Viera Blackreyne

“I am Viera fucking Blackreyne. And I have never ran from man or monstrosity."
—Viera, regaining her courage.

Archhuntress Viera Blackreyne, also known by her nickname V, was a member of the Chimera party. A devoted cleric of Theratis, she was a practitioner of Vismancy.

After the inconclusive ending of the Tale of the Sunless Dunes campaign, she retook Night's End and took over as the leader of the Blackreyne Brotherhood, settling down with Lucine.

Biography

Early Life

Viera was born to unknown parents somewhere in Eqos, and was raised by a cult who wanted to sacrifice her, corrupting her soul permanently into eventually becoming an Acribus. She was rescued as a toddler by a Blackreyne Brotherhood strike team led by Ethera Blackreyne, who decided to adopt her.

As a rookie in the brotherhood, she made a few close childhood friends, including Can Vanadiyin, Otto Albiker, and especially Shun Kenzo who Viera was especially close to. Viera helped the gloomy Kenzo open up a bit more, and get used to her emphatic powers. She was also somewhat close to her mother's colleagues, Voriak and Fieldor.

Because Ethera Blackreyne did not have a biological child yet, the next head of the brotherhood would've been elected by Ethera or would've been picked by votes, but it all changed when Viera got adopted. It didn't help that despite being young Viera was quite talented and capable by a large margin compared to some of the veterans. She had gotten well adjusted to the hunter life, and all the traveling made her particularly worldly.

But of course, this brought jealous eyes on her. Ethera's right hand man, Zmeya Merkuriyev, a half-elf; was particularly frustrated with how this went down as he was confident he would be the next leader and he was done with how much Ethera valued honor over making money and believed it would lead to the brotherhood's downfall for sure. A low-ranking member of House Merkuriyev of the Lunar Collective, not of the main bloodline but a cousin of the main family- essentially just a noble without much power. Got into a disagreement with the main family, and went off to join the Blackreynes to make something of himself since he couldn't do so in the Lunar government.

At the age of 17, Ethera wanted to see how Viera would manage on a hunt that was beyond her power level: a vampire terrorizing the Crimsonia country-side. However, the mission was entirely sabotaged by Zmeya and people loyal to his coup. In an effort to save Viera's life, Ethera got killed and turned into a vampire spawn whom Viera had to put down painfully and flee because she could not bear to face the brotherhood after what she deemed to be her failure.

Zmeya capitalized on this to entirely villainize Viera and paint her as the sole reason for their leader's death. Within a few days of hiding out in the Crimson Empire, Viera saw wanted posters out for her and she realized she can never go back, and maybe she even accepted the blame. She scrambled up as much money as she could and set off on a trading ship headed towards Eqos because she remembered Ethera told her that she found her as an infant while on a mission on Eqos.

'V' spent the next 7 years on Eqos, wandering around as a healer but every so often, when extraordinary threats would arise, she would give in to her hunter nature and continue her family tradition. With Zmeya in power, the relationship of the brotherhood with the Lunars has only gotten stronger, with one of their own in charge. Conversely, the reputation of the brotherhood in the Crimson Empire and much of Eqos had declined in recent years- Many of them assuming that the Blackreynes are simply pawns of House Mercury.

Tale of the Sunless Dunes

Check the main campaign page for the detailed plot summary.

V and Zahn were bounty hunters directed to Ammba from Kasaaq in search of their target, a mysterious 'Vin', leader of the 'Nemesis'. As they eached the outskirts of Ammba, chaotic events unfolded involving a disguised druid and a flood of goats. Everyone's paths aligned in their investigation of an animal trafficker's hideout in the Fairy Caves. After a tense battle against a chimera, they uncovered coded records and evidence linking the smuggling operation to the Nemesis. Inspector Raktii told them alongside Lucine, Caeles, Milis, and Vasirr to stick together in the Stitched Scales, unofficially making them a party. They learned more about each other, including Caeles' murderous history and radicalization. The party tackled new challenges, such as a bard cursed by a ghostly lover. And a sculptor turning his models to stone as a medusa. Viera connected with Vasirr while reflecting on their relationships with their mothers, and visited an old abandoned shrine to Moros to connect with Theratis. The party received information and help from a local gangster named Namkeen Bhai.

They ended up investigating the animal traffickers against Raktii's will, and were thrust into clashes with Volnik Feydey's gang. The gang’s violence escalated, culminating in Milis being abducted. Aided by Raktii, the party mounted a daring rescue. They ended up battling Volnik, who was revealed to be a worshiper of Nosos and the Herald of Corruption. In his warehouse, the group discovered a wyrmling Moonstone Dragon that they named Celeste. The party was summoned to meet the Ranaji, and were named heroes of Ammba. They were given the name Chimera, since that was the first monster they killed together showcasing their diversity. The group decided to head to Kasaaq for the Artisan’s Festival, owing some favors to Namkeen Bhai as well as the smith Jaro. Lucine planned a mountaintop date with V, where V revealed her real name, Viera. However, V’s hangover-induced mention of Kenzo from her past strained their relationship, leading to a heartfelt reconciliation that inspired Viera to open up to the entire party. On the eve of their departure, Viera dreamt of her companions’ deaths and her unresolved connection with Theratis, receiving a divine blessing to reverse death.

Reaching Wa’sadak, the party found themselves amidst a political rivalry between two princes, Simbon Kawar and Kirina Mathii. After saving some trapped miners, they ended up taking Simbon's side. Upon reaching the city of Renara, they went to Viera’s apartment above Zoshi-ka-Dhaba. In the underground Nanun's Pub, they met with the crime lord Nanun who told them of noble Babrich Aylarov's connection to the Nemesis. At the royal ball, they met notable figures, including the Vokiros as well as the Lunar Delegation. Viera had a reunion with her old friend Can Vanadiyin, and she learnt about the current state of the Blackreyne Brotherhood. They tried to poison and interrogate Babrich, but chaos erupted when Babrich summoned an angel of knowledge, who announced the creation of the Calamity Covenant and declared war against the Kasaaqi Dynasty. With some help, the party beat the angel. They then captured and interrogated Babrich before killing him, and were then recruited by Tarajkumar Zavii for a secret diplomatic/assassination mission into the Vyzum Wastes.

The Artisan's Fair provided a brief respite, and Viera shared a heartfelt moment with Lucine, proposing to her with a symbolic hair ornament in a reflection of her mother’s love story. Saying farewell to Milis, the party boarded an airship towards Dibayad meeting Rakash Zaaba IV. After a fight against a hunting horror, Viera's use of dark magic manifested visible signs of corruption. Her soul was at risk of eroding, which would eventually transform her into a monstrous Acribus. The party resolved to seek help in Alphanim eventually, known for its expertise in soul magic. At Dibayad, Lucine learned more about the goddess Lunaa via help of Surya Varkaa. Heading via train into the Vyzum Wastes, the train was ambushed by the Dreadscourge Gang. During the fight, Lucine accidentally blew up the locomotive with a fireball. Viera ended up killing one of the gang members, Viranii, but then revived her upon Zahn's request. They made a deal with the Dreadscorge Gang and gained their help in Newhope. While heading to Newhope, the party ended up slaying the blue dragon Qoraankul. Vasirr and Viera got combination moves due to their role in slaying Qoraankul.

The party then encounters Dieterich Drei, a powerful construct, and Moghroth, a legendary bounty hunter. The battle with them revealed Dieterich's near-invulnerability, and despite their efforts, the party struggles to deal any meaningful damage, simply escaping. They assumed Dieterich relates to Zahn’s mysterious past. After a night of rest, Vasirr gave the dragon's heart to Caeles, who sacrificed it to Sol in a bid for greater power. Sol, however, demanded that Caeles take his own life as proof of his devotion. Caeles complied, ending his own life. He was then revived by Viera, emerging as a Protector Aasimar with red-black wings, a form that the group found troubling. At Newhope, they ended up targeted by Dieterich and Moghroth again, once more escaping to a church. They ended up setting a trap for Dieterich and Moghroth in a junkyard, but it didn't work. Finally, they set a trap for Dieterich within a forge where they melted his invulnerable armor and finally killed him.

The party left Newhope on a train bound for Erumaltu, but they got targeted by Covenant soldiers and had to jump out of the moving train. Viera had a dream involving her mother and the morally ambiguous Brighthunt sect of the Blackreyne Brotherhood about a man who turned to smoke due to Brighthunt experimentation. She realized that its Moghroth's origin. Suffering from bad dreams and nightmares, they got ambushed by Moghroth again. Surrounded by undead, Viera managed to Turn Undead, weakening the enemy forces. Moghroth, angered, called Viera 'the worst Blackreyne hunter he’s seen', and when she addressed him by his true name Roston Räuchermann, he seemed caught off guard before disappearing. Exhausted, the party pushes forward towards Nevermore, a grim town plagued by a nightmare epidemic. They reunited with Milis there and learned that the curse is tied to a mother who killed her own tiefling child, which has caused a plague of nightmares to haunt the town. Janore, a cleric of Sigmus, explained that the only way to end the curse was to enter the Dreamplane and confront the nightmare's source. They ended the threat, but when they tried to return, Celeste inadvertently activated the crystal and made them end up in the Feywild.

The group was led by Celeste to the Shadow-Wild, where they confronted an adult Moonstone Dragon being corrupted by a Dark Huntsman. They freed the dragon, but were then ambushed by many Dark Huntsmen and saved by Daraza, a Panshera Blackreyne Hunter posted in the Feywild. He took them to a town called Thither, ruled by a story-telling spider named Yarnspinner, who offered them stories in exchange for a tale of their own. They were rewarded by Celeste's older sister, Briiinov. Viera and Lucine shared a private moment, where Viera expressed concern about Lucine's reckless behavior and their future together. In the Shadow-Wild, Vasirr found Aklim, wounded from a fight with Gammus. Caeles had a sudden vision in which Sol demanded that he kill her, and he unknowingly stabbed Lucine in the heart as he did so. Lucine transformed into Sol, absorbing Aklim's divinity. In the chaos that followed, Viera, now consumed by rage and blaming Caeles for Lucine's death, went berserk. The party struggled to calm her down, and Aklim intervened, offering a chance to bring Lucine back. Eventually, Viera was knocked unconscious and Caeles lashed out at Sol's betrayal, the group deciding to flee the forest back to Thither. Viera reluctantly spared Caeles out of respect for Lucine. Aklim revealed that her master, Deltus, was at Summermeet and could provide aid, while also offering Viera the opportunity to learn Vismancy from Theratis herself. Despite her bitterness towards the party, Viera was determined to save Lucine after getting a sign from Theratis.

They then met Viridiano, a changeling artist who wished to follow them and document their journey through his paintings. Despite initial concerns, the party accepted him, and he even gifted Viera a painting reflecting her grief as well as teaching her how to paint. They met the god Deltus in Summermeet, who sent them to the first layer of the hells, Acheren. From there, the party found their way to Azydos where Viera met her goddess Theratis. She was chastized by her for seemingly giving up on life. Theratis tested the party members and especially Viera, offering them insights into their pasts and their futures.

"Viera Blackreyne, you are not a devoted follower. Devoted neither to me, nor to yourself. Your life is a series of misfortunes and tragedies, most of them wrought by your own self-pity. Your enemy is not the politician who framed you or the sun goddess that killed your love, it is no one but yourself. You pray to me not for guidance, but for comfort. You apologize for your past mistakes, without taking any steps to rectify them. You hide from your destiny, rather than confront it head on. Even now, having dragged your companions into hell and back, you have this goal of doing this for who, your love? No. Your goal should be to do this for yourself.
I never asked of you to be the most devoted, I never asked for you to be a priestess in a temple. Your faith in me was to be weaponized against the dark and the misery, but instead, dark and misery have weaponized you. No god can save you from this spiral of destruction, and neither can Lucine Lunaa. Your happiness cannot be dictated by others, including me. I will not command you to save Lucine, I will not command you to cure your afflictions, and I will not command you to retake your birthright. These are goals that you need the drive to execute for yourself.
Powerful destinies surround you and your companions. Gods have their eyes on you in more ways than one, because you are one of the rare ones whose fate is not dictated by us, instead ours are by you. And yet, all you fuel is discord amongst yourselves. You have rage against Caeles Strari, but as it stands, I might judge him for the lowest heaven of Asphodel and you for the high hell of Vaitarnus. I advocate for neutrality in my justice, but all the stances you take of late, Viera, are about yourself.
Do not take this as condemnation. You are improving, and your heart is in the right place. The relationship between a god and a cleric- Actually, I shouldn't speak on others' behalf. The relationship between me and those who I lend my powers, is not one of servitude or duty. It is a partnership where we help each other. You seek my help in restoring Lucine Lunaa, and I seek your help in restoring the order of death. You want a command from me? Deliver Moghroth to this office. But yet again, the drive to kill him shouldn't be for my order or for Zahn Zwei's sake, it should be because you WANT to destroy him. I am not asking you to be selfish, I am asking you to be self-motivated. Stop this self-pity and non-action, and rise to who Ethera wanted you to be."
- Theratis chastising Viera.

She agreed to help them, suggesting a way to save Lucine by using Viera's new Vismancy abilities to extract Lucine’s soul from the dreamplane, with the aid of Caeles' connection to Sol. Meanwhile, the other half of the party convinced Quanus, a god of creation, to craft a new body for Lucine. Viera invaded Caeles' dreamplane with Sol and freed Lucine, as Sol seemed to no longer care. Viera, finally reunited with a reborn Lucine, learned that Lucine was actually an avatar of Lunaa. Theratis, satisfied with their progress, reminded them that their duty is not over and that they must now focus on bringing Moghroth to justice. The party plane shifted back to the Material Plane, ending up in the town of Forevermore. Many months seem to have passed in Abmarah due to the Feywild's time dilation. They met Moghroth there, and with Viera now armed with soul trapping spells, they had a final showdown outside the tavern as it struck high noon. Zahn and Viera shot Moghroth together, and Viera, using her powers granted by Theratis, captured and crushed Moghroth's soul, ending him for good. With Moghroth gone, the party celebrated before turning their focus to rescuing Rakash from the Lunar prison.

However, before they could leave Forevermore, they encountered a group of cultists led by Surya Naur Glawar, a father figure to Lucine and Caeles. The party was ambushed, and a fight ensued in which they were overwhelmed by Glawar's power, who revealed himself as an ancient red dragon. In the ensuing chaos, the town was set ablaze, and the party was forced to flee to safety on a boat provided by the tavern keeper. Viera and Lucine had a deep conversation about their guilt, regrets, and the reasons they continue fighting. They bonded over the shared understanding that death is a real possibility, but it was their only choice. Arriving at Starkford, the party took a moment to rest and replenish. They visited a general goods store where Viera bought silver rings for a spell she planned to cast. Her purchase prompted a misunderstanding with Lucine, who wondered if was a proposal. Arriving in Angelroost, the party met Dr. Stali and Nacht Null. Dr. Stali was the one who 'created' Zahn and the other Lunar Vortexes. He showed the party a powerful ancient arcane reactor beneath the fortress, a source of immense energy. However, the party soon realizes that this reactor, potentially a weapon of mass destruction, was being used recklessly by the Lunars. In a stealthy operation, the party managed to free Rakash. He asked their help in saving his daughter from the city of Jamre.

In the Temple City of Oxrock, they received information from a death shaman about Viera's condition.. Upon enteringJ amre covertly, they reunited with Scirios and begin strategizing how to infiltrate the inner wall of Jamre, where Rakash's daughter as well as Sciocis were located. They received a substantial reward of 9,000 platinum coins from Rakash’s ally, Tarot, a kasaaqi spy within Jamre. Viera and Zahn met with Tarot at a club, where he revealed that Nemesis' assassins are after them. Tarot also marked them with the Zaaba sigil and disclosed that the Covenant general they were sent to assassinate was 'Vin' all along. After many trials, the party ended up convincing Adeaa Vanem to help them, escaping the city with Chikuu Zaaba and Siceois by teleporting to Wesamala.

They then traveled through Alphanim, meeting Kenzo and dealing with a vampire threat while also curing Viera of her acribus disease. Following that, the party ended up traveling back to Kasaaq and eventually teleporting to Lunaria. Alongside Can and Kenzo, the party managed to retake Night's End and liberate the Blackreyne Brotherhood from Zmeya's control. Viera became the new Archhuntress of the brotherhood. Zahn then freed himself from Vortex control for good. The party then tried to stop Sol from doing whatever she was planning at Kazarin Peak. While Sol ascended to true divinity and became a void goddess of Truth, the party ended up fighting Surya Glawar as the BBEG. Finally taking him down, the party went their own ways.

Archhuntress

Viera moved back to Night's End to lead the Blackreyne Brotherhood and settled down with Lucine, even having a daughter in 3E470 with her through magical means. Her daughter, Faith Blackreyne, seemed to take after both of them. In addition to her biological daughter Faith, Viera would later adopt a drow son named Grimm Blackreyne, continuing the tradition of her ancestors.

Also in 3E470, one of her first actions as Archhuntress was to call a senior vote in which she proposed to end the Brighthunt for good. The de-facto leader of the Brighthunt, Viktor, objected to the dissolution, but was outvoted 7-6 in the vote. Much later, she called another full council vote to lessen the gold fees that the Blackreyne hunters took from people, aiming to have a more charitable organisation not unlike the DoD. This vote she ended up losing, however, Viktor and the others outvoting her. Her third full council vote was to realign the Blackreynes to political neutrality instead of favoring the Lunar Collective, something that did end up passing.

In 3E498 during the The Light of Lunaria, she was at a diplomatic meet in Timeron when she was contacted by Favian Giranenko talking on behalf of a young Blackreyne hunter named Mash. They told her that the Dark Hunt was finally going to attack, and that Viktor was suspicious. She told them to meet her at her villa in Taltigo that she had bought years before as a vacation home for her and Lucine. There, she met the Darklight Crusaders properly and gave them some of Viktor's mission files. She told them that she didn't even mind if he was to mysteriously die, and told Mash to report directly to her or Can. She directed the party's attention to one of her contacts in Taltigo, Lady Lyn, for help but warned them not to owe her any favors.

Later, across the world in the Goldheim Rainforest, Viera Blackreyne, Zahn Zwei, and Dravin Bahubaahu trudged through the forest to get to the temple of the Great Hunt. There was a distress sending to Viera by one of the priests, and now no one including Vasirr was responding. The three ran into many Dark Hunters, and then the god Gammus commanded in their minds to leave. Viera refused, and the three engaged the Dark Hunt, disappearing for a few years. In her absence, Viktor plotted a takeover of the Brotherhood but was thwarted by Mash, Can, and the Darklight Crusaders. Viera, Zahn, and Dravin ended up in Gammus' demiplane, the Hunting Grounds. There, they met Vasirr again as well as Kai Li. With their help, they all faced off against the Dark Hunt. Zahn created Azbaan bullets capable of ending a god, and during their fight against Gammus, Viera and Dravin managed to take Gammus down after he was shot by the bullet.

Timeline

3E444 - Viera is born in the Kav’orra Desert, and a cult attempts to sacrifice her. She is rescued by Ethera Blackreyne and is taken to the Blackreyne Brotherhood in Night's End.
3E460 - In a set-up, Viera gets blamed for the death of Ethera Blackreyne. Zmeya Mercury becomes the new leader of the brotherhood, and Viera escapes to Eqos.
3E467 - Viera gets a bounty on a changeling named Vin rumored to be in Ammba, and sets out with Zahn to capture him, starting off the events of Tale of the Sunless Dunes.
3E468 - After the party returns from the Feywild, they realize a year has passed on the material plane, leading to the final chapter of the campaign. Later, Viera retakes Night's End and becomes the Archhuntress of the Blackreyne Brotherhood.
3E470 - Viera has a daughter named Faith, and later calls a senior vote to dissolve the Brighthunt.
3E480 - She adopts a four-year-old drow boy named Grimm.
3E498 - Viera meets the Darklight Crusaders during the events of the The Light of Lunaria. She then disappears alongside Zahn, Dravin, and Vasirr in the Goldheim Rainforest. Within Gammus' demiplane, she gets the final hit on the god and manages to kill him for good.