Alustriel Silverhand

Alustriel Silverhand (), born Endué Alustriel Silverhand and once known as Elué Dualen, was a human wizard who served for many years as the High Mage of the city of Silverymoon and, during the late 14 century DR, as the High Lady of the League of the Silver Marches, a confederation of various settlements across the untamed North.
Lady Hope was incredibly skilled in the use of magic, being one of the Chosen of Mystra and the Seven Sisters. Her name was recognized anywhere north of the nation of Tethyr and west of the Living City of Ravens Bluff, especially renowned for her love and devotion to her people. She was a wise and fair ruler, but she also knew to be ruthless when certain diplomatic endeavors demanded it. Some would say that, for this reason and many more, the Shining Lady became the most well-liked sovereign on the whole of Faerûn, and as such most of her subjects would have done anything in their power to prevent harm from befalling her.
==Description==
Apart from being an intelligent, wise, and charismatic leader, Alustriel was also incredibly beautiful. It was said that those who gazed upon her immediately fell in love, a grandeur some bards refused to write about, claiming that they could never pen anything truly befitting of it. She had benevolent eyes that sparkled like a sun-dappled river and an unblemished, loving face. She was tallIn Starless Night, Alustriel is instead described as being half a foot taller that Catti-brie on page 67, making the Bright Lady . However, later mention on p. 101 of The Orc King again says that Alustriel is only nearly six feet tall, as does p. 16 of the Heroes' Lorebook, corroborating the slightly-lesser height. and graceful, possessing the slender figure, long silver hair, and everlasting youth common to the rest of her sisters. Most frequently, she wore monochromatic robes of grey or white, of full length and simple cut, exchanging them for darker-colored gowns during more formal circumstances. For many years, she carried with her her unicorn-headed staff of Silverymoon.
==Personality==
Alustriel was known to be one of the kindest and most astute rulers of Faerûn. She always judged wisely and with great honor, holding to the tenets of Silverymoon even among strangers, whom she regarded as she did friends: with open arms and little suspicion. The High Lady especially enjoyed the presence of those like-minded individuals who behaved with compassion as well as foresight, doing their best to resolve their issues instead of complaining about them. 
She always preferred to rely on diplomacy, grace, and understanding, rather than employ her magic, and, by extension, she veered any conflict away from a violent conclusion. Though she knew how often and how easily a situation could devolve into bloodshed, and was therefore prepared to engage into magical combat with the full and unrestrained use of her Art, she only allowed it to become an option after carefully and resolutely considering every other path first. 
Alustriel's oft-carefree attitude ultimately belied the severity with which she treated her responsibility to the Silvaeren and to the North as a whole. When it came time to discuss politics, she proved herself sharply capable, bargaining only after carefully assessing both sides. Such was the character needed to make her dreams of a civilized North a reality not only radiant and intelligent, but also capably percipient. 
She also developed a deep thoughtfulness and an eternal patience over her many years, perfectly willing to excuse most mischief or breach of etiquette. The bluster of hubris, the scorn of insults, even these she simply considered a bore. The only things that truly infuriated the Bright Lady were needless, cold-hearted behavior and the improper use of magic, though both came second to that which she considered prejudiced or unjust. Such actions were nonetheless useless in any attempt to manipulate her, as even when angered, Alustriel maintained the serenity of her composure and speech, always soft, never steely. It was impossible to provoke her into doing or saying something that she had not carefully thought about, and only those who knew her well could detect the signs that something had upset her. 
== Abilities==
===As a Chosen ===
Being a Chosen of Mystra, Alustriel was well-regarded as a highly-capable and naturally-talented spellcaster, not weakened even by the aftermath of the Time of Troubles. As one of the blessed of the goddess of magic, many unique abilities were bestowed unto the High Lady. Though not limited to these, being a Chosen made death from old age simply impossible, and gave her access to the Weave's silver fire. She was even capable of hearing each and every time the Rune of the Seven, her name, or even her titles, were uttered. She was also exempt from a variety of spells, giving her immunity to being polymorphed by another, feebleminded, or having her flesh turned to stone, as well as being chill touched, webbed, sunk, or targeted by either a forcecage or a lightning bolt, all rounded off by time stop.
Conversely, Lady Silverhand had a selection of spells that she was able to cast at will, once every day. She could comprehend languages, detect thoughts, polymorph any object, shapechange, and teleport without error. Alustriel was also capable of using clairaudience and minor creation, holding monsters, or causing an anti-magic shell.
===As a Wizard===
At some point during her many years of study, Alustriel imbued herself with Serten's spell immunity and, once it was coupled with permanency, further rendered herself untouchable to the attacks of any lesser wizard. Though prodigious in skill, she studied long and hard enough to be able to recognize and cast nearly any spell. As of the , the Shining Lady's repertoire even included a variety of rarely-known spells, such as Khelben's dweomerdoom, which she cast with an amulet of moonstone carrying her symbol, Laeral's crowning touch, and those she created herself, but she preferred relying on more common ones when possible. She was also one of the only three people who were thought to know the spells capable of recharging spellstars, and one of the few Harpers experienced enough to be able to create a scroll of the Harpers.
Alustriel attested that her Spellguard were enough to protect her, which allowed her to, more often than not, do away with any violent or combat-oriented spells. Instead, she prepared those that helped facilitate her knowledge-gathering or caused little outward destruction, such as unseen servant, tongues, legend lore, and foresight, among many others. She might humbly cast teleport to visit a favored grove on a beautifully moonlight occasion, to free herself of her bodyguards for a while, or even to help someone late to an important meeting, sparing them any embarassment. These meetings she might bolster through the use of Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, a favorite spell of hers, but not to gain any favor over those she sat across. She also greatly enjoyed the use of Fly, as well as dispel magic, minor globe of invulnerability, major creation, the aformentioned magnificent mansion, and teleport, both in its standard and without error forms. Of all the spells at her fingertips, however, it was shapechange that she favored most, enjoying how much it could teach her about viewing the world from another's perspective. 
Given the centuries she ruled the city, Alustriel became supremely knowledgeable on the magical wards of Silverymoon, and was, during her time as the city's ruler, one of the few people allowed to cast spells within the city's High Palace, the others being the Spellguard. 
===Skills===
Her intelligence, however, did not extend merely to spellcasting. Alustriel had a gifted memory, remembering a variety of minor details about other people or their lives with little difficulty, and furthermore, she was capable of bringing all such knowledge together to make educated, useful decisions. Her planning was not based on a magical divination, but rather a calculated and well-founded perspective on the matter, making her one of Toril's foremost strategists and foretellers. Whether juggling the responsibilities of several trade disputes or monster attacks, Alustriel was rarely overwhelmed. She shared very little of this information except with those trusted agents such as capable Harpers or her sons. On occasion, however, some parts would find their way into offhanded comments made in the presence of adventurers, who would then go on to, unwittingly, pursue the goals of the High Lady. 
Though she cared little for the monetary value of gems and other jewels, Alustriel’s adventuring days enabled her to develop a keen eye for the precious stones themselves. Her experiences with gnomes and dwarves, as well as with the city of Mirabar, made her capable of correctly identifying any jewel, regardless of drastic changes to their color or shape. She was also an impressive knife thrower and dancer, enjoying the act of passing them on. She sometimes showed people ancient styles of dance, or quietly took them away from such carousing to teach them self-defence, especially to those youths afraid to leave Silverymoon for their first time.
==Possessions==
Alustriel, during her many years as the ruler of Silverymoon, had access to any and all of the city's many resources. She rarely had a need for any standard equipment, preferring a small selection of magic items that might be worn on her person. As of the winter of 1367 DR, she always carried, at the very least, a pair of wands, one being a wand of magic missiles,, a staff or rod, and two rings. One of these was a unique teleport ring identical to the one worn by Storm, her younger sister. If she carried a staff, it would most likely be a staff of power, on rare occasions a staff of wanderers, or, in most unlikely circumstances, another sort entirely,Respectively, a 70% chance, a 29% chance, and a 1% chance. but if she wielded a rod, it was either a rod of absorption or one of passage, oftentimes the first of the two.Again, respectively, a 90% chance and a 10% chance. 
In later days, however, she preferred to carry her signature staff of Silverymoon, as well as bracers of defense in the form of gold bracelets, an amulet of proof against detection and location, and a ring of protection +2. She also used an aptly-named Alustriel's sword pendant, and, on occasions where she met with the public, Alustriel would additionally wear an ironguard ring, which rendered her intangible to items of metal. 
To further ensure her own safety, the Shining Lady often carried a wand of illumination, as well as an elixir of health and three potions of extra-healing, which she stored in metal vials along her belt. As part of her magical ensemble, Alustriel made sure to match her boots of elvenkind with a cloak of elvenkind. For her work as part of the Harpers, the mage Savengriff gifted Alustriel one of his original wands of banishment by the , and, at some point, she also utilized a Grimwald's dagger, becoming the first to popularize the use of such a weapon.
Of note, in a more intimate capacity, around 1356 DR, Alustriel made for herself a locket, heart-shaped and carried on a golden chain, which contained a picture of Drizzt Do'Urden. The locket warmed whenever it neared the drow himself, and though she claimed it was only to better know when he, alongside the other Companions of the Hall, returned to Silverymoon, it held a unique significance to the Bright Lady. Sheepish as she was to reveal the magic item, she bestowed it upon Bruenor Battlehammer so that he could more easily track down his allies during their voyage to Calimshan. As a gift to Catti-brie, Alustriel also gave her a Cat's Eye circlet before the fighter went down into Menzoberranzan. 
Of all those magic items that she collected or created herself, she tended to give away for those who greater needed them, such as the Mythantar's Orb she made mere months after leaving the office of High Mage. This orb served as a magical seal, and was bestowed unto those that ventured to the ruined Hellgate Keep in spring of 1370 DR. Much earlier on in her life, she also fashioned the lesser staffs of Silverymoon, which were gifted to her trusted agents.
==Activities==
Alustriel always worked to protect the North's populace from any threats they faced within and without, such as the forces of Hellgate Keep. She was also a senior Harper, holding so closely to the organization's ideals that Silverymoon itself became a haven for Those Who Harp and an extension of her dedication to their cause, yet humbly insisted that no Harper need bow to her. Her rulership made Alustriel a part of the Lords' Alliance, meaning she participated in its council meetings and forums. 
She was generally regarded as the most pensive of her sisters. For most of her life, Alustriel preferred to work towards her goals of peace and prosperity from a stable, public position as ruler, rather than as a nomadic adventurer, and frequently took walks across her fair city, engaging with the citizenry in pleasant conversation. This lifestyle allowed her to ensure that Silverymoon remained a beautiful bastion of knowledge. She was not a passive ruler, however, and often joined the Mistmaster as support to Silverymoon's military, allowing them to wrench many spectacular victories from the jaws of defeat, or supporting her Spellguard in dealing with problems within the city.
In what little spare time she had, Alustriel also penned a small number of texts over her years, including A Harper's Guide in 1264 DR, To Harp and to Help in 1271 DR, and, twenty-three years later, To Harp and to Help-An Addendum.Spellfire, on page 198 of chapter 11, also attributed A Harper's Song to Alustriel, and set its publication in 1284 DR. However, the later-published The Leaves of Learning and Candlekeep Collection suggested instead that it was written by her sister, Storm, and that it was unknown which year the book was penned. In the , she was also the first to list out the Famous Seven, the most popular plays of the time.
However, in the rare instance that she needed a proper break from her multitudes of responsibilities, the Bright Lady was known to visit the beautiful planet of Woodhaven in Herospace.
===Aims===
Ever the utopic visionary, Alustriel sought to create a peaceful realm, one that would cultivate love, harmony, and glory, much like the elven kingdom of Myth Drannor. It was only due to these lofty ideals, and her fair rulership, that the North began to shift from an untamed, violent wilderness to a land amenable to such civilization. In her mind, a legacy was a central concept. Her goal was not only an appeal to the fabled City of Song, but it would also create a legacy of its own, ensuring that culture would do more than merely survive. Rather, it would be celebrated, remembered, and passed down, through the festivals, libraries, and other institutions of Silverymoon. Even if the Gem of the North itself fell, the legacy of such a way of life would touch anyone, regardless of their race, for the better. So much did she do for the cultured peoples of the North that a saying came to be known, describing how anyone who wished to truly understand the splendors of humanity would visit Silverymoon, knowing that she was to thank for them. These same humans, as well as demihumans, both revered the High Lady as far as Baldur's Gate to the south, Icewind Dale to the north, and Iriaebor to the east. She had many high hopes, but it quickly became clear to people that there really did exist a chance she would recreate the cosmopolitan beauty of Myth Drannor.
To do so, she worked hard attempting to ensure that Silverymoon would not die if and when she did. She knew that to make Silverymoon strong was to make the North stronger, and so worked through every ally she could count on, both in the Harpers at Twilight and her own Silvaeren agents, to foster the indispensable nature of her city. It was a tireless job, ensuring that the Gem of the North became more than a simple centre of commerce and trade. It needed to be a rallying point to her people. It needed to show them that they could wish for more than just fewer orcs and warmer weather, for their future truly could be found in the North.
Despite her desires, Alustriel knew that sometimes another course of action was necessary, such as, once again, her initial denial of Drizzt's presence in Silverymoon. This kind of situation, the sort where she had to knowingly treat someone unjustly, were one of the few things that deeply upset the unflappable Alustriel. Eventually, as Drizzt became more accepted in the general area (and regarded as a hero by many), he was allowed into the city by the High Lady. They became friends over the years, where she and Drizzt (along with his panther companion, Guenhwyvar) repeatedly spent time alone together in Alustriel's home.
===Daily Routine===
During the mid-to-late 14-century DR, when she ruled still as High Mage, Alustriel's days in Silverymoon often followed a similar pattern. Though she rarely found a reason to venture far from Silverymoon and preferred not to waste time by visiting the courts of other rulers, she was ready to deviate from her habits when the need arose, such as to rescue lost dwarves or adventurers caught in precarious battles. 
====Morning====
Her day began at dawn, so that she might meet with various trusted allies during breakfast. These often included courtly advisors, such as her seneschal, Taern Hornblade, or other connections, like Silverymoon's own liason with the Heralds of Faerûn, Dark Stag. Any personal operatives also reported to her during this time, whether those be her sons, known as the Tall Ones, or the doppelganger whose life she had saved, Phlynk, among others. 
From there, Alustriel changed into her proper courtly clothes and her day truly commenced. Legal discussions were brought before her in the High Palace’s coucilroom, as were any requests from Silverymoon’s citizenry for a private meeting with their High Lady Mage, which she took to secondary, spell-guarded chambers. This was not only for the comfort of those making the request but also so that Harpers or members of her trusted Spellguard could covertly supervise the situation. It was their duty to intervene should Alustriel find herself in any sort of danger. She accepted this inherent risk, as, after she was forced to deny the dark elf ranger Drizzt Do'Urden entry to Silverymoon to maintain good relations with nearby Nesmé, she refused to turn anyone else away whom wished to meet with her. Anyone was welcome, including merchants, representatives of the Lords’ Alliance, Harpers and other secretive individuals, or even the occasional wrathful Red Wizard, but the majority were folk from Silverymoon, wanting something as simple as introducing their children to her. To the people, an audience with the Bright Lady was an opportunity to meet with and befriend her. To Alustriel, the appointments were a chance to reach out and help as directly as she could, listening carefully to the news they brought her, studying their character, before she would adjust certain regulations to better serve their goals or introduce them to faraway contacts, among many things. 
====Noon====
On most days, such business occupied the rest of the High Lady’s morning, and though they could possibly push past her noon meal, it was around this time that she preferred to take a break. In whichever way Alustriel left the city, whether that be a gate or not, she enjoyed spending her lunches surrounded by nature and kept company by Harpers or elves in specific groves. In the case of the former, it was commonly Sharanralee Crownstar whom spent time with her in Everlund’s gardens.
After returning from that relieving moment of informality, Alustriel often appeared, usually through the use of magic, somewhere in Silverymoon proper. Though it was a different part of the city each day, this enabled her to walk the streets at ease, mingling and talking with her people, on ocassion resolving issues as she came across them by calling upon the help of her many aides. Soon enough, she would take her leave, again by way of the Art. Though attempts on her life were made during this period in her schedule, they were few and far between, simply attributed to the unpredictability of her appearances and departures. 
Alustriel’s routine meetings resumed once she was back in the High Palace, continuing until the afternoon began to grow late. From there, the High Lady would excuse herself, supposedly taking a nap. In reality, given that she did not require any sleep, Alustriel’s time was better spent keeping in-tune with the Weave, whether through the practice of her spellcasting in the Palace’s towers, the memorization of her spells, or simply experimenting with the Art at her fingertips. Regardless of her choice, she always enjoyed to end with the pleasant relaxation of a bath. Alustriel rarely spent these alone, frequently sharing the warm water with the very same business partners and Harpers that she dealt with on a daily basis, though they were firmly told not to discuss work while they unwound. The Lady Hope intended it as a casual affair, and was known to physically plunge one particularly shaggy Harper beneath the foam and water for his indelicate singing, all the while the pair tussled for the soap. 
====Evening====
With her bath finished, Alustriel moved back to her personal quarters and allowed other courtly ladies to dress her in a fashion befitting the day's final court meeting, which took place as the sun set and most of Silverymoon's workday ended. 
There, the Lady Hope was able to announce any changes or additions to the city's rules and regulations and properly receive any visiting dignitaries. She also lended her ear to any debate held about Silverymoon's policy, but always ensured they were kept candid and of a reasonable length, requesting that, if unfinished, both parties instead write down their reasoning and their central objective. These sheets were published by the scriveners of the High Palace and shared among the Silvaeren, who would then have a day to discuss it among themselves. 
The logs of such arguments, collected by the city's many public houses, were returned to the Palace to help inform Alustriel's final decision on the matter. Despite her many centuries of knowledge, she always ensured to equally weigh the opinions of her citizens. 
With courtly matters finished, Alustriel and the Palace held a two-hour, public evening meal, only ever formal if a member of foreign royalty was in attendance. Around four-hundred Silvaeren came together to eat as dulcet, bardic music filled the Great Hall, and Lady Silverhand always encouraged lively and casual conversation, welcoming even those who wished to approach her personally. By the end of her meal, however, Alustriel often slipped away to other celebrations occurring in Silverymoon. Often accompanied by a watchful mage, she enjoyed making unscheduled appearances at the Silvaeren's personal revelries, from birthdays to heroic celebrations.
====Night====
While others slept, Alustriel had no issue giving her time to those citizens, friends, or Harper allies who further needed her support. In most cases, however, these hours were spent on personal reflection, both judging her past actions and considering her future ones, or further studying and revitalizing her spell stores.
== Relationships==
===Family===
Alustriel had six siblings, together known as the Seven Sisters, which included the Witch-Queen of the North, Laeral Silverhand. Working with her and with Alustriel's brother-in-law, Khelben Arunsun, the three shared a magical bond as part of their participation in the Lords' Alliance, allowing them to call on the each other by thinking a single word. They reserved this for emergencies, as the call was magically impossible to ignore. 
Lady Silverhand's family further included her many children. Most of them had different fathers, but the Tall Ones, twelve half-elf males with the surname Aerasumé, were the sons of a tall elven lord. Though he had helped Alustriel gain his people's support for the expansion of Silverymoon, he was thereafter killed by orcs. The twelve were named Andelver, Boesild, Dolthauvin, Elinthalar, Ghaelryss, Inthylyn, Lilinthar, Methrammar, Naerond, Raerilarr, Tarthilmor, and Uoundeld, and they were all warriors of some skill.
For a few years in the late 1340's and early 1350's, Alustriel took in Perendra Raslemtar, then fourteen, after Mirt the Moneylender brought her to Silverymoon. The Shining Lady fostered the girl within the High Palace and raised her to maturity, both in her age and in her magical potential. Only a handful of years before 1357 DR did Perendra leave her foster mother, electing to join the Harpers after departing on good and loving terms with Alustriel.
===Allies===
Numerous people across Faerûn admired Alustriel, and she counted just as many as close allies; she adored the sort of quick-witted person who could recite poetry or sagely writings, particularly in the form of parodies or comical monologues. The pegasi-riding Tall ones she sent beyond Silverymoon's walls, and within them patroled Phlynk, content to use his shapeshifting abilities whenever needed. Though she and the doppelganger were once intimate and held differing worldviews, they shared an infallible trust. However, of all those in Alustriel's court who devoted themselves to her, none did so more than Taern "Thunderspell" Hornblade, her long-time advisor, commander of her Spellguard, and, later, her successor as High Mage. 
Though Alustriel was more than a ruler to most of her citizens, the large majority of her people would also unflinchingly accept any duty she asked of them. They considered Alustriel a genuine friend, one who took care to have a personal heart-to-heart with anyone she knew was struggling from grief or loneliness, or simply because they had an air of fatigue. She even appeared to meet and praise newborn Silvaeren. When she was still the High Lady Mage, Alustriel could also, at any moment, call upon two dozen Harpers or half that number in apprentices, as well as six more mages of varying ability. The Harpers at Twilight always kept an eye on her, with agents constantly nearby to help when needed.
As fellow Chosen of Mystra, Alustriel was a friend, and one-time apprentice, to Elminster, as well as a known Harper alongside Khelben. Her work as part of Those Who Harp earned her the reverence of all its members and the respect of the North's people, who used her name as a blessing. That is, they would jump to help anyone who cried out her name, caring little, whether they be a low farmhand or the most experienced adventurer, for the risk to their own lives. Any news that someone had died in her name would always bring the Lady Hope to tears.
Alustriel was even admired by certain Uthgardt tribes, forming a particularly strong bond with those of the Tree Ghost, whose warriors were also ready to lay down their lives for her. When they rediscovered their treasured Grandfather Tree in 1368 DR and turned their focus towards the arakhor's protection instead, Alustriel supported it, gifting the tribesmen the supplies they needed to settle their town.
Among her friends in the lands of northern Faerûn, Alustriel counted the sage Esklindrar Iol, whose rich knowledge she valued highly enough to cast a set of protective spells on both his person and the tomes he sold. Within the Harpers' ranks were Asilther Graelor, a commonly-known ally of Lady Silverhand, and later Elsura Dauniir, whom she sent to Those Who Harp to refine her magical skills. The peace of Silverymoon and the nearby lands was not only due to her connections to that goodly organization, however, but also the influence of the Shadowcloak and the Mistmaster, two local spellcasters of great capabilities. Alustriel further relied on the dragon Deszeldaryndun Silverwing, giving him permission to magically disguise himself as her when she needed it.
In the Sword Coast, the elderly she-dragon, Amaeraszantha, considered her a friend, as did Amelior Amanitas of Secomber. Farther away, in Cormyr, Alustriel also developed a working relationship with Myschanta Halarra of Arabel, a well-regarded mage-for-hire. Since sometime around 1336 DR, Myschanta was called upon for aid in times of need, and, in turn, the sorceress trusted the Shining Lady well enough to have her body transported directly to Alustriel through a contingency spell should she be killed or severely wounded. Though this rarely occurred over the years of their friendship, it shocked the Silvaeren court every time. Even in Tethyr, which often distrusted the Harpers, Alustriel's name was respected.
====Apprentices====
Alustriel had many fledgling mages learning the intricacies of the Art under her eye, and many more whom she taught only ocasionally. One such wizard was the young Shandril Shessair's lover, Narm Tamaraith, but as of the late 14-century DR, the ranks of Alustriel's apprentices also included the reverent Jemmethra Halatorn, the blunt Narandar Torstin, and the playful Zelauma Telthornstars. 
The first, Alustriel met by happenstance on the moonlit streets of Silverymoon, accepting Jemmethra as an apprentice then and there without knowing how the woman would become her handmaiden, of sorts, and one of her most passionate worshipers. Zelauma, too, came to be an apprentice by chance. When her habits of climbing the roofs and spires of Silverymoon came to the attention of the Spellguard, it was Alustriel who listened in to their report to Taern, her interest piqued. Ultimately, the High Lady of Silverymoon had the same effect on her half-elven apprentice as she did on most people, causing Zelauma to fall head-over-heels in love with her tutor. 
Though he was second in rank, below Jemmethra but above Zelauma, Narandar did not outwardly worship the Bright Lady as much as the others. He did look up to her, and Alustriel was aware of it, but their relationship seemed much more akin to an ordinary friendship than anything else, with the pair frequently joking or critiquing each other in a way they could not with anyone else. He also served as her personal dresser, managing any of her garment-related duties. When he came to Silverymoon with a cache of his father's stolen spellbooks, wishing both to return them and to be taught under their original owners, it was Alustriel who offered an apprenticeship, and such was an opportunity he could not refuse. 
Alustriel was also always happy to impart the knowledge of spellcasting onto anyone who pleased her. The streets of Silverymoon were full of such people, commonfolk who delighted her in one way or another and so earned themselves the ability to cast one or two spells, a privilege extended even to travelers new to the city. In the case of newcomers, however, both to those interesting enough to catch her attention as well as those being initiated into the Spellguard, their apprenticeship served as bait. To ensure that they had no evil intentions or dark ties, Taern and other Spellguard, or sometimes Laeral, helped Alustriel test their character, with a spell lesson awaiting them at the end as a reward for good behavior.
===Enemies===
It was rare for Alustriel to have any truly personal foes, as even those who wished to bring down Silverymoon would not dare to attack so widely beloved a woman as she. The most notable exception was also once one of her many lovers, that being Sammaster, an ex-Chosen of Mystra and later the founder of the Cult of the Dragon. Their relationship fell into a one-sided obsession and ultimately resulted in Alustriel nearly perishing by his hand before the other Chosen rescued her and put an end to him. Even so, for centuries later, Alustriel held onto the belief that it was not luck that kept her from dying before the other Chosen appeared, but rather some still-human part of Sammaster. The same part, she thought, that took over his faculties in their battle's final moments, choosing to lose after recognizing the error of his ways. 
As of 1370 DR, Sammaster's dracolich legacy had spawned Daurgothoth, the Creeping Doom. Though she, and the other Chosen of Mystra, knew well Daurgothoth's endeavours, she was stopped from intervening because of the way that his experiments ultimately fomented the growth of magic itself, as was Mystra's own goal. She did her best, however, to combat the threat of his descendant Cult, and was often the target of their attacks in turn, as most continued their attempts to avenge Sammaster on her.
As uncommon as it was, Alustriel occassionally displeased certain individuals over her many years of life. As far away as Daggerford, the silent Maranta refused to acknowledge those who had heard Alustriel's hypothesis that her curse was due to Malar, and, similarly, the dwarven wizard Behring rejected the Lady's suggestion that his magical affinities came from some human blood in his lineage.
==History==
===Early Years ===
Born in the , Endué Alustriel was the second child of Elué Shundar, a half-elven sorceress, and Dornal Silverhand, a land-ruling human nobleman somewhere near Neverwinter. The first five years of her childhood in Silverhand Tower were peaceful enough, but, in 767 DR, her father began to notice that Elué's health had drastically deteriorated. Believing his wife to be possessed, Dornal thought to spare the woman he loved any further torment and chose to kill her. It was at this moment that the goddess of magic, Mystra, revealed herself to him as the true mother of his daughters, having shared Elué's body so that she might better guide the creation of her blessed Chosen. The grieving Dornal took little comfort in this, however, and so left her, Endué, and the rest of his daughters behind. Now orphaned, the Silverhand girls would need new homes.
Mystra took Endué and her eldest sister, Anastra Syluné, to Bluetower, the home of a strict Harper known as Thamator the Old. The goddess introduced the two girls to him as though they were, in fact, his nieces, whom he thought had recently died with his younger brother and sister-in-law. Thamator had hoped to train both of his 'nieces' as rangers, grooming them for a future with the Harpers, but unfortunately for him, neither girl took to such a lifestyle. Soon enough, Anastra's natural talent for the Art manifested itself and she was apprenticed to a master, leaving Endué, now alone, to spend her miserable youth letting Thamator down. Only once her foster-father saw her own magical gifts, which she used to defend herself from the unwanted advances of a pigheaded young man, was he finally satisfied. She had shown herself to be an asset to Those Who Harp, and so he assigned a Harper mage in his household to serve as her tutor.
The hardship of her childhood taught her, most of all, that happiness was not something that would simply happen to her. She had to chase it, and she would have to share it. For this reason, Alustriel took to adventuring early in her life, unquestionably talented with magic. Soon enough, the young wizard found herself with abilities beyond even those of the mages teaching her, finding that she could innately connect to the very foundation of her spellcasting. She did not bend magic to her will, but rather worked alongside it, becoming an extension of of the Art just as it extended through her. Her strong ideas about fostering peace between all races, promoting the arts, these overcame her, and so Alustriel abandoned her wanderings early to travel to Silverymoon and see her ideas realized. 
====Time as Elué Dualen====
She traveled in disguise in the to that fair city, taking the name Elué Dualen, after her mother, and demonstrating a prowess with her magic that far surpassed what her apparent age suggested. Soon enough, she was a close confidante, a friend, to Amaara Nharimlur, the High Mage at the time, as well as her sister, Lynnàsha "Lynx" Nharimlur. Only a few years later, in the , Elué opened the Lady's College with Lynnàsha, notable for its unique method of payment which saw apprentice mages working as part of Silverymoon's defences for the same amount of time they studied at the College. The white-haired Elué, furthermore, built upon the Silver Lady's Library, another first for the city. Then, in 843 DR, she, Lynx, Amaara, the sisters' mother, High Mistress Élenaril, as well as three more mages worked in tandem to weave a spell powerful enough to create Silverymoon's famous Moonbridge in the place of the original stone one. It was during the same year that the wizard mythal sustaining Silverymoon's wards was established, created by Élue alongside a cabal of other mages. Slightly over a decade later, when Amaara and her mother left for Evermeet in the , Elué was named the next High Mage of the city.
In 861 DR, Alustriel met, and fell for, a fellow Chosen of Mystra named Sammaster. He saw in her a beauty he had not seen since gazing upon the goddess of magic herself, and so too was Alustriel pulled to him in turn, resulting in the couple whiling away much of their time, together, in the Gem of the North. The High Mage's thoughtful nature soothed much of Sammaster's idiosyncracies and grief, but she was unable to curb his penchant for obsession. Just as her beauty dominated him, he wanted to dominate her, but Alustriel was not eager to bow to his control and evaded any attempts to turn their relationship into a game he could manipulate. His continued necromantic studies only served to further trouble her. Only three years after their meeting, in 864 DR, they were forced to split, a motion that left Alustriel filled with regret, but served only to push Sammaster deeper down his dark path.
Nearly a decade later, sometime in the , Alustriel was returning to Silverymoon from diplomatic duties in the west. She had set up camp in the Evermoors when she felt the presence of another of Mystra's Chosen approaching her tent, detecting that it was, to her surprise, her once-lover Sammaster. She exited her shelter to meet with the gifted, if overzealous, mage she remembered, but was instead greeted by a trembling, weeping shell of a man. He had bitten his tongue and cheeks so desperately that blood flowed unbidden out of his mouth as he began to yell, crying out all the angry delusions he had harbored since the two last saw one another. Alustriel's utter surprise at his state of being left her vulnerable, and his first srike of silver fire badly wounded her before she could even recover. Though she had not expected the attack, a battle ensued. Throughout it, Alustriel continued her attempts to appeal to his humanity, but her care for him, genuine as it was, only fed the flames of Sammaster's hatred, and she was injured once more. His newfound strength, compounded by the vulnerable sincerity he brought out of her, began to turn the duel to Sammaster's favor. Though she did not want to, knowing it would likely spell a violent death for the man she once loved, Alustriel was forced to call upon two other Chosen, Laeral and Elminster,Page 15 of the Cult of the Dragon sourcebook says instead that it was Khelben who aided Alustriel alongside Laeral. who immediately appeared at her side to help. The battle only intensified from then on, with the four Chosen's powers so immense that they temporarily blinded one Algashon Nathaire, the hidden, onlooking priest who had orchestrated Sammaster's corruption.
The battle ultimately ended in Alustriel's favor, with the maddened Sammaster beaten. The three surviving Chosen came together to comfort one another and heal the injuries inflicted upon the High Mage, but soon after, a manifestation of Azuth took shape among them. The god, in the form of a blazing blue hand, imparted his praise unto the three, not only for their courage in facing such a threat but also their self-control in avoiding Sammaster's death. They watched as Azuth, calling out to Mystra, stripped the broken man of his rank as one of her Chosen. A star of silver came from the skies above to rest over Sammaster's body, absorbing his silver fire out through his many injuries and causing the man to raise himself up and scream, only returning his back to the ground after it was done. With the star gone and Azuth decreeing that the man's body needed to remain where it laid as part of his final punishment, Alustriel and her companions returned to Silverymoon. Though she knew it had to be done, she, once more, felt the grief of losing Sammaster.
With little forewarning, the High Lady Mage left Silverymoon a year later in 876 DR, taking Lynnàsha, Lynnàsha's lover Tulrun, and all of their apprentices to the Outer Planes to battle a tanar'ri lord with designs on the North, leaving a council behind to pick her successor. Rather than work towards the betterment of all of Silverymoon as Elué did, however, these councilors fought amongst themselves for power. This ultimately left them vulnerable to one of their own, Warlord Lashtor, the commander of the city's army, who slew the rest of his fellows and, by Ches of the same year, forcefully took control over the Gem of the North. Lynnàsha died in the fighting and Tulrun disappeared. A year after, Elué's most prodigious apprentice, Tanalanthara "She-Wolf" Mytersaal, returned to the city and deposed the tyrant, publicly executing him and becoming High Mage herself.
====Return to the North====
A decade after her departure, in the , Alustriel yet again fought against rampaging tanar'ri. Stationed out of Hellgate Keep, their corruptive influence was felt throughout the North, particularly the Far Forest and the woods of Upvale, and so the Bright Lady worked together with a variety of other powerful wizards, like her sister Laeral, Ymlar of Silverymoon, Elminster, Nyaalsir the Stareye, and Khelben Blackstaff among other mages and Harpers to push back the evil. The fighting reached its zenith on Midsummer of the same year, and while some of the spellcasters died in the combat, the others used the time they had to establish potent wards throughout the Keep's lands. 
In the , Alustriel's beloved Silverymoon was yet again at risk of again coming under the sway of evil. Orcs sieged the Gem of the North, enabling the Warlord Khallos Shieldsunder to wrest control of the city from the Silvermayor, Theomel Scalson, but Shieldsunder underestimated the horde and fell to their blades soon after. This instability allowed the orcs to pierce Silverymoon's walls, a nightmare the Silvaeren had not had to experience in six hundred years. Though the Silvermayor held out as long as he could, standing under siege for a month with thousands of orcs outside his walls, he was again usurped, this time by the captain of his nascent Spellguard, Shaloss Ethenfrost. After two more months of defense against the Black Horde, Alustriel returned, backed by her sister, Storm, as the two headed a Harper army directly against Silverymoon's orcish invaders. Only once the sisters and their allies broke through into the city proper and began restoring its defenses did High Mage Ethenfrost reveal himself, attacking Alustriel with his magic. He could already tell that she commanded the Silvaeren's respect and wanted to quickly eliminate her as a political rival, but Alustriel was not so easily defeated. As the fighting raged on against the orcs, later known as the Battle of Tumbleskulls, the Shining Lady embroiled herself in a fierce spellbattle against Ethenfrost and his pair of apprentices, ultimately defeating all three single-handedly. After such a display, having rescued the city from threats both within and without its walls, every one of Silverymoon's residents elected her as their next High Mage, marking the beginning of Alustriel's ladyship.
===High Mage of Silverymoon===
Alustriel ruled Silverymoon as High Mage, no longer disguised, for nearly a century-and-a-half, rising to become widely heralded as the most beloved ruler in all Faerûn. She continued to personally sponsor the Lady's College which she'd originally established during her time as Elué, and was generally very supportive of the importance it placed on the history of magic, rather than only the present. Early in her second career as the High Mage, in the , the people of Silverymoon were shocked to find more than a hundred tressym nesting on their roofs for about a tenday, something that Alustriel did little to remedy. She pointed to the prophecies of Alaundo as proof that the creatures' presence was fated and, though most did move on of their own accord, quite a few remained in the the city and made their homes there.
Some time around 1338 DR, a legendary blade of the North known as Susk, or the Silent Sword, was seen in Alustriel's court. It was wielded by Abadda Moonglamaer, who was challenged by Distyl of Nesmé, there and then, to a duel, one that ended with the swordsman's death and Distyl's subsequent claim over Susk.
When the Nameless Dungeon was discovered by adventurers in the , it caused an uproar in the North's elven population. The discussion surrounding it was so fervent that Alustriel was even visited by a diplomat from Evermeet asking her to make outlaws out of those who had plundered its ancient halls, a request she modestly acquiesed to. The elven guard established around the Nameless Dungeon was bolstered by some of Silverymoon's soldiers and successfully kept out any trespassers, only allowing those with special tokens, bestowed solely by the High Lady herself, to pass through. She only rarely granted these and, even then, they were largely given to scholars and historians. 
When the news of Syluné's passing reached Silverymoon, Alustriel bore her grief heavily, a state reflected by her city. She established a tenday period of mourning across the entire Gem of the North, but the High Lady personally maintained it for almost an entire year.
In 1357 DR, Alustriel allied with Khelben once more to break Laeral out of the influence of the Crown of Horns, restoring her sister's humanity for the first time since she'd put on the Crown twenty years before.Page 34 of The Code of the Harpers instead suggests that Alustriel was preoccupied with her duties in the North when Laeral was broken free from the Crown of Horns' control. However, it intimates that this was because she and Storm were rescuing Silverymoon from Shallos Ethenfrost and the orc horde, an event that had already taken place nearly one-hundred years prior. It was during this year Alustriel also established one of her most important political alliances, that with Mithral Hall, when she aided its newly-established King Battlehammer against drow incursions, particularly from House Baenre.
Around 20 years after the mage Nchaser's disappearance, Alustriel briefly came to possess his spellbook, Nchaser's Eiyromancia. She gifted it to a dwarf from Citadel Adbar, but lost track of it after that same dwarf, too, disappeared.
In mid-Kythorn of the , when Mystra was destroyed during the Time of Troubles, Alustriel was in her chambers within the High Palace of Silverymoon. Nearby, a hidden doorway connected her to Taern, her closest guard and confidant, while her magic connected her mind to his disconcerted one. He was praying. Though he felt the effects of Mystra's passing, the root cause was not yet clear to him in the way that it was to Alustriel. Some time earlier in the year, when the goddess shared her Power among her Chosen, a portion of it went to the High Lady of Silverymoon, enough that Alustriel's body — her hair, eyes, hands, all — glowed with a blue-white aura. Enough that her magic, stronger than ever, could be felt with just a touch. Though she tried her best to comfort Taern, even Alustriel could not ignore the severity of the situation, finding that tears had begun to stream down her face and grief choked her words. She joined him in prayer, no longer directed to her mother but to Azuth, so that the god might guide Elminster and Midnight. They would surely face many hardships as parts of Mystra's plan. This did little to soothe Alustriel or Taern, however, and so she brought her lips to his forehead, reading his anxious thoughts instinctively through the magnitude of her new Art. She read them even as they shifted from the affairs of the gods to Alustriel herself, and all the love Taern felt for her. With a quiet touch and a gaze, Alustriel seemed to return the sentiment.
During this same period of unstable magic, Alustriel attempted to light her way through a dark cellar in Silverymoon. The spell she casted, otherwise simple, instead surprised her by bringing down the whole of the tower that rested above her.
In Uktar of the same year, Alustriel went on a trip with one of her sisters, Dove, to Waterdeep, where the two visited the home of Amelior Amanitas. His absence meant the pair let themselves in and made a mess, and their attempts to clean up only made it worse, so Alustriel left him a gift to make up for it.
At some point during or just prior to , Alustriel participated in a meeting of senior Harpers, once more alongside Dove as well as her husband, Florin Falconhand, Elminster, Mourngrym Amcathra, and a man known only as Urso. The discussion centered around the growing Zhentarim presence in the Anauroch and resulted in Lander, then a newcomer, vowing to put an end to it. It was during this same year that Alustriel received Myschanta's burned corpse, thanks to the latter's contingency, after the Night Parade killed her during their infiltration of Arabel. The High Lady worked to have the woman resurrected after only a few tendays, and, once Arabel was saved, the wizard was already alive and well while she recovered in Silverymoon.
At some point prior to 1361 DR, Alustriel was informed of the debt that she, and the whole of Silverymoon, owed to the family of Margie MacLickel. To pay this, Margie and her husband, Argint "Mac" MacLickel were given the Queen of the Rivers, an enchanted trading ship whose creation was overseen by the Bright Lady after she accompanied the couple, married in Silverymoon only a little while prior, to Teshendale. 
When her elder sister, Syluné, was thought to have returned sometime in the , Alustriel met with the rest of the Seven in a cottage outside of Shadowdale to discuss their next course of action. Though the Bright Lady seemed hopeful that Syluné truly had returned to life, her sisters were not so confident, and so she ultimately assented to Qilué's plan of sending her daughter, Alustriel's niece, Ysolde Veladorn to deal with the false Sister, who was in fact the drow, Liriel Baenre. It was during this same year that Alustriel was goaded out of the wards of her city by members of the Cult of the Dragon, four archmages who casted spells just outside Silverymoon's walls. Half of their number were quickly eliminated by the Bright Lady, working in cooperation with Taern Hornblade, but after he and the Spellguard were called to deal with a dracolich on the city's southern wall, she was left vulnerable. One more enemy archmage fell before the fourth and final one gained the upper hand on Alustriel, but, thankfully, her life was saved by the sudden appearance of Laeral and Khelben Arunsun, whom Alustriel magically called through their telepathic bond.
At some point in the , Alustriel requested that Elminster put together a guide to the Unapproachable East for the Harpers — a task he readily passed onto his assistant and scribe, Lhaeo. Around the middle of the same year, Lhaeo, having now returned to his identity as Haedrak III, reunited Alustriel with her foster daughter, Perendra, in Silverymoon, as part of a plan to put an end to the Reclamation Wars in Tethyr. 
The next year, Alustriel was a guest at Haedrak's wedding on the 30 of Kythorn. Her gift took the form of magical wards at his Royal Palace, Faerntarn, as well as installing stones from Syluné's cottage into the castle's own floor, allowing the woman to manifest within its halls. She, alongside Elminster, also enchanted both Haedrak's and his wife's state crowns with a variety of magical effects. 
Later in the year, prior to the middle of Eleasis, Alustriel would yet again have to face the evil brewing in Hellgate Keep after Tanta Hagara rallied her forces into hordes that caused chaos across the North, including the lands near Silverymoon. The High Lady defended her city personally, weaving such powerful spells against the raiding demons that the city itself was left untouched, until eventually they were all successfully pushed back with help from the Harpers, Turlang, and the Mistmaster. By autumn, after the Keep's destruction, it was rumored by some that it was Alustriel's doing that caused the avalanche that blocked Turnstone Pass, and Upvale with it, as a way to protect Sundabar and Citadel Felbarr from those demons that had survived and fled Hellgate Keep, though most attributed it to the treant Turlang. Some members of her very own Spellguard corroborated her involvement in the avalanche, but Alustriel herself refused to confirm it. Some time after these events, the High Lady sent a troop of her Silvaeren guards to investigate why trolls had been venturing further from the Evermoors since the last year, which was found to be due to a group of around twenty fog giants of friendly disposition, who had made their home in the trolls' former habitat. Given the instability of the time, Alustriel also decreed that, for the time being, each of her patrol of Knights be accompanied by a pair of Spellguards riding with them.
Among everything else that demanded the Lady Hope's attention, rumors arose that a man fitting the description of Orjalun, a previous High Mage who mysteriously disappeared centuries ago, was seeking The Arbatel. Alustriel herself was very curious about the truth of this information, asking those who had heard the rumors for further news. Thinking him long dead, she did not believe him to have truly returned, instead supposing his ghost had returned to bring the tome back to the Gem of the North. 
Alustriel was awoken, alongside others faithful of Mystra like Laeral, in the early hours of Halaster's Higharvestide by the Mad Mage of Undermountain's desperate message. 
One of her last acts as the High Mage was to encourage Arkhen of Arkhen's Invocatorium to leave his institute and collaborate with her idea for a unified school of magic, later known as the Conclave of Silverymoon, an idea that would also benefit the husk of Fochlucan. Though it was only in Marpenoth of the that the University was publicly established, The Harper Myrthos Shyllantham inquired to see if Alustriel could not finance the reclamation of the once-presitigious bard school, having been shut since the orc siege that prompted the Lady Hope's return, especially since she had always refused to tear down the building. Though no one had stepped in to restore its halls as she'd hoped, it was suggested the Conclave might have a use for its legacy. 
====Birth of a New Alliance==== 
At some point afterwards, in the late autumn or winter of the same year, Alustriel brought together the leaders of various cities and towns across the North in Silverymoon, holding a meeting where she discussed their shared safety in the face of recent events. Despite all the hard work it took to reclaim Citadel Felbarr from orcs and destroy Hellgate Keep, the Savage Frontier was still just that: a dangerous, savage expanse. Among other things, the Bright Lady also announced that her Spellguard had prophesied an even bigger threat, that of dragons arriving to the whole of the Moonlands as well as the Nether Mountains. It took three entire days for this conference to debate on how they might all deal with these troubles, but their conclusion was surprisingly unanimous, as the leaders agreed it stood in their best interests to unite as common countrymen and women. Despite the support her people had for her, Alustriel did not speak up to try and take the nation's leadership herself, letting Harbromm, Emerus Warcrown, and Helm Dwarf-Friend quarrel amongst themselves for it. These arguments continued for a tenday. Ultimately, they concluded that, to best work in unison, they needed a leader all of their nation's citizens and leaders could respect, a sentiment that only Alustriel could inspire. She herself needed a further tenday to ponder accepting such a decision, and even when she did, it was with great honor as well as great trepidation. 
Her first, and most direct, decision once the Alliance of Silverymoon was founded had been simply to step down from her position as the ruler of Silverymoon, bestowing the title unto Taern Hornblade so that she might better focus on bringing peace to the whole of the North, a project that would eventually become the League of the Silver Marches. In turn, she passed on Taern's title as the commander of the Spellguard to his half-elf nephew, Jorus Azuremantle. 
Knowing that her Knights in Silver could not possibly patrol the whole of the North with their forces, her simple request to the gathered leaders was that they might unify portions of their lands' soldiers into a single, unified force. She, in Silverymoon's name, vowed two hundred of her troops to this new alliance, and named her third-eldest son, Methrammar Aerasumé, as its leader. Afterwards, when the meeting finally ended, the members scheduled their next discussion to be in six months or, if called once more by Alustriel, earlier than even that. One of the many points of discussion they were all left on was the name of the country under whose banner they now all stood under, though the Shining Lady, yet again, remained impartial in every direction. Taern proposed Alustryl after her, while others variously suggested the Shining Lands, the High Lands, New Delzoun, and even Luruar. Though there was much to talk about, Alustriel swore that by Midsummer of the next year, their nation would have its name.
===High Lady of the Silver Marches ===
Though she was no longer the High Mage of Silverymoon, Alustriel's first few years as the leader of a blossoming Northern confederation were not easy, now having to balance the concerns of so many settlements. For example, before even the spring of 1370 DR, news reached the Gem of the North that the treants, still led by Turlang, had begun expanding their territory. The Shining Lady was concerned that the forest, left unchecked, would begin to reach Everlund and hinder trade over the Evermoor Way. Should the treant push too close, Alustriel planned to resolve the issue by having a mediating discussion with Turlang alongside a newfound ally: Jeryth Phaulkon, herself a Chosen of Mielikki. In the meantime, Alustriel continued to financially support the construction of the Rauvin Road, which would strengthen the trail that connected Silverymoon to nearby Nesmé. Though trade discussions with the town, as well as with Longsaddle’s Harpell family, were slowgoing, she believed that the road would prove beneficial for all parties, despite how difficult it would prove to defend those traveling over it.
For a time, she still ruled from the High Palace of Silverymoon, but it had not been built with the space to permit two governing bodies. Both she and Taern decided it needed expanding and, as soon as spring arrived, construction began on the city's eastern walls, garrisons, and the Palace, with the estimation that the two rulers would have to share the seat of power for up to a year until completion was achieved. Given her plans to host a Council of Twelve Peers to aid her during her rule, as well as the help of the Heralds of Faerûn and their historical insights, Lady Silverhand absolutely needed sufficient space for everyone involved.
Erssler Thamm, the Vigilant Master of the city's Brothers of Helm, was eager to help. The clergymen gave over certain quarters and offices, as well as the smaller of the House Invincible's chapels, as an assembly hall for the nation's fledgling army. It seemed the god approved of her work, and, since she did not even need demand it of them, the Bright Lady was only more deeply appreciative. In addition to the followers of Helm, Alustriel also spoke to certain clergy of Selûne, those of the Temple of Silver Stars, with the hope that they might venture into the northern countryside, mapping territory alongside Harpers and priests of Deneir.
Around the same time, the threat of Hellgate Keep still loomed over the North. Though her forces worked to keep its corruption at bay, Lady Silverhand recognized that the aid of capable adventurers was needed. Though exagerrated rumors grew widespread about the ruins of ancient Ascalhorn, she chose not to quell them, ensuring that only those truly brave and capable enough would dare venture into Hellgate Keep itself. By the time the Peers' Hall of the High Palace was built, Alustriel, alongside a few courtiers and the Adbarrim King Harbromm of the Council of Nine Peers, met such heroes in her personal wing, where she bestowed upon them a variety of magical items. One was her Mythanthar's Orb, which could seal away the evil beneath Hellgate Keep, as well as an amulet each, shaped like the head of a unicorn. These, if the command word, "Lurue", was spoken and the amulet pulled off of its chain, teleported their user directly outside of Silverymoon's Hunters' Gate. Despite the importance of the task, she did not wish her agents any undue harm, and so was ready to pay them handsomely for any recovered artifacts, information, or maps they made, duties beyond just slaying monsters.
The fledgling Luruar demanded so much of her attention that, on Tarsakh 22 of the same year, Alustriel resigned her position as a Harper. Through a small, illusiory copy of herself, carried atop a disk, she announced to her fellow Master Harpers, while they met in Twilight Hall, that being a member would conflict with her responsibilities to the people of the North and demoted herself to, at most, an ally of Those Who Harp. Her departure only worsened the chaos of the Harper Schism. 
Later in the year, as of the 30 of Nightal, she was already known as the Queen and Lady Hope of Luruar. A few months prior, she asked Drizzt Do'Urden to compile a thorough report on the Underdark, not only to gather information on Blingdenstone and whether it could potentially become a member of the Alliance of Silverymoon, a proposition brought forth by the dwarven Peers which Alustriel cautiously supported, but also to track the dangers that festered below the lands of the North.
At some point in the , visions interrupted Alustriel's bath, causing her to shoot up in pain and Taern in alarm. Though she soon calmed down and returned to the pool's depths, Alustriel had seen her own memories, those of her prayer alongside Taern on the night that Mystra was destroyed, as well as those of others, all from that same period in time.
During the final Rage of Dragons of 1373 DR, Alustriel was directly involved in the defense of her Silver Marches. When the Song dragon Taraunramorlamurla succumbed to the thrall of the Dracorage on her way to Silverymoon, it was the Bright Lady who returned her to her home in Waterdeep. From there, the pair worked alongside Laeral to retrieve other Waterdhavian dragons, and though they failed to save a handful of wyrms, most were brought back with only minor consequences, which put them all into the two Sisters' debt. In the Marches proper, Alustriel intervened when Deszeldaryndun Silverwing and his mate, Valamaradace, turned their violence onto eachother, an act that earned her their fealty when they both swore to protect the nation of Luruar. Though she kept it from the dragon, the Lady Hope later made Valamaradace her heir.
On Ches 16 of the next year, 1374 DR, Alustriel, accompanied by Methrammar, ventured to the Harper stronghold of Moongleam Tower at the behest of its leader, Eaerlraun Shadowlyn. There, she met with the elf Gaerradh, who reported to the High Lady that another threat had been detected in the depths of the High Forest and demanded the attention of Luruar. Alustriel ultimately sent her son back with the young elven woman, to lead a number of Argent Legion batallions to the wood elves’ defense. 
=== After the Spellplague===
It was believed that Alustriel died at some point following the Spellplague, but, in fact, she and Laeral hid among the monks of Candlekeep to prepare for the destruction of the library's wards. In doing so, they were attempting to prevent anyone from utilizing them to wrest control over the Weave. 
In 1487 DR, Larloch foiled their plans and absorbed the wards. Shortly thereafter, Alustriel, Laeral, Elminster, and the Srinshee prevented Larloch's ascension to godhood. This group, without the Shrinshee but with the addition of Storm and Amarune Whitewave, later encountered the restored Mystra as her Chosen.
In the time after her reappearance and the Second Sundering, Alustriel did not contact Silverymoon. Even her son, and current High Mage of the City, Lord Methrammar Aerasumé, did not hear from her, despite the rumors that began to reach the city of the former High Lady's activities in the Southern Lands.
==Rumors & Legends ==
Few details were known about Alustriel and the other Chosens' combat against Sammaster, known as the Battle of the Chosen, purely due to the sheer scope of their conflicting powers. As of 1370 DR, Alustriel had suggested that some of the Evermoors' barren hills were caused by their fight, and it was rumored that, even then, at least one of the Chosen must have actively concentrated on weakening the battle's effect on the Weave and the land itself. It is suspected, due to her injured state and her love for the North, that this was Alustriel's role.
Though the full extent of her age was not public knowledge, as of 1365 DR, it was rumored that Alustriel must have been centuries old, and only five years later, it was known she was of at least two-hundred years old. Certain people believed believed that the High Mage was, in fact, inspired by the ghostly, magical bridges of Dawngleam in her creation of Silverymoon's Moonbridge. 
Given that her beauty earned her the ardent affections of many people during her years, there were just as many children rumored to be those of the lovely High Lady of Silverymoon. The half-elf Fetitia Ledora of Everlund, one of the two founders of the second Sisterhood of the Silver Fire, was one such possible daughter, which would have made her the eldest known of Alustriel's children. Another bit of hearsay said she had a child with Phlynk, her doppelganger ally, given how their close friendship began as an even more intimate relationship. Supposedly, their offspring would have inherited the best of its mother's magical prowess and its other parent's shapeshifting nature.
Despite the threat posed to the North by the dragon Klauth, certain rumors suggested that he chose to trade information to Alustriel rather than face her directly, and, in exchange, they struck a bargain to mutually leave one another undisturbed. However, during the early period of Luruar's creation in 1370 DR, it was believed that another dragon, the dracolich Saurglyce, planned to work alongside the Cult of the Dragon to assassinate the Lady Hope or threaten her fledgling settlements.
In sharp contrast to her general reputation, among people who distrusted magic and those who wielded it by extension, it was ignorantly thought that Lady Hope, alongside other powerful mages such as Khelben Blackstaff and Elminster, would gather at Ironfang Keep to decide the fate of all Faerûn. 
==Appendix==
===See Also===
*List of spells invented by Alustriel
=== Notes ===
===Appearances===
===Gallery ===
Image:Alustriel2.jpg|Art by Richard Sardinha.
Alustriel Portrait.jpeg|Alustriel, stern and pensive. Art by Matt Wilson.
===Further Reading===
*
*
*
*
*
===References===
===Connections===
de:Alustriel Silberhand
fr:Alustriel Maindargent
Category:Humans
Category:Sorcerers
Category:Wizards
Category:Archmages
Category:Spell inventors
Category:The Seven Sisters
Category:High Lords of the Silver Marches
Category:High Mages of Silverymoon
Category:High Mages
Category:Members of the Lords' Alliance
Category:Members of the Council of the Marches
Category:Members of the Harpers
Category:Inhabitants of the High Palace
Category:Inhabitants of Northbank
Category:Inhabitants of Silverymoon
Category:Inhabitants of Luruar
Category:Inhabitants of Northwest Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Year of Metropolises
Category:Planewalkers
Category:Wizards (5e)