Elmaythia Blackcloak

"Step further into the bleak, if doom is what you seek."

- Elmaythia Blackcloak

Elmaythia Blackcloak is a very old and insane sorceress who resides within her lair in Kaniros. She is also the creator of the Black Arts and a Goldike Being.

History
In her youth more than a thousand years ago Elmaythia Blackcloak's name was Eilrmayl, though where she spent her youth is the source of great speculation. Some sources place her in the ancient Kanir Empire. Whatever her nation of origin, it is known that she was more gregarious as a young woman, creating and hosting magefairs and classes, and taking many apprentices. However, as her power grew, she became more interested in aberrations and the Daedric Planes, which led to growing paranoia and viciousness.

In 2E 729 Eilrmayl, now calling herself Elmaythia Blackcloak, arrived at the foot of Mount Zairzech Tal with her apprentices, collectively called "De Tad". Elmaythia summoned daedra to construct Elmaythia's Hold and claimed the nearby lands as her own. Most likely she chose the location because of an abandoned Kanir outpost buried deep beneath the surface.

Elmaythia refused to release the daedra after they constructed her Hold, instead sending them into the caverns to explore. This began Elmaythia's Hunts, a long series of journeys into the area now called the Flihoongoyst, driving out the various monsters that lived there. By 2E 870 Elmaythia had complete control over the near-endless tunnels and caverns and began constructing the largest and most deadly dungeon imaginable, Grimdiqorith.

By that time, Elmaythia had become completely mad and wanted nothing to do with the outside world. She left her hold to live in Grimdiqorith itself, allowing the keep to fall into ruin. Several of her apprentices came looking for him; she slew two before demanding the rest help her fortify her dungeon even more. One refused and managed to escape and would later become a great scholar and provide what little history there is about Grimdiqorith, the Mad Sorceress.

Elmaythia's Apprentices
Several of Elmaythia's apprentices would become extremely powerful in their own right, though all would become infected with her madness.

Elmaythia's Jester's day
On Jester's day of 4E 158, two members of the Skeletal Hand managed to kidnap Elmaythia Blackcloak from inside Grimdiqorith. They used a ritual to summon the Mad Sorceress to Vykazad where they could scrape the secrets of Grimdiqorith from her mind. Elmaythia's kidnapping allowed the madness of the dungeon to escape. Portals began randomly transporting creatures from Grimdiqorith to places throughout Kaniros, causing havoc and destruction everywhere. A group of adventurers managed to reach Vykazad and free Elmaythia. The Mad Sorceress immediately returned to Grimdiqorith, which quelled the chaos of the dungeon and ended the terror of Jester's day.

Nelthro in Oblivion
In 4E 161 when Nelthro was inadvertently sent to Oblivion though not to Apocrypha. Hermaeus made a bargain with Elmaythia, that he would try to cure her insanity if he rescued Nelthro from Oblivion. Elmaythia agreed, and entered Attrivution's Share. Though she was unsuccessful, and had to be rescued in turn by Volkarion Nelthar, Hermaeus kept his word, and managed to partially cure her.

Disappearance
Shortly after dawn on 20th of Evening Star, 4E 164, an earthquake struck Talkazad. Though the city suffered little damage, many people throughout the town saw visions of Elmaythia screaming, her eyes ablaze with rage, sorrow, and swimming stars. Arcanists who saw the visions also reported scenes of destruction in the vast maze of Grimdiqorith: pillars cracking and crumbling, chasms and rifts opening, and explosions of sparks. Those brave enough to investigate quickly discovered that Elmaythia had vanished completely while attempting a powerful ritual; as she disappeared, she hurled desperate visions and compulsions to people all across the continent. However she is sporadically still seen across Kanrios.

Personality
While in Grimdiqorith, Elmaythia seems constantly distracted, always chuckling and muttering to herself over people and happenings only she can discern. She also has difficulty holding the thread of any conversation.

If she is ever removed from Grimdiqorith, she regains her lucidity. At these times, Elmaythia is fastidious, meticulous, and quite proper, though still thoroughly evil. Elmaythia can be honorable, and even noble in a way. She brooks no insolence in any case, and remembers any slight or aid given her. She also tries to get her own way in everything, caring not for the harm she does to others in the process. Blackcloak's interests include collecting new monsters and magic, but after thousands of years, nothing is really new to her. Whilst waiting for such delights, she amuses herself by manipulating events and politics to suit her whims.

Trivia

 * Elmaythia is based on Halaster Blackcloak of the Forgotten Realms and resembles him in absolutely every possible way.