View source for Khaless Vel'Sharen

{{Appears in|3 11 25 32 39 44 46 50}}
{{Character
 | faction = Nidraa'chal
 | status = Deceased
 | race = Vel'akar
 | born = 
 | died = 
 | sponsor = 
 | talents = 
* [[Mana_Arts#High_Sorcery|Shapeshifting High Sorcery]]
* Could absorb or possess fae, taking on their form and memories at will.
 | family = 
* [[Snadhya'rune Vel'Sharen|Snadhya'rune]] - Adoptive Twin
 | trivia = 
}}
<section begin=feature />Khaless was a sentient demon that formed from the possession of [[Snadhya'rune]]'s protector twin, the real Khaless.<section end=feature /> Taking Khaless' form and memories, she continued to serve in this role; also acting as Snadhya'rune's enforcer and assassin. Long possessing the body of [[Lulianne]] and acting as [[Mel'arnach]]'s bodyguard, she was forced to flee that body when Lulianne was able to overcome the possession long enough to commit suicide. Thereafter, she took a number of hosts while attempting to infiltrate the [[Sarghress]], but was ultimately consumed in turn by an escaped and rampant [[Laele'aell]].
==Appearance & Personality==
Little is known of the real Khaless's personality, as she was subsumed entirely by the entity formed from her seed. She had long, wavy, deep purple hair that was dyed black at the ends, and she commonly wore very thin clothing that facilitated her shapeshifting.

As a [[Demons#Vel'akar|Vel'akar]], Khaless could that could alter her form at will, though natural form was that of the original Khaless. When taking the form of a drow she had consumed, that drow would always appear with the red eyes of the tainted. She was a vain and hedonistic being, with an air of superiority and a greedy nature. Despite this, she retained a strong sense of loyalty to Snadhya'rune, which was rewarded in kind.

==Khaless' High Sorcery==
While little is known of the real Khaless prior her possession, she possessed some manner of Shapechanging High Sorcery before being consumed by her seed. This ability was retained as a Vel'akar, and made all the more potent by its combination with a demon's natural ability to manipulate and alter its host's form. Khaless was thus able to shift her body into a variety of demonic forms, or that of a drow she had forcefully consumed. She could also choose to possess another drow as a host instead of consuming them outright, though it seemed she was limited to one host body and did not fully absorb the form of her host. In either case, she also took on the memories and auras of those she consumed or possessed, allowing her to impersonate them well enough to fool even close friends and family. Unlike [[Ariel Val'Sarghress#Ariel's High Sorcery|Ariel's high sorcery]], Khaless did not appear to require much caution in her transformations - she could take on a formless mass with no ill effects to her physiology.

==Biography - Arc I==
[[File:Khaless'_Accident.png|thumb|200px|Khaless loses her mind to a demonic possession.<ref>{{ChapterRef|25|8}}</ref>]]
Khaless was originally a slave-born protector twin assigned to Snadhya'rune Vel'Sharen. Unlike most [[Vel'Sharen]] twin pairings, Snadhya and Khaless were very close. During the course of Snadhya's research on demons and nether summoning, Khaless became possessed by a powerful demon that had been summoned. Rather than consuming Khaless, the demon retained her form and stood by Snadhya'rune just the same as Khaless would have.

She served as Snadhya's eyes and ears within the halls of [[Orthorbbae]], collecting gossip among the students for her twin. She was the one who ultimately brought Ariel's presence at the school to Snadhya'rune's attention.

===Guarding Snadhya's Secrets===
When [[Mel'arnach Val'Sarghress|Mel'arnach]] escaped the Val'Sarghress fortress to visit Sndahya, Khaless kept watch over Mel's guard, [[Lulianne]]. She left Lulianne alone to escort [[Sarv'swati Vel'Sharen|Sarv'swati]] to Snadhya's chambers, and returned to find that Lu had begun to snoop around Snadhya's secret chamber high above the halls of the school. Khaless attacked Lulianne mercilessly, going so far as to impersonate the [[Sael Dutan'vir|niece]] that Lulianne lost during the [[Nidraa'chal War]]. She ultimately absorbs Lulianne when Lu destroys the elevator they were fighting on.

===Life as Lulianne===
Khaless used the opportunity to disguise herself and take Lulianne's place. She used Lulianne's memories to follow Mel'arnach back to the fortress and infiltrated the Val'Sarghress ranks. She courted Lulianne's love interest, [[Rek'mar]], briefly before killing him.

==Biography - Arc II==
15 years later, Khaless was found continuing her impersonation of Lulianne. She was expelled from the Sarghress at some point, and she now serves as Mel'arnach's personal bodyguard. She used this position to meet with [[Ariel Val'Sarghress]] and invite her to a meeting Snadhya'rune was planning to hold in [[Felde]].

She later approached [[Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'ress]] in her natural form to invite her to the same gathering. Kiel'ndia initially fights her physically, but ultimately backs down<ref>{{ChapterRef|39|39}}</ref>. Khaless leaves the young Vloz'ress with words of wisdom about the true nature of demons, citing that she, Kiel and the demon Naal'suul are all one in the same in the end.

===Felde's Gathering===
Still posing as Lulianne, Khaless is able to guide Mel'arnach out of the Sul dome after the birth of the unwanted daughter; then the two of them wish doom upon the clans before setting off to Felde<ref>{{ChapterRef|44|28}}</ref>. Khaless is still in character when Mel is guided by [[Erusa'kel Nal'sarkoth]] to the upper reaches of Snadhya'rune's tower, even going so far as to have a heated exchange with the man, going into a rant about how Mel should guide the Sarghress out of the war, and continuing to deny that "Lulianne" is Khaless. The charade continued even as Snadhya'rune questioned Khaless for not removing the Lulianne personality, leading to the persona declaring that she would help the First Daughter kill Quain'tana in order to have she and Mel lead Chel'el'Sussoloth as legitimate rulers<ref>{{ChapterRef|44|33}}</ref>. It took some coercion from her sister to break Khaless out of character--the demon commented that the Lulianne personally was a particularly stronger one, given that she had to take the Dutan'vir's body for her own<ref>{{ChapterRef|44|36}}</ref>.

During the party, Khaless comes to the rescue of helpless party guests who are caught in [[Kharla'ggen Vel'Vloz'ress]]'s high sorcery, guiding the Vloz'ress woman to another room filled with distractions. Clearly, Kharla's dollification had no effect on the demon<ref>{{ChapterRef|44|62}}</ref>. Later, Khaless reappears after the crowd was made to bow, commenting on how amusing it was to see Snadhya'rune's associates put on a good show.

The only limit to her impersonation appeared to be that the eyes of whatever form she took were marked red by the taint of her demonic nature, as seen when Kharla awakes to the naked form of a male "face" of Khaless<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|16}}</ref>. The conversation between the demon and the vessel takes a curious turn, where Khaless mentions that the Illhar'ess has no face when pitted against the demon's multiple personalities. Later at Snadhya'rune's execution of the Sarghress infiltrators, Khaless returned Kharla to her Vloz'ress guardians to her amusement and Kiel's horror<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|20}}</ref>. The demon is also intrigued about the display of the execution, preferring to see the dazzling mana light with her own eyes--being immune to the cannon fire's blinding effects that others like [[Sasi'rael]] had to wear goggles for.

===Assault on Snadhya's Tower===
As Lulianne, she attended Snadhya's family dinner with Mel'arnach, [[Ariel]], and [[Kalki]], standing as guard and shooing univited guests like [[Kyo'nne Val'Illhar'dro]] away<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|60}}</ref>. However, she is taken surprise by Kalki's jealous rage against Ariel when the young Vel'Sharen stole Lulianne's sword to chop her sister's arm clean off. Lulianne continued to be overpowered by Kalki's wind arts until [[Zhor]] takes the girl down<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|69}}</ref>. Lulianne begged Mel an apology for her lack of action, and offered to escort the guests back to their rooms, where they unknowingly heard the beginnings of the [[Mimaneid|Mimian]] attack on the fortress and saw arson damage caused by [[Chirinide]]. Ariel had been trying to reattach the dead flesh of her arm when Khaless emerged behind her to give bone-chilling advice on the necessity of stealing body parts from others<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|87}}</ref>. Not a moment later, [[Chakri]] burst into the hallway and forced Lulianne to chase her off.

Lulianne trailed the Mimian all the way into a grander hallway, where on the opposite end Snadhya'rune and her entourage delved into a discussion about repelling the attack<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|116}}</ref>. She knew right away than an ambush had been set up, but nonetheless the demon was taken surprise by none other than [[Mikilu'ligr Val'Dutan'vir]]; the rebel leader quickly dispatched Lulianne with ease and use of earth sorcery, but stopped only upon sighting the demon's Dutan'vir hair trinket<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|118}}</ref>.

Being spared led the Lulianne personality to pause and question Miki'lu's appearance long enough for Khaless to attempt to regain control, and defend Snadhya'rune<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|125}}</ref>. Khaless' inner turmoil with the steadfast Dutan'vir face was visible to her protector twin, who had urged the demon to control herself but to no avail--the pressure to attack her clanswoman spilled over, and forced Lulianne to commit suicide rather than slay Miki'lu<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|128}}</ref>. The loss of her valuable asset and subsequent stabbing by [[Erelice Sarghress]] caused the First Daughter to go berserk against all within range--in the meantime, the nether form of Khaless emerged from Lulianne's corpse to eat Erelice<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|138}}</ref>.

===Infiltration of the Sarghress===
Now as Erelice, Khaless had returned to Chel'el'Sussoloth to do reconnaissance among the Val'Sarghress. She had tracked down a Sul empath healer who had been scornful of the looters who sacked the clan's domed fortress, and tricked the poor woman into a lone room to be absorbed<ref>{{ChapterRef|50|129}}</ref>. Unbeknownst to her, [[Laele]] had reacted to the powerful demon's appearance and had begun to hunt Khaless down.

While in the Sarghress fortress, Khaless used her position as a healer to attempt to sow dissent<ref>{{ChapterRef|50|135}}</ref> and chaos, but the plan backfired against an enraged Quain'tana, after a botched attempt to sedate the Illhar'ess. Khaless's healer persona found itself smashed face first into a table by the monstrously strong leader, forcing the demon to find yet another body to inhabit<ref>{{ChapterRef|50|170}}</ref>. She searched, eating many Mae'yukir sealers and arguing with her absorbed personalities in the process, until Laele'all finally caught up to the demon and made quick work of Khaless<ref>{{ChapterRef|50|215}}</ref>. However, absorbing the massive entity that made up Khaless became too much for the flesh golem to contain, and upon her true death, Laele exploded into a conglomerate of demons<ref>{{ChapterRef|50|218}}</ref>.

==Notable Quotes==
"''I come from beyond the veil, where one of your kind devoured the world and remade it in her image. What's so different other than that our origins are reversed?''" - Speaking of [[Sharess]] crossing into the worlds of nether<ref>{{ChapterRef|39|41}}</ref>.

"''It's her body. I had to take it over after we fell down. That stuck up bitch is so exhausting whenever her precious pride is at risk.''" - Referring to Khaless' difficulty to regain control of Lulianne<ref>{{ChapterRef|44|36}}</ref>.

"''It is difficult to settle on a face in the morning. You, however, have no face. It must be liberating to be so blessed''" - Speaking to Kharla'ggen after their sexual encounter<ref>{{ChapterRef|46|16}}</ref>.
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[[Category:Vel'Sharen Characters]]
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