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"I count every kill I make, why? The reasons are my own."

—Kerillian.[1]
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Kerillian.

Kerillian is a Wood Elf and a core member of the motley band of heroes dubbed the Ubersreik Five. Along with the rest of the group, she disrupted Chaos operations across the Reikland during the End Times.

Enigmatic and sharp sighted, Kerillian walks the lands of men, after having left her post as a guardian of the Wood Elves ancient home Athel Loren. The reasons why she keeps to herself. Using her exceptional skills to take down anyone perceived as a threat, she is as likely to kill you as she is to begrudgingly acknowledge your presence. Kerillian regards the human race as nothing more than clueless children, and treats them accordingly, most often drenching her answers to their naive questions in patronising sarcasm. Unfortunately for her, Wood Elves are rare in human lands, and even if many recoil in fear, she is regarded as a curiosity and approached more frequently than she would prefer by foolish humans attempting to interact.[1][5]

Kerillian holds Lileath before any other God. Not surprising, seeing as the Moon Goddess' followers are often seen as capricious just like the deity they worship.[4] Franz Lohner considers her a study in contrasts: selfless and spiteful, carefree and bitterly serious.[5] She is secretive about her past even with her companions; half the things she says about herself bear at least a second reading, and most of them could stand a third or a fourth. Lohner does not believe that Kerillian distrusts her comrades, as such, but that she was alone so long there are pieces of herself that she'll never readily share.[7]

Quick Answers

Why did Kerillian leave her post as a guardian of Athel Loren? toggle section
Kerillian, a guardian of Athel Loren, departed from her post after not receiving the answers she sought from Lileath at the Citadel. She left her group, known as the Five, and returned to Athel Loren to seek clarity. She used this time to reaffirm her commitment to the Weave, expressing her doubts and remorse. Her absence was noted by her companions, especially Markus Kruber.
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What is Kerillian's role in the Ubersreik Five? toggle section
Kerillian, a Wood Elf from Athel Loren, is a key member of the Ubersreik Five. Renowned for her archery skills and enigmatic persona, she left her guardian role in Athel Loren under mysterious circumstances. In Ubersreik, she joined the Ubersreik Five, a group that thwarted Chaos operations during the End Times. Their journey led them to the Red Moon Inn, where they found themselves trapped.
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What are the exceptional skills that Kerillian uses? toggle section
Kerillian is proficient in various weapons, demonstrating remarkable ballistic skills with longbows, swiftbows, javelins, energy bows, and repeater crossbows. She can switch to swords and daggers, often dual-wielding, to swiftly eliminate enemies. Kerillian can also adopt a strength-focused combat approach. As a Waywatcher, she efficiently eliminates foes with diverse arrow styles from a distance. As a Waystalker, she specializes in elven archery, either through precise work or by launching a high volume of arrows.
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What is the significance of Kerillian's count of her kills? toggle section
Kerillian, a Wood Elf from the Ubersreik Five, meticulously counts each of her kills, though the reasons remain her secret. After leaving her guardian role in Athel Loren, she disrupted Chaos operations across Reikland during the End Times. As a shade, Kerillian is a feared figure, striking foes when they're most vulnerable.
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History[]

For more detail on her time with the Ubersreik Five, see their main article

Background[]

Kerillian was born in the Wood Elf stronghold of Athel Loren. From her earliest days, she showed a great aptitude for archery and a love of wandering the forest. As well as keeping watch for trespassers, she began following other Elves for sport, to see if she could evade their notice. She was partly driven by a desire to improve her skills, and when she was spotted and challenged this was the reason she gave. But it was not the only reason, for she was born with an insatiable curiosity about everyone, everything, and everywhere, which all too often overrode her more cautious instincts.[1]

By 2511 IC, she had been a Waywatcher for centuries, picking off anything or anyone foolish enough to wander into Athel Loren uninvited. When she additionally was chosen to train as a Ghost Strider, the decision seemed like a natural recognition of her abilities, but that was not the only reason. Her mixture of stealth and curiosity had irritated some and embarrassed others, and there were many in Athel Loren who had reason to want her sent away on long, solitary patrols far from home. This suited Kerillian as much as it suited them, and eventually she could not resist the temptation to venture out of the forest and into the worlds of Humans, Dwarfs, and Halflings.[2]

One such expedition saw her prowling the forests on the road to Bogenhafen, hunting Mutants and others. There she encountered a party of adventurers under attack from Mutants and in need of help. She was happy to even the odds by loosing a few arrows at the monsters from cover. She did not stay around to chat, however, and the party only caught a glimpse of her back retreating into the forest. She then took her hunting to the Barren Hills of Talabecland before continuing to Middenland. She might have even decided to enter the Middenheim archery contest at the Carnival to show up other elven competitors. But for the most part, the city held little interest for her, and she continued traveling overland, keeping her skills sharp by picking off Mutants, Skaven, Beastmen, bandits, and other pests. She may have also encountered the same party she aided earlier, though if they tried to follow her, she resented their nosiness. At some point, she also ended up staying at Ubersreik in the Bridge House.[3]

Even for a Wood Elf, Kerillian’s sight was sharp, able to pick off a ladybird eating a leaf at a hundred paces if she chose to. But this gift, coupled with a natural curiosity also turned into a curse when she saw something that no mortal was meant to see. One autumnal night in Athel Loren, when both moons rode high in the sky, Kerillian spotted a Spellsinger as he meandered under the boughs. The Elf mage was no trespasser and so there was no reason Kerillian should have kept track of him, and yet she did. Her curiosity piqued. The Waywatcher followed the mage from above as he walked deeper into the forest… and put her on a path that would change her fate forever...[1]

Exile[]

For a long time, the details surrounding Kerillian's exile from her homeland were a mystery to her companions as she refused to speak about it.[1] However, she recently seemed to open up to Franz Lohner about her past, although Lohner himself remains skeptical if the Waywatcher's tale is the entire truth, if any of it is true at all...[3]

Most elves in Athel Loren trace their roots to before the Sundering (the division of the Elves into High and Dark) but, over the years, the forest has also become a refuge for outcasts from both Ulthuan and Naggaroth. Though these refugees swear off their pasts, some are less than honest in their pledges. Kerillian stumbled on one such group led by a mage midway through a ritual dedicated to Hekarti, the Cytharai Goddess of Dark Magic worshipped by the Dark Elves.[3]

The mage, Etrian "Dunderhead" (as she called him), wished for sorcerous mastery and had offered Forest Spirits as sacrifices. Kerillian interrupted the ceremony and Etrian's accomplices, fearing more Waywatchers were nearby, fled the ritual. Etrian himself was either braver than his followers or feared Hekarti far more. Regardless, the Waywatcher put an end to the mage and the foul business.[3] However, as it turns out, Etrian was a popular Elf, and his surviving companions accused Kerrillian of murder at the next council of Glade Lords. It was her word against theirs that Etrian was engaged in unholy rituals and theirs won out. As a result, Kerillian was cast out and has not been able to return.[3] Lohner is still not entirely sure as the veracity of the tale.[3]

Initial journey to Ubersreik[]

Evidence from the Ubersreik Five's mission to Castle Drachenfels offers further elaboration on her past. The unseen voice in the castle taunts Kerillian over her ego and her past actions. According to the voice, she had always been prideful and was envious that Araloth had all that she felt she deserved. The Glade Lords council censured her for some unknown reason and the dryads, knowing her pride and spite, sought to use her, perhaps to retaliate against some insult to the forests of Athel Loren. They foretold that Ubersreik was key to the waning of the elves and Kerillian, seeking to perform a magnificent deed that would repudiate the council's censure of her, led an attack on a military convoy bound for Ubersreik. Unfortunately, the loss in strength led to an indirect strengthening of Clan Fester due to it encountering lighter than expected resistance in their attack on the city. This helped set in motion the slaughter of the town and a future threat to Athel Loren. Kerillian then joined in the crusade against the Skaven as a form of atonement. The voice claims that her actions caused thousands of blameless humans to be cast into the void, and that repaying Ubersreik's slaughter a hundredfold still wouldn't assuage her soul. But this is only spoken of by the voice in Castle Drachenfels. If there is any truth to it, only Kerillian knows...[2]

Regardless of the exact circumstances of Ubersreik's destruction, Kerillian was disgusted by the Skaven's machinations and the slaughter, which was on a scale she’d never before witnessed - and for which she felt a hidden pang of responsibility. She counted all the Skaven and Rotbloods she killed in penance.[8]

Meeting the Five[]

"Mayflies always fade, but I'll miss them all the same."

—Kerillian.[2]
Kerillian

Kerillian as a Waywatcher.

Kerillian has been tight-lipped as to where her travels within the Empire took her before meeting Bardin Goreksson. The Dwarf and Elf met in the rainy fields outside Stromdorf, and were within a hair's breadth from killing each other, when the unmistakable stink of rat-men reached their sensitive noses.[1]

An advance scouting party of the Skaven army that would assault Ubersreik had emerged from below in the vicinity, and unlucky for them, right into the arms of two seasoned Skaven killers. After the following battle, standing amidst the bloody remains of the outmatched ratmen, an uneasy truce was established.[1] With both of them heading for Ubersreik, a mutual grudging respect started to develop with every Skaven slain.[1] At one point the duo were separated, resulting in Bardin being kidnapped by the Skaven; Kerillian butchered the Skaven force and rescued him, under the condition that he tell no one about it. Much to his amusement and her annoyance, they then learned that they were both heading for Ubersreik on the same ferry.[4]

Upon reaching Ubersreik, Kerillian and Bardin met the other members of the future Ubersreik Five: Markus Kruber, Sienna Fuegonasus, and Victor Saltzpyre. The five of them ended up trapped in the Red Moon Inn and were forced to fight against the Skaven in and around Ubersreik. Over the following months they succeeded in thwarting Clan Fester's attack, depleting much of the clan's strength, and decapitating their leadership. They also made expeditions against Skaven forces around the Reikland in the aftermath of Fester's first defeat, including at Castle Drachenfels, Karak Azgaraz, Stromdorf, and along the River Reik. However, weeks thereafter, the Ubersreik Five fell into a trap set by the Grey Seer Rasknitt and were captured. In their absence, Ubersreik fell to the second Skaven offensive and Rasknitt rebuilt much of the clan's strength, on top of forging a new alliance with the Norscan Rotblood tribe.[1][2]

After Ubersreik[]

"The lumberfoots have fallen. I'm so surprised."

—Kerillian.[2]

Like all Wood Elves, Kerillian feels the pull of both light and dark. First as a Waywatcher, and now as a more experienced Waystalker, she has kept those aspects in balance. Indeed, Kerillian’s reason for journeying to Ubersreik was an attempt to help her reclaim her moral poise. Thus Kerillian is mercurial at best, at once resentful of the path she has been called upon to walk, and grateful for the chance to make amends. But who knows how little it may take to topple her from that path?[2]

After the team escaped Skaven captivity, Kerillian yet again joined the rest of the Five in executing a five-hero campaign against the hordes of the Norscan Rotbloods and Clan Fester, culminating in the deaths of Rasknitt and Bodvarr, the disintegration of their armies, and the destruction of the Skaven Skittergate. In the aftermath of these setbacks for Chaos, the Five continued to run missions against the remnants of Fester and Rotblood (as well as a new foe, the Beastmen), at places such as Castle Drachenfels, Bogenhafen, and Maisburg.[2]

In this time Kerillian continued to spend more time with her new companions, including enjoying nights of pub crawling with them,[9] joining Markus Kruber in hunting,[10] playing a group prank on Lohner,[5] and having long conversations with Sienna Fuegonasus into the night on topics of a mysterious nature.[11] Lohner intimates that she became closer to Markus Kruber ever since he embraced his name of de Mandelot and became a Grail Knight.[12] She also joined the rest of the five at the hearth to sing of the Asrai myth of Ariel and Orion. The point of the story, she said, was that no matter how bad things get, there’s always hope when the snows fade. The group took comfort in the tale and looked better for it, bar Kerillian herself, who Franz Lohner suspected was either homesick or had no hope in her own words.[13]

Rebirth & Regret[]

"The Sisters of the Thorn are renowned as the handmaidens of Ariel, the life-giving Queen of Athel Loren, but there are those among them who court darker, malevolent powers. Reborn into their mystical ranks, Kerillian engages in battle with spell-craft and javelins, drawing upon nature’s splendour to invigorate and protect her allies."

—Kerillian, Sister of the Thorn.[5]
Vermintide-2-sister-of-the-thorn-580x334

Kerillian, unleashing her newfound power.

Franz Lohner was not sure when it all began, not exactly, but Kerillian had been in a strange mood for a while. The first obvious sign was back during the Night of Masks, when mirrored masks, crows and horrible spirits rattled the windows of Taal's Horn Keep. It took some time for Lohner's mental cogs to start biting, but it did finally start to add up. It seemed that Kerillian’s faith in Lileath had taken a knock, and she had been looking for guidance from elsewhere in the elven pantheon. However, when you start looking for gods, they often start staring right back at you.[5]

Then, of course, there was the business of the Citadel of Eternity. The Ubersreik Five made repeated expeditions into the Chaos Wastes themselves, slaughtering their way through Northmen, Beastmen, and Skaven in their quest to reach the Citadel and beseech their gods. Upon returning, the Five had all been a mite evasive about what they had seen and heard in there. As near as Lohner could tell, Lileath never answered Kerillian at the Citadel - or at least, if she did, she didn’t say anything Kerillian wanted to hear. This caused her to temporarily leave the Five, and journey back to Athel Loren looking for answers. Markus Kruber was concerned by her absence, to the point Bardin Gorekkson had to keep an eye on the knight to make sure he didn't go after her and inadvertently get himself killed by Asrai sentries, but Lohner was sure that she'd soon return.[7]

Looking for guidance, Kerillian rededicated herself to the Weave, as many wood elves do over the course of their lives, granting them a new perspective and purpose. Only Kerillian got more than she bargained for. She offered up her uncertainty and regret, and the forest gladly took it. However, it also scooped up the rest of her for good measure, and gave something of itself back to fill the void.[5]

When elves rededicate themselves to the Weave, it is not unusual for them to come back more spirit than flesh as Kerillian had done. Outsiders - what few there are who claim to know asrai secrets - say the men emerge as Wild Riders of Kurnous, the equerries of King Orion, and the women as Sisters of the Thorn, handmaidens to Queen Ariel. But there’s a whole parcel of assumptions bound up in those labels - a mingling of status and vocation.[5]

Maybe it wasn’t the forest who patched the holes in Kerillian’s troubled soul - or at least not the forest alone. She had been courting goddesses other than Lileath of late. Atharti, Lady of Desire. Morai-heg, the crone of Fate. Isha, the Mother. Hekarti, the Mistress and Magic. Even Ereth Khial.[5] She would later explain the arrangement to a curious Sienna. Hekarti granted her the power, Atharti the will to see it used. Isha's memory bound her to the Weave and Lileath's love to the Light. And the Morai-Heg kept the balance. Should that balance be broken, she advised her companions to kill her swiftly - for all their sakes.[2]

While Sonnstill (the summer solstice), celebrations were being prepared in Taal’s Horn Keep, Lohner received reports of people vanishing off the roads with no signs of struggle. Eventually a witness to the disappearances claimed that “the trees took ‘em”. When Lohner confronted Kerrillian about this, she claimed that the trees were just being “friendly”, and if it bothered folk that much they should stay away from the forest until the equinox was over.[6]

Lohner’s now unsure whether Kerrillian has as much influence over the Forest Spirits as the Sister of the Thorn seems, or if she is just pretending to be powerless to stop them as part of some scheme. So far the people that vanished haven’t returned, and Lohner can only hope the trees were really just being friendly and they are returned home sooner or later.[6]

Wargear and Abilities[]

Waywatchers like to keep their distance while fighting, picking off enemies before they even realize they are in any danger. They are exceptionally skilled with a Bow, and often use different styles of arrows to efficiently take down their foes before they come within arms reach.

Like the rest of the Five, Kerillian's skills extended far beyond her initial vocation and she was adept with a large array of weapons. Her extreme ballistic skills extended to longbows, swiftbows, javelins, energy bows, and even repeater crossbows. If any of her enemies were lucky enough to avoid an Elven shaft between the eyes, Kerillian could swap out for her swords and daggers, often dual-wielding them, and swiftly hack, stab and slash a path through enemies, leaving a trail of bloody corpses in her wake. She could also opt for a more strength focused approach to her fighting, wielding a variety of powerful two-handed glaives, axes, and longswords. She was also highly proficient with spears, either on their own or in concert with shields.[1][2]

Now a powerful Sister of the Thorn, Kerillian also utilizes Ghyran magic (sometimes boosted with a Deepwood Staff) in combat, unleashing the fury of the Goddesses she worships.[5]

  • Bodkin Arrow: When armoured enemies ask questions, the Bodkin Arrow is Kerillian's answer.[1]
  • Swiftshiver Arrow: Fast and light, Swiftshiver arrows allow Kerillian to loose a barrage of arrows and empty her quiver in mere seconds, causing mayhem and bloodshed among the enemy ranks.[1]
  • Hagbane Arrow: Arrows dipped in highly potent poison, affecting anyone in contact with the noxious fumes.[1]
  • Moonfire Bow: Forget carrying a quiver - this magical bow creates arrows from thin air!.[2]

Trivia[]

  • She has a mage sister in Athel Loren.[2]
  • It seems that Kerillian was involved in the disappearance of two Nuln regiments without leaving a trace at Hoggar's Bridge.[2]

Theatre[]

Warhammer-_Vermintide_2_-_Sister_of_the_Thorn_Career_-_Official_Trailer

Warhammer- Vermintide 2 - Sister of the Thorn Career - Official Trailer

Sources[]

  1. Warhammer Fantasy RPG 4th Ed.: Enemy Within: Developer Diary 20
  2. Warhammer Fantasy RPG 4th Ed.: Enemy Within: Developer Diary 20
  3. Warhammer Fantasy RPG 4th Ed.: Enemy Within: Developer Diary 20
  4. Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide: Prologue
  5. Franz Lohner's Chronicle - The Siege of Taal’s Horn Keep.
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