Shalila of the Half Mask

Shalila of the Half Mask
Aliases	Shalalay (Alaska) Shangela (Bob)
Affiliation	Thanara
Status	Undead
Campaign Information
Campaign	Dungeons and Drag Queens
Occupation	Emissary of Thanara
Deity	Thanara
Pronouns	She/Her
Physical Description
Eyes	Pure Black
Hair	Long Silver Braids

Shalila of the Half Mask, also called Shalila of the Last Breath, is a herald of the Underworld.

Featured Episodes

Episodes Featuring Shalila
Dungeons and Drag Queens Episode 2: Welcome to the Underworld Episode 3: The Time Has Come

Description

Appearance

Shalila wears a black, velvet gown adorned with silver brocade. She has a long black cloak that almost looks as though it were made of oil. The sheen of the fabic makes it flow like liquid. She has dark skin, midnight black lips, and her hair is styled in long, decorated, silver braids. Her eyes are pure black like a shark which shimmer with white light. She wears a partial mask that covers half her face, hiding hints of death and rot which peeks out from the mask's edges.

Personality

Shalila is an avid board game enthusiast, though she doesn't tend to get invited to play or hang out much. Shalila often feels left out because her job makes it so that people tend fawn over her, feel intimidated by her, or only interact with her when they want something. So she is very moved when people wish to include her as a peer and friend.

Background

Shalila is the emissary of Thanara, and reports directly to the Goddess of Death. Each year, Troyánn must deliver seven souls each season to Shalila to fulfill Queen Inira and the Everdeep's deal with Thanara. Before Troyánn, Shalila would conduct soul business with her father, Roy of Karkyn.

History

Before the Questing Queens arrive, Shalila had been waiting at The Inn of the Empty Glass for Troyánn to drop off her regular deposit of souls. When they do finally meet, she sits at a table in the common room with her entourage: four suits of armor filled the spirits of fallen knights, their souls animating the armor they once wore. While initially upset at having to wait so long for Troyánn, and skeptical at the new faces, Gertrude is able to convince her that they are in training to be assassins. After taking the seven souls from Troyánn, she introduces herself to the others as Shalila of the Half Mask, and asks the group what they plan to do now that their task has been completed. Troyánn tells her they plan to return to Kelvorda for they must get back soon as Queen Inira can be a bit of a harpy if kept waiting. Shalila agrees, saying, "Well, of course. Anyone who had made a deal to live forever would be." She is confused by the mer's shock at this revelation, and goes on to explain the true nature of the deal between Inira and Thanara. In exchange for the twenty-eight souls a year, the goddess would grant the mer queen eternal life. Shalila continues that she thought Troyánn would already know this based on what happened to her father. Since Troyánn continues to not know what she is referring to, Shalila further explains that Roy of Karkyn had had the job of delivering souls before Troyánn. When Troyánn asks if he was killed for not bringing enough souls, Shalila simply replies, "I believe it was a little more complicated than that."

In an attempt to get more information, Gertrude casts Detect Thoughts. When reading the mind of Shalila, she gets the impression that she had thought all of this information had already been known and understood with Troyánn, and feels like she has maybe given away something that she wasn't supposed to reveal. After Gertrude is able to see what truly happened to Roy of Karkyn, and is startled by the presence of Thanara, she grabs the rest of the Queens, and runs out the door, Shalila yelling a thanks for their business, and adding she'll be at board game night (The gang had previously mentioned wanting to play Dungeons & Dragons.) if she can make it. With that, she and her guards head out further into the Underworld taking her quarry with her.

The Time Has Come

The group flies on their newly acquired magic carpet to intercept Shalila and her entourage as they travel with the filled soul amulet to Thanara, hopefully trading out the lesser soul for the one of famed music producer Oliver Lieber. Within minutes, they have caught up with the emissary on her journey across the wasteland. After some casual banter about the carpet, Troyánn asks Shalila, in revelation of Queen Inira's true intentions and the fact that the Queens all have requests they wish to present to Thanara, if they can deliver the seven souls to the goddess themselves. Shalila is insulted by the request, pointing out that the living are not meant to travel further than Hollowgrave, and that Thanara had not interacted with living beings since the mer's father. However, Troyánn is unfazed, and, somewhat more forcefully, asks for the souls again. After Gertrude's insistance, she also invites Shalila and her guards to join them for game night. Shalila is incredibly moved by this gesture, even crying a little over how nice it is to feel included as that doesn't happen very much. Excited at future revelries, Shalila admits that, while she doesn't know how Thanara will react with them bringing the souls instead of her, a living person coming to see her isn't unprecedented. Therefore, it wouldn't be unallowed. With that, she gives Troyánn back the amulet of souls. She then warns the group that there are already people at the Tower of Tombs entreating their desires to the goddess. She ends by telling Troyánn how much she has always appreciated her and respected her. In response, Troyánn thanks her by putting her fist over her heart, and saying, "As we say in the Everdeep, 'Malaso kano.'" Again moved, Shalina says it back, and wishes them all farewell.

Trivia

• Shalila's favorite game is parcheesi.
• She makes an amazing buffalo chicken dip.