Forgotten Realms Wiki
Advertisement
Forgotten Realms Wiki

Vlaakith CLVII, also known as the Lich Queen, was the ruler of the githyanki race.[7][9][2]

To slay in her name is our greatest service. To die in her name is our last act of reverence.
— Meldavh, githyanki knight.[10]

Personality[]

Vlaakith CLVII was primarily jealous and paranoid, willing to eat the souls of those who reached a certain level of strength, regardless of the kind, to secure her position and bolster her own personal strength.[11] The insane lich sought to ascend to the ranks of divinity.[8]

Abilities[]

Vlaakith is unity. Fear and beauty, life and unlife. Eyes like onyx, teeth like daggers. There is none more perfect.
— Lae'zel, regarding her queen.[1]

Vlaakith CLVII was very knowledgeable in arcane, historic, planar,[7] and religious matters.[8] She was also a very capable alchemist. Like any other wizard, she could create magical scrolls, as well as rings and wondrous items. Her skill at the last exceeded mortal levels.[7] The Lich Queen was trained in the usage of a silver sword.[7]

She had the abilities of a fully developed githyanki and most of the basic lich abilities. She was also a powerful wizard who trained herself in the arts of necromancy and transmutation in particular. Her spellcasting could exceed normal limits and was specifically tuned to punch through her targets' resistance against magic. Her ability to maintain spellcasting in adverse situations was tremendous as was her general spellcasting skill. She also had some skill at metamagic, namely to enhance effectiveness and duration. The former was normally used to enhance circle of death, enervation, horrid wilting, ray of enfeeblement, spell turning, time stop, and vampiric touch spells, while she used the latter to extend her dominate monster, eyebite, haste, heroism, and spectral hand spells.[7]

Other spells she normally used included animate dead, contagion, detect thoughts, dimensional anchor, disguise self, disintegrate, dismissal, displacement, finger of death, foresight, gate, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, hold monster, lightning bolt, magic circle against good, magic jar, mirror image, slow, stoneskin, touch of idiocy, true seeing, wail of the banshee, wall of force, waves of exhaustion, waves of fatigue, web, wish, and other more common and practical spells.[7]

She was weak against harm that came from light.[8]

Possessions[]

Vlaakith CLVII 5e

Vlaakith CLVII in Baldur's Gate III.

Vlaakith CLVII owned a large number of powerful magic items. Among them were +8 bracers of armor, a +6 cloak of charisma, a +5 dancing vorpal silver sword, a +6 headband of intellect, a +4 ring of protection, a ring of wizardry IV, a robe of eyes, and scrolls of prismatic sphere, protection from spells, shapechange, and time stop. Two artifacts, which she always carried with herself, were the crown of corruption and the scepter of Ephelomon.[7]

Activities[]

The last queen of the githyanki, Vlaakith CLVII, died after ascending the throne without giving birth to an heir, but returned as a lich, thus remaining the ruler of the githyanki for over a thousand years. Her home, Castle Susurrus, was located in the Queen's District of the githyanki capital city, Tu'narath, which was built on the corpse of a deceased power known only as "The One in the Void".[2][3]

The basis of the Vlaakith line's claim on power was a supposed blood relationship with Gith.[12]

One of the queen's jobs was to decide whether every visitor to Tu'narath should be granted a visa or not. However, Vlaakith CLVII delegated this duty of hers to lesser generals.[13]

Relationships[]

I'll say this for Vlaakith: she knows how to build fanatics. But alas, fanatics are good for nothing of lasting consequence.

Vlaakith CLVII had a number of red dragons under her service. These red dragons feared her so much that they would continue to serve her even if the scepter of Ephelomon would be destroyed.[14]

Worshipers[]

Tl'a'vlaakith, chyrki. Tl'a'vlaakith, tavki. Tl'a'vlaakith, lash'a'kla.
— A basic prayer to the Undying Queen.[1]

History[]

Vlaakith was the name of many rulers of the githyanki race after the disappearance of Gith, the rebel leader that united them against the illithids. The original holder, Vlaakith I helped seal the pact between the red dragons and the githyanki. All subsequent queens of the githyanki were named after her.[2]

Vlaakith CLVII stood out among the Vlaakiths for becoming a lich. Her undying reign and her success at getting rid of those who could challenge her were why she managed to retain her throne for longer than any other Vlaakith.[8]

After centuries of undeath, she grew mad. She came up with an idea to become a deity and started to install a priest caste in githyanki society. She also sent loyal lieutenants to quell any unrest that might arise. These were done to gradually prepare for her ascension and encourage the githyanki to worship her as a deity. An inquisitor caste to hunt down people whom she wanted gone also existed. However, many githyanki viewed her as a mad tyrant who would cause their people's destruction or enslavement at her hands even before she reached her goal.[8]

In the late 15th century DR, Vlaakith dispatched a force of githyanki warriors under the leadership of Inquisitor W'wargaz to Toril in search of the Astral Prism, an artefact of immense power that had been stolen by worshippers of Shar.

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

External Links[]

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the following links do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki, nor does any lore presented necessarily adhere to established canon.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Christopher Perkins (July 2003). “The Lich-Queen's Beloved”. In Chris Thomasson ed. Dungeon #100 (Paizo Publishing) (100)., pp. 97–98.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 91. ISBN 978-0786966240.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Christopher Perkins (July 2003). “The Lich-Queen's Beloved”. In Chris Thomasson ed. Dungeon #100 (Paizo Publishing) (100)., pp. 133–135.
  5. Christopher Perkins (July 2003). “The Lich-Queen's Beloved”. In Chris Thomasson ed. Dungeon #100 (Paizo Publishing) (100)., p. 117.
  6. Monte Cook (January 1996). A Guide to the Astral Plane. Edited by Miranda Horner. (TSR, Inc.), p. 52. ISBN 0-7869-0438-0.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2004). Planar Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 150. ISBN 0-7869-3429-8.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Rob Heinsoo, et al. (April 2010). The Plane Above. Edited by Cal Moore, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 978-07869-5392-9.
  9. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 4. ISBN 978-0786966240.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 86. ISBN 978-0786966240.
  11. Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 128. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
  12. Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2004). Planar Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-3429-8.
  13. Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2004). Planar Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 146–147. ISBN 0-7869-3429-8.
  14. Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2004). Planar Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 151. ISBN 0-7869-3429-8.
Advertisement