Kaia Shard drifted through the rooms of the derelict church. So many years had passed, so many more years to come. Her form, composed of only shdow and the merest hint of physicality, left no trace of her passing. She cast her gaze over the walls and recalled the days of opulent banners, murals and curtains that hung and framed the ornate stained glass windows and the mastercrafted benches, cabinets and tables that once swarmed with hundreds of petitioners and worshippers; some praying, some celebrating, some comiserating. Now only the church stood, all else was now a thick layer of ash and soot; the voices that once rang through the halls now no more than ghostly whispers and faded memories.
A sound brought Kaia out of her reverie, a sound she had not heard in along time; the creaking of the main doors opening.
They stood outside the building, the map they had bought led them on a trek through the wilds and into the deep valley with its sheer cliffs casting a perpetual gloom and shadow over the area. They had found it unnerving at first, the forest that filled the valley was apparently devoid of animal life and they found the quiet to be quite oppressive but they pressed on. They checked the doors and found no traps or locks and pushed, the doors resisted at first then with a loud popping of rusted hunges the doors moved inwards. They moved inside and stepped into ankle deep ash and soot, their noses assailed by the scent of burnt wood and other less tangible things caught in some ancient conflagration. A soft breeze entered through a window and created a gentle dust devil before exiting through the door. Before any of the could speak a voice hissed out of the gloom.
"Why do you intrude little mortals?"
They instictively formed into a defensive formation and looked around the room, eyes darting to and fro seeking the source of the voice and then they saw...something. A driftng shadow, seemingly forming from ash and soot until it formed into the semblance of a woman, though one made of ethereal shadows.
Kaia Shard stepped into the centre of the chamber, what little light permeated the room allowing the visitors to see her. A tall, guant woman of Elven heritage clad in the rags and wearing a veil that covered her eyes. She stood, arms held behind her back.
"Why do you intrude little mortals?" She asked again but without waiting for an answer continued "Tales of riches and treasures brought you here, warnings you did not heed or chose to ignore led you here. Pillagers and thieves have come before and will doubtless come after you. There is nothing her for you but your demise, turn around a leave now before I make you naught but ash and soot".
They stood almost unfazed but as one took a step back towards the entrance. One spoke up.
"Lady we are seeking information, an evil comes and we must know things that have been forgotten and we heard rumours of a librabry here that may aid us"
Kaia tilted her hear in thought as she looked over the interlopes be fore replying.
"There was a library, you now walk in its ashes, I am all that remains of that repository"
"We cannot trust a shade" said another of them "she is undead and the evil uses such monsters, we should vanquish her and search the area"
Kaia's voice boomed through the church.
"I AM NO SHADOW OF UNDEATH!"
Kaia's form flicked and grew, just for a second growing to fill the central chamber sprouting huge wings, her form becoming one of claw and scales blazing gold before fading to black and grey, she let out a roar of anger that caused the ash and soot to swirl and eddy in the air and as it settled she reverted to ethereal shadow elf form again. She breathed heavily and regained her composure before whispering.
" I am Kaia Shard and I protect this place" she paused as the mortals before her looked on in fear, "I serve the Raven Queen in this plane and the Shadowfell, attack me if you dare, leave while you can or talk and let me see what aid I may give you but dare to lie to me and you will become ash and soot"
OK narrative bit done.... this is just a little something I had playing around my head for a few days, in short Kaia Shard is the name for the Elf persona of a Gold Shadow Dragon. The ash and soot that covers the floor of the church she lairs in serve as a portal to the shadowfell, she is in service to the Raven Queen and the church was once a stronghold of the Raven Queens faith. I was thinking of maybe using her in some capacity in a campaign but I don't think I'll squeeze her into one anytime soon so if you read this and want to run with it, feel free!
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
Kaia Shard drifted through the rooms of the derelict church. So many years had passed, so many more years to come. Her form, composed of only shdow and the merest hint of physicality, left no trace of her passing. She cast her gaze over the walls and recalled the days of opulent banners, murals and curtains that hung and framed the ornate stained glass windows and the mastercrafted benches, cabinets and tables that once swarmed with hundreds of petitioners and worshippers; some praying, some celebrating, some comiserating. Now only the church stood, all else was now a thick layer of ash and soot; the voices that once rang through the halls now no more than ghostly whispers and faded memories.
A sound brought Kaia out of her reverie, a sound she had not heard in along time; the creaking of the main doors opening.
They stood outside the building, the map they had bought led them on a trek through the wilds and into the deep valley with its sheer cliffs casting a perpetual gloom and shadow over the area. They had found it unnerving at first, the forest that filled the valley was apparently devoid of animal life and they found the quiet to be quite oppressive but they pressed on. They checked the doors and found no traps or locks and pushed, the doors resisted at first then with a loud popping of rusted hunges the doors moved inwards. They moved inside and stepped into ankle deep ash and soot, their noses assailed by the scent of burnt wood and other less tangible things caught in some ancient conflagration. A soft breeze entered through a window and created a gentle dust devil before exiting through the door. Before any of the could speak a voice hissed out of the gloom.
"Why do you intrude little mortals?"
They instictively formed into a defensive formation and looked around the room, eyes darting to and fro seeking the source of the voice and then they saw...something. A driftng shadow, seemingly forming from ash and soot until it formed into the semblance of a woman, though one made of ethereal shadows.
Kaia Shard stepped into the centre of the chamber, what little light permeated the room allowing the visitors to see her. A tall, guant woman of Elven heritage clad in the rags and wearing a veil that covered her eyes. She stood, arms held behind her back.
"Why do you intrude little mortals?" She asked again but without waiting for an answer continued "Tales of riches and treasures brought you here, warnings you did not heed or chose to ignore led you here. Pillagers and thieves have come before and will doubtless come after you. There is nothing her for you but your demise, turn around a leave now before I make you naught but ash and soot".
They stood almost unfazed but as one took a step back towards the entrance. One spoke up.
"Lady we are seeking information, an evil comes and we must know things that have been forgotten and we heard rumours of a librabry here that may aid us"
Kaia tilted her hear in thought as she looked over the interlopes be fore replying.
"There was a library, you now walk in its ashes, I am all that remains of that repository"
"We cannot trust a shade" said another of them "she is undead and the evil uses such monsters, we should vanquish her and search the area"
Kaia's voice boomed through the church.
"I AM NO SHADOW OF UNDEATH!"
Kaia's form flicked and grew, just for a second growing to fill the central chamber sprouting huge wings, her form becoming one of claw and scales blazing gold before fading to black and grey, she let out a roar of anger that caused the ash and soot to swirl and eddy in the air and as it settled she reverted to ethereal shadow elf form again. She breathed heavily and regained her composure before whispering.
" I am Kaia Shard and I protect this place" she paused as the mortals before her looked on in fear, "I serve the Raven Queen in this plane and the Shadowfell, attack me if you dare, leave while you can or talk and let me see what aid I may give you but dare to lie to me and you will become ash and soot"
*****************************************************************************
OK narrative bit done.... this is just a little something I had playing around my head for a few days, in short Kaia Shard is the name for the Elf persona of a Gold Shadow Dragon. The ash and soot that covers the floor of the church she lairs in serve as a portal to the shadowfell, she is in service to the Raven Queen and the church was once a stronghold of the Raven Queens faith. I was thinking of maybe using her in some capacity in a campaign but I don't think I'll squeeze her into one anytime soon so if you read this and want to run with it, feel free!