-lined mithral breastplate with a defined feminine physique (a small sacrifice in protection for expression), shoulder armor, bracers, and hoof-shaped greaves, atop a brown gambeson made from layers of spidersilk. Over the armor is draped a stiff crimson robe lined with rothe fur.

This armor has since been glamered, and can appear however Tarina wishes.

Wood Mask
Tarina has taken to wearing a horned and feathered wooden mask as a distinguishing article of clothing, largely replacing the feathered hat she briefly wore in 1356. The mask is handcarved, like many of her talismans, and is inscribed with magical script and a third eye at the forehead. Various charms and trinkets hang from the two branching horns that extend past the top of the mask, making it act almost like a windchime when she walks.

Mother's Cloak
One of Tarina's most distinguishing items when she used to wear it, Mother's Cloak is a heavy fur cloak made from red wolf pelts and tied at the collar between two bird skulls. The cloak is weathered and worn, and dried blood stains the hood and shoulders. The cloak was made for Tarina by her mother to help stay warm during cold nights and the frequent rainfalls along the coast, and it is one of the few items Tarina still owns from her life in Shanah. Due to its connection to Tarina's family, the cloak became the anchor for Father, a primal guardian spirit that watched over Tarina. With Father's "death," the cloak has seemed to lose some of its luster. The color is fading, and it is beginning to fray and come apart at the seams.

Tarina rarely wears this cloak anymore.

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Mithral Plate Armor
Tarina owns a suit of steel plate armor made up of a helmet, breastplate, tassets, gorget, spaulders, gauntlets, and greaves. The armor is worn over a mail hauberk and a thin layer of quilted padding which helps to soften blows.

This armor was was commissioned for Tarina by the aasimar paladin of Lathander, Lord Eldarian Al'maire, and is fitted to Tarina's physique.

The mail hauberk beneath the armor is made from mithral and was gifted to Tarina by Michael Dunn. The mirror plate woven into the front of the armor is emblazoned across its surface with intricate patterns of burning flames. These flames almost appear as if alive and flickering when light strikes them, due to mithral's natural shine.

Due to the armor's interference with arcane magic, Tarina is rarely seen in it anymore.

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An Accounting of the History of Tarina Mazir
This book was blessed by the wisdom of Oghma himself through a ritual performed by the Oghmite priest Caelus Moon. It details Tarina's entire history to the point of its writing, in order to help her regain the memories she lost. Though she continues to have no personal recollection of her experiences, through the book Tarina now knows her past.

Vaedrii Music Box
A cursed music box used to torment enemies. Gifted to Tarina by Dreadlord Selengil Harkonis.

Zendalure Amulet
The most powerful (and expensive) of Tarina's charms is an amulet bearing a zendalure stone, a type of gem strongly aligned with the spirit world. The gem is finely polished and held firmly in a setting of entwined gold and platinum, which is likely to make it a target for thieves. Though principally used for spiritual communication and journeying, the gem also has the power to remove disease. This amulet was gifted to Tarina by the Kara-Tur monk, Mi-Le.

Herb Pouch Necklace
This necklace holds a pouch containing several strong-smelling wild ingredients. It has enchantments that provide a tougher skin for its wearer, but its main purpose is to enhance primal states of being. Tarina once used this when channeling spirits, allowing them to more easily empower her body when they possessed her.

Cold Iron Knife
This knife is made of cold iron. It is dark and unglamorous, and holding it is unsettling for beings of fey or fiendish origin. This weapon was once possessed by a spirit of blood spilled for power. Today, it looks too brittle to be wielded.

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Holy Symbols of Mystra and Azuth
Nestled among Tarina's various necklaces is an eight-pointed star gifted to her by Telia Santraeger. The symbol is of simple metalworking and attached by a silver chain. The necklace now also includes the silver hand of Azuth.

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Holy Symbols of Kossuth and Shar
Tarina also wears handcrafted symbols of Kossuth and Shar. Each is made of different gemstones, a fire agate for Kossuth and obsidian for Shar. The agate has had a flame carved onto its surface, while the obsidian has been shaped into a thin disk.

Holy Symbols of Ilmater and Bhaal
Following an encounter with powerful spirits representing the gods of Ilmater and Bhaal, Tarina now wears trinkets in honor of them both. This includes a red ribbon and a piece of bone carved to look like a tear-shaped skull.

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Holy Symbol of Selûne
Tarina also wears a symbol honoring Selûne, who she currently holds as her patron. The symbol is made from a silver coin sanded down into a smooth white disk, representing the moon.

Holy Symbol of Malar
Tarina includes a symbol of Malar among her possessions. It is a necklace made from a bloodstained wolf's fang.

Holy Symbol of Set
This necklace is made up of greenstones and hematites.

Holy Symbols of Gond and Oghma
This necklace is adorned with the brass toothed wheel of Gond and the silver scroll of Oghma.

Holy Symbol of Bane
This brooch is made of bloodstone inscribed with the image of a gauntlet clenched into a fist.

Holy Symbol of Red Knight
This brooch is made of a knight chess piece painted red.

Witch's Amulet
This amulet made of bones and stones is engraved with symbols representing the Baba Yaga, the Mother of all Witches. It was purchased from Krueger Earthstone.

Shanah Burned's Talisman
This fire agate has imagery carved into it depicting a fire over a small town, and hangs from the neck by a simple leather string. It was the spiritual anchor for Shanah Burned, a fire spirit that consumed a large portion of Tarina's hometown of Shanah. With the death of Shanah Burned, its cracked appearance has faded to a dull, gray hue.

Profane Symbol of Pazuzu (Broken)
This stone figurine is cut and twisted into the shape of a nude male figure with four feathered wings and the talons and beak of a hawk. It acted as a spiritual anchor for Malrakus, a demon that possessed Tarina. The figurine has since been broken in two, and no longer radiates any abyssal energies.

Staff Spear
This spear was gifted to Tarina by Alexander Marshall. It is basic in design, though enchanted with magic. Tarina has customized the design of the spear, carving inscriptions onto its surface and attaching various primal objects such as runed knuckle bones and feathers. When turned the other way, the spear functions as a magic staff.

House Thrynnar Bow
During the two years Tarina lived at Thrynnar's Hold in Tethyr, she was trained in martial combat by Sir Jonas Rokranon. Included in this training was archery, which Tarina has taken a liking to as a hobby as much as a form of ranged self-defense. When she left the Hold to return to Baldur's Gate, she took one of the bows from House Thrynnar's armory with her.

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Other Trinkets
Tarina once wore dozens of other minor accessories, trinkets, totems, charms, and talismans, many devoted to an individual spirit. Most were crude, handmade depictions of some aspect of their associated spirit. They are crafted out of materials that that spirit favors, such as copper, brass, or oak for spirits of light and fire. She rarely wears any of these now, instead keeping them in storage. Among the trinkets not already described above are--
  • A full-face mask made of bone and painted with blue stripes.
  • A full-face mask made of iron and inscribed with runes, gifted to Tarina by the shaman Bran.
  • A blue quartz inscribed with the image of a fountain beneath a candle.
  • Two bird skulls inscribed with prayers and used as clasps for her cloak.
  • A candleholder.
  • A hooked tree branch inscribed with various prayers.
  • The hilt from a scimitar.
  • A candleholder.
  • Several humanoid poppets made from wood and cloth scraps.
  • An effigy bound with strands of hair taken from a blonde aasimar woman.
  • A twine necklace woven through the bones of a rat's tail.
  • A glowstone, gifted to Tarina by the shaman Bran.
  • A golden feather, gifted to Tarina by Adelaide van der Sair.
  • A vial of preserved unicorn blood (given freely), gifted to Tarina by the shaman Bran.
  • A Rashemi offering bowl, gifted to Tarina by the shaman Bran.
  • A painted glass lovebird, gifted to Tarina by Lord Eldarian Al'maire.
  • A knitted piglet, gifted to Tarina by Edelgarde Spades.
  • A pearl pendant, black onyx, and blue-glowing sapphire, gifted to Tarina by Michael Dunn.
  • Various bones.
  • Various other gems and stones.
  • Various feathers.
  • A blackskull, a jawless skull carved out of ebony.
  • A sheer purple silk veil worn from her belt. It hangs over her hip in a U shape.
  • A glass orb that grants the wielder access to powerful weather spells, gifted to Tarina by Nathan Goldenmane.
  • A vial of preserved dragon blood, gifted to Tarina by Lady Araycia Nightgale.
  • A spirit-haunted drum, gifted to Tarina by Lady Araycia Nightgale.
Some of these talismans count as Tarina's spell components.
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Artwork Credit: LazyTrain

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Habits/Hobbies: Archery, magic, watching fires, crafting talismans and trinkets, watching the water.
Strengths: Well-mannered, respectful, pious, kind, loyal, smart.
Weaknesses: Envious, spiteful, withdrawn, fearful, impulsive.

Personality Profile
To most, Tarina appears a quiet woman that tries to uphold proper manners and listen instead of speak. She leaves most feelings unspoken, nursing both love and anger deep in her heart and away from others. When stressed or fatigued, however, her walls break down and she can become prone to impulsive and rash behavior, even violence. This frequently sours her relations with others, as she rarely speaks of her feelings except when anger drives them to the surface.

Tarina's behavior comes from deep-seated feelings of inferiority. Born of a peasant family in a small town of little importance, Tarina grew up afraid of never being able to see the world or become anything greater than a housewife. She developed a terrible hatred against her father when she learned that he had been a powerful mage and adventurer but left it behind to pursue a life of humility, and she blamed him for forcing his ideals on her. Even after she developed a connection with the spirits and found magic in her own right, Tarina has struggled to overcome her self-doubt. She holds bitter resentment towards people she views as better than her, especially those who appear to take their heights for granted or abandon them as her father did. Tarina has come to view life as a never ending climb—a neverending hunt—and she blinds herself to any reason to ascend except to reach even greater heights.

Tarina tends towards superstition and believes most events to have had the hands of the gods or spirits at work. These beliefs lead her to seek out spirits early in her life in the hope that they would answer her prayers for magic. Tarina's sorcerous heritage encouraged some to answer her, and she became a skilled medium and channel for spirit magic. It also attracted dark spirits and demons to her, however. These beings found easy purchase in Tarina's soul, and they worked continuously to steer her down crueler and more destructive paths. These paths ultimately lead to the deaths of innocents and loved ones, the loss of her spirits, and the scouring of her own soul.

Tarina's alignment is Chaotic Evil. She is independent-minded, distrusting of those in authority or who might seek to control her, angry at a world that has hurt her, and secretly desiring cruelty on those she dislikes. It is her pursuit of dark magic most of all that has corrupted her, though, and the manipulations of the evil entities she communes with slowly corrupted her towards Chaos and Evil. She still has a heart, and she still believes in doing good for her family and friends and keeping kindness in her soul, but her willingness to help strangers has been largely sacrificed on the altar of personal gain.

Since the tribulations of the Night Serpent and her joining the Zhentarim, Tarina has been growing more into her own. Under Selengil Harkonis's guidance, she is no longer be satisfied to hide in the shadows and suppress her own wants for the sake of others, and today she has become a woman who takes pride in who and what she is—an intelligent woman, a powerful mage, and a keeper of dark lore. While she can still fall back to her old ways when the trials facing her get too much, she relishes in her newfound freedom to shout to the world, "Yes, I'm here, this is what I am, and you have no power over me."

"Stop thinking like one of them, one of those out there. You are not them. You are beyond all of that now. You fought it and you survived. You rebuilt every single time. You scraped and clawed and regained your power through whatever means you could. You are strong. I will not treat you like any of them, because you are beyond all of it."
- Lord Selengil Harkonis

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Afflictions: Amnesia, hallucinations, melancholia, nightmares.
Phobias: Antimagic fields, authority figures, being buried alive, darkness, death (physical or identity), demons, drowning, fate, the gods, heights and falling, insignificance, men, the ocean, old age, paralysis, physical disability, possession, rats, shackles and cages, spiders, tight spaces, worms.

Tarina's many years of delving into dark magic and evil and alien entities have begun to take their toll on her body, mind, and soul. Contact with such forces, though it may seem beneficial in the short term, never ends well.

Corruption
Thanks to years of trafficking with evil beings and magic, Tarina has grown thinner and her eyes more sunken, and the lines of her body sharper. The most obvious symptoms, though, are her red eyes, which glow red in darkness like an undead creature, and her withered and skeletal left hand and forearm. Originally corrupted through snake toxin from a pact with the Mulhorandi god of evil, Set, in exchange for arcane knowledge and the powers of blood magic, it has now been defiled further through pale magic. Both of these magical practices have permanently scarred her body both inside and out. Indeed, the internal corruption is worse than what appears on the outside, and if one were to carve open Tarina they would find desiccated and twisted organs, still functioning only through mystical means. Negative energy suffuses Tarina's core, to the level that it actually can interfere with her blood magic, which is powered by lifeforce.

Because of the half-living state of her body, Tarina is more resistant to physical damage. Indeed, this was her motivation in taking up the study of pale magic in the first place. This does come with downsides. Beyond the disruptions to her blood magic, Tarina's sense of touch and taste have lessened, as has her ability to receive nourishment from food. Similar to true undead creatures, only food and drink rich in life energy, such as blood- and meat-based meals, retains its full taste and nutritional value. In some cases, it is even enhanced. Sufficient quantities of such meals can restore Tarina's senses, as she infuses her body with enough positive energy to counteract the high levels of negative energy, but this is short-lived. For this purpose has she grafted onto her body the fangs of vampires, allowing her to feed upon life energy through blood as they do. Through this, a kind of blood magic in itself, she can restore potency to her body and senses.

Depravity
Tarina has suffered considerable mental depravity as a result of her actions. From as far back as her childhood, she has been siphoning off pieces of her soul to various supernatural entities for magic, tying memories and emotions to them. While not all of these spirits were evil, such reckless contracts still take their toll. Eventually, the consequences became too high. As the Night Serpent ravaged her soul, consuming these spirits, Tarina was split into pieces. Her mind had to learn how to operate independently again, and though she largely regained her emotional range (though more depressed than before), many of her memories remain lost forever. This has also raised the question of who Tarina really is. Bound at the beginning with the ghost, Lavern, Tarina's spirit guide, there was always a question of which of the two actually lived in Tarina's body. Now, one of them is gone, eaten by—or worse, sacrificed to—the Night Serpent. There is the possibility that it was Tarina who died, not Lavern, and now it is Lavern that wears Tarina's body and acts out her life. Whichever the case, it is true that the Tarina that emerged from this trauma is subtly different woman than the one that was consumed.

Beyond the siphoning of her soul, Tarina's often voluntary exposure to evil powers has taken its own toll. Beginning with Malrakus, Tarina has been pulled towards Chaos and Evil. Her empathy and compassion for others has waned, while her selfishness and commitment to herself above all others continues to grow. She is distrustful, paranoid, and jittery. While Tarina's outward displays of madness are lessened these days due to the loss of her spirits' voices in her head (and their occasional possession), she continues to talk in her sleep, and sometimes wakes with a scream.

Several phobias have spawned as a result of Tarina's exposure to evil. She has a great fear of rats, the product of a near-death experience where the soul of a great rat, riddled with Talona's corruption and disease, almost pulled Tarina's spirit into the beyond while she was allowing it to possess and speak through her. Even though the spirit tied to this event and the fear it spawned is gone, the fear itself remains. Tarina also has developed a fear of the ocean as a result of her communing with the demon lord, Dagon. Though she once enjoyed looking out over the water, now it reminds her of the terrifying void she witnessed in Dagon's vision. This fear has lessened over the years since this communion, but the ocean remains known to her as a place of abyssal darkness.

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Favored Weapons: Bow, handaxe, magic, rapier, sling, spear, claws.
Professional Skills: Agriculture, alchemy, brewing, carving, cooking, herbalism, fishing, reading/writing, sewing, spellcraft.
Wizard Specialization: Generalist. Favors Conjuration and Divination.
Familiar: Herald (Snake).

Tarina is principally a mage, and she defines herself by, and spends most of her time practicing, magic. Compared to many other mages in the Heartlands, Tarina's skills are relatively unique. She's a witch, self-trained, which gives her a different understanding and expression of magic compared to mainstream academic teachings. Her spells are individually generally weaker and easier to resist than the spells of other mages, and she has fewer of them to cast per day, but she is deeply immersed in darker and weirder magicks, and the necessity to come to her own conclusions about things means her knowledge is much more strongly intertwined with her world view. Magic, to Tarina, is not simply something that one picks up, but instead something that is lived—she does not need to consult books to find some "correct" interpretation. In short, magic to Tarina is a process of enlightenment and transcendence.

Beyond magic, Tarina is intelligent and widely-skilled. She is a survivalist and values self-sufficiency (ironic, considering the source of her magic), and so she has developed many other talents in addition to her spellcraft. She is trained in many domestic skills, knows basic alchemy and medicine, she has a breadth of knowledge in various fields, and she is a good listener and a decent negotiator. She is also capable of defending herself with force of arms—while she is no soldier, she has been trained in various weapons. She is scrawny and still not a match for an experienced fighter without her magic, but she holds an advantage against more poorly trained opponents.

Classes
Witch: Tarina practices a form of arcane magic that is dependent on making deals with or binding supernatural entities for knowledge, rather than academic understanding through tomes and the sciences, making her more a witch than a wizard. Where other mages have spellbooks, Tarina has her familiar, Herald, who is linked to Set (Tarina's magical patron) and teaches her in magic. Tarina has done some proper arcane studies from loaned books from Candlekeep, and she has learned under wizards like Edelgarde Spades, Sirion Te'dwa, and Selengil Harkonis, but the bulk of understanding comes from personal experience and tutelage under Set and other fiends. She even sacrificed her original spellbook to Herald in the ritual that bound her to Set.

Blood Magus (Tainted Scholar): When Tarina's deal with the demon, Malrakus, was ended, she was left without one of her key shortcuts to power: blood magic. It took several years, but she eventually found an alternative solution: the patron of blood magic himself, the Mulhorandi god Set. With Set's blessing, as well as some tutelage from another blood mage, Tarina gained a new understanding of the use of blood in magic. Though not quite as singularly potent as the demon-fueled powers she once had, her practice has become much more refined. Rather than blindly spilling pints of her own blood to a demon to empower her spells, she now truly understands blood's mystical properties and how to use those properties to enhance her magic. She has actually developed into an extremely proficient blood mage—blood magic is a natural fit for her magical paradigm, focused as it is on the importance of connections.

As a blood mage, Tarina is of the tainted scholar type. Her blood magic is not the product of a near-death experience and being reborn with a preternatural connection with the lifeforce, but instead on studying and interacting with deeply evil forces that have opened her mind to occult knowledge. This has required sacrifices to her physical and mental well-being.

Pale Master: After an attack by Florena and Micar'vilchi iLiathor exposed her vulnerabilities, Tarina has begun studying pale magic with the intent on enhancing her physical durability. Though Lady Araycia Nightgale, a vampire, and Lord Selengil Harkonis, a pale master himself, introduced Tarina to the art, she struggled under their more academic paradigms. Orienting her body closer to death has also had a negative impact on her practice of blood magic, which operates on the lifeforce. She has since developed her own methodology for the practice of this magic, with a focus primarily on incorporating the essence of vampires into her form. This has helped to create a kind of synergy between her otherwise conflicting practice of blood magic and pale magic — by partaking of blood and life energy, as vampires do, she can offset the consequences of exposure to negative energy.

Former Classes
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Spirit Shaman: Tarina has been a spirit shaman since she was a child. She made a deal with a ghost, selling her soul in exchange for magical power. Over the next fifteen years, she carved out ever more pieces of herself, making reckless pacts for more and more spells. It couldn't last. At the height of her power, she was struck down by an aspect of the night serpent, which devoured her spirit guide and several of her spiritual cohorts. 20 years of magical development was erased in just a few weeks of torment leaving Tarina an empty shell, struggling to figure out how to move forward. Still, as a former spirit shaman, Tarina remains knowledgeable enough to draw power from items that harness natural magic (Use Magic Device), even though she can no longer cast such spells on her own.

Warlock: The product of one of Tarina's many deals, Tarina briefly gained eldritch powers from her contract with the glabrezu demon, Malrakus. These abilities were relatively weak, as it was blood magic that she was really after. Tarina lost these powers when Sir Jonas and Ameris Santraeger banished Malrakus from her body.

Rogue: Tarina has always been, to some degree, a rogue, and had she no magic at all this would be her class. A refugee, a street urchin, and an outcast, Tarina's approach to problem solving, even with magic, has been with an eye towards avoiding or circumventing the problem all together, and she would rather fight dirty than fair if she has to fight at all. In the period between her loss of her spirit magic and the development of her arcane magic she had acquired levels in the rogue class, but as she has focused on further developing her magic these skills have been again set to the wayside.

Thaumaturge: Reflective of Tarina's precocious dealmaking, by the end of her career as a spirit shaman she had become highly adept at conjuring spirits into the real world. She still remains a competent summoner today, but the loss of her spiritual cohorts has removed one of her strongest bargaining chips—she now must negotiate with supernatural entities through her own merits and wits, rather than with the guidance of her spirit companions.

Eldritch Knight: Though not a professional soldier, Tarina occasionally received combat training from her various companions over the years. The bulk of this training came from Sir Jonas and the men-at-arms at Thrynnar's Hold in Tethyr, where she learned how to use the rapier, the bow, the spear, the axe, and the sword. She received some more training at Darkhold. She was never to the level of a true warrior, though, and when her magical studies began to dominate her time (and in the case of pale magic, her body), these limited skills have atrophied somewhat. Tarina today focuses on defense through pale magic and offense through transmutation, rather than through the sword.
Paradigm
As a self-taught mage, Tarina's magic is defined by her paradigm: her personalized understanding of the way magic works and how it interacts with the world. The Weave, of course, governs the use of all magic, but Tarina's paradigm informs her methods of accessing it. It affects how she learns, records, and casts her spells, what focuses, reagents, and incantations she uses, and how she explains magic to others. Her paradigm is not necessarily the truth, but rather an individual reflection of her own beliefs and experiences. In other words, it is her personal set of notations, formulas, scripts, and ciphers that another wizard would have to decipher through read magic or a Spellcraft check in order to understand how she prepares her spells, as noted in the Player's Handbook and Magic of Faerun.

Fundamentally, Tarina's magical paradigm is governed by four principles: Spirit, Connection, Duality, and Will. The principle of Spirit dictates that the world is governed by gods, spirits, and monsters, and it is they that hold the keys to magic. To perform magic, these beings must be engaged and invoked, either through bargainmaking or through binding them to the mage's service, and they must act for or invest in the mage. The principle of Connection, or anima or life, dictates that all things are alive, that nothing exists in isolation and that the world and all things in it exist as one great tapestry (the Weave), and pulling a thread here can unravel a knot there. Connection establishes the importance of definitions and symbols, that these things create real magical effect because of what they represent—wolfsbane works against werewolves because it's literally named wolf's bane, naming it so has shifted reality to enforce this as a cosmic truth, and the spirit of wolfsbane has incorporated this truth into its greater purpose. The principle of Duality dictates that all things have an opposite: matter and spirit, good and evil, law and chaos, man and woman, life and death, light and shadow. Under Duality, magic is empowered by interactions with these opposing qualities, separating and reinforcing them, defying them, exploiting the contrasts between them, or transcending them. The principle of Will dictates that for magic (or indeed, life) to succeed, the mage must enter into it with full understanding and intent. Will is a necessary component of doing—doubt spoils spells and turns reality against you, it causes you to sabotage yourself. Those who are most successful are those who have the Will to succeed. Tarina counts the many warlocks making desperate deals and then regretting their choice as examples of poor expressions of Will: they did not enter into these compacts truly sure of their choice, and so ruined their own chances of success.

To Tarina, an individual spell is an interaction with a supernatural entity, a spirit, and requesting or commanding it to perform an effect in accordance with the terms defined by the spell. Each spell is performed by one spirit, and the number of spells a mage can cast is determined by how many such spirits they can command. Whether the entity understands or is willing to respond to the terms set by the spell is dictated by the cosmic alignment of the spell's components. For example, sulfur and Kossuth are associated with fire, so using sulfur as a reagent and beseeching Kossuth in the incantations orients that spell towards fire and better informs the spirit and the Weave as to the effect that must be performed. The more detailed the commands (for example, specific names, especially True Names), the more powerful the spell, as stronger definitions better connects the spell to the Weave—the world itself believes in the spell.

In this way, Tarina's understanding of magic aligns with classical Vancianism.

Because of Tarina's paradigm, her spells make use of talismans as her arcane foci. Tarina's talismans are single-use objects that, in her belief system, house or bind a spirit and provide the power and commands necessary for it to cast an individual spell. Each talisman is made from the necessary reagents and either contains a script of parchment with the spell incantations written on it, or else has those inscriptions carved onto the surface of the object. Once a spell is cast, the talisman is consumed and it must be recreated before that spell can be cast again. The actual components Tarina uses in the crafting of a talisman and the performing of spells and rituals typically include artwork, circles and other geometric designs, symbols and thought forms, cups and other vessels, gems, stones, and metal, writing, rope, household tools, crossroads, fashion, elements, blood and fluids, bones and other remains, music, herbs, plants, and poison, prayer and invocations, names, offerings and sacrifice, ordeals, food and drink, and sex. Her rituals are typically a mix of low and high magic, reflecting the slow development of her art from begging and hoping for an effect to commanding one.

Tarina's paradigm does not use a tome to record her spells. She instead feeds new spells to her familiar (through feeding it scrolls and magical items) who then houses and deciphers that knowledge for her. Functionally, her familiar is her spellbook. By communing with her familiar, Tarina is able to retrieve that knowledge again and prepare it in a talisman. To prepare a spell after resting, Tarina first communes with her familiar, connecting her to Set and the cosmic forces of the universe. She then exerts her Will over a spirit, bringing it under her control, and provides it the commands dictating what effect it is to perform through the reagents, gestures, and incantations. This process is done through the creation of a talisman. The spirit (spell) is then held in reserve until needed. Once released at the desired target, the spirit performs the commands it was given, the Weave reacts to the definitions specified by the spell, the talisman is consumed, and a magical effect happens.

Tarina does still have a spellbook, but she only uses this for personal notes and for transcribing recipes and incantations for the material components she makes. She cannot easily prepare a spell wholesale from her spellbook due to the nature of her paradigm, for which a key component is the establishment of a supernatural connection with the cosmos. Tarina's spellbook is thus always treated as a non-native spellbook for the purpose of preparing spells from it, even if Tarina is the one preparing her spells from it.

Magical Specialization
Tarina has traditionally been a Warrior-Summoner. She relies on spells that enhance her physical capabilities and brings forces and allies to her side to protect her. She also favors magic that gives her dominion over other creatures, or that allows her to curse and inhibit them in some way, but her insecurities have made her bad at exerting the control required to dominate more powerful entities.

The three most important schools under Tarina's paradigm are Conjuration, Divination, and Transmutation. Conjuration is her primary school, reflecting her need to deal with spirits and fiends to perform her magic. As Tarina believes all spells, at their core, must involve the contact and manipulation of a supernatural entity, Conjuration is a fundamental part of every spell she casts. Divination is extremely important as well, as Divination connects one's self to the world, to the Weave, granting the knowledge necessary to commune with, learn from, and bind these supernatural entities. Only through a connection with the cosmic forces of the universe is magic thus able to be performed. Lastly is Transmutation, which represents the principle of Will in her paradigm: transcendance over the mortal spirit and moving on a path towards self-actualization.

Beyond her fundamental schools, Tarina also favors Illusion, Enchantment, and Necromancy. With her other two favored schools, Enchantment and Necromancy, Tarina seeks to impose her Will on others. Through Enchantment, she has the power to exert forceful influence over those who would harm or ignore her, and through Necromancy she has the power to curse those she hates. Tarina is also capable of calling forth spirits into the bodies of the dead, and has become more proficient at this since becoming a pale master, though matters of undeath are not her focus in the school. She prefers manipulating negative energy for the purpose of debilitating and spiting or killing others.

Abjuration was once Tarina's prohibited school. This was once a product of her spotty training and reckless ambition, and the nature of the school itself is fundamentally in opposition to her paradigm—her magic involves opening her mind to the cosmic forces of the universe, while Abjuration is oriented more towards closing one's self off. Still, as she has faced many trials and tribulations as a result of her failing to use the proper safeguards, she has become more understanding of the need for Abjuration to protect her from predatory entities and magicks. She has taken the time to study its principles in more depth, and finally achieved a basic competence in the school.

"There is a lack of self-control in you; even now, this night, I goaded you into the reaction I wanted. I made you do what I wanted simply by getting you irritated with me. No amount of power or knowledge will ever be enough if you cannot control your feelings. For otherwise they will always allow others to control you."
- Sir Jonas Rokranon

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Patron Deities
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Malar
(Patron)
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Tarina's tumultuous life has taught her to view Malar's dogma as more honest than other nature deities. The concepts of balance and the natural cycle are good ones for druids and farmers, who look to the long term health of the world, but Tarina sees the relation between real creatures as one where dog eats dog and survival is fought hard for. Tarina lives by a tribal mentality, and she prays to Malar for the strength to fight off depredation by those not part of her "pack". He is the god of survival and fighting for your right to exist, a position Tarina has felt herself in for much of her life. Malar is therefore among Tarina's most favored deities, and she has held him as her patron many times. She was closest to him in Tethyr during the years following the Ten Black Days, and in Amn while she was living on the streets and running from the Cowled Wizards. Though she took Selûne as patron for a time, the great turmoils she has suffered recently has lead her to return to the Beastlord's feet.
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Set
(Magical Patron)
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Set is neither a local god nor one Tarina even knew about until recently, but as the god of blood magic (among his many other portfolios) Tarina has begun offering him worship. Set has also bestowed upon Tarina her familiar, Herald (as in, 'herald of Set'), through which the snake god keeps an eye on Tarina and guides her magical studies. Tarina is wary of the god's evil nature, but she considers the deal better than her pact with the demon, Malrakus—the previous recipient of her blood sacrifices.
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Favored Deities
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Azuth
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As the patron of spellcasters, Azuth is a natural source of worship for Tarina. She doesn't know a huge amount about the god or his dogma, but she wears his symbol and calls on his blessings in her studies of magic.
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Gond
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As the god of craftsmanship, Gond has been an ever-present influence in Tarina's life. One of the patron gods of Tarina's family due to her father's practice of alchemy, Tarina also values Gond as, ironically, a god of magic. Tarina sees all craft as inherently magical, for whether by hammer or spell things of dreams are made into things of reality. And in a world where the true gods of magic promote its study but discourage its application, Tarina sees in Gond a god that understands that things can only be appreciated if they are used. Tarina frequently prays to Gond when she crafts her various charms and alchemical physics.
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Ilmater
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Ilmater is the god of endurance and healing. He was one of the patron gods of Tarina's family because of their work as apothecaries, and a being whose essence Tarina has directly witnessed. As someone that has been through a lot of suffering, Ilmater's perseverance resonates with Tarina. She sees in him one of the most virtuous of the gods, though she has often expressed discomfort during times where his servants have expressed a need to engage in violent acts for the greater good. Tarina feels such acts are at odds with a god who is about mending hurts rather than causing them.
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Kossuth
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Ever since she was a child, Tarina has had a love of fire. She has spent hours enraptured by the wild dance of flames and the way it consumes everything fed to it, and finds in such moments that dreams come swiftly to her mind. To Tarina there are few purer expressions of power and insight in all the world, and so she sees fire as an embodiment of magic. Tarina has held Kossuth as her patron at various points in her life, though she admits she has little in common with the god beyond her appreciation for fire.
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Mystra
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Both favored and disfavored, Tarina has a complicated history with Mystra. Tarina loves magic beyond anything else in the world, and so she naturally wants to hold Mystra dear to her. Unfortunately, Tarina's opinions on the lawful Mystra are soured by the regulations the goddess imposes on magic, and the words of her servants who preach against dark magic. Tarina cannot understand why the Lady of Mysteries would seemingly discourage magical practice instead of champion it to its fullest. Still, while she feels unloved by Mystra, the pursuit of magic defines Tarina and few other gods can rival the influence Mystra has had on her life.
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Oghma
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The god of knowledge is not among Tarina's favorites, but he is a god that governs much of what she does. He was one of the household gods her family venerated due to his governing of the knowledge behind herblore and alchemy, and as Tarina embraces the apothecary role for herself she has begun offering Oghma more consistent prayers. Oghma also, of course, governs magical knowledge, of which Tarina favors more.
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Red Knight
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Tarina has traditionally had a poor opinion of war gods after having suffered through war. Since becoming a general of the armies of Darkhold, however, where she was forced to rely heavily on strategy and cunning to make up for her forces' significant numerical disadvantage, Tarina has developed a great appreciation for Red Knight, the Lady of Strategy. Tarina sees in Red Knight the sensibilities of a woman, where victory is what matters, not measuring ego through pointless masculine concepts like honor or glory, which she sees as associated with Tempus and Garagos.
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Selûne
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As a goddess who promotes self-reliance and in finding one's own path, and who favors women, spellcasters, and the lost and outcast, Selûne holds a strong appeal for Tarina. As Tarina has realized her own aimlessness, her affection for Selûne has grown. Tarina is also surprisingly more in accord with Selûne's dogma of tolerance than she consciously realizes. Though bitter and one to hold grudges, particularly against certain groups of people, among those she speaks to Tarina is usually the first to cast doubt on accusations that seem without merit, and she frequently argues against blindly condemning those that many in society consider dark or evil. Selûne had been Tarina's patron for several years, but Malar eventually reclaimed the title.
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Shar
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A complicated deity for Tarina. Tarina feels a strong sense of kinship with Shar, who reminds her of herself, and she occasionally takes Shar as a patron when she feels at her bleakest. In Shar, Tarina finds succor, stewing in bitterness and darkness, though as Shar's activities have directly hurt a number of people Tarina cares for she has struggled to continue holding the Lady of Loss in a good light. But with the loss of her mind and memories, and her growing disillusionment with the world, Tarina has once again turned to the Dark Lady.
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Disfavored Deities
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Bane
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Tarina calls Bane the God of Tethyr. In the strife of the civil war, and the poor treatment of the common folk by the noble lords that lead to it, Bane held much sway in many of the traumatic events of Tarina's life. Tarina does not hate Bane, per say—that is reserved for Bhaal—but she fears him and believes him one of the most powerful gods in Faerûn. Many are the prayers Tarina has sent in Bane's direction in the hope of sparing herself and those she cares about from his wrath. Since joining the Zhentarim, and becoming the lady of Darkhold, Tarina has developed some respect for Bane, and prayed to him. An artifact of his brought her victory in the war, as well. With his death, though, her fear has grown - Manshoon's Zhentarim turned wholesale against his church, and Tarina allowed the capture of Bane's temple by a priest of the new deity, Cyric. Has she now angered a great and terrible god?
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Bhaal
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The Lord of Murder has sunk his dagger into many that Tarina held dear. She greatly despises (and fears) Bhaal, and has come to view any form of killing, regardless of how justified it might be, as an evil act. This does not make Tarina averse to killing when the killing is done against people she hates, but such desires come from a place of malice, not nobility. Despite her hatred of the god Tarina has taken to wearing Bhaal's symbol after encountering his avatar, but this token is worn out of fear rather than respect. Since Bhaal's death at Boareskyr Bridge, Tarina's fear of him has lessened somewhat, but this is a god she directly witnessed, and it will be hard to accept his passing.
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Chauntea
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As the daughter of a small peasant village, Tarina is very familiar with the worship of Chauntea. While Tarina does not exactly hate Chauntea, she certainly doesn't like her, as the Grain Goddess represents a part of her life that she only wanted to escape from. Still, Chauntea had a significant influence on her upbringing and she, like many commoners, held the goddess as her patron for much of her early life.
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Dendar
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Not exactly a god, but mighty enough for Tarina to consider it one anyway. Dendar was the most powerful entity to have ever possessed Tarina. The trauma of its presence still leaves mental and spiritual scars that she is unlikely to overcome. Tarina gave desperate prayers to the Elder Evil while its aspect lived in her, and still more since it left in the hope that it might have mercy and restore her memories and spirits, but in all cases the Night Serpent has remained silent to her pleas.
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Garagos
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Tarina has only become aware of Garagos relatively recently, but his dogma quickly set him along with the other gods of death and war in her dislike of him. Indeed, even more than Tempus, Garagos represents the aspect of war that Tarina believes all war truly is at its core—destruction and plunder. In many ways, Garagos is the face of war to Tarina, rather than Tempus. There is no such thing as a just or honorable war, all it can do is destroy. Still, during the Lords' Alliance-Zhentarim war, she prayed to Garagos in the hope that the destruction wrought by her forces would outweigh the destruction caused by the enemy. And while some have accused her of fighting a "Garagosian war", Tarina finds little to respect about the god. He opposes maneuver warfare and strategy. It is only glory and bloodlust to him, things Tarina finds utterly pointless. If you must destroy, then destroy, but the point of war should be to win it with the least harm to your people as possible—even (and especially) if that means avoiding fights entirely.
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Lathander
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As a cynic, Tarina regards the boundless optimism expressed by Lathander and most of his church to be willful blindness to reality. Tarina views the world as dark and dangerous, a place where threats are countered by pragmatic action, not hope. Tarina's dislike was solidified after the refusal of Lathander's church to act on concerns she had raised, as those concerns upset the ever-positive world view the clergy wished to uphold.
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Myrkul
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While Tarina reserves most of her anger for Bhaal, Myrkul is given a share of it as well as the Lord of the Dead. Tarina is much less willing to openly disrespect the Lord of the Dead, however, fearful both for her own life as well as for the well-being of the souls that Myrkul took from her. Even after Myrkul's death during the Time of Troubles, Tarina still placates the god. He is, afterall, the Lord of the Dead - is he not, then, the lord of his own death? And she is a dealer in spirits - entities who, like gods, gain power from those who believe in them, and who remain as long as they are remembered.
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Mystra
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Both favored and disfavored, Tarina has a complicated history with Mystra. Tarina loves magic beyond anything else in the world, and so she naturally wants to hold Mystra dear to her. Unfortunately, Tarina's opinions on the lawful Mystra are soured by the regulations the goddess imposes on magic, and the words of her servants who preach against dark magic. Tarina cannot understand why the Lady of Mysteries would seemingly discourage magical practice instead of champion it to its fullest. Still, while she feels unloved by Mystra, the pursuit of magic defines Tarina and few other gods can rival the influence Mystra has had on her life.
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Siamorphe
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Tarina knows little of Siamorphe, who is rarely worshiped outside of Waterdeep, but she laughs at the idea that a god of nobles can be considered a good god.
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Sune
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Tarina's experiences with romance, both her own and others, has left a sour taste in her mouth for Sune. She has come to see love as a negative force rather than a positive one, something that leads to unnecessary conflict, zealousness, and an overdependence on others. And though some of Sune's followers have occasionally won Tarina over with their characterizations of the deity's dogma as one about appreciating the inner beauty in all people, even ones who may on the outside seem ugly or dark (teachings that resonate with Tarina's Selûnite beliefs), a great many more have lead her to see Sune as vain, hedonistic, and spiteful.
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Tempus
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Tarina's dislike of the gods of death extends as well to Tempus. Tarina views any form of armed conflict as an evil, for it inevitably brings harm to innocents regardless of cause. Her appreciation for Tempus has gone up recently, since she became a commander of Darkhold's armies, but even in war she finds him a god to appease more than a god worth respecting. Tempus values honor, glory, and the so-called "laws of war"—a good fight is better to him than a victory, especially a victory won by avoiding battle entirely. Such sentiment is anathema to Tarina. In some ways, Tarina hates Tempus more than Garagos—at least Garagos understands what war really is, rather than trying to pretend it's something it's not.
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ImageArcana (Low Magic, Spirit Magic, Dream Magic, Summoning, Blood Magic) - 20
Trained
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Tarina has a fascination with magic, though her knowledge is of a different kind from academy-trained mages. Her training in spellcraft gives her an understanding of the schools of magic and basic thaumaturgy, though superstition and magical thinking still dominate her belief system. She has learned more with books she borrowed from Candlekeep, House Selmiyeritar, and Darkhold, and from tutors such as Edelgarde Spades, Kahanak Habdilof, Wendi, Sirion Te'dwa, and Selengil Harkonis, though her primary teachers have been extraplanar entities such as Set. She is also well-versed on forbidden magic, especially blood magic.

Related Fields
Hidden: show
Alchemy: Tarina was raised in an apothecary. Her exposure to it while growing up has given her basic knowledge of the craft, and since become an apothecary herself she has developed it further (Craft Alchemy 7).

Arcanology: The core of Arcana knowledge, arcanology, is a field Tarina has little study in. Even with tutors and books, she remains a hedge mage, learned in low magic through trial-and-error, bargains with spirits, and scraps of knowledge from mortal tutors and books. She knows little about the history of magic, its famous practitioners, or artifacts of power. Her recent study of Netheril and Shoon has slightly expanded this knowledge (History 1), but a vast bulk of this lore remains unknown to her.

Battle Magic / Tactics of Magic / Counterspelling: Tarina's skill at using magic in combat has been gradually increasing over the years, and she has had experience fighting in wars and has performed well in tournaments. She's not the best duelist, but she has developed a suite of tactics to use to defend herself. Her embrace of pale magic was also done with the purpose of making her less vulnerable to attack. Though many of her spells are easily resisted, she has learned how to make the most use of magic that is better suited to piercing protections. Where Tarina still struggles, though, is in combat against other mages—her lack of study in Abjuration limits what options she has to nullify enemy magic.

Blood Magic: Through personal experience as well as her friendship with Telia Santraeger, Tarina is very familiar with multiple forms of blood magic, from the born-again talent of blood magi to the sacrifice of blood to other entities in exchange for some service or power. Combined with her knowledge of spellcraft, Tarina's familiarity with blood magic also allows her to recognize the sympathetic power of blood for use in other spells, and she has on occasion used blood as a scrying pool.

Concentration: Beset by the lingering voices of spirits and her own emotions, and with a tendency to let her mind wander, Tarina finds it difficult to concentrate and clear her mind. She has learned meditation from Mi-Le, and was taught by Sir Jonas to put her emotions out of mind while in combat, but she remains poor at both of these things.

Constructs / Possession: Though she does not know specific details of golem-crafting, as a dealer in spirits, ghosts, and fiends Tarina is versed on how the spiritual essences of these beings can be used to animate or possess physical objects or people. Her knowledge of this is also covered more under her knowledge of Nature, Religion, and The Planes.

Dowsing: Though Tarina has no formal training in dowsing, she is relatively skilled at it, as her ability to cast detect magic gives her a decent sense for finding magical disturbances. During her time in Murann she worked as a dowser for the city guard, helping them to track down illegal mages and stolen or lost magical items. During this time she was more proficient at it than she is now, as the loss of her spiritual connection has dampened her abilities.

Magical Creatures: Tarina knows the basic facts of most commonly-known magical creatures (trolls regenerate and fear fire, silver and cold iron weapons have special effect on werewolves and faeries respectively, and so on), but limited knowledge of exotic creatures or the deeper truths of others. What she is knowledgeable on is spirits, ghosts, and fiends, covered instead under her knowledge of Nature, Religion, and The Planes.

Magical Devices: With her knowledge of both divine and arcane magic, Tarina is capable of using most magical items (Use Magic Device 28).

Magical Enchantment: Beyond her abilities in Alchemy, Tarina has little knowledge in the techniques of magical enchantment. She was once able to entice spirits to inhabit totems she makes for them, giving her a means of communing with them, and has expanded that knowledge with her training in wizardry to produce crude single-use scrolls and charms, but anything more sophisticated than that remains beyond her.

Mental Resistance: Tarina has no special training in resisting mind-affecting magical effects. Her knowledge of magic gives her some buffer, but she rarely studies defensive techniques, as evidenced by Abjuration being her prohibited school.

Metamagic: Reflective of her knowledge in spellcraft and thaumaturgy, Tarina is studied in several forms of metamagic techniques. She developed the ability to cast Silent spells early in life, learning it naturally as her quiet nature drew her to avoid spoken incantations, though this skill has atrophied with the loss of her spirits. Today, she is practiced in Extend Spell, a necessity to preserve her limited number of spells, and Maximize Spell, which she uses to make sure that every spell she casts performs to its absolute maximum potential.

Omen Reading: Surprisingly, Tarina is unskilled in the practice of reading omens. Though somewhat expected of shamans and oracles, whose insight into things beyond normal sight gives a talent for divination, Tarina has lacked exposure to teachers of non-magical divination to have developed much in it. She has been learning talis/tarot cards with Isabella Villame's help, but she is not yet skilled enough to be confident in reading the fortunes of others. Additionally, Tarina prefers having more control over her fate—omens and fortune telling is, by its nature, putting one's fate in the hands of the gods.

Pale Magic: It took some time for Tarina to settle into pale magic, as her instructors, Lord Selengil Harkonis and Lady Araycia Nightgale, favored highly academic disciplines, using scientific principles and knowledge of anatomy and embalming to perfect their art, which was at odds with Tarina's paradigm. Once given the basics, though, she's managed to develop the craft further using her own techniques. She would not claim to have perfected her form—the ultimate goal of pale magic—but she has achieved a high level of defensive benefits.

Schools of Magic: Tarina is studied in all of the schools of magic except Abjuration, a school which bores her and takes time away from what she's really interested in, which is Conjuration, Divination, Necromancy, and Enchantment. She has passable knowledge of the other schools.

Shamanism: Despite the common label applied to Tarina, she is not actually a shaman, and does not understand the traditions and practices of true shamans. Her practices are unique to her, and though some superficial similarities exist which allow her to bond with other shamans, such as the use of charms and totems, she is ultimately as much an outsider to them as she is to wizards. Tarina is more accurately a witch, as what she understands is how to deal with supernatural entities like spirits, ghosts, and demons for personal gain in the real world. Tarina's knowledge of spirits, ghosts, and fiends is covered under her knowledge of Nature, Religion, and The Planes.

Spellcraft / Thaumaturgy: As a former mystic theurge, studied in both divine magic (through her spirits) and arcane magic, Tarina has developed a broad understanding of the mechanics of casting magic (Spellcraft 30). Her particular paradigm, which is focused on the spiritual essence underlying magic, makes her especially adept at understanding how spell components and reagents factor into the development and casting of spells, and how magical forces interplay with reality.
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ImageArchitecture and Engineering - 0
Untrained
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Tarina is content in knowing that structural and mechanical creations work, rather than how.
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ImageDungeoneering - 0
Untrained
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Though she has engaged in some manner of adventuring for coin, Tarina is not a professional on the subject.
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ImageGeography & Astronomy (Southern Sword Coast) - 1
Trained
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Often isolated and sheltered, Tarina has limited knowledge of the land, though her journey north from Tethyr along the Trade Way has given her some first-hand experience. She has limited knowledge of the nations of Tethyr, Amn, Baldur's Gate, and Waterdeep, and the peoples who live there.
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ImageHistory (Ancient Human Empires) - 1
Trained
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Tarina's understanding of history amounts mostly to creation myths and folktales, as well as a small degree of local lore from the Fyraven County of Tethyr (located on the Velen Peninsula), where she is from. However, she has recently begun studying ancient human empires, specifically Netheril and the Shoon Imperium.
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ImageLocal (Tethyr, Amn, Baldur's Gate) - 3
Trained
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Tarina knows a small degree of local lore from the Fyraven County of Tethyr (located on the Velen Peninsula), where she is from. She also has some local lore from Murann, Amn, and Baldur's Gate.
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ImageNature (Herbalism, Nature Spirits) - 7
Trained
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Tarina has good understanding of herbs and remedies from her time as an assistant in her parents' apothecary, and in her becoming a professional apothecary herself, as well as an understanding of fey and nature spirits.
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ImageNobility and Royalty - 0
Untrained
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Tarina has the basic understanding of nobility and royalty that any commoner receives. She does not understand cultural differences between lords of different nations, nor the expected protocols beyond respecting their superior station.
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ImageReligion (Dark Gods, Symbols, Incorporeal Undead) - 8
Trained
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Though Tarina only has a commoner's understanding of the gods and goddesses of the Faerûnian pantheon, she is adept at interpreting their portfolios (especially those of darker gods) and symbols. Tarina is also knowledgeable on ghosts, shadows, and spirits of the dead.
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ImageThe Planes (Dreamtelling, Spirits, Demons) - 14
Trained
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While Tarina has little understanding of most cosmic planes, believing them to simply be the homes of the gods, she has a strong understanding of dreams, the spirit world, and their inhabitants. Corollary to those, she has some experience with the planes, especially the Astral Plane, the Plane of Shadow, the Feywild, and the Ethereal Plane, where they relate to spiritual matters. In addition, as a result of her connection with Malrakus, as well as personal study, Tarina also has some knowledge of demons and the Abyss.
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Other Stories:
Spirits and Demons, a short collection of Tarina's experiences.
Why Good Folk Pray to Dark Gods, a treatise written by Tarina about her beliefs on the dark gods of Faerûn.

Music:
A playlist of themes that fit Tarina.

"You are contradictions to me, in many ways. Anger and meekness, piety and exploration of uncommon magic, stubbornness and service."
- Ameris Santraeger
Last edited by Rhifox on Sat May 27, 2023 11:59 am, edited 379 times in total.
Tarina — Witch, Apothecary, Dealer in Spirits and Black Magic
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Rhifox
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Re: Tarina

Unread post by Rhifox »

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Once a spirit shaman, Tarina used to communicate with many spirits. These spirits provided her with her spells, and occasionally other abilities. Most of these connections were temporary and changed regularly depending on what spirit Tarina had made a bargain with, and most were weak and had limited self-awareness. Some attached themselves to her as guardian or possessing spirits, while others were intrinsic to her as the spawn of her own emotions or desires. These spirits used Tarina as an anchor from which they sought to explore or influence the Material Plane. These spirits referred to Tarina as "Whisper" due to her mild and reserved personality.

With the damage wrought to Tarina's mind and soul by a spirit of the Night Serpent, Tarina has lost her connection to the spirit world. Lavern, Tarina's spirit guide, was devoured by the Serpent, as were many of her other companions. More than just a loss of magic, this has left Tarina spiritually hollow. She had bartered off so many parts of herself, entwined herself so thoroughly with her spirits, that to cut them out was to cut out pieces of herself. Many memories—which were tied to individual spirits—are now lost. After many months of recovery Tarina has managed to learn how to function independently of her spirits again, but many of the lost memories likely cannot be restored in full.

Some spirits still remain attached to Tarina despite the death of her soul. The entities Tarina deals with now are typically the result of limited contracts or pacts (typically with fiends and gods), or because of ongoing possessions and curses.

"My fear, Tarina, is that while Bran wields spirits, spirits wield you. It is as dangerous as it is powerful."
- Isabella Villame

Pacts and Contracts
These spirits and entities are or have been involved with Tarina due to an arrangement she has made with them, usually for knowledge.

Set, Mulhorandi God of Evil, Darkness, the Desert and Desert Storms, Poison, Snakes, Rot, Betrayal, Ambition, and Evil Magic
LE
Price: Accept Set's herald as a familiar, endure a snake bite without treatment, eat carrion, sacrifice blood to Set, sacrifice living creatures to serpents in Set's name
Taboo: Do no harm to snakes
Secret: May not actually be Set
Hidden: show
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Though not Tarina's patron, the Mulhorandi god, Set, has ascended high in her prayers due to his patronage of blood mages. He is the most powerful figure Tarina entreats to directly for magic, though she mostly communes with a familiar spirit in his service, a snake she knows as Herald (as in Set's Herald). Herald was caught from the snakes inhabiting the banks of the river Chionthar, then incorporated into a ceremony Tarina undertook in the rocky hills of the High Moors. There she gave offerings of desert herbs, hair, and blood, consumed carrion, and she fed the snake a chick, all in Set's name. The snake bit her at the conclusion of the ritual, its venom representing Set's blessings. Tarina survived the bite, though it has left her arm blackened and leathery from the damage inflicted by the venom. With Set's acceptance of Tarina's worship, the snake was imbued with a tiny portion of Set's essence, allowing it to serve as his messenger. Set, through his herald, now gifts Tarina enhanced power for her spells when she spills blood in his name, and he also helps guide her in her magical studies.

Though Tarina believes it is Set that she is praying to, it is possible that another entity could be masquerading as the deity. If it is not Set, it may be a fiend of some kind, or perhaps a far realms entity. Abraxas, a demon lord of snakes and magical secrets, is a possible candidate, as is Asmodeus, the Lord of Lies, or even some eldritch thing.

Lure and Anchor
As a deity, there are many ceremonies to call forth Set's presence, though few summon the god's avatar directly. In general, Set favors sacrifices of living creatures, especially to snakes in his service, the ritual consumption of carrion or the enduring of poison (especially administered by snake bite), gemstones of green and black hues, and the ritual removal of hair by the supplicant. Ceremonies to Set are generally performed in places or times of utter darkness. Objects and places that are associated with deserts, especially the deserts of Mulhorand, also appeal to Set.

As a god, Set's anchors are anything related to his portfolios. His ties to Tarina specifically are maintained through a familiar spirit bestowed upon her, which she knows as Set's Herald. If Herald were to die, it would likely anger Set and result in him withholding his blessings to Tarina.
Dagon, Prince of the Depths, Demon Lord, Master of the Shadowsea and those who dwell in the lightless depths of the sea
CE
Price: Cast a corrupted gull egg into the sea
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While she was possessed by the fragment of the Night Serpent, Tarina used contact other plane to commune with Dagon in the hopes of learning information that would help her purge herself of its presence. Though she received answers about the fragment's name, origin, and goals, the experience left Tarina changed. Touching the mind of an elder entity such as Dagon exposed her to the vast and terrifying cosmos, and as payment for for his answers Tarina was made to corrupt and sacrifice a gull egg to the sea off the coast of Ulgoth's Beard, lest she faces Dagon's wrath for calling him without payment. The true ramifications of this act are unknown to Tarina, and may not be felt for hundreds of years, but she knew that what she was doing was something evil and could cost countless lives. Her choice to carry through with the sacrifice left her soul scarred, bringing her alignment to Evil.

Contact with Dagon has left Tarina permanently affected. She has been left terrified of the sea, knowing it as the realm of Dagon.

Lure and Anchor
As a demon lord, there are many ceremonies to call forth Dagon's presence, though few summon the god's avatar directly. In general, Dagon favors sacrifices of living creatures to the sea. Ceremonies to Dagon are generally performed at sea. Objects and places that are associated with the ocean also appeal to Dagon.

As a god, Dagon's anchors are anything related to his portfolios.
Hauntings
These spirits and entities haunt Tarina either by force or by her own ill deeds.

Quashin Jhalael, Ghost of a Drow Necromancer
CE, Azzanoth
Price: N/A; forceful possession
Hidden: show
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The spirit of a kanahraun drow whose murder Tarina requested and whose heart Tarina sacrificed to Set and consumed to empower her own abilities. Though the drow was evil in life (and, ironically, a cannibal), his murder and sacrifice to a god of darkness was still a cruel act, and it has preventing the spirit of the drow from settling. He now lives on in Tarina as a tormented ghost, haunting her nightmares.
Shadow Entity, Unidentified Spirit
??, ??
Price: N/A
Secret: The entity is a fiend from the plane of Fury's Heart
Hidden: show

The shadow entity is a spirit that witnessed Tarina's casting of the evil weather spell in the southern Sunset Vale. It expressed interest in Tarina's power and willingness to use such a corrupt spell, and said that it would watch her progress. Thus far, she has had no further contact from the spirit.
(DM Honk NPC)
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These spirits were once attached to Tarina, but are now gone. Some left before Tarina's soul was scoured, but many were devoured by the Night Serpent. Others withered away or abandoned her, as she no longer has anything she can offer them. Others were temporary pacts whose contracts have already been fulfilled. Because of how entangled Tarina's mind was with these spirits, she has permanently lost many memories.
Hidden: show
Spirits of the Elements
Spirits of the elements represented the building blocks of life, and were typically associated with the gods of the elements or elemental forces. Of the elements, Tarina attracted principally spirits of water and fire, with a handful of earth and air spirits along with them. Tarina herself is primarily water, as she is strongly influenced by the depths of her emotions, and this was reflected in her spirit guide, Lavern, a spirit of water. Fire is her next strongest element, reflecting her drive to improve herself, and was represented mainly in Shanah Burned, the spirit of the fireplace in Tarina's family home. Another strong elemental spirit that was tied to Tarina is Swords of the Coast, which represented the wild and wet weather of the Sword Coast in which Tarina has lived for most of her life.

Lavern, Spirit Guide, Spirit of Death by Drowning and the Velen Floods
N, Umberlee
Price: Tarina's soul
Lost Memories: Tarina's childhood
Secret: May be the one actually in control of Tarina's body
Hidden: show
Lavern was the spirit of a long-dead Tethyrian woman who was drowned during the great floods of the Velen peninsula. It was unclear if Lavern was a true ghost, unable to pass on, or simply a spiritual echo of the woman who died long ago. Lavern itself had no answer to the question, and knew little of the person it used to be. Learning the nature of who it was and how it died was important to it, and it had attached herself to Tarina in the hopes of one day discovering the answer. It is unclear if this was its wish all along, or simply a mimicry of Tarina's own feelings of aimlessness and the hope for something more. With no memories to call its own, Lavern's form was shifting. It most frequently appeared as a mirror of the young girl Tarina used to be, as this was the first real person she made contact with, but it used the forms of simple animals and other people as well. There was little pattern or reason to its choice of form; it seemed to simply take whatever appearance it liked at the time. Lavern was a quiet and withdrawn spirit, and while it could occasionally offer advice and guidance it usually simply followed Tarina's will. When Tarina looked into or walked the spirit world, she possessed Lavern's spirit, becoming Lavern and seeing through Lavern's eyes.

Lavern and Tarina were one being. It was unclear where one ended and the other began. It is possible that the real Tarina died years ago, replaced by the spirit of Lavern. They may have even swapped places, with Lavern living in Tarina's body in the real world while Tarina was left trapped in the spirit world, remaining forever that little girl that bargained away her soul to a ghost.

The loss of Lavern has wrecked Tarina's soul. Other spirits were bound to emotions and memories, but Lavern was Tarina. Lavern is one of the only spirits Tarina can still remember by name, but to think of her is to court the black void that now lives in Tarina's heart. Lavern appears regularly in Tarina's dreams and nightmares. The question remains, did Lavern die? Or was it Tarina herself? Who now walks alone in her body? Only with Lavern's death has this question truly surfaced in Tarina's mind. "Who am I?"

Lure and Anchor: Lavern would not willingly answer summons from anyone except Tarina, and Tarina would be made instantly aware if anyone summoned Lavern by force. The only offerings that pleased Lavern were items of importance to Tarina herself. It especially favored coins, items of magical power, and other representations of Tarina's personal ambitions.

Tarina herself was Lavern's anchor. If Tarina had died Lavern would have become infuriated and attempted to take possession of whoever dealt the killing blow. It would have settled for the weapon of the killer if it could not successfully dominate the wielder, and from there it would have acted as a malevolent presence, causing sure hits to glance off or breaking the weapon during use.
Shanah Burned, called Hearth or Heartstone, Spirit of the Mazir Hearth and the Burning of Shanah
N, Kossuth
Price: Sacrifice objects or creatures associated with small towns to Shanah Burned or Kossuth, set fires, struggle, reveal and purify the sick and corrupt
Lost Memories: Shanah and its burning
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Once just the spirit of the hearth of Tarina's family home, which Tarina simply called Hearth, Shanah Burned grew into a greater elemental spirit after much of the hamlet was burned to the ground. Shanah Burned used its connection with Tarina to feast on the destruction in the village and gifted her fire magic to use to protect herself and cause even more devastation. Shanah Burned was in fact the catalyst of its own ascension, using Tarina to start a fire that would engulf the town. In the months and years that followed it absorbed as well the emotions of a nation at war, making it for a time an angry, greedy, and vengeful spirit. Shanah Burned always advocated the most expedient and violent response to any situation, and it often influenced Tarina towards bitterness. When it appeared, Shanah Burned was an inferno that sounded of the cracks and splits of burning wood and crashing buildings, and it spoke in distant, indistinct screams.

Shanah Burned changed over the years. In spite of its anger, it started warm and protective, if possessive, but later actions by Tarina greatly angered and nearly destroyed it. These decisions included caring for people Shanah Burned felt needed to purify themselves of their weaknesses through their struggles, dwelling in Candlekeep where magical wards prevented anything from burning, allowing herself to be possessed by corrupt spirits and demons, and finally descending beneath the ocean surface with a water breathing spell to recover knowledge from an underwater ruin. Shanah Burned, doused and weak, grew silent for a year after that. After returning to Tethyr and being fed after its anchor was thrown into a bonfire during Midsummer celebrations, Shanah Burned grew strong again. The less destructive respect given to it as a result of Midsummer calmed it, and combined with the essence it took from its anchor being submerged under the ocean and brought before a lost Netheril city, it came to bear a more introspective, cerebral demeanor. It became cold fire, and glowed blue. Shanah Burned remained a temperamental spirit, however, and could be easily roused to fury by Tarina's own anger.

Lure and Anchor: Shanah Burned favored offerings of items tied to small townships, such as a stone from the communal well. It also favored sacrifices of members of peasant families, including family pets. It would accept sacrifices of wild animals if they were of significant importance to the town being invoked (such as fish for a fishing village). All offerings to Shanah Burned needed to be burned.

Shanah Burned's anchor was a fire agate inscribed with the image of a fire on one side and a village on the other. The anchor was functionally destroyed after it was submerged under the ocean, taking a dull and gray appearance. After being revived in the fires of Midsummer in the village of Varkadhan, the gem took a vibrant, glassy orange hue, though charred and cracked from the heat. Today it is once again dull and gray. Destruction of the anchor would have prevented Shanah Burned from channeling spells through Tarina, but it would have remained attached to her as it was her memories of the incident that fed its existence. It shared similar ties with other survivors of the event.
Swords of the Coast, Spirit of Foul Weather on the Sword Coast
CN, Umberlee
Price: Sacrifice swords dedicated to Swords or Umberlee to the ocean's depths, create storms, set fires, break things
Lost Memories: Memories of particularly strong storms while Tarina was growing up
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Swords of the Coast was a spirit of the currents that bring heavy moisture in from the Sea of Swords. Swords of the Coast thrived in the region's frequent rainfalls and thunderstorms, and it hungered for the opportunity to spread its reach further inland. Swords appeared to Tarina as a four-armed djinni. It wielded a sword in each hand, and each sword was inscribed with the name of one of the four winds. Every time one of its swords was swung caused a gust of wind to blow from that direction, and crashing the swords together created a burst of lightning and thunder. Swords of the Coast did not help Tarina when she bargained with other spirits for her spells.

Lure and Anchor: Despite its arrogance, Swords of the Coast was only a servant of the forces of the air and storm. It was easily called during times of heavy rainfall or thunder, and would respond favorably to those who promise it the opportunity to spread his might beyond its usual areas. It enjoyed offerings of swords that had been baptized in sea water.

Swords of the Coast's anchor was the hilt of a scimitar. Destruction of the hilt would have infuriated Swords of the Coast and prevented it from channeling its spells through Tarina.
Spirits of Magic
Attracted by Tarina's sorcerous heritage, spirits of magic were some of the first spirits Tarina ever found. Typically associated with Mystra, Selûne, and other gods of magic, spirits of magic fed on Tarina's lust for mystical power. It was common for them to grow dark off of her soul, but not always. While Tarina's desires can lead her to dark places, there is a pure and earnest love of magic under it that allowed some of these spirits to remain good. Among the strongest of these spirits was the Blood, a spirit of using blood to fuel magical abilities, and Deep Forest, a collection of minor spirits that coalesced into a single stronger spirit of mysticism and witchery.

The Blood, Spirit of Blood Spilled for Power
CE, Kossuth
Price: Sacrifice the blood of living beings to the Blood or Kossuth, use blood magic, steal from others, drink until drunk, have sex, cast vampiric spells
Lost Memories: Blood magic (how to perform it, Tarina's history as a blood mage and the problems it got her in, and so forth), the events surrounding the temporary loss of Tarina's eye
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The Blood was a spirit born of Tarina's blood magic. It was a simple spirit that lived on the ecstasy found in the release of magical power found through spells fueled by blood sacrifices. The Blood was constantly wracked with the pain of self-harm, but it gladly endured this in the anticipation of the power to follow. The Blood encouraged Tarina towards using blood magic, though it also found sustenance in other forms of power lust and hedonism and it was fond of the inebriation from excessive drink. When it appeared, the Blood was a thick, oozing mass of blood that pulsated with the beat of a racing heart. It radiated immense warmth, and those who touched it may have felt the arcane power in their own blood begin to resonate. The Blood rarely appeared directly, however. Instead, it was most often found possessing Tarina's dagger, which had taken on some of its qualities. When Tarina bargained with other spirits for her spells, the Blood offered gifts of Tarina's essence.

The Blood had a close connection with Resolution, as it was not only the Blood's anchor that was used to deal the killing blow, but Tarina's own lust for power that lead to the incident in the first place. The Blood would stab Resolution over and over, replaying the incident that resulted in Tarina's father's death.

Due to Tarina losing access to blood magic with the loss of Malrakus, the Blood became famished. In its anger it eventually started to cannibalize Tarina, devouring Lavern's right eye and leaving Tarina blinded in that eye in the material world. A hefty sacrifice of blood and a promise that she would soon restore her blood magic was able to placate the spirit and get Tarina's eye restored. After gained a new source of blood magic in the Mulhorandi god, Set, that promise was honored and the Blood was appeased.

Lure and Anchor: The Blood would always answer to offerings of the summoner's own blood, though it also enjoyed sacrifices of the blood of other creatures, alcohol, and other bodily fluids. These offerings must be imbibed by the summoner during the ritual. The Blood favored summoning rituals conducted in a state of inebriation or that include the fulfillment of other vices, including material opulence, drugs, and sex.

The Blood's anchor was Tarina's dagger. It grew stronger every time she used Blood Magic. Destruction of the dagger would have infuriated the Blood and prevented it from channeling spells through Tarina, but it would have remained attached to her as long as she could use Blood Magic.
Deep Forest, Spirit Brood of Mysticism
CN, Mystra, Selûne, Silvanus, Others
Price: Ritually plant wild things in dedication to Deep Forest and the gods of magic and the wilds, wander wild places, walk under moonlight, procreate, give sweets to children and animals, cast spells
Lost Memories: The imagination and wanderlust of childhood
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Deep Forest was originally a collection of minor spirits representing various wild trees and shrubbery that lay beyond the coppiced plantations that surrounded Shanah Village in Tethyr, though in the course of Tarina's journeys it picked up other spirits from the wild forests of other lands including Cloakwood and the Woods of Sharp Teeth. Deep Forest was the barrier between civilized and uncivilized, where the vines thicken and forestry turned to forest and where reality fades into fantasy and dream. Tarina often wandered into these places to hide away from civilization in her youth, and it was in that solitude that she first learned how to hear the spirits. When Deep Forest appeared, it is as a witch in a thatch hut far away from prying eyes, or a collection of faerie children dancing at the edges of perception.

Lure and Anchor: Deep Forest only answered in forested places far away from civilization. It preferred children over adults, and enjoyed offerings of sweets and toys.

Deep Forest's anchor was a hooked branch from the woods around Shanah. Destruction of the branch would have infuriated Deep Forest and prevented any of its brood from channeling spells through Tarina.
Spirits of Perseverance
Spirits of Perseverance, typically associated with gods of pain, were attracted to Tarina's hardships, feeding off of her suffering while also providing her with the power to continue to endure the pain she faces. They were generally positive spirits, or at least neutral, as Tarina didn't let her drive for survival overcome her sympathy for other creatures—she was no wanton murderer and thief, in spite of her experiences and magical practices. Among the strongest of these spirits were What's in Reach and the Bear of Three Days, which represented survival and courage respectively.

What's in Reach, called Reach, Spirit of Survival
CN, Malar
Price: Ritually prepare and consume meat dedicated to Reach or Malar, hunt, be self-sufficient, do not take unnecessary risks
Lost Memories: Some of the hardships of Tethyr and Amn; Tarina's betrayal by the Murann guards and her escape from the city
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What's in Reach, also known as Reach, was a simple spirit. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. Reach came to Tarina when she first picked up a hand axe to defend herself after the fall of Shanah, and it guided her for years against the dangers that beset her. It gave her courage when she needed to fight to defend herself, and wisdom to know when she was outclassed and needed to flee. It was a selfish, distrustful spirit, and though it formed temporary alliances with other spirits from time to time (especially the Bear of Three Days) it always remained wary of betrayal. When it appeared, Reach took the form of an old dire wolf, one-eyed and silver-backed. It prowled through forests, carving a trail that Tarina can follow. If she ever fell behind, it stopped and waited for her to catch up. When Tarina bargained with other spirits for her spells, Reach stood beside her, helping her determine whether the opposing spirit was dangerous and meant her harm.

Lure and Anchor
Reach accepted offerings of food, weapons, and armor. It enjoyed animal sacrifices as well, as long as they were ritually prepared and eaten so that the carcasses did not go to waste. Reach was most likely to answer summons in the aftermath of a life and death struggle that proved the summoner's survival instincts.

Reach's anchor was Tarina's hand axe, her first weapon. Destruction of the axe would have infuriated it and prevent it from channeling spells through Tarina.
The Bear of Three Days, Spirit of Bravery and Endurance
NG, Ilmater
Price: Endure three days and three nights in the wilderness without shelter or food in honor of the Bear, sacrifice own blood to the Bear or Ilmater, endure pain without salves, do not run from conflicts
Lost Memories: Bran, the ritual to earn the bear's trust
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[Artwork by Lane 2011]

The Bear of Three Days was a spirit originally tied to the Rashemi shaman, Bran. Hoping to safeguard Tarina against her darker spirits, Bran tasked Tarina with gaining the bear's confidence by spending three days and three nights alone in the wild with it. Terrified of its wrath, impatient by the wait, and famished and chilled by the lack of food and shelter, Tarina came to depend on the bear's strength to help her get through all three days. With Tarina's willingness to endure for it, the Bear of Three Days bound itself to her. Its first action was to devour Old Rat and soothe Tarina's fears. It was successful for a time, but as Tarina's fear grew during her time again in Tethyr, Old Rat was able to gnaw its way free. The Bear and the Rat fought for control of Tarina's soul. As the Rat wished to see her lose herself to fear, the Bear tried to teach her courage in the face of danger and hardship.

The Bear of Three Days appeared as a wounded great brown bear with glowing eyes. It had three eyes and only three paws. Though haughty and arrogant, it was always there whenever Tarina is faced with a challenge, offering its strength to her.

Lure and Anchor
The Bear of Three Days demanded from summoners exactly that which Tarina went through: Three days alone in the wild, without shelter and without food, with only its anchor, a glowstone, to light their way. Summoners who managed this task would earn an audience with the Bear.

The Bear of Three Days' anchor was a glowstone. Destruction of the glowstone would have infuriated it and prevented it from channeling spells through Tarina.
Candle in the Dark, Spirit of Solace
NG, Selûne
Price: Light candles, lamps, and torches (especially if they are first dedicated to Candle or Selûne), sacrifice candles, rush lights, oil, or wax to Candle or Selûne, walk under moonlight, help others
Lost Memories: Quiet moments with others
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Candle in the Dark was a spirit of the feeling of safety found in even the smallest of lights. The spirit was surprisingly powerful for its size, owing to the dependence its holder placed on it. When Candle in the Dark appeared, which was rare, it manifested as a young child holding a candle.

Lure and Anchor: Candle in the Dark was, aptly, called by lighting a candle in the dark. It wanted to help, and so would not refuse any who needed it.

Candle in the Dark's anchor was a candle holder. Destruction of candle holder would have infuriated it and prevented Candle in the Dark from channeling spells through Tarina.
Spirits of Fear
Spirits of fear, most aligned with Bane, were numerous around Tarina. Fear drove her life: fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of weakness, fear of death. As long as Tarina was afraid, these spirits found their appetites very sated, and virtually all of these spirits were dark. Among the strongest of these spirits were Old Rat and Seethe. Old Rat was the chief of these spirits and regularly consumed lesser fear spirits that were drawn to Tarina, growing fat on her fear. One of the only ones it had not been able to eat is Seethe, a savage schemer that promised vengeance for every slight.

Old Rat, or the Rat King, Spirit of Fear
NE, Bane
Price: Sacrifice rats to Old Rat or Bane, feel fear, run from conflicts
Lost Memory: The rat plague under Baldur's Gate and her near-death experience, old fears
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Old Rat was a memory of the rat spirit that attached itself to Tarina in the sewers of Baldur's Gate when she acted as a medium for it to communicate with her party. Old Rat was not the same spirit that died in the sewer, instead it was an echo born of Tarina's helplessness from being trapped in her own mind as the rat spirit nearly dragged her along with it to death. Old Rat originally just represented the fear of possession, but it devoured its rivals and found sustenance from all of Tarina's fears. This made it one of her most powerful spirits. Old Rat appeared as a bloated and diseased giant rat, covered in boils and maggots, with great red eyes. Blood oozed from its ears and nose. While the real rat spirit was wise and accepting of its death, Old Rat was a cruel and cowardly spirit that screamed and teared at its own body when Tarina was afraid. Old Rat did not help Tarina when she bargained with other spirits for her spells, and actively tried to sabotage her efforts.

Old Rat was briefly banished when the Bear of Three Days consumed it, but it was nothing if not an enduring spirit. It gnawed its way out of the Bear's belly as it thrived on the fear rampant in Tethyr. It came to despise Tarina for voluntarily sacrificing it to the Bear and would send nightmares to haunt her dreams.

Though Tarina has forgotten Old Rat and the specifics of its discovery, its terror, which so thoroughly gripped her, lives on. She still has an unexplained phobia of rats, and sees them in her nightmares.

Lure and Anchor
Old Rat fed on fear. Old Rat only willingly answered summons by desperate and frightened casters, or those who offered it sacrifices of terrified creatures. It did not care for offerings of objects unless they were an anchor for a possessing spirit that could feel fear.

Old Rat's anchor was a twine necklace woven through the bones of a rat's tail. Destruction of the necklace would have infuriated Old Rat and prevent it from channeling spells through Tarina, but as a spirit of her own emotions it remained attached to her.
Seethe, Spirit of Insecurity and the Desire for Control
CE, Bane
Price: Sacrifice living beings to Seethe or Bane, sacrifice effigies of hated beings to Seethe or Bane (sacrifices to Angel also empower Seethe), break things, spill blood, cast offensive spells
Lost Memories: Old hates, old sacrifices, some offensive spells
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Seethe was a savage, primal thing. It represented a very simple concept: Hatred. This was not the hatred born of specific circumstances, rationally-explained and direct in its intent. Instead it was that pure rage that needed to lash against the world itself and all things on it, the mad dog turned sick by rabies or torment. This spirit grew alongside Tarina over several years, feeding off of her discontent. It occasionally took a backseat to Shanah Burned, who was also fueled by the desire to destroy, but Seethe was surprisingly enduring. It could burn slowly and promised Tarina an ally that did not dictate how and against what she must direct her fire. When Tarina was angry, Seethe was empowered. When Tarina was terrified, Seethe was empowered. When Tarina was despondent, Seethe was empowered. Seethe was that river of indignant ire that runs through every negative emotion. Its whispers were deceptively soothing. It promised neither answer nor comfort, just the simple permission to act. When it appeared, Seethe looked like a lacerated, tortured werewolf, its eyes fire and its fur lightning. It was splattered in dirt and blood, both its own and from elsewhere. When Tarina bargained with other spirits for her spells, Seethe cowed them into submission.

Lure and Anchor: Seethe favored blood, bone, and viscera. Its ideal sacrifices were living creatures with which the summoner had a personal vendetta, but it did not require so specific a victim and welcomeed any offering to it that was destroyed in rage. Seethe demanded angry summoners, and would not respond to those who are calm and at peace with themselves unless it can find a string of hidden anger to pull on.

Seethe's anchor was Tarina's gloves. It grew in strength every time Tarina broke something in anger, casted an offensive spell, or secretly desired to throttle or hit something. Destruction of the gloves would have infuriated Seethe and prevented it from channeling spells and abilities through Tarina, but as a spirit of her own emotions it would have remained attached to her.
The Crow Court, Spirit of the Fear of Possession
CE, Bane
Price: Kill another sapient being while possessed, sacrifice crow feathers to the Court or to Bane, fear and be possessed
Lost Memories: Old possessions, Malrakus
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The Crow Court was created after Tarina killed her father while possessed by Malrakus and the demon was expelled from her. Reawakening her terror of losing control to the spirits that control her, and heightened by the fear of Malrakus one day returning, it was vomited up by Seethe and offered itself to Old Rat. It appeared as a dark mass of crows, who cawed and squawked whenever Tarina was possessed or fearing possession.

A remnant of the demon, Malrakus, the Crow Court took Old Rat's original place as the fear of possession. Old Rat was content to allow the Crow Court to remain and serve his kingdom, but every so often one of the flock disappeared into the Rat's insatiable maw.

Lure and Anchor: The Crow Court could be summoned by ritually sacrificing the feathers of crows in its name. It would always try to possess the summoner when called. The Court also unfailingly appeared whenever Tarina was possessed by one of her other spirits, blinding her vision in a mass of black feathers and shrill caws.

The Crow Court's anchor was the broken symbol of Pazuzu that was once Malrakus's anchor. Though destroyed, Tarina kept the shards, and every time she held them she was reminded of what Malrakus made her do. Destruction of the shards would have infuriated the Crow Court and prevented them from channeling spells and abilities through Tarina, and likely would lead to it being consumed by Old Rat.
Spirits of Loss
These spirits, typically from the courts of Shar, Hoar, and Beshaba, related to Tarina's grief and nursed feelings of bitterness. Tarina was frequently consumed by these feelings as she stewed and focuses on negative memories and emotions more than positive ones, and so these dark spirits were strongly attracted to her, finding easy purchase and much to feed on. Among the most powerful of these spirits were Resolution and Angel, spirits of traumatic loss and envy respectively.

Resolution, Spirit of Traumatic Loss
NE, Shar
Price: Kinslay, ritually bathe the sword Resolution in blood (especially Tarina's blood or the blood of loved ones) in dedication to Resolution or Shar, betray others, self-harm
Lost Memories: Emell Mazir and his death
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Formed from the remnants of Father, who was slain at the same time as Tarina drove her knife into Emell's heart, Resolution was a twisted and desolate spirit of grief, loss, and self-hatred. It wanted nothing more than for Tarina to suffer alongside it, and it compelled her to join it in death. Resolution once had a feminine appearance before Emell's death, but it later appeared in the form that Tarina last saw her father, weak from capture and dagger buried in his chest. Its expression was shocked, but it had no eyes, as Tarina tried in vain to forget this memory. She only barely kept herself from destroying or casting away her father's sword, which was its anchor. When Resolution spoke, it blamed Tarina for its death. Resolution was a heavy spirit. Its limbs were forever wrapped around Tarina, holding her back and slowing her down with the weight of its grief.

Resolution has a close connection with the Blood, whose anchor was the dagger used to kill Emell. The Blood stabs Resolution over and over, replaying the incident that resulted in Emell's death.

Though her memories are gone, the sword itself still casts a shadow on Tarina's soul. She has seen the sword in nightmares, and to wield it makes her uncomfortable for reasons she can no longer fathom.

Lure and Anchor: Resolution willingly answered summons only from Tarina. Unlike Lavern, compelling Resolution to answer a summon by force would not alert Tarina. Resolution accepted offerings that involved dedication to family, especially significant gifts made between family members. These gifts needed to be defiled and broken before it would accept them.

Resolution's anchor was Emell's sword, which goes by the same name. Destruction of the sword would have infuriated Resolution and prevent it from channeling spells and abilities through Tarina, but it would have remained attached to her as it was her memories of the incident that fed its continuing existence.
Angel, Spirit of Envy
NE, Shar
Price: Build and sacrifice effigies of hated beings to Angel or Shar (sacrifices to Seethe also empower Angel), steal from others, gloat over triumphs, cast vampiric spells
Lost Memories: Alexandra Keenan other old rivalries
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Angel was an ironic spirit. Its name and appearance suggested a thing of perfection and beauty, but what it really represented was the bitter resentment of those things. The greater the feelings of jealousy, the more perfect Angel seems. It behaved as a comforting and well meaning spirit, but it avoided attempts to get emotionally close to it and never allowed Tarina a moment of self-respect. Angel appeared as a platinum-blonde aasimar woman, with flawless skin, enchanting eyes, and sweet perfume. It occasionally had company in the form of whatever man Tarina was presently interested in. When Tarina bargained with other spirits for her spells, Angel would give advice or even offer do the whole negotiation for her.

Lure and Anchor: Angel just wanted to help. It never refused a summon that called it directly, but would always attempt to subtly take control of the negotiation so that it appeared to be the one with all the answers to the problem.

Angel's anchor was an effigy bound with strands of hair from someone Tarina was envious of. Destruction of the effigy would have infuriated Angel, but as a spirit of her own emotions it would have remained attached to her. Destruction of the effigy would have prevented it from channeling spells through Tarina.
Spirits of Compassion
Spirits of compassion were drawn to Tarina's loyalty to her friends and family. For all of her bitterness at the world, she was still able to love and be loved in turn. These spirits were some of the most positive that Tarina had, though they were few and often weaker than her darker spirits, as she reserved her love for only those she was closest to. These spirits encouraged her to open up to people besides those who are close to her, to embrace larger compassion to people and things the world over, but they rarely found much traction. Spirits of compassion typically served in the courts of various goodly gods. Among the strongest of these spirits were the Purple Phoenix and Dreams of What Could Be, spirits of the love of family and the desire for love respectively.

The Purple Phoenix, Spirit of Protection and the Love of Family
LG, Torm
Price: Sacrifice bird feathers to the Phoenix or Torm, sacrifice gifts or significant memorabilia to the Phoenix or Torm, protect others (especially loved ones), heal wounds
Lost Memories: Specific memories of Tarina's time with Jonas Rokranon and his family in Tethyr (broad memories still remain, as the spirit's anchor was given away before the Night Serpent could consume it entirely)
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The Purple Phoenix was one of the two spirits formed out of the destruction of Father following Tarina's killing of Emell. The Purple Phoenix was a closer surrogate to the original spirit, and upheld the same ideals. Rather than representing Emell, however, it represented Sir Jonas Rokranon, who took a fatherly role over Tarina during her time in Tethyr. After Tarina dove into Jonas's dreams in an attempt to safeguard him against the depredations of her demon and a Foul Thing, a mystical bond was formed between the two, allowing them to feel each other's emotions even at a distance. This bond coalesced into the Purple Phoenix, which watched over Tarina. The Purple Phoenix appeared as a violet and silver bird writhed in flames and perched atop a lighthouse. It spoke with Jonas's voice.

The Purple Phoenix was in constant warfare against the various Shar spirits that infested Tarina, especially Resolution.

Lure and Anchor
The Purple Phoenix was a creature of dreams, and it could only be contacted through that medium. Summoners needed to enter Tarina's dreams (or possibly Jonas's) and beseech the spirit there.

The Purple Phoenix's anchor was a mithral signet ring of House Rokranon, gifted to Tarina during her stay in Thrynnar's Hold. Destruction of the ring would have angered the spirit and weakened the bond, preventing it from channeling spells through Tarina. Tarina later gave the ring to Sir Rennec Rokranon, out of guilt for the actions she was committing in her quest to cure herself of the Night Serpent's fragment.
Dreams of What Could Be, Spirit of Want and Love
CG, Sharess
Price: Sacrifice romantic paraphernalia to Dreams or Sharess, build or carry mementos of loved ones, daydream, have sex
Lost Memories: Eldarian Al'maire and times they shared together
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Dreams of What Could Be, or simply Dreams, was a spirit of the wish to give in to inappropriate desires. Though this spirit had in a form always been present in Tarina, it lacked much strength until Tarina siphoned off similar essence from Eldarian Al'maire. This merging empowered Tarina's spirit and allowed it to develop into Dreams of What Could Be. Dreams was a spirit filled with joy, love, and lust, and it sought to impart these feelings in others. It had a darker side as well, however. The event that created it, a dream walk with Eldarian that began with warmth, nearly ended in violence when Tarina stumbled on one of Eldarian's most guarded memories and caused him to accidentally break the ritual by instinctively attacking her. This left Dreams with a temper, and it feared going too far in its pursuits of passion. Dreams appeared as a radiant, entwined being, masculine and feminine. It laughed and sighed, and whispered unspoken desires and lusts. Though it could take a single shape, it appeared usually as an attractive man and a woman wrapped in sensual embrace. When Tarina bargained with other spirits for her spells, Dreams of What Could spoke lusty promises of fulfilling their every desire.

Lure and Anchor:
Dreams of What Could Be was easy to summon and would always answer calls for it. It enjoyed offerings of romantic paraphernalia, such as roses or candles, and would be more willing to obey the summoner if these were present. Once Dreams appeared it would have sought to discover the summoner's desires and offer to fulfill them unless they were excessively negative. It did not enjoy engaging in violence, but it could be manipulated into doing so by appealing to its affections--though it would feel great regret afterwards and would have been unlikely to answer that summoner again.

Dreams of What Could Be's anchor was two glass lovebirds, a gift Eldarian gave to Tarina shortly before she departed Baldur's Gate. Destruction of the glass birds would have infuriated Dreams of What Could Be and prevented it from channeling spells through Tarina, but as a spirit of her own dreams it would have remained attached to her.
Father, Spirit of Protection and the Love of Family
LG, Helm
Price: Be saved by the sacrifice of a loved one, sacrifice gifts and significant memorabilia to Father or Helm, protect and sacrifice for others (especially loved ones), heal wounds
Lost Memories: N/A (Father died before the Night Serpent afflicted Tarina. It split into Resolution and the Purple Phoenix)
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Father was a spirit born from the protective instincts of Tarina's father, Emell Mazir. A man who had swore to give up his magic after traumatic events of his own, Emell broke his promise in order to protect his daughter from raiders that had beset Shanah. Despite its name, Father was not a ghost of Tarina's father, though it had taken on some of his qualities and was Lawful Good as a result. It was a kind, comforting spirit, and carried great wisdom. In many ways, it was a truer spirit guide than Lavern. Father once appeared in a physical form but later preferred to exert its influence over Tarina directly through limited possessions that enhanced her abilities while subsuming her will. Father appeared as a three-eyed wolf, and its fur was streaked with white lines that radiated a comforting power. When Tarina bargained with other spirits for her spells, Father actively protected her from threats in both the spiritual and material worlds.

When Malrakus made Tarina slay Emell by her own hand after discovering that he was still alive, Father was also slain. Its remnants have split into two new spirits, Resolution and the Purple Phoenix.

Lure and Anchor
Father willingly answered summons only from Tarina. Unlike Lavern, compelling Father to answer a summon by force would not alert Tarina. Father accepted offerings that involved dedication to family, especially significant gifts made between family members.

Father's anchor was Mother's Cloak, a heavy cloak made of the pelts of red wolves by Tarina's mother. Destruction of the cloak would have infuriated Father and prevented it from channeling spells and abilities through Tarina, but it would have remained attached to her as it was her memories of the incident that fed its continuing existence.
Other Spirits and Entities
These beings were involved with Tarina in some manner, but were not necessarily directly attached to her. Tarina could occasionally call upon these beings when circumstances were right, usually when she was near a location or creature to which the spirit was related.

White Owl, Unidentified Spirit
??, ??
Price: N/A
Lost Memories: N/A
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White Owl is a spirit that appeared in Tarina's dreams after her encounter with the dying rat spirit under the sewers of Baldur's Gate. It was seen amidst a vibrant dreamscape, surrounded by life and energy. Tarina knows nothing about the spirit, or what it may want from her.
(DM Arrakeen NPC)
Miirym, the Sentinel Wyrm
N
Price: N/A
Lost Memories: N/A
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While she was an Avowed of Candlekeep, Tarina became friends with Miirym, the ghostly dragon bound to defend the castle against intruders. Though many other Avowed were scared of the spirit, Tarina would sometimes venture down into the catacombs to speak to her. She even once tried to allow the dragon to possess her to experience the waking world again, even if only through the body and senses of another.
Foul Things, Spirits of Betrayal, Doubt, and the Destruction of Ideals
NE, Shar
Price: N/A; forceful possession
Lost Memories: N/A (Foul Thing was expelled before the Night Serpent afflicted Tarina)
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Foul Things are spirits of bitterness and hatred. They are potent spirits that cursed both Tarina as well as the paladins Eldarian Al'maire and Jonas Rokranon, and they often escape attempt at exorcising them. Tarina's piece came to her after her interactions with it at an altar beneath Soubar gave it enough of a connection to bind itself to her. Foul Things whisper blame and mockery into the ears of those that speak to them, feeding on the destruction of positive feelings, and they savor baiting their victims with threats against their loved ones. Betrayal pleases them most of all: the betrayal of friends and family certainly, but the greatest feast is the betrayal of the very ideals and virtues on which a person stands. The spirits are usually only seen as dark whispers over the shoulder, but the Foul Thing Tarina encountered at the Soubar altar had the form of a large, monstrous shadow bearing twisted claws dripping with blood. Like Lavern, Tarina's spirit guide, Foul Things are shifting spirits, and they often take the appearance and voices of others in order to lure in new victims. When looked upon directly they twist and hide, evading all attempts to see them for what they are. When Tarina was cursed by Foul Thing, it would greatly hamper her abilities and even once blinded her sight into the spirit world—though this wound was partially healed after Tarina joined souls in a dreamwalk with the young spiritseer girl Amanda.

Lure and Anchor: Foul Things thrive on betrayal, doubt, and the destruction of love and hope. They desire sacrifices that bring emotional turmoil to the summoner, their loves, or the loves of another. They desire more than simply destruction; Foul Things feed on raw desperation and anguish and are angered by sacrifices that are made without true emotional pain. If the summoner or their sacrifice have hardened themselves, or if the sacrifice is made for love instead of hate, Foul Things become angry and refuse to answer. Continued persistence will cause them to attack, though they will try to possess their victims rather than kill them unless killing them will cause anguish to another person nearby. Foul Things favor those of lofty ideals, especially paladins, whose fall from grace is much sweeter.

Foul Things prefer to use people as their anchors, cursing them with doubt. Eldarian Al'maire and Jonas Rokranon have both borne their own Foul Things, with Jonas's calling itself "Shadow Singer" and "Herald of Darkness." One also possessed Tarina, binding itself to her spirit guide, Lavern, which made it very difficult to remove.
Spirit of Thrynnar's Hold
??, ??
Price: Protect Thrynnar's Hold from invaders
Lost Memories: N/A
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The spirit of Thrynnar's Hold briefly attached itself to Tarina when the settlement was attacked by the forces of Adrien Daungtinghorn (masquerading as Errilar Santraeger), compelling her to defend it and giving her some control of the land to do it. Once the battle was over, the spirit left her.
Malrakus, called The Demon, "Spirit" of the Corruption of Innocence
CE, Pazuzu
Price: Free Malrakus from his prison, build and sew symbols of Pazuzu across Faerûn, be corrupt and corrupt others, harm the innocent
Lost Memories: N/A (Malrakus was expelled before the Night Serpent afflicted Tarina. Memories of it were embodied by the Crow Court)
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Malrakus is not a true spirit, at least not in the sense of being born of the natural world. It is instead a corrupter demon that possessed Tarina Mazir to use her to further demonic aims on the Prime. Malrakus preyed on Tarina's low self-esteem and doubts, making her reliant on him by offering a strong hand and steady leadership when she felt lost. It always reminded Tarina of her own flaws and shortcomings, breaking her down while presenting itself as compassionate, loving, and strong. Malrakus taught Tarina blood magic, ostensibly to protect her, but in truth it was a sacrifice of Tarina's essence to Malrakus itself.

In Tarina's mind, Malrakus appeared as a very attractive human man, draped in fine silk and keeping a close-cropped black beard, though a line of sharp feathers sprouted from the backs of its arms and up the sides and back of its neck to frame its face. It had a predatory look, though it was easy to talk to and nearly always smiling; what anger it did display was carefully calculated to further Tarina's doubts through negative reinforcement.

Malrakus originally granted Tarina only blood magic, but it offered more and more power as Tarina lost the support of some of her other spirits so that she became more dependent on it. It also occasionally helped her in dire encounters on the Material Plane, enhancing her determination or even taking direct control of her actions through active possession. It always encouraged her to rely on blood magic when she was threatened.

Malrakus was expelled from Tarina through the efforts of Sir Jonas Rokranon, Ameris Santraeger, and their companions.

Lure and Anchor: Malrakus favors desperate summoners, and its preferred sacrifices are items of personal significance to the summoner. Self-harm during the ritual also pleases it. Whether harm or an item of significance, the sacrifice must cause sincere personal pain; a summoner that has steeled themselves and come to terms with the loss before the ritual will only anger Malrakus and cause it to attack. Malrakus only willingly appears when the summoner is alone. It will not answer calls from groups even if the only other people present are sacrifices, such beings must already be dead before the ritual begins.

Malrakus's anchor was a symbol of Pazuzu. Destruction of the symbol infuriated Malrakus and prevented it from channeling spells through Tarina. Destruction of the symbol caused Malrakus to attempt to possess and transform Tarina into a demonic creature before its foothold was lost.

Despite the destruction of its symbol, Malrakus has other ties to the Material Plane. During her subservience to it, Malrakus instructed Tarina in the crafting of other symbols and the depositing of them in various locales throughout her journeys, with the hopes of ensnaring other unfortunate souls.

Further Information: Malrakus's true form is that of a glabrezu demon with a feathered head and beak. Its first set of arms, which also function as giant wings, end in hooked talons instead of pincers. Due to its mass, it wings do not allow it to fly unless it uses the fly spell.

Though glabrezus cannot normally change their shape, Malrakus is able to appear in other forms through its ability to manipulate dreams. Such false shapes inevitably have a sense of wrongness to them, however. In shapes of the same or smaller height to a character, the character is likely to get an eerie sense of smallness, as if its surroundings were closing in and suffocating it, while Malrakus towers over the character's subconscious and feels as if it were the only thing in existence. A character may get flashes of its true form even while interacting with a more pleasing shape, like shadows of talons on the wall or objects and lighting appearing arranged in such a way as to reveal Malrakus's real form in the negative space.

The more influence Malrakus has over the victim, the more its true form shows through the false images. Its image may begin to include monstrous aspects from its real form, or it might reveal its true form during the brief blackness when the eyes blink, causing the victim to attempt to never close their eyes in order to avoid seeing the monster.

Malrakus's goals are to destroy good and kindness in the world. It uses magic and dreams to locate and lure weak-willed characters of good or neutral alignment to one of its magic jars so that it may possess them. It does not take immediate control once in possession of a host, as it wants the sacrifice of morals and goodness to come voluntarily from the host. It will instead present itself as an easy, dependable ally, granting its host power and advice in exchange for blood sacrifices and evil acts in its name. During this time it will have its host construct another magic jar, which allows Malrakus to spread its web across a great range and make itself very difficult to kill. Once it is satisfied with the corruption it has sewn in its host, usually indicated by their falling to the evil alignment, Malrakus typically attempts to get its host killed. If it can, it prefers to get other good characters to do this, in a way that hurts their own moral center. Otherwise, it provides its host a new ritual that causes their death and sends their soul to Malrakus to be done with as it pleases (usually devoured). It will then repeat the process by finding and possessing a new victim.

Malrakus rarely forces or otherwise compels a character to perform an evil act, as it wants evil to be a path followed voluntarily by its victim. It uses its knowledge of the character's history and mannerisms to gradually twist them into relying on it, offering advice and solutions to their troubles. It almost comes across as comforting, but never in a way that empowers the character's own sense of self-worth. It wants characters to trust in its counsel, and will even give legitimately good and noble advice to good characters until they come to feel its advice can trusted. To such characters, it favors promoting righteous zealotry and following the harshest, strictest interpretations of the character's own firmly-held laws or principles (ironically, for a creature of chaos, but Malrakus knows that the less flexible a law, the more likely a character is to break instead of bend). Whenever the character has their own darker impulses or thoughts, Malrakus echoes them and twists them to the point that they seem legitimately rational choices to make in the current situation. Once a character has fallen thoroughly under its sway and come to depend on its advice, it will begin offering more evil suggestions. These temptations will always be coached in logic, following the lines of the character's preexisting system of beliefs.

Malrakus's favorite weapon is guilt, as a character that is unwilling to trust in themselves is more open to relying on the advice of someone else. It will echo and encourage a character's preexisting feelings of doubt and worthlessness and double down on them when they breach their own firmly-held beliefs. Malrakus never attempts to force these feelings where they don't otherwise exist. It wants characters to grow to depend on it, which means it must be seen as a friend instead of an enemy.

Throughout its possession, Malrakus will attempt to wean characters off of their other relationships and passions. It wants its victims to feel isolated and broken down, so that they are more willing to depend on it as their main confidante and advisor. It will use attachments as an excuse for evil acts, encouraging the protection of them through means that feel like pragmatic choices, but it will also pull on minor slights and grievances in order to make the victim feel like their loved ones don't actually care about them in return.

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Artwork: 'Malachi, demon phoenix' by drak @ deviantart.com
Owl of Candlekeep, Unidentified Spirit
??, ??
Price: N/A
Lost Memories: N/A
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The Owl of Candlekeep is a spirit that has guided Tarina through the passages of the great keep to find knowledge that she seeks. Tarina is unsure if it is the spirit of Candlekeep itself, answering her pleas for guidance, or something else.
(DM Bloodvine NPC)
Spirit Child, Shadow Demon
??, ??
Price: Edelgarde, dark memories
Lost Memories: N/A
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The spirit child, theorized by Isabella Villame to be a shadow demon, is a dark spirit that harassed Edelgarde Spades and sent dark letters to people in her name. It preys on the dark memories of those who are close to Edelgarde, as well as those it has touched in some way. When Tarina was in its domain with the seer, Linetheil, it preyed on the guilt she holds for hurting Ameris and Jonas with her dark dealings.
(DM Bloodvine NPC)
Fragment of the Night Serpent
NE
Price: N/A; forceful possession
Lost Memories: The spirit itself
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A fragment of the entity living in a collection of ruins in the Cloud Peaks, this spirit possessed Tarina after she gazed on its sigil with her spirit sight. During the months it infected her, it worked to consume her emotions and dreams. While the spirit's greater form was eventually defeated and it fled from Tarina, it was too late to save her mind. Tarina has no personal memories of the spirit's presence, though she has been told enough about what happened to her to know of its existence and what it did to her.
"Oh, the things you don't know, Little One. Kneel and offer yourself to me and I shall tell you what you don't know."
- Foul Thing
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Re: Tarina Mazir

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Re: Tarina Mazir

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Re: Tarina Mazir

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Some minor updates. Reformatted, updated some appearance and deity sections, and added a stat block.
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Expanded personality section. Expanded spirits section. Added knowledges. Added character associations. Added visible items.
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Re: Tarina Mazir

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New major spirit added, all major spirits given notes on their relations with each other.

Other small changes done throughout.
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Re: Tarina Mazir

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Updated to account for developments in the three years Tarina was away. Major changes can be found in history, visible items, plot hooks, and spirits. Smaller changes can be found throughout. Several spirits have been added or changed.
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Re: Tarina Mazir

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Updated.
  • Added Magical Specialization section under Personality chapter.
  • Added some new quotes.
  • Small changes to Shar's entry under Religion chapter.
  • Updated and expanded Knowledges chapter.
  • Major layout changes to Spirits chapter, each spirit is now categorized according to its general type.
  • Small additions to Lavern's and the Blood's entries.
  • Added new spirits under Other Spirits section (DM Bloodvine NPCs).
  • Added information on what price Tarina pays (or has paid, if not ongoing/voluntary) for each spirit's service (thanks to metaquad4 for the inspiration from his biography for Thunderbird).
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Re: Tarina

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Updated. Some pretty big changes due to the consequences of Vukodlak's plot at the end of last year: Tarina lost her spirits and is no longer a spirit shaman.
  • Alignment, classes, and patron deity changed.
  • History chapter updated to account for recent developments, and moved to the top of the bio (since it was getting buried under all the other chapters).
  • Classes and Abilities chapter added. Moved various ability sections from Personality to this new chapter.
  • Taint chapter added, inspired by the Taint feature from Heroes of Horror.
  • Spirits chapter updated. Most spirits are now listed as former spirits, and provide information on memories Tarina has lost because of their absence.
  • New spirits added under Other Spirits: Fragment of the Night Serpent, Dagon.
  • Various small changes throughout to account for the recent events.
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Re: Tarina

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Updated.
  • A list of afflictions and phobias has been added to the Taint section, which has now been relabeled, 'Taint and Sanity.'
  • New spirit and taint added: The ghost of a drow whose heart Tarina sacrificed to Set now haunts her for her evil deed.
  • Old spirit added: Tarina's relationship with Miirym, the Sentinel Wyrm of Candlekeep, has been added to her list of former spirits.
  • Set's entry now has a secret: He may not be who he says he is.
  • Two new favored deities added: Azuth, as the patron of spellcasters; and Oghma, who governs knowledge, which includes things important to Tarina like herblore, alchemical recipes, and magical lore.
  • Two new disfavored deities added: Sune, because love is complicated and Tarina doesn't like it; and Dendar, for obvious reasons.
  • Factions changed.
  • Some small miscellaneous other changes.
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Re: Tarina

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Small updates.
  • Wizard specialization changed to Conjuration. With the loss of her primary summoning class of Spirit Shaman and wizardry now becoming her main source of magic, Tarina's specialization reflects her central pursuit: the communing with and summoning of supernatural entities. Enchantment and Necromancy are still favored, but were ultimately only something she studied on the side.
  • Fighter changed to Eldritch Knight. Over the last several months, Tarina has learned to better integrate her magic with her martial training.
  • Faction updated. Tarina is now a member of the Zhentarim.
  • Knowledge skills raised to reflect Tarina's growing expertise in the areas of Arcana, Nature, and The Planes.
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Re: Tarina

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Major update.
  • Info card redone in the style of characters like Oryoon and Alexander.
  • Line divides replaced with a graphic for more pretty.
  • Classes changed due to RP developments. Eldritch knight replaced with pale master, and class section updated accordingly.
  • Major overhaul of Appearance chapter. This was basically entirely rewritten. Notable belongings have also been reordered to list more significant items first.
  • Small update to Personality chapter, detailing Tarina's character growth since joining the Zhentarim. Eldarian's quote replaced with one from Selengil.
  • Corruption section of Taint chapter updated to describe the changes wrought by embracing pale magic.
  • Overhaul of Classes and Abilities chapter. Expanded opening paragraphs, merged Abilities section into this opening. Also updated Classes and Magical Specialization sections.
  • New Classes and Abilities section: Paradigm. This section breaks down Tarina's fundamental belief system and intellectual framework for how she approaches magic. It should be noted that this is not a declaration that 'this is how FR magic works', but instead how Tarina believes it works, whether true or not, and how it reflects in the various strange differences in the way she casts as a witch compared to a traditional wizard. From Complete Wizard's Handbook: "Still, [the Witch's] techniques for casting spells may differ significantly from the standard methods. The casting times, ranges, and effects of her spells are no different from the same spells used by other wizards, but she may use different verbal, somatic, or material components, as well as meditation. These differences should make her seem even more threatening to outsiders, as well as making her seem more remote to the other player characters."
  • Theme songs section finally added. Yes, one of them is from Arcane, which is currently hip and popular. I don't care. I've been looking for a good vocals themesong for Tarina for years and this is the first song I've found that actually really fits.
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Re: Tarina

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Update.
  • Deities update. Selune and Shar moved from patrons to favored deities. Red Knight and Garagos added. Bane, Bhaal, Myrkul, and Tempus updated.
  • Several small updates regarding Tarina taking over Darkhold.
  • New theme song added, reflecting how she operates in her new position and towards people trying to redeem her.
  • Pale Magic section added to Arcana related fields.
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Re: Tarina

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Update.
    • Updated and moved Factions, Goals, and Plot Hooks sections to directly under the History section.
    • Added new Family and Personal Connections section under History.
    • Created a playlist for music instead of separate video links.
    • Small update to Magical Specialization section.
    • Adjusted Notable Possessions organization.
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