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A Concise History of Winya Ravana
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The original copy of this book can be found in Winya Ravana. It's bound in leather with gold stitching. It's cover is simple and without embellishment, other than the book's title in drow, elven, and common which is reapeated on it's spine: "A Concise History of Winya Ravana as I Know It, by Jud'Vardas Krrg'Esh d'Kenlyl"



When the eyes of the elves first came upon the isle that would be known as Amia, their eyes beheld a barren rock in the middle of the Trackless Sea, uninhabited save for a few scattered dragons. What it would eventually become they didn't know, but they resolved to build a city upon the isle, which they named Winya Ravana, one of the first elven settlements on Toril.

At this time, well over twenty millenia ago, a massive, permanent portal to the Plane of Water was opened by the elven immigrants, as the isle had no plentiful source of fresh water at that time. The controlled flow from the Marids' domain rapidly filled in the pits and crevices below the city, then formed Nexus Falls, which to this day is the source of all the isle's fresh water. About this time, the Lifestone was created via High Magic, and was likely part of the means by which the portal to the Plane of Water was established.

Other eyes were upon the isle at the same time: those of Terzaroch, a devil reputed to be a son of Asmodeus, and a Duke of the Nine Hells. He saw the Lifestone, the power it held, and, like any such being would, he coveted it. It was at this time that the Underdark Drow first made their appearance on the isle, drawn by the lies and plans of Terzaroch. He intended to use them for his own purposes, and helped begin a war between Winya Ravana and the dark tower that was the fortress of the drow; it stood where Cordor stands now.

During the final battle of the war he formented, Terzaroch tried to snatch the Lifestone from Winya. The Queen of Winya at that time, an ancestor of the notable Shadowdancer Floriane, sacrificed her life to create a powerful ward to protect the city from it's foes... Her consort, Adavar, was wounded severely in the battle. With what would have been his last moments, he used his wizardly powers to turn himself into a baelnorn, and to teleport the few remaining residents of the city to safety.

As a nigh-immortal baelnorn, Adavar cast the spell that sealed Winya away in a pocket plane, and caused the mountains surrounding where it was to close off the area. And so things stood, until Adavar's powers began to fail. Even such a being as a baelnorn is not truely immortal, nor is their power infinite. His ward began to fail as his power waned, so he was forced to seek help from outside to again protect Winya Ravana. The Lifestone sensed such things as well, being a sentient artifact, and began to reach out to the isle's druids, likewise looking for aid that would soon be needed. Unfortunately, his efforts met only with limited success, given it has been told to me that he was attacked on several occasions when he ventured out of the city.

Terzaroch was still alive and well, and even more powerful after all the intervening time. He had his own army of devils and devilkin, and he still had every intention of capturing the Lifestone and using it for his own malign designs. Adavar had hope that the Seldarine might lend some aid to the coming, inevitable conflict, but instead, divine aid came from a far different, and unexpected, source.

Eilistraee, in an attempt to repay the sins of the Drow against Winya Ravana of so long ago, stepped in to the brewing conflict. When the city's wards began their final collapse, those who the Lifestone and Adavar had called to their aid came to it's ancient site and stood ready to defend it.

An attack by Terzaroch's army quickly descended upon them, and only four of the warriors managed to stand against it to face the devil himself: Floriane Taurielle, Ravena Sinthale, Delya El'yan, and the author of this work. Adavar stood beside them, and the Dark Maiden empowered the five foes of Terzaroch with her holy might. Terzaroch, in typical devilish arrogance, declared his intention to finally complete his long-held desire, and battle was joined.

The fighting was very, very nasty. I myself was slain by Terzaroch's strikes, and the devil's thick hide and magic protected him from most of Delya's attacks, at least from what I saw. Were it not for Floriane and Ravena, I'd likely not be writing this. When he was at last brought down, Ravena used a god-forged weapon to cleanly sever Terzaroch's head from his body, which actually killed him, rather than simply returning his essense to Baator or whatever other plane he was connected to.

After that, the others who could be brought back were raised from the dead, as well as myself. We journeyed into Winya Ravana, and passed by where the library stands now. It seems to have once been an armory, for the doors opened, and a mighty wind erupted from it, throwing out several highly enchanted weapons that landed at our feet. Oddly enough, ones particularly suited to each of our tastes. I believe they were Adavar's final gift to those who'd come to Winya's aid.

After that, we approached where the Lifestone lays. It still pulsed with life, and the isle still lived, while Terzaroch's life had come to an end. Though Adavar was greatly weakened and on the verge of death, he thanked us for our assistance in person. The great defender of Winya Ravana then joyfully cried out to his beloved Queen, happy that he could finally come to join her in Arvandor, and dissolved into dust.

It was some time thereafter, that the city began to be resettled, by both local elves and immigrants from far-off Evermeet. Due to being a descendant of the long-forgotten Queen who sacrificed herself to save her City, Floriane Taurielle was crowned as Queen of Winya Ravana. And thus things stood, until she abdicated the Throne in favor of Winya's Council.

~Jud'Vardas Krrg'Esh d'Kenlyl