Dornal Silverhand

Dornal Silverhand was a human ranger who lived in the 8 century DR and most notably fathered the Seven Sisters with Mystra while she possessed the body of his wife, Elué Shundar, in a dramatic series of events that led to her death at his hands. Enraged, Dornal scoured the North for twenty years until meeting his death in battle, being granted relief by the Goddess of Magic and continuing his existence as a being known as the Watcher.
==History==
Dornal Silverhand was born in the 8 century DR and was a noble whose family ruled over some lands near Neverwinter on the Sword Coast North, including Silverhand Tower. Dornal was a ranger, adventurer, and at one time in his life, a member of the Harpers.
The goddess Mystra, having decided to breed individuals that would be suitable to act as her Chosen, set her sights upon Dornal, as he was seen by her as the ideal human for her purposes. Dornal met the half-elf Elué Shundar, a reclusive sorceress known then as the Lady of the Gate. The two met in a brief battle, as Dornal had incorrectly believed her to be an evil sorceress, but was then smitten by her. Elminster later theorized that Mystra may have manipulated events in order to ensure their meeting.
Aware of the ranger's love for Elué, Mystra possessed her and seduced Dornal, who found his advances quickly and passionately rewarded. Mystra used Elué's magic to both strengthen and dazzle Dornal. While at first Mystra's possession of Elué happened without her knowledge, the use of the sorceress's powers forced the goddess to reveal herself to her, and Elué agreed to share her body with the Lady of Mysteries. The couple traveled together for two years across the North, until both relocated to Silverhand Tower. There, Dornal's ailing mother accepted Elué with open arms, as she had seen her in dream visions as the "sorceress in the moonlight".
Dornal and Mystra/Elué were wed in the Year of Drifting Stars, 760 DR. While living in Silverhand Tower for the next seven years, Dornal and Mystra (through Elué's body) gave birth to six daughters. They first welcomed Anastra Syluné Silverhand in the Year of Laughter, 761 DR; followed by Endué Alustriel (762 DR); Ambara Dove (763 DR); Ethena Astorma (764 DR); Anamanué Laeral (765 DR); and Alassra Shentrantra (766 DR), as well as conceiving Erésseae Qilué (767 DR).
During this process, however, Elué's body became increasingly withered and, by the time of her final pregnancy, she had effectively become a creature akin to a lich, held together only by Mystra's power. Meanwhile, Dornal had become increasingly unhappy. Not only did he wish to father a son as well as his daughters, he was dismayed at the way his beloved wife was decaying. Fearing her death, Dornal desperately sought to save Elué through magical means. The most powerful priest Dornal found was Unsible, a cleric of Tyche based in Neverwinter. He informed Dornal that his wife was being possessed by an intelligent and powerful force, though the cleric did not identify Mystra as the entity responsible.
Sickened, Dornal decided to relieve Elué's suffering by slaying her. Using a moonlit walk through a glade as pretext, Dornal cut off his wife's head. He was then confronted by Mystra, who'd been finally forced to reveal herself. Broken by what he'd done, and appalled by Mystra's manipulation of both him and his wife, Dornal was filled with bitterness at the goddess, who tried to console him to no avail. Seeing only two alternatives, to either destroy the ranger's mind and transform him into a witless servant, or to spare him and set him free, Mystra decided to let Dornal go, and went on to devise a plan to save the final unborn daughter's life, which succeeded.
In grief, Dornal walked away from his wife's corpse, and abandoned both his lands and children. For the next two decades, the adventurer went on a rampage across the North, attacking brigands and monsters, and especially evil mages whom he nurtured a deep hatred for, seeking to be killed by them in his reckless attacks. Mystra protected Dornal, helping him survive the battles throughout those years. Eventually, in the Year of the Hearthstone 797 DR, Dornal was mortally wounded while fighting singlehandedly against raiding orcs on a hillside. Having deduced the identity of the goddess that had protected him for so long, Dornal's last words were a plea for Mystra to remember him. Deeply touched by the gesture, Mystra offered Dornal a chance to exist as one her servants, which he accepted.
Assuming the identity of the Watcher, Dornal wandered Toril, seeking individuals with potential to be Chosen of Mystra, as well as identifying magical problems. The Watcher continued his service while largely unnoticed by mortals throughout the centuries, well into the 14 century DR. He was one of the few who understood the true value of the Seven Sisters.
==Appendix==
===References===
Category:Humans
Category:Rangers
Category:Adventurers
Category:Nobles
Category:Inhabitants of Neverwinter
Category:Inhabitants of the Sword Coast North
Category:Inhabitants of Northwest Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Members of the Harpers