History Characters / DrowtalesValSarghressClanMainValFamily

* 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]].

* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler: By the post-second timeskip, her hatred for her former clan has consumed her so much that she is willing to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive/20191004c56p062_u0zUq36A9e.jpg kill her own]] [[OffingTheOffspring daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], becoming just as bad or even worse of a parent than her own mother.]]

* TheChainOfHarm: After years of abuse at the hands of her mother and Ariel choosing the clan over her, [[spoiler: she now has no qualms about [[OfffingTheOffspring assassinating her]] [[AbusiveParents own daughter]], so that the Sarghress can fall.]]

** [[spoiler: Come post-second timeskip, after being a longtime victim of her mother's abuse-due to her rebellious behavior against the clan,she is now [[OffingTheOffspring willing to kill her ]][[AbusiveParents own daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die]].

** [[spoiler: Just like her own mother, frustrations with her estranged daughter has led her to be become an [[AbusiveParents terrible mother]]; then goes one step beyond and tries to [[OffingTheOffspring kill her in cold blood]], as she was being led to be executed. In contrast with Quain, who only killed [[BabysitterFromHell Syphile]] when she tried to assassinate her]].

** [[spoiler: Cue the second-timeskip, Mel's hatred for her former clan has consumed her so much that she has killed her brother and is willing to do the same to her own [[OffingTheOffspring daughter]].]]
* TroubledAbuser: Years of abuse from her mother has led her to hate the Sarghress, to the point that she becomes a full Nids member to get back at her former clan. [[spoiler: Sadly, she becomes so hate filled that she has no issues [[OffingTheOffspring assassinating her daughter]], so that they can finally fall.]]

*** [[spoiler: In the second timeskip, her hatred has grown that she is willing to [[OffingtheOffspring murder her own daughter]] to finish off her former clan.]]

* OffingTheOffspring: [[spoiler:To finish off what's left of the nearly dead Sarghress clan, she kills her brother, Kel'noz, with a crossbow and tries to do the same to her daughter, Ariel, missing her head by inches.]]

* RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler:She tries to murder her own daughter to spite Quain'tana, even though Quain'tana has already been dead for 3 years.]]

* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler: By the post-second timeskip, her hatred for her former clan has consumed her so much that she is willing to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive/20191004c56p062_u0zUq36A9e.jpg kill her own]] [[OffingTheOffspring daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], becoming just as terrible as Quain when it comes to being a mother.]]

* CycleOfAbuse: After years of abuse at the hands of her mother and Ariel choosing the clan over her, [[spoiler: she now has no qualms about [[OfffingTheOffspring assassinating her]] [[AbusiveParents own daughter]], so that the Sarghress can fall.]]

* 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]].

* 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.

* 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.

* TroubleAbuser: Years of abuse from her mother has led her to hate the Sarghress, to the point that she becomes a full Nids member to get back at her former clan. [[spoiler: Sadly, she becomes so hate filled that she has no issues [[OffingTheOffspring assassinating her daughter]], so that they can finally fall.]]

** [[spoiler: Just like her own mother, frustrations with her firstborn daughter has led her to be become an [[AbusiveParents abusive mother]]; then goes one step beyond and tries to [[OffingTheOffspring kill her in cold blood]], as she was being led to be executed. In contrast with Quain, who only killed [[BabysitterFromHell Syphile]] when she tried to assassinate her]].

** [[ Come post-second timeskip, after being a longtime victim of her mother's abuse-due to her rebellious behavior against the clan,she is now [[OffingTheOffspring willing to kill her ]][[AbusiveParents own daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die]].

* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler: By the post-second timeskip, her hatred for her former clan has consumed her so much that she is willing to kill her own [[OffingTheOffspring daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], becoming just as terrible as Quain when it comes to being a mother.]]

* AbsuiveParents: [[spoiler: By the post-second timeskip, her hatred for her former clan has consumed her so much that she is willing to kill her own [[OffingTheOffspring daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], becoming just as terrible as Quain when it comes to being a mother.]]

* AbsuiveParent: [[spoiler: By the post-second timeskip, her hatred for her former clan has consumed her so much that she is willing to kill her own [[OffingTheOffspring daughter]], so that the Sarghress can finally die. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]],becoming just as terrible as Quain when it comes to being a mother.]]

* 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]].

* OffingTheOffspring: [[spoiler:To finish off what's left of the nearly dead Sarghress clan, she kills Kel'noz with a crossbow and tries to do the same to Ariel, missing her head by inches.]]

* 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''.

* 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. [[LaserGuidedKarma Ariel eventually steals Kalki's to replace it]].

* WhenSheSmiles: It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, Quain's smile is the beginning of a rare, but genuine SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}. Ariel is the one who is most likely to bring this about.

The Saghress's main Val line started when the clan was elevated to Val status thanks to covert sponsorship from Ash'waren Sullisin'rune, allowing them to fight the Sharen politically and literally. Quain'tana became its Ill'haress, hailed as a hero among the commoners for supporting them against the snobbish Vals... except in recent years, she has become somewhat of a shell of her former self after going through two devastating tragedies in short order: Losing her favorite child and heiresss to demons, and being made in fertile in a fight with Sarv'swati Vel'Sharen. Because of her actions, Quain'tana's family has become a dysfunctional hot bed of political agendas and abuse, with her children either working alongside her or against her, depending on how well they turned out after living under their mother's iron hand.

* DesignatedHero: In-universe and out.

* DyingMomentOfAwesome: As she follows a warrior's philosophy, Quain'tana believes that if you're going to die, at least die gloriously. Because of this, she calls Sharess's sacrifice[[note]]Separating her aura from her own body to lure the nether demons away from the fleeing refugees during the Surface Wars[[/note]] the "greatest death one could hope one could hope for", and scorns the Sharens for dishonoring that sacrifice by turning her into a goddess as an excuse to exercise more control over the commoners. [[spoiler:She later gets one for herself in Chapter 50 by enduring an assault by her own soldiers and punishing Su'ube for her betrayal and coup by snapping her enemy's neck]].

** 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.

** 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.

* KarmaHoudini: Not unlike much of the cast. Though this does tend to cause heated debates on the forums, on occasion.

* 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]].

* 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]].

* 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. A possible reason why she refuses to acknowledge Snadhya'rune's faults is that doing so would basically be an admission that Quain'tana was right about her all along, which is something that Mel tries to mentally avoid at all costs in an effort to justify her own grudge against her mother.

* ConflictingLoyalty: Several types: Between Quain'tana and Mel, Quain'tana and Ariel, and his duties at Orthorbbae versus his clan.

* TheOneGuy: Among the Sarghress Vals he's the only known male besides [[spoiler:Melarnach's]] two young sons outside of the Tions family, who are only related to Quain'tana paternally and thus not "really" Vals by drow standards, which follow matriarchal traditions.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Due to the mana inside Chel, he looks younger than his biological age suggests. [[spoiler:This is exploited via Kel'noz passing himself off as Ariel's older brother, in order to hide the truth of him being Ariel's uncle through Mel'arnach]].
* OnlySaneMan: Compared to the rest of his family he definitely comes across as this.

* EldritchAbomination: The many, many demons she's eaten over the years [[spoiler:including Khaless]] have merged into something completely indescribable, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou and it says "Hello."]]

* HasTwoMommies: Ash'waren is implied to have had a significant role in her upbringing.

Two young sons and a daughter of [[spoiler:Mel'arnach]] born during the 15 year timeskip and between chapters 36 and 43, respectively. Vene and Pelan (then simply called 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. Pelan and Octarya are only officially named in chapter 51.

* 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.

* SourSupporter: He sees Ariel as a naive, WideEyedIdealist, but supports her succession nevertheless and believes in her on some level, even if he feels the need to do dirty work from time to time.

* 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. We get to see this in action in Chapter 50, [[spoiler:where, after she was buried in a small mountain made of Earth foci to keep her from going after Su'ube, she exhibits a purple glow inside that prevents the dirt from melding together, allowing her to burrow out without trouble]].

* BerserkButton: If you value your life, it is probably a good idea to avoid mentioning Mel around her if at all possible.

* BodyHorror: [[spoiler: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.)]]

* 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 confirmed-canon Daydream story about her and Ash'waren also has Ash asking if she sees sex as a duty more than anything, and Ash later confirms that Quain ''hated'' having to renew their alliance that way.

* DesignatedHero: In universe and out.

* 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.

* 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]].

* FreudianExcuse: Her past as a street rat who was shown no mercy by authority figures is the main reason she's so ruthless now.

* HeirClubForMen: In a matriarchal version of this trope, 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.
* HumanPincushion: As expected of charging a position guarded by crossbow-men, without a shield,[[spoiler: Quain winds up shot and hit at least seven times. The only question is if she'll take Su'ube down with her before she dies.]]
* {{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]].

** 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]].

* KilledOffForReal:[[spoiler: She finally dies, while going down fighting in chapter 50]].

** 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.

* 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 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.

* 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.

* 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.
* StopHelpingMe: In the most cruel and ironic way possible. House Nori'fu insists on trying to "help" her (and they honestly believe they are) by [[spoiler:corralling and restraining her as agents are running around trying to kill her grandkids]].

* 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]].

* 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.

---> '''Ariel:'''"Stab me or not. You waste our time making threats."
---> '''Hellena:'''"I should kill you."
---> '''Ariel:'''(Quickly, and effortlessly disarms Hellena, completely) "No. What you should be doing is fighting for your life, like all the others." (Hands the dagger back) "You have a choice.... Fight. Or Run like a traitor."
* 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.
** 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.
** 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!"
** Amazingly she manages to pull this off ''[[spoiler: for Quain'tana!]]'' in chapter 50.

* 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.

* BreakTheCutie: Pretty much since day 1.

* 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.

* 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.

* DidNotThinkThisThrough: True, she's desperate and mentioned beforehand that it's a very crazy idea likely to get her and her followers killed, but focusing the airship's attention squarely on herself to try and distract it from Ash'warren wasn't the best of her ideas.
* {{Determinator}}: WordOfGod is that this is what qualifies her to be a protagonist.

** [[spoiler:In her short lived reign as the Sarghress clan's leader, most of the clan betrays her]], and she is taken aback to realize that the puppy that had once been intended to become her mount does not remember her and has been set to kill her.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Subtle, but profound. In the early part of chapter 50, she theorizes that Mel's working for Snad to try and get her kids back, [[spoiler: including herself.]] When the scene changes to feature Snad, we find out that this is the excuse Snad gives Mel for sending agents into Sarg territory, [[spoiler: but then telling Mel that all her children are either dead or lost and there's nothing Snad can do but make Mel's family whole "in time,"]] with a PsychoticSmirk bordering on a SlasherSmile, as usual.
* FreakOut: Did ''not'' react well to Faen's disappearance at all.

* 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]].

---> '''Ariel''': "Shit."

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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]].

* 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]].

* 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.

* 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.]]
* MortonsFork: Ariel is subjected to one in Chapter 51. Kyo'nne arrives on the airship as Snad's diplomatic envoy, promising Nid protection for Matchike if Ariel and a handful of bodyguards go with her to Felde for a "peace gathering," and any reader can tell you how ''that'' went the last time, with Kyo'nne being well aware of it as well. The only other option is to say "no" as Kyo'nne clearly left no room for middle ground. [[spoiler: On the advice of her trusted experts and the colony as a whole, including many factions other than Sarghress, Ariel chose "no." Kyo'nne responds by committing a war crime and using the airship to attack Matchike, while hiding behind the diplomat's banner so Ariel couldn't strike pre-emptively.]]
* MulticoloredHair: Can do it herself using 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.

* 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]].

---> '''Ariel:'''"Shit!"

* 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."]]

* 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.

* RebelliousSpirit: Trying to shelter her away from the action, for her own good, is never going to go well. She will break out and head off to deal with the problem first-hand, at the first opportunity. While Quain is actually proud of her tendency to do this, she's also grated that it frequently serves to get Ariel in trouble. This is likely a result of Syphile locking her in her room, and leaving her unattended for weeks at a time.

* 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.

[[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClan See the Vel Sharen main page.]]

* AdoptionDiss: Quain [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4983 tells her to her face]] that adopting her was a mistake.

* 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.

* JerkAss: To put it mildly.

* MoralEventHorizon: InUniverse, 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]].

* 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]].

* 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]]...

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.

* 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.

* 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]].

* 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.

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. He eventually leaves Chel'el'sussoloth during the clan war and becomes the leader of the Sarghress surface colony.

* BigBrotherMentor: To Ariel.

* TheOneGuy: Among the Sarghress Vals he's the only known male besides [[spoiler:Melarnach's]] two young sons outside of the Tions family, who are only related to Quain'tana paternally and thus not "really" Vals by drow standards.

* 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.
* SquishyWizard: WordOfGod describes Kel'noz as being an extremely powerful sorcerer, but an unarmored one, which makes him vulnerable when traitors try to assassinate him with a BackStab.

* TheBusCameBack: As an EmptyShell, she does little of her own free will, and was considered too unpredictable to use as a weapon outside of emergencies. But in Chapter 50, [[spoiler:her seals break, causing her to finish becoming a demon, and she escapes to hunt down Khaless]].

* EldritchAbomination: The many, many demons she's eaten over the years [[spoiler: including Khaless]] have merged into something completely indescribable, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou and it says "Hello."]]

* MercyKill: A traitor hunting down Quain'tana's bloodline describes killing her this way, given her current state and how far TheCorruption of demon nether has already gone.

* RedBaron: She's known as "Little Wolf." This is a nickname the Fallen Legion gave her as a small child when she fell under their protection and training, and even after the time-skip, is considered a title of respect for any allies she has among the Sarghress.

* VictimBlaming: An in-universe target. Koil'dorath sees her clearly being assaulted by Riviel, and a gang that Riviel brought with her, and not only ''also'' throws Ariel in the brig, but in the same exact cell as Riviel, her attacker, while berating ''Ariel'' along with Riviel for the fight.
---> '''Koil:'''"Of all the possible times for you two to go at it again! I'm disappointed in you both. Lock them up. I'll deal with them once this mess is over."