Rhaine smiled, taking another sip of her wine and setting it down. "Indeed I am, Kalin."
She pulled her hood back down, fluffing her auburn mane and leaning forward, her elbows on the table. The plates of her vambraces glinted in the candlelight. "I feel I must warn you, my tale is longer than most. But it is time it should be told in full. I have not voiced my history to anyone before, and I would be glad for someone to hear it. Especially someone from my own home plane."
She sighed and began, "I was born one hundred and thirty two years ago, in the small Sword Coast town of West Harbor. It is a tiny swamp village, no more than a speck on the map between Neverwinter and Waterdeep. There, I was raised by my foster father - a wood elf ranger named Daeghun Farlong. My true father - a human, I'm told - I never knew. My mother was a sun elf named Esmerelle. She died shortly after I was born, along with most of the other townsfolk, in a tragic attack on the village. I survived, but just barely. A 'miracle child' I was called.
"When I was a teen, I found my calling. In those days, Kelemvor Lyonsbane was quite young. Having just ascended to the Throne of the Dead, his priests were looking for new recruits to spread the faith. Shortly after my twelfth birthday, one such priest stopped in West Harbor on his way to Neverwinter. The priest and I took to each other as soon as we met. His name was Brother Dunstan, and he soon proved to be more of a father to me than Daeghun. He was convinced that I would make a good acolyte for the Kelemvorite clergy, and he asked to take me with him back to Waterdeep. Daeghun was none too pleased, but upon my insistence, let me go.
"At the time, I didn't know why I was suddenly so happy. Little did I or Dunstan know that I had already been marked by Kelemvor. This would prove to be a problem later on."
Rhaine paused to take another sip of wine. She fingered her gauntlets absently, "I actually began my training at the Temple of Kelemvor in Waterdeep as a paladin. I had a knack for swordfighting, and I was well on my way to becoming a squire for a Knight of the Eternal Order, when the priests made an astonishing discovery. During a sparring session, I accidentally cast a magical shield upon myself, with no incantation or knowledge of the spell whatsoever. The other acolytes called me a freak. Most of the instructors were baffled. But the High Father knew what had happened. He was an old cleric, a holdover from Myrkul's regime. He called me a 'Favored Soul.' Just like a sorcerer has no need for spellbooks or scrolls, as opposed to a wizard, a Favored Soul already has divine magic within them, and thus, has no need at all to pray for power.
"Suddenly, my course of study changed, and so did my life. I was trained personally by Brother Dunstan from then on, who was the only one trusted with my instruction. For melee combat, I was trained in our Lord's favored weapon: a bastard sword. Though, by that point, I required little additional teaching. It was no wonder I was fit for a paladin's swordplay - I had already been chosen to fight in such a manner by a higher power. It was ingrained in my very soul.
"I studied the path of a warpriest. Instead of focusing on magical protection, I was trained to eliminate enemies - particularly undead ones - with devastating offensive spells. It is no surprise that the acolytes who once made fun of me began to flatter me and offer friendship. But I shrugged them off. In those days, I had only Dunstan, who eventually became a Father in the church. It was he who taught me the tenets of Kelemvor's faith, and stressed to me the importance of the church's doctrine.
"Finally, when I was twenty-five, my training was complete. I was one of only five acolytes who graduated with the coveted epithet of 'Doomguide' - able to cast some of the most powerful spells available to a Kelemvorite. I returned home to West Harbor, just in time for the Harvest Fair. Unfortunately, the day of celebration turned into a massacre. I was forced to investigate the attack, and my journey took me all over the Sword Coast. I eventually became a Knight of Neverwinter, in the service of Lord Nasher, with my own land and castle.
"It was at this castle of Crossroad Keep that I defeated the army of the legendary King of Shadows. For twelve hours, my mere three hundred men and I held off an endless army of undead, and the next morning, the King of Shadows himself was slain by my hand. But not without a heavy loss of life. Several of my dearest friends and over half of my vassals perished. Yet, I was unaware of this at first.
"I had been transported to Rashemen by some strange feat of magic, held captive and under a sleeping spell by a Red Wizard, and then possessed by an ancient curse. This curse, the 'Spirit Eater,' lived within me for the next few months. I was forced to feed on spirits, which would accelerate the curse and lead to my death. I could refuse to devour them as well, but that, too, would lead to death. I was suddenly faced with two ways to die, and neither was particularly attractive. All the while, I was breaking major tenets of my Lord's faith. I felt surely he would turn away from me in disgust at my actions, regardless of whether or not I could help them. It did not help when I discovered that the Spirit Eater had been Akachi, the fabled Chosen of Myrkul who had turned his back on his god and led a rebellion against the City of the Dead...and failed. His existence as a ravenous hunger had been punishment for his betrayal.
"I became especially worried when, in my search for answers, I was forced to breach the barriers between worlds and inadvertently called a repeat of this ancient Crusade against Kelemvor himself in his own realm: the grey Fugue Plane. Despite the insistence of my magically summoned 'allies,' I refused to lead the Crusade. I chose to defend the City of Judgment against a horde of angelic, demonic, undead, and draconic enemies. Perhaps it was this simple act that earned my forgiveness...the fact that I verbally refused to betray my god like the Spirit Eater had before me. After the battle, I met Kelemvor face-to-face, and it was he who gave me the secret of lifting the curse of the Spirit Eater.
"After a great spiritual ordeal, the curse was finally ended. Kelemvor was there to greet me, and he praised me for the good I had done. To my utter amazement, he was pleased with me. Despite the fact that my very living mortal presence on the Fugue Plane was a violation of one of his most sacred laws, he was happy. I had ended a foolish cycle of Crusades and had halted the suffering of a spirit whose punishment had been overdone. He forgave me, and offered me the highest place of honors at his side upon my...return."
She sighed, eyes closed momentarily. "Ever since then, I have served my Lord unwaveringly. If anything gave me a reason to dedicate my entire life to his work, then it was his forgiveness. Even if I could not help what I did, even if I had no other choice, I still felt guilty for breaking so many laws...so many rules. I had been faced with damnation - and he waved it all away as if it were nothing."
Rhaine sipped her wine calmly, her eyes distant, "Many years and deeds later, I found out I had been Chosen...given a spark of true divinity by Kelemvor himself. My aging was effectively halted. And my fate was sealed - in time, I will become completely divine, and my place will be amongst the gods themselves. The reason for this action is still unknown to me. Perhaps he thought me the only one capable of handling the greatest of the church's threats...perhaps I was the only one he trusted. Either way, my responsibilities are now greater than most mortals would be willing to accept.
"Which is why I am here. Portals from Toril to Nirn were recently discovered by the gods, and it was through one of these that Kelemvor instructed me to go. He spoke of an undead threat festering here in Tamriel that could spill over into Faerun if not stopped. Apparently, this threat is large enough to cause a disaster if allowed to go unchecked. He told me to seek out this inn, its patrons, and a Breton sage called Myrmaad. Apparently, someone here knows more about this threat, and I must have more information if I am to proceed."
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