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* EyeScream: After invoking LifeOrLimbDecision, and shooing out the empaths, the healer working on Quain'tana proceeds to prepare to remove her left eye ''without anesthetic or pain relief of any kind.''
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* {{Badass}}
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** {{Badass}}: After the timeskip, as a young adult. She not only fearlessly chases after a guy to get a nether gate out of his chest and helps take it out with her ''bare hands'' but later takes out a Vloz'ress Scourge and kills the wielders of a Black Sun cannon.
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* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Another reason to explain her utterly ruthless nature and cynical view of the word is that when she does something nice to her subordinates or shows mercy to people who antagonize her, she winds up regretting it. She puts Mel in a CardboardPrison only for Mel to run off to Snad, while Snad is attacking her clan, and then returns with an insincere apology, and when she grants Ariel's request to let her out, she runs off to Snad again, and becomes an open agent of the Nidraa'chal. When she first looks like she's heeding Koil's plea to spare Su'ube, Su'ube uses her armored gauntlet so strike Quain square in the face, right in Quain's festering and bleeding facial wound. Then after Koil physically separates them, and manages to talk Quain down, Su'ube is all too happy to heed [[spoiler: Khaless]] who whispers that nobody would follow such a brute, and this is after Su'ube has already openly spoken treason within earshot of Quain among many, many witnesses, and acted like a brute herself by physically threatening Ariel.
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* MortonsFork: "Day 9" of chapter 50 ends for Quain'tana this way. Since Su'ube ''openly declared treason,'' and threatened the chosen heir within earshot of her, and in front of many witnesses, and when Quain ''specifically told her to speak her mind regarding her plans'', as the last threads of her patience were beginning to unravel from all the other physical and emotional trauma she endured, Su'ube then displays nothing short of pure cowardice by trying to placate Quain with empty platitudes, false excuses regarding concern for the clan as a whole, and claiming to speak carelessly from losing her own temper. At that point, Quain had three choices, none of them good. One, ignore Su'ube and let her not only fester but become emboldened by an apparent sign of weakness. Two, make a brutal example out of Su'ube, but risk making her a martyr, thus aggravating the grudge(s) of anyone who might either be sympathetic to Su'ube or simply not like the way Quain does things. Three, make an open show of ''sparing'' Su'ube, but with a lesser punishment than she deserves, one that serves as a grim reminder that such things will not be tolerated, which while not aggravating any grudges or making Su'ube a martyr, leaves her alive to scheme, plot and sabotage Quain, if not the clan, (notably Ariel) in the future. As a favor to Koil, a loyal commander with many war achievements under her belt, she chooses option three, and is almost immediately given just cause to regret it.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Another reason to explain her utterly ruthless nature and cynical view of the word is that when she does something nice to her subordinates or shows mercy to people who antagonize her, she winds up regretting it. She puts Mel in a CardboardPrison only for Mel to run off to Snad, while Snad is attacking her clan, and then returns with an insincere apology, and when she grants Ariel's request to let her out, she runs off to Snad again, and becomes an open agent of the Nidraa'chal. When she first looks like she's heeding Koil's plea to spare Su'ube, Su'ube uses her armored gauntletso to strike Quain square in the face, right in Quain's festering and bleeding facial wound. Then after Koil physically separates them, and manages to talk Quain down, Su'ube is all too happy to heed [[spoiler: Khaless]] who whispers that nobody would follow such a brute, and this is after Su'ube has already openly spoken treason within earshot of Quain among many, many witnesses, and acted like a brute herself by physically threatening Ariel.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Another reason to explain her utterly ruthless nature and cynical view of the word is that when she does something nice to her subordinates or shows mercy to people who antagonize her, she winds up regretting it. She puts Mel in a CardboardPrison only for Mel to run off to Snad, while Snad is attacking her clan, and then returns with an insincere apology, and when she grants Ariel's request to let her out, she runs off to Snad again, and becomes an open agent of the Nidraa'chal. When she first looks like she's heeding Koil's plea to spare Su'ube, Su'ube uses her armored gauntlet
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* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Another reason to explain her utterly ruthless nature and cynical view of the word is that when she does something nice to her subordinates or shows mercy to people who antagonize her, she winds up regretting it. She puts Mel in a CarboardPrison only for Mel to run off to Snad, while Snad is attacking her clan, and then returns with an insincere apology, and when she grants Ariel's request to let her out, she runs off to Snad again, and becomes an open agent of the Nidraa'chal. When she first looks like she's heeding Koil's plea to spare Su'ube, Su'ube uses her armored gauntlet so strike Quain square in the face, right in Quain's festering and bleeding facial wound. Then after Koil physically separates them, and manages to talk Quain down, Su'ube is all too happy to heed [[spoiler: Khaless]] who whispers that nobody would follow such a brute, and this is after Su'ube has already openly spoken treason within earshot of Quain among many, many witnesses.
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* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Another reason to explain her utterly ruthless nature and cynical view of the word is that when she does something nice to her subordinates or shows mercy to people who antagonize her, she winds up regretting it. She puts Mel in a CarboardPrison CardboardPrison only for Mel to run off to Snad, while Snad is attacking her clan, and then returns with an insincere apology, and when she grants Ariel's request to let her out, she runs off to Snad again, and becomes an open agent of the Nidraa'chal. When she first looks like she's heeding Koil's plea to spare Su'ube, Su'ube uses her armored gauntlet so strike Quain square in the face, right in Quain's festering and bleeding facial wound. Then after Koil physically separates them, and manages to talk Quain down, Su'ube is all too happy to heed [[spoiler: Khaless]] who whispers that nobody would follow such a brute, and this is after Su'ube has already openly spoken treason within earshot of Quain among many, many witnesses.witnesses, and acted like a brute herself by physically threatening Ariel.
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* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Another reason to explain her utterly ruthless nature and cynical view of the word is that when she does something nice to her subordinates or shows mercy to people who antagonize her, she winds up regretting it. She puts Mel in a CarboardPrison only for Mel to run off to Snad, while Snad is attacking her clan, and then returns with an insincere apology, and when she grants Ariel's request to let her out, she runs off to Snad again, and becomes an open agent of the Nidraa'chal. When she first looks like she's heeding Koil's plea to spare Su'ube, Su'ube uses her armored gauntlet so strike Quain square in the face, right in Quain's festering and bleeding facial wound. Then after Koil physically separates them, and manages to talk Quain down, Su'ube is all too happy to heed [[spoiler: Khaless]] who whispers that nobody would follow such a brute, and this is after Su'ube has already openly spoken treason within earshot of Quain among many, many witnesses.
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* RightBehindYou: While Su'ube is loudly advocating treason by trying to order Koil'dorath to usurp Ariel as the clan head [[TooDumbToLive right outside the tent where Quain'tana is being treated for her festering facial wound,]] [[NothingIsScarier a method that has Quain'tana screaming]], Quain approaches her through the tent entrance... Well, Su'ube. Quain's spent "Day 9" looking for someone to beat the living shit out of, the Sarghress clan thanks you for volunteering.
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* TwentyFourHourArmor: To the point that we've only seen her outside of it [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5991 once so far]] in the main archive.
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* TwentyFourHourArmor: To the point that we've only seen her outside of it [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5991 once twice]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=11380 so far]] in the main archive.
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** Once she starts actively working for the Nidraa'chal it's safe to say she's abandoned all pretense of wanting peace and not wanting to kill and begins directly attempting to kill Sarghress soldiers.
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* FaceHeelTurn: Has gone from mostly neutral if opposed to the Sarghress to actively working for the Nidraa'chal.
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* BodyHorror: Whatever "poison" Sarv'swati had on her blade is slowly, but surely, eating away at her face, and nothing her clan's healers have done brings forth any relief, in fact, Quain claims splashing the area with raw alcohol actually brings more relief than anything they've done. (This usually indicates some kind of bacterial or fungal agent.)
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* TheCorruption: Whatever Sarv used is spreading, and it's not pretty.
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* PrecisionFStrike: Her reaction to seeing Quain's face due to the effect of Sarv's poison speaks for the fans.
---> '''Ariel:'''"Shit!"
---> '''Ariel:'''"Shit!"
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* DrowningMySorrows: Did this after [[spoiler:being rendered barren]].
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* DrowningMySorrows: Did this after [[spoiler:being rendered barren]]. She also openly drops an empty wine bottle after news of Mel's newest exploits.
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* FriendToAllLivingThings: Reputation of being a pet-killer aside (through no fault of her own), she is very good with animals, Sarghress wolves, kittens, horses, etc.
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* PettingZooPeople: Like all ferals, her animalistic traits are more prominent than her humanoid ones.
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* SelfInflictedHell: Repeatedly. The very first thing she does, on-screen, is sing the praises ''of the Nid'rachaal'' and this is right after they commit war attrocities even by the standards of Chel, [[RapeAsBackstory and is shocked at how Quain's soldiers respond.]] Then, when she, without authorization, goes off to Snad's camp during an attack upon her own clan, directed by Snad herself, she's shocked that Quain doesn't buy her ''insincere'' apology, and tries to have her punished by a subordinate, only to go and make the punishment ''worse'' by insisting that Quain do it herself. Lastly, she does a great deal in Felde to make cement Ariel's loyalty goes to Quain, by doing nothing when Kalki attempts to kill her, trying to force her to violate her own squad members, and trying to ''force her'' to stay in her quarters when all evidence shows that Kalki is targetting her and her squad for extermination, starting with torching the quarters of her friends, Chirinde, Shan, Shala and Kau. Let's not forget how she told Zhor that she wished he had remained a beast.
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* SelfInflictedHell: Repeatedly. The very first thing she does, on-screen, is sing the praises ''of the Nid'rachaal'' Nid'raachal'' and this is right after they commit war attrocities even by the standards of Chel, [[RapeAsBackstory and is shocked at how Quain's soldiers respond.]] Then, when she, without authorization, goes off to Snad's camp during an attack upon her own clan, directed by Snad herself, she's shocked that Quain doesn't buy her ''insincere'' apology, and tries to have her punished by a subordinate, only to go and make the punishment ''worse'' by insisting that Quain do it herself. Lastly, she does a great deal in Felde to make cement Ariel's loyalty goes to Quain, by doing nothing when Kalki attempts to kill her, trying to force her to violate her own squad members, and trying to ''force her'' to stay ''imprison'' her in her quarters quarters, which would make her easy prey, when all evidence shows that Kalki is targetting her and her squad for extermination, just for shits and giggles, starting with torching the quarters of her friends, Chirinde, Shan, Shala and Kau.Kau, only relenting because she's physically restrained by Zhor. Let's not forget how she told Zhor that she wished he had remained a beast.
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* BerserkButton: If you value your life, it is probably a good idea to avoid mentioning Mel around her if at all possible.
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* SelfInflictedHell: Repeatedly. The very first thing she does, on-screen, is sing the praises ''of the Nid'rachaal'' and this is right after they commit war attrocities even by the standards of Chel, [[RapeAsBackstory and is shocked at how Quain's soldiers respond.]] Then, when she, without authorization, goes off to Snad's camp during an attack upon her own clan, directed by Snad herself, she's shocked that Quain doesn't buy her ''insincere'' apology, and tries to have her punished by a subordinate, only to go and make the punishment ''worse'' by insisting that Quain do it herself. Lastly, she does a great deal in Felde to make cement Ariel's loyalty goes to Quain, by doing nothing when Kalki attempts to kill her, trying to force her to violate her own squad members, and trying to ''force her'' to stay in her quarters when all evidence shows that Kalki is targetting her and her squad for extermination, starting with torching the quarters of her friends, Chirinde, Shan, Shala and Kau. Let's not forget how she told Zhor that she wished he had remained a beast.
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* EtTuBrute: As bad as her relationship with Mel already was, she does not take it well when she learns that Mel is actively killing her soldiers on behalf of the [[spoiler:Nidraa'chal]].
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* RevengeByProxy: Due to her horrible relationship with her mother, she has developed a virulent hatred for all things Sarghress. When [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] asks her for suggestions on what to do with a captured Sarghress squad leader, she advises [[ColdBloodedTorture cutting her up]], which is pretty disturbing coming from someone who [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4964 once claimed to be a pacifist]] and hated violence. She is shown to be deeply satisfied at said squad leader's suffering.
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* RevengeByProxy: Due to her horrible relationship with her mother, she has developed a virulent hatred for all things Sarghress. When [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] asks her for suggestions on what to do with a captured Sarghress squad leader, she advises [[ColdBloodedTorture cutting her up]], which is pretty disturbing coming from someone who [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4964 once claimed to be a pacifist]] and hated violence. She is shown to be deeply satisfied at said squad leader's suffering. She later actively joins the [[spoiler:Nidraa'chal]] in battle in order to kill Quain'tana's followers.
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[[folder:Diva]]
[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClan See the Vel Sharen main page.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Melodia]]
A feral slave Ariel bought as a pet as part of her preparations for heading to the Surface after Faen.
* AnimalCompanion: Ariel certainly sees her this way, even after learning that she's sentient and can speak.
* CheerfulChild: A feral's life cycle is not fully elaborated on, yet her first on-screen interaction with Ariel, post time-skip, would imply this, as Melodia cheerfully boasted that she would be the best golem pilot ever, meeting Ariel on conclusion of her daily golem pilot training. Considering Vaelia's precedent, this is not something that should be dismissed out of hand.
* HappinessInSlavery: Played realistically. She knows Chel is not a nice place, and is damn lucky that Ariel is the one who bought her, as she's treated quite well, and left wanting for nothing, especially affection.
* OutOfFocus: She's not often seen on-screen, but she's made some notable appearances, the most profound was Kharla's mass puppeteering event where she can clearly be seen in the foreground.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Ariel. On most of her appearances, she's happily singing Ariel's praises.
[[/folder]]
[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClan See the Vel Sharen main page.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Melodia]]
A feral slave Ariel bought as a pet as part of her preparations for heading to the Surface after Faen.
* AnimalCompanion: Ariel certainly sees her this way, even after learning that she's sentient and can speak.
* CheerfulChild: A feral's life cycle is not fully elaborated on, yet her first on-screen interaction with Ariel, post time-skip, would imply this, as Melodia cheerfully boasted that she would be the best golem pilot ever, meeting Ariel on conclusion of her daily golem pilot training. Considering Vaelia's precedent, this is not something that should be dismissed out of hand.
* HappinessInSlavery: Played realistically. She knows Chel is not a nice place, and is damn lucky that Ariel is the one who bought her, as she's treated quite well, and left wanting for nothing, especially affection.
* OutOfFocus: She's not often seen on-screen, but she's made some notable appearances, the most profound was Kharla's mass puppeteering event where she can clearly be seen in the foreground.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Ariel. On most of her appearances, she's happily singing Ariel's praises.
[[/folder]]
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* AntiVillain: Quain is not a pleasant person to be around, and has done some truly horrific things. That being said, the people she fights against have, the vast majority of the time, been and done far, far worse than she has, and she can usually be reasoned with, especially if you've proven yourself. Plus her ideals and motivations tend to be noble and sympathetic, at least moreso than her enemies.
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** While Quain was correct in not leaving the future clan heir in the hands of a ''very'' vocal and unrepentant traitor who openly pays homage the the most reviled and hated enemies of all drow, the Nid'rachaal, and is sympathetic to Snad'hyarune [[spoiler: who is the Nid's leader]], even Quain admits that giving said child to Syphille was a mistake.
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* NotSoDifferent: Although loathe to admit it, even to herself, she ''really'' takes after her birth mother, Quain'tana. Like Quain, she's absolutely convinced in the righteousness of her "cause," often ignoring any contrary evidence, usually sees everyone around her, including her own daughter that she claims to love, as nothing more than tools, is a horrible ControlFreak to anything she can influence (though lets herself be controlled by Snad), and is completely fixated on revenge above all else. While Quan has mellowed and proven herelf a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, as well as allowing Ariel to become a MoralityPet, Mel'anarch has gone the exact opposite direction, making herself a MasterOfDelusion who insists that Snad is the undisputed savior of Drowkind as well as the living symbol of love and peace despite comitting genoicide, matricide, infanticide of her own children and Kalki, in addition to '' starting'' a conflict by unleashing a biological weapon of mass destruction right before her face, twice.
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* TheChainsOfCommanding: She takes the fate of those who serve under her ''very'' seriously. She'd much rather be adventuring with the Highland Raiders, but she's very hands-on in running her district, and the citizens are ''very'' grateful, willing to lay their lives on the line for her if she gives the word, as a rogue Vloz squad found out to their horor, and was ''devastated'' at the losses of her squad during the Felde incident, even though she was following Sar'nel's orders at the time, and it was his decision to infiltrate. While Zhor happily beams with pride for this trait, Mel'anarch hates it with a passion.
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* MulticoloredHair: Can do it herself using magic.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she kills Maya in a fit of rage during an argument with Yafein she has one of these moments and is horrified by how easy it was to kill again, and it stops her from developing into a full-blown VillainProtagonist. After the 15 year timeskip it's also hinted that one reason she's willing to [[PetTheDog stick up for slaves]] is because of what happened to Maya.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she kills Maya in a fit of rage during an argument with Yafein she has one of these moments and is horrified by how easy it was to kill again, and it stops her from developing into a full-blown VillainProtagonist. After the 15 year timeskip it's also hinted that one reason she's willing to [[PetTheDog stick up for slaves]] is because of what happened to Maya.
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* MoralityPet: To Quain'tana, as early as her return from the surface with Faen in tow. Every time Quain and Ariel interact from that point on, without exception, Quain walks away a better person. [[VirtueIsWeakness Su'ube resents this more than anything else about Ariel.]]
* MulticoloredHair: Can do it herself usingmagic.
magic. Prior to Felde, WordOfGod is that it was purely a subconscious act.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she kills Maya in a fit of rage during an argument with Yafein (when Maya intercepts a blow aimed at Yafein), she has one of these moments and is horrified by how easy it was to kill again, and it stops her from developing into a full-blown VillainProtagonist. After the 15 year timeskip it's also hinted that one reason she's willing to [[PetTheDog stick up for slaves]] is because of what happened to Maya.
* MulticoloredHair: Can do it herself using
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she kills Maya in a fit of rage during an argument with Yafein (when Maya intercepts a blow aimed at Yafein), she has one of these moments and is horrified by how easy it was to kill again, and it stops her from developing into a full-blown VillainProtagonist. After the 15 year timeskip it's also hinted that one reason she's willing to [[PetTheDog stick up for slaves]] is because of what happened to Maya.
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** Anyone badmouthing Quain will really get her dander up, but she will, at least, try to find out if there's some legitimate grievance, given the chance.
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* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Her treatment of Fuzzy, as well as an in-universe MoralEventHorizon from Ariel's perspective.
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* MoralEventHorizon: {{In-universe}}, the brutal and completely unnecessary way she killed Fuzzy in front of Ariel after locking them in her room for a week without the means for Fuzzy to even to the bathroom properly seems to be the moment when Ariel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=89 decided she needed to die]], and for the audience it made a lot of people lose sympathy for her.
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* MoralEventHorizon: {{In-universe}}, the brutal and completely unnecessary way she killed Fuzzy in front of Ariel after locking them in her room for a week without the means for Fuzzy to even to the bathroom properly seems to be the moment when Ariel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=89 decided she needed to die]], and for the audience it made a lot of people lose sympathy for her.die]].
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* BreedingSlave: [[spoiler: Essentially fills this role for Quain'tana after the timeskip.]]
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* BreedingSlave: [[spoiler: Essentially fills this role for Quain'tana after the timeskip. And in a more indirect fashion, to Snadhya'rune as well with Kalki.]]
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* BabyFactory: [[spoiler: Essentially fills this role for Quain'tana after the timeskip.]]
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* BabyFactory: BreedingSlave: [[spoiler: Essentially fills this role for Quain'tana after the timeskip.]]
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* AdoptionDiss: Quain [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4983 tells her to her face]] that adopting her was a mistake.
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Two young sons of [[spoiler:Mel'arnach]] born during the 15 year timeskip. Vene and Pup were introduced during an [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10837 interlude]] at the end of chapter 48, while the baby girl was first seen in chapter 43.
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Two young sons and a daughter of [[spoiler:Mel'arnach]] born during the 15 year timeskip.timeskip and between chapters 36 and 43, respectively. Vene and Pup were introduced during an [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10837 interlude]] at the end of chapter 48, while the baby girl was first seen in chapter 43.
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* PottyFailure: The baby girl, unfortunately while Ariel is [[HilarityEnsues holding her]]. [[FromBadToWorse And then accidentally hands the poopy baby to Quain, who had just entered the room]].
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* UnfortunateNames: "Pup", pointed out by Faen. Ariel explains that Quain has [[GiverOfLameNames no imagination]].
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* UnfortunateNames: "Pup", pointed out by Faen. Ariel explains that Quain has [[GiverOfLameNames no imagination]].imagination]].
[[/folder]]
[[/folder]]
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[[/folder]]
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[[folder:Vene, Pup and unnamed baby girl]]
Two young sons of [[spoiler:Mel'arnach]] born during the 15 year timeskip. Vene and Pup were introduced during an [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10837 interlude]] at the end of chapter 48, while the baby girl was first seen in chapter 43.
* MismatchedEyes: Pup, showing his father was a Sullisin'rune.
* PrehensileHair: The baby girl is shown to have this like Ariel.
* UnfortunateNames: "Pup", pointed out by Faen. Ariel explains that Quain has [[GiverOfLameNames no imagination]].
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Return to the [[Characters/DrowtalesValSarghressClan main Sarghress clan page]].
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[[folder:Quain'tana Val'Sarghress]]
!!Quain'tana Val'Sarghress
Originally a street rat, Quain'tana turned the Sarghress clan from a ragtag bunch of mercenaries into one of the most powerful militaries in the world setting. Not a very good parent.
* AbusiveParents: Offenses listed on the main trope page.
* AmazonianBeauty / BrawnHilda: In the past she was definitely more of the former, but is now more of the latter.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Quain displays zero interest in sex with men, except presumably for procreation in the past, and given her status and the number of people who admire her she probably could have her pick of lovers among her men if she so desired. By contrast, it is all but outright stated that she and Ash'Waren are lovers and Ash is one of the only people Quain displays anything resembling gentleness and affection towards.
* AnimalMotif: Aside from the wolves of the Sarg clan, she's been likened to a Gorilla. Should she ever learn of this, in universe, and look up the definition, she would likely be flattered. Gorillas are known to be fiercely strong, determined and loyal, highly intelligent, and have very, ''very'' long memories.
* AntiMagic: Quain'tana is immune to most mana arts, and it is likely this ability is the reason Quain'tana is never seen to use any mana based techniques of her own. This ability is extremely rare and has been called legendary by one of her enemies.
* {{Badass}}
* BarefootPoverty: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9871 As a young woman]].
* BestServedCold: When she was a young thief, living on the streets, she was mercilessly struck down by a Sharen Dragon Knight for stealing bread and left for dead. After centuries of determination, she finally [[spoiler:succeeds in bringing down most of the Sharen clan and ends their rule over Chel]].
* BigDamnHeroes: Plays this role to [[spoiler:Zala'ess, of all people]] in Chapter 47.
* BraidsOfBarbarism: Starts wearing her hair this way in [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7588 chapter 31]].
* BrokenPedestal: Ariel found out [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=100 the hard way]] that Quain'tana is not the kind mother she imagined.
* CelibateHero: Implied, though this part of her life has not been focused on in the main story at all. Though the presence of her children clearly indicates she has had sexual relationships in the past these may have been solely for the purpose of producing children and not anything else. Not to mention [[spoiler:she can't have kids anymore]] and thus may not bother. The partially-canon Daydream story about her and Ash'waren also has Ash asking if she sees sex as a duty more than anything, and though her relationship with Ash seems to have started as simply a matter of politics it seems to have developed into something deeper later.
* CharacterDevelopment: It's still early, but there are indications that she might be starting to soften, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1556 especially this]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Quain'tana grew up an orphan, living on the streets. She had to steal food to survive and was nearly killed by a Sharen dragon knight for her trouble, having to dodge slavers shortly afterwards. She has received little mercy throughout her life, and for this reason [[TheSpartanWay has no mercy for weakness on the part of her descendants]].
* DesignatedHero: In universe and out.
* {{Determinator}}: When she was a young StreetUrchin, she was nearly killed by a Sharen Dragon Knight for stealing loaves of bread. Severely wounded and desperate to have her revenge, she struggled through the depths of Chel to survive, whatever the cost. When speaking of her desires to other street dwellers, they told her it was impossible, since none of them could ever have anywhere near the power to fight the Vals. This only made her all the more determined to see the downfall of the Sharen clan, a task at which she [[spoiler:eventually succeeds]].
* TheDogBitesBack: Her very first kill was an example of this when she went after the Sharen Dragon Knight who had previously wounded her for stealing loaves of bread and left her to die in the street.
* DrowningMySorrows: Did this after [[spoiler:being rendered barren]].
* EnemyMine: Makes a truce with [[spoiler:Zala'ess's faction of the Sharen, agreeing to work together against the Nidraa'chal. She also comes to Zala'ess's rescue when Ni'bai tries using Kharla'ggen to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]].
* FacePalm: As seen above, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4112 her family seems to have gotten this from her]].
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From the perspective of the Sharen, since she started as a no-name street rat and eventually [[spoiler:effectively ended their domain over Chel]].
* FreudianExcuse: Her past as a street rat who was shown no mercy by authority figures is the main reason she's so ruthless now.
* GiverOfLameNames: The very [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4315 first page]] showed her engaging in LastMinuteBabyNaming, and she later names [[spoiler:Mel's younger son]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10845 Pup]] which is immediately pointed out.
* [[HeirClubForMen Heir Club for Women]]: Quain is willing do anything -- and we do mean ''anything'' -- to make sure she has an heir. Except, apparently, make a deal with the Jaal'darya, either due to [[EveryoneHasStandards even Quain having standards]], since the process is described as horrific, or simply not being willing to shell out the absurd amount of money it would require, which is pretty likely considering that a similar procedure is said to have drained [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune's]] assets for nearly a year.
* HeroicBSOD: For a given definition of "heroism" anyway. As seen in a flashback, she did ''not'' take [[spoiler: being rendered barren thanks to a battle wound inflicted by Sarv'swati]] very well. It's one of the reasons she leans so hard -- to put it ''lightly'' -- on Mel to bear an heir.
* {{Hypocrite}}: See NotSoDifferent. A big theme in the comic is that despite publicly being against the Sharen Quain is willing to do many of the same things in order to gain power, especially when it comes to her ControlFreak tendencies over her family, which Mel lampshades.
* IWantGrandkids: To Mel, [[spoiler:in the most horrific way possible]].
* JerkassHasAPoint: Has several moment of this, adding to the GreyAndGreyMorality of the setting since while she's not a particularly nice person, she's, well, ''right'' about a bunch of things.
** Most of her criticisms of the Sharen are shown to be pretty spot-on, especially when it comes to how the Sharen underestimate the people they rule over. And during the Nidraa'chal War, it turns out that she was dead on about [[spoiler:it really being an inside issue for the Sharen, since the Sharen daughters themselves were behind it]].
** Pulling Ariel out of Orthorbbae when her true gender is discovered by Snadhya'rune is this, especially since we find out that Snadhya explicitly planned to bring Ariel in to control her.
** Her reaction to Mel in chapter 32, where she says she doesn't trust her due to Mel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4948 having threatened to kill her]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7831 not two months ago]], made doubly so by the fact that the audience ''knows'' that [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7086 put Mel up to it]] and that the whole thing is a lie. Even so, she lost a lot of sympathy when she proceeded to restrain Mel and ''break her arms with a hammer''.
** In general, her disapproval of Mel'arnach and [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune's]] relationship, since the latter has very much started showing her true colors. Though in this case it may be RightForTheWrongReasons on Quain's part.
** Also, her anger at Syphile tainting herself becomes this in hindsight with the revelation that [[spoiler:many if not most of Snadhya's seeds are intentionally faulty and designed to kill the user within 50 years, and it's very likely that Syphile was carrying one of those seeds]].
* KarmaHoudini: Not unlike much of the cast. Though this does tend to cause heated debates on the forums, on occasion.
* LadyLooksLikeADude: A RunningGag in the comic and fandom is how she can easily be mistaken for male given her body-builder like physique, such as [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5101 here]], and the creator specified in one side comic how she was to be drawn, but depending on the artist this is or isn't followed.
* LargeHam: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7606 If there was ever any doubt...]] And earlier, her [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=449 verbal spar with Zala]] left [[ChewingTheScenery toothmarks all over the set]].
* LawOfInverseFertility: [[spoiler: Got hit by this ''hard''.]]
* MaternallyChallenged: One interpretation of her bad relationships with her children is that she's not so much intentionally cruel as much as having ''no idea'' how to properly treat them, and among her children Laele'aell seems to have been treated best.
* MemeticBadass: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7603 In-universe.]] To her great annoyance.
** UnwantedFalseFaith: To the people who see her as some sort of Messiah. Especially since her biggest opponents the Sharen used the image of Sharess to create a religion as a system of control, and Quain is [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7602 openly disdainful]] of this tactic.
* MightMakesRight: A lesson she says she learned from the Sharen.
* NoSell: Though we don't know much about her abilities at this point, Kel'noz at one point says that she can effectively do this with mana attacks that are directed at her by absorbing the mana into her own body.
* NotSoDifferent: With Diva'ratrika. Both are obsessed with continuing their bloodlines and pressure their daughters to have children, both are {{Control Freak}}s, both of their children wind up hating them, [[spoiler:and they both share a descendant in Kalki]].
* OffingTheOffspring: Surprisingly, this has only occurred once that we know of, with [[spoiler:Syphile]] who attacked her first.
* OneHeadTaller: As seen [[http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9907 here]], Quain is one head taller than her ally/partner Ash'waren.
* ParentalAbandonment: Both cause and victim.
* PerpetualFrowner: Frowning and DeathGlare tends to be her default expression.
* PetTheDog: Her relationship with Ash'waren, and the fact that when one of her dev'esses, Sang, was tortured by the Sharen and lost all of her limbs Quain'tana got her all new golem limbs and had her re-trained. One golem limb, much less four, are ''expensive'' in the DT world. The case can also be made for MoralMyopia in terms of her relationships with her children. She gets another one in chapter 30 where she finally tells Ariel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1557 that she makes her proud]], with the slight pause suggesting that she's not really sure how to even say it.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly. Especially after the 15-year timeskip. Ariel's quite correct to say that "she's harsh but fair." Every time soldiers have been brought before her for discipline, she ''does'' give them a chance to justify their actions, and if they can give a satisfactory justification for violating orders, or bring forth results, she will praise them, even if it's not to their face. She even happily admits that Ariel disobeying orders to infiltrate the Sharen fortress and take down Nihil'lir is a praiseworthy accomplishment, and would have done the same in Ariel's place, ''after'' promoting Ariel to the Highland Raiders while making it look like a punishment.
* RedBaron: Has often been referred to by her enemies as "The Big Bad Wolf".
* ReluctantRuler: She really doesn't want to be a figurehead ruler, and even says that if she manages to defeat the Sharen [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1560 she'd leave the role of Empress to Ash'waren and go adventuring again]], which has shades of {{Cincinnatus}}.
* SatisfiedStreetRat: Deconstructed, since we see exactly how messed up a person raised like she was can become.
* ScarsAreForever: The author has produced NSFW art that shows that Quain has a ''wicked'' scar on her abdomen [[spoiler:from when Sarv'swati made her barren]].
* ScrewDestiny: Sharen propaganda states that only they and [[BlueBlood people from similarly established lines]] have the right to any kind of authority by divine decree. To do anything else is seen as a defiance of fate and their rightful place in life. Quain'tana has been described as someone who has fought everything to defy her destiny. She grew up as a common thief, and seeing the rough lives lived on the streets, vowed to end the rigid caste system. In time, she eventually built up enough power to threaten the entire Val class.
* ShipperOnDeck: In the worst way for Mel. In the most hilarious way for Ariel.
* ShutUpHannibal: In Chapter 47 she [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10420 makes it abundantly clear]] that Zala's bullshit has no effect on her, using only two fingers to shut her up.
* TheSpartanWay: How she seems to view most things, especially child rearing. As for the results, well, see above.
* StreetUrchin: Her origin. She and her companions lived out on the streets and were forced to steal food to survive.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: The [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9871 young Quain]] looks a lot like Ariel [[spoiler:despite actually being her grandmother rather than her mother]].
* SuperStrength: She can shatter a pillar of stone with her fists.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Tomboy to Ash'waren's girly girl.
* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: The middle part of chapter 45 is one for her, and shows what's presumably her very first kill, when she kills the Sharen Dragon Rider who previously cut her down in the street.
* TwentyFourHourArmor: To the point that we've only seen her outside of it [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5991 once so far]] in the main archive.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Though we don't get much of a sense of her personality, the young Quain'tana was [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9871 a cute young woman]] who showed TearsOfFear when confronted by a dragon knight.
* VagueAge: Like her children, Quain's exact age is ambiguous, and given the circumstances she grew up in Quain herself may not even know the exact year of her birth. Context and Mel's speculation on her own age suggests she's at least 300, possibly 400 given that the Sarghress were officially acknowledged in the 700s [[http://wiki.drowtales.com/index.php/Timeline according to the series timeline]].
* WhenSheSmiles: It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, Quain's smile is the beginning of a rare, but genuine {{Heartwarming}} moment. Ariel is the one who is most likely to bring this about.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Something she actually fears, stating that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1560 she'd rather die on the surface due to mana deprivation]] than wind up trapped in the city like Diva'ratrika was.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ariel Val'Sarghress]]
!!Ariel Val'Sarghress
The main character, daughter of Quain'tana ([[spoiler:or so she thinks]]) and heir of the Sarghress clan.
* AmazonianBeauty: After the timeskip. Just check out [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8365 her bicep]] in a shower scene, and though she's usually wearing long sleeves several pieces of art make it clear that the girl is ripped. It's also made clear that she's found attractive by several characters in-universe.
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:Kalki stabs her hand into the table. Shortly after Ariel gets her hand free, Kalki "helps" her by chopping off her arm completely. Ariel eventually steals Kalki's to replace it]].
* AntiHero: Swings back and forth, but seems to have settled into a Type IV, or possibly even a Type III after the timeskip, where she's willing to ShootTheDog and essentially [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8600 force a man into slavery]] despite not personally wanting to because the Sarghress need the support of his accuser to help hold the district.
* AppendageAssimilation: [[spoiler:Steals Kalki's arm as payback for her half-sister chopping off hers]].
* BadassAdorable: As the story goes on she increasingly becomes this.
** {{Badass}}: After the timeskip, as a young adult. She not only fearlessly chases after a guy to get a nether gate out of his chest and helps take it out with her ''bare hands'' but later takes out a Vloz'ress Scourge and kills the wielders of a Black Sun cannon.
* BerserkButton: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=373 Monster!]]
** Also, if you're Mel, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5052 don't]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8418 badmouth Quain]] in front of her.
** And while more subtle, it's clear that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8983 she does not take kindly to slaves being used as objects]] or to stronger people taking advantage of weaker people.
* BigDamnHeroes: Intially, she took lessons from Chirinde and Vaelia, but over time, she's become a master of this, going so far as to actually cheer when she successfully rescues Chirinde from Halme soldiers on a Fae hunt which is both heartwarming and hillarious.
---> "This time I get to save you, Chirinde!"
* BlackMage
* BladeOnAStick: Her primary weapon after the timeskip, likely taking inspiration from Vaelia.
* BlowYouAway: Besides her shapeshifting, she also has an affinity for air sorcery.
* BoobsOfSteel: Notably averted. Despite being one of the tallest characters around she's [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=7652 modestly endowed]] (NFSW) by the standards of most drow females and identified as a B cup, which is clearly one trait she got from Quain.
* BookDumb: Shows signs of this, including [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1796 not knowing her clan's history outside of the romanticized versions she read]] though this [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]] considering Syphile's lackluster teaching and the fact that she only spent about 5 years at Orthorbbae, and much of the time she did spend there was spent [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=236 trying to avoid being attacked again]], and she's explicitly said to have not gotten very good grades as a result.
* BoysHaveCooties: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8737 In a chibi]], when asked if she has ever attempted to use her shapeshifting powers for a GenderBender, she asks, "Why would I do that? Boys are gross."
* BreakTheCutie: Pretty much since day 1.
* BrokenBird: Showed signs of it, but seems to have mostly avoided becoming this trope after the timeskip.
* CainAndAbel: The Abel with [[spoiler:Kalki Nidraa'chal]], who goes so far as to attempt to kill her by [[spoiler:chopping off her arm]] when they meet in chapter 46.
* CharacterDevelopment: Much of the story has focused on her developing from a little kid with no clue how the outside world works into a LittleMissBadass with her own crew of badasses at her back. [[FridgeBrilliance Which is exactly what Quain'tana wanted to happen]].
* CheerfulChild: Originally, though she's not completely broken yet.
* ChildrenForcedToKill: Happens to her pre-timeskip, first when she's forced to kill Mir'kiin.
* ChronicPetKiller: Has been [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] into this by fans even though she's only had three, but she is still 1-2 on their survival since Melodia the feral isn't dead yet and survived the timeskip.
* CoolBigSis: While it didn't surprise anyone that she panics at the thought of holding a crying baby with a soiled diaper (which is leaking), nobody expected that same baby to be completely comfortable in her arms once the diaper was changed, and that her two much younger brothers have absolutely no fear of her, and are in awe of her prehensile hair (jokingly calling her a Kraken). In addition, she doesn't show even the slightest resentment that their childhoods are far better than her own.
* CreepyChild: She [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=91 has her moments]], and one forumgoer's response to this page was to post a picture of Samara from ''TheRing''.
* {{Determinator}}: WordOfGod is that this is what qualifies her to be a protagonist.
* DramaticIrony: For most of the story the audience and several other characters have known that [[spoiler:her mother is really Mel'arnach, not Quain'tana]], but she doesn't [[spoiler: yet]] know. This makes a lot of her interactions with both [[spoiler:Mel and Quain]] that much more interesting.
** As of Chapter 32, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7844 the cat's out of the bag]]. [[spoiler: Not that she believes it, at least at first]].
* EtTuBrute: She's [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10121 visibly shaken]] when she realizes that Kyo'nne has [[spoiler:lied and delivered her straight to Snadhya'rune]].
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: When last seen before the timeskip had red streaks in her hair, but these have changed back to the same purple she used when Mel first taught her how to change her hair. This may represent [[spoiler:accepting her true heritage, at least on some level]].
** In Chapter 46, she changes her purple streaks to Sarghress red to disassociate herself from the too-friendly Sharen who notes that she's wearing 'their' colors in her hair. She changes it back later.
* ExpressiveHair: Post Felde, her hair visibly reacts to her moods, such as [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10521 puffing up]] (fifth panel) when she realizes whatever she's eating is definitely not fish.
* FacePalm: After the timeskip she seems to have picked up some habits [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8296 from Kel'noz]].
* FaceStealer
** Technically averted. Her shapeshifting powers don't work that way. But Shinae infers the same meaning and uses the exact words as an insult.
** [[spoiler:Kalki]] incorrectly perceives her to be doing this when she takes on her form, due to her knowledge of [[spoiler:Khaless, who plays it straight]].
* FamedInStory: She apparently has gained a reputation among Sarghress enemies if one of them can identify her by her [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8653 abilities]]. [[http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8685 This]] Vloz'ress Summoner also knows Ariel. [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8344 Other]] people within the Sarghress ranks also seem to know her by name.
* FreakOut: Did ''not'' react well to Faen's disappearance at all.
* GenderBender: According to one of the chibis, she once attempted this with her shapeshifting powers, but she can't manage more than the appearance.
* GenderBlenderName: Both in-story and out. No one seems to bat an eye at the name when she's in Orthorbbae, and in the real world the name Ariel previously was used mostly for males but has only become associated more with females in the past century. When the author pronounces the name he also pronounces it as the more masculine "R-E-L" rather than the more feminized "Air-E-L".
* GenerationXerox: Played with in a few ways. Quain'tana wants this to happen and have Ariel have a similar upbringing to herself, believing it will produce a strong heir, but Ariel also ''doesn't'' want this to happen when it comes to her and Mel [[spoiler:her biological mother]] and this is the main reason she [[spoiler:tells Faen they should be "just friends" since she knows that Mel's relationships with women was a major source of conflict between her and Quain, but she eventually gives in]].
* GlamourFailure: Though only the audience and possibly [[spoiler:Kiel]] seem to notice, there are a few things off about her [[spoiler:Kalki]] disguise, the main one being that her pupils are a monotone red as opposed to the white spirals in the pupils the real one has. And it was shown [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4996 much earlier]] that while she can change her irises to the red color of a tainted drow, they lack the glow a real tainted has on close inspection.
* HairWings: She can shift her hair into wings for gliding.
* HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler:Losing an arm less an hour before does absolutely nothing to stop her from decking Yuh'le in the face ''and'' giving Kalki a well deserved punch]]. Evidently she gets this from her biological father, [[spoiler:Zhor]] who himself showed this in the same incident. Unfortunately it wears off after a time and [[spoiler:Kalki manages to knock her unconscious]].
* HealingFactor: Can easily stop bleeding superficial cuts with her shapeshifting powers, but WordOfGod and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8698 Ariel herself]] explain that the damage is still there, making it something of an aversion since all she's doing is shifting the skin, and it's still painful. An internal wound would do just as much damage to her as it would anyone else. It does give her an edge in combat by making it look like she can simply NoSell her opponents' attacks, which at the very least takes them off guard or [[OhCrap flat out panic]].
** Also subverted in chapter 46, when her attempts to [[spoiler:reattach her own arm]] fail miserably, though it's implied that this might have worked had [[spoiler:Kalki not run off with it]] and they'd tried sooner.
* HeroicBSOD: She's understandably [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10202 pretty upset]] to find [[spoiler:her own severed arm lying on the floor where Kalki dropped it]].
* HeroicResolve: Mostly on account of being a {{Determinator}}. Also subverted in that while she manages to walk off less serious injuries and can use her shapeshifting to at least keep herself moving until she can get proper treatment, she's several times been injured to the point of needing immediate medical attention. After her fall from the Orthorbbae tower in chapter 2 it's heavily implied that she would have died from her stab wound if Faen hadn't been there to heal her, and in chapter 40 [[spoiler:her fall from the top of the fortress wall [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9051 is implied to have broken several bones]] and possibly cracked several vertebrae, leaving her unable to get up, and it's obvious she'll be out of commission for some time after this]].
** Also displays this in chapter 46 by continuing to run around and even punch out [[spoiler:Yuh'le]] after [[spoiler:losing her arm and nearly bleeding to death]] and it's quite clear from the bags under her eyes and her overall body language that she's exhausted, in great pain and moving mostly because of adrenaline and [[{{Determinator}} willpower]].
* InformedAttribute: Ariel apparently has a very nice butt. We only know this through other character's reactions to it since the "camera" doesn't place that much emphasis on it, at least in the main archive.
* ItGetsEasier: Soon after killing Mir'kiin she accidentally kills Maya when she shields Yafein from a mana blast during an argument the two are having, and Ariel is horrified by how easy it was for her to take another life. See MyGodWhatHaveIDone.
* IWillFindYou: To Faen, and succeeded.
* JustFriends: When asked to prove who she is to Sar'nel she mentions that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8671 their parents tried to get them to date]] during the timeskip, though it didn't end up working out.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Normally, the fact that she kicks [[spoiler:Yuh'le]] after she'a already down would be a KickTheDog moment, but considering what we know about [[spoiler:Yuh'le]] and what she's capable of on top of Ariel's own physical and mental state it loses the sting and is completely understandable.
** Also [[spoiler:taking Kalki's arm for herself]], an action Ariel explicitly rejected when the [[spoiler:unwilling "donor" was one of her fellow soldiers]], in light of the fact that doing it to the former is LaserGuidedKarma more than anything.
* KickedUpstairs: Quain'tana ordered that [[SoldiersAtTheRear Ariel was to be kept in the Home Guard and not to be promoted]] until the District War is over. Ariel disobeys because of circumstances and as an attempt to make Quain'tana proud. Quain'tana is furious, but ends up sending her and her squad to the Raiders as "punishment", though it's clear that the "punishment" part is mostly for show. Once Ariel is gone, she acknowledges to another soldier that [[NotSoDifferent she actually would have done the same in her position]]. This also provides a good excuse to keep Ariel busy and far away from the District War, since the [[CorneredRattlesnake Sharen are likely to become far more dangerous]] now that [[spoiler:[[LastStand Sarv'swati is on the brink of defeat]] and Quain doesn't want her heir anywhere near danger]].
** ReassignmentBackfire: ...Which unknowingly gets her into danger anyhow, since first she winds up in Ys, which is under attack by Hermiones, and then after following the airship she ends up in [[spoiler:Felde, the Dragon's Nest of Snadhya'rune herself]].
* KidHero: By Drow standards, since she was physically only around 7 before the timeskip.
* KillAndReplace: By the timeskip her shapeshifting skills have advanced enough that she can pull this off with effort. The first time she tries it in Chapter 39 it fails because she gets the gender of the person she's imitating wrong, but subsequent attempts are more successful [[spoiler:in part because she learned the Black Sun language over the timeskip]].
** In chapter 46 [[spoiler:Kalki]] also fear she's doing this when she takes on her appearance [[spoiler:after taking her arm]] but Ariel angrily retorts that she doesn't want [[spoiler:Kalki's]] place and kicks her head into a mirror.
* LetsJustBeFriends: [[spoiler: Tells this to Faen, since she doesn't think Quain'tana would approve of a relationship between them. However this seems to last all of a page before she gives in]].
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Snadhya'rune says this of Ariel and her father in response to Ariel's idealism.
* LittleMissBadass: Not at all surprising given who her mother is. [[spoiler:This statement could apply to both Mel'arnach and Quain'tana]].
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Faen serves this role to her after the timeskip, since despite being older she's still very unsure of herself. Also crosses over with MoralityPet.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Until Chapter 32, she was the only member of her immediate family that didn't know [[spoiler:that her mother is really Mel'arnach, not Quain'tana]].
* MulticoloredHair: Can do it herself using magic.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she kills Maya in a fit of rage during an argument with Yafein she has one of these moments and is horrified by how easy it was to kill again, and it stops her from developing into a full-blown VillainProtagonist. After the 15 year timeskip it's also hinted that one reason she's willing to [[PetTheDog stick up for slaves]] is because of what happened to Maya.
* NaiveNewcomer: For the first arc of the story, but this trait seems to have largely disappeared after the timeskip.
* TheNeedsOfTheMany: After the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8600 runs into this when dealing with district management]].
* NotNowKiddo: Has this reaction towards Wafay at first, until [[MoralityPet Faen talks her into listening]].
* ObliviousToLove: Ariel and Faen are very close friends, but Faen would like to be more. Faen has a strong crush on Ariel to the extent that EveryoneCanSeeIt, except Ariel herself. Even after Faen finally manages to kiss Ariel, Ariel remains rather oblivious, to the extent that when Faen tries to snuggle her later, Ariel's response is to ask her if she's all right. There may be a degree of SelectiveObliviousness, since when Ariel decides to [[spoiler:acknowledge Faen's feelings, she states LetsJustBeFriends, since she isn't sure Quain'tana would approve. She gives in anyway shortly after]].
* OneHeadTaller: After the timeskip, with Faen, which is an inversion of when they were younger. Receives an amusing [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8545 lampshading]] in one extra page.
* OrganTheft: Her shapeshifting abilities can theoretically perform this. [[spoiler:She eventually uses it to steal Kalki's arm as revenge for cutting off her own and harming her friends]].
* ParentalAbandonment: She does not have a good track record with parental figures, who are either abusive, distant or imprisoned, with the exception of Vaelia [[spoiler:who's now been PutOnABus, albeit by Ariel herself]] and now we can add [[spoiler:Diva'ratrika]] as a possible mother figure, leading to jokes that [[spoiler:Ariel has a 3/5 chance of stabbing Diva in the back at some point]].
* PluckyGirl: And how!
* PostKissCatatonia: Her reaction when Faen finally grabs and kisses her is to walk to her destination in a confused daze.
* PrehensileHair: Thanks to her shapeshifting powers. She has even been seen to use it [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8693 to parry a blade in a three on one battle]] Chapter 46 and WordOfGod reveals that this is completely unconscious on her part, since she's visibly surprised to see her hair reach up to [[spoiler:restrain Kalki]] to compensate for [[spoiler:her severed arm]].
* PromotionNotPunishment: Although Quain'tana worded it as a punishment, Ariel was actually ''promoted'' to the Highland Raiders after she disobeyed orders and infiltrated a Sharen fortress, took down Nihil'lir, and either liberated or neutralized a significant portion of the Sharen slave conscript army. After Ariel left the room, Quain confided in her trustworthy aid that she would have done the same thing, and [[PetTheDog "expected no less of her."]]
* PurpleIsPowerful: She seems to use purple as her signature color in place of the usual Sarghress red. WordOfGod also confirms that her hair is not actually pure white and is in fact a very light purple, in fact a lighter shade of Mel's hair color. If she had been surface born she would have clearly purple hair, though it would be several shades lighter than the dyed part of her hair.
* RaisedByDudes: Partially, though the first ten years of her life were with Syphile, she's said to have visited Kel'noz regularly, and then when he took her to Orthorbbae effectively took over her guardianship, to the point that after the timeskip Ariel specifically says he raised her.
* RapunzelHair: Even more so after the timeskip. It's shown reaching the floor. Justified in that now with her being fully aware of her abilities, it gives her an incredible reach.
* RefugeInAudacity: In Chapter 46, the only reason she gets away with shoving a guard off the bridge into the water is that the person she's impersonating, [[spoiler:Kalki]] ''is'' that unpredictable and the guards are just used to putting up with her antics.
* ReluctantRuler: WordOfGod is that the responsibilities of her Val title and all that come with it are not something she actually wants, but something she thinks she has to take up in order not to let people down. Arc 2 of the current storyline consists of her slowly growing into her role as a leader and accepting more of those responsibilities.
* RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler: With Faen as of Chapter 44.]]
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Faen, and Faen at least would like more emphasis on the "romance" and less on the "friendship", but so far Ariel's feelings on the matter aren't known. After the timeskip it's also implied that the two of them already [[ThereIsOnlyOneBed share a bed]], though Ariel still remains ObliviousToLove [[spoiler:until Chapter 44]].
* SadisticChoice: When she's [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4501 forced by Quain'tana]] to choose between killing Mir'kiin, who she knows is an asshole but doesn't want to straight up murder, and fight her cousin Sarnel to the death. She chooses to kill Mir'kiin, and it's strongly implied this gives her PTSD.
* ShapeshifterBaggage: Averted, since Drowtales mostly follows the conservation of energy principle. She can only shapeshift within her own mass, or by absorbing material from her environment (which has big limitations).
* ShapeshifterSwanSong: When Ariel receives a critical injury and is bleeding to death, she is coached into sealing the wound with her shapeshifting. While struggling to do so, her control slips, and she ends up going through several of the different disguises she has assumed in the past.
* SheIsAllGrownUp: After the 15 year timeskip Ariel is now 30, or 15 physically, and shot up like a weed. Unsurprising, given her family.
* ShesGotLegs: Much of her height seems to be because of her very long legs.
* SoldiersAtTheRear: Quaintana and the other higher ups intended her to remain a grunt doing homeland defense instead of risking herself as a leader on the battlefield until the District War was over. Due to circumstances, Ariel ends up unknowingly defying this.
* SpareToTheThrone: If it hadn't been for Laele's possession, Syphile's disgrace and Mel's disinheritance, Ariel would never have a shot at the Sarghress leadership.
* StatuesqueStunner: After the timeskip, she's head and shoulders above her entire peer group which is entirely unsurprising given her family and the fact that she is [[spoiler:a second generation drow on her father's side]]. She's also so tall that Faen has to stand on the tips of her toes [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9466 in order to kiss her]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: After the timeskip, her resemblance to her female relatives becomes really apparent, especially to Mel'arnach and [[spoiler:Kalki]].
* SweetPollyOliver: While at Orthorbbae. It takes Snadhya'rune about five years to catch on, but her classmates figure it out within the first week, and are only prevented from spreading the news by not being able to leave. Kel'noz also clues in the other headmasters early on.
* TakeAThirdOption: One of her lessons in leadership. After witnessing a Sarghress soldier treat a looted slave like a foot stool, she gives an idealistic speech about not becoming like their enemies, splitting her team mates along idealistic and mercenary lines and causing the soldier in question to challenge her over the fate of the slave. As Faen summarizes the situation, defeating the soldier in a challenge would only make the others hate her more, losing would make them say she deserved it, and backing down would make them think she is weak. Ariel ultimately [[spoiler:defuses the situation by giving the slave the chance to join the Sarghress as a partisan in exchange for her freedom]].
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Mostly averted for her. As of the timeskip, Ariel is prone to giving idealistic speeches in the middle of fights, but her enemies haven't been interested in listening, diverting her concentration.
** However, while her enemies aren't listening, the nearby [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive/20120717c38p041.jpg civilians are]] and she convinced them to take up arms and ZergRush the enemy.
* ThousandYardStare: She [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4663 gets this]] after killing Mir'kiin.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: With Faen, and it helps that she spent about five years disguised as a boy in Orthorbbae. Her tomboyishness, along with [[CampGay Sorane]] being in the same class helped to disguise her true gender.
* VerbThis: Says this as she decks [[spoiler:Kalki]] in the face.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With [[spoiler:Diva]] after the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=3724 confirmed]] by WordOfGod.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Her signature ability, though she's warned that if she's not careful she could accidentally put a vital organ in the wrong place.
* [[WellDoneSonGuy Well Done Daughter Girl]]: Even though her relationship with Quain'tana can be rocky, she desperately wants her approval, and in Chapter 30 [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1556 finally seems to get it]].
* YankTheDogsChain: Right after she finally gets acknowledged as Quain'tana's heir, Faen disappears sending her into a deep depression.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Syphile Val'Sarghress]]
!!Syphile Val'Sarghress
Ariel's adopted older sister, who herself was abused by Quain'tana and inflicts the same treatment on Ariel. There is little love lost between the two.
* AbusiveParents: Foster parent, but still.
* BabysitterFromHell: When the girl you've raised says that her greatest wish is to ''kill you'', you're this trope.
* BadBoss: Was so incompetent at running her district, leaving it to her BeleagueredAssistant Niende, whose name she didn't even bother to learn, that corrupt officers [[spoiler:including Maki]] were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted, and the land itself was eventually taken away and given to Ariel.
* ButtMonkey: Her entire life is one long series of failures.
* CallingTheOldManOut: Possibly her only CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* TheCaretaker
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Opinion varies, but at the very least [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1552 her words had a lasting impact on Quain'tana]]]].
* EnfantTerrible: Syphile had nightmares about [[spoiler: Ariel crawling out of her crib as a baby and ''eating her face.'']] Since Syphile knew who her parents actually were her calling Ariel 'Little Monster' most of her childhood and general abuse makes much more sense.
* HumiliationConga: Chapter 8 is one long string of this. [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4981 First when she balks under Zala's gaze and brings Quaint'ana's wrath down on her]], and then Ariel, who's roughly half her size, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5023 absorbing her own weapon]] and turning it against her, and then getting [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5041 unceremoniously tossed down the stairs]] by Mel right in front of Quain'tana and the other devesses. This also pretty much marked the end of her being a threat to Ariel.
* ItsAllAboutMe: The "Syphile's Great Deed" story shows that even before she got tainted she had some of this attitude, and talks to herself about she's the only legitimate Val'Sarghress left since everyone else is either disgraced (Mel'arnach), adopted (Koil'dorath), a male (Kel'noz) or technically dead/a golem (Laele'aell), which just makes the end result of that story all the more ironic since she single-handedly removes herself from the running.
* JerkAss: To put it mildly.
* MaternallyChallenged: Much like Quain'tana, but not played for laughs ''at all''. She thinks leaving Ariel with a dictionary to study constitutes "teaching" her.
* MoralEventHorizon: {{In-universe}}, the brutal and completely unnecessary way she killed Fuzzy in front of Ariel after locking them in her room for a week without the means for Fuzzy to even to the bathroom properly seems to be the moment when Ariel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=89 decided she needed to die]], and for the audience it made a lot of people lose sympathy for her.
* NeckLift: At one point Quain'tana [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4981 physically lifts her off the ground]].
* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe, getting tainted and killing Fuzzy are two things that haunt her for the rest of her life. [[invoked]]
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Part of why Syphile is sent on a suicide mission to assassinate Quaintana is because Zala'ess didn't see any reason to trust a traitor]].
* SecretKeeper: Subverted. Syphile knew that [[spoiler:Ariel's parents were really Mel'arnach and Zhor, not Quain'tana]] and she was expected to keep this secret. Once she helped Chrys'tel escape, however, practically the first thing she did was spill the secret to her, and by extension to Zala'ess, and Zala has more than taken advantage of this knowledge to try and shame Quain'tana, not that it seems to have worked.
* TroubledAbuser: Kel'noz at the very least seems to think so, but even knowing this he notably doesn't excuse Syphile for any of her treatment of Ariel.
* UnfortunateNames: WordOfGod is that the origin of her name, back when the story was an RP, is the word syphilis.
* TheUnreveal: Readers never learn who her biological parents were. All we know is that her parents were two of Quain'tana's strongest followers which is partly why she is viewed as a disappointment; because she did not live up to the standards met by her biological parents.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Subverted, since she appears to have always been something of a brat according to one side story, where she alienates one of her friends, who was trying to convince her that tainting herself is a dumb idea, with a low blow about her fallen clan and pretty much turns her only ally against her.
* WithCatlikeTread: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5967 Oh Syphile]]...
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress]]
!!Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress
Ariel's older sister ([[spoiler:or not]]) who was disowned and imprisoned within the Sarghress fortress and is seen as a dangerous psychopath.
* AintTooProudToBeg: She's twice prostrated herself before Quain'tana, but in both cases Quain has seen through it and can tell it's an act. The second one ends particularly brutally.
* AntiMagic: She inherited Quain'tana's ability to negate mana arts, though not to the same degree. [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune has a strong interest in collecting people with unique abilities. This power is the main reason she created Kalki, in hopes of integrating this ability into her bloodline]].
* BabyFactory: [[spoiler: Essentially fills this role for Quain'tana after the timeskip.]]
* BrokenBird: With good reason. According to Kel'noz she "lost her mind a long time ago" [[spoiler:which is only half-right]].
* CardboardPrison: Her original prison in the Sarghress fortress was like this, and it was apparent that Mel could have escaped any time, and it was only [[spoiler:waiting for Ariel]] that kept her there, and she slipped out with relative ease. After the timeskip she also [[spoiler:leaves the Sullisin'rune dome in a carriage [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9459 clearly bearing Snadhya'rune's sigil]] without anyone trying to stop her]].
* DarkMistress: She may wind up playing this role to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] as indicated [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1359 here]].
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: It's implied that at least part of her relationship with [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] is based on spiting Quain, since she knows that her mother hates it.
* DidYouJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu: Ariel and Mel's first interactions are this, since Ariel has been [[spoiler:falsely]] told by Syphile that Mel is a monster.
* DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu: [[spoiler:She had a child with Zhor, who was originally a dark elf but is now a giant spider]].
** This could also apply to her relationship with [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]], who's the closest thing the comic has to a BigBad. The other Sarghress certainly feel this way about their relationship.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The earliest versions of Mel, which are now no longer on the main site, suggested that her insanity was actually true while later versions suggest it's largely an act. And while in the current canon there are rumors she's a rapist in the past this was actually shown to be true with Syphile being her most common target, now the worst she's done on screen is kiss one of her female guards as a distraction, and the idea she'd actually rape someone seems vastly out of character for the current Mel.
* EasilyForgiven: Not Mel herself, but her desire to "[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6850 not hate anymore]]" has led to her to be way too generous to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]], and after a moment of anger she pretty much instantly forgives [[spoiler:Snadhya]] for literally throwing her to the wolves.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=106 This entire scene]].
* FacePalm: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8418 Yet more evidence that this runs in the Sarghress family]].
* FallenPrincess: She explains to Lulianne that at one point she had her own servants, slaves and even people who call themselves her knights, and was mostly left on her own, but later on an incident (implied to be Sarv'swati's attack on Quain) made Quain take this all away and imprison her for refusing to follow Quain's plan.
* FromBadToWorse: Largely the course her life has taken. She didn't get along with Quain'tana practically from the beginning, but when Laele'aell was born it seems some of the heat was taken off Mel, but when Laele died things only got worse again, and to top it off [[spoiler:the child she was waiting for for years was taken away before she could even name her, and she wasn't even allowed to see said child for 10 years, and when she did said child was terrified of her, and didn't believe her when told of her true heritage]].
** It seems to have gotten slightly better for her after the timeskip, [[spoiler:since she seems to have more freedom in the Sullisin'rune dome, apparently sees Ariel on a somewhat regular basis and has had two more children with a third on the way. While not ideal, especially since it's implied the children are being raised elsewhere, she seems much happier, though her relationship with Ariel is clearly still somewhat rocky, and eventually Mel decides to leave Chel entirely to meet up with Snadhya'rune in Felde]].
* GildedCage: Mel has lived in variations on this over the course of her life, some more gilded than others, and after the timeskip [[spoiler:seems to be more or less happy in the Sullisin'rune dome, but after the birth of her daughter she leaves with no apparent resistance from the Sarghress for Chel]].
* GlorifiedSpermDonor: Apparently she and Kel'noz have no idea who their biological father is. And oddly [[spoiler:Mel herself counts as a rare ''female'' example towards Kalki, at least in terms of how she apparently fells about their relationship, not helped by Snadhya [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6848 describing Mel in essentially these terms]] when trying to comfort Mel about not being there for her growing up, not that Mel had any say in this whatsoever]].
* GoGoEnslavement: As more about the relationship is revealed, it becomes evident that the "dental floss" given to Mel by [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] is really this.
* HomosexualReproduction: [[spoiler:She's Kalki's "father" and Snadhya'rune is the "mother", not that Mel knew it]].
* HammerspaceHair: While not ''in'' her hair per se, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=107 in chapter 1]] she uses [[RapunzelHair her extremely long hair, which falls almost to the floor]], to hide a knife that she has hidden on her clothing.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Towards the [[spoiler:Nidraa'chal]], though WordOfGod suggests it's highly likely that she is [[SelectiveObliviousness deliberately deluding herself]]. She considers [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] to be an enlightened leader, bringing life to everything she touches. She considers Yuh'le, a sociopath that explodes animals for fun, to be a little odd, but a good friend.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Some of her criticisms of Quain'tana, especially [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1835 here]] ring a little hollow when you remember that [[spoiler:she's sleeping with the leader of the '''Nidraa'chal''', and Snadhya'rune has pretty much done all that ''and worse'', especially the "obedient drones" comment [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7124 considering that Snadhya has pretty much literally made obedient drones]]]]. She contrasts the beauty Snadhya'rune has brought to Felde with the ruin Quain'tana has brought to Chel, even though she is perfectly aware of the fact that Snadhya'rune [[spoiler:runs the Nidraa'chal]] and thus has ''far'' more responsibility for Chel's plight than Quain'tana.
** Relatedly, the fact that she's disappointed in Ariel for still idolizing Quain also has an aspect of this considering that there are some subtle indicators that Mel on some level understands exactly how bad [[spoiler:Snadhya]] actually is, but is choosing to ignore it.
** And she claims that she wants [[spoiler:Ariel]] to be able to choose how to live her life, something Mel was denied, and yet [[spoiler:when Ariel does make the choice for herself, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7853 Mel doesn't like it]] and tries to stop her. Kel'noz is also well aware of this and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1660 explains this to her]]]].
** And for someone who claims to dislike violence and not want to hate anymore, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10021 her reaction]] to a captured Sarghress squad leader is pretty violent and hateful.
* IHaveNoSon: When speaking to Zhor after the TimeSkip, she rejects the idea that she has any children out of anger that [[spoiler:Ariel]] chose Quain'tana over her, as well as to avoid the associated pain of losing her children.
** Also so far just implied, but Mel evidently has some mixed feelings about [[spoiler:her other daughter, Kalki]] and has been reluctant so far to even identity as her mother and is unsure of whether she actually is, and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10121 dodges the question]] when implicitly asked to confirm it, with WordOfGod saying as much. And given that [[spoiler:Kalki proceeds to attempt to ''murder'']] the child she ''knows'' is her own, this is likely to increase.
* InadequateInheritor: In most situations Mel would be a shoe-in for the Sarghress leadership since she's Quain's oldest daughter, but due to a variety of factors, the mutual animosity between her and Quain being the least of it, it's implied she's never even been ''considered'' a candidate.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: [[spoiler: Towards Snadhya'rune]]. Less on the "dumb" aspect and more on the "naive" aspect however. The fanbase feels that Mel'arnach is so in love that she is blinded towards [[spoiler: Snadhya'rune]]'s faults and have begun to think the less of her for it.
* LoveMartyr: See above, for [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]]. Even more obvious in chapter 44, where she pretty much instantly forgives her, despite being the one who brought her back to the Sarghress and everything that happened after.
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: She is Ariel's mother, though she didn't know until Chapter 32]].
** And from [[spoiler:Kalki]], [[spoiler:[[LukeYouAreMyFather Mel'arnach, You Are My Father]]]] Which is even ''harder'' to explain.
* IronicEcho: Her first reaction to [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6846 being told she was Kalki's father]]]] was to ask if it was a joke. Later, the first words out of [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7851 Ariel's mouth]] when told that Mel is her mother]] is to ask effectively the same thing.
* MamaBear: [[spoiler:Subverted]] in Chapter 46. [[spoiler:Mel has been so thoroughly conditioned by Snadhya'rune to believe that her lover will fix everything that in the midst of Kalki and Ariel's violent confrontation Mel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10143 completely freezes]], something Zhor does not hesitate to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10165 call her out on]]]].
%%* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold
* [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Mommy Had A Good Reason For Abandoning You]]: Several times over. First [[spoiler:she did ''not'' willingly give Ariel up, she was taken from her, and her children after the timeskip seem to have gone through the same thing.]] She does [[spoiler:leave her infant daughter, but only because she believes she'll be taken as well.]]
* MsFanservice: Apparently her rather unorthodox choice of clothing is due to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune's]] influence, something [[spoiler:Zhor]] points out in Chapter 46 since it implies [[spoiler:Snadhya]] sees her as more akin to Kalki's "pets" than an equal.
* MysteriousParent: WordOfGod has refused to answer any questions about who her and Kel'noz's father was, which has led fans to speculate that he's important, and also [[spoiler:Mel herself qualifies for both Kalki and Ariel]].
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Despite spending most of her time in what's essentially lingerie hardly anyone seems to notice. This can be chalked up due to drow culture and the fact that most characters are probably just used to her.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Possibly in regards to [[spoiler:exactly what Snadhya'rune admitting to be a Nidraa'chal founder actually means]] since Mel's [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7060 body language]] when asked if she'd ever heard of [[spoiler:the Nidraa'chal]] is defensive, and when directly asked if she wants to join [[spoiler:Snadhya in her "business"]] her response is to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1369 evade the question]].
** Also implied in regards to Wi'am, where she claims to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9655 not remember her]], referencing how her memory isn't what it used to be, in Chapter 44 despite earlier [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6850 guessing]] that Wi'am [[spoiler:had a hand in creating Kalki]] and referring to her as someone she's known for a very long time. Might have to do with the fact that Wi'am [[spoiler: tricked Mel into giving her eggs to her to create Kalki on Snadhya'rune's request]] and Mel was visibly hurt by this revelation.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: And it's heavily implied that [[spoiler:she either made up the story about her killing men and being a rapist [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=500 to make people leave her alone]], or [[SureLetsGoWithThat adopted some slander about her for the same purposes]].]] Notably, Lulianne sees right through it from the get-go.
* PsychoLesbian: [[spoiler:It's an act]].
* RapeAndSwitch: A debatable example. While it is heavily implied that Quain'tana allowed her to be sexually abused by her male soldiers, and Mel says that the abuse she suffered made her hate men, she also says that Quain was never able to accept that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=520 she preferred women]], implying that she was always more attracted to them, and drow have an EveryoneIsBi society anyway.
* RapeAsBackstory: Though far from her entire backstory, the fact that Quain'tana apparently did nothing to stop Mel's abuse at the hands of her soldiers [[spoiler:and it's implied order it in an attempt to conceive an heir]] is a major reason for the enmity between them.
* RevengeByProxy: Due to her horrible relationship with her mother, she has developed a virulent hatred for all things Sarghress. When [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] asks her for suggestions on what to do with a captured Sarghress squad leader, she advises [[ColdBloodedTorture cutting her up]], which is pretty disturbing coming from someone who [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4964 once claimed to be a pacifist]] and hated violence. She is shown to be deeply satisfied at said squad leader's suffering.
* ScarsAreForever: Intentionally invoked. After [[spoiler:Ariel convinces Quain to let Mel out of the pit in Chapter 32 Quain instructs the healers to fix Mel's broken arms but leave the scars as a reminder.]] Strangely, there's no sign of these after the timeskip when she's shown in short sleeves.
* SelectiveObliviousness: It is unlikely she would approve of Snadhya'rune's actions if she would let herself acknowledge them. But even after Snadhya'rune confesses to them outright, Mel avoids thinking about it and convinces herself that Snadhya'rune is a wonderful person. WordOfGod confirms that deep down, Mel herself is not entirely comfortable with the way Snad influences her into being a pet, but calling her out on any of her delusions is a BerserkButton.
* ShipperOnDeck: After the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1834 ships Ariel/Faen]].
* StatuesqueStunner: Along with her mother she's one of the tallest characters in the comic, and is even taller than [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]], best seen [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1372 here]]. WordOfGod [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=3116 is]] that she and Quain'tana are as tall as their Dark Elf ancestors would have been.
* TookALevelInJerkass: After the timeskip, where after [[spoiler:meeting up with Snadhya in Felde]] she basically declares [[IHaveNoSon that she has no children]], coldly states that a captured Sarghress squad leader should be [[ColdBloodedTorture cut up]], and her only reaction to said squad leader's people getting hit by a mana cannon is to express surprise at how powerful it is instead of showing any reaction to the violence. After watching said squad leader concede, she gives her a rather sadistic smile as her lover asserts her dominance by finishing her people off. She then angrily declares that she wishes [[spoiler:the one person who has always been by her side and is arguably the only person who truly cares for her, Zhor, had remained a beast]] when he points out that her relationship with [[spoiler:Snadhya]] is turning her into a worse person. Something that deep down, she knows is true.
* VagueAge: Even [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7749 Mel isn't sure]] exactly how old she is, but she's at least 300.
* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Needless to say, [[spoiler: Ariel has problems believing Mel is her mother]].
** Possibly averted after the timeskip, where [[spoiler:the fact that Mel refers to Ariel as "my daughter" when talking to Faen implies that Ariel has acknowledged Mel, at least in private, though when Mel (again) starts insulting Quain'tana Ariel storms out, indicating that they're not 100% on good terms yet]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kel'noz Val'Sarghress]]
!!Kel'noz Val'Sarghress
Ariel's older brother ([[spoiler:really her uncle]]), Mel'arnach's twin brother, Quain'tana's only son and headmaster of the Davya tower at Orthorbbae.
* BigBrotherMentor
* ConflictingLoyalty: Several types: Between Quain'tana and Mel, Quain'tana and Ariel, and his duties at Orthorbbae versus his clan.
* FacePalm: He's done this several times, and given how his family acts, who can blame him? When he did this in reaction to [[spoiler:Ariel rejecting Mel as being her mother]] it was generally agreed that he spoke for the fans.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: What he says about his more questionable actions, but who knows if it's true.
* ManipulativeBastard
* NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught: His policy, and that of Orthorbbae.
* TheOneGuy: Among the Sarghress Vals he's the only known male [[spoiler:besides Mel's two young sons, who haven't yet appeared on screen]] outside of the Tions family, who are only related to Quain'tana paternally and thus not "really" Vals by drow standards.
* OnlySaneMan: Compared to the rest of his family he definitely comes across as this.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Ariel, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8418 to the point that when Mel starts insulting him]] (again) Ariel explicitly says that he raised her.
* TrueNeutral: As a Headmaster at Orthorbbae he's supposed to be this, but who knows what he really is [[invoked]].
* TwinDesynch: There's a heavy implication that he and Mel went through this after [[spoiler:he chose Quain'tana over her]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Laele'aell Val'Sarghress]]
!!Laele'aell Val'Sarghress
The former heir of the Sarghress and leader of the Fallen Legion, sometime before Ariel's birth Laelle'aell was possessed by a demon, and though technically still alive (with the addition of some golem parts) is mainly used as a weapon now. She has had very little screen time, and some information about her is taken from a Daydream story about the early Sarghress/Sullisin'rune alliance, so its canocity is uncertainly.
* TheAce: She was [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=354 everything Quain'tana wanted]] in an heir, which made her fall that much more devastating.
* EmptyShell: One early character description called her a "container of souls".
* FollowInMyFootsteps: She built up the Fallen Legion on her own, just as Quain built up her first army.
* HasTwoMommies: Ash'waren is implied to have had a significant role in her upbringing.
* MismatchedEyes: Before her death, [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/674231c7b81fc5a3213c61f2c9299551/tumblr_o2vocwsHVa1ru23uuo3_1280.png Laele had Sullisin'rune heterochromia.]]
* MysteriousProtector: Of Ariel after the Fallen Legion become her bodyguards.
* {{Ninja}}
* NoodleIncident: It's unknown exactly what happened to her besides a few basic facts, like a demon being involved and a failed exorcism.
* PetTheDog / MoralityPet: A subtle one for Quaintana. Its pretty clear that Laele'aell was always [[ParentalFavoritism the favourite daughter]] but in this [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4664 scene]], Quain'tana explicitly gives Ariel Syphile's lands instead of Laele'aell's, despite the latter's condition and despite the fact that Syphile had not been formally disinherited yet. Quain'tana even expresses hope that Laele'aell may eventually recover from her tainting as an explanation for her decision.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: See [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=388 here]].
* ProphetEyes
* TheSpartanWay: She had to climb her way up to the top, just like Quain'tana, and essentially build her own army from the ground up.
* TheVoiceless: It's unknown if she's even capable of speaking anymore.
[[/folder]]
!!Quain'tana Val'Sarghress
Originally a street rat, Quain'tana turned the Sarghress clan from a ragtag bunch of mercenaries into one of the most powerful militaries in the world setting. Not a very good parent.
* AbusiveParents: Offenses listed on the main trope page.
* AmazonianBeauty / BrawnHilda: In the past she was definitely more of the former, but is now more of the latter.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Quain displays zero interest in sex with men, except presumably for procreation in the past, and given her status and the number of people who admire her she probably could have her pick of lovers among her men if she so desired. By contrast, it is all but outright stated that she and Ash'Waren are lovers and Ash is one of the only people Quain displays anything resembling gentleness and affection towards.
* AnimalMotif: Aside from the wolves of the Sarg clan, she's been likened to a Gorilla. Should she ever learn of this, in universe, and look up the definition, she would likely be flattered. Gorillas are known to be fiercely strong, determined and loyal, highly intelligent, and have very, ''very'' long memories.
* AntiMagic: Quain'tana is immune to most mana arts, and it is likely this ability is the reason Quain'tana is never seen to use any mana based techniques of her own. This ability is extremely rare and has been called legendary by one of her enemies.
* {{Badass}}
* BarefootPoverty: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9871 As a young woman]].
* BestServedCold: When she was a young thief, living on the streets, she was mercilessly struck down by a Sharen Dragon Knight for stealing bread and left for dead. After centuries of determination, she finally [[spoiler:succeeds in bringing down most of the Sharen clan and ends their rule over Chel]].
* BigDamnHeroes: Plays this role to [[spoiler:Zala'ess, of all people]] in Chapter 47.
* BraidsOfBarbarism: Starts wearing her hair this way in [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7588 chapter 31]].
* BrokenPedestal: Ariel found out [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=100 the hard way]] that Quain'tana is not the kind mother she imagined.
* CelibateHero: Implied, though this part of her life has not been focused on in the main story at all. Though the presence of her children clearly indicates she has had sexual relationships in the past these may have been solely for the purpose of producing children and not anything else. Not to mention [[spoiler:she can't have kids anymore]] and thus may not bother. The partially-canon Daydream story about her and Ash'waren also has Ash asking if she sees sex as a duty more than anything, and though her relationship with Ash seems to have started as simply a matter of politics it seems to have developed into something deeper later.
* CharacterDevelopment: It's still early, but there are indications that she might be starting to soften, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1556 especially this]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Quain'tana grew up an orphan, living on the streets. She had to steal food to survive and was nearly killed by a Sharen dragon knight for her trouble, having to dodge slavers shortly afterwards. She has received little mercy throughout her life, and for this reason [[TheSpartanWay has no mercy for weakness on the part of her descendants]].
* DesignatedHero: In universe and out.
* {{Determinator}}: When she was a young StreetUrchin, she was nearly killed by a Sharen Dragon Knight for stealing loaves of bread. Severely wounded and desperate to have her revenge, she struggled through the depths of Chel to survive, whatever the cost. When speaking of her desires to other street dwellers, they told her it was impossible, since none of them could ever have anywhere near the power to fight the Vals. This only made her all the more determined to see the downfall of the Sharen clan, a task at which she [[spoiler:eventually succeeds]].
* TheDogBitesBack: Her very first kill was an example of this when she went after the Sharen Dragon Knight who had previously wounded her for stealing loaves of bread and left her to die in the street.
* DrowningMySorrows: Did this after [[spoiler:being rendered barren]].
* EnemyMine: Makes a truce with [[spoiler:Zala'ess's faction of the Sharen, agreeing to work together against the Nidraa'chal. She also comes to Zala'ess's rescue when Ni'bai tries using Kharla'ggen to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]].
* FacePalm: As seen above, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4112 her family seems to have gotten this from her]].
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From the perspective of the Sharen, since she started as a no-name street rat and eventually [[spoiler:effectively ended their domain over Chel]].
* FreudianExcuse: Her past as a street rat who was shown no mercy by authority figures is the main reason she's so ruthless now.
* GiverOfLameNames: The very [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4315 first page]] showed her engaging in LastMinuteBabyNaming, and she later names [[spoiler:Mel's younger son]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10845 Pup]] which is immediately pointed out.
* [[HeirClubForMen Heir Club for Women]]: Quain is willing do anything -- and we do mean ''anything'' -- to make sure she has an heir. Except, apparently, make a deal with the Jaal'darya, either due to [[EveryoneHasStandards even Quain having standards]], since the process is described as horrific, or simply not being willing to shell out the absurd amount of money it would require, which is pretty likely considering that a similar procedure is said to have drained [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune's]] assets for nearly a year.
* HeroicBSOD: For a given definition of "heroism" anyway. As seen in a flashback, she did ''not'' take [[spoiler: being rendered barren thanks to a battle wound inflicted by Sarv'swati]] very well. It's one of the reasons she leans so hard -- to put it ''lightly'' -- on Mel to bear an heir.
* {{Hypocrite}}: See NotSoDifferent. A big theme in the comic is that despite publicly being against the Sharen Quain is willing to do many of the same things in order to gain power, especially when it comes to her ControlFreak tendencies over her family, which Mel lampshades.
* IWantGrandkids: To Mel, [[spoiler:in the most horrific way possible]].
* JerkassHasAPoint: Has several moment of this, adding to the GreyAndGreyMorality of the setting since while she's not a particularly nice person, she's, well, ''right'' about a bunch of things.
** Most of her criticisms of the Sharen are shown to be pretty spot-on, especially when it comes to how the Sharen underestimate the people they rule over. And during the Nidraa'chal War, it turns out that she was dead on about [[spoiler:it really being an inside issue for the Sharen, since the Sharen daughters themselves were behind it]].
** Pulling Ariel out of Orthorbbae when her true gender is discovered by Snadhya'rune is this, especially since we find out that Snadhya explicitly planned to bring Ariel in to control her.
** Her reaction to Mel in chapter 32, where she says she doesn't trust her due to Mel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4948 having threatened to kill her]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7831 not two months ago]], made doubly so by the fact that the audience ''knows'' that [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7086 put Mel up to it]] and that the whole thing is a lie. Even so, she lost a lot of sympathy when she proceeded to restrain Mel and ''break her arms with a hammer''.
** In general, her disapproval of Mel'arnach and [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune's]] relationship, since the latter has very much started showing her true colors. Though in this case it may be RightForTheWrongReasons on Quain's part.
** Also, her anger at Syphile tainting herself becomes this in hindsight with the revelation that [[spoiler:many if not most of Snadhya's seeds are intentionally faulty and designed to kill the user within 50 years, and it's very likely that Syphile was carrying one of those seeds]].
* KarmaHoudini: Not unlike much of the cast. Though this does tend to cause heated debates on the forums, on occasion.
* LadyLooksLikeADude: A RunningGag in the comic and fandom is how she can easily be mistaken for male given her body-builder like physique, such as [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5101 here]], and the creator specified in one side comic how she was to be drawn, but depending on the artist this is or isn't followed.
* LargeHam: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7606 If there was ever any doubt...]] And earlier, her [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=449 verbal spar with Zala]] left [[ChewingTheScenery toothmarks all over the set]].
* LawOfInverseFertility: [[spoiler: Got hit by this ''hard''.]]
* MaternallyChallenged: One interpretation of her bad relationships with her children is that she's not so much intentionally cruel as much as having ''no idea'' how to properly treat them, and among her children Laele'aell seems to have been treated best.
* MemeticBadass: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7603 In-universe.]] To her great annoyance.
** UnwantedFalseFaith: To the people who see her as some sort of Messiah. Especially since her biggest opponents the Sharen used the image of Sharess to create a religion as a system of control, and Quain is [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7602 openly disdainful]] of this tactic.
* MightMakesRight: A lesson she says she learned from the Sharen.
* NoSell: Though we don't know much about her abilities at this point, Kel'noz at one point says that she can effectively do this with mana attacks that are directed at her by absorbing the mana into her own body.
* NotSoDifferent: With Diva'ratrika. Both are obsessed with continuing their bloodlines and pressure their daughters to have children, both are {{Control Freak}}s, both of their children wind up hating them, [[spoiler:and they both share a descendant in Kalki]].
* OffingTheOffspring: Surprisingly, this has only occurred once that we know of, with [[spoiler:Syphile]] who attacked her first.
* OneHeadTaller: As seen [[http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9907 here]], Quain is one head taller than her ally/partner Ash'waren.
* ParentalAbandonment: Both cause and victim.
* PerpetualFrowner: Frowning and DeathGlare tends to be her default expression.
* PetTheDog: Her relationship with Ash'waren, and the fact that when one of her dev'esses, Sang, was tortured by the Sharen and lost all of her limbs Quain'tana got her all new golem limbs and had her re-trained. One golem limb, much less four, are ''expensive'' in the DT world. The case can also be made for MoralMyopia in terms of her relationships with her children. She gets another one in chapter 30 where she finally tells Ariel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1557 that she makes her proud]], with the slight pause suggesting that she's not really sure how to even say it.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly. Especially after the 15-year timeskip. Ariel's quite correct to say that "she's harsh but fair." Every time soldiers have been brought before her for discipline, she ''does'' give them a chance to justify their actions, and if they can give a satisfactory justification for violating orders, or bring forth results, she will praise them, even if it's not to their face. She even happily admits that Ariel disobeying orders to infiltrate the Sharen fortress and take down Nihil'lir is a praiseworthy accomplishment, and would have done the same in Ariel's place, ''after'' promoting Ariel to the Highland Raiders while making it look like a punishment.
* RedBaron: Has often been referred to by her enemies as "The Big Bad Wolf".
* ReluctantRuler: She really doesn't want to be a figurehead ruler, and even says that if she manages to defeat the Sharen [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1560 she'd leave the role of Empress to Ash'waren and go adventuring again]], which has shades of {{Cincinnatus}}.
* SatisfiedStreetRat: Deconstructed, since we see exactly how messed up a person raised like she was can become.
* ScarsAreForever: The author has produced NSFW art that shows that Quain has a ''wicked'' scar on her abdomen [[spoiler:from when Sarv'swati made her barren]].
* ScrewDestiny: Sharen propaganda states that only they and [[BlueBlood people from similarly established lines]] have the right to any kind of authority by divine decree. To do anything else is seen as a defiance of fate and their rightful place in life. Quain'tana has been described as someone who has fought everything to defy her destiny. She grew up as a common thief, and seeing the rough lives lived on the streets, vowed to end the rigid caste system. In time, she eventually built up enough power to threaten the entire Val class.
* ShipperOnDeck: In the worst way for Mel. In the most hilarious way for Ariel.
* ShutUpHannibal: In Chapter 47 she [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10420 makes it abundantly clear]] that Zala's bullshit has no effect on her, using only two fingers to shut her up.
* TheSpartanWay: How she seems to view most things, especially child rearing. As for the results, well, see above.
* StreetUrchin: Her origin. She and her companions lived out on the streets and were forced to steal food to survive.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: The [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9871 young Quain]] looks a lot like Ariel [[spoiler:despite actually being her grandmother rather than her mother]].
* SuperStrength: She can shatter a pillar of stone with her fists.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Tomboy to Ash'waren's girly girl.
* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: The middle part of chapter 45 is one for her, and shows what's presumably her very first kill, when she kills the Sharen Dragon Rider who previously cut her down in the street.
* TwentyFourHourArmor: To the point that we've only seen her outside of it [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5991 once so far]] in the main archive.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Though we don't get much of a sense of her personality, the young Quain'tana was [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9871 a cute young woman]] who showed TearsOfFear when confronted by a dragon knight.
* VagueAge: Like her children, Quain's exact age is ambiguous, and given the circumstances she grew up in Quain herself may not even know the exact year of her birth. Context and Mel's speculation on her own age suggests she's at least 300, possibly 400 given that the Sarghress were officially acknowledged in the 700s [[http://wiki.drowtales.com/index.php/Timeline according to the series timeline]].
* WhenSheSmiles: It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, Quain's smile is the beginning of a rare, but genuine {{Heartwarming}} moment. Ariel is the one who is most likely to bring this about.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Something she actually fears, stating that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1560 she'd rather die on the surface due to mana deprivation]] than wind up trapped in the city like Diva'ratrika was.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ariel Val'Sarghress]]
!!Ariel Val'Sarghress
The main character, daughter of Quain'tana ([[spoiler:or so she thinks]]) and heir of the Sarghress clan.
* AmazonianBeauty: After the timeskip. Just check out [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8365 her bicep]] in a shower scene, and though she's usually wearing long sleeves several pieces of art make it clear that the girl is ripped. It's also made clear that she's found attractive by several characters in-universe.
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:Kalki stabs her hand into the table. Shortly after Ariel gets her hand free, Kalki "helps" her by chopping off her arm completely. Ariel eventually steals Kalki's to replace it]].
* AntiHero: Swings back and forth, but seems to have settled into a Type IV, or possibly even a Type III after the timeskip, where she's willing to ShootTheDog and essentially [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8600 force a man into slavery]] despite not personally wanting to because the Sarghress need the support of his accuser to help hold the district.
* AppendageAssimilation: [[spoiler:Steals Kalki's arm as payback for her half-sister chopping off hers]].
* BadassAdorable: As the story goes on she increasingly becomes this.
** {{Badass}}: After the timeskip, as a young adult. She not only fearlessly chases after a guy to get a nether gate out of his chest and helps take it out with her ''bare hands'' but later takes out a Vloz'ress Scourge and kills the wielders of a Black Sun cannon.
* BerserkButton: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=373 Monster!]]
** Also, if you're Mel, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5052 don't]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8418 badmouth Quain]] in front of her.
** And while more subtle, it's clear that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8983 she does not take kindly to slaves being used as objects]] or to stronger people taking advantage of weaker people.
* BigDamnHeroes: Intially, she took lessons from Chirinde and Vaelia, but over time, she's become a master of this, going so far as to actually cheer when she successfully rescues Chirinde from Halme soldiers on a Fae hunt which is both heartwarming and hillarious.
---> "This time I get to save you, Chirinde!"
* BlackMage
* BladeOnAStick: Her primary weapon after the timeskip, likely taking inspiration from Vaelia.
* BlowYouAway: Besides her shapeshifting, she also has an affinity for air sorcery.
* BoobsOfSteel: Notably averted. Despite being one of the tallest characters around she's [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=7652 modestly endowed]] (NFSW) by the standards of most drow females and identified as a B cup, which is clearly one trait she got from Quain.
* BookDumb: Shows signs of this, including [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1796 not knowing her clan's history outside of the romanticized versions she read]] though this [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]] considering Syphile's lackluster teaching and the fact that she only spent about 5 years at Orthorbbae, and much of the time she did spend there was spent [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=236 trying to avoid being attacked again]], and she's explicitly said to have not gotten very good grades as a result.
* BoysHaveCooties: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8737 In a chibi]], when asked if she has ever attempted to use her shapeshifting powers for a GenderBender, she asks, "Why would I do that? Boys are gross."
* BreakTheCutie: Pretty much since day 1.
* BrokenBird: Showed signs of it, but seems to have mostly avoided becoming this trope after the timeskip.
* CainAndAbel: The Abel with [[spoiler:Kalki Nidraa'chal]], who goes so far as to attempt to kill her by [[spoiler:chopping off her arm]] when they meet in chapter 46.
* CharacterDevelopment: Much of the story has focused on her developing from a little kid with no clue how the outside world works into a LittleMissBadass with her own crew of badasses at her back. [[FridgeBrilliance Which is exactly what Quain'tana wanted to happen]].
* CheerfulChild: Originally, though she's not completely broken yet.
* ChildrenForcedToKill: Happens to her pre-timeskip, first when she's forced to kill Mir'kiin.
* ChronicPetKiller: Has been [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] into this by fans even though she's only had three, but she is still 1-2 on their survival since Melodia the feral isn't dead yet and survived the timeskip.
* CoolBigSis: While it didn't surprise anyone that she panics at the thought of holding a crying baby with a soiled diaper (which is leaking), nobody expected that same baby to be completely comfortable in her arms once the diaper was changed, and that her two much younger brothers have absolutely no fear of her, and are in awe of her prehensile hair (jokingly calling her a Kraken). In addition, she doesn't show even the slightest resentment that their childhoods are far better than her own.
* CreepyChild: She [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=91 has her moments]], and one forumgoer's response to this page was to post a picture of Samara from ''TheRing''.
* {{Determinator}}: WordOfGod is that this is what qualifies her to be a protagonist.
* DramaticIrony: For most of the story the audience and several other characters have known that [[spoiler:her mother is really Mel'arnach, not Quain'tana]], but she doesn't [[spoiler: yet]] know. This makes a lot of her interactions with both [[spoiler:Mel and Quain]] that much more interesting.
** As of Chapter 32, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7844 the cat's out of the bag]]. [[spoiler: Not that she believes it, at least at first]].
* EtTuBrute: She's [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10121 visibly shaken]] when she realizes that Kyo'nne has [[spoiler:lied and delivered her straight to Snadhya'rune]].
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: When last seen before the timeskip had red streaks in her hair, but these have changed back to the same purple she used when Mel first taught her how to change her hair. This may represent [[spoiler:accepting her true heritage, at least on some level]].
** In Chapter 46, she changes her purple streaks to Sarghress red to disassociate herself from the too-friendly Sharen who notes that she's wearing 'their' colors in her hair. She changes it back later.
* ExpressiveHair: Post Felde, her hair visibly reacts to her moods, such as [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10521 puffing up]] (fifth panel) when she realizes whatever she's eating is definitely not fish.
* FacePalm: After the timeskip she seems to have picked up some habits [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8296 from Kel'noz]].
* FaceStealer
** Technically averted. Her shapeshifting powers don't work that way. But Shinae infers the same meaning and uses the exact words as an insult.
** [[spoiler:Kalki]] incorrectly perceives her to be doing this when she takes on her form, due to her knowledge of [[spoiler:Khaless, who plays it straight]].
* FamedInStory: She apparently has gained a reputation among Sarghress enemies if one of them can identify her by her [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8653 abilities]]. [[http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8685 This]] Vloz'ress Summoner also knows Ariel. [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8344 Other]] people within the Sarghress ranks also seem to know her by name.
* FreakOut: Did ''not'' react well to Faen's disappearance at all.
* GenderBender: According to one of the chibis, she once attempted this with her shapeshifting powers, but she can't manage more than the appearance.
* GenderBlenderName: Both in-story and out. No one seems to bat an eye at the name when she's in Orthorbbae, and in the real world the name Ariel previously was used mostly for males but has only become associated more with females in the past century. When the author pronounces the name he also pronounces it as the more masculine "R-E-L" rather than the more feminized "Air-E-L".
* GenerationXerox: Played with in a few ways. Quain'tana wants this to happen and have Ariel have a similar upbringing to herself, believing it will produce a strong heir, but Ariel also ''doesn't'' want this to happen when it comes to her and Mel [[spoiler:her biological mother]] and this is the main reason she [[spoiler:tells Faen they should be "just friends" since she knows that Mel's relationships with women was a major source of conflict between her and Quain, but she eventually gives in]].
* GlamourFailure: Though only the audience and possibly [[spoiler:Kiel]] seem to notice, there are a few things off about her [[spoiler:Kalki]] disguise, the main one being that her pupils are a monotone red as opposed to the white spirals in the pupils the real one has. And it was shown [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4996 much earlier]] that while she can change her irises to the red color of a tainted drow, they lack the glow a real tainted has on close inspection.
* HairWings: She can shift her hair into wings for gliding.
* HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler:Losing an arm less an hour before does absolutely nothing to stop her from decking Yuh'le in the face ''and'' giving Kalki a well deserved punch]]. Evidently she gets this from her biological father, [[spoiler:Zhor]] who himself showed this in the same incident. Unfortunately it wears off after a time and [[spoiler:Kalki manages to knock her unconscious]].
* HealingFactor: Can easily stop bleeding superficial cuts with her shapeshifting powers, but WordOfGod and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8698 Ariel herself]] explain that the damage is still there, making it something of an aversion since all she's doing is shifting the skin, and it's still painful. An internal wound would do just as much damage to her as it would anyone else. It does give her an edge in combat by making it look like she can simply NoSell her opponents' attacks, which at the very least takes them off guard or [[OhCrap flat out panic]].
** Also subverted in chapter 46, when her attempts to [[spoiler:reattach her own arm]] fail miserably, though it's implied that this might have worked had [[spoiler:Kalki not run off with it]] and they'd tried sooner.
* HeroicBSOD: She's understandably [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10202 pretty upset]] to find [[spoiler:her own severed arm lying on the floor where Kalki dropped it]].
* HeroicResolve: Mostly on account of being a {{Determinator}}. Also subverted in that while she manages to walk off less serious injuries and can use her shapeshifting to at least keep herself moving until she can get proper treatment, she's several times been injured to the point of needing immediate medical attention. After her fall from the Orthorbbae tower in chapter 2 it's heavily implied that she would have died from her stab wound if Faen hadn't been there to heal her, and in chapter 40 [[spoiler:her fall from the top of the fortress wall [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9051 is implied to have broken several bones]] and possibly cracked several vertebrae, leaving her unable to get up, and it's obvious she'll be out of commission for some time after this]].
** Also displays this in chapter 46 by continuing to run around and even punch out [[spoiler:Yuh'le]] after [[spoiler:losing her arm and nearly bleeding to death]] and it's quite clear from the bags under her eyes and her overall body language that she's exhausted, in great pain and moving mostly because of adrenaline and [[{{Determinator}} willpower]].
* InformedAttribute: Ariel apparently has a very nice butt. We only know this through other character's reactions to it since the "camera" doesn't place that much emphasis on it, at least in the main archive.
* ItGetsEasier: Soon after killing Mir'kiin she accidentally kills Maya when she shields Yafein from a mana blast during an argument the two are having, and Ariel is horrified by how easy it was for her to take another life. See MyGodWhatHaveIDone.
* IWillFindYou: To Faen, and succeeded.
* JustFriends: When asked to prove who she is to Sar'nel she mentions that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8671 their parents tried to get them to date]] during the timeskip, though it didn't end up working out.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Normally, the fact that she kicks [[spoiler:Yuh'le]] after she'a already down would be a KickTheDog moment, but considering what we know about [[spoiler:Yuh'le]] and what she's capable of on top of Ariel's own physical and mental state it loses the sting and is completely understandable.
** Also [[spoiler:taking Kalki's arm for herself]], an action Ariel explicitly rejected when the [[spoiler:unwilling "donor" was one of her fellow soldiers]], in light of the fact that doing it to the former is LaserGuidedKarma more than anything.
* KickedUpstairs: Quain'tana ordered that [[SoldiersAtTheRear Ariel was to be kept in the Home Guard and not to be promoted]] until the District War is over. Ariel disobeys because of circumstances and as an attempt to make Quain'tana proud. Quain'tana is furious, but ends up sending her and her squad to the Raiders as "punishment", though it's clear that the "punishment" part is mostly for show. Once Ariel is gone, she acknowledges to another soldier that [[NotSoDifferent she actually would have done the same in her position]]. This also provides a good excuse to keep Ariel busy and far away from the District War, since the [[CorneredRattlesnake Sharen are likely to become far more dangerous]] now that [[spoiler:[[LastStand Sarv'swati is on the brink of defeat]] and Quain doesn't want her heir anywhere near danger]].
** ReassignmentBackfire: ...Which unknowingly gets her into danger anyhow, since first she winds up in Ys, which is under attack by Hermiones, and then after following the airship she ends up in [[spoiler:Felde, the Dragon's Nest of Snadhya'rune herself]].
* KidHero: By Drow standards, since she was physically only around 7 before the timeskip.
* KillAndReplace: By the timeskip her shapeshifting skills have advanced enough that she can pull this off with effort. The first time she tries it in Chapter 39 it fails because she gets the gender of the person she's imitating wrong, but subsequent attempts are more successful [[spoiler:in part because she learned the Black Sun language over the timeskip]].
** In chapter 46 [[spoiler:Kalki]] also fear she's doing this when she takes on her appearance [[spoiler:after taking her arm]] but Ariel angrily retorts that she doesn't want [[spoiler:Kalki's]] place and kicks her head into a mirror.
* LetsJustBeFriends: [[spoiler: Tells this to Faen, since she doesn't think Quain'tana would approve of a relationship between them. However this seems to last all of a page before she gives in]].
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Snadhya'rune says this of Ariel and her father in response to Ariel's idealism.
* LittleMissBadass: Not at all surprising given who her mother is. [[spoiler:This statement could apply to both Mel'arnach and Quain'tana]].
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Faen serves this role to her after the timeskip, since despite being older she's still very unsure of herself. Also crosses over with MoralityPet.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Until Chapter 32, she was the only member of her immediate family that didn't know [[spoiler:that her mother is really Mel'arnach, not Quain'tana]].
* MulticoloredHair: Can do it herself using magic.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she kills Maya in a fit of rage during an argument with Yafein she has one of these moments and is horrified by how easy it was to kill again, and it stops her from developing into a full-blown VillainProtagonist. After the 15 year timeskip it's also hinted that one reason she's willing to [[PetTheDog stick up for slaves]] is because of what happened to Maya.
* NaiveNewcomer: For the first arc of the story, but this trait seems to have largely disappeared after the timeskip.
* TheNeedsOfTheMany: After the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8600 runs into this when dealing with district management]].
* NotNowKiddo: Has this reaction towards Wafay at first, until [[MoralityPet Faen talks her into listening]].
* ObliviousToLove: Ariel and Faen are very close friends, but Faen would like to be more. Faen has a strong crush on Ariel to the extent that EveryoneCanSeeIt, except Ariel herself. Even after Faen finally manages to kiss Ariel, Ariel remains rather oblivious, to the extent that when Faen tries to snuggle her later, Ariel's response is to ask her if she's all right. There may be a degree of SelectiveObliviousness, since when Ariel decides to [[spoiler:acknowledge Faen's feelings, she states LetsJustBeFriends, since she isn't sure Quain'tana would approve. She gives in anyway shortly after]].
* OneHeadTaller: After the timeskip, with Faen, which is an inversion of when they were younger. Receives an amusing [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8545 lampshading]] in one extra page.
* OrganTheft: Her shapeshifting abilities can theoretically perform this. [[spoiler:She eventually uses it to steal Kalki's arm as revenge for cutting off her own and harming her friends]].
* ParentalAbandonment: She does not have a good track record with parental figures, who are either abusive, distant or imprisoned, with the exception of Vaelia [[spoiler:who's now been PutOnABus, albeit by Ariel herself]] and now we can add [[spoiler:Diva'ratrika]] as a possible mother figure, leading to jokes that [[spoiler:Ariel has a 3/5 chance of stabbing Diva in the back at some point]].
* PluckyGirl: And how!
* PostKissCatatonia: Her reaction when Faen finally grabs and kisses her is to walk to her destination in a confused daze.
* PrehensileHair: Thanks to her shapeshifting powers. She has even been seen to use it [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8693 to parry a blade in a three on one battle]] Chapter 46 and WordOfGod reveals that this is completely unconscious on her part, since she's visibly surprised to see her hair reach up to [[spoiler:restrain Kalki]] to compensate for [[spoiler:her severed arm]].
* PromotionNotPunishment: Although Quain'tana worded it as a punishment, Ariel was actually ''promoted'' to the Highland Raiders after she disobeyed orders and infiltrated a Sharen fortress, took down Nihil'lir, and either liberated or neutralized a significant portion of the Sharen slave conscript army. After Ariel left the room, Quain confided in her trustworthy aid that she would have done the same thing, and [[PetTheDog "expected no less of her."]]
* PurpleIsPowerful: She seems to use purple as her signature color in place of the usual Sarghress red. WordOfGod also confirms that her hair is not actually pure white and is in fact a very light purple, in fact a lighter shade of Mel's hair color. If she had been surface born she would have clearly purple hair, though it would be several shades lighter than the dyed part of her hair.
* RaisedByDudes: Partially, though the first ten years of her life were with Syphile, she's said to have visited Kel'noz regularly, and then when he took her to Orthorbbae effectively took over her guardianship, to the point that after the timeskip Ariel specifically says he raised her.
* RapunzelHair: Even more so after the timeskip. It's shown reaching the floor. Justified in that now with her being fully aware of her abilities, it gives her an incredible reach.
* RefugeInAudacity: In Chapter 46, the only reason she gets away with shoving a guard off the bridge into the water is that the person she's impersonating, [[spoiler:Kalki]] ''is'' that unpredictable and the guards are just used to putting up with her antics.
* ReluctantRuler: WordOfGod is that the responsibilities of her Val title and all that come with it are not something she actually wants, but something she thinks she has to take up in order not to let people down. Arc 2 of the current storyline consists of her slowly growing into her role as a leader and accepting more of those responsibilities.
* RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler: With Faen as of Chapter 44.]]
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: With Faen, and Faen at least would like more emphasis on the "romance" and less on the "friendship", but so far Ariel's feelings on the matter aren't known. After the timeskip it's also implied that the two of them already [[ThereIsOnlyOneBed share a bed]], though Ariel still remains ObliviousToLove [[spoiler:until Chapter 44]].
* SadisticChoice: When she's [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4501 forced by Quain'tana]] to choose between killing Mir'kiin, who she knows is an asshole but doesn't want to straight up murder, and fight her cousin Sarnel to the death. She chooses to kill Mir'kiin, and it's strongly implied this gives her PTSD.
* ShapeshifterBaggage: Averted, since Drowtales mostly follows the conservation of energy principle. She can only shapeshift within her own mass, or by absorbing material from her environment (which has big limitations).
* ShapeshifterSwanSong: When Ariel receives a critical injury and is bleeding to death, she is coached into sealing the wound with her shapeshifting. While struggling to do so, her control slips, and she ends up going through several of the different disguises she has assumed in the past.
* SheIsAllGrownUp: After the 15 year timeskip Ariel is now 30, or 15 physically, and shot up like a weed. Unsurprising, given her family.
* ShesGotLegs: Much of her height seems to be because of her very long legs.
* SoldiersAtTheRear: Quaintana and the other higher ups intended her to remain a grunt doing homeland defense instead of risking herself as a leader on the battlefield until the District War was over. Due to circumstances, Ariel ends up unknowingly defying this.
* SpareToTheThrone: If it hadn't been for Laele's possession, Syphile's disgrace and Mel's disinheritance, Ariel would never have a shot at the Sarghress leadership.
* StatuesqueStunner: After the timeskip, she's head and shoulders above her entire peer group which is entirely unsurprising given her family and the fact that she is [[spoiler:a second generation drow on her father's side]]. She's also so tall that Faen has to stand on the tips of her toes [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9466 in order to kiss her]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: After the timeskip, her resemblance to her female relatives becomes really apparent, especially to Mel'arnach and [[spoiler:Kalki]].
* SweetPollyOliver: While at Orthorbbae. It takes Snadhya'rune about five years to catch on, but her classmates figure it out within the first week, and are only prevented from spreading the news by not being able to leave. Kel'noz also clues in the other headmasters early on.
* TakeAThirdOption: One of her lessons in leadership. After witnessing a Sarghress soldier treat a looted slave like a foot stool, she gives an idealistic speech about not becoming like their enemies, splitting her team mates along idealistic and mercenary lines and causing the soldier in question to challenge her over the fate of the slave. As Faen summarizes the situation, defeating the soldier in a challenge would only make the others hate her more, losing would make them say she deserved it, and backing down would make them think she is weak. Ariel ultimately [[spoiler:defuses the situation by giving the slave the chance to join the Sarghress as a partisan in exchange for her freedom]].
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Mostly averted for her. As of the timeskip, Ariel is prone to giving idealistic speeches in the middle of fights, but her enemies haven't been interested in listening, diverting her concentration.
** However, while her enemies aren't listening, the nearby [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive/20120717c38p041.jpg civilians are]] and she convinced them to take up arms and ZergRush the enemy.
* ThousandYardStare: She [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4663 gets this]] after killing Mir'kiin.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: With Faen, and it helps that she spent about five years disguised as a boy in Orthorbbae. Her tomboyishness, along with [[CampGay Sorane]] being in the same class helped to disguise her true gender.
* VerbThis: Says this as she decks [[spoiler:Kalki]] in the face.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With [[spoiler:Diva]] after the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=3724 confirmed]] by WordOfGod.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Her signature ability, though she's warned that if she's not careful she could accidentally put a vital organ in the wrong place.
* [[WellDoneSonGuy Well Done Daughter Girl]]: Even though her relationship with Quain'tana can be rocky, she desperately wants her approval, and in Chapter 30 [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1556 finally seems to get it]].
* YankTheDogsChain: Right after she finally gets acknowledged as Quain'tana's heir, Faen disappears sending her into a deep depression.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Syphile Val'Sarghress]]
!!Syphile Val'Sarghress
Ariel's adopted older sister, who herself was abused by Quain'tana and inflicts the same treatment on Ariel. There is little love lost between the two.
* AbusiveParents: Foster parent, but still.
* BabysitterFromHell: When the girl you've raised says that her greatest wish is to ''kill you'', you're this trope.
* BadBoss: Was so incompetent at running her district, leaving it to her BeleagueredAssistant Niende, whose name she didn't even bother to learn, that corrupt officers [[spoiler:including Maki]] were allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted, and the land itself was eventually taken away and given to Ariel.
* ButtMonkey: Her entire life is one long series of failures.
* CallingTheOldManOut: Possibly her only CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* TheCaretaker
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: Opinion varies, but at the very least [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1552 her words had a lasting impact on Quain'tana]]]].
* EnfantTerrible: Syphile had nightmares about [[spoiler: Ariel crawling out of her crib as a baby and ''eating her face.'']] Since Syphile knew who her parents actually were her calling Ariel 'Little Monster' most of her childhood and general abuse makes much more sense.
* HumiliationConga: Chapter 8 is one long string of this. [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4981 First when she balks under Zala's gaze and brings Quaint'ana's wrath down on her]], and then Ariel, who's roughly half her size, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5023 absorbing her own weapon]] and turning it against her, and then getting [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5041 unceremoniously tossed down the stairs]] by Mel right in front of Quain'tana and the other devesses. This also pretty much marked the end of her being a threat to Ariel.
* ItsAllAboutMe: The "Syphile's Great Deed" story shows that even before she got tainted she had some of this attitude, and talks to herself about she's the only legitimate Val'Sarghress left since everyone else is either disgraced (Mel'arnach), adopted (Koil'dorath), a male (Kel'noz) or technically dead/a golem (Laele'aell), which just makes the end result of that story all the more ironic since she single-handedly removes herself from the running.
* JerkAss: To put it mildly.
* MaternallyChallenged: Much like Quain'tana, but not played for laughs ''at all''. She thinks leaving Ariel with a dictionary to study constitutes "teaching" her.
* MoralEventHorizon: {{In-universe}}, the brutal and completely unnecessary way she killed Fuzzy in front of Ariel after locking them in her room for a week without the means for Fuzzy to even to the bathroom properly seems to be the moment when Ariel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=89 decided she needed to die]], and for the audience it made a lot of people lose sympathy for her.
* NeckLift: At one point Quain'tana [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4981 physically lifts her off the ground]].
* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe, getting tainted and killing Fuzzy are two things that haunt her for the rest of her life. [[invoked]]
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Part of why Syphile is sent on a suicide mission to assassinate Quaintana is because Zala'ess didn't see any reason to trust a traitor]].
* SecretKeeper: Subverted. Syphile knew that [[spoiler:Ariel's parents were really Mel'arnach and Zhor, not Quain'tana]] and she was expected to keep this secret. Once she helped Chrys'tel escape, however, practically the first thing she did was spill the secret to her, and by extension to Zala'ess, and Zala has more than taken advantage of this knowledge to try and shame Quain'tana, not that it seems to have worked.
* TroubledAbuser: Kel'noz at the very least seems to think so, but even knowing this he notably doesn't excuse Syphile for any of her treatment of Ariel.
* UnfortunateNames: WordOfGod is that the origin of her name, back when the story was an RP, is the word syphilis.
* TheUnreveal: Readers never learn who her biological parents were. All we know is that her parents were two of Quain'tana's strongest followers which is partly why she is viewed as a disappointment; because she did not live up to the standards met by her biological parents.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Subverted, since she appears to have always been something of a brat according to one side story, where she alienates one of her friends, who was trying to convince her that tainting herself is a dumb idea, with a low blow about her fallen clan and pretty much turns her only ally against her.
* WithCatlikeTread: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5967 Oh Syphile]]...
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress]]
!!Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress
Ariel's older sister ([[spoiler:or not]]) who was disowned and imprisoned within the Sarghress fortress and is seen as a dangerous psychopath.
* AintTooProudToBeg: She's twice prostrated herself before Quain'tana, but in both cases Quain has seen through it and can tell it's an act. The second one ends particularly brutally.
* AntiMagic: She inherited Quain'tana's ability to negate mana arts, though not to the same degree. [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune has a strong interest in collecting people with unique abilities. This power is the main reason she created Kalki, in hopes of integrating this ability into her bloodline]].
* BabyFactory: [[spoiler: Essentially fills this role for Quain'tana after the timeskip.]]
* BrokenBird: With good reason. According to Kel'noz she "lost her mind a long time ago" [[spoiler:which is only half-right]].
* CardboardPrison: Her original prison in the Sarghress fortress was like this, and it was apparent that Mel could have escaped any time, and it was only [[spoiler:waiting for Ariel]] that kept her there, and she slipped out with relative ease. After the timeskip she also [[spoiler:leaves the Sullisin'rune dome in a carriage [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9459 clearly bearing Snadhya'rune's sigil]] without anyone trying to stop her]].
* DarkMistress: She may wind up playing this role to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] as indicated [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1359 here]].
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: It's implied that at least part of her relationship with [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] is based on spiting Quain, since she knows that her mother hates it.
* DidYouJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu: Ariel and Mel's first interactions are this, since Ariel has been [[spoiler:falsely]] told by Syphile that Mel is a monster.
* DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu: [[spoiler:She had a child with Zhor, who was originally a dark elf but is now a giant spider]].
** This could also apply to her relationship with [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]], who's the closest thing the comic has to a BigBad. The other Sarghress certainly feel this way about their relationship.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The earliest versions of Mel, which are now no longer on the main site, suggested that her insanity was actually true while later versions suggest it's largely an act. And while in the current canon there are rumors she's a rapist in the past this was actually shown to be true with Syphile being her most common target, now the worst she's done on screen is kiss one of her female guards as a distraction, and the idea she'd actually rape someone seems vastly out of character for the current Mel.
* EasilyForgiven: Not Mel herself, but her desire to "[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6850 not hate anymore]]" has led to her to be way too generous to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]], and after a moment of anger she pretty much instantly forgives [[spoiler:Snadhya]] for literally throwing her to the wolves.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=106 This entire scene]].
* FacePalm: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8418 Yet more evidence that this runs in the Sarghress family]].
* FallenPrincess: She explains to Lulianne that at one point she had her own servants, slaves and even people who call themselves her knights, and was mostly left on her own, but later on an incident (implied to be Sarv'swati's attack on Quain) made Quain take this all away and imprison her for refusing to follow Quain's plan.
* FromBadToWorse: Largely the course her life has taken. She didn't get along with Quain'tana practically from the beginning, but when Laele'aell was born it seems some of the heat was taken off Mel, but when Laele died things only got worse again, and to top it off [[spoiler:the child she was waiting for for years was taken away before she could even name her, and she wasn't even allowed to see said child for 10 years, and when she did said child was terrified of her, and didn't believe her when told of her true heritage]].
** It seems to have gotten slightly better for her after the timeskip, [[spoiler:since she seems to have more freedom in the Sullisin'rune dome, apparently sees Ariel on a somewhat regular basis and has had two more children with a third on the way. While not ideal, especially since it's implied the children are being raised elsewhere, she seems much happier, though her relationship with Ariel is clearly still somewhat rocky, and eventually Mel decides to leave Chel entirely to meet up with Snadhya'rune in Felde]].
* GildedCage: Mel has lived in variations on this over the course of her life, some more gilded than others, and after the timeskip [[spoiler:seems to be more or less happy in the Sullisin'rune dome, but after the birth of her daughter she leaves with no apparent resistance from the Sarghress for Chel]].
* GlorifiedSpermDonor: Apparently she and Kel'noz have no idea who their biological father is. And oddly [[spoiler:Mel herself counts as a rare ''female'' example towards Kalki, at least in terms of how she apparently fells about their relationship, not helped by Snadhya [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6848 describing Mel in essentially these terms]] when trying to comfort Mel about not being there for her growing up, not that Mel had any say in this whatsoever]].
* GoGoEnslavement: As more about the relationship is revealed, it becomes evident that the "dental floss" given to Mel by [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] is really this.
* HomosexualReproduction: [[spoiler:She's Kalki's "father" and Snadhya'rune is the "mother", not that Mel knew it]].
* HammerspaceHair: While not ''in'' her hair per se, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=107 in chapter 1]] she uses [[RapunzelHair her extremely long hair, which falls almost to the floor]], to hide a knife that she has hidden on her clothing.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Towards the [[spoiler:Nidraa'chal]], though WordOfGod suggests it's highly likely that she is [[SelectiveObliviousness deliberately deluding herself]]. She considers [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] to be an enlightened leader, bringing life to everything she touches. She considers Yuh'le, a sociopath that explodes animals for fun, to be a little odd, but a good friend.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Some of her criticisms of Quain'tana, especially [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1835 here]] ring a little hollow when you remember that [[spoiler:she's sleeping with the leader of the '''Nidraa'chal''', and Snadhya'rune has pretty much done all that ''and worse'', especially the "obedient drones" comment [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7124 considering that Snadhya has pretty much literally made obedient drones]]]]. She contrasts the beauty Snadhya'rune has brought to Felde with the ruin Quain'tana has brought to Chel, even though she is perfectly aware of the fact that Snadhya'rune [[spoiler:runs the Nidraa'chal]] and thus has ''far'' more responsibility for Chel's plight than Quain'tana.
** Relatedly, the fact that she's disappointed in Ariel for still idolizing Quain also has an aspect of this considering that there are some subtle indicators that Mel on some level understands exactly how bad [[spoiler:Snadhya]] actually is, but is choosing to ignore it.
** And she claims that she wants [[spoiler:Ariel]] to be able to choose how to live her life, something Mel was denied, and yet [[spoiler:when Ariel does make the choice for herself, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7853 Mel doesn't like it]] and tries to stop her. Kel'noz is also well aware of this and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1660 explains this to her]]]].
** And for someone who claims to dislike violence and not want to hate anymore, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10021 her reaction]] to a captured Sarghress squad leader is pretty violent and hateful.
* IHaveNoSon: When speaking to Zhor after the TimeSkip, she rejects the idea that she has any children out of anger that [[spoiler:Ariel]] chose Quain'tana over her, as well as to avoid the associated pain of losing her children.
** Also so far just implied, but Mel evidently has some mixed feelings about [[spoiler:her other daughter, Kalki]] and has been reluctant so far to even identity as her mother and is unsure of whether she actually is, and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10121 dodges the question]] when implicitly asked to confirm it, with WordOfGod saying as much. And given that [[spoiler:Kalki proceeds to attempt to ''murder'']] the child she ''knows'' is her own, this is likely to increase.
* InadequateInheritor: In most situations Mel would be a shoe-in for the Sarghress leadership since she's Quain's oldest daughter, but due to a variety of factors, the mutual animosity between her and Quain being the least of it, it's implied she's never even been ''considered'' a candidate.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: [[spoiler: Towards Snadhya'rune]]. Less on the "dumb" aspect and more on the "naive" aspect however. The fanbase feels that Mel'arnach is so in love that she is blinded towards [[spoiler: Snadhya'rune]]'s faults and have begun to think the less of her for it.
* LoveMartyr: See above, for [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]]. Even more obvious in chapter 44, where she pretty much instantly forgives her, despite being the one who brought her back to the Sarghress and everything that happened after.
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: She is Ariel's mother, though she didn't know until Chapter 32]].
** And from [[spoiler:Kalki]], [[spoiler:[[LukeYouAreMyFather Mel'arnach, You Are My Father]]]] Which is even ''harder'' to explain.
* IronicEcho: Her first reaction to [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6846 being told she was Kalki's father]]]] was to ask if it was a joke. Later, the first words out of [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7851 Ariel's mouth]] when told that Mel is her mother]] is to ask effectively the same thing.
* MamaBear: [[spoiler:Subverted]] in Chapter 46. [[spoiler:Mel has been so thoroughly conditioned by Snadhya'rune to believe that her lover will fix everything that in the midst of Kalki and Ariel's violent confrontation Mel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10143 completely freezes]], something Zhor does not hesitate to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10165 call her out on]]]].
%%* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold
* [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Mommy Had A Good Reason For Abandoning You]]: Several times over. First [[spoiler:she did ''not'' willingly give Ariel up, she was taken from her, and her children after the timeskip seem to have gone through the same thing.]] She does [[spoiler:leave her infant daughter, but only because she believes she'll be taken as well.]]
* MsFanservice: Apparently her rather unorthodox choice of clothing is due to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune's]] influence, something [[spoiler:Zhor]] points out in Chapter 46 since it implies [[spoiler:Snadhya]] sees her as more akin to Kalki's "pets" than an equal.
* MysteriousParent: WordOfGod has refused to answer any questions about who her and Kel'noz's father was, which has led fans to speculate that he's important, and also [[spoiler:Mel herself qualifies for both Kalki and Ariel]].
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Despite spending most of her time in what's essentially lingerie hardly anyone seems to notice. This can be chalked up due to drow culture and the fact that most characters are probably just used to her.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Possibly in regards to [[spoiler:exactly what Snadhya'rune admitting to be a Nidraa'chal founder actually means]] since Mel's [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7060 body language]] when asked if she'd ever heard of [[spoiler:the Nidraa'chal]] is defensive, and when directly asked if she wants to join [[spoiler:Snadhya in her "business"]] her response is to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1369 evade the question]].
** Also implied in regards to Wi'am, where she claims to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9655 not remember her]], referencing how her memory isn't what it used to be, in Chapter 44 despite earlier [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6850 guessing]] that Wi'am [[spoiler:had a hand in creating Kalki]] and referring to her as someone she's known for a very long time. Might have to do with the fact that Wi'am [[spoiler: tricked Mel into giving her eggs to her to create Kalki on Snadhya'rune's request]] and Mel was visibly hurt by this revelation.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: And it's heavily implied that [[spoiler:she either made up the story about her killing men and being a rapist [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=500 to make people leave her alone]], or [[SureLetsGoWithThat adopted some slander about her for the same purposes]].]] Notably, Lulianne sees right through it from the get-go.
* PsychoLesbian: [[spoiler:It's an act]].
* RapeAndSwitch: A debatable example. While it is heavily implied that Quain'tana allowed her to be sexually abused by her male soldiers, and Mel says that the abuse she suffered made her hate men, she also says that Quain was never able to accept that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=520 she preferred women]], implying that she was always more attracted to them, and drow have an EveryoneIsBi society anyway.
* RapeAsBackstory: Though far from her entire backstory, the fact that Quain'tana apparently did nothing to stop Mel's abuse at the hands of her soldiers [[spoiler:and it's implied order it in an attempt to conceive an heir]] is a major reason for the enmity between them.
* RevengeByProxy: Due to her horrible relationship with her mother, she has developed a virulent hatred for all things Sarghress. When [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] asks her for suggestions on what to do with a captured Sarghress squad leader, she advises [[ColdBloodedTorture cutting her up]], which is pretty disturbing coming from someone who [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4964 once claimed to be a pacifist]] and hated violence. She is shown to be deeply satisfied at said squad leader's suffering.
* ScarsAreForever: Intentionally invoked. After [[spoiler:Ariel convinces Quain to let Mel out of the pit in Chapter 32 Quain instructs the healers to fix Mel's broken arms but leave the scars as a reminder.]] Strangely, there's no sign of these after the timeskip when she's shown in short sleeves.
* SelectiveObliviousness: It is unlikely she would approve of Snadhya'rune's actions if she would let herself acknowledge them. But even after Snadhya'rune confesses to them outright, Mel avoids thinking about it and convinces herself that Snadhya'rune is a wonderful person. WordOfGod confirms that deep down, Mel herself is not entirely comfortable with the way Snad influences her into being a pet, but calling her out on any of her delusions is a BerserkButton.
* ShipperOnDeck: After the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1834 ships Ariel/Faen]].
* StatuesqueStunner: Along with her mother she's one of the tallest characters in the comic, and is even taller than [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]], best seen [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1372 here]]. WordOfGod [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=3116 is]] that she and Quain'tana are as tall as their Dark Elf ancestors would have been.
* TookALevelInJerkass: After the timeskip, where after [[spoiler:meeting up with Snadhya in Felde]] she basically declares [[IHaveNoSon that she has no children]], coldly states that a captured Sarghress squad leader should be [[ColdBloodedTorture cut up]], and her only reaction to said squad leader's people getting hit by a mana cannon is to express surprise at how powerful it is instead of showing any reaction to the violence. After watching said squad leader concede, she gives her a rather sadistic smile as her lover asserts her dominance by finishing her people off. She then angrily declares that she wishes [[spoiler:the one person who has always been by her side and is arguably the only person who truly cares for her, Zhor, had remained a beast]] when he points out that her relationship with [[spoiler:Snadhya]] is turning her into a worse person. Something that deep down, she knows is true.
* VagueAge: Even [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7749 Mel isn't sure]] exactly how old she is, but she's at least 300.
* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Needless to say, [[spoiler: Ariel has problems believing Mel is her mother]].
** Possibly averted after the timeskip, where [[spoiler:the fact that Mel refers to Ariel as "my daughter" when talking to Faen implies that Ariel has acknowledged Mel, at least in private, though when Mel (again) starts insulting Quain'tana Ariel storms out, indicating that they're not 100% on good terms yet]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kel'noz Val'Sarghress]]
!!Kel'noz Val'Sarghress
Ariel's older brother ([[spoiler:really her uncle]]), Mel'arnach's twin brother, Quain'tana's only son and headmaster of the Davya tower at Orthorbbae.
* BigBrotherMentor
* ConflictingLoyalty: Several types: Between Quain'tana and Mel, Quain'tana and Ariel, and his duties at Orthorbbae versus his clan.
* FacePalm: He's done this several times, and given how his family acts, who can blame him? When he did this in reaction to [[spoiler:Ariel rejecting Mel as being her mother]] it was generally agreed that he spoke for the fans.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: What he says about his more questionable actions, but who knows if it's true.
* ManipulativeBastard
* NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught: His policy, and that of Orthorbbae.
* TheOneGuy: Among the Sarghress Vals he's the only known male [[spoiler:besides Mel's two young sons, who haven't yet appeared on screen]] outside of the Tions family, who are only related to Quain'tana paternally and thus not "really" Vals by drow standards.
* OnlySaneMan: Compared to the rest of his family he definitely comes across as this.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Ariel, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8418 to the point that when Mel starts insulting him]] (again) Ariel explicitly says that he raised her.
* TrueNeutral: As a Headmaster at Orthorbbae he's supposed to be this, but who knows what he really is [[invoked]].
* TwinDesynch: There's a heavy implication that he and Mel went through this after [[spoiler:he chose Quain'tana over her]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Laele'aell Val'Sarghress]]
!!Laele'aell Val'Sarghress
The former heir of the Sarghress and leader of the Fallen Legion, sometime before Ariel's birth Laelle'aell was possessed by a demon, and though technically still alive (with the addition of some golem parts) is mainly used as a weapon now. She has had very little screen time, and some information about her is taken from a Daydream story about the early Sarghress/Sullisin'rune alliance, so its canocity is uncertainly.
* TheAce: She was [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=354 everything Quain'tana wanted]] in an heir, which made her fall that much more devastating.
* EmptyShell: One early character description called her a "container of souls".
* FollowInMyFootsteps: She built up the Fallen Legion on her own, just as Quain built up her first army.
* HasTwoMommies: Ash'waren is implied to have had a significant role in her upbringing.
* MismatchedEyes: Before her death, [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/674231c7b81fc5a3213c61f2c9299551/tumblr_o2vocwsHVa1ru23uuo3_1280.png Laele had Sullisin'rune heterochromia.]]
* MysteriousProtector: Of Ariel after the Fallen Legion become her bodyguards.
* {{Ninja}}
* NoodleIncident: It's unknown exactly what happened to her besides a few basic facts, like a demon being involved and a failed exorcism.
* PetTheDog / MoralityPet: A subtle one for Quaintana. Its pretty clear that Laele'aell was always [[ParentalFavoritism the favourite daughter]] but in this [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4664 scene]], Quain'tana explicitly gives Ariel Syphile's lands instead of Laele'aell's, despite the latter's condition and despite the fact that Syphile had not been formally disinherited yet. Quain'tana even expresses hope that Laele'aell may eventually recover from her tainting as an explanation for her decision.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: See [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=388 here]].
* ProphetEyes
* TheSpartanWay: She had to climb her way up to the top, just like Quain'tana, and essentially build her own army from the ground up.
* TheVoiceless: It's unknown if she's even capable of speaking anymore.
[[/folder]]
