Sheltatha Lore

Name: Sheltatha Lore

Pseudonyms: Daughter Dusk

Age: Elder

Race: Tiste Edur

Appearance: --

Warrens: Starvald Demelain

Further Info: An Elder ascendant, spawn of Tiam and Scabandari Bloodeye, half-sister to Menandore and Sukul Ankhadu and the mother of Envy and Spite. Dragon Soletaken

Biography

Before the sundering of Kurald Emurlahn, Scabandari was one of many to mate with Tiam, and so beget a daughter named Sheltatha Lore. Due to her father, Sheltatha's appearance was similar to a Tiste Edur, grey-skinned and dark-haired. From her mother, Sheltatha inherited the gift of being a Soletaken Eleint.

Little is known of Sheltatha Lore's deeds in the Elder times. At some point she became the lover of Draconus and together they begot the daughters Spite and Envy, as named by Draconus himself.

Sheltatha and her two half-sisters, Menandore and Sukul Ankhadu, have a repeated history of allying, betraying and assaulting each other. Shortly after Scabandari Bloodeye betrayed Silchas Ruin and was in turn defeated by Mael and Kilmandaros, Menandore and Sukul conspired to defeat Sheltatha, whom they then interred in the Azath House in Lether where Silchas Ruin was buried.

Escape from the Azath

At the time of the Seventh Closure and the death of the Azath House imprisoning her, Sheltatha tried to escape from the Azath grounds, first by making promises to the undead child Kettle serving the Azath. Kettle's friends, such as Shurq Elalle and Tehol Beddict, advised Kettle not to trust Sheltatha Lore and her extravagant promises. Sheltatha then switched tacts by grabbing hold of the ankles of Silchas Ruin, who Kettle and the Azath would free to combat the other escapees of the Azath grounds. Initially, Silchas Ruin asked Kettle to find him swords which he could use to sever Sheltatha's wrists, but Silchas was unable to reach the swords in time to use them.

As the Seregahl emerged from their barrow in the Azath grounds and were confronted by Iron Bars of the Crimson Guard, a locqui wyval and Wither, a Tiste Andii wraith, entered into Silchas Ruin's barrow within Udinaas, a slave of the Tiste Edur. Wither and the wyval assaulted Sheltatha Lore and sprang Silchas Ruin free. While Silchas Ruin went into combat against the Seregahl, Wither and the wyval beat back Sheltatha Lore and her escape attempt was subdued.

A few years later, Sheltatha emerged from the grounds of the dead Azath and was met by Sukul Ankhadu, who claimed that the blame for Sheltath's internment lay solely with Menandore. Sheltatha conspired with Sukul and with Hannan Mosag to locate the Finnest containing the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye. Sheltatha and Sukul allied themselves with Menandore, putting aside their differences due to the threat of Silchas Ruin. Menandore herself had been consorting with Shadowthrone, Hood and her son Rud Elalle in regards to the defence of the Finnest from Silchas Ruin. Sheltatha, Menandore and Sukul veered into dragons and assaulted the Imass camp within the Refugium where the Finnest was located and were met by Quick Ben, one of the men sent by Shadowthrone, and Hedge, a ghost sapper.

The three Eleint were knocked to the earth by Quick Ben's sorcery and pummeled repeatedly by waves from his warrens. Sukul managed to escape the onslaught and departed to pursue the fleeing Imass while Menandore and Sheltatha turned on each other. Hedge then fired a cusser into the two and the dragons were blown to pieces.

Sheltatha amongst the Tiste Edur

Among the Tiste Edur on the Letheri continent, Sheltatha Lore is worshipped as Daughter Dusk, the most cherished daughter of Scabandari, whom they worship as Father Shadow. The Tiste Edur mistakenly believe Sukul Ankhadu (whom they call Dapple or the Daughter of Deceit) and Menandore (whom they call Daughter/Sister Dawn), to also be daughters of Scabandari. While Dawn is regarded as evil and Dapple as a fickle but ambivalent deity, Daughter Dusk is honoured with gifts, propitiation and monuments. Another title used for Sheltatha is Protectress of the Tiste Edur.

It should be noted that while the Edur use titles such as Daughter Dusk, they are also aware of their deities' true names and so Sheltatha and the others will be referenced by their proper name on occasion.

References

"Two tall figures appeared, dragging between them a third one - a woman, unconscious or dead, long dark brown hair unbound and trailing on the ground. [...] And he knew, then, the woman they dragged between them. Dusk, Sheltatha Lore. Scabandari's most cherished daughter, the Protectress of the Tiste Edur."

MT, UK mmpb, p.276

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