Editing Darklord (section)

==Isolde & Nepenthe==
Like the original Isolde, the 5e Isolde is an [[eladrin]] [[paladin]], though this one was an [[adventurer]] who battled [[dragon]]s and [[demon]]s that threatened the [[Feywild]]. This unknowingly led her into the machinations of [[Zybilna]], an evil [[archfey]] who had lost a number of [[fiend]]ish allies to Isolde and her companions. Zybilna called upon her remaining pacts to arrange for a powerful [[incubus]] called "The Caller" (5e's retconned version of the Gentleman Caller) to corrupt and slaughter Isolde's companions; once that was done, the archfey stepped in and exploited Isolde's vulnerable state to become her "new best friend". She arranged for Isolde to become the guardian of a traveling fey carnival that also concealed a portal to Zybilna's realm... then, when Isolde began to tire of this role and their relationship grew strained, she secretly warped Isolde's mind with magic to ensure that Isolde would always prioritize the needs of the Carnival over her own wants. Even so, this wasn't enough to keep Isolde bound to Zybilna's reins. When Isolde encountered a traveling carnival from the [[Shadowfell]] managed by [[shadar-kai]], she made a pact with its twin managers to trade ownership of their carnivals, but only until next the two carnivals met. The shadar-kai agreed, and gave her the magical sword Nepenthe as symbol of her new status as owner and champion - but that wasn't enough for Zybilna. She used her magic to erase Isolde's memories of all things relating to Zybilna, and also sent fey creatures to forever follow and harass Isolde's new carnival.

To make things worse, Nepenthe was a cursed blade; an intelligent Holy Avenger used to execute thousands of criminals, not all of whom were actually guilty, the blade had developed a deep craving for bloodshed in the name of justice. In Isolde, it found an easily manipulated host; it awoke her memories of the Caller, and stoked her desire for retribution. In many ways, it could be considered the "true" darklord of the Carnival, especially given how Isolde constantly struggles to resist its naked, insatiable need to kill.

Isolde's curse, then, is to wrestle with both the imperatives of Zybilna and those of Nepenthe; she craves vengeance, but finds herself forever stymied by her need to tend to the ever-growing Carnival's need, as well as fearing that she may one day encounter the Carnival's true owners and be forced to relinquish it back to them. Explicitly, she could be saved if Nepenthe was taken from her, but its grip on her mind means she would refuse to abandon it.
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