Varalla

Varalla, known as the Lich Queen, was a female magic user known for having once ruled over the fortress of Darkhold.

Abilities
As a lich, Varalla is assumed to have had all of the standard abilities of such a creature.

Biography
Varalla's history was shrouded in uncertainty, whether by her, another, or merely by happenstance is not clear.

It is said that she was at the Battle of Bones in 1090 DR. The tale goes that she was buried beneath the piles of corpses that were the battle's combatants and had to claw her way back above them.

She arrived at the Sunset Keep (the former appellation given to Darkhold) some time in the late 12th century Dale Reckoning. Having slaughtered all of the creatures within who refused to obey her, she began creating numerous undead servants, which gained her new demesne a fell reputation in the surrounding lands. It was under her rulership that the fortress became known as Darkhold. She also completed Varalla's Passage, a tunnel from the surface down to the drow city of Sshamath commisioned by the Conclave of Sshamath to open up a trade route to the surface realms.

Rumors abounded that Lich Queen took possession of the keep's ancient magicks, which furthered her own spell research. She was also known to have defeated several groups of adventurers looking to defeat her, or at least plunder her lair. This, in turn, attracted the attention of the Black Network, who were looking to expand westward, needed a base, and used the excuse of her evil to lay seige to Darkhold.

The majority of the troops employed by the Zhentarim were killed during the seige, having not been informed of the enemy that they were about to face. There was debate over who destroyed Varalla herself, thereby ending the seige in victory. Unconfirmed reports claim that she managed to slay Manshoon during the fighting and that he was forced to expend one of his clones to restore himself. It appears that in this tale, Fzoul Chembryl destroyed her with a mace of disruption. In other tellings, it was Manshoon who defeated the Lich Queen. It is not recorded whether her Phylactery was found or not.

Rumors & Legends
Some sages have linked Varalla to the lich queen of Alaghôn, and also to Pox of the Cult of the Dragon.