Over the years, I've heard whispers and rumors; of the legacy that lingered along the tides of fate. Every time they told the story of Erida, they spoke of not a woman, but the Sovereign's wrath incarnate and the first and last Lord of Shadows. She was the darkness-given form, but she wasn't always like that. Occasionally, hidden beneath the tales of cold brutality, the cruelty only possible by the Arbiter of the Dominion Guard, is a story of love and redemption. This is a tale of a woman who nearly destroyed herself to rise higher than she dreamed, in the end only to fall. I tell of a woman consumed by the darkness who defied the odds to find love. There were moments of tenderness, kindness, and even compassion, traits antithetical to the rest of her story. These are the stories that I want to share.

While the Commonwealth Emissary to Hisperidia, I gathered these stories, lost diaries spread throughout the world, hidden texts left in her wake, and stories passed from person to person. I share these stories with the intent that we better understand the woman known as the Arbiter, Executor, Lord of Shadows, and the Wrath. In these last years I have collected and polished these stories to tell her story, one of sacrifice and love. Many of my sources are first-hand accounts, faded memories of confidential sources who cautiously agreed to speak to me or others who hope to see me finish this biography.

What resulted was not what you'd expect. This isn't the tale of some faceless, abhorrent monster with sharp teeth that ends with a stalwart hero come to slay them. Erida's story is the tragic tale of a young woman who loved and made a mistake, and a woman who adored her sister and gave up all she was to give purpose to the sad day which defined her. I tell of a young woman corrupted and altered by ambition. I share the thoughts and stories of a mother turned distant, unable to be with her children in the way she truly desired in her heart.

As I share this story my purpose is not to immortalize the cruel caricature of a cold Lord that she became. It's to remember the woman she once was, to reflect on the woman who loved and, in return, found love. To me, that is the most critical part of her story. I talk about a woman's life known for countless deaths and many more to suffer needlessly. She made many choices, some good ones and some bad. She didn't begin life as an Arbiter, as a Lord Shadow of the Inquisition, a Dark Lord of the Kirral, a High Lord, Lord, or even a Neophyte. She wasn't always ruthless or feared by all who opposed her. No, she began life as Erida VanIsle, born on the outskirts of Daeyl Brook. Deep within that monster was a good person who would do anything and sacrifice everything for love. There were moments of tenderness and kindness in her life, most of which were overshadowed by darkness.

She was a victim of the vicious cycle of personal tragedy and indoctrination that I've dedicated my career to try and end. Her success along this darkened path fueled her self-confidence, ambition, and determination, which only pushed her further along. She earned a place in history as one of the most brutal, powerful, and deadly women in our history. For every moment of doubt, there was a greater force which drove her. She suffered and was fueled by the anger that had defined her, the darkness that Erida could not deny.

In her prime, she was one of the wealthiest in the Kirral Empire, with an enormous prefecture and perhaps the most extensive stock of trade routes. Her charisma was often said to be the most dangerous thing about her. According to all my sources, there was just something about her - she could make people believe in her and trust then use that to exploit them and get what she wanted. It was how she became the Arbiter in the first place and rose to such heights in the Kirral Empire. Her presence commanded those around her to inspire and motivate others to do the impossible through their simple desire to impress her. Ironically, it was her charisma that was her greatest weakness. With the confidence and beauty required to inspire legions came a simple desire above all else, Erida wanted to be loved and admired. She wanted people to see her as infallible and the embodiment of a Kirral, but this only caused them to be drawn in closer before she inevitably crushed them. The vicious cycle never ended, it only served to push her further down her path into the darkness. It was that desire that drove her every action and thought. She fueled her legend as she hid her age, and pretended to be far younger than she was, this made her many feats much more impressive. It was that desire that would be her downfall in the end. Despite her power and influence, she yearned and searched for more. As the years went by, that desire only grew stronger. In the end, her desire destroyed all she had gained.

I hope people will remember the woman she once was – a sister who loved and was loved in return. Erida was a woman who could be kind and tender, despite the darkness within her. She sacrificed all she was for someone she loved, but so many other people suffered for that sacrifice.

Because of a twist of circumstance, a young woman became the fallen sister known worldwide. Erida VanIsle was a force to be reckoned with. Driven by anger, regret, hatred, and pain, she became one of the most brutal women in the world.

Erida VanIsle was a complex person with a difficult life, but ultimately, she was a victim of circumstance. I hope this will help people understand the life and tragedy of this woman, and that this will help those who still feel that intense hatred in their hearts for her to understand her better. To know that hatred will only cause the cycle to continue once more. To know her story just might end that cycle, and allow those she hurt to heal.

If we wish for the tragedy of Erida VanIsle to end here, we have to leave room in our hearts to understand what caused her to do as she did. We must learn from her mistakes and the pain she endured to avoid that icy rage that burned within her heart. Only then can we learn from her story and ensure we do not follow in her footsteps.

May the light guide you on your path.

Annabelle Soto

Daeyl Brook

Commonwealth

1366