Prompted by a question on Facebook, I wrote up this character profile for one of my most enduring characters, Lady Ilira Nathalan, also known as the Fox-at-Twilight. Herein, I discuss the philosophies behind her design, her complex history, her abilities, and some hints about her next appearance, in my forthcoming novel Shadowbane: Eye of Justice!
Ilira takes no nonsense from nobody!
Character Concept
“First rule, brightblade,” she said without looking. “No questions about me.”
“But–”
“Second rule: No questions about the rules.”
“Any more?”
She held up two fingers. “No stabbing me in the back, and I won’t return the favor.”
“And four?”
Her lips quirked. “No falling in love with me.”
~Paraphrased excerpt from Depths of Madness, by Erik Scott de Bie
Twilight traces her origins in part from a D&D character I played in my teen years (upon whom she is loosely based), my enjoyment of comic books (Catwoman + Black Cat + Black Widow? Duh!), my enthusiasm for fencing (particularly awesome female fencers, like my then girlfriend, now wife), and partly out of a sincere love of bad-ass female sword and sorcery heroes.
Rippling muscle-men and “I will fight harder!” types are all well and good, but I find them a little bit boring after a while.
Female fantasy characters are, to me, so much more interesting than the men: they bring more to the table. They (almost always) have more to deal with and persevere against. They have an impediment already built into their stories just on the basis of their gender, whether it’s in the novel world or just in the real world, when the reader experiences the book.
With Twilight, I set out to craft a compelling, deep, complex, female character who wasn’t eye-candy, a plot device, or window-dressing. Her appearances make it very clear that while some people find her “beautiful,” not everyone shares this opinion. Sure, she’s sexy, but not because I *describe* her that way, but because she proves herself to be, time and again. She exists on her own terms, working toward her own goals (whether or not they overlap with those of her allies), but has a strong moral compass and loyal core. She loves people, travel, and adventure. She suffers physically, mentally, and emotionally, but she perseveres.
I want her to be 90% hero, 10% villain, 100% real character.
Fun fact: The name “Twilight” has nothing to do with the ridiculously popular urban fantasy/paranormal romance series of the same name (which had not hit by the time I started creating the character, back in 2005). Incorporating the word “Twilight” actually comes from the editor of Realms of the Elves, Phil Athans, who suggested it instead of “shadow” or “shade” or something of that sort. Afterward, turning it into “Fox-at-Twilight” was all me.
What do we know about Twilight?
“You have the advantage of me, Lady Darkdance. You know my given name, but I do not know yours.”
A smile quirked at the edge of her lips, and Myrin thought knowing less than someone was not a common experience for Ilira to have.
~Excerpt from Shadowbane: Eye of Justice, by Erik Scott de Bie
The enigmatic moon elf heroine known as the Fox-at-Twilight is just that: enigmatic. She wears deception like armor and weaves a web of lies to keep would-be friends and lovers at bay. No one gets in close, and no one gets to know more secrets than she tells to serve her own ends. Sometimes, though, truths slip out, despite her best attempts to keep them hidden.
We know that Ilira* (maybe not her birth-name) was born in 1297 on Evermeet, though she has occasionally claimed to be older or younger to suit her purposes. Marked by Erevan Ilesere as one of his favored servants, Ilira had an unrivaled capacity for mischief and getting into peril. She ran away from home at an early age and embraced a life on the road. How she came by the infamous designation “Fox-at-Twilight” is unclear, but she asserts that it is a title, rather than a name. The only other reference to the name comes from an old Uthgardt story, telling of a silver-skinned warrior queen who led the barbarians to several key victories in their homeland.
(* Note: Though most humans call her “ill-ira,” the proper elven pronunciation of her name is “eel-erah,” which means “the mists of dusk.”)
Under her adopted mantle, the Fox-at-Twilight operated as an adventurer from a very young age, mostly across the North, the Heartlands, and especially Westgate, where she arrived in the mid 1350s. At some point, Ilira learned swordplay and a mystical technique called “shadow-dancing” from a half-elf she calls Neveren, and encountered a mysterious man she calls her “Uncle Nemesis.” Little is known about these men, though both have been linked romantically to Ilira, and this rivalry led to a disastrous showdown between them in 1358, the Year of Shadows. Ilira fled Westgate and took refuge in the Shining South for a number of years before returning to adventuring in the 1360s, about which the historical record is spotty.
Ilira first appeared in "The Greater Treasure," in REALMS OF THE ELVES
In 1362, Ilira gained some notoriety as a divine seeker when she assisted in the recovery of the legendary Bracer of Coronel Ynloeth, alongside Yldar and Cythara Nathalan (“The Greater Treasure,” Realms of the Elves). She spent at least part of the early 1370s infiltrating first Zhentil Keep, then the returned city of Shade (where she augmented her shadow-dancing abilities), until she was eventually exposed as a spy in 1374. She resurfaced again in 1375, emerging from the Anauroch desert in the company of the goliath Gargan Vathkelke (which means “dispossessed” in Gol-kaa). Ilira disappeared in the wake of the Spellplague in 1385, presumed dead in its wake.
The Depths of Madness, one of Ilira's darkest adventures!
She reappeared only decades later, wearing the name “Lady Nathalan” and operating a series of fashion boutiques called the Menagerie. She routinely wore only black attire and had a tattoo of Gargan’s name across her breastbone. Tragically (especially for the sensual Ilira), she had been spellscarred in the Spellplague in such a way as to make her incapable of touching anyone: her skin unravels flesh and kills living things at the faintest touch. She took great pains to conceal her “curse,” wearing black velvet gloves and never letting anyone touch her skin. By the late 1470s, she had ensconced herself among the nobility and merchants of Waterdeep, but scandal and tragedy struck in 1479. In part motivated by the hand of her sworn foe, Fayne, Ilira was accused of operating during her “lost” years as the Netherese assassin “Shadowfox,” and she was hounded from the city (Downshadow). Her current whereabouts are unknown, but it is rumored that she has returned to her adopted home of Westgate.
Abilities and Resources
“I was hoping,” Ilira said, “that we could finish the conversation we began with those significant glances.”
He tried to choke out a reply, but the shadow’s hold wouldn’t permit him enough air.
“Oh, no,” Ilira said. “I’ll talk. You just listen.”
~Excerpt from Shadowbane: Eye of Justice, by Erik Scott de Bie
Ilira has wielded numerous supernatural and extraordinary abilities over the course of her career, not the least of which come from her own rigorous physical training. A natural athlete, tumbler, and fencer, she has perfected an acrobatic, constantly-shifting fighting style that takes even the most capable opponents by surprise. She fights dirty, and she fights to win. She is a trained thief and cat burglar, able to pick locks, scale walls, and blend into darkness as though born to it. She is an accomplished liar, schooling her face and reactions to blend truth and falsehood with no hint as to her intentions, and she is equally adept at telling when people are lying to her.
From her tutelage under the shadowdancer Neveren Darkdance, Ilira learned how to teleport through and manipulate shadows. She can see in pitch blackness, pull the shadows around herself for protection, and shape shadow into short-lived illusions. She can also animate her own shadow, which then fights beside her. (In her later appearances, this shadow does not resemble her, but rather a large muscular man many speculate is the shadow of Gargan Vathkelke, her former companion and friend. It seems to have a mind of its own, reflecting her emotions and acting independently of her at times.)
As a divine seeker, Ilira could draw upon the divine grace of Erevan Ilesere, the Seldarine god of mischief and tricksters. Aside from making her particularly adept at diffusing magical traps, she could cloak herself in his power to make wary guards look the other way at just the right moment to let her slip past, or enhance her natural abilities with deception to talk a dragon out of its hoard. She could also call on his intervention in times of extreme danger, miraculously surviving seemingly mortal wounds. Whether Ilira still possesses these powers is unknown.
After the Spellplague, Ilira manifested a spellscar that voraciously consumes living flesh. The touch of her skin burns like a heated poker, and prolonged contact causes living things to unravel and die, as though burned by acid. The ability leaves horrendous scars that look like rotted flesh. Ilira hates her spellscar and takes great pains to conceal it, wearing black gloves at all times and claiming she does not like to be touched. Tragically, this “curse” is the worst thing that could happen to such a sensual person as Ilira, who now cannot touch anything without killing it. She abhors using her spellscar as an offensive weapon, and will only do so at great need.
During her adventuring career and now, in her semi-retirement, Ilira makes use of a wide array of magical treasures. First among these is her sword, Betrayal, a hizaghuur rapier enchanted to deliver withering harm when striking with surprise. As an adventurer, she wore a star-sapphire pendant called Erevan’s Shroud, which has the effect of making her immune to divination magic of all sorts and protected her against being followed by her enemies. (In later appearances, she wears this amulet as a bracelet.) She boasted an earring that would translate any language and a pair of boots that enhanced her speed and strength for jumping and climbing. She made extensive use of poisons, particularly the paralytic “locklimb,” which is derived from the venom of the nar’talas centipede native to Evermeet. Ilira is immune to this poison and has built up a tolerance to all manner of venoms.
Ilira dueling Kalen Dren in Shadowbane: Eye of Justice
Statblocks
“You will fall this night,” the warrior assured her. “I will put you down.”
Darkness pooled in Ilira’s gold eyes, turning them jet black. “You will try,” she said.
~Excerpt from Shadowbane: Eye of Justice, by Erik Scott de Bie
I’ve crafted several mechanical expressions of Ilira for use in my games.
A 3.5 version (pre-Spellplague) can be found on Candlekeep:
Fox-at-Twilight 3.5e statblock
Here is a 4e version (post-Spellplague). Note that she is halfway between an elite and a standard monster—what I like to call a NPC monster type. She even has healing surges, though the only way she can spend them is if someone grants her healing (or the DM lets her spend take a second wind). The idea is to make her roughly comparable with a PC:
Lady Ilira “Fox-at-Twilight” Nathalan (Level 15 Skirmisher) 4e statblock
Want more?
Check out Shadowbane: Eye of Justice, on e-readers everywhere September 2012!
[...] Untouchable: “You want to pierce me, is that it? You and any of a thousand men–little boys with their swords.” ~ Ilira Nathalan [...]