Vlaakith

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Vlaakith (pronounced [vlaˈkiθ]) is the name of the first ruler of the githyanki race after the disappearance of Gith, the rebel leader that united them against the illithids. Vlaakith CLVII, also known as the Lich-Queen (or, by her followers, as the Revered Queen), is the current ruler of the githyanki, and is a fictional character and adversary in the game.

Publishing history

While the concept of a githyanki lich-queen dates back to their original description, Vlaakith was first mentioned by name in A Guide to the Astral Plane (1996) by Monte Cook, which gave her full game stats for the first time.^[1]

In an adventure entitled "The Lich-Queen's Beloved" in Dungeon #100, Vlaakith CLVII was presented as a direct adversary who could be defeated and slain by adventurers. The adventure also revealed that she had been siphoning off the power of a dead god (now resembling rock) on which Tu'narath was built, which she accomplished, rules-wise, by killing githyanki that had risen above character level 16. This in turn gave her enough experience points to cast thousands of wish spells and come a fraction closer to getting the dead god's power and becoming a deity. The adventure takes place just as Vlaakith is about to ascend to godhood, and describes the consequences if the players allow her to succeed.^[2]

Appearance

Vlaakith CLVII resembles an aged, blackened corpse of a githyanki, with glowing green eyes. She wears fine purple robes embroidered with gold thread, covered in a black cloak embroidered with a silver star. She wears a headdress of gold and rubies, and carries a golden scepter topped with rubies and the head of a dragon.

History

Vlaakith I was an advisor to Gith and helped seal the pact between red dragons and the githyanki. All subsequent queens of the githyanki have been named after her. Vlaakith CLVI, the immediate predecessor of the current lich-queen, ruled for over six centuries, becoming a lich at some point during her reign, before being destroyed by Xinfyrit, first of the devourers. The last queen of the githyanki, Vlaakith CLVII, died after ascending the throne without giving birth to an heir, but (like her predecessor) returned as a lich, a type of undead. Vlaakith CLVII has ruled the githyanki for well over a thousand years, making her the longest-reigning monarch the githyanki have ever had. Her home, the Castle Susurrus, is in the githyanki capital city, Tu'narath, which is built on the god-isle of a deceased power known only as "The One in the Void.".

References

1. ↑ Cook, Monte. A Guide to the Astral Plane. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1996
2. ↑ Perkins, Christopher. "The Lich-Queen's Beloved." Dungeon #100 (Paizo Publishing, 2003).

Additional reading

• Stephens, Owen K.C. "The Ecology of the Devourer." Dragon #355. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.
• Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio (TSR, 1981).
• Wyatt, James. "Incursion: A World Under Siege." Dragon #309 (Paizo Publishing, 2003).