Meredith Olma
Appearance
Origin: Telflamm, Thesk
Age: ?
Sex: Female
Deity: Eldath, pays homage to Chauntea
Height: 5'6"
Eyes: Green
Hair: Auburn
General Health: Athletic
Profession: Priestess
Habits/Hobbies: Reading
Languages: Common, Shou, Tuigan
Weapon of Choice: Scimitars
Age: ?
Sex: Female
Deity: Eldath, pays homage to Chauntea
Height: 5'6"
Eyes: Green
Hair: Auburn
General Health: Athletic
Profession: Priestess
Habits/Hobbies: Reading
Languages: Common, Shou, Tuigan
Weapon of Choice: Scimitars
- "Priestly Vestments: Priests of Eldath dress simply in green and blue robes decorated with water-colored (blue, green, translucent, and opalescent) semiprecious gems and embroidery in water patterns...
"Adventuring Garb: ...Most wear leaf-green robes with moss-green accents, gray sashes, and brown overcloaks."- -Faiths & Avatars, page 59
She wears the holy symbols of both Eldath and Chauntea around her neck.
Meredith carries a number of weapons with her, although all of them are tied tightly into their sheaths.
Personality Profile
- "...but the ranks of the Eldathyn are studded with hardy adventurer-priests who serve as envoys to other faiths, act as go-betweens with urban worshipers (often guiding them to and from forest fastness temples), and carry items and messages from priest to priest within the faith.
"...They must swear to take no thinking life save in direst need and to share with all beings the beneficial things that grow in or come from running water that all may know of and praise Eldath.
"Few Eldathyn live in large settlements, but many dwell in springside cottages - often with trained guard animals - within an easy tide of cities or large towns so as to be able to serve the local populace as sources of medicines and potions."- -Faiths & Avatars, page 58
Despite her familiarity with wealth and power, over the years Meredith has also learned when to let go of certain things.
Meredith became a priestess of Eldath because she gained a deep yearning for peace. As such, she earnestly tries to avoid violence. However, if pushed far enough, she will not hesitate to defend herself. And if taking a life is absolutely necessary, she will kill without regret.
Background
Telflamm
- "West of Thay, in the thief-ruled city of Telflamm, the trade road known as the Golden Way begins. For thousands of miles it heads eastward, joining Faerûn to the fabulous lands of Kara-Tur. Along this road lie the merchant towns that comprise the realm of Thesk, the crossroads of the Unapproachable East."
- -Unapproachable East, page 4
- "West of Thay, in the thief-ruled city of Telflamm, the trade road known as the Golden Way begins. For thousands of miles it heads eastward, joining Faerûn to the fabulous lands of Kara-Tur. Along this road lie the merchant towns that comprise the realm of Thesk, the crossroads of the Unapproachable East."
- Born into a wealthy merchant family in Telflamm, Meredith was trained by her father from an early age to manage the family business. She learned how to read, write, and manage coin. She even picked up the languages of her family's Kara-Turan business partners. To her father's delight, Meredith was determined to be a successful trader.
However, Meredith's mother was originally from a farm. She hoped to keep Meredith humble and level-headed by teaching her to worship Chauntea. Despite these efforts, Meredith developed a haughty and arrogant streak as a child. It was only after her mother died of a serious illness that Meredith began to worship Chauntea in earnest. Even to this day, Meredith prefers blunt and direct speech to diplomatic niceties.
- "Thesk is most famous for the Golden Way. This well-maintained road starts in Telflamm, crosses the River Flam, and then passes through Phent, Phsant, Tammar, and Two Stars, skirting the northern side of the Thesk Mountains before it dead-ends at the River Mulsantir, between Lake Ashane and Lake Mulsantir. From there, travelers and their cargo take ferries across the water to Mulsantir, in Rashemen, and continue along the Golden Way through Rashemen and the Endless Wastes all the way to distant Kara-Tur. The Golden Way is a major overland trade artery. Its existence is the primary reason that Thesk isn’t simply part of the Great Dale or — worse yet — another tharch in Thay...
"For the most part, Thesk is a rural, lightly settled nation. Its main sources of revenue are farming and providing services to travelers along the Golden Way. Like the Great Dale to the north, Thesk is also a place of untouched natural beauty. Vast stretches of land are empty of people. Even most of the farmers in Thesk live along the Golden Way, making it easier to transport their harvests to market."- -Unapproachable East, page 172
- "Thesk is most famous for the Golden Way. This well-maintained road starts in Telflamm, crosses the River Flam, and then passes through Phent, Phsant, Tammar, and Two Stars, skirting the northern side of the Thesk Mountains before it dead-ends at the River Mulsantir, between Lake Ashane and Lake Mulsantir. From there, travelers and their cargo take ferries across the water to Mulsantir, in Rashemen, and continue along the Golden Way through Rashemen and the Endless Wastes all the way to distant Kara-Tur. The Golden Way is a major overland trade artery. Its existence is the primary reason that Thesk isn’t simply part of the Great Dale or — worse yet — another tharch in Thay...
- When she turned sixteen, Meredith convinced her father to let her travel the Golden Way with one of the family's caravans. Thus began decades of travel, back and forth between Thesk and Kara-Tur. Meredith traded all along the Golden Way and in Kara-Tur.
She also ordained as a priestess of Chauntea and ministered to many of the farmers along the Golden Way. Meredith met many people and learned many things during her years of travel. She trained with priests, learned from monks, encountered Shou magistrates, met Chauntean worshippers in Wa, and eventually formed alliances with all manner of people. As the years passed, her focus shifted more and more towards her priestly duties. She would often use her resources to protect Chauntean pilgrims and help refugees.
Meredith also experienced tragedies during these years traveling the Golden Way. One of the greatest tragedies happened in Wa, where the new ruler had taken a stance against Chauntean worship. Meredith encouraged a few of her Chauntean friends in Wa to protest the new ruler's policies. Her friends joined a large protest outside Juzimura Castle... and ended up getting slaughtered in the Juzimura "Rebellion" of 1337. This incident plagued Meredith's mind for many years, and eventually lead her to the teachings of Eldath.
- "Many of those who favor Eldath are pacifists or people who are troubled by violence they have witnessed or experienced.
"...Those who serve Eldath are happy to preside over peaceful negotiations and to certify treaties, but they can't force others to engage in harmony."- -Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, page 28
- "Many of those who favor Eldath are pacifists or people who are troubled by violence they have witnessed or experienced.
- In 1353, Meredith decided to take a break from traveling the Golden Way. She traveled to the Sword Coast to meet a friend on Marpenoth 3. Although this meeting was not quite the reunion Meredith had in mind, she chose to stay on the Sword Coast for a while. During this stay, she quietly converted to the worship of Eldath under the training of an old friend.
Over the next few years, she gave away most of her belongings and lived a quiet life of solitary wandering and meditation.
In 1358, during the Time of Troubles, Meredith felt called to protect people from the chaos and danger wrought by the gods. She picked up some old armor and a rusted blade and left her tranquil lifestyle behind.
- Study Eldath's teachings
- Protect and aid Eldathyn and Chauntean pilgrims
- Meredith does not seek violence, and only fights to defend herself and others. However, the Juzimura Rebellion still comes up in her mind. Although she knows she cannot force others to engage in harmony, she wonders if people can at least be forced to stop fighting.
- Meredith has studied many cultures and traditions of Kara-Tur.
- Meredith learned how to fight from the caravan guards and warriors she met in her travels.
- Much of Meredith's wealth has gone to aid religious travelers. She has even helped construct hospitals and refugee facilities.