Neska

Neska was a Sheoran ascendant, living in a snake's body in the sewers of Wildcliff. Her body was first introduced in Episode 4 - Reverence, and her first formal introduction was in Episode 71 - Threatened With a Good Time. Neska was killed by Integrity Idleberry.

## Physical Description

In snake form, Neska has been described as a giant serpent with large, watermelon-sized eyes and a spherical four-inch diameter socket on her forehead. Neska's humanoid form was described as sickly and soaking wet with fully green eyes, black, matted hair slightly above her shoulders, sharp teeth, and a similar indent on her forehead.

## History

Neska is an ascendant, a term referring to a group of high priests in ancient Sheoran society who gave up their earthly tethers to "ascend" into serpentine forms and gain magical power. Neska worships the goddess Meaphidae, and was likely specifically a priestess of her order. These ascendants were believed to have ushered in The Progenitor, and according to Empress Terrasis, were "put to rest" after accomplishing this task. After The Oblex began to live in the sewers, the noise and movement awoke Neska from her rest.

The students initially saw one of Neska's bodies in Episode 4 - Reverence, in the form of a serpentine skeleton in the Sunken Hatch. After Mira Marchand picked up a rib that had fallen to the floor, the rib turned into a snake and attacked the students. The snake was promptly decapitated by Integrity Idleberry.

The snakes made of Neska's ribs appear to have been in the chamber for a long time; a vision of thirty years prior revealed that Wildcliff student Enlee was killed after she and Ferimel encountered the skeleton while attempting the trial together.

In Episode 71 - Threatened With a Good Time, Neska visited Mira's dormitory in humanoid form. She explained that the Oblex had awakened her from her slumber, and she had returned to the hatch to find her body damaged. After tracking her scent, Neska found Mira in her dorm room and gave her an urn containing a growing body. Neska told Mira to keep the urn safe and to visit her in the sewers as soon as possible.

The following night, Neska killed Professor Underbough after he supposedly would not give her her knife, using it to cut out his heart. The knife was later found in the office of Artis Artisian, along with ash.

In Episode 80 - Mission: Improbable, Integrity visited Neska in the sewers after receiving a dream from The Progenitor telling her to do so. Neska initially attempted to coerce Integrity to come closer to her and to become an ascendant, as The Progenitor ordered Integrity to kill Neska. Integrity, hesitant to do either, attempted to flee, causing Neska to chase her and attempt to kill her. Integrity ultimately escaped.

In Episode 83 - Power to the Pebble, Neska visited Mira in another dream, informing Mira that her opening the urn had destroyed the body inside and demanding Mira return to the sewers to acquire another urn. Mira ultimately agreed.

In Episode 85 - Ghurt Intentions, Mira visited the sewers along with Delnys Raethran. The pair encountered Neska, who informed them that she was the one to kill Underbough, that she planned to use her knife to "correct lies", that she worshipped the goddess Meaphidae, and that Empress Terassis, who rejected the opportunity to ascend, was a liar. After threatening Mira, Delnys, and Integrity, Neska convinced the pair to consume the green powder around them in the sewers, seemingly giving them a vision of a Sheoran garden.

According to Neska, Mira's vision was supposed to be "going before the Goddess". After Mira informed Neska that her snake arm may have been protecting her from this vision, Neska immediately bit off Mira's right arm. She tried to give Mira the replacement urn, but Mira fled.

in Episode 92 - Precious Powder, the students decided that killing Neska would be the only way to move forward from that point on. With the company of Yog, they decided to head down to the sewers with several magical items and explosives. Artis later accompanied them, leaving his cottage to do so.

After Artis left his cottage, where Teb and Delnys were residing, Neska took on a humanoid form and made her way to the Concourse, killing the attendant currently working there. She then took a portal to the cottage, killing Teb and wounding Delnys, and took the green Orb of Reverence. The orb, fitting into the divot on her forehead, gave her powerful spellcasting abilities, as well as the power to take on multiple forms at the same time. In her snake form, she emerged from her resting place and fought the students.

After Neska sent a humanoid version of herself to attack Integrity, Integrity pried the orb out of Neska's forehead, significantly damaging her and reducing her power. After the group weakened Neska with fire and explosives, Integrity landed the killing blow. Before Neska died, she implied that the group was making a mistake and that she would be back.

## Speculation and Trivia

* After Integrity killed Neska in Episode 95 - Ashes to Ashes, Neska's body turned to ash. The same happened to many of Neska's humanoid forms in previous episodes. However, the snake body presumably belonging to Neska in the Trial of Reverence was not turned to ash, and was instead a skeleton. The reasons behind this discrepancy are currently unclear, and may be tied to the humanoid skeleton holding a wand in the chamber.