Page 1 of 1

Shevarash

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:38 pm
by Rennick
I've been reading up about an elven deity named Shevarash lately. In one of my readings, I noticed that Shar was mentioned as an ally...but there was no mention of Corellon. I am under the impression that Shevarash is indeed considered a good aligned deity, so this confused me a little. I was wondering if anybody could shine a light on the relationship between Shevarash and Shar, and that of Shevarash and Corellon or the other members of the elven pantheon? Thanks.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:46 pm
by Lerytha
http://www.nwncityofarabel.com/gods/SHEVARASH.htm

Basically, he's a vengeful God, who has experienced loss, and so has a link with Shar in that way. More information can be found at the link above. :)

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:48 pm
by Ellian
Demihuman Deities wrote: Shevarash
The Black Archer, the Night Hunter, the Arrow Bringer

Shevarash, who embodies the hatred the Fair Folk hold for the drow, is the elven god of vengeance and military crusades. He is venerated by elves and half-elves who have suffered the loss of loved ones through violence, particularly those who burn with revenge against the drow, and by those who have sworn to destroy the Spider Queen and the other evil gods of the dark elves. Some elven theologians speculate that Shevarash serves to gather in the bitterness and hatred that has riven the elven race since the Crown Wars, thus keeping the contagious evil of the Spider Queen from spreading to the elven population at large.

Nearly 6,000 years ago, circa -4400 DR, on Midwinter night--the longest, darkest night of the year--an army of dueregar and drow poured forth from the Underdark and overran both the dwarven realm of Sarphil on the southern shore of the Moonsea and the Elven Court at the heart of the great forest of Arcorar. The Dark Court Slaughter claimed the lives of countless elves and dwarves, including most of the assembled leaders of the Fair Folk and the Stout Folk who had come to the Elven Court to reestablish their long-standing alliance. Among the fallen was the family of the archer-guard Shevarash, once a carefree hunter of the Elven Court. In an anger-tinged prayer to Corellon, Shevarash vowed to become the Seldarine's hand against the drow to extract revenge for the loss of his family. The grief-stricken warrior swore a grim oath neither to laugh nor smile until the drow goddess Lolth and her foul followers were destroyed. It was a tall order, but for the remainder of his life, Shevarash became the deadliest nemesis of the drow, raiding their underground cities, slaying their priests, and destroying shrines to their foul gods. Shevarash was finally slain by a horde of myrlochar (soul spiders) after killing the high priestess Darthiir'elgg Aleanrahel and six of her consorts, circa -4070 DR. Upon his death and with the assistance of Fenmarel Mestarine, Shevarash the Black Archer underwent apotheosis to become the Night Hunter and the Arrow Bringer.

When the Sy-Tel'Quessir settled the Yuirwood, the Seldarine merged with the ancient gods of the Yuir, transforming them into aspects of the various powers of the elven pantheon. Of the Seldarine, Shevarash absorbed the aspect of Elikarashae, the youngest of the Yuir gods, as Elikarashae had only recently undergone apotheosis. The Sy-Tel'Quessir settlers of the Yuirwood incorporated the legends of Elikarashae into their own myths of Shevarash, and in the folklore of the elves of the Yuirwood, the god's aspects as Elikarashae became a mighty elven warrior who bore three great weapons: the spear Shama, which could speak to elf warriors of pure heart and noble mind; the sling Ukava, which never missed; and the club Maelat, which could only be weilded in the defense of the Yuir. Elikarashae was credited with defeating many of the Yuir's enemies, particularly the mountain trolls and drow, for which the great warrior had been lifted up to Arvandor and made a god, or so the myths held.

Shevarash maintains no permanent realm in the Outer Planes, although he visits both Arvandor and Fennimar frequently. The Black Archer is closely allied with the Seldarine, particularly the more militant powers, although none of the elven gods are as consumed with hatred and vengeance as he is. Although Shevarash considers Fenmarel his superior, the Lone Wolf and the Black Archer share little in common aside from their mutual hatred of the drow. Of the rest of the Seldarine, Shevarash works closely with Corellon and Solonor in particular, but the other two powers are more concerned with defending the elven realms than bringing war into the tunnels of the drow, much to the Black Arsher's frustration. As consumed by his hatred of the dark elven powers now as he was during the night of the Dark Court Slaughter, the Black Archer now hunts Lolth, Ghaunadaur, Vhaeraun and the other dark gods of the drow directly, often venturing into the Abyss to do so. Shevarash has moderated his hatred toward Eilistraee and the good-aligned drow who worship the Dark Maiden. He does not kill them out of hand, but he still dislikes them thoroughly. In life, the Black Archer's extended forays into the Underdark nurtured his antipathy for the other evil denizens of the Night Below, and as a god he battles their divine patrons as well. Shevarash's all-consuming crusade is such that the only long-standing divine allies he has garnered since his apotheosis are those such as Callarduran Smoothhands and Psilofyr who share his hatred of the drow and their pantheon of dark gods. As humanity has begun to venture even deeper into the Underdark, Shevarash has begun to work more with human gods such as Shaundakul and Hoar. To the great distress of the other members of the Seldarine, the Black Archer's bitterness is such that he has recently begun to find solace in the soothing embrace of Shar.

Shevarash is taciturn, violent, and consumed by thoughts of bitterness and revenge. He never displays any emotion aside from anger and a brief exultation of triumph after each victory. The Black Archer has no patience for those who do not share his zeal for vengeance, and he has no interest in moderating his crusade in the interests of peace. The Black Archer dispatches his avatar in anticipation of an attack by drow on a relatively undefended elven settlement, or if he appears too late to prevent a repeat of the slaughter that still haunts him, Shevarash pursues the dark elves back into the Underdark and hunts them down until all are dead.
I bolded information pertinent to Rennick's question.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:04 pm
by Rennick
Thanks to both of you. That was very helpful. If anybody else has any other information on this deity I would very much appreciate it.