All thought Morrida was destined for a servile life, but she had other plans
No one would deny the honor of being the Amatrix’s chosen and assume the role as the Queen of the Dead… Except for Morrida Umberland, the Blue Witch. She is known for enjoying the company of the dead more than of the living, and some say she consorts with ancient, dangerous spirits… However, the undeniable truth is that her relic grants her access to a path unknown to anyone who doesn’t carry the title of a Blue Witch.
About the Seeker
History
Goals
Legacy
With little affinity for the necromantic arts and too strong-willed to be of use for an arranged marriage, Morrida was seen as a burden by her family. To free themselves from this burden and from any of their responsibilities towards her, they sent Morrida to the Epitaph to study amidst the honored dead. By making her an acolyte of the Anush-Vah, they stripped her of any pretense to her family’s titles or lands in favor of her more talented sisters. Within a library of corpses, where the secrets of the ancient dead are pried from them by the necromancers, Morrida slowly came to grips with her fate, her heart hardened by the betrayal. Eventually, a sweet-worded Lord by the name of Vorendal wore down her stubborn facade, winning her heart and encouraging her to explore different magical traditions with one of the awakened dead: Akriphista
Tutored by the Fallen woman, Morrida discovered her true magical potential. Anushamatra, the breath of life that allows the Legion to reanimate the dead, was not a power set in stone, but rather, a beautiful tapestry of strings that could blend with many other traditions. Her magical growth had been stunted all along by dull, orthodox thinking.
When she told Akriphista of her wish to share this newfound power with Vorendal, her tutor’s face turned to a hateful scowl. Vorendal, an ancient, Fallen being of his own, had used Akriphista to gain forbidden knowledge, and discarded her as soon as she was no longer useful. When Morrida confronted Vorendal about these revelations, he showed his true colors, scarring her face in a fit of rage. Once more, Morrida had been betrayed, but she would not bow to a destiny imposed.
Forging her own death to escape Vorendal, Morrida journeyed to Quinvala, where the Conclave measures one’s value by their deeds, not their lineage. There she mastered Liastrum magic and a Legacy once thought useless: the Soul-Stitcher. This Legacy was much like her: misunderstood, complex, and unfathomably powerful. In her hands, the Soul-Stitcher weaved Liastrum and the Anushamatra together in a new technique, binding long-dead spirits into empty corpses. She returned to her homeland with this newfound power and was acknowledged by the leader of the Legion, the Queen of the Dead. Considered to be a great candidate to take on the role of Queen once the Amatrix has consumed its current host, Morrida was offered the title of Aspirant, with a place on the line of succession. It would be the greatest of honors for a member of the legion, but Morrida refused it, surprising all. She knows that even the monarch of the Legion must answer to the court and is bound to the will of Ptan-Ravalum. Morrida will never again be bound to someone else’s will. Instead, she wished to be granted the spirit-ridden Umberlands, where she would be left well enough alone and largely free from the machinations of her enemies.
Now, she keeps by her side only her beloved stitched creations and the few necromancers who wish to follow in her footsteps and abandon the rigid traditions of the Legion. Morrida ventures into the Malediction under the guise of serving the Legion’s best interests, but in reality, she searches for other sources of power that her Soul-Stitcher may be able to use. Freedom can only be guaranteed by power, and Morrida will have all of it.
After years of gathering scars, Morrida understood there is no such thing as "fitting in" for one such as herself. She would never again trust another living soul, for they will always be capable to betray her. She keeps only the council of spirits, bound by the deals the Soul-Stitcher enforces, and of her stitched creations, bound to her own will. Morrida despises silly games of political intrigue. She prefers exploring the Malediction, where the mysteries of magic await to be uncovered. She understands that true power lies in this ancient knowledge, the one she will need to defend her freedom and take revenge on those who wronged her.
Among the many laboratories of the Conclave of the Spheres, some ancient treasures are left to gather dust, waiting for their true nature to be uncovered. Certain knowledge is still lost under the remains of the Fall. Some of these treasures are Relics or, at least, powerful and volatile magical artifacts that cause grievous injury to those brave enough to try to uncover their mysteries. The Soul-Stitcher was one of those, burning liastrum and sucking soulbreath away from those who aren’t deemed worthy of its power. Morrida’s hands were the ones that woke up its potential again, unraveling the web of arcane possibilities within.
The Soul-Stitcher has accepted very few wielders throughout the centuries. Even before the Fall, it is said that Ptan-Ravalum sent out some of her followers into the world beyond Belyos to study other sorts of magics and find the missing piece that would make the Anushamatra perfect. When those who returned began to perish under the Curse of Death, she made them into Legacies so their expertise would not be lost. The Soul-Stitcher was created as an experiment, to use Liastrum, and perhaps even other sources of power, to bind a soul to a body, and defeat the Curse of Death The original Soul-Stitcher holder, anything could be mended and put back together if one knew how to use the threads of mortality in their favor.
Short Storys
Story
Legion of the Fallen
In the southernmost reaches of Selejia, one can find a nation dominated by the living masters of death. Most might come to expect such a place to be hell on earth, but those who visit the lands of the Legion of the Fallen will find themselves amidst a unique culture, where the dead walk again […]
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east
Story
Conclave of the Spheres
Bathed by the waters of the eastern shores of Selejia, the Isles of Quinvala are home to the Conclave of the Spheres. These are the wielders of liastrum magic and keepers of the Molech Oracle, a relic that dates back to the time of the Everlasting. The history of the Conclave is inextricably linked to […]
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east
Story
The Everlasting and the Relics
In an age long since past, the Everlasting, divine beings of unfathomable power, descended to the world of Agnar from their celestial realm. First, they created great tools with which to shape reality and anchor the chaotic primordial state of the world into one of their liking. These were the Everlasting Relics. To ensure that their grand vision for the world would come to pass, even in their absence, these gods decided to imbue mortal beings with part of their power and knowledge.
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east
