In “Midnight”– the first Tales from Iyastera one-shot— players can explore one of the many legends about the Red Queen, an immortal being who thrives upon the fervor and bloodshed of battle. Before you delve in, here’s some background lore about one of Iyastera’s most well-known deities!
The Red Queen is known by many different names throughout the realm– Enali in Ilha, Ayashtar in Tashkil, and Belgronna in Moineir– but no matter the name, the images associated with her are the same: a towering figure with a winged helm and crimson armour no mortal blacksmith could recreate. A hooked spear and barbed chain are her weapons of choice, and she rides into battle with warriors from all kingdoms and creeds, all united by their thirst for combat.
Followers of the Red Queen are known to stir chaos and conflict throughout the realm, finding points of tension and escalating them to the point of battle, for it matters little which side is victorious, so long as the flames of war are kept burning. It is said that any who die in battle with those flames in their heart will join her army after death as conscripts, standard bearers, and even commanders, all bearing the mark of the crimson chain on their arms or legs. Mortal kings and queens who become consumed with the pursuit of glory in battle are said to have “drank of the Queen’s wine”
There have been many champions who wear the Crimson Chain with honor, who have the power to turn the tides of war and rally others to their cause, though in the true nature of their deity, the casualties from these conflicts are staggering. To ensure that the bodies of the fallen are properly conditioned for conscription, each champion is also granted the power to manipulate the boundaries between life and death, for a warrior who has already died once will not be afraid to die again.
It is said that the army will ride with their Queen at the end of time, when the entire realm is consumed with bloodlust, to deliver the final blow to the petty squabbles of the living and reset the battlefield for all.