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1%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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3A * next to a character's name indicates that they are a reader-sponsored cameo.
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5[[center: [- [[Characters/{{Drowtales}} Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValSarghressClan Val'Sarghress]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValSarghressClanMainValFamily Val'Sarghress: Vals]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValSarghressVassalHouses Val'Sarghress: Vassal Houses]] | '''Vel'Sharen''' | [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanSnadhyaruneAndHerBloodline Vel'Sharen: Snadhya'rune and her bloodline]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanSarvSwatiAndHerBloodline Vel'Sharen: Sarv'Swati and her bloodline]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanSilliceAndHerBloodline Vel'Sharen: Sil'lice and her bloodline]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanNishiKantaAndHerBloodline Vel'Sharen: Nishi'kanta and her bloodline]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanZalaEssAndHerBloodline Zala'ess and her bloodline]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValSullisinRuneClan Val'Sullinsin'rune]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesVelVlozRess Vel'Vloz'ress]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValKyorlSolenurn Val'Kyorl'solenurn]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesIllharDro Val'Illhar'dro]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValBeldrobbaen Val'Beldrobbaen]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValNalsarkoth Val'Nal'sarkoth]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesValJaalDarya Val'Jaal'darya]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesTheNidraaChal The Nidraa'chal]] | [[Characters/DrowtalesOtherClans Minor Clans and Clanless Characters]]]]-]
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7!Vel'Sharen Clan
8
9[[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sharen_3997.jpg]]
10[[caption-width-right:180:Sharen clan symbol]]
11
12The ruling clan of Chel'el'sussoloth and one of the city-empire's oldest existing clans, claiming direct descent from Sharess through Diva'ratrika, who is both the Ill'haress of the clan and the overall Empress or "Val'Sharess" of the city-empire. The Sharen are a powerful clan both in size and power; although this status has dwindled somewhat after the Nidraa'chal War, a war which resulted in heavy losses for the clan and its power base in Chel. They were the first of the four "Great Clans" ([[note]]the four Great Clans are considered to be the Sharen, the Sullisin'rune, the Illhar'dro and the Beldrobbaen, because they are the oldest clans in Chel and in order to become a Val clan and have access to a seat in the Council of Nine, a non-great clan must be sponsored by one of the four great clans. One example of this is the Val'Sarghress who officially became a Val clan with the support of the Sullisin'rune[[/note]]) to rise to power and Diva'ratrika herself was the one responsible for forming the Council of Nine to oversee the city-empire's affairs. Power in the clan is determined by both rank and relation to the Imperial Family; four of Diva'ratrika's five daughters head their own families, also called bloodlines, and each daughter has their own unique role in the administration of both the clan and the city-empire. For example, Sarv'swati, Diva'ratrika's second eldest daughter is the leader of the Sharen army, whereas Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta ([[note]]according to podcasts[[/note]]) held the position of policing the city-empire.
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14[[foldercontrol]]
15
16[[folder:General]]
17* {{Ambadassador}}: This essentially seems to be the function of the Imperial Overseers, who visit clans on behalf of the Empress, and all are armed and armored in case they have to fight.
18* AngstySurvivingTwin: One consequence of the protector twin system is that most adult Sharen no longer have their twins, having either killed them out of a desire to be alone or because the twin tried to kill them first, which might explain some of their more dysfunctional behavior.
19%%* AnimalMotifs: The dragon.
20* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: There is a reason the Sharen have ruled Chel for so long. They possess the strongest mounts, powerful summons, the average Sharen soldier is many times stronger than the average Sarghress soldier, and though nether summoning is a double edged sword in the long run, it is a significant distraction for the rebel clans. The only reason they aren't winning the District War is because they have made so many people hate them, [[QuantityVsQuality that they are massively outnumbered]].
21* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: What they did to the Sullisin'rune in the Sharen-Sullisin'rune War and according to the Orthobbae wiki, one of their own sub-houses, the Xyrrai'zestu. When the Dev'ess of the Xyrrai'zestu built a tower for her house that was even higher than the one for the Val'Sharess, the noble house retaliated by having the Dev'ess and most of her followers all killed.
22* BigScrewedUpFamily: Nau'kheol asserts that Sharen don't fight Sharen, but that really isn't the case. The twin protector system almost always ends with the adopted twin dead. And the minor houses have significant amounts of infighting between one another. [[spoiler:3 of the Sharen sisters wiped out Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta's families to make it easier to murder their own mother. Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta's surviving children want revenge. Zala'ess rigs a duel between Sarv'swati and Quain'tana to kill Sarv, both to stop Sarv from getting in the way of her alliance with the Sarghress and to eliminate a rival for power. Snadhya'rune's resentment towards her mother leads her to set up a plot to wipe out her entire family in a horrific way.]]
23* BlueBlood: Depending on how canon Daydream is, they might be descended from the first empress, and they are definitely related to Sharess, which they claim gives them their hereditary right to rule. Naturally, this is the biggest source of strife between them and the [[SelfMadeMan upstart Sarghress clan]], which seeks to eliminate the importance of nobility and make way for the commoners' rise to power.
24* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Ariel mentions that Quain'tana has told her that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8540 Sharen backstabbings run in cycles]], suggesting that the current strife is only one of a long line of similar incidents. Given what we know about how most protector twin relationships end this isn't especially surprising.
25* ColorCodedCharacters: Though there are exceptions, many members of the same sisters' bloodline will wear similar colors, and it can generally be broken down as:
26** Snadhya'rune: Purple.
27** Sarv'swati: Dark purple and dark blue/black.
28** Sil'lice: Lighter blues.
29** Nishi'katana: Reds and oranges.
30** Zala'ess: Teal and black.
31* CoolCrown: Seemingly standard issue among the higher ranking females. Diva'ratrika and her mother both had a 9-eyed crown, while WordOfGod is that the Ill'haress (but ''not'' Val'Sharess) wears a 7-eyed crown [[spoiler:which is eventually worn by Zala'ess when she declares herself Empress]] and Diva'ratrika's daughters have 5-eyed crowns. In turn their daughters wear 3-eyed crowns once they reach a certain age, and 1-eyed crowns as children. Whether or not protector twins wear crowns seems to depend on the pair, since while Khaless and Yaeminira have been shown in crowns Shinae does not wear one. Male Sharen also don't seem to wear crowns, though Ashu'athama does have a [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=794 silver circlet]] that he wears.
32* TheCoup: [[spoiler:3 of Diva'ratrika's own daughters murdered her to accomplish this]].
33* DecadentCourt
34* TheDogBitesBack: The sisters, particularly Sarv'swati, wind up on the receiving end of quite a few of these after the timeskip from Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta's surviving bloodline members.
35* DysfunctionJunction: Their pride in their bloodline (see below) and their hesitation to mix with others they deem "commoners" has led to major competition between members. In the [[{{Prequel}} "Longest Wait"]] Diva'ratrika notes that one of the ways her own mother tried to combat this was by implementing the current "twin system" and by having spies everywhere in the clan, which she herself then decided to continue in order to maintain balance.
36* ElCidPloy: [[spoiler:What the Imperial daughters have been doing since the Nidraa'chal War.]]
37* EnemyCivilWar: Post-timeskip, the biggest threat to the Sharen isn't the Sarghress fighting them over Chel, it's ''each other''.
38* FamousAncestor: Their claim to nobility above the other Val clans is based on the fact that they trace their lineage, albeit through one of her sisters, from the drow goddess Sharess herself. ([[note]]and if elements from the ''Goddess Knight'' story are canon, Sharess herself was descended from the First Empress of the Dark Elves, leading to a doubly noble lineage for the Sharen.[[/note]]) This is why the leader of their clan is referred to as the "Val'Sharess" as she supposedly speaks with authority from Sharess. Quain, being Quain, calls them "shameless bitches" for turning one of their own into a goddess.
39* FourTemperamentEnsemble
40** Sanguine: Snadhya'rune
41** Choleric: Sil'lice
42** Melancholic: Sarv'swati
43** Phlegmatic: Nishi'kanta
44** Leukine: Zala'ess
45* GambitPileup: After the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8530 Kyo'nne lays out]] how all five sisters have their own plans, most of which involve screwing each other over.
46* HeroicLineage: From the former Queens on the surface and Sharess herself, albeit indirectly since Sharess was Diva'ratrika's great aunt and Sharess herself has no known direct descendants.
47* HorseOfADifferentColor: The Sharen's dragons, which are also their clan symbol, crossing over with DragonRider. An interesting note is that the dragons are actually elves who were transformed into their current state, though enough generations have passed that they've lost their wings (except for vestigial stubs on some) and most of their intelligence as they are not as humanoid as they once were.
48* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Both Sil'lice and Quain'tana muse on this. Sil'lice criticizes her own clan for letting its pride blind them to its failings and betrayals. Quain'tana discusses how the Sharen are being brought down by the very commoners they so despised and looked down upon.
49* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Judging by Yaeminira's reaction, most of the clan doesn't know that [[spoiler:their own kin were behind the Nidraa'chal War]] and those that did find out defected to be with Sil'lice.
50* LosingTheTeamSpirit: [[spoiler:The Sarghress know that the real Diva'ratrika died during the Nidraa'chal war, but in spite of the rumors and Zala'ess's own admittance, she officially remains alive. In order to destroy Sharen morale, they successfully assassinate one of the impostors. While the Sharen claim the victim was just a golem BodyDouble and that the real Empress is safe, it does greatly raise doubts among the Imperial Guard.]]
51* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Everyone in the Sharen has an absurd amount of relatives, but Zala'ess' line is acknowledged as having the most. Sil'lice wasn't kidding when she said that Zala had made [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive//20070822c0p029.jpg "an army out of her womb"]].
52* MeaningfulRename (started referring to themselves as the Vel'Sharen rather than the Val'Sharen after tainting became mandatory in the clan following the War. [[spoiler:It's also one way to tell who was in on the Nidraa'chal coup, since Sil'lice and her family still used Val for themselves]].
53* {{Nepotism}}: A major problem the Sharen have compared to the meritocracy of the Sarghress, especially characters like Nihi'liir and Kio'nel who are implied to have gotten their positions mainly because of their family connections. Unsurprisingly both get taken by surprise in a big way.
54* {{Pride}}: Their major flaw, and as Quain [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7602 oh so eloquently puts it]], it makes them blind to the potential of the people they oppress.
55* ThePurge
56** Diva'ratrika had much of the Xyrrai'zestu sub-house purged for daring to build a separate fortress for themselves.
57** [[spoiler:During the Nidraa'chal war and its aftermath, the traitors who arranged it slaughtered Nishi'kanta and Sil'lice's lines as well as the Dutan'vir clan to eliminate Diva'ratrika's loyalists and secure their own power.]]
58* PurpleIsPowerful: A signature color of the Sharen is purple which follows the RealLife precedent where formerly only members of royalty were allowed to wear purple clothing.
59* QuestionableConsent: Theoretically any Sharen can refuse to get tainted, and several have refused, but they are heavily pressured to get tainted, and Yami'ni is implied to have not been entirely willing.
60* RoyallyScrewedUp: Even though they're (now formerly) one of the most powerful clans out there, like any ruling family, all members suffer from ChronicBackstabbingDisorder. Three Sharens murdered [[spoiler:their own mother]] out of ambition and greed. And at least one Sharen [[spoiler:was implied to be born with sociopathic narcissism.]]
61* RunningBothSides: [[spoiler:It's not publicly known, but the Nidraa'chal not only contain members that are Sharen, but it was founded by Sharen as well, specifically Snadhya'rune.]]
62* SlaveMooks: [[spoiler:As the war in Chel grows increasingly desperate, the Sharen begin to force {{conscript|ion}}s into slave armies to fight the Sarghress. A Sarghress operation in Chapter 40 is specifically designed to keep one of these armies from ever getting on the field.]]
63* SlobsVersusSnobs: Very much on the snobbish end of the scale. The Sharen believe that their bloodline is superior to everyone elses and this is part of the reason why they are highly disliked by the rest of Chel. Many are loathe to associate with those they see as commoners and thus "beneath" them.
64* SquishyWizard: Despite the below SuperPowerLottery, (with the notable exception of Sarv'swati's one-on-one fight against Farasank) most Sharen that we've seen get beaten and/or killed on panel have been so in close quarters, which makes sense given that most Sharen seem to prefer fighting via summoning or from dragon back than being "down in the dirt" and hand-to-hand. Also serves to emphasize the SlobsVersusSnobs trope since they may view close quarters techniques as being "beneath" them. Perhaps because of this most Sharen are heavily armored, but in the cases where they do lose this is shown to not have done much good.
65** One reason the Nidraa'chal War was so devastating to their forces was because the Nidraa'chal specifically played off the Sharen's weaknesses, either remotely tainting those who weren't already tainted, moving into buildings and forcing the Sharen to go after them on foot, setting up an ambush, siccing armies of demons on them who overwhelmed them or tainting their dragons.
66** The Sarghress War Meat squadron is also in part specifically designed to help combat the Sharen's usual style of combat, since being made of up non-fae summoning doesn't affect them and they can simply ZergRush the Sharen warriors and kill the summoners before the regular Sarghress troops move in to finish the job.
67* SterilityPlague: [[spoiler:The variant of the taint that Snadhya'rune inflicts on Zala'ess's line is specifically chosen to do this, to amuse herself with the irony of making Zala'ess's fertile line go sterile.]]
68* SuccessionCrisis: [[spoiler:Though Diva'ratrika has officially remained alive, she is in truth deceased and her daughters have squabbled to assert their own authority. Nishi'kanta has been broken by the taint and the loss of her family, and is thus considered out of the running, but she has disappeared and her plans are unknown, making her a potential WildCard. As the only unbroken, loyal daughter, Sil'lice is the favorite of what little remains of both Diva herself and those who were still loyal to her like Sker, but she was framed for treason and has few followers left alive. Snadhya'rune, the would be favorite, has pretended to have no interest in ruling, and she certainly has no interest in ruling the Sharen, just the empire. The biggest contenders for the Sharen throne are Sarv'swati and Zala'ess. Sarv'swati continues to control the empire through an impostor [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]], but Zala'ess has the largest family and amassed the great clans of Nuqra'shareh to back her claim. Ultimately, Sarv'swati squanders her followers against the Sarghress hordes and is killed in a rigged duel, while Zala'ess expands her alliance to include the Sarghress, effectively ending this in Zala'ess's favor.]]
69* SuperPowerLottery: One of the reasons the Sharen are such a powerful clan is because members of their bloodline often have access to a variety of abilities. This is best shown by Diva'ratrika, herself a massively powerful dark elf, and her daughters, the latter of which have their own bloodlines all with specialised abilities. The clan also has access to ancient summons that are extremely rare and powerful, as [[http://www.drowtales.com/archiveContest2009.php?sid=6281 Snadhya'rune aptly demonstrates]]
70* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With the Black Sun after the timeskip, to the point that several Sharen [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8990 openly resent]] working with them, and apparently Black Sun getting tossed into cells with rowdy Sarghress prisoners by Sharen is a regular enough occurrence to not arouse suspicion. [[spoiler: Or at least only token suspicion as a shape-shifted Ariel was questioned in "Black Sun" by the prison guard before being freed.]]
71* TigerVersusDragon / [[TigerVersusDragon Wolf Versus Dragon]]: The Sharen's first major opponents in the underworld were the Sullisin'rune, but they were eventually defeated and subdued. Currently, the major opponents (at least publically) of the Sharen are now the Sarghress. The Sharen see the Sarghress as an upstart clan and the Sarghress see the Sharen as status-obsessed tyrants. The feud between the two clans is particularly bitter.
72* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: According to [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8019 this page]], the full title of the Vels of Sharen is "Imperial Family of Chel'el'sussoloth, Descendants of the Val'Sharess, Voice of the Goddess, Savior of the Nine Nations, Leaders of the Lath and Ssu People, Keepers of Dragons, Defenders of Felde, Sha'shi, Dariya'ko and all the Deep Territories."
73* VestigialEmpire: Doubly so. The Chel'el'sussoloth Empire is the remnant of the Dark Elf kingdoms that existed before they contaminated the surface world with demons. As for Chel'el'sussoloth itself, the Sharen used to be it's undisputed rulers, but as of the {{Timeskip}}, they have had so much self destructive infighting, made so many enemies, and built up such a bad reputation, that half of the great clans have claimed much of their former territory and are set to wipe them out. Though that looks set to change again soon since [[spoiler:[[TheCavalry Zala'ess is returning to Chel with an overwhelming army of allies hungry for conquest]].]]
74* VillainousValour: most of the Sharen outside of the three sisters display this, though they're only "villains" in relation to the Sarghress)
75* YourDaysAreNumbered: WordOfGod confirms that [[spoiler:nearly the entire clan has the faulty seeds that will eventually kill them]].
76* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Though the Nidraa'chal War did a lot of damage on its own, after the timeskip, the Sharen's public image has deteriorated significantly, and Sarv'swati's actions, in particular forcing civilians into her slave army or the PenalColony and her alliance with the Black Sun, have turned most of Chel's commoners against them.
77[[/folder]]
78
79[[folder:Diva'ratrika]]
80!!Diva'ratrika Val'Sharen
81The Val'Sharess or Empress of Chel'el'sussoloth, a dark elf from the time of Sharess and ruler of the Vel'Sharen clan. Although it is not public knowledge, she has been dead for sixteen years due to her daughters' betrayal.
82
83For tropes pertaining to [[spoiler:Liriel, her incomplete fusion, and Diva, her final reincarnated form]] see their entry on [[Characters/DrowtalesValSarghressClan the Val'Sarghress character sheet]].
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85* AbusiveParent: It is shown in flashback that Diva was very emotionally abusive towards [[http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=13112 Snadhya]] for being born a drow. However, she does come to regret how her treatment shaped her daughter. Sil'lice for her part believes that Snadhya'rune and Sarv'swati would have commited {{Matricide}} for power even if she ''had'' been a good parent, but things might have still turned out better for Zala'ess.
86* ArchEnemy: Both Quain'tana and Ash'waren perceive her as this, particularly in Ash'waren's case [[spoiler:since Diva's mother and extended Sharen family was responsible for wiping out most of Ash'waren's clan and forcing them to become Sharen protectorates]].
87* TheAtoner: Post timeskip [[spoiler:as Diva]], she seems to be heading down this path, with the guilt of her actions [[spoiler:including her disillusionment and indifference as Empress, her inaction with the tainting Nidraa'chal War, and her unwillingness to kill her daughters when they rebelled against her]] hitting her over the years. In chapter 50 [[spoiler:she plans to make Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta her official heirs and raise them differently so she wouldn't have a repeat of what happened with Snadhya]].
88* BatmanGambit: In the penultimate chapter, she goes and faces Snad, alone, knowing the latter would full well try to straight up murder her, first chance she gets. [[spoiler: Snad does and Diva's soul flies right into Sharess's empty body, waiting and ready for a host.]]
89* BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler:The year spent trapped in her own throne room with only one slave for company was not kind to her.]]
90* ControlFreak: Snadhya claims this of her in regards to her daughters, and Diva's [[http://www.drowtales.com/longestwait.php?order=date&id=17 own narration]] considering that she more or less kept control for ''six hundred years'', also suggests it.
91* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Had purple hair along with purple eyes. [[spoiler:Her appearance post-FusionDance with Ragini as Diva had this, too]].
92* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:People believed that she was alive, albeit in self-inflicted isolation, for several years. So when her mummified body was discovered in Chapter 45, things go downhill especially for the Sharens after her death was made public. Interestingly, while Diva'ratrika's body is dead, her aura (i.e. a soul) is not; Diva was the result of fusing her aura with her drow slave Ragini via the use of an ancient aura fusion ritual]].
93* AFateWorseThanDeath: Sure, [[spoiler:Snadhya, Sarv, and Zala could have just killed her,]] but decided that [[spoiler:leaving her to die in her throne room was a better option]].
94* DyingAlone: [[spoiler:The FateWorseThanDeath mentioned above her daughters tried to inflict on her. Notably she ''does'' technically die alone after sending Ragini out, but invokes DeathIsCheap via the FusionDance]].
95* FinallyFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Diva'ratrika was murdered by her own daughters long ago. But her daughters chose to fake her survival for use as a figurehead. When the Sarghress finally conquer Chel, they manage to dig their way into the throne room and they uncover her mummified corpse, finally offering solid proof of her demise.]]
96* FusionDance: [[spoiler:With Ragini]].
97* TheHighQueen / GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: She's not known to be particularly nice, though compared to her daughters she looks like a saint; characters' opinions on her largely stem from whose side they're on.
98* GoMadFromTheIsolation: [[spoiler:She only ''barely'' managed to avert this thanks to Ragini, but she was beginning to lose it by the time she separated her aura from her body]].
99* {{Hikikomori}}: Technically speaking, she's this, since she didn't leave her tower for years [[spoiler:even before the Nidraa'chal War and her daughter's betrayal, which was why their ruse worked so well]]. She later says [[spoiler:in her new body]] that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6655 she was more or less forced into this]] as leaving the tower meant running the risk of entering a less populated area, which due to her advanced age would lead to mana deprivation.
100* ICannotSelfTerminate: After being stabbed by a nid agent, who doesn't recognize her, she prepares the transfer ritual [[spoiler: into Sharess's body]] but stops before killing herself, unable to bring herself to do it. [[spoiler: So she lets Snad do it for her.]]
101* IHatePastMe: While visiting [[spoiler:the corpse of her former self]], she has a self-monologue where she regrets the many, many bad decisions she's made that led to this point.
102* ImmortalitySeeker: What Snad accuses her of, though there's arguably a massive amount of PsychologicalProjection involved.
103* IWantGrandkids: A variation, in that she does have grandkids, in fact she has ''hundreds'' by her other daughters, but Snadhya'rune, the one daughter she wants to have children pointedly won't seemingly to spite her. [[spoiler:Subverted by the existence of Kalki, not that Diva knew it, and considering who Kalki is it's unlikely Diva would be thrilled if she knew, to say the least]].
104* JerkassHasAPoint: While Diva could be a hard to please(and even emotionally abusive parent), she was right to chew out Snad's conquest of Felde, especially since she went against her orders to not take over the city and did it in a cutthroat manner.
105* LargeHam: She ain't "Diva" for nothing! [[spoiler:Especially notable in [[http://www.drowtales.com/longestwait.php?order=date&id=38 this scene]] when she has a FreakOut over her situation.]]
106* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Besides the larger issue of [[spoiler:the Nidraa'chal War]] she was intentionally kept in the dark about [[spoiler:Kalki]], and it's implied that all of her daughters, or at least Sarv'swati and Sil'lice, knew.
107* MaternallyChallenged: While Snadhya'rune's betrayal might have been unavoidable, Zala'ess makes it clear that Diva'ratrika wasn't a good mother. And when she gets stuck babysitting one of her great grandchildren, she doesn't even seem to be clear on how to hold her and calls out for her grandson to come back.
108* MeaningfulName: Her shortened name refers to a temperamental and/or haughty woman, which she was [[spoiler:in her former life as Empress before her "death" and FusionDance with Ragini]].
109* MirrorCharacter: With Quain'tana. 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]].
110* MysteriousVeil: A lower-face-obscuring veil is part of all of her outfits except when she was a small child, and worn by her Overseers as well.
111* OffingTheOffspring: Subverted, since while she was extremely angry at Snadhya, Sarv and Zala for tainting themselves, she couldn't bring herself to kill them. [[spoiler:In retrospect, she probably should have]].
112* OlderIsBetter: Essentially the basis of her power, and WordOfGod is that Diva would prefer if she could be a queen like Sharess was and never fully adapted to the system her own rule (as well as her mother's) promoted.
113* ParentalFavoritism: Towards Snadhya'rune, her eldest daughter, despite her frustrations with Snadhya's refusal to go along with that she wanted. [[spoiler: This came to bite her in the ass later, when said daughter and two other daughters betray her.]] Possibly subverted, given [[spoiler:Zhor's]] belief that Diva knew that there was something deeply wrong with Snadhya.
114** In chapter 50, [[spoiler:she loses all familial love towards Snadhya as she finally recognizes her as the evil, manipulative bitch she is, and switches her favoritism to Sil'lice and Nishi'kanta (especially Sil'lice). She even prays for them to come back safely with Snadhya's head when they spearhead a search for her]].
115** And then in the same chapter, [[spoiler: Sil'lice may have taken herself out of the running ''again'' with her slaughter at Orthobbae and ''especially'' her rash killing of Sha'sana, Diva's oldest and dearest friend that she hadn't been able to see in decades. Diva's reaction to Sil waking up post-tainting is noticeably chilly. Nishi'kanta may be the only one who ''hasn't'' screwed up by now.]]
116* PimpedOutDress: What with being an empress. [[spoiler:She wears plainer clothes as "Diva"]].
117* ReluctantRuler: Her dialogue in ''Longest Wait'' indicates this.
118* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: As Phani'lath Vel'Sharen relates, during the last Council [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5568 Diva'ratrika actually left in the middle of it]] even though she was the one who called it, and things went downhill from there. Some fifteen years later, many other clans have come to view Diva'ratrika as being indifferent to the affairs of the Empire, since after that incident she stopped appearing publicly for 15 years [[spoiler:which technically wasn't her fault since she was either imprisoned or dead at that point, and the "Diva" who holds a parade is really a double]].
119* ShadowDictator: [[spoiler:Played straight by the fact that she's actually dead ''and'' {{subverted|Trope}}. Though the reason she stopped appearing was because of the bickering clans and general disillusionment. The fact that she had become so solitary was one reason her daughters managed to keep up the illusion that she was still alive for so long.]]
120* ShootTheDog: [[spoiler:She seems to view her possession of Ragini as this, since it evidently ended Ragini's life.]]
121* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:The two things her daughters didn't predict was a.) a slave surviving their massacre and getting into the throne room via the air ducts, and b.) that Diva would use said slave to escape, albeit in a roundabout fashion.]]
122* StatuesqueStunner: As a Dark Elf she's taller than most drow, and art of her [[http://www.drowtales.com/longestwait.php?order=date&id=12 back-to-back]] with Snadhya'rune shows that she's taller than her daughter, and about the same height as [[spoiler:Mel'arnach]].
123* SupernaturallyYoungParent: Would you believe that she's as old as she is and a great(times x) grandmother?
124* WeakButSkilled: [[spoiler:When she confronts Snadhya'rune in a much younger body, Snadhya'rune describes her this way, saying she has the knowledge but not the body to make use of it.]]
125* WhoWantsToLiveForever: One of the downsides of being as old as she was was that she more or less couldn't leave her tower without running the risk of mana deprivation, since she needed to much mana to keep living.
126[[/folder]]
127[[index]]
128!!Snadhya'rune and her bloodline
129* [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanSnadhyaruneAndHerBloodline Have their own page here]].
130
131!!Sarv'swati and her bloodline
132* [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanSarvSwatiAndHerBloodline Have their own page here]].
133
134!!Sil'lice and her bloodline
135* [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanSilliceAndHerBloodline Have their own page here]].
136
137!! Nishi'kanta and her bloodline
138* [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanNishiKantaAndHerBloodline Have their own page here]].
139
140!!Zala'ess and her bloodline
141* [[Characters/DrowtalesVelSharenClanZalaEssAndHerBloodline Have their own page here]].
142[[/index]]
143
144[[folder:Xyrrai'zestu Sub-house]]
145! The Xyrrai'zestu Sharen
146
147The Xyrrai'zestu are a sub-house of the Sharen clan and make up a large portion of the Imperial Army. The founder of the house commissioned her own building to house her family, and the Sharen retaliated by having her and most of her followers killed through a series of assassinations and "[[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident accidents]]."
148
149* AllThereInTheManual: [[http://forums.drowtales.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=9495#p388263c The house's history in the forum]] written by the co-creator of the house.
150* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: When the Xyrrai'zestu Dev'ess built a tower for herself and her followers outside of the main Sharen fortress, the main family retaliated by killing the Dev'ess and most of her followers. Only the Dev'ess' daughter (who was in Orthorbbae at the time) and minor members of the house were spared.
151* EpicFail / TallPoppySyndrome: The Xyrrai'zestu Dev'ess' decision to build her own tower can be seen as this. By doing this she seemed to be declaring herself and her house as more powerful than the Imperial family and perhaps even as a rival. The same Imperial family that had proved many times beforehand to be [[ControlFreak controlling]], dislike rebellion and utterly ruthless to those they perceive as threats. [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Things of course]] went exactly as you'd expect.
152%%* OverlyLongName
153* RedShirtArmy: After the stunt pulled by the original Dev'ess, the house essentially became synonymous with "meatshield".
154* TooDumbToLive: Possibly the original Dev'ess. One wonders exactly what she was expecting given what we know of the Sharen's dislike of any sort of rebellion.
155* TheUnpronouncable: Even the house's creators aren't entirely sure how it's pronounced, and usually settle for something close to "Zee-ree-zess-tu".
156
157!! Oil'loss'lin Xyrrai'zestu Sharen*[[note]]Created by Thalar[[/note]]
158The daughter of the former Xyrrai'zestu de'vess and a general in the Imperial Army. Oil'loss'lin and the Xyrrai'zestu Sharen were invented by [[AscendedFanBoy fans of the comic turned staff writers]] and before the entire comic was remade in 2007, her character was a major part of the storyline. She makes [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4276 a cameo appearance]] in the Prologue during the Nidraa'chal War where she slays her tainted dragon, only to become tainted herself. She is also noted as one of the few Sharen to have remained friends with her protector twin well into adulthood. [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=5063 More information on Oil'loss'lin can be found here.]]
159
160* AngstySurvivingTwin: She lost her protector twin in battle, and this was stated in background information to have broken her. She and her twin even shared the same lover and both had children by him. After her twin's death she adopted the latter's daughter as her own alongside her biological daughter.
161* {{BFS}}: Her sword isn't the most prominent example in the comic but it's still large enough to qualify.
162%%* LadyOfWar
163* MamaBear: Arrives in Chapter 40 to rescue her daughter. Her being the best mom ever[[note]]and it not being said with sarcasm[[/note]] is something of a running joke among players of the roleplay.
164* OnlySaneMan: Bluntly tells Feli'cia that attempting to fight Quain will only get her killed.
165%%* OverlyLongName
166* ParentalSubstitute: For the daughter of her protector twin.
167* PregnantBadass: Apparently she's three months pregnant and still an active soldier.
168* PutOnABus: Hasn't been seen since the Prologue, though her creator continues to roleplay her, indicating that she survived.
169** She comes back in Chapter 40, as seen [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=5063 with this cameo sheet]], and [[BigDamnHeroes what an entrance]]!
170* ScarsAreForever: Three claws over her right eye. May be from the above dragon slaying.
171
172!! Ran'diirk Xyrrai'zestu Sharen*[[note]]Created by Pariel[[/note]]
173An Imperial Guard and member of the Xyrrai'zestu Sharen subhouse, first seen in Chapter 39. Heavily tainted, he is so desensitized to pain that a head injury caused by a Sarghress' war hammer doesn't even faze him. He reappears at Snadhya'rune's gathering in Felde, during Chapter 44. His concept art can be found [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120528Raandirk.jpg here]] and [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ranndirk_news.jpg here]].
174
175* DeathSeeker: Implied. Having lost his Queen, his dragon, and his mate... he threw himself at [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune, knowing full well his chances of succeeding were slim]].
176* IronicHell: Despite his loyalty to Diva'ratrika, [[spoiler:he ends up a summon of the very woman who killed her with no free will of his own]].
177* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Like most of the Imperial Guards, has no idea that [[spoiler: the real Diva'ratrika was killed in a coup led by her own daughters, though by Chapter 44 he seems to have put the pieces together and goes after Snadhya'rune directly, saying that he knows what she did]] or that in all likelihood he is [[spoiler: slowly dying from his taint]].
178* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Played with. Both he and his colleagues are deeply shocked that he doesn't even feel the pain from his head injury, despite there being copious amounts of blood. Heavily implied to be [[spoiler:the result of his faulty taint]].
179* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Just as surprised as his colleague that the so-called ''Empress'' they were supposed to be protecting was actually a golem, but even with this fact, is determined to fight for the Sharen cause.
180** However [[spoiler: when we next see him it is at the Felde peace gathering in Chapter 44, where he intends to assassinate Snadhya'rune for her role in the real Diva's death]].
181* [[HighlyConspicuousUniform Non Standard Armor]]: Wears a prominent emblem of the Xyrrai'zestu subhouse on his uniform against regulations. His character info outright states that Diva'ratrika would have kicked his ass for that.
182* NoSell: Averted. He continues to fight through his head wound, but it is clear that it deeply injured him.
183%%* PraetorianGuard
184* {{Revenge}}: [[spoiler:Realizing that he will probably die from the taint, he commits himself to avenging Diva'ratrika's murder. He puzzles out Snadhya'rune's role in it and spends his final moments trying to kill her]].
185* SenselessSacrifice: [[spoiler:Instead of accepting Snadhya'rune's offer of mercy, he makes a suicidal last ditch attempt to kill her with an overcharged golem core. A weapon fae can easily defend against. Snadhya'rune protects herself with little effort and regards the assassination attempt with contempt]].
186* TakingYouWithMe: Attempts this on [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]].
187* YourSoulIsMine: [[spoiler:Gets turned into a summon by Snadhya'rune after his failed assassination attempt]].
188
189!! Kery'awa Xyrrai'zestu Sharen*[[note]]Created by Runes[[/note]]
190Oil'loss'lin's daughter, she is one of the few untainted Sharen in the entire clan, having been spirited away by her mother to the city of Val'Raveran to spare her from the clan's mandatory tainting. First appears in Chapter 40, during the height of the District War. Her concept art can be found [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/20120917_kweyawa_news.jpg here.]]
191
192* CastingAShadow: Capable of using shadow sorcery inherited from her Beldrobbaen father and does so in an attempt to evade attackers.
193* ImTakingHerHomeWithMe: She [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8958 prompts this reaction]] once her helmet is taken off.
194* {{Moe}}: She gets this reaction InUniverse after her helmet is knocked off. Notably not a case of SamusIsAGirl since female fighters are the norm, but the Sarghress are surprised to see she's untainted.
195* TokenMinority: A double case, first in that she has a small bit of drowussu ancestry[[note]]on her father's side, since he was a Beldrobbaen who had some 'ssu in him and Oil'loss'lin didn't care enough to ask about where his came from[[/note]] and second that she is one of the very few untainted Sharen left in the clan.
196* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Strawberry shortcake.
197
198!! Nona’brail Xyrrai'zestu Sharen*[[note]]Created by Pariel [[/note]]
199A member of the Xyrrai'zestu Sharen and Sorn'mal's mate, first seen serving as Shinae's nurse [[spoiler:post-childbirth]]. Appears in Chapters 40 and 50. Her concept art can be found [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=5173 here]].
200
201%%* ActualPacifist
202%%* TheCaretaker: For Shinae [[spoiler: post childbirth]].
203%%* TheEmpath
204* EyeScream: Both of her eyes are gone. Despite this she seems to get along well enough.
205* HostageSituation: [[spoiler:Shinae takes her hostage to avoid being brought in by Chrys and Sorn'mal]].
206%%* InTheHood: Likely to hide her missing eyes.
207%%* TheMedic
208%%* TearsOfBlood: When stressed.
209
210!! Kail'odian Xyrrai'zestu Sharen*[[note]]Created by Kailodian[[/note]]
211A member of the Xyrrai'zestu subhouse, serving as an Imperial Guard. First seen escorting the fake Diva'ratrika inside the Beldrobbaen fortress, during Chapter 41. His concept art can be found [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Kailodian-789x1024.jpg here]].
212
213* CoolMask: Wears a veil with a prominent emblem.
214%%* DualWielding
215* KilledOffForReal: He falls to his death after Elbinac pushes them both over the edge of a lift.
216* PlayingWithFire: Has a fire affinity.
217%%* PraetorianGuard
218* PrimalFear: He's afraid of heights. He's quite unwilling to chase Kiel onto a window-ledge.
219[[/folder]]
220
221[[folder:Other Sharen]]
222
223!!Ashu'athama Sharen
224Diva'ratrika's only son and brother to Snadhya'rune, Sarv'swati, Sil'lice, Nishi'kanta and Zala'ess. He is one of the headmasters at Davya Tower with Kel'noz. Little is known about him and he has so far only appeared in the early chapters chronicling Ariel's stay at Orthorbbae.
225
226%%* {{Familiar}}: The dragon around his shoulders.
227* LockedOutOfTheLoop: [[spoiler:Was he in on his three sister's coup on Diva'ratrika? It's not been made clear yet in the main story, though the fact that he's not tainted suggests that he's not]].
228%%* OldMaster
229* TheOneGuy: The only male child of Diva'ratrika and one of the few male Sharens in the entire clan left untainted.
230* OutOfFocus: Hasn't been seen since Ariel was last in Orthorbbae, minus [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7904 a two panel appearance]] at the end of chapter 32.
231* RebelPrince: Implied, since his lack of tainting and apparent disinterest in matters outside of Orthorbbae imply he's not towing the Sharen party line, which may be ''why'' he's TheUnfavorite.
232* ShoulderSizedDragon: He has a wingless, snakelike dragon small enough for him to wear like a scarf.
233* VagueAge: His age in relation to that of his five sisters is something of a [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive//20070117c02p066.JPG question mark]]. Only his sisters are listed by birth order -- not him. The lines on his face suggest he must be quite old, yet he has a natural white hair color like her younger children. WordOfGod confirmed he is younger than Snadhya but older than Diva's other children.
234* TheUnfavorite: It's telling that he's the only child of Diva not seen with a "Val" on the front of his name, though this may have been a writing oversight as other male headmasters in the same scene had a Val prefix, and he is identified as [[http://wiki.drowtales.com/index.php/Clans_Overview#Sharen a Vel'Sharen on the clan overview chart]]. After the timeskip, [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=3699 Kern drew a chibi of Diva'ratrika and her children but with only the daughters present]], which seems to further suggest this trope.
235
236!!Kio'nel Vel'Sharen
237A young Sharen who first appears in chapter 31 [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7714 escorting Kiel to meet with Chrys'tel]]. Later appears in [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9406 Chapter 42]] as the leader of the Dari'yako PenalColony.
238
239%%* BackForTheDead
240* BerserkButton: He winds up pressing Shinae's when, after Chrys'tel runs off, she asks him if he'll [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7821 make love to her]] and he [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7823 tries to turn her down]], causing her to quite literally blow up in his face.
241* CurbStompBattle: It's pathetically one sided when Sarv'swati kills him and she almost ''literally'' curb stomps him before whaling on him with a glaive.
242* FaceDeathWithDignity: He tries, at least, but finding out things got even worse after he left makes this impossible.
243* FromBadToWorse: The Dari'yako colony getting attacked by Highland Raiders and the slaves being freed on his watch? Bad. [[spoiler:An overwhelming Sarghress force arriving after he's already left for Chel and destroying what's left of it]]? ''Worse''.
244* GeneralFailure: He seems to be decently competent, but he gets completely blindsided by the Highland Raider attack and didn't even know about [[spoiler:the main Sarghress force coming in to destroy the rest after he'd already left for Chel]] until another survivor makes it back. And Sarv'swati is ''not'' pleased.
245* KissingCousins: Has a very obvious crush on Chrys'tel, and though it's not entirely certain how they're related he's most likely a cousin, but Chrys doesn't seem to return his feelings or for that matter even seem aware of them.
246* SeriesContinuityError: In Chapter 42, due to the Colonies story being done by two different artists his hairstyle changes drastically between the two parts of the story, with one artist using his updated concept art and the other his pre-timeskip art as references. This lead the author of that side-story to say that [[SureLetsGoWithThat he got a haircut before his meeting with Sarv'swati]], which some readers thought worked since it emphasized just how screwed he knew he was and at least wanted to look decent before he died.
247* ThisIsGonnaSuck: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9437 his face]] as he goes to meet with Sarv'swati to tell her what happened to Dari'yako clearly says this. He's not wrong about her response either.
248%%* YouHaveFailedMe: Sarv'swati's response to his return.
249
250!! Quar'imar*[[note]]Created by Michael[[/note]]
251An ex-Dutan'vir and Orthorbbae Master, he is seen assisting Zala's faction during the Civil War arc of Chapter 37.
252
253* BadassTeacher: Teaching generations of drow at Orthorbbae has clearly not dulled his combat skills in the slightest.
254* DarkAndTroubledPast: Implied. When subjected to an [[MindRape empathy attack]], the word appearing next to him is "failure".
255* ExtraOredinary: Has a metal affinity. He uses it to save Chrys'tel.
256* SinkOrSwimMentor: He seems to regard his job as not just locating the "hidden weapon", but training Nau and Chrys'tel in real-world combat on-the-fly.
257
258!! Eri'nyasa Vel'Sharen*[[note]]Created by Pitdragon[[/note]]
259An Imperial Overseer first seen in Chapter 39, protecting a bio-golem double of Diva'ratrika. Reappears in Chapter 41, protecting the fake Diva'ratrika inside the Beldrobbaen fortress.
260
261%%* BraidsOfAction
262* CoolMask: A white veil hides most of her face.
263* OhCrap: She is strongly unnerved by the effects of Raan'dirk's taint, after he is severely injured in battle.
264* SecretKeeper: She's fully aware that Diva'ratrika is dead, and is among those responsible for hiding that fact as long as possible.
265* SummonMagic: Proficient in both traditional and nether summoning.
266
267!! Nidek'nil Sharen*[[note]]Created by Tsac'tsuo[[/note]]
268A an ex-Dutan'vir Overseer present with Nihi'liir at the Sharen penal colony in Chapter 40. His concept art can be found [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=5180 here]].
269
270* BerserkButton: Hates empaths for undisclosed reasons.
271%%* BraidsOfBarbarism
272%%* {{FanBoy}}: Of Sarv'swati.
273* LockedInTheDungeon: [[spoiler: His fate after Chapter 40]].
274* PlayingWithFire: Has a fire affinity.
275* ScarsAreForever: Has several knife scars across his face.
276* UndyingLoyalty: To Sarvs'wati and the Sharen cause. After [[spoiler: Nihi'liir is assassinated]] he blames himself for being unable to save her.
277
278!! Duras Vel'Sharen*[[note]]Created by Marcus Darkstar[[/note]]
279A male Vel serving in the Sharen Alliance during the closing cycles of the District War. First appears in Chapter 47.
280
281* TheBigGuy: He's very tall for a male, being roughly the same height as his female comrades.
282%%* BraidsOfBarbarism
283* EpicFlail: His shield has a large chain attached to the back of it, presumably to allow it to be used as a very large flail.
284* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Carries a large spiked shield.
285* ShieldBash: He opts not to wield a weapon, instead using his shield for both offense and defense.
286[[/folder]]
287
288[[folder:Miscellaneous Servants]]
289%%I'm working backwards through the archives adding cameos and characters. More will be added to this section. Please do not remove on account of only having the two entries at this time. -Thrair
290
291!! Jethel*[[note]]Created by Jethel[[/note]]
292A servant of Snadhya'rune in Felde, first seen at the gathering in Chapter 44.
293
294* ForceFeeding: When he attempts to get Kharla's attention, she irritably stuffs a piece of bread into his mouth.
295%%* InnocentBlueEyes
296%%* TheJeeves: Of the non-manipulative variety.
297%%* MadEye: After unintentionally drawing Kharla's ire.
298
299!! Sakkara*[[note]]Created by Sakkara/Sarai[[/note]]
300
301A drowussu slave first seen in Chapter 47, serving Zala'ess during the closing cycles of the District War. Her concept art can be found [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sakkara.jpg here]].
302
303%%* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: A light magenta.
304* HideTheEvidence: Shinae passed her a [[spoiler: vial of poison to prevent Chrys'tel from confirming she'd poisoned Zala'ess]]. Unfortunately for Sakkara, she is unaware of what it is and takes a few whiffs to find out. [[spoiler:Word is out on whether or not it's airbourne]].
305* SkewedPriorities: Per concept art, she would have difficulty choosing between escaping and a closet of clothes.
306%%* SlaveCollar
307[[/folder]]
308
309----

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