Clera Ghomal

Clera and Ara at the sinkhole in the light of the focus moon

**Clera Ghomal** is a young novice at the convent of Sweet Mercy. She becomes the best friends of Nona Grey, despite her conflicted personality.

## Appearance and Personality

Clera Ghomal is a tall, slim and pale girl, with black hair in a wild tangle of curls. She has Hunska traits.

Clera is from a relatively successful merchant family that has fallen on hard times, probably through the machinations of the wealthy Sis nobility. She has become embittered by class-resentment, hating all members of The Sis, and taking a particular dislike for Arabella Jotsis. She forms an especially strong friendship with Nona, with several hints that she wants to be her bisexual lover. Despite their friendship, even Nona eventually realises that Clera is very sharp-tongued and selfish; “*if you weren’t Clera’s friend, you weren’t anything to her.*” She also has a fondness for colourful curses. Clera has the habit of playing a coin across the backs of her fingers with practised ease. To her, money is at the centre of everything, and she’ll do anything to become wealthy … even betray a friend.

## History

Clera’s father is a relatively successful merchant, who enrols his daughter in Sweet Mercy, as a means of advancement. Sometime afterwards, he is accused of being a thief and put in prison, whether through his own corruption or the machinations of the wealthy Sis nobility. His trial is complex, prolonged, and seemingly embroiled in corruption, instigated by rival Sis debtors. Her families fall from grace, stokes a bitter resentment of The Sis in Clera.

### *Red Sister*

Clera has been a novice in Sweet Mercy for some months, when two new novices join the convent. The first is Arabella Jotsis, who Clera takes an immediate dislike to. Almost as a slight to Arabella, Clera takes the peasant-girl Nona under her wing, and they become best friends, a connection with great meaning for Nona. There are lots of hints that Clera wants to be Nona’s bisexual lover: she often offers to share a bed, and flirts with her in the pool-house.

Despite their close friendship, when Nona is put on trial by High Priest Jacob, Clera does not volunteer to participate in the Shield Trial. Instead, it is Hessa who steps forward and helps Nona survive the trial. On Seven-Day, Clera regular goes to Verity to see her father in prison, and these visits often leave her melancholy. She also mysteriously returns from these visits with money, upgrading the copper coin she habitually plays across the backs of her fingers, first to a silver crown and then a gold sovereign.

Clera has strong Hunska traits, and seems destined to be a Red Sister, although she secretly admits that she intends to leave the convent before graduating as a nun. By the time she reaches Grey Class, she holds the class record for completing the Blade-Path. Clera also wins a place on the Caltess Forging, along with Nona and Zole, where they to pit their skills against the trainee and apprentice ring-fighters.

When Sister Apple begins to teach Shadow-Weaving, Clera unwisely complains that the newer must merely observe patiently. In response, the Poisoner tricks both Clera and Nona into taking her newest poison, a truth serum. They’re then made to answer awkward questions, such as whether they’ve cheated on exams and who they’re attracted to, until they flee the class to the sound of Apple’s laughter. Clera also admits that Partnis Reeve, the owner of the Caltess and a man connected to the Tacsis family, gave her a throwing-star, although she doesn’t explain why.

When Nona learns that Zole’s bodyguard Yisht is trying to steal the Sweet Mercy Shipheart, Clera and the other novices agree to help deal with her. Together they steal the ingredients for the Boneless poison, which Clera is tasked with brewing. Curiously, she takes a rather long time doing it, and some of the stolen ingredients are found to be missing afterwards. Nona does manages to subdue the deadly ice-triber in the caves beneath the plateau. Clera and the others then drag Yisht out of the caverns, stuff her in a wine-barrel, and ship her to Durn.

It is finally revealed where Clera got her money during the annual Ranging across open country from Harran Fens to the Kring. After Clera, Nona, and the other novices become split-up in an ice-storm, they realise that the region is full of men who seem to be Durnish raiders. After Nona is waylaid by finding an injured Sister Kettle, she rushes to catchup with Ara and Zole. Despite the delay, Clera is curiously even further behind her. Eventually Clera, Ara, and Nona meet up, and make for a narrow gorge called Aemon’s Cut. There they find Darla, Zole, Ruli, and Jula gathered in a cave with Tarkax the Ice-Spear for protection. Nona insists on joining them, although Clera seems strangely reluctant. Tarkax explains that the men are in fact Tacsis soldiers disguised as raiders, and eventually the twelve soldiers surround the cave.

As they are preparing to fight them, Clera reveals herself to be a traitor, believing that the soldiers want Ara. She poisons Tarkax, Ara, and Zole before Nona and the others can subdue her. Nona was unharmed by the poison having taken the Black Cure, because of her growing suspicions on Clera. The soldiers are in fact loyal to Raymel Tacsis who wants his revenge on Nona for almost killing him. Despite their losses, Nona insists on fighting anyway. Using a combination of her Hunska speed, Path energy, and her Flaw-Blades, Nona hurls herself at the soldiers and tears them apart. With the novices exhausted from dealing with the soldiers, Raymel himself suddenly appears swathed in scale-armour. The four novices attack the giant Gerant, but the devils inside him make him virtually impregnable. Even Ara’s Path power barely damages his flesh. It's only when Nona uses Yisht's Amulet of Negation that she can finally kill him.

### *Grey Sister*

After the events on the Ranging, Clera Ghomal leaves the convent of Sweet Mercy, and takes service with Thuran Tacsis and his main ally, the emperor's sister Sherzal. She has since trained with the Noi-Guin and with Safira. Although she works for the Tacsis family, it doesn't change her friendship with Nona. When Nona is imprisoned by the Noi-Guin, she helps her escape, using her knowledge of the Tetragode. Clera just wants to get Nona out, but Nona insists on helping Sister Kettle when she gets cornered by the Noi-Guin and Lightless, killing them after walking The Path.

While Clera, Nona and the injured Kettle are sneaking out of the Tetragode, Nona sense the Sweet Mercy Shipheart. Determined to reclaim the precious artifact, they force Clera to lead them into Sherzal's palace. There they encounter Yisht. A fight ensues, but Yisht's ability to predict her enemy proves too powerful. In the end, she holds Grey Mustard poison over a prone Kettle poised to kill her. However, Nona's determination to not leave her friend, forces the Demon Keot out of her and into Yisht. The Devils inside Yisht leave her writhing and incapable.

After patching themselves up, Sister Kettle convinces Nona not to go after the Shipheart, having seen what it did to Yisht. They move through the palace to help Abbess Glass escape. On the way, they stumble into Thuran Tacsis. Nona can’t resist taking her revenge on him. She kills his guard, drags him into a room, and seal The Harm to his skin with Fleshbind. Clera, Nona, and Kettle eventually meet up with Abbess Glass and the others in the stables. When her friend Darla dies in her arms, it gives Nona the rage she needs to reach for The Path again, and use the power to escape the palace in a carriage. Although Glass may have forgive her and allowed her to return to Sweet Mercy, Clera decides to stay and continue in the service of now Lano Tacsis.

### *Holy Sister*

As flashforward throughout the first two books describe events that presumably occur in *Holy Sister*. Lano Tacsis has led two armies on an attack on the convent of Sweet Mercy, including Pelarthi mercenaries, and an army of his own house, and eight Noi-Guin. With them are a full eight Noi-Guin assassins including the Singular of the Noi-Guin, more than has even been assembled. Lano sends in the Pelarthi for an initial assault. Arabella, now graduated as Sister Thorn, is sent out to face them. Ara devastates the mercenaries with her throwing-stars, sword, and the power of the Path. Standing amongst her vanquished foes, she’s suddenly skewered through the back with a spear. As she collapses, the spear thrower approaches her, and all Ara can say is “Sister C …” before passing out.

Clera stands poised over the wounded Ara, when Nona or Sister Cage suddenly appears. She kills half a dozen of the nearest Pelarthi mercenaries, and the rest flee in terror from the renowned nun. Clera is shocked to see Nona, not expecting her here. Despite Clera's betrayal, Nona had refused to kill her in the past, and refuses to kill her now. Ara is still alive, and nuns arrive to take her to Sister Rose in the Sanatorium. Clera warns Nona that Lano Tacsis will be sending in more soldiers now. Nona just stands ready for them, with her back towards Clera, daring her to kill her. She says simply “*I think you’ll fight them with me. Sister.*”

Clera returns from the failed initial attack on Sweet Mercy to inform Lano Tacsis that Nona is at the convent. She tries to persuade Lano that Nona will now flee since her friend is safe, but he refuses to listen, ordering a full assault on the convent with his own army and his Noi-Guin allies.