The Matriarch of the Hopeless
The Matriarch of the Hopeless Unknown (a.k.a. The Matriarch)
The Matriarch of the Hopeless is the originator of The Epitaph. In her early life she was a Morifinwë Elf, but as time has gone one she is now a desicated corpse. Through some arcane ritual her spirit maintains its connection to her corporeal husk. Her Elven name has been lost to time not only to others, but to herself as well.
In her youth the Matriarch brought together like minded individuals to form a guild of assassins which became known as The Epitaph. As their guild grew the Matriarch took a contract on a powerful archmage that had in his psession many dark tomes which contained long forgotten arcane spells and rituals. Having eliminated the target, she began to peruse the tomes and came across two rituals. The first ritual became The Sacrament of Fate's Shiver a means which The Epitaph would be contacted to form a contract. The second allowed her to become a lich, thus allowing her to remain at the head of the guild even after her death.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
The Matriarch is now a desicated husk of an Elven corpse. Permanently locked within a ornate sarcophagus, her withered face staring out through glass shroud.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The Matriarch of the Hopeless was once a Morifinwë Elf, though that is no longer the case. She was always exceptionally stealthy and had an inate knack for murder. Her skill with a blade was unmatched, and as the saying goes "like draws like." This of course means the the Matriarch grew her circle of companions to include those with similar skills. These companions formed the first incarnation of The Epitaph a guild of peerless assassins. Taking contracts that came their way and demanding a hefty price in return.
As time went on and The Epitaph grew in prowess, contract on an archmage's head came to them. After an intriquite infiltration of the archmage's tower, the Matriarch completed the contract. As she stood in her quarry's study she looked around. Laying open on the mage's desk lie a dark tome with strange runic markings upon it. As she glanced over the tome she understood some of the rituals. Deciding that with the archmage dead he no longer needed the tome and took it with her as she departed.
Returning to Cryptic Athaneum, her guild's hidden sanctuary tome in hand, the Matriarch retired to her chambers. The next fortnight passed and not once was she seen to have exitied her chambers. During this time she fell to pouring over the tome to understand its mysteries, spells, and rituals. During her time reading and rereading the tome, the Matriarch discovered two rituals that stood out to her. The first of which would become known as The Sacrament of Fate's Shiver would allow The Epitaph to hear contracts no matter where the originator resided. The second was a much darker and dangerous ritual, it would allow her to become a lich and allow her to remain in control of The Epitaph long after death.
With her understanding of the rituals secured, she sent her Fades out into the world in search of the ingriedients and implements she needed to preform the rituals. The final item she needed for the ritual to become a lich was the fresh, still beating heart of a virgin. This she knew she would need to obtain herself. During the completion of a contract, her target's daughterr a maiden of only seventeen years stumbled into her father's study just as the Matriarch plunged her blede into the man's chest. With a gasp the girl dropped the pitcher she carrried and as it shattered on the stone florr the Matriarch locked eyes with the girl and a quick look up and down her face broke with a cruel smile. With preternatural reflexes the Matriarch threw a dart laced with a sedative that found the girl's neck and rendered her unconcious in seconds. The Matriarch, satisfied with herself bound the girl and whisked her back to their stronghold.
What the Matriarch didn't know was the girl she thought of as her ticket to immortality was not as inocent as she believed. The girl had been rather smitten with the local blacksmith's son, and after months of clumsy flirting back and forth they had met together the night before her father's demise. That meeting, though only the one time had been enough to disrupt the ritual the Matriarch was set to perform. As the Matriarch performed the ritual and she removed the girls heart to complete the ritual, unbeknownst to her the feart was tainted. The ritual now complete, the Matriarch was now a lich, but with one caveote. She was trapped in her body and couldn't move. She was immortal that was true, however she could only project her thoughts out to the members of The Epitaph. The Matriarch was permanently locked in this form and could hear those who performed The Sacrament of Fate's Shiver and pass along those contracts for as long as she remained in existance.
Current Status
Deceased, arcane lich corpse
Current Location
Species
Children
Sex
Female
Eyes
Black
Hair
Stringy Sparse White
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Desicated and mummified
Height
5' 6"
Weight
120 lbs.
Belief/Deity
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
