The Wizardess

(chaos-stew.com)

Iliath was born to the House Elvenstar, a minor noble family in Evermeet. The Elvenstar family home was on the isle of Sumbrar, just off the coast of southweastern Evermeet. For generations, the Elvenstars held the office of Guardians of the Departed, responsible for the final resting places of departed elves. Sumbrar was the ancient burial ground of the elves, and the Elvenstars were highly respected for ensuring the dead rested in eternal peace. Though keen dabblers of sorcery, Elvenstars were never noted for being exceptional wizards and sorcerers. In fact no Elvenstar had entered the Tower of Reilloch for well over a thousand years, not until Iliath undertook her training there.

The only child of Ghanion and Lhasa Elvenstar, she displayed a strong aptitude for the Weave at an early age, though it was only when she had become a teenager that attention was given to burgeoning magical talents. Not content with mere conjurations, Iliath developed a morbid fascination for the dead and the art of consigning the departed to eternal bliss. She experimented in ways of raising the dead, which was met with instant admonisment from her parents. Recognising that she had best be trained by established wizards, Ghanion sent her away to the Tower, to come under the tutelage of the elven magi. Even during her early days as a student of magic, Iliath Elvenstar displayed a stubborn streak that exasperated her mentors. She was constantly experimenting with cantrips and frequently magnifying their effects to the mild surprise of the elder wizards.

It was during this time when she heard of the slaying of her family; victims of a pirate raid. Refusing to grief for them, she instead converged all her efforts into her art, placing perfection at the very top of her goals. She completed her wizardry test with relative ease, and only then returned to her family estate for the first time in 12 years. There she set about rebuilding her ancestral home, as well as a laboratory. Free from previous restrictions, she indulged in what had always held her interest: necromancy. She studied the dead, the rate of decay, skeletal remains and rotting corpses, noting down all her observations. As the years passed, the young wizardess began compiling an extensive tome on the living dead. She deemed herself ready to raise the dead, and on one fateful night, she put her knowledge to use.

The results were catastrophic. She lost control of her spell, and the dead crept from the ground unceasingly. But for the quick interference of the elder wizards, Sumbrar would have been overrun by the undead. Iliath was brought before a wizard’s trial, and was offered a choice of being stripped of all magical capabilities, or banishment. Calmly, she chose the latter and left Evermeet, vowing never to return until she had become a spellcaster supreme.