Tiniane was an angel of the draconic god Ishnarr the Shining One; she was one of his 222 Handmaidens, precisely, the Twelfth one.

Appearance

In all known legends, Tiniane had the same humanoid appearance. Like all Handmaidens, and in contrast to most angels, her hair was the color of lustruous metal; in her case, a very bright shade of silver bordering on white. She was in fact famous for her hair, which she usually wore very long and which was very dense, such that one could not see her ears^[1]. Her physical shape was often described as strange: though her face resembled that of an elf, she was somewhat short and well-rounded, which was a trait of non-fey humanoids; in fact, she resembled a human. She often reflected sincere-looking emotions and had an expressive face; her green eyes were so rich one could lose oneself in them. However, her angelic nature shone through in her lips, which were very cold and unnatural to the touch^[1].

Like all Handmaidens, Tiniane dressed sparingly in white cloth. She liked to dress revealingly, with only thin strips covering her intimate parts, which often appeared to be magically held in place. She also liked to wear extensive, fine golden ornaments which married well with her otherwise very white look, and accented the whole composition with emeralds and other green gemstones.

In angelic form, Tiniane had the characteristic hollowed face of an angel with searingly bright eyes, and in her incorporeal form consisted of swirling white light. Her wings appeared golden.^[1] She used a slender silver blade in battle, which became a sword of light when she entered angelic form.

Biography

It is not known what race Tiniane belonged to before her Angel's Birth, though it certainly occurred before the Celestial Wars. Her angelic appearance likely did not reflect her initial race. She was a faithful servant of Ishnarr long before he reached 222 angels and formed the Handmaidens.

Serving the Platinum Fellowship

A group of ancient silver dragons, Proud Ones bored by plain life, decided to challenge themselves and their large followings - virtually a small army, arrayed out of some of the greatest gaian and nigfodsel warriors, sitting idly in their domains - by forming the Platinum Fellowship and striving out to Beltetar, seeking battle and glory. They made their residence in a mountain-peak above the bastion, proudly, and were shocked by the first demonic onslaught, suffering serious losses (including two of the dragons). So they called to their patron for help; after all, was their pact not that Ishnarr would protect them? This presented a difficult question, because this duty did exist, but the Fellowship had also intentionally placed itself in harm's way and should have expected the consequences. Nevertheless, in a rare moment of care - perhaps Ishnarr himself was bored and wanted to watch the activity - he gave his aid, and nine Handmaidens - Tiniane among their number - were sent to attend and protect the Platinum Fellowship.

Despite angels' immortality, this was a dangerous assignment: most major fiends, those who could be a threat to an angel, used special weapons which trapped their victim's soul, in the intent of keeping supernatural beings from simply being reborn. To an angel, who did not have a real soul, these weapons were simply deadly. Nevertheless, Tiniane served without question or fear, and - she was not a warrior angel - she spent most of her time inside the Fellowship's fortress, tending to the dragons and the leaders of their "rabble". Their service, which was sometimes called "the warmth of Ishnarr's ladies", often focused around healing the wounded, caring for their physical and psychical alms, and encouraging them before they went to battle. Tiniane was the attendant of two gaians, a massive nigfodsel, and even a kobold; yet she took all these services, demeaning as they were, with the uncaring grace befitting a Shining One's Handmaiden.

The Fellowship had known from the start their undertaking was an ultimately doomed one, but the Handmaidens did not leave their side until the very end. She comforted a bloodied, dying dragon, and a kobold missing its lower half; the walls crumbled around her, and she remained by their side. Five of the angels died before the Fellowship was no more and the remainder left, onto new assignments in service of their god.

The Vulirel Episode^[1]

Vulirel Dragonsaver was an elf hero of the Elvish Empire, who notably saved an ancient dragon while fighting for a group of Proud Ones. Wounded, he was allowed to stay in a temple built in Ishnarr's honor on Dragonia, where he met Tiniane. She was visiting the temple as part of her long-term assignment to the temples of Dragonia, and she spoke with Vulirel on multiple occasions, in the intent of finding out just how fervently the elf was prepared to serve Ishnarr. She left the temple soon after, and he trained for several years, determined to be a worthy servant; when she finally returned, the decision had been made that Vulirel would be allowed to become an angel of Ishnarr, to fight on some extraplanar field. Tiniane's mission was to escort Vulirel to Celestia, and during that trip, to naturally serve him as she served all those who belonged to Ishnarr.

Vulirel's profound appreciation for the elf became heartfelt love during the voyage, which took them first to the Outer Ring on dragonback, and from there through the Feywild and the sea to Celestia. They stayed in an isolated mansion for some time waiting for Ishnarr's attention, during which they engaged in acts which Vulirel understood as consummate love. But when he learned that he had been brought here to be turned into a soulless, emotionless angel, to serve on some distant battlefield rather than together with Tiniane, and when he realized that Tiniane had offered him not love but emotionless service, he was shocked and angered; and he vowed he would love Tiniane for all time, vainly hoping that her angelic duties would ever end. He left Celestia then, and Tiniane forgot the episode, continuing her duties.

Much later, while once again in the Archaen, Tiniane learned that a Proud One had been killed at the hand of an archlich from Dragonloss. She exerted celestial justice, bringing death to the monster; she did not realise that in doing so, she killed what Vulirel had become, as he had chosen undeath to wait for her.

Treating with Eme'nee

In 3'574, while serving in a temple on Dragonia, Tiniane was surprised in her quarters by a pilgrim wood elf. It turned out the next day that this elf, Eme'nee the Sanctuary exile, wanted to serve Illrune Illifane as an angel and, since the elf goddess had rejected her, she sought the advice of any angel she could find. Tiniane tried to dissuade her, in vain; for several years, the elf stayed in that temple, practicing prayers and - vainly - asking Illrune for angelhood, while Tiniane helped her in this undertaking while trying to convince her to give up this road of pain and seek another life. But, eventually, Tiniane and two other Handmaidens who knew the problem agreed that Eme'nee was not driven by Temptation, and so Tiniane accepted to give the elf her Angel's Birth and waive her Bond, so that she could serve Illrune instead.