Calista Xaldir

Calista Xaldir was a high-elf member of the Good Folks Reclamation Project and daughter of the Triumvir Lumaris Xaldir.

## Description

Born in the city of Viridell shortly after her father's appointment to the title of Triumvir by the paladin Fonteyne Howell before his founding of Howell Town, Calista has lived through the development of the settlement from its fledgling first steps to the tropical port city that it has become. Articulate and intelligent, Calista wanted for nothing throughout her childhood and adolescence, and showed no sign of distress or disobedience beyond what might be expected of a normal wayward teenager.

## History

At some point, Calista crossed paths with the dwarven cleric Torrun Rudd, finding a great level of sympathy with his cause, his belief in actions to allow people to transition beyond stagnant states of suffering, distress and melancholy. After Torrun's capture and public trial, Calista was involved in breaking Torrun free from the conscription-operated mine into which he was placed, fleeing with him and a few other devotees in the jungle to the fellowship's encampment in the depths of the Laayo Wilds. Keen to keep the occurrence from public eyes, Lumaris authorised a number of attempted rescue attempts to retrieve her, all of which resulted in failure, and so turned to hired help in the form of mercenaries and/or adventurers.

One such group from Amber Run acted upon the call, initially drawn by the bounty placed upon Torrun Rudd himself, though promised further reward upon Calista's rescue. To this effect, the group travelled into the Tviatini Jungle, eventually locating Calista and the rest of the Good Folks Reclamation Project near the ruins of the Ender Temple. Caught unawares by Lyonel, Calista was knocked unconscious while fishing, but eventually freed by the rest of the party on the agreement that she would travel with them to Viridell, watching over the captive Torrun.

Upon her return, each member of the party was rewarded with a gemstone worth 1000gp, with both Rynros and Lyonel choosing a diamond, Adrian, Faustus and Enor instead donating theirs as promised to the remaining members of the fellowship. Faustus tried to talk to Calista about the events of the week, presenting himself as a kindred spirit to unhappiness stemming from the actions of a powerful father, but found little response from Calista, and thus pressed no further.

### Death

A few days after the departure of the adventuring party, on the day of Torrun's trial, Calista was permitted by her father to visit the preacher one last time, albeit it under careful supervision. During the exchange deemed otherwise mundane, Torrun gifted Calista his candle pendant of Aita, the only possession he was granted to keep by the party that captured him, the pair sharing in a quiet moment of contemplation that surely the next time they would be together would indeed be *"at the base of the Matron's mount, where the lakes are silver and the skies gold"*. Calista bid Torrun well, and thus departed, pendant in hand.

The following morning, Calista was found unresponsive in her bedchambers by a member of serving staff. Subsequent investigation revealed her to be poisoned, seemingly self-inflicted - the holy pendant hollow, and able to hold two measures within the candle of such a substance, suspected to be Moonlight Sorrow. Torrun, likewise, was found dead in his cell, leading to speculation that he had partaking of his dose earlier in the day, before handing the other dose to Calista.