Kaelaren the Blessed (Styrásh Kaelaren), 762- 312 b.S., was the founder of the Sanhorrhim sect of the Baveran Clerics. Kaelaren was a guide to directing the once warring tribe to a new way of life; a more peaceful fulfilling elven experience, free from the clout of war or other race's affairs. She introduced the arv into Baveran Sanhorrhim meditation practice, and was one of the first Sanhorrhim to document the tales of the dolpholk and merfolk.

Picture description: Kaelaren the Blessed, founder of the Sanhorrhim sect of the Baveran Clerics. Image drawn by Dashiad.

Biography. Kaelaren was born as a Goltherrhim, in the midst of the Great War. Her father was a General in the Goltherrhim army, her mother a quiet housewife that did not like the idea of war. The final stages of the Great War played before Kaelaren, her father dying in the retreat from Helsalari. Kaelaren, young and headstrong, vowed never to take up arms, and from that point on, kept her emotions in check. She read constantly, turning into a quiet, introverted child. When the last surviving Goltherrhim elves moved to the Vontron with the Sanhorrhim in 706 b.S., Kaelaren discovered a joy she had not know living inland: the ocean.

Living in Chon'thyron, Kaelaren became entralled with the sea, was often found on the beach with a book in her lap, the waves lapping at her toes. Thus began her bond with Baveras, and as she grew older and more beautiful, she became more wise of the ways of the Sea. In 680 b.S. Kaelaren declared herself to be a follower of Baveras. She demanded a room with open walls facing the ocean, so she could meditate clearly, and she studied intently.

Other elves began to hear of Kaelaren, they thought her a bit loopy. But as more observed her, the more they understood, and soon an entire sect of Baveran worshippers gathered in her 'room' daily to meditate, talk and enjoy Baveras' gifts unhindered. In 620 b.S. the Sect was large enough to need an entire town, and O'dél'fóld (Styrásh O'dél'fóld), was founded, not far from Chon'thyron. Kaelaren was named as the Head Cleric, and therefore O'del'fold was hers to govern.

Kaelaren was content with O'del'fold. But her longing for the sea was not fulfilled here. She tried to develop more intense meditation practices, integrating the use of the arv plant to sustain the length of meditation in 573 b.S. Without use of the arv, an average Baveran elf-cleric could push meditation for 2-3 days. When Kaelaren partook of the arv and began mediation, she was capable of going a week of steady meditaion, if given a small dosage of the arv once a day. She also claimed the arv meditation brought her as close to Baveras as she had ever been. However, when weaker, wlerics tried to meditate for extended periods with the arv, most became addicted, ill, or on a few rare occasions, died. This frightened Kaelaren, and she commanded that the arv should only be used by High Clerics in special ceremonies, and under supervision. This meant as well that Kaelaren herself could no longer use ther arv. She instead tried to intensify her meditation through different means: floating in a tub of sea-water, different positions that mimicked the life and movement of the sea, and even attempted to simulate near-drowning to bring herself closer to Baveras. Some ideas worked, some didn't. She became frustrated.

Kaelaren became even more frustrated in 492 b.S. when Ximaxian travellers passed by O'dél'féld and showed their magic skills to impressionable Baveran students. More than half of the Baverans left to study at Ximax. Upon their return, they were arrogant, proud and claimed they no longer believed in Baveras. Kaelaren was heartbroken. The Sanhorrhim sect of Baveran clerics was dwindling, once-promising clerics now denounced the Goddess that gave them the urge to study Water Magic in the first place, and try as she might, she could not get any closer to Baveras.

In 483 b.S. Kaelaren handed down the title of High Cleric to Amuni, a full-Sanhorrhim Baveran Cleric, and one of her closest friends, and retired to Chon'thyron, moving to the home that her mother and her once lived in. She continued to meditate and study the ways of Baveras, though a little less heartfelt. Her half-hearted practice continued for 30 years, Kaelaren slowly sinking into a depression. In 453 b.S.,after partaking of some smuggled arv during meditation, Kaelaren decided to end her life, and walked into the ocean... [1]

But to her surprise, Kaelaren was capable of breathing under the sea, and she felt closer to Baveras than she had ever felt. She was in Baveras, wrapped in her loving arms. Kaelaren was addressed by the Goddess herself... She was told to not lose faith. Kaelaren was chosen to prove to the Sanhorrhim and all Baveran clerics that she existed. Baveras then gave Kaelaren the language of the dolpholk.

Kaelaren awoke in her home, a murmur in her ears she vaguely understood. As she rose, she looked to the sea, and saw a pod of dolpholk frolicking in the surf. She listened to their sing-song voices, telling tales of the sea and songs of the creatures below the surface. Kaelaren was excited, for she understood them, and knew that Baveras had truly graced her. She grabbed a quill and paper, and raced down to the beach, taking down what the dolpholk said, the sea creatures not knowing that Kaelaren understood.

For years, Kaelaren went to the beach, listened to the dolpholk sing and wrote what they said. Kaelaren learned the language of the merfolk without Baveras' assistance, and eventually began to speak to them. Somehow, word got around the ocean that there was a Lady in White in Cyan Sola Bay, who understood  the dolpholk and the merfolk, and the creatures visited her, learning of the Land as Kaelaren learned of the Sea.

In 368 b.S. Kaelaren made a trip to O'dél'fóld, and was pained by what she saw there. There were less than 100 clerics in training and service, and Amuni was weary and pained, addicted to the arv. Kaelaren, already rather old even by elven standards, tried her hardest to clean up O'dél'fóld, as she taught the last clerics of her experiences by the sea. She left her texts with the clerics, and stripped Amuni of her title, giving it to a promising young male cleric by the name of Gulthon. He promised to guard the texts with all the powers of Baveras. In 352 b.S. Kaelaren took Amuni back to Chon'thyron with her, to cure her of her addiction and re-teach her the ways of Baveras. It took 30 years for Amuni to return to the cleric that Kaelaren trusted. Amuni was told to return to O'dél'fóld by Kaelaren in 322 b.S., but to never use the arv again. Kaelaren did not go back. Instead she spent her last years in the home in Chon'thyron .

One late night in the summer of 312 b.S. Kaelaren partook of the arv during meditation and departed into the ocean, into the arms of Baveras...

Importance. Kaelaren the Blessed was the soul of the Sanhorrhim Sect of Baveras. Had it not been for her love of the sea, the Sanhorrhim would not have turned to the ocean as a way of existence. Her knowldge of and her dedication to Baveras has guided the Sanhorrhim immensely. Kaelaren's texts are a beautiful piece of work and a sense of confirmation of Baveras to the clerics of O'dél'fóld, and an inspiration to sea guides to gather stories from the creatures they encounter. Kaelaren is an inspiration to the Sanhorrhim, and a small cadre of female clerics call themselves the Kaelaren, meditating in the ways she once did, while condemning the arv like she had in later life.
________

Footnotes

[1] This trip was never proven to either have happened or not happened. Kaelaren claims it had, but she was incapable of describing Baveras, and awoke in the same spot she was meditating in the night before. However, her gift of the dolpholk speech from Baveras was a miracle to the O'dél'fóld clerics. [return]