Anastra Syluné Silverhand[6] (pronounced: /sɪlˈuːneɪ/ sill-OO-nay), more commonly known as Syluné and also known as the Witch of Shadowdale, was the eldest of the Seven Sisters. After her death at the hands of a dragon cult, she remained in Shadowdale as a spectral harpist.
History
Syluné decided that she could best serve
Mystra by settling down and nurturing a community to show that magic was more than just a weapon. She hoped to one day set up a magical school, as well.
Mystra agreed, and so Syluné wandered the Realms for centuries, enhancing her own magecraft and looking for a suitable place to achieve her goal. In her quest, she trained under hermits, druids, priests, and liches, as well as other mages. She spent a lot of time in the east in Thay (in disguise), with the witches of Rashemen, and she visited the land of Kara-Tur several times as well. She made many powerful acquaintances during this time, and also found and used the Scepter of
Savras, but eventually handed it over to
Azuth (after
Savras, in an attempt to escape from his prison, gave her the secret ability to transform herself into a silver dragon). Since then,
Azuth has personally watched over Syluné. When she finally picked a place to settle down, she chose Shadowdale and eventually married Aumry Obarskyr, the leader of the Dale at the time.
Personality
Sylune was a kindly, polite (though sometimes stern), and wise woman, but some of her neighbors still feared her. She made medicines and gave advice to those who came to see her at her house by the millpond at the western end of town. She held a lot of influence in the Elven Court, which saved a fledgling Shadowdale from many potentially devastating attacks. She was an incredibly shrewd judge of character, being able to accurately predict what people would do in nearly every given situation. This gave her the reputation of a seer (which was unfortunately inaccurate). She loved Shadowdale with all of her being and similarly enjoyed performing and witnessing acts of kindness. She was irritated by those who habitually used magic to harm or oppress others.
Death
Sylune died in 1356 DR while defending the Twisted Tower from three dragons by breaking her staff of the magi. Syluné then watched over the lands and the people she loved as a type of ghost called a spectral harpist.
As a spirit
Syluné's existence as a spirit was not widely known. Only her friends and certain
Harpers knew for sure, though several of the folk of Shadowdale suspected as much. She spent her time giving advice to those who asked it of her, and acted as an ever-vigilant guardian of her beloved home, informing Lord Mourngrym of any
Zhentarim activity she witnessed. Occasionally, she would give a fragment of stone from her hut to lone female
Harpers so that she could accompany them on their adventures and potentially run into some of her old acquaintances. Over time, she also had
Harpers place stones in certain places that only a spirit, such as herself, would be able to easily reach. She invented a spell that used these stones to transport her to various places in
Faerûn, including Suzail,
Waterdeep, Berdusk, Silverymoon and Everlund.
Destruction
Priests of
Shar used The Rite of Unwinding to create a massive dead-magic zone in Shadowdale that aided in the Zhentarim occupation of the Dale late in 1374 DR. Sharran priests broke into her husband Aumry's tomb and (after learning what would do so from
Shar) laid her spectral harpist form to rest. Syluné survived as a creature made of pure silver fire, but was virtually defenseless, and was subsequently given to a nishruu as a plaything. In Hammer of next year, adventurers killed the nishruu, but Syluné knew her time on
Faerûn was almost up. She bade the adventurers defeat the occupying forces of Shadowdale, and then went to try and contain the power of the Rite. When those adventurers disrupted the Rite, Syluné used the last of her power to sacrifice herself to reverse its effects.
"Return"
In 1491 DR, Syluné's soul was part of the Weave, acting as
Mystra's messenger alongside her sister Dove Falconhand. She still had her own sentience, memories, and individuality, and could manifest as a ghostly apparition. They would sometimes rise up in their spectral forms from altars dedicated to
Mystra, to speak for her or impress wizards and clerics alike. Syluné could speak and manifest herself through an enchanted pebble that was given by Storm Silverhand to
Laeral Silverhand. The three sisters would often merrily chat together (Dove had her own pebble too), and both Dove and Syluné helped
Laeral Silverhand (acting as her eyes) with her new position as Open Lord of
Waterdeep.
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