ILLAOI

THE KRAKEN PRIESTESS

Illaoi’s powerful physique is dwarfed only by her indomitable faith. As the prophet of

the Great Kraken, she uses a huge, golden idol to rip her foes’ spirits from their

bodies and shatter their perception of reality. All who challenge the “Truth Bearer of

Nagakabouros” soon discover Illaoi never battles alone - the god of the Serpent Isles

fights by her side.

All who encounter Illaoi are struck by her presence. An intense woman, the priestess

is fully committed to the experience of living. She takes what she wants, destroys

what she hates, and revels in everything she loves.

However, to truly know Illaoi you must understand the religion she has devoted her

life to. Nagakabouros, the deity of her faith, is usually depicted as an enormous

serpent head with tentacles spiraling around it in endless motion, with no beginning

and no end. Also called The Mother Serpent, The Great Kraken, or even The Bearded

Lady, Nagakabouros is the Serpent Isles’ god of life, ocean storms, and motion. (The

literal translation of its name is “the unending monster that drives the sea and sky.”)

Central to the religion’s theology are three tenets: every spirit was born to serve the

universe; desire was built into every living being by the universe; the universe only

moves toward its destiny when living creatures chase their desires.

Lesser priestesses are tasked with maintaining temples, calling holy serpents, and

teaching people the ways of Nagakabouros. As the religion’s Truth Bearer, Illaoi’s role

is to serve the god directly by unblocking the flow of the universe. To this end, she

has two sacred responsibilities.

The first duty of a Truth Bearer is to be the spearhead in the war against undeath.

Having fallen outside of the normal flow of the universe, the undead are considered

an abomination against Nagakabouros. While it is the responsibility of every priestess

of the Kraken to protect the indigenous population from the Harrowing, a Truth

Bearer directly engages its most powerful spirits and drives the Black Mist back.

Second, Illaoi is tasked with seeking out individuals of great potential and challenging

them with the Test of Nagakabouros. This task is the burden Illaoi’s title reflects.

With her massive, holy relic, The Eye of God, the Truth Bearer strips the subject’s

spirit from their body then forces them to stand against her to prove their worth. She

does this knowing those who fail will be completely annihilated, for the great Kraken

has no tolerance for cowardice, doubt, or restraint. But destruction is never the goal.

Survivors of the ordeal are forever changed and often find the will to pursue their

true destiny.

Though Illaoi is the most powerful and respected Truth Bearer in a hundred

generations, it is where she has broken the traditions of her faith that speaks the

most about her. Having completed her training as a Truth Bearer, and at the height of

her power, Illaoi left the golden temples of Buhru for the squalor of nearby

Bilgewater.

The pirate city is the only place foreigners are permitted on the Serpent Isles, viewed

as a fetid gutter by Illaoi’s people. Previous Truth Bearers ignored the city and viewed

the arriving foreigners as little better than untouchables. Illaoi broke with tradition

when she chose to protect residents of Bilgewater from the Harrowing, or even more

controversially when she decided that some of its residents had souls worthy of the
great test. Despite this, only a handful of temples have been opened in the city, and

very few paylangi (islander slang for residents of mainlander descent) have ever been

permitted inside. Regardless, it is Illaoi who has brought the widespread awareness of

the Mother Serpent to Bilgewater, and it is her indomitable spirit that has brought her

religion into favor there.

Rumors persist that Bilgewater’s most bloodthirsty and infamous pirate had his heart

broken by the towering priestess. To anyone who has ever met her, this is no surprise.

Illaoi’s rough manner belies subtle intelligence, strength, and a magnetic confidence.

Many seek Illaoi’s favor and welcome her to Bilgewater... yet everyone fears being

tested by the Kraken’s Prophet.

“There can be no rest. We are the motion.”

—From The Twenty Wisdoms of Nagakabouros