Lady Feldane

Lady Feldane was a vampiric high elf and necromancer responsible for the burning of the Everglade and destruction of the Aurum Empire. Lady Feldane claimed the title of Dread Queen of Orbis, ruling over the island for some two hundred years, known to historians as the Dark Age. Though she was eventually slain by a group of adventurers, it is believed that her soul survived this attack and that she ascended to godhood. She is also accredited with the creation of the Shadowfell.

Prior to her conquest of Orbis, Lady Feldane was a high elf noble who grew fascinated with the dark arts. Eventually, the high elves would appeal to Marcus XIII to help put a stop to Lady Feldane, who they feared was growing too powerful. Marcus the Last sent a team of adventurers to defeat the necromancer and were successful in this regard.

However, unbeknownst to all, Lady Feldane had delved much deeper into the arcane than they had anticipated and had become a vampire lord. The revived Lady Feldane went to the Palace of the Golden Emperors and slew King Marcus in front of his entire court, declaring herself the Dread Queen of Orbis.

Feldane would be driven out of the palace, having come with no army and with nothing on her mind but vengeance. She returned to the Everglade, the great elven metropolis that had once been her homeland, and razed it to the ground. Thousands of elves perished in the flames, only to be raised up again as foot soldiers in Lady Feldane's army. On top of the ashes of the elven capital, Lady Feldane erected the Charcoal Palace, from which she would rule for the next two hundred years.

Lady Feldane would lead a conquest of Orbis, replacing the Aurum Dynasty as the primary source of power in the region. However, Lady Feldane would not enjoy the same level of power as the Aurum Empire had, with an army amassing in Southspire in case she tried to sail north and reclaim the colonies. Feldane would be contented with the island of Orbis alone. The colonies of West Orbis would ostensibly pledge fealty to Lady Feldane, but in reality were independently governed throughout this time period, and would declare themselves the Free Cities of Westernesse after her defeat.

The downfall of Lady Feldane occurred in 2520 a.Au, where a group of adventurers wielding the Star Blades finally slew her at Hag Queen's Gorge. It is believed that as her soul went to the Underworld, she clung to the world and managed to pull its shadows asunder, creating the Shadowfell, a dark mirror of the world.

Many followers of Lady Feldane believe that instead of dying, she ascended to godhood and now rules the entirety of the Shadowfell as her own realm. Worship of Lady Feldane was so widespread during the Dark Age, and so persistent after it, that she was adopted into the Orben Pantheon, though worship of her is strictly forbidden.