Sylvyana (? PC - ? AC) was a sorceress of great power and the queen of Silvanesti in the years following the Third Dragon War. She was the first wife of the Speaker of the Stars, and was considered one of the most beautiful elves of her time.
Early Life[]
It is known that Sylvyana and the Human Druid Waylorn Wyvernsbane were lovers for a while. But eventually Sylvyana became the wife of the Speaker of the Stars. After a time, the Speaker get married again with another elf maiden, and the Silvanesti turned from her in deference to their new queen. She was marked as a Dark Elf and all the records of her were destroyed.
Post Third Dragon War[]
Sylvyana, indignant and outraged, tried to look for revenge against the Speaker, the new queen and the elven people in general. She appealed to the Endless Hunger for aid and started to practice Necromancy.
She traveled north to the mountainous region of Qwalmish where she found a great colony of Wyverns. With the power of the Endless Hunger she bonded them to her. It is said that she used a corruption of the ritual used to bond Griffons in Silvanesti.
Soon after a nomadic human group moved from the south to the region following the migratory patterns of wild game. The nomads came across the wyverns and immediately attracted the attention of Sylvyana. She decided that they could be used for her cause and subjugated them. Sylvyana experimented with them to make human vassals, through ritual sacrifices and cannibalism practices she managed to make some of them part of her personal guard.
Sylvyana built an enchanted tower in Qualmish and recruited six female Kyries to serve her, the Raven Witches. It was said that a curse had fallen upon the elven court around this time, the first Wichtlins appeared as a result of the dark experiments of Sylvyana.
Meanwhile, she built up an army of followers, the wichtlani, composed of wyverns, human savages and undead (mainly wichtlins) to attack Silvanesti. She wanted nothing less than claim the souls of all elves on Krynn as her subjects.
When her armies were ready, she launched an attack against the elven kingdom. During the war, Sylvyana managed to spread somehow the ritual for creating wichtlins, so there was a possibility that every elf died violently and could be claimed by the Endless Hunger, allowing Sylvyana to transform them into wichtlins. The Endles Hunger offered Sylvyana a timeless existence in payment for her achievements. She was transformed into a tenacious soul. During the war, Sylvyana became to become known as the Ghoul Queen.
Waylorn Wyvernsbane got involved in the conflict when he knew of the attack of Sylvyana. He and a group of adventurers, which included a Knight of the Sword called Dereg Reynhold, managed to seriously hurt her. In the battle, Darkstar, later known as Mantooth, played a major role.
The Ghoul Queen managed to escape to her enchanted tower. Waylorn, Dereg and the others heroes followed her. In the tower they fought again against Sylvyana and the rest of her minions, including the Raven Witches. But their victory was only partial, as Sylvyana and the Raven Witches managed to escape again with the help of the Endless Hunger, who allowed them to escape through the River of Time. The Ghoul Queen promised to return when her enemies would be weaker.
Post War of Souls[]
Several months after the end of the War of Souls the Endless Hunger called the Ghoul Queen to return from the River of Time. She stepped from the ruins of the Tower of the Morning in Baleph, located in the island of Crystine. In three months she managed to recruit again her minions of wyverns and wichtlins and spread her influence to all the Fey Wood. She transformed the reclusive fey communities into hateful bands of killer sprites and converted several Kagonesti tribes to the faith of the Endless Hunger.
She was related also to the creation of Allomanya in conjunction with Gellidus and Tdarnk, and especially with its more purified form.
Her aims hadn't changed. Sylvyana tried to transform all of the elves of Krynn into her undead servants through the combined power of the Tears of Mishakal, the Willstone of Habbakuk and the Ram's Horn of the Elderwild. But her plans failed due to a group of heroes who managed to defeat her. She again escaped into the River of Time.
Other Names[]
Other than the title of the Ghoul Queen, Sylvyana has also been known as Silvyana on occasion.
References[]
- Dragons of Krynn (Sourcebook), p. 147
- Tales of the Lance (Sourcebook), p. 102, 158
- Monstrous Compendium: Dragonlance Appendix II
- The Bestiary, p.147
- War of the Lance (Sourcebook), p. 287-288
- Spectre of Sorrows, p. 45
- Price of Courage, p. 4, 5, 38, 124-125, 137-143, 145-146, 148, 150, 152, 156, 158-160, 265, 316-317