Margawse, the Queen of Air and Darkness

Margawse was the firstborn of the King and Queen of Lalimya, the mountainous kingdom of Air and Light. Her father had ascended to the throne two years before her birth and married her mother shortly after. They were a happy couple, and with the birth of Margawse became a happy family.

The kingdom was small, smaller than some counties in the neighboring Angoril, and with fewer people than in the city-state Zinalla at the mouth of the Great River. But it was prosperous, with rich mines and the ice berries needed to make Sunlight liqueur. The mountainous terrain made it difficult to invade, so it was a peaceful young life for Margawse.

When she was 12, her father took ill with an unknown wasting disease. Clerics attempted to heal him repeatedly, but each time the disease would return stronger. He passed within a year and her mother became the Queen. Her mother had not been raised to rule, having been born a minor noble, so many responsibilities fell to Margawse.

Angoril was expanding, warring with other smaller kingdoms, and Margawse and her mother could see the coming conflict. The mountainous terrain protected them, but would not hold against a concerted effort. The prince of Angoril, Ulfred, was close in age to Margawse and seeking a wife, which led the Queen to propose an alliance between them in the hopes that their kingdom would be spared the ravages of war.

Ulfred came to Lalimya to meet Margawse, and after studying her agreed to the marriage. They were wed within a month, as Ulfred was eager to produce an heir. She was soon with child, and Ulfred moved her to the Moon Keep to gestate. While there, she discovered a stash of books on magical theory. She studied them from boredom, eventually figuring out a few basic spells. She attempted to use the magic to contact her mother, but it failed repeatedly.

She gave birth at the Moon Tower, and the midwife left with the baby before she was even allowed to see it. She was left behind in the tower, alone and afraid. She realized she had nowhere to go and the food would only last a short time. She scoured the library for more books, attempting to learn anything she could to escape.

As she unlocked more power and knowledge, she discovered what had happened while she was hidden away. Her husband had been crowned king after his parents had died of the same disease that killed her father. Ulfred had also annexed Lalimya entirely, giving the castle she was raised in to one of his cronies. While she couldn't confirm it, she assumed her mother had not responded to her sending because she was dead.

Rage burned in her - rage at her lost family, her lost life. The Moon Tower was beset by storms, and Margawse beseeched the storm to share its power. From the Tower's roof she called for power, and was struck by lightning dozens of times. She held herself up as pain racked her body. After withstanding the storm, it bowed to her will. Elemental lightning became hers to command, and she left the tower to visit vengeance upon Ulfred.

She arrived at the Azure Palace, the seat of Angoril's power, carried by the storm. She called lightning down upon the palace, and towers crumbled beneath her wrath. The full fury of the storm brought down the gates and she called for Ulfred as she marched through. Ulfred met her at the entrance to the Palace, holding their son. She faltered then, unwilling to risk the babe. She cried out to Ulfred, demanding he turn over the child, then pleading to not hurt it when he drew a foot-long blade. She screamed in anguish as he cut the child's arm, blood dripping onto a ritual circle Ulfred had prepared. Flames surged around him, blocking him from view. In seconds he transformed, surging to over ten feet tall, skin reddening and horns bursting from his head. He bent the flames towards Margawse, and she began to burn before she could bring the storm to bear.

She doused the flames, but the pain overwhelmed her. She fled from the Palace, riding the currents of air as far and fast as she could. She returned to the Moon Tower, taking all of the books she could find before fleeing to the Great Forest. She found an abandoned hut and rebuilt it with her magic. She sought an answer to the power disparity between her and Ulfred, her desire for vengeance the only thing keeping her going. She eventually learned of the Aspects of the Jewel, and the location of the artifact of Wrath. It called to her, promising to fulfill her desire for vengeance and more.

She rode the storm to the temple where the Aritfact was stored. She blasted the doors of the temple open and strode in, feeling her prize waiting for her. Before she could walk a dozen feet into the temple, she saw a flash of light from a pair of eyes in the darkness. As they caught her gaze, she felt her body freeze. She tried to call the storm to attack or escape, but her body wouldn't move. Darkness overtook her as the snake-like creature slid up to her and began to move her limbs before they were set in stone.

Margawse was tutored from a young age in history, diplomacy, and the obligations of nobility. She had limited training in arcane skills, acquiring enough magic to facilitate interactions with other nobility. Her tutors recognized her talent, but her parents discouraged her from delving into it.