Medrika was a Dark Elf spider alchemist. She developed the redwire spider, but stole it to escape the viciously competitive Dark Elf society. She brought the spiders to Aractrash and started a relationship with Prince Gollard to defend herself from the wrath of King Croshan of the Dark Elves. Unfortunately, despite having a daughter with Gollard, the human still set her aside for another. Medrika returned to the Underdark. With renewed confidence she killed King Croshan and replaced him as the new Queen of the Dark Elves.
Medrika was born after Croshan transformed his people and took them underground to escape the dragon occupation of Cimmeria. She grew up in the dark tunnels of the Underdark, but was always fascinated by the rare sources of light beneath the earth. Lava, phosphorescent mushrooms, and the fires lit by surface dwellers exploring the deep. Medrika also kept a collection of living spiders. Nurturing all kinds and documenting their particular characteristics.
King Croshan’s defeat at Jeutontic changed the focus of his reign. He still wished to raid the surface for commodities that couldn’t be produced in the Underdark, but a competitive edge was needed. Croshan turned to experimentation with spiders to provide mounts and attack animals. These experiments also yielded valuable resources in chitin, silk, and extracted poison. The most useful of all inventions was made by Medrika. She created the redwire spider, an arachnid capable of spinning thread as strong as steel.
Medrika had grown to hate the competitive and self-serving culture of the Dark Elves. King Croshan had threatened execution or torture for alchemists that didn’t deliver results. While Medrika’s experiments proved successful, she still feared for her safety within Croshan’s kingdom. As revenge for her friends who Croshan murdered, Medrika eradicated the redwire spider population. She fled for the surface with a few dormant redwire spider eggs while Dark Elf warriors pursued her. She was rescued by Gollard, the Prince of Yuettencal.
Medrika begged Gollard to protect her in exchange for the redwire spiders she carried. The young man was smitten with Medrika’s beauty. He agreed to protect her. Gollard and his subordinates defeated the Dark Elves that had stalked Medrika through the Underdark and then took her to the surface. She used the redwire threads to weave redwire silk armor for Gollard.
Croshan sent an army to Aractrash to reclaim the valued arachnids. Darnard, Khygantha, and Gollard led their people into the Underdark tunnels to drive the Dark Elves back. Medrika provided information and collected intelligence to help Gollard while he wore the redwire silk armor into battle. Medrika’s assistance turned the tide in the fighting. The humans of Aractrash emerged victorious while Croshan retreated from surface dwellers once more.
After the victory Medrika became an out-of-place member of Yuettencal’s court. She cultivated the redwire spiders and taught others how to propagate them, but she remained friendless outside of Gollard. She and the lordling continued a romantic relationship that resulted in a daughter, Andima. Despite their love, Darnard forbade their marriage due to Medrika’s Dark Elf lineage.
Gollard eventually moved on from Medrika. His father’s persistent influence won out in the end. Gollard set aside his Dark Elf mistress and daughter in favor of Chatkal, a nymph of the Aractrash Jungle. Gollard still provided accommodations to his family within the palace, but he no longer saw them regularly.
In time Gollard’s parents died and he assumed leadership over Yuettencal. Gollard’s first act was to marry Chatkal. Zeus blessed the marriage by bestowing a golden crown upon Gollard. He became King of Yuettencal. Medrika and Andima left the kingdom, filled with furious jealousy at Gollard’s betrayal.
Meanwhile, King Croshan’s health worsened after his loss to the Aractrashan Prince. His centuries of life and leadership underneath the ground had taken their toll. Desperate to survive, Croshan looked to spiders for an answer. Using his ancient magic and alchemically enhanced spiders, Croshan was born anew as a drider. Half Dark Elf and half spider, King Croshan planned to rule his kingdom for eternity.
Croshan’s plans were ruined by the return of Medrika. After Gollard was done with her, she came back to the Underdark. Once an opponent of the competitive Dark Elf culture, Medrika came back as its master. She organized a shadow war of assassinations and kidnappings, getting closer and closer to Croshan until he too was slain. Medrika took the throne as the new Queen of the Dark Elves. She reorganized their soceity through a zealous group of priestesses who were loyal only to her.
In a final insult to Croshan, Queen Medrika refined his spider transformation to be used as a punishment. Driderification empowered the victim while simultaneously removing all opposition to Medrika’s will. Any who rebelled against her soon found themselves acting as one of her strongest servants.
Queen Medrika’s rule suffered under the attacks of Queen Regent Anajakaze of the Xorians. Anajakaze led an invasion of the Underdark beneath Jeutontic. She successfully conquered the lands under the Xorian Kingdom including the Duergar Kingdom and the western portions of the Dark Elf Kingdom. The populace of these regions were enslaved to the Xorians and later on the dragovinians. Medrika fought against the Xorians to reclaim her realm, but only recently saw success after the collapse of the Xorian Empire. Once the Dark Elf domain is united as one, Queen Medrika will set her sights on those who betrayed her, the royal line of Aractrash.
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