Lore

Deities of Imarel - by T.A. Saunders ©2013 v1.0

Ilyanka, Lady of Black Words Lore

“All things have their cost. All costs must be paid.” This is the creed of those who follow Ilyanka; the more fierce the curse called upon, the greater the price for that curse must be. Primarily a goddess of witches, warlocks and shaman, Ilyanka does not judge those who call upon her power, or those she allows to suffer from it. Hers is a wrath that comes if the price for her power is not paid. In such cases, the curse cast is often the curse returned to the caster, tenfold. If that even fails to suffice, she will send her Grakalar, bipedal vulture creatures, whose winged arms have long, curved bone scythes upon them, that retract for flight, but can extend to bury deep into mortal flesh. Those taken in this matter are dragged back to Lyth to face the goddess herself, and are almost never heard from again.

Ilyanka, as a Risen Goddess, had a mortal life in the Kingdom of Sengaard during the time of the Vampire Insurrection, and the rise of Khavos. She was the fortune teller and battle advisor to King-Priest Almagodan Estaran, during the early days of the conflict. Initially, Ilyanka's predictions of battles were spot on, winning the King-Priest key victories in holding the eastern territories, including the lands of High Lord Bennett Lynn. It had been a constant point of vexation to Khavos, that his superior forces were somehow being routed by surprisingly well-prepared humans.

It didn't take long for the Avatar of Decay to discern the source of the King-Priest's fortune. It was only a matter of how to put an end to it. While simply killing the woman would be easy enough, Khavos wanted to demoralize his enemies for an easier conquest. So, it was arranged that a child vampire, by the name of Eliana was brought into the camp to kill, then take the illusionary form of the girl that normally brought Ilyanka her material components for fortune reading. Then she would use her mind domination to implant a false battle prediction into her mind, that in reality would lead the King-Priest's armies to a crushing defeat.

On the eve of what would be known as the Battle of the Cairyn Hills, Khavos hatched his plan and unleashed the child-like elder vampire on the camp. Eliana was able to quietly kill the usual servant, then doppleganger, and plant the mind-altered prophecy into Ilyanka's mind without incident. It wouldn't be till late into the afternoon of the following day (and well into the fateful battle), that the servant girl's body would be found, but too late for anything meaningful to come of the discovery.

The battle had been the first, and arguably the worst routing of the entire Vampiric Incursion. from a standing army of 100,000 soldiers, all but fifteen were said to have perished on the Cairyn Hills, including High Lord Lynn and most of the King-Priest's valuable veterans. In his blind furor, he ordered the wildly confused and distraught Ilyanka be crucified on the very battlefield so many had fallen. Accounts made by the men who were tasked with the act of crucifying the woman tell of her mad laughter, even as the vultures pecked out her eyes and tore at her skin. “I have paid the price for your fortunes, my king!” it is said she called out. “Now, with my dying, you too shall pay!”

There is much conjecture as to who ascended Ilyanka, with many favoring the Lady of Spite, Velsai as the most likely candidate. Indeed, while Ilyanka remains neutral in matters of whom hexes whom, it is often matters of spite that collect the most profit from her dark exchange. There are few pure priests of her following, as there are no official churches, but they do exist, often as part of a coven of witches and warlocks. When she is seen amongst her dark flock, she appears as a pale-skinned woman without eyes, dressed in bloodied robes of gray and brown.