#nidala

Darklord: Elena Faith-Hold Domain: Nidala Domain Formation: 615 BC Power Level:💀 💀 💀 ⚫⚫ (3/5 Skulls) Sources: Islands of Terror (2e), Ravenloft (3e), Ravenloft Player’s Handbook (3e), Ravenloft Dungeon Master's Guide (3e), Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (5e)CW: Religious zealots, Genocide Twitter Thread Elena Faith-hold, who’s name clearly gives away her religious zealot ways, is the Darklord of Nidala. Nidala is a forested mountainous region that appears as a pure and noble land at its surface, but the further you delve into her realm, the more sinister it becomes. Just like Elena, who would love for all to believe she is a humble paladin and the chosen of Belenu. When she is, in fact, an utter fool.

Nidala is one of the Domains in the Shadowlands, which hold the Demiplanes of Nidala, the Shadowborn Manor, and Avonleigh. If you take pleasure in tales of corrupted holy knights, then you’ll love the Shadowlands as it ventures into all of those classic troupes. The whole power leads to corruption and all such nonsense is explored in the Shadowlands. I will note that 5e does mention Elena by name under the description of the Shadowlands Domain, but only by name. In this guide, van Richten deemed her less important than an evil sword and they’re not wrong.

Elena was a Knight of the Circle and trusted friend of Kateri Shadowborn (the holier than thou paladin who continually fights against the Darklord Ebonbane in Shadowborn Manor whom I reviewed previously). A paladin devoted to the sun God, Belenu, Elena rode forth on her unicorn mount to battle against evil. Her campaigns were successful and the people worshiped her with adoration. She bathed in the attention and many converted to Elena’s faith to further prove their devotion to her.

Eventually her campaigns against the evil forces of the land were so successful that all that remained were scattered, unorganized and weak. Elena was seen as a hero to her people and basked in her own glory. Of course, as many war heroes find, when there are no more wars to be fought, they become restless. Just look at the entirety of the Domains of Dread, they all started because a former Commander was bored and decided he wanted his brother’s fiancé instead of focusing on ruling a realm. Elena, took another route and focused her attention on converting the masses to her religion and condemning those that would not.

Being a paladin, this predictably led Elena to start a crusade against any that would not follow the “one true religion”. This hypocrisy is one of the many reasons I have never counted myself amongst the devout. They are nothing more than bleating sheep bowing before an unknown, unseen thing that calls itself a god.

Quite predictably, Belenu withdrew his favors to Elena, stripping her of her abilities to heal and smite evil and her unicorn mount abandoned her. Since these paladin types are always looking for a sign from their god, you would think that Elena would gather that Belenu was not at all pleased with her crusades. Having a brain as thick as her muscles, Elena believed Belenu’s withdrawal from her was a test and she continued on. Eventually, those she deemed “heathens” weren’t enough and she took up arms against any non-human.

In time something must have gotten through that thick, full plated head of hers and with none of her abilities returning to her, she prayed to Belenu for guidance. Belenu gave no response. Another force, a sinister force that locks us all away into our own personal eternal torments answered instead. The Dark Powers transported her into the lands of the Mists. This resulted in her roaming the realms of Ravenloft and finding corruption and evil in every town she visited, then she would proceed to slaughter everyone within to “cleanse” the evil. After slaughtering 10 such villages, the Dark Powers finally decided she was corrupt enough to imprison her within her own Domain.

The Dark Powers gifted her with “Faith Hold” Castle that looms over the walled capital city of Touraine and a dark unicorn mount that is essentially a hybrid nightmare/unicorn. As a Darklord, Elena is a true micromanager. She rides forth every week to personally inspect all of the villages within her Domain, searching for corruption and evil. She also makes weekly decrees of faith and those that do not follow these decrees are arrested and, more often than not, tortured or executed.

When she is not within ear-shot, her people call her “Elena Stranglehold”, which is quite accurate. She forbids any form of “merry-making” in her realm. Bards are not likely to find any work there. Elena retained some of her paladin abilities, but no longer can heal, only inflict wounds. She can detect life around her, but can no longer turn undead.

She believes she can detect “evil”, but in fact is only detecting strong emotions directed at her. This ability does not differ between positive and negative emotions. Those who love and adore her and those that hate her are both detected by this ability of hers, resulting in her executing both her greatest enemies and allies without realizing it. In combat, she is a warrior, wielding a bastard sword, and using her “see the light” ability, which acts similar to a charm spell, to attempt to convert her enemies to her cause.

NIDALA reveals authentic and raw new single, ‘Said Too Much’ 

Byron-based singer-songwriter Nidala Barker reveals her latest upbeat heartwarmer, ‘Said Too Much’. The third single birthed under her creative moniker, NIDALA, and the second to be lifted from her debut EP Colours of My People, ‘Said Too Much’ is a departure from the artist’s notable stripped back ballads, and presents an exciting shift towards the danceable expanse of the indie folk genre.

NIDALA’s music navigates modern juxtapositions of identity, self-expression and human connection through an intersectional lens as a proud French-Aboriginal Djugun woman, artist and activist. ‘Said Too Much’ is the blood-pulsing encapsulation of this. An energetic call to arms urging both herself and her listeners to release any conflicting societal expectations thrown our way and to stay true to our perfectly imperfect selves, especially when it comes to love. ‘Said Too Much’ leaves the lethargic introspection of previous single ‘One of Those Days’ for activating rhythms and deeply cathartic melodies that cement Nidala Barker as a leading voice of the next generation of Australia’s great songwriters. 

She says of the song: “'Said Too Much’ is about dating and how it collides my worlds together! My ancestral heritage sees partnership as a central part in human-nature relationships, and my tech-ridden modern existence plays it out through online dating in a culture that fears deep connection. It's about being confused, and being able to dance it off. I chose this theme because I wanted it to feel relatable and deeply human, and I wanted to paint my Indigeneity in the colours of softness it so rarely gets to wear in white Australia.”