Soneillon, also known as the Queen of Whispers[1][2] and the Youthful Crone, was the demon lord of Spirac, the 71st layer of the Abyss.[3][4] Throughout the centuries she spent in Faerûn, Soneillon spread unrest and fomented civil war across the nations of Chondath and Impiltur, nearly bringing complete ruin upon the Forgotten Kingdom.[1]
Description[]
While on Toril, Soneillon belied her nature as a demon lord and took on the form of a succubus.[1]
Abilities[]
The Queen of Whispers was exceptionally adept at corrupting mortals and taking possession over their bodies and minds. She had access to a myriad of mind-controlling abilities that she could utilize at-will and could even siphon the life force from any mortal she touched.[1]
Once per day, Soneillon could attempt to summon a balor to serve under her will, albeit with limited chance of success. Most often she preferred to select her comrade-in-war Ndulu, who himself sought to take revenge upon the Demonlands of Faerûn.[1]
Possessions[]
Soneillon had quite a collection of powerful magical items she'd accumulated over the centuries. Notable among these were the blazing mantle of Horus-re, the Coronation Crown of Aliia, the Scepter of Tharos, the Signet Ring of Raumathar, and the Vambraces of Whinonas.[1]
Activities[]
As a demon lord, Soneillon held dominion over the concern of rejuvenation.[3] Within her domain in Spirac existed a pool of rejuvenation that attracted travelers from across the planes of existence. In order to draw upon its power, an individual had to willingly sacrifice a potion of their free will to Soneillon.[5]
As of the 14th century DR, Soneillon forged her own kingdom called Naratyr in the Giantspire Mountains of the Cold Lands. She did not rule directly over the hobgoblin tribes that dwelled within the mountains but rather possessed the minds of their chieftains and warlords.[1]
While Soneillon's physical form remained safe deep within the mountains―protected by the undead royal guard of her once-foe and consort―Soneillon took over the psyches of the goblinoid leaders or inhabited objects of importance that were placed within their possession. She most often rode the minds of the mightiest hobgoblin rulers of the Giantspire tribes, or instilled her consciousness within the Coronation Crown, which she gave to the strongest of their number.[1]
Relationships[]
Soneillon took for her consort Imbrar I, the former king of Impiltur who was raised as a death knight following his death.[1]
History[]
Soneillon's earliest recorded appearance in the Realms dated back over a century before Dalereckoning, during the collapse of ancient Narfell.[1]
She next arose nearly a millennium later during the 8th century DR. In the Year of the Dowager Lady, 726 DR, a cadre of fiends originating from the ruins of the Narfelli empire were let loose in the Easting Reach region of Impiltur by unknowing human settlers. When the Great Dale was set ablaze, Soneillon emerged as a powerful force in the region. As the consort of Argosh the Scaled, Soneillon aided in the dismantling of the Durlarven Dynasty and declared herself as Queen of Impiltur. A few years later, however, Argosh was slain by a paladin of Torm at the Battle of Horned Heads and Soneillon was forced into flee the realm and go into hiding.[1]
For nearly half a century, Soneillon "served" the balor general Ndulu as a spy, biding her time until an opportunity to reacquire her throne presented itself. Finally, in the Year of the Moaning Gorge, 786 DR, Soneillon took the form of Prince Nord's mistress and attempted to dissuade him from war on the eve of the Battle of Moaning Gorge. She was not successful however. The Queen of Whispers was briefly imprisoned and Ndulu's army was dispatched back to the Abyss. Soneillon only managed to escape when Prince Nord was busy delving into the depths of the Citadel of Conjurers.[1]
In the decades leading into the 10th century DR, Soneillon masqueraded as the consort to Whinonas Ferentier, the archmage of Hlath. Her corrupting influence pervaded the archmage's court, leading him to once again tap into the demonic forces of old Narfell. In the Year of the Queen's Tears, 902 DR, Soneillon set into motion the beginning of the Rotting War. While the demon lord of rejuvenation reveled in the destruction she had wrought, she set her gaze back upon Impiltur to the east.[1]
Soneillon brought down the Tortoiscab Plague upon the Impilturan royals of House Elethlim in the Year of the Spouting Fish, 922 DR. Every member of the royal family fell ill and died over the course of two decades, except for Princess Aliia. When the young princess set sail aboard Nadyra's Glory to wed her betrothed Rhiigard Obarskyr in Cormyr, Soneillon sunk the ship to the depths of the Sea of Fallen Stars. This final act of savagery brought upon the end of the kingdom's Golden Age and marked the beginning of the Kingless Years. Soneillon remained on the verge of reclaiming the throne that was taken from her nearly two centuries earlier.[1]
Over the course of the next decade, Soneillon sowed unrest among Impiltur's nobility and thrust the former kingdom into civil war. However, she was thwarted in her efforts to claim the Crown of Narfell as her own by the archmage Soargar. The Mage Royal of Lyrabar crafted unique magic that expelled Soneillon from Impilturan lands. Once again, Soneillon was forced to regroup beyond the kingdom's border, left to forge her own domain in the subterranean depths beneath the Rawlinswood.[1]
The unrelenting demon lord made her third attempt at taking dominion over Impiltur in the Year of the Dawndance, 1095 DR. She raised a great host from among the hobgoblin tribes of the Giantspires and marched south along Impiltur's Uplands. Her forces were met by the united armies of Impiltur's city-states, aided by the elves of the Gray Forest and dwarves of the Earthfast Mountains. While the united army of elves, dwarves, and men were pushed back to shores of the Bluefang Water, they defeated Soneillon's army in a final stand.[1]
Soneillon struck once again after Impiltur was reformed as a kingdom in the 12th century, following the coronation of Imphras I in the Year of the Rose Pearls, 1122 DR. When the threat of hobgoblin invasion appeared possible a few years later, King Imphras marched north with only his royal guard, as the Impilturan military had not been given enough time to renew its forces since the last conflict. The threat was a mere ruse created by Soneillon, who captured King Imphras and tortured him until his will and faith in the Triad was shattered. He was then raised as a death knight to serve Soneillon as her undead consort.[1]
Soneillon continued to consolidate her power in the Giantspires over the next two hundred years, forging her own kingdom called Naratyr. Imphras strengthened and trained her army of monstrous humanoids while Soneillon―still unable to set foot in Impiltur―afflicted the minds of numerous kings and councilors of the Lords of Imphras II over the years.[1]
Rumors & Legends[]
Soneillon's true nature as a demon lord was not known to many, save for some Faerûnian scholars that specialized in fiendish lore.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Jeff Crook, Wil Upchurch, Eric L. Boyd (May 2005). Champions of Ruin. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 135–139. ISBN 0-7869-3692-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 56. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (June 13, 2006). Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 156. ISBN 0-7869-3919-2.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (2006-06-20). Fiendish Codex I, Part 2: The Lost Annals: Additional Layers. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved on 2017-09-15.