Empress of Death
The Empress of Death
In an effort to educate the youth of the Empire further, our scribes were tasked to create a comprehensive overview of our shared history with the peoples of our world. This is part of book 35, pertaining to the history of the Middlelands, specifically to the Empress of Death
The Empress of Death is a semi-mythical figure in the Middlelands. She is part of the reason why they are so interesting for the undead. Scholars believe that over the centuries after her death, many stories about her have either been exaggerated, misinterpreted, falsely assigned to her or even completely made up. What is known however, is that she was a terrible tyrant that utilized necromancy to keep her hold over the Middlelands for countless generations, until she was finally defeated.
Confirmed History
Early Life
In the ages lost to history, the Middlelands were a much different place. Undead were unusually intelligent, as they are now, but they were much fewer than in our modern times. The Middlelands were beginning to leave their barbaric ways of tribalism behind, beginning to form proper noble houses that started to compete for land.During an especially turbulent time, the girl that would become the Empress was born to a minor noble family. Her early years were fairly unremarkable, just like all her siblings, she was instructed in the ways of diplomacy and politics. After a year spent travelling the lands of her family, she returned having found an aptitude for magic, conducting research into necromancy especially.
Rise to Power
An uncanny talent for necromancy and her extensive studies allowed her to raise the fallen soldiers of her family. First these were used to defend the lands, when enemy corpses started piling up, those too were used for her necromantic rituals, further reinforcing her army. At first it seemed that her family was uneasy but supportive of these strategies, as they were in desperate times.Later would it be known, that all that questioned her were imprisoned by her undead. So she continued to build her armies, her forces and set her sight on all other lands in the Middlelands.
Her conquest was swift and efficient, each fallen enemy soldier becoming part of her own troops, with exponential growth she became unstoppable. Quickly all other noble houses were either killed and integrated into her ranks, or swore allegiance to her in an attempt to escape that fate.
Reign
The Empress reigned for centuries, requiring that all dead were brought before her necromancers, or in rare cases, in front of her. Only the smartest and most capable people were allowed to retain their sense of self after the resurrection, serving as loyal advisors and strategists.It was impossible to move through any city, without encountering her armies. Standing eerily still, waiting for an unseen command, entire houses packed with undead just waiting for any order to attack or destroy.
In the early days, she tried to buy the common folk by having her forces taking over the hard labour, pulling plows, carrying water and stones etc. The foundations for many of the oldest of the Free Cities were laid during her reign. It did not help, that common folk despised her for her crimes against nature, so after a few decades her forces were pulled back and became purely military.
One of her greatest "achievements" was the curse she put on the land during that time, further enhancing the necromantic energies flowing through the Middlelands, ensuring that more undead would rise, while also binding them to her will from the point of their resurection.
Downfall
Centuries had passed under her tyrannical rule, until finally, from the place of her birth a hero came forth. Quietly preparing for years on end, sending envoys to the different cities, covertly riling up the commoners and concentrating the power of the gods took a lot of effort When it all came to fruition, multiple armies marched against her palace, protected by the gods, they did not rise when they fell, to finally put an end to her tyrannical rule once and for all.Legacy
Abilities
Raising the Undead
Her skills in raising the dead under her command are unmatched to this day. Not only was she able to keep the soul of a person intact during the process, to retain their knowledge and skill, but she also managed to keep control of an incredibly large amount of undead at all times. While many modern necromancers struggle with a single abominable zombie, she kept entire legions under her iron fist. She even managed to bind the intelligent undead to her will, something that is unheard of in modern times.Lastly her spell that forever tainted the Middlelands is as strong today as it was a thousand years ago, or as strong as the day she cast it. It is currently unknown how the spell sustains itself with magical energies.
Raising herself
The Empress developed a way to return to the physical world upon her death. She enchanted her entire bloodline with a spell, eternally binding them to her. Upon her death she would need some time to collect herself, only to use one of her family members as a vessel for her spirit. Taking possession of the body, further enhancing it with her necromantic powers, shaping it to her liking. This made it almost impossible to kill her, as she would always return in one form or another.It is said that she preferred the female members of her family as vessels.
Associated Rumours
Likely True
Debated
Likely False
Circumstances of Death
Killed by the Heroes of the Middlelands
Place of Death
Grand Palace
Children
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