Katya Sinaran

The Devoted Necromancer

Katya Sinaran, born Katya Helviani, is a drow cleric of Torm, a former cleric of Llolth, Tiamat, and Kiaransalee, and one of the Lost Star Detectives, responsible for ending the Damnation of Elturel in the late 15th century.
She currently lives in Elturel with her wife Emmeryn

History

Early Life

Katya was born in Menzoberranzan in 1229 to the minor noble house of Helviani. Like her mother, she was raised from a young age to become a priestess of Lolth, the only one of the drow gods openly worshipped in Menzoberranzan. However, around 1285, Katya stumbled upon a book detailing the other members of the Dark Seldarine, which she studied in detail for a few months before she asked her mother about it. Angered, Katya's mother took the book away and burned it, beating Katya as a lesson to never stay from Lolth's worship.
This moment awakened Katya to the knowledge that drow society was off, and the passion she once felt for her studies began waning. Her spiral continued until 1341, when she was angrily confronted by her mother for failing in her studies. Katya snapped at the verbal tirade, the argument got more violent, and then Katya murdered her mother. Realizing what she had done, Katya quickly murdered her cowed father to hide her actions and then escaped to the surface with the fortuitous aid of a worshipper of Eilistraee.
Upon reaching the surface in Northwest Faerun, Katya traveled from city to city until ending up in Elturel in 1343. While there, she attempted to steal rice from a dry goods store in Westerly but was caught by the owner, a wood elf named Emmeryn Sinaran. Instead of calling the guards, Emmeryn instead offered Katya and job and a place to sleep. When Katya refused, Emmeryn let her keep the rice. Confused by the encounter, Katya ended up staying in Elturel longer than expected, first hanging around Emmeryn's shop before helping to stock shelves, sleeping on Emmeryn's couch, and then marrying her in 1368.
The two happily and peacefully ran the dry goods shop for nearly a century. However, that illusion of peace was broken during the Reign of Vampires in 1447. Katya and Emmeryn sheltered their neighbors and their families during the crisis, hiding indoors for fear of the vampires stalking the streets. As their supply of food dwindled, morbid conversations began about who should be sacrificed to ensure there was enough food for everyone, and Katya was on the suggested list despite not being sick or elderly like the others. While Emmeryn quashed the idea of sacrificing anyone, and the appearance of the Companion a few days later saved the city, the damage had already been done.
For the next several decades, Emmeryn disillusionment got worse, though on the service she appeared fine. However, in 1481 rumors abounded that the cult of the Dragon was growing in influence, and Emmeryn quickly joined the cult, latching on to the idea of a new, reborn world where the divisions between elves and drow didn't matter. While she initially only performed small tasks for the cult, she slowly became more and more ingratiated, and Katya was left to run the shop by herself more and more often. It was during this time that Katya met Kinsey Eridanus, a young and curious wood elf druid that was fascinated by Katya's drow heritage and past. Despite Katya's best efforts, Kinsey continued to hang around the shop on occasion, even eating with the Sinarins at times, but she remained unaware of their connection to the growing Cult of the Dragon.
In 1491, when the cult of the dragon fully revealed itself, Emmeryn convinced Katya to join her, and Katya releunctantly agreed. The two closed their shop and left Elturel to help participate in the Raid on Tumbleton. The two spent the Great Dragon War in the service of the Red Wymspeaker , and Emmeryn's zealotry pushed her further and furhter up its ranks. Tragically, during the Battle of Hardbuckler, Emmeryn was struck down by a member of the Baldurian Watch. Katya abandoned the cult and dragged Emmeryn back home to Elturel, desperately trying to raise enough money to resurrect her wife, but when she finally was able to afford the ritual, it failed, and Emmeryn remained dead.
Unwilling to run the shop without Emmeryn, Katya instead began working odd, often unsavory jobs around Elturel and occasionally Baldur's Gate. She also, for the first time in centuries, rededicated herself to religious worship, remembering the drow goddess of vengeance and undeath Kiaransalee from her studies centuries before. With Kiaransalee's aid, Katya began trying to save for enough money to reattempt to bring Emmeryn back.

The Lost Star Detectives

(See the Lost Star Detectives) In 1494, Katya was among a group of thieves hired by the Mourning Dove, the Guild kingpin of Tumbledown in Baldur's Gate. The theives, which included Kinsey to Katya's displeasure, raided the merchant ship Aremag's Blessing and stole the Helm of Torm's Sight. However, Buddy Novs, the Elturian fence of the helm, chose to stiff the Mourning Dove on his payment and so the original thieves gathered together again on the 2nd of Eleasis, 1497 at the Dove's request to track down Buddy and get the payment owed. However, that day, the result of an infernal pact made fifty years ago came due, and Elturel and everyone inside of it was teleported into Avernus.
Katya and the other thieves, save for Odun Greenhold, were underneath Elturel at the time of its damnation in the Maze, sparing them from the city's fate, though the group was forced to scramble out of the Elturian crater before the Chionthar River flooded the pit. Dispirated and despairing from Elturel's disappearance, Katya and the other thieves joined a caravan of refugees heading towards Baldur's Gate. Upon their arrival, the group, now calling themselves the Lost Star Detectives, agreed to work with the Flaming Fist in solving a series of murders of Elturians in exchange for allowing their caravan in the city. During the course of their investigation, the Detectives uncovered Duke Thalamara Vanthampur invovlement with the murders in the city and as the leader of the Baldurian cult of Zariel. Katya also began getting closer with Kinsey as the two traveled together, telling the young woof elf about her worship of Kiaransalee and encouraging her to do the same. Katya was also given a vision by Kiaransalee of the watchman that killed Emmeryn and was encouraged to seek vengeance against him, but Katya ignored this request, choosing to focus on the task at hand.
After killing Duke Vanthampur the Detectives discovered High Observer Thavius Kreeg in the basement of the villa. Learning of his invovlement in the cult of Zariel and his role in its damnation, Katya murdered him and took the Shield of the Hidden Lord that he was guarding. For their aid, the Detectives were rewarded by Liara Portyr, and Katya was given red dragon scale mail, which she found darkly ironic. The Detectives then traveled to Candlekeep, where they learned that they were in possession of half of the pact that damned Elturel. The group resolved to travel into Elturel to try and save the city, and they were joined by the amnesiac hollyphant Lulu.

Hellturel

The Detectives were teleported into Elturel's dock district by the wizard Traxigor and upon arrival found Shiarra's Market turned into a refuge guarded by the still alive Klav Ikaia, mastermind of the Reign of Vampires. Horrified, Katya refused to enter into the market, but the Detectives nonetheless helped Ikaia and his dhampir followers secure the Dock District before fighting to cross Torm's Blade into the High District. In High Hall, the group realized that the survivors hiding in the catacombs, accessible only through a defiled shrine to Torm. As a cleric, Katya prayed over the shrine, sanctifying it and allowing the Detectives to enter, but Kiaransalee warned her not to do that again. Despite this, a few days later Kinsey donned the Helm of Torm's Sight to recieve a vision from Torm on how to save Elturel. As the helmet stuck fast to Kinsey's head to allow the vision to be transferred, the young elf went comatose, and a desperate Katya prayed again to Torm to free Kinsey. While resting later that night, Kiaransalee visited Katya's dreams in the guise of Emmeryn, demanding a sacrifice to show her commitment, and Katya cut off her left hand.
Katya also visited her home and dry goods store while in Elturel, finding a few children hiding inside and their parents being consumed by devils. The Detectives killed the devils, and Katya was guided to a dagger formed from a black dragon's tooth owned by Emmeryn. Dzarya, who had been kidnapped by abishai earlier, also returned after being freed by a red abishai that made Dzarya sign a pact to protect Katya. Afterwards, the Detectives and Katya relieved the Siege of Helm's Shieldhall, where Xifira Mistmore was killed, and the group resolved to head out into Avernus proper, following the lead given by Torm to seek out the Sword of Zariel.

The Quest for the Sword

The Detectives first stop was Fort Knucklebones, where they found the Dream Machine that could unlock Lulu's forgotten memories and help them find the Sword of Zariel. The Dream Machine required four missing components, and Katya make a deal with the machine's owner Mad Maggie to help them operate the machine in the future and to give the Detectives an infernal warmachine.
The Detectives first stop was Bel's Forge, where they also planned on destroying the Shield of the Hidden Lord. Katya was given the shield to carry through the dungeon, and she and the shield had formed a bit of a connection, with Katya relating both to its secrets and its desire to not be used by others. However, destroying the shield revealed it to be the prison of the archdevil Gargauth, who escaped and quickly took over the forge.
The Detectives then traveled over Zariel's Bridge and stumbled into Plagueshield Point, a drow fortress turned infernal prison upon its arrival in Hell. The Detectives freed the drow slaves, but they unanimously spurred Katya's overtures for them to worship Kiaransalee over Llolth. The group then visited a crashed flying fortress, the Crypt of the Hellriders, the Wandering Emporium, Algoran's Arena, and the Bone Brambles. As they journied, Katya slowly opened up more and more about her history with the Cult of the Dragon. Earlier, Katya had tried to contact Emmeryn and was told to come to Tiamat's Lair to be reunited with her. Though many of the Detectives had reservations, the whole group ultimately agreed to accompany Katya and help her.
At Tiamat's Lair, Katya was reunited with Emmeryn, who was the red abishai that saved Dzarya. Emmeryn revealed that she was unable to be revived earlier because her soul was sworn to Tiamat, and she further explained that she had arranged Katya's arrival to have the two of them forever bound in Tiamat's service. In exchange, Dzarya was to be turned over to the abishai and githyanki for execution. Though it pained Katya greatly, she refused Emmeryn's offer, and the Detectives barely escaped. When Katya contacted Emmeryn later, she learned that Emmeryn was being tortured for her failure.
Following the clash with Emmeryn, the Detectives were briefly sidetracked back to the Material Plane to kill the hag Zilly Redwood, who possessed fellow Detective Arcus Miursa's voice. When the group confronted Zilly, Katya killed her before Arcus could, bringing months of resentment between the two to the surface and leading to Arcus knocking Katya unconscious, fraying the bonds of the Detectives greatly. Though the group worked out their differences enough to keep cooperating to save Elturel, Katya's opinion of Arcus soured and never recovered. Katya was also contacted on the surface by Torm directly, who offered her the chance to be and do good so long as she was willing, though he was upfront that he did not have the power to save Emmeryn while she was in Hell.
The Detectives then infiltrated Zariel's flying fortress and then returned to the Dream Machine, where Lulu remembered where the Sword of Zariel was located. The adventurers raced to it, where it was claimed by Alesine Zadava, and then returned to Elturel to finally save it. In Elturel, Katya was notified by Gargauth that he had traded with Tiamat and was in possession of Emmeryn's soul. During the Battle of Elturel, Katya and the Detectives first defended the Companion and redeemed Zariel. During the fight, Kinsey fell unconscious and Katya choose to finally and completely forsake Kiaransalee, praying to Torm on a token the Detectives had gained earlier and summoning the copper dragon Burney to aid them. After the fight near the Companion, Kinsey, Katya, and Lulu flew to Shiarra's Market to protect it and Kinsey's parents.

A Complicated Hero

While Elturel was hurtling back to the Material Plane, Zariel spoke to each of the Detectives in a space between time to thank them. She also stated that, as one of her last acts as archduke of Avernus, she had traded knowledge for Emmeryn's soul, giving it to Katya to do with as she saw fit. That decision was quickly made, and Katya paid a cleric of Lathander coming to help in Elturel's reconstruction to bring Emmeryn back to life on Greengrass of 1498, the first day of spring. Finally reunited, Emmeryn and Katya remained in Elturel during its rebuilding, celebrating, a bit awkwardly in Emmeryn's case, with the other Detectives.
Slowly, the various Detectives began leaving Elturel. Alesine, now a full angel, left for Mount Celestia, Dzarya and Whisk both departed to travel the planes, and Lulu left to join the immortal but mostly powerless Zariel in her walk of penance. Though Katya and Emmeryn remained in Elturel for a time, alongside Kinsey and Arcus, Katya's newfound fame and attention began to grate on her, and she and Emmeryn left Elturel behind to settle somewhere more rural.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Among the Lost Star Detectives, Katya was closest with Kinsey, whose enthusiasm, kindness, and wood elf heritage reminded Katya strongly of Emmeryn. Throughout the Detectives' journey, Katya remained extremely protective over Kinsey, but Kinsey was the one that most helped Katya open up and share her burdens with the rest of the party.
Though adventuring companions for a while before, Dzarya's contract with Emmeryn required her to keep Katya safe, putting the two of them into a closer relationship. Though Dzarya could be blunt at times and was skeptical over whether Katya could save Emmeryn, the two had each others' backs throughout the damnation, and it was trying to save Dzarya and listening to Kinsey that ultimately led to Katya rejecting Emmeryn's deal to join her in service to Tiamat.
Also close as a result of their journey, Katya is ultimately conflicted about Alesine's decision to accept Zariel's angelic nature. While Alesine viewed her decision as accepting a greater, divine purpose, Katya saw it as someone trying to atone for the evil they had done and losing themself in the process. Though still close, Alesine's nature can be overwhelming for Katya.
Like the other Detectives, Katya never fully understood Whisk, whose easy-going nature and "go with the flow" attitude, even while in Hell, was often at odds with the dire circumstances the party found themselves in.
Xifira's death affected Katya painfully and was another traumatic reminder of Emmeryn's death. Though directed at the entire group, Xifira's last words of "I love you," were spoken straight to Katya, which nearly overwhelmed her. While Katya disagreed heavily with Xifira's decision to become a dhampir, traumatized as Kat was from the Reign of Vampires, she ultimately saw it as a sign of Xifira's naïvete.
Katya was onboard to help Lulu redeem Zariel from the very beginning, seeing many parallels between Lulu's quest and her own. Lulu also never gave up hope that Emmeryn could be saved, and though Lulu knew of Katya's worship of Kiaransalee, she nonetheless believed in heart that Katya could be and serve the forces of good. In the end, Lulu was proven right.
No two members of the Lost Star Detectives fueded more than Arcus and Katya, and the deteriorating relationship between the two of them nearly split the group apart. Arcus' bull-headed nature clashed routinely with Katya's own stubborness, and Arcus' repeated choice to make decisions that affected the entire group. When Arcus beat Katya into unconsciousness, the Detectives forced Arcus to either straighten up or be left on his own, but Katya never forgave him for that action. Though she played nice towards Arcus following Elturel's salvation, she was more than relieved when she and Emmeryn left Elturel, never to see Arcus again.

Family Ties

Katya has no contact with her remaining birth family in Menzobarranzan. She has two brothers, Petrov and Van, and House Helviani is currently led by Katya's aunt Lizaveta, but the Helvianis are content with collectively choosing to forget about Katya, so long as she remains out of the Underdark.
Katya's relationship with Emmeryn has been at times loving and difficult. When they first met, Emmeryn's overwhelming love and acceptance towards Katya broke down many of her walls, leaving Katya devoted to Em. However, as Emmeryn's love for Katya was twisted into serving the Cult of the Dragon, Katya was unable and unwilling to stop her wife, as Emmeryn had always seemingly known what was best. Without Emmeryn, Katya was adrift and turned towards gods of true evil just for a chance to bring her back.
However, meeting Emmeryn in Avernus was a sobering moment for Katya, as Emmeryn even resorted to attempting to charm Katya to get her to stay, a horrificly violating action. Emmeryn too was shocked by how far she had fallen, which was made all the more clear upon her torture for her failure, highlighting how everything she had done was truly all for nothing. When the two are reunited following Elturel's salvation, Emmeryn's time as an abishai has left her scarred, uncertain of herself, subject to horrible intrusive thoughts, and feelings of isolation. Katya and Emmeryn's relationship then becomes the inverse of what it was before, with Katya helping Emmeryn accept and love herself and stay good. Undeniably messy, the love the two share for each other is very real and obvious to any that meet them.

Religious Views

Katya has worshipping many dieties in her life. As a child and young woman, she worshipping Llolth as many drow do, though more out of a sense of obligation than anything else. When she met and married Emmeryn, Katya never worshipped Corellon, but was open to him at the very least as Em worshipped him. However, Corellon's semming failure to help Katya resurrect Em, a feat he could not do, though Katya did not know this, soured Katya on the Seldarine.
Instead, Katya sought solace in Kiaransalee, who was a harsh and exacting goddess. As Katya grew stronger in Hell, Kiaransalee began demanding more and more from her, and though Katya's original purpose in worshipping Kiaransalee was to bring Emmeryn back, the goddess knew Emmeryn was in Tiamat's thrall and intended to stoke the flames of Katya's anger at Tiamat to create a powerful and loyal servant. When Katya failed to exact vengeance, Kiaransalee punished Katya in her trances and by demanding sacrifices, most notably of her left hand. This was made all the worst by Avernus' proximity to the Abyss, allowing Kiaransalee's control over Katya's trances to far exceed anything she was capable of on the Material Plane.
Katya's worship of Torm was the result of happenstance during the Damnation of Elturel as situations kept unfolding that involved him. However, Torm was often the opposite of Kiaransalee, never pushing or demanding respect and remaining open if Katya chose to converse with him, and is lack of connection to the Seldarine, a group Katya already had baggage with, was another boon. On the Material Plane, outside of Triel, Katya spoke with Torm in a grove protected by Eilistraee, preventing Kiaransalee from listening in, where Katya asked Torm how he could help save Emmeryn's soul, and Torm openly admitted that he could not. Despite this, during the Battle of Elturel, Katya chose to forsake Kiaransalee and use Torm's aid to save the city and her companions. Surprising even herself, Katya remained in worship of Torm even after Elturel's salvation, relying on his sense of honor and righteousness as she helped the self-doubting and suffering Emmeryn.

Species

Drow

Date of Birth

9th of Mirtul

Year of Birth

1229 CR 269 Years old

Belief/Deity

Torm

Aligned Organization

Lost Star Detectives

Other Affiliations

• Cult of the Dragon

by Ashley

by @angeliets

by @pine_needles

by @pine_needles

Katya and Kinsey Eridanus 

by Heidi

Katya and her wife Emmeryn