Ava Lyonsoul

Ava by G McDermott.

**Ava Lyonsoul** is a player character and one of the protagonists of The Reaping of Goldenfields, who returned in The Wreckage of Myth Drannor. She is played by Rebecca Hare.

## Biography

The birthmark on Ava’s face marks her out as chosen by Kelemvor. At a young age she was taken to the temple at Raven’s Bluff and inducted into the priesthood, together with Jeremiah, a fellow chosen of Kelemvor. The two grew up together and became very close, and eventually they married. Four years later, Jeremiah was killed in the service of the temple. Distraught, Ava petitioned Kelemvor to restore him to life, but her request was denied.

It was at this point, as Ava prepared Jeremiah’s body for last rites, that the Hag Countess Malagard touched her mind, and provided her with the knowledge to raise him as a Reborn. Ava did so, and attempted to conceal him from the priesthood of Kelemvor, but her deception did not last. The ritual she had performed was a terrible transgression against Kelemvor’s laws, and the temple hierarchy’s retribution was severe: Ava was forced to watch while the reborn Jeremiah was torn to shreds. As she looked on, once more her mind made contact with that of Malagard, and the priests were destroyed. Ava left Raven’s Bluff in the knowledge that she could never safely return.

Ava Lyonsoul arrived in Goldenfields with Ephemera for the celebration of Highharvestide, although it seems their arrival happened to coincide rather than being planned. Ava is helping Ephemera uncover more of her past, but for now we know very little about Ava's history.

After she and Ephemera encountered a strange demon in the maze at the festival, they were instrumental in fighting off the Nightmare Shepherd that interrupted the parade.

After pitting her unknown patron against Orcus in an intense psychic battle, and then betraying both, Ava is now in possession of the Wand of Orcus - which has unsurprisingly made both her patron and Orcus very angry with her. But by overcoming her reliance on her patron, Ava seems to have made her warlock powers her own. This was demonstrated when she unfurled her wings, apparently for the first time since she'd turned her back on Kelemvor, and they were no longer the necrotised wings of a fallen aasimar, but arched bone, the colour of petrol on water - they belonged to her and her alone.

Ava and Ephemera return a couple of weeks after taking the Wand of Orcus, on the run from marauding demons (that appear to be attacking all over the Sword Coast) looking for it, and meet Anton, Ildrathne and Nait at the ruins of Eioleant. Helping each other fight off the demons, Ava agrees to travel with the group on Ephemera's urging, but struggles to engage with the group - at no point better demonstrated than when Anton reaches out to her old patron, discovering it to be Malagard, the Hag Countess, without informing her.

Travelling with the group to Myth Drannor (ostensibly to escape the demons, but also on group patron Nesiril's intimation to Ava that they want to confront/defeat gods, and that it would anger Kelemvor), the group are attacked on the way in by a ghost that makes them relive their worst memories - and it is revealed that Ava's partner was a reborn called Jeremiah, and was torn to pieces by priests of Kelemvor.

With tensions rising in the party, Anton causes Ava to be kidnapped by an ancient topaz dragon, Isnezzegon, who takes an interest in the Wand of Orcus. Ava is imprisoned with Holphaer, a clone of Anton, and Regulus, a giff who got trapped by Myth Drannor's new shield, and takes matters into her own hands when the party don't come to save her. She manages to trick Isnezzegon and frees a captive Titan, Thor, who helps her take down the dragon. She then travels to Castle Cormanthyr to confront the party, taking Isnezzegon's greatest treasure - the body of universe-destroying ancient evil Pandorym.

Reuniting with the party under some duress, Ava joined them in using the mythallar to travel to Arvandor, but in doing so broke her last tie with Ephemera, who began to blame Ava for her sad situation. In Arvandor, Ava backed up Ildrathne with Corellon Larethian, who then sent them to speak to Kelemvor as well, where Ava managed to get the god of death to apologise for abandoning her when she needed him most.

In returning to Myth Drannor, Ava and Ildrathne were on hand to trap Pandorym (and Anton) - and Nait made good on Anton's promise to revive Jeremiah, allowing them to be reunited. However, Ephemera's revenge summoned Orcus, who took back his wand and trapped Ava and Jeremiah in a repeating nightmare in the Abyss.

## In-game Characteristics

Ava is currently a level 14 undead warlock. Using her *form of dread* and *eldritch blast* (along with illusionist's bracers), she's a formidable damage dealer. She's deeply creepy, with her *form of dread* involving peeling the skin from her face. Ava is also durable and can survive even effects that would normally lead to instant death: in episode 3 of The Reaping of Goldenfields, she is decapitated, but survives the experience with one hit point remaining thanks to her Necrotic Husk ability, later *re*capitating herself with a needle, thread, and the assistance of some healing magic.

## Trivia

* In The Reaping of Goldenfields, Ava didn't know who her patron was, but there were strong hints that they were a devil. Her *form of dread* has various "hag" aspects. In The Wreckage of Myth Drannor, it is revealed that Ava’s patron is the shade of the Hag Countess, Malagard.
* In Episode 6 of The Reaping of Goldenfields, the Twitch chat decided Ava's tagline should be 'Be more Ava: have lots of voices in your head and be able to peel your face off'.

## Media

Ava from the poster for The Reaping of Goldenfields by G McDermott.Ava miniature from Hero Forge for The Reaping of Goldenfields.Ava from the poster for The Wreckage of Myth Drannor by G McDermott.Ava mini from Hero Forge for The Wreckage of Myth Drannor.
## External links

* Character sheet for Ava
* Character sheet for Ava (Myth Drannor)