Melinoe Mael’thrae, born Haelynrae Melarn, is an OC I’ve made who grew up as a noble drow in Ched Nasad’s House Melarn. A lower member of House Melarn and a niece of the Lady Penitent Hallistra Melarn, “Haelynrae“ was trained as a Cleric of Lolth, but exhibited powers of shadow-sorcery and was a hidden latent dhampir who fed off memories.
She was also a skilled Ranger in service of Lolth, as Ched Nasad was not as strict with their rules on what noble females could be. She was adept at the use of shortswords and scimitars, and a pretty good shot with a shortbow.
This build is after she escaped Ched Nasad when the city fell after the Silence of Lolth in the mid-late 1300s DR. She, after 10 years of living in Silverymoon (and changing her name to the current Melinoe Mael’thrae) as a lone-mercenary Ranger, was approached by a Shadar-kai who was there on a message from the Raven Queen, who wished to meet Melinoe.
The Raven Queen revealed that Melinoe was touched by shadow, which went unnoticed since the dhampir abilities were likely passed through paternal lines, which the drow often ignored in their matriarchy. The Raven Queen offered Melinoe Warlock powers in exchange for Melinoe’s assistance in sending the Raven Queen any spare memories of dying creatures, collected through a Shadow Blade, with the potential for Melinoe to become one of the Raven Queens chosen Psychopomps – divine spellcasters – who could achieve immortality and be at peace.
Melinoe’s animal companion changed from a spider to a raven. My headcanon is that she uses Wisdom for Warlock spells, because the Raven Queen is considered a (minor, lesser) deity in service of Kelemvor/Sehanine Moonbow in my personal cosmological framework of the Forgotten Realms.
Some notes: this is a focus on Stealth, shadows and Psychic damage. Cold and Lightning damage are secondary – Cold is relevant to the Raven Queen holding the Winter domain, and Lightning reflects the electrical nature of nervous system function, when overloaded. Enjoy!
