Sheltatha Lore

Sheltatha Lore was an Ascendant and Eleint Soletaken. The Tiste Edur worshipped her as the Protectress, "Daughter Dusk".Midnight Tides, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.276 She was Father Shadow's most cherished daughter.Midnight Tides, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.230
She had long, dark brown hair,Midnight Tides, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.229 and her arms were lean and ribboned with muscle.
==Family ties==
Sheltatha Lore was described as being the daughter of Scabandari Bloodeye and Tiam, however the latter was likely to have been mother only in the sense of birthing Sheltatha's Soletaken aspect. (Blood ties were difficult to establish with certainty as female Soletaken descendants of Tiam seem to customarily describe each other as sisters/half-sisters).
Sheltatha was cousin to Osserc's daughters, Menandore and Sukul Ankhadu.Midnight Tides, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.277 The three had a repeated history of allying, betraying, and assaulting each other.
Sukul Ankhadu claimed Sheltatha had taken Draconus as a lover and birthed "two horrid little children" known as Envy and Spite.Midnight Tides, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.232
Steven Erikson has said, "As for the sibling references used by the (ancient) Edur and others, give little credence. There is a consequence to drinking draconic blood that shatters the very notion of family, not to mention bloodlines."DLC Bookclub - Midnight Tides - Chapters 6 & 7 - Malazan Book of the Fallen - See YouTube comment by @stevelundin5705 aka Steven Erikson
==In Midnight Tides==
Udinaas had a vision to the ancient time shortly after the Tiste invasion of the Malazan world. He witnessed Sukul and Menandore dragging an unconscious Sheltatha Lore between them and their conversation with their father, Osserc. The vision also showed that shortly after Scabandari Bloodeye betrayed Silchas Ruin, and was in turn defeated by Mael and Kilmandaros, Menandore and Sukul had conspired to defeat Sheltatha. They then interred their captive in the same Azath House where Scabandari had imprisoned Silchas Ruin.Midnight Tides, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.276-278
Thousands of years later in modern Letheras, the Azath Tower holding Sheltatha and Ruin began to die. Its guardian, Kettle, spoke of hearing one of its female prisoners angrily decrying "those bitches" in her sleep. When awake, the woman whispered that she would reward Kettle if she freed her. Even the powerful Seregahl, who killed any fellow prisoner they could reach, avoided the woman. The House chose to release Silchas Ruin to help Kettle destroy the worst of its prisoners after it died, but Sheltatha clung to Ruin's ankles hoping to escape with him.Midnight Tides, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.429
Brys Beddict and Ceda Kuru Qan provided Ruin with the swords, Glory Goat and Sarat Wept, possibly to cut off Sheltatha's hands, but Ruin could not achieve this on his own.Midnight Tides, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.385/392-396 On the day of the Seventh Closure, Ruin's follower, the Wyval possessing Udinaas, entered the barrow and successfully removed its master from Sheltatha's grip allowing him to escape. Afterwards, it was streaked with blood and Sheltatha's fate was not revealed.Midnight Tides, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.705Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.737/756
==In Reaper's Gale==
Before Silchas Ruin departed Letheras, he used rituals of Kurald Galain to continue binding Sheltatha within her barrow after the Azath Tower's death.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 5, US HC p.118 Sukul Ankhadu heard Sheltatha's calls and travelled to Letheras to free her cousin, thinking she had always worked better with Sheltatha than Menandore. While Sukul's magic slowly unravelled the new bindings, the goddess preyed upon the population of the city. When Sheltatha's freedom neared, Sukul found Hannan Mosag investigating the grave and she made a bargain with the former Warlock King. Silchas Ruin was even then seeking out Scabandari the Betrayer. Mosag would guide the two women to Ruin, and the Crippled God would help them destroy him. In return the God would make use of Scabandari's Finnest and destroy it.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 5, US HC p.118/134-136
Sheltatha's renewed binding had pushed her into a bottomless bog in a pocket realm of the Azath where every moment stretched like centuries. So by the time of her release, her hair was stained a burnt red and her skin turned the hue of a betel nut (or stained wood) and became waxy and seamed like a T'lan Imass. The whites of her amber eyes were stained like rust and her teeth became brown. Her long taloned fingers gleamed like beetle carapaces, while her open wounds did not bleed.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.214/215 
She accused Sukul of being complicit with Menandore's betrayal and demanded they find an Azath so Menandore could suffer as she suffered. Their shared hatred of Menandore allowed them to temporarily overlook their own enmities. Sheltatha also revealed that she had tasted Silchas Ruin's dreams during their captivity. Ruin had allowed himself to be betrayed by Scabandari knowing that the world's powers were closing in on them. Millenia within a barrow was preferable to Scabandari's fate in Ruin's cold-blooded draconean calculations. Sheltatha was ready to move against him with Sukul, but shuddered at his alien nature, warning their plans had to be foolproof.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 9, US HC p.215-216
Sheltatha and Sukul travelled to the Refugium where they joined Menandore in a temporary truce to protect the Finnest from the soon-to-be-arriving Silchas Ruin. Sheltatha wore a bronze studded, vest, black leather leggings and boots, and a cloak of deep burgundy. But first, Menandore suggested they kill two "pathetic mortals seek[ing] to stand in our way"--Quick Ben and Hedge. All three Soletaken veered into their dragon forms, with Sheltatha's described as stained brown and looking half-rotted, and swept low towards the two Bridgeburners. Just as they were about to breathe out their killing sorcery, Quick Ben unleashed his own magic, exploding the ground beneath them and sending them tumbling. Sheltatha used the chaotic moment to turn on Menandore, biting into her neck and severing her head. As she died, Menandore's claws ripped open Sheltatha's underbelly. Hedge finished off the wounded dragon by launching a cusser into her open wound, sending dragon flesh everywhere. One chunk struck the sapper squarely between the eyes and knocked him out cold.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 23, US HC p.719-721/725-729
==In Toll the Hounds==
Endest Silann was invited to meet with Anomander Rake in a room of pure darkness within the New Palace of Black Coral. The room drew the old castellan's thoughts to memories of ancient Kharkanas and the triumvirate of powers that arose there after Mother Dark embraced the Light. He listed Sheltatha Lore, Brevith Dreda, and Sukul Ankhadu amongst the "mess of mixed bloods" that followed.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.571-572
==In Forge of Darkness==
It was explained that Sheltatha was the daughter of Tathe Lorat, a captain in Urusander's Legion.Forge of Darkness, Chapter 20
==In Fall of Light==
(Information needed)
==Notes and references==
Category:Ascendants
Category:Females
Category:Soletaken Eleint
Category:Tiste
Category:Tiste Edur
de:Sheltatha Lore
es:Sheltatha Sabiduría