Elvira Amacastia

Elvira

Elvira is a half-elf rogue born in Quel Rachvi, a drow city in the Underdark beneath Seran Seldaris. An independent soul and incorrigible gambler, she enjoys traveling the surface world and making new friends, especially if the promise of gold is at hand. Armed with her wits and her shortbow, she applies her infiltration training as a former Lolthir agent to dispatch enemies from a distance, as well as to navigate through trap-laden, treasure-filled dungeons without a trace.

## History

### Elvira's Parents

Born to a drow mother and a human father, Elvira grew up in two worlds and was treated as an outsider in both. Elvira's mother was a spy for the Lolthir on the surface, posing as an Eilistra Drow and supplying information on the Elven Alliance to her superiors in Quel Rachvi. It seems that she came to enjoy her life on the surface world, however, as she took a human partner and had a child with him. Taking any non-drow partner and conceiving a child with them, especially with a non-elf, is considered an act of heresy among the Lolthir, who demand that the Spider Queen's lineage remain untainted by the blood of other beings. Frightened of being discovered, yet unwilling to part with her child, Elvira's mother raised her daughter in the outer circles of Quel Rachvi, changing her identity and taking the name 'Amacastia' as she took on a new role as a servant to another house.

### Childhood

Living as a servant with her mother, Elvira was a rambunctious and curious child who often shirked her duties in favor of exploring the city. She enjoyed playing with other children and running through the mushroom fields, where she would accept dares from other kids to mess with giant lizards and city guards. Elvira enjoyed this simple life of exploration and play, and despised having to return home, where she would be forced to scrub floors and feed giant spiders.

One of her oldest friends would end up being Elendar Xiloscient, at the time a young scholar fascinated by the little troublemaker running through town. The two met when Elvira and her friends were being harassed by a group of older kids looking for easy targets to bully. Infuriated at the sight, Elendar chased the bullies away and offered to help the kids chase off anyone else looking to bother them. Elvira has since enjoyed having him as a friend, checking in on him occasionally and teasing him for being so serious.

### Training with Her Mother

Elvira's mother was often too occupied with her own duties to keep a tight leash on her daughter, but she still paid attention to her little one's mischief. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't convince Elvira to stay in one place for very long, as the little rascal always found a way to slip away from the house. She finally put her foot down when Elvira was nearly caught playing a prank on a city guard, who ended up stopping by their masters' house to investigate the incident.

She could scold her daughter all she wanted, yet Elvira's mother knew that her daughter's wanderlust was simply incurable. Tired of trying to keep her tied down and wanting to keep her safe, she instead taught Elvira some of her own skills from her previous life, showing her how to keep herself hidden and unnoticed. These lessons fascinated Elvira, prompting her to ask her mother more about where she learned such tricks. Rather than confess about her past as a spy, Elvira's mother instead told her she was an adventurer and hoped that would be explanation enough. This had the opposite effect, as it only inspired Elvira to ask her mother more questions and pester her to give her more lessons. To placate her daughter, as well as to finally bond with her a bit more, Elvira's mother gave her more secret lessons, even teaching her martial combat at night when the other servants slept.

### Career as a Lolthir Spy

Growing up, Elvira was able to pass as a drow fairly easily, displaying more of her mother's elven features than her father's human ones. When she approached adolescence, however, more of her father's features began to show: her hair was thicker and more curly than a drow's normally was, her physique was slightly broader and squatter than average, and she displayed less magic than her full-drow peers could conjure. While her friends seemed to notice this, they didn't seem to care; however, her fellow servants at home began whispering amongst themselves, their gossip spreading across the houses until it caught the attention of the Lolthir's spy networks.

Elvira and her mother were taken away to the Nightweaver Citadel overlooking Quel Rachvi, where they were given two choices: serve the Lolthir as spies on the surface, or die in agony and disgrace as heretics to the Spider Queen. The Lolthir, recognizing her mother as a missing agent, used the former spy as leverage to force Elvira into becoming a spy. Accepting her new role, Elvira earned new lodgings for her mother, now a prisoner with more worldly comforts, and entered a life of espionage and loathsome wetwork.

The Lolthir spies were impressed with Elvira's abiilties, interpreting her skills practiced with her mother as natural talent. As such, Elvira rapidly rose through the ranks until she became a mole among the Eilistra, like her mother, where she came to know the sights and wonders of the surface world. Through trips between the surface and the Underdark, Elvira was able to smuggle a variety of rare goods and contraband from the surface, including that most heretical of forbidden items: sugary foods.

Seeing her daughter's own fascination with the surface, Elvira's mother formulated a plot to get themselves away from the Lolthir. After months of planning, she and her daughter found a way for Elvira to escape to the surface without fear of reprisal against either of them. Sadly, the two were forced to separate, but Elvira is certain that her mother, ever cunning and resourceful, remains safe. Elvira hopes she can meet her father one day so that her family can finally be together; until then, she is happy to plunder dungeons and spend all her well-earned booty on dice and booze.

### Joining the Party

While enjoying the festivities at Auberdeen’s annual Hawperfest, she encountered the tabaxi fighter Perulian and the wood elf druid Sarphi get into a scuffle on a stage in the market square. She broke up the fight and quickly acquainted herself with the duo, who had found themselves in Auberdeen for their own reasons beyond drinking and cavorting. The trio’s conversation was interrupted when a halfling farmer rushed to the town square and begged for them to find his lost son. The ragtag team saved the farmer’s son and their prize pig, taking their hard-earned gold to a mystical gambling hall, where Elvira increased her money five times over.

## Description

### Appearance

Elvira inherited most of her features from her drow mother, including her white hair, dark grey skin, and blue eyes. Her human heritage can be seen in her curled hair and numerous freckles, where drow typically have straight hair (unless styled) and few freckles or skin blemishes.

Elvira normally wears dark Lolthir attire mixed with yellow or gold highlights, lacking any distinguishing features that would identify her as a resident of the Underdark. Much of her accoutrement was won through gambling, including her green half-vest, dark green scarf, metal shinguards, and golden sash.

### Equipment

Upon beginning her career as a Lolthir spy, Elvira was granted a variety of tools and weapons to aid in espionage. She carries multiple throwing knives hidden under her vest, armguards, and boots, though she prefers using her reliable shortbow for ranged attacks. When forced into close quarters, she can draw her rapier, another prize she won in a game of cards against a boastful duelist.

In addition to her leather armor and knives, she was also given a *cloak of elvenkind* to provide camouflage against her surroundings. Lolthir cloaks are made from spider silk and enchanted with illusory magics, making them soft and deceptively durable.

### Abilities

Elvira draws upon her training as an assassin, which she developed under her mother and the Lolthir, to sneak through dangerous areas and take out threats silently. If she can get the drop on an enemy, she can aim a well-placed shot at a target's weakest point, often taking them down in a single hit. She prefers to keep her distance when possible, using her shortbow to plug arrows into distracted or unaware targets. If forced into close quarters, she will draw a rapier if her allies can surround the target; otherwise, she will deftly disengage from her threats, letting her allies occupy them while wearing them down from far away.

### Personality

A friendly and outgoing sort, Elvira's affable personality contrasts strongly with her deadly profession. She enjoys making new friends, and is drawn towards other adventurers seeking their fortune.

Elvira often acts on impulse, a trait which has helped her as much as it has hindered her. She prefers to lead the way, using her stealth and keen senses to see dangers waiting ahead of the party, but often acts before consulting the rest of the party. Her quick decisions help the party rapidly answer problems, but they run the risk of bringing undue danger to the party.

When combined with her gambling addiction, Elvira's impulsiveness can spell disaster. She loves the thrill of rolling the dice and the excitement of outwitting a table full of liars, but she has rarely found success in her games. Before she met the party, she had racked up a modest gambling debt in Port Dairwane; after she won enough gold to pay of the debt five times over, however, there seems to be no sign of her slowing down.

## Inter-party Relationships

### Perulian

Elvira sees Perulian as a reliable, level-headed warrior, so long as he isn't tackling curious druids to the ground. To her, the tabaxi takes things a bit too seriously, and can afford to loosen up a bit.

### Sarphi

Elvira sees Sarphi as a strange and awkward druid, and was disturbed by her gastronomic views on the dead. Regardless, she seems to enjoy Sarphi's company, understanding that she wants to do good and help those who cannot help themselves.

## Out-of-Party Relationships

Elvira has long enjoyed her friendship with Elendar, who she initially thought was a female noble. She regularly bribed Elendar with items she "found" while wandering Quel Rachvi, fearing that he might reveal the secret of her human heritage with Lolthir authorities, until the scholar explained that he had no intention of sharing such information. After learning Elendar had made it to the surface, she occasionally communicates with him, hoping to help him on his journey. She is also friends with Delvoren, but has been unable to reach him.

## Achievements

* Escaped the city of Quel Rachvi without retribution from the Lolthir
* Rescued the halfling Josiah from a cult of Baphomet
* Won a ludicrous amount of money after gambling at a traveling tavern known as the Dragon's Den

## Trivia

* Elvira's name is likely an alias which she uses while traveling the surface; however, she uses the name often enough that she is comfortable with her own friends using it to address her.
* Elvira can be found in another campaign, in which she works for a group of drow in order to help pay off gambling debts.
	+ In that campaign, she goes by the alias "Elfae Springwood".
* Elvira's last name, Amacastia, is likely based on the D&D Elven word "amastacia," which translates to "star flower" in the Common language.