Idolde Evermere

Umbral Human / Sorcerer

Submitted character story

Idolde Evermere was born within the crumbling
halls of Evermere Manor. It was a once-proud
estate that overlooked the moors of her
homeland. The Evermere family carried an
ancient noble title, though little remained of the
influence that had once accompanied it. Their
wealth had steadily diminished over
generations - spent maintaining appearances - and
their name carried more historical significance than
political value. Even so, Isolde was raised to believe
that the Evermeres had a duty to preserve what
remained of their legacy.
Her father devoted much of his life to restoring the
family’s fortunes. He searched old records and
negotiated with distant relatives in the pursuit of
forgotten claims to land and inheritance. Her mother
managed the estate more directly, and oversaw
Isolde’s education.
As she grew older, Isolde became increasingly
involved in her father’s efforts to rebuild the family’s
standing among the region. She accompanied him
into neglected wings of the manor while they
searched for records that might support old claims.
Together they explored locked chambers and
forgotten vaults that previous generations had left
untouched or had otherwise hidden away.
When Isolde was seventeen years old, she
discovered a hidden chamber concealed behind a
collapsed bookshelf in the oldest section of the manor
library. The room contained a myriad of journals and
ledgers, as well as correspondence that dated back
centuries.
The journals described a bargain that was made
generations earlier with a being that dwelled within
the shadows between worlds. According to the
writings, the pact granted prosperity and influence to
House Evermere. In exchange, one descendant in
each generation would carry a fragment of the being’s
essence.
Isolde brought the journals to her father, believing
they revealed little more than the superstitions of a
distant ancestor. But her father’s reaction unsettled
her. Rather than dismissing the contents, he admitted
that the stories were true. He explained that the
family had benefited from the pact for generations and
that its influence had weakened over time. He
believed their decline was directly connected to the
bargain losing its hold.
Isolde viewed the pact as a curse that had burdened
countless descendants, while her father saw it as the
foundation upon which their family had survived. The
arguments, along with the estate’s financial situation,
worsened. And Isolde’s father became increasingly
desperate as creditors demanded repayment, the
manor’s servants departed, and portions of the manor
itself fell into disrepair.
As the pressure mounted - and in spite of Isolde’s
oppositions - her father decided to renew the pact.
Knowing well enough that such a deal could change
his family’s lives. Isolde argued that continuing the
pact would condemn future generations to the same
fate. But her father refused to abandon what he
viewed as the family’s last chance for survival.
On the night of the ceremony, Isolde descended into
the crypt determined to stop it. The ritual chamber
contained her father, several trusted retainers, and an
elaborate circle of silver markings copied from the
ancient journals. As the ceremony progressed,
shadows gathered unnaturally around the room.
Darkness pooled across the floor and climbed the
walls as though it possessed a will of its own. Isolde
stepped into the circle and disrupted the ritual,
shattering the delicate balance of the ceremony. The
gathered shadows erupted outward, filling the crypt
with violent supernatural energy. Several of the
retainers were killed instantly while stone pillars
collapsed and the darkness surged toward Isolde.
They bound to her as a wave of power tore through
the crypt. Falling stone struck her father as he tried to
protect her, crushing his skull against the ground. By
the time the survivors escaped the ruins, the family
patriarch was dead and much of the manor’s
foundation had been destroyed.
Isolde’s recovery from the event stole weeks from
her life, and her mother never found peace from her
father’s death. As life crept ever so slowly back to her,
she began to experience strange sensations. Voices
spoke to her from empty rooms and dark corners.
Shadows moved independently of their sources.
Dreams carried her to strange landscapes where
towering silhouettes watched from impossible
distances. More troubling still, magical abilities
awakened within her. Power answered her emotions,
often manifesting without warning.
Rumours spread throughout the region regarding
the catastrophe beneath Evermere Manor. Local
nobles distanced themselves from the family, and
creditors accelerated their demands. Within a year,
the remaining estate had been sold to satisfy the
debts.
When the final brick of her family’s legacy crumbled
away, she chose to leave behind the remnants of her
former life and travel beyond the lands that once
defined her family. Seeking to understand the nature
of the being attached to her soul, and uncover the full
history of the pact, in the hopes that doing so will
determine whether others remain connected to the
same ancient force.
Every step she takes brings her closer to answers
that have been buried for centuries. She adventures
because the consequences of her decision in the crypt
continue to shape her future. The entity remains
within her, its presence grows stronger whenever she
draws upon the magic it granted her.
Isolde Evermere intends to find a solution before
that power consumes what remains of her life, and
she is willing to cross kingdoms and confront ancient
horrors to ensure that the Evermere legacy ends with
her.