Laeral Silverhand
Open Lord of Waterdeep
Laeral Silverhand is the Open Lord of Waterdeep and formerly known as the Lady Mage of Waterdeep. Together with her partner Khelben Arunsun, "Blackstaff", they led the Moonstars, a dissident faction of the Harpers.
Like all of the Seven Sisters, Laeral was enchantingly beautiful.
Laeral spends most of her day ruling Waterdeep, but she also visits Blackstaff Tower instructing and looking after her former partner's wizard apprentices, most of whom were too intimidated or overawed by their master to actually learn from him. Though she do not need to sleep, she insist on being left alone for her 'highsun nap', during which time she did as she pleased without the constraints of her hectic schedule.
Laeral collect beautiful dresses and shoes. She likes to wear them on social occasions but doesn't care if they are soiled or ruined. She also particularly value hand-sized ornaments depicting frogs, snails and toads. The pride of her collection is a set of jewels carved into the shape of snails and frogs that magically orbit her bedside table.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
She is roughly six feet tall, thin and with long silver hair which she kept out of her face with a silver circlet. Large, emerald green eyes completed her gorgeous features and she was liable to blush profusely when paid an honest compliment on her appearance. She was equally comfortable wearing leathers, roughspun, the latest and most extravagant fashions or even nothing at all.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
After their mother died, Laeral, Dove Silverhand, and Storm Silverhand were placed into the care of Elminster, until they came of age. When her sisters left the Old Sage, Laeral elected to stay with him as his apprentice. When she had finished her studies, she left to join the Harpers.
Laeral left the Harpers early and, at the age of 41, Laeral was a self-styled queen, ruling the realm of Stornanter from Port Llast. Many later sages suspected that Laeral named herself after this queen, not realizing that it was actually her. It was at this time that Laeral also attempted to rebuild and resettle the ruins of Illusk. Before she did so, she explored the Host Tower of the Arcane where she encountered several liches who were members of the Grand Cabal, rulers over Illusk from centuries before. She sealed the liches inside the tower with magic before continuing with her other works.
Barely ten years into her reign, Laeral's court mage, Malek Aldhanek, with whom she had worked very closely, was apparently assassinated in a plot involving other nobles. Realizing too late that she was in love with Malek, Laeral quit her court and spent twenty five years wandering Stornanter. In truth, Malek was not dead - he never existed - and was actually Khelben Arunsun in disguise. Khelben faked his death to deal with a dire prophecy he had discovered in the works of Alaundo.
During this period of wandering, Laeral came into conflict with Slarkrethel in 834 DR and although the great kraken was driven off, he managed to steal Laeral's magical throne, which she had crafted with Malek.
Her activities attracted the attention of her sister Syluné Silverhand who desired to rule over the same region and the two were drawn (some say manipulated) into spellbattle in 841 DR. Having grown up separately, neither recognized the other so before they destroyed each other, Mystra felt obliged to manifest herself before the two and explain their heritage, offering them both the mantle of Chosen. They accepted and journeyed together for a time, under the guidance of Azuth.
Under an assumed name, Laeral eventually established herself as a hard-drinking and fearless adventurer, coming to lead an adventuring band known as The Nine. In 1337 DR, Laeral along with The Nine discovered the ancient netherese artifact known as the Crown of Horns in Yûlash. The Crown was actually planted for her to find by the netherese lich Aumvor The Undying, who wished to use the Crown to influence her to marry him. The plot failed when Laeral donned the headpiece and the Crown's powers conflicted with Laeral's spellfire and drove her into madness.
Twenty years later, in 1357 DR, Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun traveled to the stronghold of The Nine in the High Forest, freed Laerel Silverhand from the Crown of Horns, the malign intelligence contained within and her madness. Laeral returned with him to Waterdeep for more healing, and after that, they were inseparable. She was referred to as Lady Arunsun, though they were never married. The mysterious circumstances surrounding Laeral and Khelben's meeting and subsequent partnership led some to believe that Laeral was enslaved to Khelben against her will. Laeral never denied this, instead preferring to let those who wished Khelben harm seek her out as an ally against him.
In the Year of Lightning Storms (1374), Laeral was pregnant with her son Krehlan Arunsun, the future Blackstaff, whom she conceived from Khelben shortly before his death.
Laeral wrote "Lifelong with Regrets" in the Year of the Wrathful Eye (1391 DR). Thereafter, she and her sister Alustriel Silverhand hid among the monks of Candlekeep to prepare the destruction of the wards so that no one could use them to get control over the Weave. In 1487 DR, Larloch foiled their plans and absorbed the wards. Shortly thereafter, Laeral, Alustriel, Elminster and the Srinshee prevented Larloch's ascension to godhood. Laeral is still a chosen of the restored Mystra.
After the fall of Myth Drannor, Mystra herself appeared to Laeral. With the end of Luruar, stability was once again needed in the Northern Sword Coast, and Mystra tasked Laeral with maintaining it by becoming Open Lord of Waterdeep. According to Mystra, her presence would have in fact restrained abuse of magic to gain personal power, and therefore the possibility that the general population could turn against wizards, blaming them for eventual disasters, and blindly hunting all Art-wielders. Following Mystra's request, Laeral returned to Waterdeep, and swiftly managed to gain the support of the Masked Lords of the city, supplanting Dagult Neverember as Open Lord.
Accomplishments & Achievements
When Laeral became a Chosen, Mystra gifted her with special power over magic items. As such, Laeral has created many magic items in her lifetime. Notable and oft-copied examples include a magic steel shield that grants the wielder spell resistance, and shields of this type were subsequently named Laeral's spell shield. Although there is a type of magic armour called Laeral's storm armour, it is not clear what role Laeral had in its development. Laeral ceased her prolific creation of magical items after she was freed from the Crown of Horns.
Intellectual Characteristics
Laeral is incredibly organized - it is the only way she can manage to fit all of her activities into a single day. She is very friendly and accommodating, leading to almost everyone who meet her considering her a true friend (even the stuffy/haughty nobles of Waterdeep). She is also proactive, to the extent that certain waterdhavians might stage calamitous events so that she would keep tabs on persons of interest for them without their needing to ask for her help or involve themselves directly.
She is rumoured to enjoy pretending to be other people and go to parties, magically transformed as someone else. Possibly to gain information. Or just get into a good tavern brawl.
Laeral is infuriated by magic-users who employ their power to deceive and exert baleful influence over others, giving the rest a bad reputation. She disliked doppelgangers and slave-owners.
Laeral was especially conscious of personal security. Even when in the most revealing of gowns, she always managed to secrete several daggers on her person. And has multiple both defensive and offensive spells prepared.
Social
Family Ties
Laeral was one of seven female spellcasters, born to the ranger Dornal Silverhand and his wife Elué Silverhand (with the exception of Qilué Veladorn who, due to divine intervention, was drow). Collectively they were known as the Seven Sisters.
Laeral has three children, a girl named Maura SIlverhand, conceived by Laeral during her time under the influence of the Crown of Horns by an unknown father. Maura was in love with the Crown Prince of Evermeet, Lamruil.[citation needed] She also had twins, a boy and a girl, fathered by her consort and fellow Chosen Khelben Arunsun shortly before his death.
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