Asphodel

Stardust Sap Lamp Trinkets A specialized lamp that uses sap from birch trees in the Starwood Strand. It emits an eerie blue flame. 41

Asphodel The loyal spy. "Not alone, my love. Never alone."

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Seeker Asphodel had resolved to sniff out evidence of The Shade in the deepest recesses of the Earth. She had had vowed to investigate rumors of the risen dead, and test them for The Shade's corruption. She had even had dreams of creating prisons for the Shadetouched within Earth, stony counterparts to the Fortress of Ends in the Southern Icefields. The Earthshaker had been the foundation of the World Pillar; surely his children would join the children of the Icewarden in combating the threat of The Shade once again.

All of those plans were complicated by the arrival of Acheron.

Acheron is at once self-appointed Seeker, Sentry, Keeper, and Overseer of a realm Asphodel had not even known existed until she met him. She was engrossed by what he had to show her, appalled by the scope of the threat, and enthralled by the devotion of this dragon to a cause no one else seemed to understand. It wasn't long until she pledged herself to Acheron - to his cause, and to him.

Asphodel had already set herself to explore mysteries; perhaps that is why she proved more receptive to Acheron's message than other Gaolers. Conservative down to their frozen bones, they have enough trouble grasping the realities of the Fourth Age - accepting the Underworld is a bridge too far. When she declared her support for Acheron, Asphodel lost the respect of most of her people.

Asphodel is undaunted. The truth will out in time. In the meanwhile, there is work to be done. As she is not a Memento Mori, she lacks some of their innate advantages for dealing with the restless dead and the underworld. She is working to learn necromancy, but the magic comes hard. Much more intuitive for her was this new application of her Seeker duties.

If the parts of The Shade stuck in the Underworld mean to escape, those beings that are already close to the veil must be the next targets. Asphodel Seeks among these - mourners, funerary ritualists, the revivified dead, ghosts - for signs of The Shade's influence. Those found to be too far corrupted can be handed over to either Acheron or the other Gaoler orders for containment. To pass among her targets without drawing their ire, Asphodel has mastered a gentle facade. She is more spy than inquisitor; those she examines seldom realize that they have been measured in such a high-stakes test.

When her duties are done, Asphodel returns to her mate, her love, to offer the greatest comfort she can: reassurance that he does not face this evil alone.