Osterneth

Osterneth grew up as a child of nobility in a kingdom that has long since been forgotten. When she reached maturity, she was married off to the king of an allied nation in a marriage of convenience.

Osterneth’s new husband was heavy handed and cruel, and she suffered quietly through his beatings and
humiliations. Unknown to her husband, though, Osterneth acquired skill with arcane magic under the tutelage of the king’s covetous brother.

Beautiful and charismatic, Osterneth quickly mastered court politics, bringing many young nobles into her fold. Her laughter was infectious and her smile charming. Everyone delighted in her presence except the king, who became increasingly callous and ill-tempered.

When possible, Osterneth escaped court intrigues by slipping out of the castle to masquerade as an adventurer of mediocre arcane talent. She enjoyed these fanciful outings until one day she and her companions stumbled upon a den of cultists dedicated to the worship of Vecna, who was then still a new god. Osterneth watched in horror as her companions were brutally murdered. She was kept as
a prisoner of the cult for months until inexplicably set free by her captors.

Within weeks of returning to her husband, the king grew ill and died. Members of the court whispered that the king had been poisoned, but such rumors were squelched when the rumormongers went missing.

Osterneth was crowned queen, and at first was a benevolent but aloof ruler. As she became increasingly distracted by her study of eldritch rituals and arcane relics, she withdrew from the public eye. With each passing year, she deferred more of her duties to the lords and ladies of the kingdom. So absorbed was Osterneth in magical research that she didn’t notice the mounting aggression from her nation of origin. The war with her homeland raged for three years until Osterneth’s capital city was taken and her forces
were defeated.

Osterneth had a surprise for the invaders, though. In her quest for eldritch might, the queen had tracked down and slain the leader of the cult that had captured her. From the fallen cultist she claimed the Heart of Vecna, a powerful relic that granted everlasting life. Through a secret ritual, she placed the heart inside her chest cavity, and, with its power, became a powerful lich in the service of Vecna. With this newfound power, she obliterated her enemies by raising legions of the dead to oust the would-be conquerors.

After hundreds of years, she had become known as the Bronze Lich. She was finally captured and imprisoned here. And now she has been set free to once again commit atrocities.