Shamshi

"I shall make a harvest from them of victory, and treasures and glory, and they shall harvest from me greatness, strength and worth!"

   Shamshi, also known as Shamshi-Adad and the Rosegold Empress, or the Empress of the north. She is a mušḫuššu that often takes the human form of a bubby, excitable red haired woman.

## Shamshi in the Other World

Shamshi is an exuberant red haired woman met by the party of Estovar's Free Company after going through an alternate exit for the Dungeon Scuttle. She is lithe, acrobatic, quick and seems always to be flashing a smile. She is not only lovely, with a sunkissed human figure, but appears quick witted. She is dressed in leather armor and a series of skins and furs.

## Story Thus Far

As the party emerged from the dungeon gate, they spied a night sky that was vividly different from the sky they were used to. In addition to tens of thousands more stars sparkling in the sky overhead there were also, massive objects hanging in the sky.

As the lovely, wild haired Shamshi leapt, and acrobatically bound from rock to rock on the cliff above she settled into the valley floor with the party and after touching Hafthor's head began to commune with them in the common tongue of New Hilde. She would immediately pronounce her joy at seeing "antha" again walking the world, and would begin a lightning fast barrage of questions for Alan Wheat about where they came from. He would obligingly tell that they had come from the Underworld, or so the spear Shallihar had told him. The party would feel unsure of her, and as Takvor would ask Gadja and Snow their thoughts, he would be told that she is untrustworthy by Gadja, whereas Snow would describe her as: "Not human, nor like the dwarves or the elves. She smells like the side of a high mountain, like the wind blowing over a mountain side." When asked later by Hafthor what she was, she told him that she is First Born, and they; pointing to he and the rest of the party; are Second Born.  She would go on to say, "My gods made us first, then your gods made you."

Shamshi would show the party a cave, a safe place where they can stay, upon being told that the gate takes thirty days.  She led them to a second, much higher bluff overlooking the cleft, and there, in its side was a wide cave entry. There was within the larger cave a smaller offshoot cave, and inside a simple home with a comfortable pallet and a spartanly supplied resting place.

Her behavior to the party is fawning delight, and an unbridled all-too familiar touchy-feely libertine closeness, which drifts at times to an emotional teary-eyed burst of joy at seeing them and being delighted that humanity has gone on living.

## Shamshi in the "Underworld"

Shamshi would travel with the party for weeks. She would spot a terrible dragon-like creature she would call a "sallamu," as well as finding the þursar wandering the high ices. She would demonstrate shocking levels of magical power to the party, including the abilities to throw fire, and fly seemingly at will. Eventually, after the course of time passed, she would travel with Estovar's back through the Scuttle and into the Underworld. Upon leaving the cabin, she would vault into the air, using flight magic to explore, and would disappear from sight.

## Shamshi-Adad and the War in the North

Initial reports from locals fleeing the area indicated that a figure matching her description had fought a horrid, floating figure in the northern reaches of Hargravia at Arru Velnor. The refugees would describe her as being struck from the sky, crumpling beneath its blows and crashing to the earth after battling the abomination.

For months Estovar would operate under these pretenses until their return to Hargravia. Upon arrival at their cabin they would find a note pinned to the door:

> "Friends,
>
>
> I have sacked the north, and overcome the abhorrent creature that led the armies there.  I am certain I will be busy for some time.  Take care of yourself and resist these unwholesome fiends I found here, and do not attack these Children of Nim, they are mine.  Pray to your gods that all goes well, and be careful of returning to the lands of the Light, this world is far safer.
>
>
> My thanks again,
>
>
> Shamshi - Adad
>
>
>
> Rosegold Empress of the North"
>
>

The party thereafter would be flummoxed about what to do concerning the strange, sorcerous woman.

## Tales of the Empress

Stories have spread far and wide subsequent of Weodn the 14th, 4750 DE, when Shamshi-Adad came to the Underworld. The dwarves of Hargravia, fleeing the north in the light of emergence of terrible armies of bestial creatures would tell tales of the flying woman and her battle with the faceless giant. Still others would tell tales of a terrible figure arising from the "death" of the sorceress, a great serpent, stretching wings across the sky, which curled around and destroyed the demoniac figure of the floating giant.

Having survived the fight with the faceless creature, and having cowed its armies, Shamshi appears to rule the borderlands of Hargravia and Arru Velnor. The concerns remain, how far does her empire go, how far will it go, and who truly is Shamshi-Adad, the Rosegold Empress?

## The War on Kelenor

Late in Ghetn, 4751 DE, the Rosegold Empress would appear in draconic form over the walls of Kelenor, looking much like the Ṣallamu creature that had been seen in the Other World by Estovar's Free Company. She would issue a challenge to the people of the fallen capital, that she would return in seven days to make war upon, "the capital of the world."

Toward the end of Ghetn, Shamshi would come forth and sack Kelenor along with Creatures of Nim. While facing the Heródian forces led by the incarnated Saint Valefrain, she would encounter the members of Cyrano Trading Company, who would help her to strike down the saint.