Morriel Prime
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Morriel is the Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain at the beginning of Curse of the Mistwraith. She has been the Prime for the last 1425 years (since Third Age 4212) and, because the rite of succession becomes more difficult every year, has gone through several First Enchantresses who failed to survive the passage to become the new Prime. Her longevity attunement has the side effect of granting her hyperacute hearing.
Morriel is described as an unyielding, whip-thin woman in the lavender and purple robes of high office. She has black eyes and white hair with sharp cheekbones and a hawk nose. Her hair is netted in diamond pins and her fingers are jewelled with amethyst and gold. Her mantle is pinned with amethyst and gold as well. She has an elaborate gown, probably silk or brocade, with embroidery in gold.
Her robe of office has nine red bands of rank at the sleeves and (if she's going out) a hood of her over-mantle. Her blouse was silver or white, with full sleeves and probably jewels or seed pearls. Her girdle has threadwork, sewn in wardings, and she carries a purse tied or clipped to her waist, padded, and with pockets for various crystals. Large stones would be carried and brought to her by attendants.
In the rare occurrence when she is traveling into common company outside of the curtained palanquin, she would be veiled in silk gauze, the hem weighted against wind or chance disarrangement with pendent amethysts. The veil would be pinned back, or trailed down her back, say, in audience with one she considered a near equal (Fellowship, or adept initiate).1
Contents |
[edit] Role in the Story
| Spoiler warning: Contains plot elements from multiple books in the series. |
[edit] Curse of the Mistwraith
- Lirenda uses Morriel's directive to send an enchantress to Erdane in order to punish Elaira.
- Morriel is first introduced when Elaira is judged for her indiscretions in Erdane. In a trial at the old earl's court near Kelsing, She withholds judgement and Elaira is placed on probation.
- When the half-brothers battle the Mistwraith from Kieling Tower, Lirenda shows Morriel Prime a scene of Corith, where the Mistwraith no longer covers the sky. Morriel orders Lirenda to spy on the half-brothers through the Skyron focus, under cover of Elaira's love for Arithon. Arithon immediately detects them and upsets their scrying. This upset forces her to recall Elaira.
- Upon hearing that the Fellowship plan a coronation in Etarra, Morriel revises her orders and sends Elaira to Etarra.
- Morriel is informed by Lirenda that the Fellowship have temporarily imprisoned the Mistwraith at Skelseng's Gate.
- Following the failed coronation, Morriel recalls Elaira from Etarra, with intentions to meet her in Narms. She leaves the old earl's keep near Kelsing for the first time at this point.
- Morriel, Lirenda, and Elaira meet in an abandoned dye works at Narms, assisted by the half-wit, Quen. After catching Elaira up on events in Etarra, Morriel asks her to perform a character scan on each of the half-brothers. Morriel fails to see past the surface inconsistencies in Arithon's character, and judges him to be flawed.
- At the close of Curse of the Mistwraith, Morriel has returned to Korias, where she learns that her initiates have lost track of Arithon after the Battle of Strakewood.
[edit] Ships of Merior
- Five years later, the Koriathain have still be unable to locate Arithon. A grand scrying (at the hostel south of Forthmark) on the vernal equinox in Third Age 5644 is thwarted when the Fellowship raises Arithon's Name over Meth Isle Fortress. Morriel sees nothing beyond Arithon's surface paradoxes, and judges him a threat.
- Following the scrying, Morriel summons Elaira to have the initiate's crystal submitted for longevity enhancement and notices an emerging character flaw in Lirenda's continued fascination with Arithon.
- Based on Elaira's conjecture about Arithon's location, Morriel and the Senior Council travel to Athir, where they perform a grand scrying with twenty-four sorceresses over the Skyron Focus. The scrying fails, until Arithon's antics in Jaelot are noticed.
- When Lirenda informs her that Arithon is making for the open sea, Morriel decides to send Elaira after him to insinuate herself as his mistress. Based on the plans of Dhirken, Elaira is sent to Merior.
- After Elaira fails to bind Arithon in Merior, Morriel realizes that Arithon was able to outmaneuver her through flaws in her own design. She is examining various scryings from the lane watch to determine his next move when Haltha arrives with news of the Great Waystone. Realizing that Lirenda's continued fascination with Arithon may undermine her succession, she orders Lirenda to wrest the Great Waystone from Althain Tower and recalls Elaira from Merior. She also asks Haltha to repeat the vision of Arithon's location for Tharrick, who seeks him for vengeance.
[edit] Warhost of Vastmark
- Morriel is in Whitehold at the start of the book, puzzling over the hidden events that took place in Althain Tower, as well as Arithon's blood oath.
- Morriel appears in Dakar's vision concerning Arithon's possible assassination through the Great Waystone.
TBD: This section is a placeholder. It is complete up to page 717.
Note: Plot events here should only extend up through the major Morriel-related events from Grand Conspiracy. Please use the other entry for plot events after that point.
[edit] Facts and Trivia
- Although Morriel Prime was born on Athera, she remembers one or more of humanity's home worlds. The reasons for this have not yet been explored in the story.
