Very little is known about the circumstances that resulted in the birth of
the Wavemistress Maeithra - indeed, even the water genasi herself does not
know what mixture of blood runs in her veins. Her earliest memories are of
the Shalarin who raised her, a member of the aquatic race's Seekers Caste of
disparate adventurers. That said, she identifies only nominally with the race
as a whole - the Seekers being relegated to the fringes of Shalarin society
as explorers, rogues and priests who have adopted new gods after their own
became distant and silent. As a child Maeithra spent much time in the great
underwater city of Myth Nantar, living in relative peace among the many
native peoples of the Inner Sea. Gradually, however, the attention of her
guardian turned towards the surface and the Queen of the Depths, Umberlee. As
he sought to encourage greater worship of Her below the waves - where the Sea
Queen's storms are much muted - so it fell to Maeithra to spread the word on
the surface, as the half of the pair able to breath air.
She surfaced near the Pirate Isles where she was immediately taken in by the
superstitious Captain Vincente Tantares as a sign of good fortune, being both
a child of the sea and a follower of Umberlee. Together they sailed the seas
aboard the Maiden's Folly, with Maeithra rising quickly through the ranks
until she became First Mate and the Captain's closest companion. While the
captain takes pains to present himself as an amiable 'gentleman of fortune'
it is no secret that the ship sailed under pirates' colours - more often
raising the bloody flag than the Jolly Roger; no quarter given and none
expected.
Eventually the pair found themselves on the Sword Coast, where Maeithra began
to turn her attention more fully to matters of religion. Raised with no
contact with humans, and later exposed only to the rough ways of seafaring
folk, she had difficulty understanding the polite ways of surface society -
and to this days remains blunt to the point of rudeness at times. Despite
this, and unlike many of her faith, Maeithra courted the favour of Waterdeep
- preaching as much of Umberlee's bounty and savage beauty as Her furious
anger and capricious nature. The then-Waveservant even went so far as to
approach the Open Lords of Waterdeep for permission to raise a temple in
Umberlee's name at the mouth of the docks - leading to more than one curious
friendship of sorts and, eventually, the raising of the Queenspire.
Shortly after the dedication of the Queenspire, Maeithra was called to the
altar where she was told that in recognition for her works to further the
faith of the Sea Queen, she had been chosen for a new task - to lead the
faith as Wavemistress.