Pelnala - High Priestess

The pelnala is the legitimate head of the temple but in Peonian tradition functions as the first among equals in the council formed by the temple's masters. She performs most of the temple's important rituals, sets general policy, and offers advice and council to the masters but generally allows them autonomy in their respective areas of responsibility.

Sister Cerila is an anomaly among Peoni's leading ebasthe - she is an ambitious, self-centered social-climber. Aged 34, Cerila was born into a poor Kaldoran peasant family. Believing she deserved better than the life of a peasant, Cerila sought escape by entering Peoni's temple in Erone at age 16.

After her ordination in 708 she served as a village Ebasthe in Semethshire. Her early attempts to bring herself to the attention of the Church's leaders actually improved the lot of the faithful in her charge and furthered the aims of Peoni's church, bringing Cerila much acclaim. Her rising fame led to appointment as the Deputy Pelnala of Peoni's Temple in Tashal in 714 but it was only a short time before Cerila's less than altruistic motives came to the attention of the Church's hierarchy.

Cerila's unbridled ambition soon found her vying for recognition against such worthies as Brygyne Kynge, a young Pelnala widely respected for her saintliness. Aware that Cerila's politicking was having a disruptive effect on the Kaldoran church, the Sulaplyn (Bishop) sought to reacquaint Cerila with the Peonian value of humility and in 717 appointed her as Pelnala of Saint Angryl's Temple of Peoni in Chybisa, replacing the recently deceased Sister Lauran, the temple's founding Pelnala.

Though initially subdued by having been assigned to a small temple in the relative backwater of Chybisa, the appointment of Sister Brygyne Kynge as Sulaplyn in 718 rekindled Cerila's competitive ambition. She has lately convinced at least herself that her appointment to Chybisa was not meant to remove her from the Church's mainstream but was instead intended to elevate her position at Saint Angryl's to that of Sulaplyn of Chybisa.

Since arriving at Saint Angryl's, Cerila has attempted to bring the temple into conformity with the conventional mainstream practices of Kaldor by eradicating many of the unique practices implemented by Sister Lauran. But otherwise, busy in pursuit of recognition of her status as Sulaplyn, Cerila has all but abdicated her role as the temple's Pelnala to Brother Hardel, Saint Angryl's Solana.