ILHARESS SARAVAY GERESHEN
(The Most Famous Matron of Them All)

Saravay Gereshen was played by Paula Mary Dollar. The character started as a major NPC monster for a series of three linked adventures at a club called Broadsword in East Sussex, in approximately July 1990. Paula had not been LRPing long, but merged with the role from the outset, as Saravay convinced a group of adventurers she was a wood elf in need of their help against a group of Drow (in fact, a House she wished to destroy).

Incredibly, the character survived all three adventures, along with another House Member, Canaris, and in 1992 went to the Gathering as First Matron of the Drow. Saravay got on very well with Matrons' Shinane Moor'Den'Aar and Salix of The Black Kite Clan, and the three Matrons succeeded in making the Drow independent from their nominal faction, The Vipers, within a few days. Saravay also insisted on her House going shopping, en-masse, and fully armed as it made an impressive spectacle, a tradition that was to continue for many years.

As if things weren't going well enough, Saravay and Canaris successfully led the Drow to victory in the final battle of the first Gathering, which gave a huge boost to her already high popularity. She finished off the year by sacrificing the Celtic Queen's chief retainer, to Llolth (he had asked her to !) and then celebrating wildly in the tavern with Canaris and Moonstar Moor'Den'Aar (who generously bought the drinks, cheers Peter).

In 1993, Paula decided that as she had agreed to let Moor'den'aar be in charge, she would not play Saravay, and played her second daughter Shianna instead, along with Saravay's other daughters Rauva and Faeryl.

1994 was a year of massive ups and downs for Paula. She was diagnosed as having very serious cancer in the early part of the year ( in fact, she was rushed to hospital on Valentines day), and got married with the greatest urgency in the unfinished hospital chapel only a week after the diagnosis. Whilst recovering between doses of highly toxic chemotherapy, Paula was delighted to learn that her House had once again been chosen to lead the new Drow Faction, The Tarantulas, and her husband was made faction leader (largely due to her being too ill to cope with the demands). Eventually, for various reasons, Gereshen and House Naxos d'Fey ended up sharing the faction leadership, and a frail but happy Paula played Saravay once again, charming all she met and forming close links with Matron Sabrae Mlizzir whose house became second house of V'elddrinnsshar.

1995 was, again, not an easy year. By now, Paula had almost fully recovered from cancer, but events had moved on and with a great deal of brutal verbal backstabbing going on. Gereshen avoided the new 'Faction Moot' events, and then camped away from The Tarantulas at The Gathering. Despite the most blatant collusion between The Lorien Trust and Naxos D'Fey, Gereshen and Saravay managed to survive, and indeed became a figurehead around which those disillusioned with the way things were being done were able to rally.

At one point the LT and Faction Command were faced with a mass-walkout when it was rumoured that refs where on their way to just collect Gereshen's character cards and inform them they were dead; they quickly stopped it happening when faced with some very angry people. Anyway, such incidents kept Saravay on her toes, and frequently in other camps, seeking allies. This rare photo shows her diffusing a difficult situation which the Tarantulas Command had blamed Gereshen for.

1996 saw the back of Naxos D'Fey, and a rather tempestuous and brief reign by two relatively unknown ladies as 1 and 2 i/c. This lasted for around one day of the Faction Moots, at which time the remaining Matrons and Priestesses gathered and unanimously agreed that Saravay should return as First Matron of The Faction. This agreed, Saravay formed a Council of Matrons, and at last things returned to how they should have been.

The Gathering that year proved interesting, for all that the Tarantulas could hardly leave their own camp and no-one would side with them on the battle-field. The standard of roleplay, and mood within the camp was markedly higher than the previous year, The Matrons enjoyed themselves, and everyone knew that the leadership was in safe hands. Event after event, year after year following 1996, Paula played Saravay through thick and thin, often ill and in considerable pain, but always there to do the best for her faction, and even in the later years as the rest of Gereshen left for personnel reasons, she soldiered on.

Paula even continued with paperwork whilst in hospital, completing the LT map of the Underdark in one of her last visits. Finally, on 14th April 1999 at 6pm, having asked that Saravay live on, Paula died. She was buried in what will become a woodland burial area at Seaton in East Devon. Her funeral was attended by a large number of her devoted faction, members of the Lorien Trust and Curious Pastimes, as well as friends, family, and her baby son David. As her coffin was lowered into the grave, a flight of arrows was fired over her, a final act from the hobby she loved.

Saravay became a Yochlol, a handmaiden of Llolth, the highest achievement of a Priestess of The Spider Queen. Her daughter Faeryl succeeded her as Matron of House Gereshen.

And her Legacy Lives On