Dho'uala - Revision history

Twiggy at 18:12, 13 February 2026

2026-02-13T18:12:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:12, 13 February 2026
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	==Other Tales==		==Other Tales==
	===The Lady of the Semmerlak===		===The Lady of the Semmerlak===
	There is another entity that dwells on [[the Semmerlak]], who has some kind of relationship with Dho'uala. The Lady of the Semmerlak is apparently a herald of the Summer ~~Realm~~ who occupies an island that is itself a strong [[regio]]. In the past, she was said to be a servant of [[Hayaak]], but in recent years she has apparently shifted her allegiance to either [[Barien]] or [[Eleonaris]]. There are also recent stories that she has moved her island in some way closer to [[Semmerholm]], towards the Dawnish end of the [[Semmerholm#The_Golden_Causeway\|Golden Causeway]].		There is another entity that dwells on [[the Semmerlak]], who has some kind of relationship with Dho'uala. The Lady of the Semmerlak is apparently a herald of the Summer realm who occupies an island that is itself a strong [[regio]]. In the past, she was said to be a servant of [[Hayaak]], but in recent years she has apparently shifted her allegiance to either [[Barien]] or [[Eleonaris]]. There are also recent stories that she has moved her island in some way closer to [[Semmerholm]], towards the Dawnish end of the [[Semmerholm#The_Golden_Causeway\|Golden Causeway]].

	The Lady of the Semmerlak is very much the opposite of Dho'uala. Where the sovereign rules the dark depths of the lake, the Lady is concerned with the sunlit surface, and the shallows. She rarely interferes with Dho'uala or her agents, and the sovereign appears to tolerate her presence in some way. On occasion, though, stories say she is prepared to intercede with the sovereign, or at least to protect the people of the southern shores form the worst of her attentions. Darker stories suggest that the Lady herself might in some way ''be'' Dho'uala, presenting a pleasing face to the foolish. Others say that she long ago made a bargain of her own with the master of the Semmerlak, related to the desire to take vengeance against someone who had greatly wronged her. It is this bargain that allows her to live on the Semmerlak without Dho'uala destroying her, and that also limits the aid she can offer to those who earn the sovereign's ire.		The Lady of the Semmerlak is very much the opposite of Dho'uala. Where the sovereign rules the dark depths of the lake, the Lady is concerned with the sunlit surface, and the shallows. She rarely interferes with Dho'uala or her agents, and the sovereign appears to tolerate her presence in some way. On occasion, though, stories say she is prepared to intercede with the sovereign, or at least to protect the people of the southern shores form the worst of her attentions. Darker stories suggest that the Lady herself might in some way ''be'' Dho'uala, presenting a pleasing face to the foolish. Others say that she long ago made a bargain of her own with the master of the Semmerlak, related to the desire to take vengeance against someone who had greatly wronged her. It is this bargain that allows her to live on the Semmerlak without Dho'uala destroying her, and that also limits the aid she can offer to those who earn the sovereign's ire.

Twiggy at 12:41, 1 August 2025

2025-08-01T12:41:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:41, 1 August 2025
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	==Servants==		==Servants==
	The sovereign cannot leave the Semmerlak, and its clear she cannot reach very far up the rivers. Some [[cabalists]] ~~theorize~~ that here is a point at which they become ''inland'' and Dho'uala can no longer reach them. As with most sovereigns, however, she is not without her servants. For Dho'uala, these come in three main types.		The sovereign cannot leave the Semmerlak, and its clear she cannot reach very far up the rivers. Some [[cabalists]] theorise that here is a point at which they become ''inland'' and Dho'uala can no longer reach them. As with most sovereigns, however, she is not without her servants. For Dho'uala, these come in three main types.

	The first and most numerous are the ''lake-drowned''. Dho'uala claims all those who drown in her waters. They bodies are dragged to the very bottom, and there they remain unless she has a use for them. There are cases where someone has been rescued from drowning at the last moment, or where a crewmate has managed to recover a drowned fellow, but these stories often end with the lake claiming the survivor, or the body, in some ironic fashion. In some communities along the Semmerlak, it is considered bad luck to reach out to help someone out of the water if they fall in. When Dho'uala needs to effect the world, she places a fragment of her power into these lake-drowned corpses, animating them and sending them up to the surface. Unlike traditional husks, the lake-drowned may be barely conscious shambling horrors or they may sometimes be capable of intelligent speech and planning, depending on how much power Dho'uala has placed in them. Also, unlike most husks, they may appear surprisingly vibrant. They are still clearly dead, but their bodies may be marked with veins of brightly coloured mould, lichen, or phosphorescence. The lake-drowned are quite hard to destroy, and even if they are defeated it is considered wise to leave the corpses for Dho'uala to reclaim, lest you increase her anger even more than you would by resisting her will.		The first and most numerous are the ''lake-drowned''. Dho'uala claims all those who drown in her waters. They bodies are dragged to the very bottom, and there they remain unless she has a use for them. There are cases where someone has been rescued from drowning at the last moment, or where a crewmate has managed to recover a drowned fellow, but these stories often end with the lake claiming the survivor, or the body, in some ironic fashion. In some communities along the Semmerlak, it is considered bad luck to reach out to help someone out of the water if they fall in. When Dho'uala needs to effect the world, she places a fragment of her power into these lake-drowned corpses, animating them and sending them up to the surface. Unlike traditional husks, the lake-drowned may be barely conscious shambling horrors or they may sometimes be capable of intelligent speech and planning, depending on how much power Dho'uala has placed in them. Also, unlike most husks, they may appear surprisingly vibrant. They are still clearly dead, but their bodies may be marked with veins of brightly coloured mould, lichen, or phosphorescence. The lake-drowned are quite hard to destroy, and even if they are defeated it is considered wise to leave the corpses for Dho'uala to reclaim, lest you increase her anger even more than you would by resisting her will.

Hailmur: /* Further reading */

2024-05-26T18:57:18Z

Rafferty: /* Further reading */

2023-08-01T14:11:08Z

Responsible1: /* The Lady of the Semmerlak */

2023-06-04T10:49:11Z

The Lady of the Semmerlak

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:49, 4 June 2023
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	There is another entity that dwells on [[the Semmerlak]], who has some kind of relationship with Dho'uala. The Lady of the Semmerlak is apparently a herald of the Summer Realm who occupies an island that is itself a strong [[regio]]. In the past, she was said to be a servant of [[Hayaak]], but in recent years she has apparently shifted her allegiance to either [[Barien]] or [[Eleonaris]]. There are also recent stories that she has moved her island in some way closer to [[Semmerholm]], towards the Dawnish end of the [[Semmerholm#The_Golden_Causeway\|Golden Causeway]].		There is another entity that dwells on [[the Semmerlak]], who has some kind of relationship with Dho'uala. The Lady of the Semmerlak is apparently a herald of the Summer Realm who occupies an island that is itself a strong [[regio]]. In the past, she was said to be a servant of [[Hayaak]], but in recent years she has apparently shifted her allegiance to either [[Barien]] or [[Eleonaris]]. There are also recent stories that she has moved her island in some way closer to [[Semmerholm]], towards the Dawnish end of the [[Semmerholm#The_Golden_Causeway\|Golden Causeway]].

	The Lady of the Semmerlak is very much the opposite of Dho'uala. Where the sovereign rules the dark depths of the lake, the Lady is concerned with the sunlit surface, and the shallows. She rarely interferes with Dho'uala or her agents, and the sovereign appears to tolerate her presence in some way. On occasion, though, stories say she is prepared to intercede with the sovereign, or at least to protect the people of the southern shores form the worst of her attentions. Darker stories suggest that the Lady herself might in some way ''be'' Dho'uala, presenting a pleasing face to the foolish. Others say that she long ago made a bargain of her own with the master of the Semmerlak, related to the desire to take vengeance against someone who had greatly wronged her. It is this bargain that allows her to live on the Semmerlak without Dho'uala destroying her, and that also ~~limite~~ the aid she can offer to those who earn the sovereign's ire.		The Lady of the Semmerlak is very much the opposite of Dho'uala. Where the sovereign rules the dark depths of the lake, the Lady is concerned with the sunlit surface, and the shallows. She rarely interferes with Dho'uala or her agents, and the sovereign appears to tolerate her presence in some way. On occasion, though, stories say she is prepared to intercede with the sovereign, or at least to protect the people of the southern shores form the worst of her attentions. Darker stories suggest that the Lady herself might in some way ''be'' Dho'uala, presenting a pleasing face to the foolish. Others say that she long ago made a bargain of her own with the master of the Semmerlak, related to the desire to take vengeance against someone who had greatly wronged her. It is this bargain that allows her to live on the Semmerlak without Dho'uala destroying her, and that also limits the aid she can offer to those who earn the sovereign's ire.

	===Holberg and the Sand Fishers===		===Holberg and the Sand Fishers===

Rafferty: /* Dho'uala in play */

2023-06-04T10:32:36Z

Dho'uala in play

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:32, 4 June 2023
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	==Dho'uala in play==		==Dho'uala in play==
	It's unlikely any living human will have encountered Dho'uala and survived to tell the tale. The sovereign has been slumbering in the Semmerlak until recent events caused her to stir. It's fine to make up stories about her and her minions, provided its clear that those stories are fiction or describe encounters a generation or so ago. They should follow the rough pattern presented here and in the [[~~Sunshine underwater~~]] wind of fortune.		It's unlikely any living human will have encountered Dho'uala and survived to tell the tale. The sovereign has been slumbering in the Semmerlak until recent events caused her to stir. It's fine to make up stories about her and her minions, provided its clear that those stories are fiction or describe encounters a generation or so ago. They should follow the rough pattern presented here and in the [[Underwater sunshine]] wind of fortune.

	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
	* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]		* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]

Rafferty: /* Other Tales */

2023-06-04T10:32:11Z

Other Tales

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:32, 4 June 2023
Line 26:		Line 26:
	==Other Tales==		==Other Tales==
	===The Lady of the Semmerlak===		===The Lady of the Semmerlak===
	There is another entity that dwells on [[the Semmerlak]], who has some kind of relationship with Dho'uala. The Lady of the Semmerlak is apparently a herald of the Summer Realm who occupies an island that is itself a strong [[regio]]. In the past, she was said to be a servant of [[Hayaak]], but in recent years she has apparently shifted her allegiance to either [[Barien]] or [[~~Eleaonaris~~]]. There are also recent stories that she has moved her island in some way closer to [[Semmerholm]], towards the Dawnish end of the [[Golden Causeway]].		There is another entity that dwells on [[the Semmerlak]], who has some kind of relationship with Dho'uala. The Lady of the Semmerlak is apparently a herald of the Summer Realm who occupies an island that is itself a strong [[regio]]. In the past, she was said to be a servant of [[Hayaak]], but in recent years she has apparently shifted her allegiance to either [[Barien]] or [[Eleonaris]]. There are also recent stories that she has moved her island in some way closer to [[Semmerholm]], towards the Dawnish end of the [[Semmerholm#The_Golden_Causeway\|Golden Causeway]].

	The Lady of the Semmerlak is very much the opposite of Dho'uala. Where the sovereign rules the dark depths of the lake, the Lady is concerned with the sunlit surface, and the shallows. She rarely interferes with Dho'uala or her agents, and the sovereign appears to tolerate her presence in some way. On occasion, though, stories say she is prepared to intercede with the sovereign, or at least to protect the people of the southern shores form the worst of her attentions. Darker stories suggest that the Lady herself might in some way ''be'' Dho'uala, presenting a pleasing face to the foolish. Others say that she long ago made a bargain of her own with the master of the Semmerlak, related to the desire to take vengeance against someone who had greatly wronged her. It is this bargain that allows her to live on the Semmerlak without Dho'uala destroying her, and that also limite the aid she can offer to those who earn the sovereign's ire.		The Lady of the Semmerlak is very much the opposite of Dho'uala. Where the sovereign rules the dark depths of the lake, the Lady is concerned with the sunlit surface, and the shallows. She rarely interferes with Dho'uala or her agents, and the sovereign appears to tolerate her presence in some way. On occasion, though, stories say she is prepared to intercede with the sovereign, or at least to protect the people of the southern shores form the worst of her attentions. Darker stories suggest that the Lady herself might in some way ''be'' Dho'uala, presenting a pleasing face to the foolish. Others say that she long ago made a bargain of her own with the master of the Semmerlak, related to the desire to take vengeance against someone who had greatly wronged her. It is this bargain that allows her to live on the Semmerlak without Dho'uala destroying her, and that also limite the aid she can offer to those who earn the sovereign's ire.

Rafferty: /* Dominion */

2023-06-04T10:31:36Z

Dominion

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:31, 4 June 2023
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	Spirit of Dark Water; Light-in-the-Depths; Netripper; Undertow; Queen of the Drowned; She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches; Lady of the Semmerlak (although that name can also be used to refer to the ''other'' [[#Lady of the Semmerlak\|Lady of the Semmerlak]].		Spirit of Dark Water; Light-in-the-Depths; Netripper; Undertow; Queen of the Drowned; She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches; Lady of the Semmerlak (although that name can also be used to refer to the ''other'' [[#Lady of the Semmerlak\|Lady of the Semmerlak]].
	==Dominion==		==Dominion==
	Dho'uala is the mistress of [[the Semmerlak]]. She is a creature of the depths, the lightless waters at the very bottom of the cold, clear lake. Yet she is not a creature of darkness herself. Descrptions of Dho'uala describe her as glowing with an inner light that ripples from blue-green, to yellow, to deep red, to lambent violet, and back again. She is sometimes described as a powerful woman with a jaw full of razor-sharp fangs and grasping claws, but this is believed to be merely a mask she dons to speak with mortals. She knows the trick of putting a little of herself into a waterlogged corpse - into the body of anyone or anything that drowns in her lake - and sending it out to do her will, so many stories of meetings with Dho'uala are likely actually encounters with one of her creatures.		Dho'uala is the mistress of [[the Semmerlak]]. She is a creature of the depths, the lightless waters at the very bottom of the cold, clear lake. Yet she is not a creature of darkness herself. Descrptions of Dho'uala describe her as glowing with an inner light that ripples from dark blue, to pale green, to yellow, to deep red, to lambent violet, and back again. She is sometimes described as a powerful woman with a jaw full of razor-sharp fangs and grasping claws, but this is believed to be merely a mask she dons to speak with mortals. She knows the trick of putting a little of herself into a waterlogged corpse - into the body of anyone or anything that drowns in her lake - and sending it out to do her will, so many stories of meetings with Dho'uala are likely actually encounters with one of her creatures.

	She rules over the lake waters, but also has ~~some~~ power over the rivers that feed into, and flow out of, the Semmerlak itself. There are also stories of her presence sometimes being encountered inland, wherever there is deep, cold, lonely water. She claims everything that comes into her embrace; every treasure ever lost in her waters belongs to her and she is jealous of anyone who dares to steal them away. Items recovered from the Semmerlak often bear curses of jealousy, or avarice, and lead a thief to drown themselves in the lake water if they do not rid themselves of the curse in time.		She rules over the lake waters, but also has power over the rivers that feed into, and flow out of, the Semmerlak itself. There are also stories of her presence sometimes being encountered inland, wherever there is deep, cold, lonely water. She claims everything that comes into her embrace; every treasure ever lost in her waters belongs to her and she is jealous of anyone who dares to steal them away. Items recovered from the Semmerlak often bear curses of jealousy, or avarice, and lead a thief to drown themselves in the lake water if they do not rid themselves of the curse in time.

	The sovereign is sometimes described as a terrible siren that lures fisherfolk, but this is something of a misconception perpetrated by the [[troubadours]] and fanciful [[stzena]]. Dho'uala herself does not lure mortals into her water, although there are creatures in the Semmerlak who will. Rather she allows people to lure ''themselves'', revealing one of the treasures she has claimed, causing it to glint and glitter. When a would-be thief dives into the water to claim it, or gets too close to the surf planning to steal her treasure, she or one of her minions claims the foolish trespasser and drags them down into the depths.		The sovereign is sometimes described as a terrible siren that lures fisherfolk, but this is something of a misconception perpetrated by the [[troubadours]] and fanciful [[stzena]]. Dho'uala herself does not lure mortals into her water, although there are creatures in the Semmerlak who will. Rather she allows people to lure ''themselves'', revealing one of the treasures she has claimed, causing it to glint and glitter. When a would-be thief dives into the water to claim it, or gets too close to the surf planning to steal her treasure, she or one of her minions claims the foolish trespasser and drags them down into the depths.

Rafferty at 10:30, 4 June 2023

2023-06-04T10:30:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:30, 4 June 2023
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	[[Category:Varushka]] [[Category:Sovereign]]		[[Category:Varushka]] [[Category:Sovereign]]
	<div style="float:left; width: ~~500px~~; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=In The Lake.jpg\|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak\|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.\|align=left\|width=~~500~~}}</div>		<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=In The Lake.jpg\|caption=Dho'uala is a [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|sovereign]] who claims the entire [[the Semmerlak\|Semmerlak]], and the rivers that flow into and from it, as her domain.\|align=left\|width=400}}</div>
	==Names==		==Names==
	Spirit of Dark Water; Light-in-the-Depths; Netripper; Undertow; Queen of the Drowned; She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches; Lady of the Semmerlak (although that name can also be used to refer to the ''other'' [[#Lady of the Semmerlak\|Lady of the Semmerlak]].		Spirit of Dark Water; Light-in-the-Depths; Netripper; Undertow; Queen of the Drowned; She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches; Lady of the Semmerlak (although that name can also be used to refer to the ''other'' [[#Lady of the Semmerlak\|Lady of the Semmerlak]].

Rafferty: /* Further reading */

2023-06-04T10:30:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:57, 26 May 2024
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	* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]		* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]
	* [[The Semmerlak]]		* [[The Semmerlak]]
			* [[The lake and the deep, dark woods]] - 385YE Winter Wind of Fortune with an update of sorts
	* [[The horror and the wild]] - 385YE Summer Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala's demands		* [[The horror and the wild]] - 385YE Summer Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala's demands
	* [[Underwater sunshine]] - 385YE Spring Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala wakening from her slumbers		* [[Underwater sunshine]] - 385YE Spring Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala wakening from her slumbers

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:11, 1 August 2023
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	* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]		* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]
	* [[The Semmerlak]]		* [[The Semmerlak]]
			* [[The horror and the wild]] - 385YE Summer Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala's demands
	* [[Underwater sunshine]] - 385YE Spring Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala wakening from her slumbers		* [[Underwater sunshine]] - 385YE Spring Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala wakening from her slumbers
	* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts\|Naming of the Beasts]] - 384YE Winter Wind of Fortune detailing the rise of the sovereigns from slumber		* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts\|Naming of the Beasts]] - 384YE Winter Wind of Fortune detailing the rise of the sovereigns from slumber

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:30, 4 June 2023
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	It's unlikely any living human will have encountered Dho'uala and survived to tell the tale. The sovereign has been slumbering in the Semmerlak until recent events caused her to stir. It's fine to make up stories about her and her minions, provided its clear that those stories are fiction or describe encounters a generation or so ago. They should follow the rough pattern presented here and in the [[Sunshine underwater]] wind of fortune.		It's unlikely any living human will have encountered Dho'uala and survived to tell the tale. The sovereign has been slumbering in the Semmerlak until recent events caused her to stir. It's fine to make up stories about her and her minions, provided its clear that those stories are fiction or describe encounters a generation or so ago. They should follow the rough pattern presented here and in the [[Sunshine underwater]] wind of fortune.
	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
	* [[~~Sunshine underwater~~]] - 385YE Spring Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala wakening from her slumbers		* [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns\|Sovereigns]]
			* [[The Semmerlak]]
			* [[Underwater sunshine]] - 385YE Spring Wind of Fortune about Dho'uala wakening from her slumbers
	* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts\|Naming of the Beasts]] - 384YE Winter Wind of Fortune detailing the rise of the sovereigns from slumber		* [[Mime_each_lonely_word#The_Naming_of_the_Beasts\|Naming of the Beasts]] - 384YE Winter Wind of Fortune detailing the rise of the sovereigns from slumber

	==A Story of Dho'uala==		==A Story of Dho'uala==
	<ic>You may think you know this tale, you may even think you have heard it before, and know how it goes. But the bees tell it a little differently. This is the version of the story the bees told me.		<ic>You may think you know this tale, you may even think you have heard it before, and know how it goes. But the bees tell it a little differently. This is the version of the story the bees told me.