Nefferlasta
Nefferlasta, the Queen of the Sea, of Fury and the Coral. She is the ancient sister of Dieterra, born to a father and mother now long since lost to time. They arrived upon Torthe with the Titans, led jointly by Abrastis, Dieterra and Nefferlasta. Dieterra and Nefferlasta were as close as sisters can be, having travelled across the great void between stars on fading ships of silver, watching the fall of their people and dreaming of a new life far from the encroaching darkness.
Yet on arrival upon Torthe, and during the Outworld War, Nefferlasta and her sister grew distant. Nefferlasta blamed Abrastis, who had become ever more controlling, seeing the paths of time extending ahead of them. As Titan after Titan fell, Abrastis and Dieterra spent more time raising their children by pouring their powers into them. And yet Nefferlasta could only watch, as her sister’s light dimmed and the light of her consort shone brighter. The rage that had always been a part of her grew, slowly at first, and then in leaps and bounds.
Increasingly, decisions were taken without her. While Nefferlasta fought alongside other brethren, Abrastis and Dieterra ordered the world around them. And when finally the gods were defeated, and the two races joined together to form the pantheon, Nefferlasta saw that Abrastis had placed himself above all others – including his own Queen of the Stars.
The rage erupted, and Nefferlasta launched an attack, seeking to seize the Golden Throne from Abrastis. For a moment, with storms gathering and terrible creatures clambering from the deep oceans, it looked as if she might succeed – but Dieterra intervened, in what Nefferlasta describes as the First Betrayal. The Queen of the Stars struck her own sister in battle, and she was banished, dethroned, cast into the deepest trench of the deepest ocean on Torthe.
Nefferlasta there nursed her strength, the first of the Dethroned. She has never had a partner as an equal – she refuses to lower herself to any being’s level by pretending to be an equal. However, she has had lovers. Anapoli, a sea elf druid, was her chosen favourite, and they dallied together for centuries, existing together in happiness. Yet it is said that for many years this sea elf distracted Nefferlasta from the surface world, and without her attention, the seas grew wild, and dark enemies began to encroach on Torthe, enemies that would terrify even the Dethroned ones. And so with a heavy heart, Dieterra stole Anapoli’s heart, showing her the wonders of the stars and moon, of the rippling lights upon the ocean’s surface, and the sea elf fled from Nefferlasta. This was the Second Betrayal.
Nefferlasta is a sworn, vengeful enemy of the Golden Throne, and the Moon Rulers, and some of the Wanderers – indeed, most of the Dethroned she considers an enemy. She is prideful, powerful and quick to anger. Yet she still has heart, and cares deeply for the world. She weeps still for the fate of the creaturefolk, where a terrible tragedy forced her and Dieterra to work together to destroy Etruska, for fear of the world’s collapse.
Like Dieterra, Nefferlasta is known for her three aspects.
Maiden:
Nefferlasta in her maiden form is a capricious, spoiled child, but who can twist the affections of mortals around her fingers. Not, as many might imagine, through feminine wiles, but through the pleading of a child. It is the Coral Child who the sailors make their offerings to, for fear that this tempestuous, unreasonable and quick-to-anger child will stamp her feet, and bring the oceans to heel.
Mother:
Nefferlasta is no mother, in the way of Dieterra. No children has she borne, except for those that exist in the depths of the seas. In this guise, she is entrancingly beautiful, a seductress who is said to lead the greatest mariners to her chambers, where they spend moments expecting a joyful release, only to see the reaching tentacles and shadow maw tearing at them from Mother Maw, who takes their love and expectation, passes it through herself, to create the krakens, the sharks, and all the terrible fears of the ocean. The sahuagin, it is said, are created from these ancient and beautiful men, who had all that was human torn from them, leaving behind only the shark warriors that serve Mother Maw absolutely. This is the form she most often takes, a dress formed of tentacles and a beautiful visage that only briefly can contain the hate and anger within her.
Crone:
The crone form of Nefferlasta is a female figure that appears to be a statue that might be found on the prow of a ship, but with robes of cobwebs, and ice gathered around her. She is Granny Ghost, and she takes pleasure in providing comfort to sailors, only to take their souls as they die. Granny Ghost, they say, created hypothermia – the moment of warmth and comfort that helps people fall to a peaceful sleep, followed by a sudden death. It is her last gift and curse to those who traverse the oceans and the ice, and it sums up her character more than anything. She is the bitterest of the aspects – though none are pleasant – and though at times she can be kind, usually to creaturefolk, or her sahuagin, mostly she soothes, settles and then inflicts unimaginable pain on those around her.
Tenets of Faith
- Visit vengeance by three each time, until it is done.
- Slavery is an abomination, but slaves must earn their freedom.
- Wronged lovers are sacred, and must be guarded.
- Seek power for its own sake, for none will give it.
- Suffer not someone undeserving as your equal.
- The seas are treacherous – as is the world, trust only me – and even then, little.
- Do not share your rule with any who would cheat you.
- One in ten to me, one in ten to you, and the rest to split across the crew.
- Glitter when you can, hide when you must.
- Sail under the stars, and raise your middle finger to them.
- Hates, and loves, Dieterra, for all their shared history.
- Hates Abrastis and would see him imprisoned for an eternity if she could.
- Hates The Blight for what it does to her servants in the ocean.
- Cares little for the Calculix, it cannot harm her oceans.
- Has dallied in the past with Shadowent.
- Has allied briefly with Aesa.
- Troubled relationship with Triodar, Hevren and Ulantarr.
- Of all the gods, is the one who can communicate closely with Khraxxara.
- Close alliance with Vaskull – when it suits either.
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