Snadhya'rune Vel'Sharen

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## Disabled Shadow Ruler of the Sharen

### Trivia

* Nether summoning
* Traditional summoning
* Affinity - Earth Sorcery

* Has mastered the art of Char spirit summoning
* Is one of the oldest second generation drow alive, at well over 800 years

## Family

* Diva'ratrika - Mother
* Khaless - Protector Twin
* Sarv'swati - Sister
* Zala'ess - Sister
* Sil'lice - Sister
* Nishi'kanta - Sister
* Ashu'athama - Brother
* Mel'arnach - Mate
* Kalki - Daughter

Snadhya'rune is the eldest daughter of Empress Diva'ratrika Val'Sharen. She is the headmistress of the Orthorbbae and an incredibly powerful summoner. She is the leader of the Nidraa'chal faction and the mastermind behind their rise to power.

Snadhya'rune orchestrated the silent assassination of her mother, Val'Sharess Diva'ratrika. She and her sisters rule the Vel'Sharen clan and by extension the whole of Chel'el'Sussoloth. She is actually one of the most powerful leaders of the Nidraa'chal, one who controls the Nidavellir city of Felde and the surface colony Ys. She is a frequent lover of Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress.

## Appearance and Personality

Snadhya'rune is manipulative and political in her endeavors. She would rather pull the strings behind the scenes than get her own hands dirty, and she is very good at convincing people to do what she wants. That being said, she is known to be one of the most powerful summoners in Chel'el'Sussoloth and an incredibly learned user of the mana arts. Like her mother, she is stubborn, ambitious and unyielding, but above all else she is ferocious in her pursuit of power and control.

Snadhya'rune is a revolutionary that believes that the traditions of the overworld ought to be banished for good. When fae moved to the underworld, they became drow, and Snadhya believes firmly that drow should be ruled by drow - not visions of Sharess passed down from earlier generations. To this end she is willing to do anything, and sees demons as a valuable tool for achieving her goals. She views tainting and demonology as the best chance drow have at surviving and hopes to convert the entire race into the evolved Ver'drowendar to ensure their survival and supremacy.

Many fear her hunger for power and control, cowed into obeisance--others call her insane to the core and resist with all their might. She toys readily with the loyalties she forms, and it is never clear who Snadhya'rune is being honest with. She appears to genuinely care for her lover, Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress, but even this could be another of her machinations. To Snadhya, the ends will always justify the means, and she does not care who she has to crush to achieve her ambitious goals.

Snadhya'rune is tall and regal. She usually wears luxurious long robes and dresses in varying shades of light purple adorned with white fur. She is almost never seen without her summoning gauntlet and crown, which bears five purple gems. Her hair is long and naturally a deep purple hue. Her eyes were purple before she was tainted.

## Biography - Background

### The First Daughter of Diva'ratrika

Snadhya'rune is the eldest of five living sisters born to Val'Sharess Diva'ratrika Val'Sharen, the empress of Chel'el'Sussoloth. She and her mother did not always see eye to eye, and Snadhya'rune often felt stifled under Diva'ratrika's stubborn demands that she bear children for the clan. She preferred taking female mates, and during her time as a teacher at Orthorbbae she became fond of Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress. The pair became close, but as elder daughters to two staunchly rivaled clans they had to continue their love in secret.

Diva'ratrika continued to demand heirs, and Snadhya'rune refused. Desiring than any child of her own be free from Diva'ratrika's rule, she secretly met with the Val'Jaal'darya and arranged to produce a child outside of the womb. She requested that Mel'arnach be made the father, but kept Mel in the dark about her plans. After they procured an egg from Mel, they grew a baby for Snadhya'rune in secret. Snadhya named the baby girl Kalki and raised her while Mel'arnach herself remained in captivity in the halls of her own clan.

### Rise of the Nidraa'chal

Snadhya was studying under the then-headmistress of the Ortorbbae, Sha'sana. Together they were researching demons and other aspects of working with nether, looking for ways to protect the drow race from the apocalyptic demon threat that had almost wiped out all fae races years prior. They developed the procedures that became modern tainting techniques by seeding a fae's aura with weak demons. At some point during her research she reached out to the Vloz'ress, who at the time were simply a small group of families that focused on studying nether. Their expertise would have been invaluable to Snadhya'rune's own studies, but their leader, Ven'ndia, refused to help when she heard Snadhya's proposals. Snadhya'rune retaliated by sending an imperial force to wipe the nether cult off the map, but the Vloz were saved by the uncanny powers of the young Kharla'ggen. Rather than wiping the clan out for good, it gave them the needed shift in power to rise to great clan status.

As Snadhya'rune continued her research without the help of the Vloz'ress, her protector twin Khaless tragically lost her mind to a particularly strong demon. In the process, she became an incredibly powerful Vel'akar that still served as Snadhya's sister. The initial loss was hard for Snadhya, but Khaless became an incredibly powerful ally in her pursuits.

Meanwhile, Diva'ratrika and the majority of the population feared these new tainting techniques. It wasn't long before those that made use of them banded together to form the Nidraa'chal, a minor clan in its own right that focused on evolution of the drow races to Ver'drowendar - drow bearing the seed of a demon in their aura. Unbeknownst to the Val'Sharess, Snadhya'rune was the one who founded the Nidraa'chal as a secret organization meant to infiltrate every seat of power in Chel. Seeing tainting and demonology as the future of drowkind, Snadhya'rune tainted herself and installed her daughter Kalki as a leader within the Nidraa'chal. She convinced her sisters Zala'ess and Sarv'swati to join her cause, and they too underwent a tainting procedure. Their remaining sisters, Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta, were loyal to Diva'ratrika and refused to submit to the taint willingly.

#### The Vel'Sharen Coup d'État

Main article: The Vel'Sharen Coup d'État
As the Nidraa'chal's numbers grew under Diva'ratrika's blind eye, the nether-based clan began to grow bold. They started attacking other clans without warning and used tactics that were heavily damaging to the civilian population. With open battles breaking out in the streets, Diva'ratrika began to organize a war effort against the Nidraa'chal. With the war distracting the bulk of Diva'ratrika's resources, Snadhya, Zala'ess, and Sarv'swati took advantage of their relatively unprotected mother's vulnerability.

They attacked her, forced her into her throne room, and sealed the entrance to leave her to die of starvation. The sisters forcibly tainted Nishi'kanta and framed the assassination attempt on Sil'lice, who was forced into exile. Snadhya and her sisters convinced the public that Diva'ratrika was alive, but in recluse. They took over the major responsibilities of the clan, Snadhya'rune forced Sha'sana to resign as headmistress of Orthorbbae and edged out the Empress' former Overseer Mikilu'ligr Val'Dutan'vir. She became one of the most powerful individuals in Chel and took control of the school for her own purposes. She mandated tainting for anyone taking summoning classes without making public the fact that the procedure she used would shorten the lifespan of those that underwent it. She and her sisters also strongly encouraged tainting for all members of the Val'Sharen clan, converting the clan into a nether-based organisation - the Vel'Sharen.

With the the young Vals of the Orthorbbae and the whole of the imperial clan tainted, Snadhya'rune successfully secured victory for the Nidraa'chal and the Chelian public was none the wiser.

## Biography - Arc I

### Empress to Be

Snadhya'rune continued her work as headmistress of Orthorbbae while her plans to rule Chel'el'Sussoloth brewed in secret. When a female Val'Sarghress student named Ariel was found attending classes in the boys' section of the school, she became wary of Quain'tana Val'Sarghress' goals. She sent Ariel a peaceful letter requesting politely that she transfer to the girls' school immediately. Ariel and her family decided that she would withdraw from the school entirely rather than transfer into Snadhya'rune's care.

#### Kalki

Snadhya'rune heard little from the Val'Sarghress and from her lover Mel'arnach until a few years later, when she sent notice to her lover that the Val'Sarghress fortress was likely to be attacked soon. Mel escaped in the chaos with her guard Lulianne, and the pair met Kalki in Snadhya's mansion on the edge of the Rebuilt District. Kalki brought them to the Orthorbbae to see Snadhya'rune, and the lovers warmly reunited. Having been a prisoner of her clan for so long and having no mind for politics, Mel'arnach had no idea who Kalki was, what the Nidraa'chal had done, or what role Snadhya'rune had to play in all of it. As Snadhya filled Mel in and told her that she was Kalki's "father," Mel was stunned and took some time to adjust to the fact that she'd had a child she never even knew.

#### Dissension in the Vel'Sharen Ranks

The were interrupted by Sarv'swati Vel'Sharen, who wanted to speak with Snadhya'rune about Zala'ess' recent actions. Zala had been making obvious bids for power and was endangering the Vel'Sharen's standing with the rest of Chel'el'Sussoloth as she tried to convince the other clans to wage war on the Val'Sarghress. Snadhya advised her to let Zala'ess wage her wars on her own, and when her bloodline and the Val'Sarghress wiped each other out, Sarv'swati herself would be poised to fill the power void and rule the clan. Even though she cared little for Zala'ess and her kin, Sarv still did not like the idea of throwing any Sharen under the bus like Snadhya was proposing. Snadhya reminded her sister that she would only be able to rule the clan effectively when she was alone in the bid for Ill'haress.

She asked Mel if she had any concerns about the planned destruction about the majority of her clan, and Mel'arnach replied that she owed the Val'Sarghress nothing.

#### Mel'arnach and the Nidraa'chal

Sarv'swati left, and Snadhya, Mel, and Kalki resumed their discussions until a badly injured Lulianne came to them. She was tainted, bleeding, and beaten, and told everyone that she had picked a fight with a summoner while exploring. Snadhya'rune investigated the site of the fight to find that an elevator leading to a secret chamber above the school had been destroyed, and that scraps of Khaless' clothing lay strewn around the floor.

She later took a hot bath with Mel'arnach, who was overjoyed to once again spoil herself in luxury in the companionship of Snadhya. Snadhya explained to the out of touch Mel whoe the Nidraa'chal were and what they stood for before confessing to be one of their founders. She asked Mel to join them, and Mel said she'd think about it so long as she could be consort to Snadhya'rune when she became the Empress of Chel. Sndhya confessed that she would enjoy that and told Mel to keep this all a secret from her mother, Quain'tana.

They retired to Snadhya'rune's chambers, and Mel wished longingly that she could stay by Snadhya's side. Snadhya'rune advised that Mel'arnach first make peace with Quain'tana to secure her place in the Val'Sarghress clan. Though it was hard for Mel'arnach to accept this, Snadhya explained that if the Val'Sarghress won the brewing war, Mel'arnach would be in a better position if she and Quain'tana were on agreeable terms. If the Val'Sarghress were to fall, then Snadhya could make a bloodrite claim on her as Kalki's father. Either way, Mel'arnach would be cared for.

As Mel was becoming more convinced, they were interrupted by an attendant claiming that there was a problem in the great hall that needed the headmistress' attention immediately. Snadhya and Mel left for the great hall and found Naal'suul Val'Beldrobbaen in danger of losing control to her inordinately powerful seed. Snadhya used her knowledge of nether arts to siphon off some of the extra nether in Naal's aura, making her seed more manageable for the time being. She offered to see Naal personally anytime she felt she needed help controlling her seed, and told her that with her mother's permission they could possibly arrange for a sealing armor to be made.

#### Mel'arnach's Return to the Val'Sarghress

Snadhya'rune and Mel'arnach returned to bed, and the next day they took a carriage out to return Mel to her home. Snadhya, who rarely left the confines of the Orthorbbae, brought along two armed guards to protect her in case of attack. This proved to be a worthwhile forethought as the carriage was driven over a mine planted covertly by a pair of street children (Cer'kal and Taio'shi under Mikilu'ligr Val'Dutan'vir's direction), rolling the cart and injuring the Vals inside. Though neither Snadhya or Mel was seriously hurt, they sent out a signal flare for Sharen reinforcements.

The pair arrived at the Val'Sarghress gate, now with a slightly larger envoy of Vel'Sharen soldiers. The Val'Sarghress immediately put in a call to arms, but Snadhya'rune and Mel'arnach emerged from the carriage hand in hand and claiming peace. Snadhya'rune officially apologized for the recent attack on the Val'Sarghress' home and promised that Orthorbbae would always remain friendly to their children. She left Mel'arnach with her family and returned to the Orthorbbae once again.

## Biography - Arc II

15 years later, war had broken out between the Val'Sarghress, the Vel'Sharen, and their allies. While the war tore Chel'el'Sussoloth apart, Snadhya'rune became an advocate for peace. She sponsored a concert in the rebuilt district to serve as a symbol of hope. She enlisted popstar Kyo'nne Val'Illhar'dro to perform and spread the message that peace in both the underworld and on the surface were the key to drowkind's survival. She is a large sponsor of the Ys colony.

### The Felde Gathering

Snadhya'rune sent out invitations to a meeting at her estate in Felde to discuss Chel's future. Both Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'ress and Ariel Val'Sarghress were invited to this event, as both are young leaders in position to change the current face of the empire. Ariel did not attend, but at Chrys'tel's insistance, Kiel'ndia attended with her Vloz'ress retinue.

Before the party, Snadhya'rune spoke with Verthandi Val'Beldrobbaen and reassured her that the Nidraa'chal faithful would not be struck down at a moment's notice, like some child's game. Mel'arnach and Lulianne were then escorted into the room for Mel's tearful reunion with her lover--Snadhya'rune comforts the Sarghress, then comments that Khaless should drop the Lulianne pretense already. The Dutan'vir protests vehemently constantly, even as Snadhya'rune and Wi'am Val'Jaal'darya present the newly-reconstructed Zhor to Mel. The Sharen pretended to be impressed with the mixblood's feats; Lulianne argued that she is still alive and Snadhya'rune's protector twin was dead.

During the party, Snadhya'rune entertains many guests; some boldly step forward to address her, while others hesitate. Kiel'ndia is one such bold guest, coming right out with asking the Sharen if she killed Diva'ratrika Val'Sharen--of course, Snadhya's answer is no, but Kiel continues to be disruptive. The three former Imperial Guard guests arrive in the hall, and Ran'diirk launches into a sudden attack, charging Snadhya'rune. The Vel'Sharen was ready for the attack, quickly summoning a guardian from the wall to do battle with the Imperial. This particular guardian is a shock to the guests in the hall for its likeness to the legendary Vel'cahal and its abilities easily overpower Ran'diirk's attempts to get at Snadhya.

With the battle quickly turning against him, the vengeful knight detonates an unstable mana core in his hands in the name of Diva'ratrika, and tries to kill the Sharen in a suicide attack. However, Snadhya'rune was also ready for this, revealing a Char spirit summon of her long-dead dragon that absorbed the mana explosion. She calmly addresses the stunned crowd that her guardians--who were now appearing in the very walls of the hall--where in place to keep her party guests safe. In a great irony, Snadhya'rune seals Ran's aura in a foci to be used as a tainted summon servant.

### Nidraa'chal Declaration

With the battle finished, the party guests were led upstairs to receive their "party gift". It is here where Snadhya'rune finally revealed her life's work: the goal of her chosen few is to create a new world for drowkind, under her guidance. The mastery of the taint is key to establishing independence from the old traditions that have created scars on the underworld and its people. The new world order required the forced ceding of Chel's leaders driving the District War through the use of the Jaal'darya-engineered virus cultivated from a deadly surface mana plant--this virus would cause debilitating sickness and insanity, eventually rotting the target from the inside out. Naturally, only the Nidraa'chal have the cure and the poisoned leaders must submit to extortion in order to save their lives. To make her point, Snadhya'rune takes a dose of the poison herself.

Meanwhile, Cy'ril, Yuh'le and Femi Val'Jaal'darya stood by, passing out vials of the poison to all who were willing to join Snadhya'rune's cause--Snadhya'rune personally gave her niece a vial, while Ash'mita Val'Sullisin'rune took one and publicly vowed that Ash'waren will never rule Chel. With the arrival of the stolen airship, Snadhya announces the next part of her plan: to reconquer the old world with said airship. Kalki, Sal'bara, Shodun Val'Illhar'dro, Sasi'rael Nidraa'chal, Sae'rali and her sisters emerge from the ship with a special delivery: the captive and badly tortured Jiaan. Kalki offers him as a gift to her mother, which Snadhya'rune promptly tests: Dycle was pitted against Jiaan in a battle for her affections. Jiaan slain the other man and earned Snadhya'rune's good graces as a new toy. Using spellsong, Shodun ends Snadhya'rune's speech by calling on the party guests to kneel & declare allegiance to the Nidraa'chal cause.

### Sarghress Infiltration & the Mimian Attack

A Sarghress squad was sent to steal into Femi's laboratory and bring back samples of her research, and are soon stopped by Snadhya's forces who do not know that the cure vials were already passed on to Sara'hilana Balvhakara. Meanwhile, Snadhya'rune entertains a crowd of guests with displaying the results of her merging technique--using Jiaan as an example. She is informed by Verthandi of the intruders, and this infuriates the normally calm and controlled woman. She starts placing demands on her Jaal'darya experts on creating replicas of the cure with haste.

Snadhya'rune takes her frustration out on the squad in a most devious way: as the leader Erelice is grilled about their motives, Snadhya'rune's empath minions torture the Sarghress. To drive the point that they made a grevious error home, Snadhya orders Kalki to fire on Erelice's captive squad members in the yard below in a horrible execution by airship mana cannon.

During this time, she is able to easily convert Shinae to her cause by merging the girl with her demon seed, and thus removing her handicaps and weaknesses that plagued Shinae since her botched birth.

Later, Snadhya is made aware of Ariel's arrival and invites the young Sareghress to dinner with Mel, Zhor and Kalki. Here, the First Daughter tries to sell her bid for peace to Ariel, who is both defensive and uneasy around the group. Kalki makes the situation worse with assaulting Ariel after the later insults their mother Mel'arnach, causing Snadhya to step in angrily and banish the unruly daughter. To make it up to Mel and Faen, Snadhya'rune helps Ariel close the wounds and suggesting that Ariel absorb another living drow's arm--presenting Riz'riia as an offering.

Kavahini guerrila warriors soon attack the fortress from all fronts, including attempting to steal the already-stolen airship. Snadhya is furious at attempts to undermine her power once again, and orders her people to deal with it accordingly. In time, Mikilu'ligr Val'Dutan'vir reveals herself as the aggressor and attacks her with several Mimian assailants. The scene is treated like a game, with Snadhya causally summoning several earth-bound dragon summons to keep Miki'lu busy, as Khaless struggled with her Lulianne identity.

This turns the battle out of the First Daughter's favor, as the demon loses control of the Lulianne identity long enough to commit suicide--In the mean time, Erelice had made her way into the hallway to sink a dagger deep into Snadhya'rune's side. It is not the pain that throws her into an uncontrollable rage, but the fact that a lowly being dared to attack the powerful Nidra'chaal leader that shatters the calm mask she always wears. A shocked Mel is there to witness her lover destroying everything around her with summons, while Zhor looks on disapprovingly.

### The Rise of Anahid

Snadhya is briefed on current events regarding her operatives' efforts to sway clans to her side. The Mimian attack was only a diversion, and news of the Sarghess allying with Zala'ess does not shock the First Daughter. Her student Yuh'le was sent to aid conspirators by killing the Kyorl'solenurn Judicators, ensuring that Anahid's ascension to Holy Mother remains unopposed. Snadhya'rune is unabashed in her methods and actions when confronting the new Illhar'ess .

### Sillice and the Sarghress Raid

It is during the time of the Demon God incident that Zala'ess becomes infected with the flower plague by Shinae, now Snadhya'rune's minion.

Snadhya'rune relocated to the Nal'sarkoth districts under the care of Viri'sylvia Val'Nal'sarkoth, unbeknownst to Sillice and the Sarghress leaders who lead an assault on her old tower. Snadhya herself was not there, but instead her students laid a trap for the Sarghress forces, using empathy to confuse and nether summoning to kill. Joining the ambush are Shinae, Nehleanee Vel'Sharen and the Sul sisters Bae'rali Val'Sullisin'rune, Sae'rali Val'Sullisin'rune, and Mae'rali Val'Sullisin'rune. When Sillice and Nishi'kanta attempt to attack the empaths, Mel'arnach and Shodun Val'Illhar'dro are waiting in the wings to rescue Snadhya's valuable assets. On torturing Erusa'kel Nal'sarkoth, Sillice finally discovers that Snadhya was indeed never present.

In a fury, Sillice cleans out Orthorbbae of its female teachers and students, believing each and every one to be Nidra'chaal conspirators.

### Chry'stel's Gamble

Chry'stel's spy An'jin Jie'yen had discovered Snadhya'rune's true location in the Nal'sarkoth districts, and she devised a plan to infiltrate and steal the only cure to the Jaal'darya flower plague in a hope of curing her ailing mother.

Snadhya feeds a distraught Mel'arnach the gist of what has befallen the Sarghress clan, including news of her younger children's supposed death. She supposed that Ariel had survived, but could not confirm it due to Khaless' missing status--in reality, Khaless had been consumed by the flesh golem Laele and a subsequent explosion of nether in the Sarghress compound occurred.

Viri'sylvia Val'Nal'sarkoth arrived moments later to discuss terms of trade agreements between Felde suppliers and Nal'sarkoth distributors. The Sarghress checkpoints throughout the city had put a damper on trade for all other clans, and the Nal'sarkoth in particular were hungry to take advantage of the vacancy. Snadhya was only mildly concerned, asking if the Nal'sarkoth preferred Zala'ess to bring back the stability the clan enjoyed during Diva'ratrika's rule. Their conversation is interrupted by a warning flare, and news of an attack on the Nal'sarkoth home reached their ears soon after. Someone on an incredibly fast golem had blown through Nal'sarkoth defenses and had aimed straight for where Snadhya'rune resided--someone that she knew very well, and began to prepare countermeasures.

#### Duel between Sisters

The attacker followed Snadhya's presence to an inner courtyard, where she waited: it was none other than Nishi'kanta controlling the golem, seeking to end Snadhya's rule right then and there. Mocking her younger sister, Snadhya invited Nishi to sit and talk--while her Nidraa'chal servants waited in the shadows around the courtyard. The sisters spared a moment to talk about Snadhya's actions in the past 31 years; Nishi'kanta challenged Snadhya's assessment that she was meant to rule and would welcome the Fourth Daughter at her side, due to the fact that Snadhya forced the entire Sharen clan to be seeded with demons.

During their exchange, Chrys'tel, An'jin, and Sara'hilana Balvhakara moved in on Snadhya's minions and kept them occupied long enough for the mastermind to notice, and initiate combat. Snadhya'rune took great pleasure in taunting Nishi as the golem failed to crush her, stopped by the First Daughter's dragon golem. A second golem was sent to harass Nishi while Snadhya mocked her sister's inability to attack, with a demon drawn from her crown to infest the golem's large core. As a last ditch effort, Nishi'kanta overloaded the core with metal affinity sorcery, and the two sisters found themselves without weapons; Snadhya's summoning glove and crown having melted off..

The fight became a true duel between the Empress' daughters--with nothing but their own affinities, Snadhya and Nishi fought with fire and earth arts, and destruction raining down around them. An'jin took the opportunity to smash Snadhya's skull with Sal'bara's floating golem, and Nishi'kanta followed up with a blast of fire sorcery. Despite taking a direct hit, Snadhya remained unharmed and subsequently revealed her secret: she had been drawing her sister's mana into the dragon summoning gem beneath her clothing .

Snadhya saw how exhausted the other woman had became as victory, and summoned her malicious beast to crush Nishi'kanta's spirit at once--all that remained was to demand immediate surrender, but the Fourth Daughter refused. The dragon summon rumbled and moved to snap her in its hard maw, but unbeknownst to Snadhya'rune, her little sister came prepared. Overpowering the mad First Daughter's aura with her own, Nishi'kanta fell upon her sister with a rock and aimed to beat Snadhya repeatedly with it. Knowing of Snadhya'rune's lack of combat expertise, the other sister delivered a savage kick to the stomach and crushed the gem beneath Snadhya's clothing. The golem fell apart and threw both sisters to the ground in a heap of rock and rubble.

Snadhya'rune now lay paralysed from the neck down, but managed to fool Nishi'kanta into thinking her sister dead. The Nal'sarkoth soldiers also assumed her dead, until an emotional Jiaan came across Snadhya and hauled her away to safety.

### The Vel'Sharen Leaders

A day after the battle, Snadhya relocated to the Vel'Sharen fortress in secret with a handful of her soldiers, most of them battered as well. Her Jaal'darya servants administered the sole cure to the now maddened Zala'ess, and led her to the fortress depths to discuss terms of rule. The baby sister was noticibly shaken after seeing her feared eldest sister so close to home, but was loathed to reliquish control of the alliance without a fight. Even in her paralysed state, Snadhya intimidated her sister into following her command, dangling the threat of a Sarghress purge before Zala'ess. It was clear now that the situation was dire for both women, and the two debated and bargained on how to survive in this new alliance.

A few days following, Snadhya became indebted to the Nal'sarkoth. She desired to obtain Nishi'kanta from them, who was now herself a hostage. Viri'sylvia however would not release the Fourth Daughter without heavy terms and conditions.

## Biography - Arc III

Three years after the conclusion of the District War, Snadhya's Nidraa'chal forces deploy to Machike to force Ariel and the colonists to return to Felde for a Gathering of the Clans. It was revealed that Snadhya'rune's machinations led the Alliance clans to form a new agreement during a Gathering that took place without Ariel, but a new, unnamed representative. Despite using Kyo'nne to negotiate terms of surrender, they are met with refusal, and the crew launched an attack on both colony and city.

This attack led to the destruction of Snadhya'rune's personal tower, and the release of hundreds of unfettered demons into the city. As well, Sarghress forces clashed with Mimian belligerents and destroyed much of the surrounding areas of the tower, making the lake in Felde unsafe to cross--it was contaminated with possessed corpses of fallen Owl warriors who rose to attack anyone within reach.

Snadhya'rune had tasked Adira to lead Felde's defense forces, and it was Adira who had to deliver the bad news to her in the days following.

### The Enemy Within

In the Val'Sharess Tower, though being wheelchair-bound now, the First Daughter held tight control of the city from behind her baby sister's facade.

Adira, Bargrez, Daenar and Nehleanee returned to report on the attack, with Adira trying her best to avoid the more gruesome details of their failure to minimize destruction of Snadhya'rune's property. Their mistress asks each of them if that was the entire story then turns to Kyu'dosha with a predatory glint to confirm, but the Illhar'dro courier paints a different story of events that earns a glare from the Nidraa'chal captain. Snadhya'rune's prized ship, stolen by Ariel's renegades, had detonated on her tower, and a host of demons now inhabited the waterways and throughout Felde. Keeping a careful, smiling visage, their mistress showed them a large, yellow gem she had been holding--Snadhya'rune describes its function as a capsule holding the identity and memories of the fae, to be summoned at its master's leisure.

The gem had contained the captured essence of none other than Koil'dorath, the Sarghress clan's missing leader in the three years following the District War--Nidraa'chal agents had somehow obtained her corpse and housed it beneath the Vel'Sharen fortress. Simply put, Snadhya'rune threatened to kill her subordinates and turn them into traditional summons.

Out of fear, Adira prostrated herself and was granted an opportunity to fix the mess created by going to Zala'ess to beg the Alliance for aid, despite Daenar's protests. Before departing, Snadhya is asked of her health by Nehleanee and moved to get on her feet in a show of good health and a bright smile, as Wi'am entered and took away the gem. But, as soon as they left and her summons closed the door, Snadhya'rune collapsed into her wheelchair with Wi'am's aid and her earth sorcery. Then, her smile fell, replaced with a burning rage over the agents' utter failure to protect her property. The Jaal'darya questioned why Snadhya hadn't utilized the "new body" that had been prepared for her and fix Chel'el'Sussoloth once and for all, but Snadhya'rune stated that the consequences of switching bodies were too great of a risk to take at the time.

Consequences that her mother Diva'ratrika knew firsthand.

### A Fateful Encounter

A few cycles later, her spy Sehra'ven came to report Chrys'tel's movement towards the Sarghress fortress, as Mel returned from her task of assassination. While she took the shot against her twin brother Kel'noz without a second thought, the Nidraa'chal agent with her confirmed that the Val'Sarghress could not fire upon her eldest daughter. Snadhya'rune couldn't comprehend why her lover refused to cull the unruly elements, knowing that she offered to bring Ariel to their side many times in the past. Now, the Sarghress would find aid with Chry'stel's rebel Imperial Guards--the First Daughter felt that she had been too gentle with the rogue elements within the clan, promptly ordering her agent to ensure Chrys'tel did not return to the royal tower.

As Mel left to meet with her dokkalfar mate Zhor, Snadhya'rune asked her a simple question: why agree to murder the last of her family? Mel responded with almost a sorrowful look, expressing willingness to settle business with her twin, and to make sure the next shot missed. Standing tall in front of Mel, Zhor stared silently at Snadhya with utmost scorn, who was still wheelchair-bound.

As she seethed at the revelation, another of her agents appeared with an alert of an emerging situation upstairs--several agents reported seeing a young girl appearing from seemingly nowhere, then sealing herself inside the deceased Empress' throne room. At first, Snadhya's had no idea how to deal with the lone intrusion, until their mistress was informed the girl was claiming to be Diva'ratrika herself, then she demanded to be brought to the scene herself.

Despite visibly struggling to maintain herself due to the injuries, the young dokkalfar spoke in a commanding voice with such clarity that none could doubt the seemingly outrageous claim. She recalled moments of Snadhya'rune's defiance with the Feldian takeover, her past failures to usurp Sha'sana's position as Headmistress, and even the moment her daughter begged forgiveness at Diva'ratrika's feet for being tainted. What triggered the First Daughter the most was the bold declaration of matricide, right in front of the Nidraa'chal minions.

At once, the minions were dismissed. To verify the young dokkalfar's claims, Snadhya examined the nature of her aura... And laughed hysterically at the ridiculousness of it all, because the girl truly was her Empress Mother reborn. The reason was that Diva'ratrika had gone through with an ancient technique known as 'transfer of the spirit' to survive the assassination attempt.

The two exchanged heated words; Diva blamed her daughter's insanity on the fall of her clan and the destruction of Chel'el'Sussoloth, while Snadhya threw back that her mother's ironclan grip on the throne and hunger for immortality prevented the Sharen from advancing. As her fury exploded, a dark cloud of nether energy emerged from Snadhya'rune's body to creep closer to the young girl. Diva fled for the top of the throne, dropping her bag in the process. Seconds later, the creeping shadow engulfed the bag, and its contents reacted with a flash of light drawing the nether into it. Immediately recognized as an old project she and Sha'sana worked on, Snadhya paused for a moment to gloat at her mother's lack of defense and impending doom. Diva responded with a massive blast of mana that fizzled out against her daughter's demonic shield.

Then, the First Daughter unleashed her drow earth summons on the young girl--though, the unruly Koil'dorath summon attacked her mistress instead. Diva used the arts of wind, earth, and fire to block the other drow summon, but was too slow to stop Snadhya'rune from summoning her great dragon summon. As the dragon raised a claw to crush the dokkalfar underfoot, Diva taunted one last time with a warning that someone will always stand against her daughter, and she will be taken out eventually. Furious, Snadhya'rune crushed her mother at the foot of the throne, only to then realize Diva wanted to die at that spot for a reason--it was the pattern she drew to escape death, and once more, Diva'ratrika slipped out of her mad daughter's grasp.

## Notable Quotes

*"The Nidraa'chal is in opposition to this notion. We want to leave the past behind and forge our own future. It is simple really. Drow ruled by drow."* - on the goals of the Nidraa'chal

*"My door was open to you [Chrys'tel]--As it was open to all who attended my school. The Leaders of Chel would use your fears against each other, only to discard you once you've outlived your usefulness; be that your end comes as victim of your taint or as meat for the war. I offer you knowledge and the power to change our world! Let the remnants of the old rule be cast down!"* - Speaking to her party guests in Felde

## Character Concept

Concept art of Snadhya'rune for Chapter 45 (by Lunareth)