Queen of Air and Darkness
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, The Queen of Air and Darkness is the fey
deity of Magic (especially illusions), Darkness, and Murder. Her long-lost true name is never spoken among the fey. Her unholy symbol is a black diamond.
's Arthurian novel The Queen of Air and Darkness
, the second volume in his work The Once and Future King
.
In White's novel, the queen of the title is King Arthur
's half-sister Morgause
. She is an amateur witch who enchants the young king into sleeping with her, producing the traitorous child Mordred
.
(1992), including details about her priesthood. Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground
(1996).
The Queen of Air and Darkness was detailed for third edition in the article "Forgotten Faiths" in Dragon
#359 (September 2007), by F. Wesley Schneider.
, once a princess and heir to the Seelie Court
in the deep sylvan realm of Ladinion. The evil Queen, her once bright spirit corrupted and dead, now hates and opposes Titania's Seelie Court and everything they stand for. Because she embodies the corruption that can take root in the heart of the elvish race, Corellon Larethian
, Erevan Ilesere
, Rillifane Rallathil
, Sehanine Moonbow
, and Solonor Thelandira
also consider her an enemy.
. There, the goddess rules from a throne of shadows. Her court is filled with evil, twisted fey, elves, and undead. Hell hounds and yeth hounds slaver at her insubstantial feet.
s, evil elves, and bramble faeries, among others.
, slowly corrupted the princess, eating away her physical body and destroying her soul. Ultimately she left the Seelie Court, absconding with her precious diamond and the great treasures of her race in a black chariot that belched smoke and fire. Soon after, the mountain from which the diamond was unearthed exploded, destroying the primordial fey realm of Ladinion and decimating the fey people. Since then the Seelie Court has been forced to wander the planes, never again finding a permanent home.
Myths of lost lands are common among the fey, and many speak of the Fading Lands that slowly disappear from the world of Oerth
.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, The Queen of Air and Darkness is the fey
Fey (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Fey is a type of creature, or "creature type". Fey are usually humanoid in form, and are typified as having supernatural abilities and a connection to nature or to some other force or place....
deity of Magic (especially illusions), Darkness, and Murder. Her long-lost true name is never spoken among the fey. Her unholy symbol is a black diamond.
Creative origins
The name comes from the title of T. H. WhiteT. H. White
Terence Hanbury White was an English author best known for his sequence of Arthurian novels, The Once and Future King, first published together in 1958.-Biography:...
's Arthurian novel The Queen of Air and Darkness
The Queen of Air and Darkness
The Queen of Air and Darkness, originally titled The Witch in the Wood, is a novel by English writer T. H. White. It is the second book in his epic work, The Once and Future King...
, the second volume in his work The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T. H. White. It was first published in 1958 and is mostly a composite of earlier works written in a period between 1938 and 1941....
.
In White's novel, the queen of the title is King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's half-sister Morgause
Morgause
Morgause , known in earlier works as Gwyar or Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. In her earliest appearance she is Arthur's full sister by Uther Pendragon and Igraine; Gwyar is her name and she is the mother of Gwalchmei...
. She is an amateur witch who enchants the young king into sleeping with her, producing the traitorous child Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
.
Publication history
The Queen of Air and Darkness was first detailed in the book Monster MythologyMonster Mythology
Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...
(1992), including details about her priesthood. Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground
On Hallowed Ground
On Hallowed Ground is an accessory book for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, for the Planescape campaign setting.-Contents:This book contains information about deities' planar domains from 20 separate pantheons...
(1996).
The Queen of Air and Darkness was detailed for third edition in the article "Forgotten Faiths" in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#359 (September 2007), by F. Wesley Schneider.
Description
The Queen of Air and Darkness is a bodiless, invisible being, but she can be perceived magically as a faerie with pale, angular features, blood-black eyes, and a mane of black hair. She is beautiful, but hers is a terrible, eldritch beauty that chills the bone. The Queen is cold and utterly emotionless.Relationships
The Queen of Air and Darkness is the sister of TitaniaTitania (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Titania is the fey deity of Faerie folk and Realms, Friendship, and Magic. Her symbol is a white diamond with a blue star glowing in its center, the antithesis of the black diamond symbol of her sister, the Queen of Air and Darkness.-Publication...
, once a princess and heir to the Seelie Court
Seelie Court (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Seelie Court is a large, loose confederation of gods that consists of the leader Titania and her consort Oberon, as well as the following gods: Caoimhin, Damh, Eachthighern , Emmantiensien, Fionnghuala, Nathair Sgiathach, Skerrit, Squelaiche, and...
in the deep sylvan realm of Ladinion. The evil Queen, her once bright spirit corrupted and dead, now hates and opposes Titania's Seelie Court and everything they stand for. Because she embodies the corruption that can take root in the heart of the elvish race, Corellon Larethian
Corellon Larethian
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Corellon Larethian is the leader of the elven pantheon, and the god of Magic, Music, Arts, Crafts, Poetry, and Warfare. Corellon is also considered a member of the default D&D pantheon. He is the creator and preserver of the elven race, and governs those...
, Erevan Ilesere
Erevan Ilesere
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Erevan Ilesere is the elven deity of Mischief, Change, Rogues and Changelings. Erevan is a fickle, utterly unpredictable god who can change his appearance at will. His symbol is a nova star with asymmetrical rays.-Publication history:Erevan Ilesere was...
, Rillifane Rallathil
Rillifane Rallathil
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Rillifane Rallathil is the elven god of Nature, and patron deity of wood elves. His symbol is an oak tree...
, Sehanine Moonbow
Sehanine Moonbow
In many Dungeons and Dragons campaign settings, Sehanine Moonbow is the elven goddess of the moons. She is one of the more powerful members of the Seldarine. The Lady of Dreams actively opposes the nefarious schemes of the Spider Queen and the other drow powers. She is said to be the wife of...
, and Solonor Thelandira
Solonor Thelandira
In the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms, Solonor Thelandira is the elven god of hunting, archery, and survival in wild and harsh places. He teaches his followers the arts of hunting; including archery, moving unseen and hiding in wild places. He watches over the borders of...
also consider her an enemy.
Realm
The Queen's Unseelie Court can be found on the plane of PandemoniumPandemonium (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Pandemonium is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its...
. There, the goddess rules from a throne of shadows. Her court is filled with evil, twisted fey, elves, and undead. Hell hounds and yeth hounds slaver at her insubstantial feet.
Worshippers
The Queen of Air and Darkness is served by unseelie sprites, quicklingQuickling
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the quickling is an evil fey creature.-Publication history:The quickling was introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons....
s, evil elves, and bramble faeries, among others.
The Black Diamond
Legend has it that in the time before history began, dwarven miners had unearthed a ten-faceted black gemstone of dark beauty, innocently deciding to present it to the queen of the fey as a gift. The fey princess who would become known as the Queen of Air and Darkness remained in court on this particular day while her sister Titania was bathing in the waters of the river Afon Bhlu, which fed the lake Cwm Glas. The gem, which is whispered to have been the creation of the Dark GodTharizdun
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold....
, slowly corrupted the princess, eating away her physical body and destroying her soul. Ultimately she left the Seelie Court, absconding with her precious diamond and the great treasures of her race in a black chariot that belched smoke and fire. Soon after, the mountain from which the diamond was unearthed exploded, destroying the primordial fey realm of Ladinion and decimating the fey people. Since then the Seelie Court has been forced to wander the planes, never again finding a permanent home.
Myths of lost lands are common among the fey, and many speak of the Fading Lands that slowly disappear from the world of Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
.
The Corruption of the Fey
The Queen of Air and Darkness is blamed with the creation of all evil fey races, including quicklings and spriggans.Additional reading
- Boyd, Eric L. Demihuman DeitiesDemihuman DeitiesDemihuman Deities is a Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition: Forgotten Realms campaign accessory, published by Wizards of the Coast. The book was designed by Eric L. Boyd...
. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998. - Smith, Lester W., and Wolfgang BaurWolfgang BaurWolfgang Baur is an American game designer, best known for his work with Dragon magazine. He designs role-playing games and also is known for his work at Wizards of the Coast.-Biography:...
. Planes of ChaosPlanes of ChaosPlanes of Chaos was a boxed set for the Planescape campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Planes of Chaos is an expansion set for the Planescape campaign setting which details the five chaotic Outer Planes: Arborea, Ysgard, Limbo, Pandemonium, and the Abyss...
. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.