Ralihyne comes off as a bitch with a heart of ice. She tends to speak in a crass, abrasive, and sarcastic sort of manner. Those that are close to her know she isn’t actually as heartless as she makes herself seem. But her prickly demeanor tends to leave her lacking in the “friends” department.

It is a very bad idea to waste her time. While she will not go into a rage, she will become increasingly more difficult to speak to. With her responses being more sarcasm or backhanded insults than anything with actual substance. She very much detests idle chat or drawn out conversations and will do what she does to end it.

Past all the rudeness and sarcasm, she cares deeply for all her those who inhabit her kingdom. And for whatever may be needed of her to keep her kingdom thriving, she will do so without a second thought. Her people come first, and everyone who call her their Queen knows this and have the utmost trust and loyalty for her.

Ralihyne views her greatest responsibility is to her kingdom. She will do what she must to ensure their survival. 

Early Childhood (cw: abuse mention)

Only vague and foggy memories remain of parents that never cared, or wanted her. Ralihyne was abandoned in an open stretch of the Mountain Base Region soon after hatching. At first, she searched for her parents, but it was a futile attempt. She quickly had to focus on her own survival.

Being just a hatchling, she had no ability to fend for herself. Other dragons took pity on her and left her scraps as though she were a stray cat. She was even given her name by those that pitied her. But being an Armorflare Dragon, none wanted to take her in. No Armorflare would have one that isn’t their own, and no other creature wanted to risk such a dangerous dragon around them. So staying alone it was.

There was always the yearning to be accepted by someone, anyone! To maybe find her parents. To be loved. Eventually, she thought she found this in the form of an Other-Realmer. A pseudo dragon that called themself Reborn, or Rebee.

They found her while she was picking scraps off some bones a generous dragon decided to leave behind. Rebee was hungry too, as well as scared and unfamiliar with Kruigen. Sharing the meager meal came without a second thought, Ralihyne was quick to offer it up to the anxious newcomer. A little too desperately, actually.

The first interaction went amazing. It was the first time someone actually, truly spoke to her as though she were a being of intelligence rather than some stray animal. In her affection-starved mind, she immediately imprinted with this strange other-realmer. And she thought Rebee felt the same in the way they acted toward her.

Pre-Teen (cw: emotional abuse)

The two of them began their multi-year partnership. Rebee often expressed how truly grateful they were for Ralihyne to have helped them. They promised to repay her somehow, and she believed them. Why wouldn’t she? Rebee had been nothing was amazing so far.

After the first year, the relationship took a turn. The kind creature Ralihyne thought she knew grew colder but still refused to leave her side. It was odd, and at first she thought Rebee might just be homesick. Then the hurtful words started. Words that stung like burning venom.

“Why are you so useless when you’re a full-blooded dragon? Did nobody teach you anything?”

The first time Ralihyne was completely blindsided. Rebee knew her situation by this point, why would they say that? Just as quickly, her friend seemed to take it back and apologize. Acting as if she never meant it and that she was just stressed. But this was no accident.

It only got worse from there. Rebee saying something cruel, then later apologizing and returning to their sweet as honey act. Every time Ralihyne accepted the apology and brushed away the hurt, fully believing it was all just stress and anxiety. Her friend was constantly an anxious mess after all.

The insults and hurtful words soon evolved into Rebee constantly demanding Ralihyne stay close to them all the time. Claiming they get very anxious when they’re gone and only her presence can calm and make them feel safe. Of course Ralihyne believed it, and day by day she had less freedoms that she went blind to.

The need to be around Rebee constantly made them jealous of anyone Ralihyne ever interacted with. If she would so much as passively greet another soul, Rebee was there demanding what her relationship was with them. It would almost always progress to them making her feel guilty about hypothetically leaving Rebee all alone. Alone like she once was. 

Keyah (cw: emotional abuse)

Ralihyne had grown more and more anxious and emotionally reserved the longer this went on. She couldn’t risk to so much as look at anyone else. But while she never saw an issue with this at the time, someone else sure had noticed it.

It was a dragon from the Field Region, a long distance from home. He had been traveling and happened to notice her and Rebee one evening. Rebee was giving their usual manipulative act, and Ralihyne was apologizing profusely for something trivial. It struck a chord in this newcomer’s heart.

Over some weeks, it became impossible for Ralihyne to ignore the presence of this dragon. Though, she saw two of them; one grotesque, pale white and faded as though it were made of fog, and the other dark with bright blue eyes always staring at her. It frightened her greatly, especially the pale horror that mirrored the male’s likeness as though it were his corpse.

Rebee, however, only saw the dark male and instantly assumed Ralihyne knew him. Of course it wasn’t so, but reasoning with Rebee was so far out of the question at this point that she had to accept anything that came. That’s when the dark dragon finally acted.

He swiftly put himself between her and Rebee, glaring down at the now frightened other-realmer with a look that could kill. Ralihyne‘s head spun as the next thing she knew, her best friend had been threatened and she was now being carried away by this unknown dragon.

When her mind returned, she struggled and fought against him, though he was unaffected. She would later learn his name to be Keyah, and the pale corpse that followed him to be a guardian of sorts that goes unseen to most. He would tell her everyday they traveled that she is safe now and she has nothing to fear any longer. But from her view, she was just kidnapped by this mad dragon and his undead counterpart.

It was just before they entered the Field Region when she finally was able to successfully sneak away. Her destination, of course, back to Rebee. Instead of concern or relief, she received anger and accusations. All Ralihyne could do was cry and once again apologize in hopes of calming her extremely agitated friend.

Teen (cw: abuse, stalking, deat

Over the next several years she would still occasionally see Keyah or the spectral guardian. Always hiding somewhere, never like before when it was obvious. She always expected to see anger on his face, but he only ever looked concerned. She honestly had no idea how she felt about that.

Meanwhile the controlling grip on her life only tightened. She was soon never allowed to leave the den without Rebee, so she would often sit by the entrance and gaze at the sky, or nearby tree line in case Keyah was around. She found herself secretly hoping to see Keyah or the spirit, which confused her because he was bad… right?

Ralihyne eventually worked up the nerve to one day approach Keyah and ask to know why he sticks around. The response is unexpected and, at first, infuriates her. Keyah told her that she is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, and that Rebee is hurting her. She of course tells him he doesn’t know Rebee, and storms back to the den, telling Rebee what happened. Rebee is furious at Ralihyne for talking to anyone while they weren’t with her.

With Ralihyne still overtaken by her emotion from the confrontation with Keyah, an argument breaks out. The two scream at each other for a time, Ralihyne finally being able to stand up for herself. The pieces connect in her mind, at last telling her that Keyah was right. The built up rage and hurt is finally let out, but it still isn’t Rebee that gets hurt.

No, Rebee doesn’t want someone that talks back. Now Ralihyne is useless to them, and is no longer interested in keeping her around. That day, Ralihyne loses her life, the last thing she sees is the guardian spirit lunging at her lifelong abuser. Mere seconds too late.

Awakening

Blue void surrounds her, vast and empty. She is confused, her mind is hazy, and she feels as though something is wrong. She can hear a voice, it’s faint but it sounds… familiar? All she can do is focus on it, trying to make out the words and remember.

The blue void melts away and her eyes open, she sees carved stone walls, dirty and scarred with age. When she tries to move, her body is stiff and unresponsive, so she lies still in her dazed state. This isn’t right, she knows that somehow.

The voice comes again, so much clearer now that her eyes are open. It suddenly rushes back to her, her last moments of life. Rebee stole everything from her. She manages to turn her head to see Keyah, and all she can do is stare at him. Her mind is blank now.

Keyah had spent years trying to bring her back to life, and finally he had succeeded. Ralihyne had no idea he was a Necromancer, though he was a complete mystery to begin with. It wasn’t like she ever gave him a chance. But for the time being, it explained the presence of the pale corpse.

Ralihyne stayed with Keyah of her own choice, she didn’t have a home she wanted to return to anyway. She was offered a way to leave if she so desired, Keyah expressed he knew it was ultimately his fault for what befell her. He sounded legitimately guilty, very much unlike Rebee.

When she gave Keyah her choice, he looked surprised, and admitted he didn’t think she would want to stay. Of course he was very happy, and gladly showed her around, carrying her on his back as she was currently unable to stand on her own.

He was a prince of a fallen kingdom. Every single creature of his kingdom being undead and he, in a way, saved them all. While his own kind has been long extinct, he gave the aimless dead of Kruigen a chance at a new life in this sanctuary. Most of the castle inhabitants already knew of Ralihyne, and now that she was awake they now had her name.

The prince of the dead was surprisingly unskilled with raising the dead. He had no interest in adding to the already massive amount of lost souls. His exception for Ralihyne was due to it being unfair she had never even had a chance at her own life. Though at this time she didn’t even know if she hated him or was grateful.

She would spend the next few months coming to terms with her premature death, and currently unique circumstance. When Keyah was unable to accompany her, he would assign one of the guards to do so, at least until she was able to regain full movement. She was very cooperative with the rehabilitation, and made a full recovery, minus the now being undead part.

Deadwood Castle

Her unlife was much easier than her actual life treated her. She grew to love it in the castle, and despite being extremely shy and reserved due to her past, Keyah made sure to keep her company when she was comfortable with it. She also grew close to the main guard, Khadun, but was a little disappointed about the lack of being able to communicate with the pale spirit. She did, however, learn that the spirit was one of the first rulers of the kingdom in ancient times.

She spent a lot of time wandering the castle grounds and exploring the nearby tree line. Sometimes Keyah or Khadun would accompany her, other times she would go alone. The freedom was such a good feeling to her, and it helped in her emotional healing process.

After several years of living in the castle, some of the undead of the kingdom began to refer to her as Keyah’s mate. She didn’t know how to address this, so she just accepted it. Keyah was very sweet to her, and when she thought about it, she felt she could see herself staying with him. He seemed to feel the same as well, and eventually asked if she would like to be the queen of his kingdom. She said yes, and there was a grand ceremony to make it official.

The inhabitants clearly respected Keyah a great deal. And as he deeply cared about Ralihyne, who he nicknamed Rahu, the inhabitants respected her as well. Though it would still take a long time before she became a bigger presence in the kingdom’s development and rule.

Becoming a Lich

As Ralihyne’s confidence grew, she realized that she has never had any elemental skill despite being a dragon. All Kruigish dragons have some sort of elemental ability, so why didn’t she? She confided in Keyah who, without a second thought, offered to teach her his knowledge of Necromancy. His particular brand of Necromancy is referred to as a Death Speaker.

Being a Death Speaker means he protects and has the ability to heal the undead. Knowing this, Ralihyne eagerly accepted the offer, and the long process to mastering Keyah’s Necromancy began. She became well adept at the healing aspect of it, better than Keyah, in fact! He was so incredibly proud of her.

After gaining enough skill in the healing arts of being a Death Speaker, Keyah encouraged her to travel Kruigen just as he once did. There are many undead that require assistance that aren’t in Deadwood, nor have the ability to find it. Along with it being such a good way to improve her skill as a new Necromancer. For this, she nervously accepted.

Ralihyne was set up with the supplies she needed, and advice on what to do. Which was greatly appreciated and calmed her nerves slightly. Still, it was a huge thing she was to do.

Keyah was, of course, correct in that this would help her master her abilities. Along the way she met many creatures, both mortal and undead. She became extremely familiar with the workings of Kruigen, and learned how to navigate any region with ease, save for the inaccessible Frozen Mountain Region. And once again, the feeling of freedom was amazing!

She spoke to and guided many lost undead back to Deadwood. One issue in particular kept coming up; none of them knew where they belonged until she found them. This pulled at her fragile heart, and she realized how lucky she was to have had Keyah watching out for her. There had to be a solution!

Progress

Upon returning to Deadwood, Ralihyne immediately informed Keyah of this issue. He agreed and said he had noticed it too, but believed there was nothing he could do besides seek the lost souls himself. Of course she disagreed, and insisted there must be a way.

Her determination to this was admirable, and she was offered as much help as needed. And she spent many, many years dedicated to finding a way to guide all these lost souls in mass. Her determination led her to the Goddess of Darkness for assistance on the matter, but was denied. Though that never dampened her drive for a solution.

The solution Ralihyne has created was something of a beacon. After the meeting with the goddess, she stole Dark Crystals and used them as a crafting component for her means. It was an absolute success, and within only a few days of mounting the device atop the highest point of the castle, lost undead souls began making their way to the kingdom in groups.

While this was such an incredible success, and she was viewed as a savior, a new problem arose. The amount of lost souls was highly unexpected, and there became far too many. Neither she nor Keyah would ever want to cast anyone out of the kingdom! So once again, Ralihyne went to work on a solution.

This one was mercifully much simpler than the beacon. It took numerous interviews and weeks of spending time with the non-castle dwellers. She learned that many of the oldest members of the kingdom felt they had lived their unlives and have wanted to finally pass on. So many of them felt they were immortal and stuck in this plane until the end of time.

Once again, Ralihyne relayed his to Keyah. The two agreed that they can put to rest those that wish for it. This resulted in a beautiful ceremony, called Last Light, which honors the souls that wish to pass on.

Ralihyne’s Rule (cw: death)

With the creation of the Last Light Ceremony, Keyah raised a point about how if it ever gets to the point he and Ralihyne wish to pass on, they should leave behind an heir. At first, Ralihyne was very against the idea of this, she did not want children. Actually, she found herself to be asexual. But she did think Keyah had a point, and instead she asked if he could find someone else to have  the child.

Being ever respectful of her and her wishes, Keyah did just that. The baby boy hatched healthy and took a striking resemblance to Keyah with the same dark colors. Ralihyne found herself loving this child just as a mother would, and Keyah and she named him Ketu.

Unfortunately, not long after Ketu’s second year, Keyah fell ill. This is extraordinarily rare for an undead being. Ralihyne became greatly worried despite Keyah downplaying it.

After months of the illness only getting more and more severe, Keyah finally admitted that he believes his mind and body are dissolving. Ralihyne tried to deny that as a possibility but Keyah was adamant. The first time Keyah had ever gone against her wishes was when then. He gave all of his magic to her, saying if his mind goes he does not want to hurt anyone. Especially not his love. 

She promised him she will find the cure and return what is his. She then spent decades, centuries, searching for a way to cure him. Every year she lost Keyah a little more, every year he became a little more dangerous. She and Khadun were forced to lock his feral body below the castle for the safety of all.

Despite Khadun telling her Keyah was already gone, Ralihyne denied it. She obsessed over finding a cure until Keyah’s body was nothing more than a frothing pile of sludge. Only then did she begin to grieve, and little Ketu had to temporarily take over rule of the kingdom until his mother returned to her senses.

When she was fit to regain control of her kingdom, she was but a hollow shell of her former self. She was cold and unfeeling to those around her, no longer the creative and happy dragoness that everyone loved to be around. It was utterly unnerving, and this is how she still is currently.