Laeral Silverhand

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Laeral Silverhand is a powerful spellcaster, leader, and magic item maker in the Forgotten Realms. She currently rules as the Open Lord of Waterdeep. Within the Tides of Time Saga, she is played by killbud.

Anamanué Laeral Silverhand was born in the Year of the Cowl (765 DR), the fifth of seven daughters of the goddess Mystra. Each of the Seven Sisters is a powerful and ageless beauty with a penchant for arcane magic.

Long ago, Laeral ruled a kingdom called Stornanter and held the title of Witch-Queen of the North. After that, she led a band of adventurers called the Nine. She met and married Khelben Arunsun, who would later become the Blackstaff, the Lord Mage of Waterdeep. After Khelben died, Laeral retired from public life. She resurfaced after the Spellplague and the Sundering, weakened by Mystra’s death, rebirth, and withdrawal from the world.

Laeral’s magic isn’t as great as it once was, though she does her utmost to hide this fact. Only Elminster, her trusted friend and advisor, knows the extent of her decline. Despite her diminished abilities, Laeral remains a formidable, clear-headed wizard with plenty of magic at her disposal.

A few years ago, Dagult Neverember was ousted as Open Lord of Waterdeep. Laeral reluctantly stepped into the vacancy at the request of the Masked Lords, and has served as Waterdeep’s Open Lord ever since. Initially overwhelmed by the demands of the nobles and guildmasters, she has settled nicely into her new role. She uses her magic sparingly and relies on trusted advisors and deputies. As time allows, she likes to venture outside the Palace of Waterdeep in disguise, just to clear her head or check up on old friends (and enemies).

Laeral’s relationship with Vajra Safahr, the current Blackstaff, has its challenges. For one thing, Laeral is much older, much wiser, and much more powerful than Vajra, whom she views as an insecure child. In addition, Vajra wields the Blackstaff, which has Khelben Arunsun’s soul and the souls of all the other Blackstaffs bound inside it. Laeral covets the staff, because it contains all that’s left of her husband. Not surprisingly, the two mages avoid each other as much as possible.

In times of great need, Laeral can command Vajra to unleash Force Grey. Until that order is given, Force Grey isn’t allowed to conduct operations in Waterdeep, though Laeral’s spies tell her that Vajra has secretly activated members of the elite order and sent them on a number of unauthorized missions. Laeral is reluctant to confront Vajra on the matter, and rationalizes her inaction by framing it as a test of Vajra’s competence.