Vanessa Horne, the Witch Queen of Pedmore Peak
Overview
Vanessa Horne is a high-ranking, notorious figure in the Black Coven of Aerenfall. Known as the Witch Queen of Pedmore Peak, Vanessa once ruled over the village of Pedmore with an iron fist—her magic enslaving its people and her spectral barghests ensuring no rebellion could rise. She is an elegant, dangerous figure who defies the crone stereotype typically associated with Black Witches, presenting herself instead as a beautiful, sophisticated, and chillingly regal sorceress.
Profile
- Full Name: Vanessa Horne
- Aliases/Titles: The Witch Queen of Pedmore Peak, Lady of Curses, The Exile of Pedmore
- Affiliation: Black Coven
- Race: Human
- Apparent Age: Early 30s (true age unknown)
- Appearance:
- Ashen blonde hair, worn long and flowing.
- Piercing ice-blue eyes that seem to see straight through to the soul.
- Pale, flawless skin; always immaculately dressed.
- Prefers black, flowing dresses often adorned with sparkling sequins, and sometimes a tiara to emphasize her self-styled title of “queen.”
Origins
Born in the superstitious village of Tubbton, located in Skandalsea, Vanessa displayed magical abilities from a young age. Rather than celebrating her gifts, the villagers—and eventually even her family—feared and rejected her, driving her out into the wilds.
Surviving on her cunning, Vanessa sought out ancient and forbidden knowledge. She became a student of Crone Yaga, one of the most infamous figures of the Black Coven, and later deepened her dark mastery by consorting with Unseelie Fey, learning necromancy from a Velisch vampire, and summoning lesser demons to bargain for power.
Rise to Power
Vanessa eventually crossed into the Kingdom of Albion, where she claimed an abandoned military tower overlooking the village of Pedmore. Using enchantments and fear, she enslaved the entire settlement, styling herself the Witch Queen of Pedmore Peak. She summoned two barghests—glowing green spectral hounds—to patrol the area and enforce her will.
Her reign was brought to an end when Princes Andor and Lothar of Albion happened upon Pedmore. Together, they led an uprising that shattered Vanessa’s hold, driving her into exile. Yet Vanessa survived, and she is said to now haunt the wilds, plotting her revenge—not just against the princes, but against the world that scorned her.
Magic & Abilities
- Primary Schools: Cursecraft, Necromancy, Pain Resonance, Fey Hex Magic
- Signature Powers:
- Summoning and commanding barghests.
- Dream-leeching magic that saps the sanity of her enemies.
- Glamour magic learned from the Unseelie, allowing her to mask her aura or seduce minds.
- Necromantic abilities learned from House Velisch vampires, including raising minor undead.
- Lesser demonic bindings for temporary power boosts or forbidden knowledge.
Familiar
- Two glowing green barghests, spectral hounds bound to her service. Their howls carry through the hills around Pedmore Peak, long after Vanessa’s exile.
Personality
Vanessa is cold, calculating, and patient. Unlike many of the Black Coven’s members who flaunt their malice openly, she prefers subtlety and layered schemes. She projects the image of an ice queen—graceful, controlled, and endlessly dangerous. Yet beneath that surface burns a deep-seated rage born of rejection, betrayal, and loneliness.
Current Status
Now a fugitive, Vanessa wanders the wilds and shadowed places of Albion. She is believed to be plotting new schemes to regain her lost power, and perhaps even to claim a larger domain than before. Some whisper that she is forging alliances with darker forces: Unseelie agents, vampire houses, and even minor demons.
Notable Quotes
“We are not evil. We are the harvest of your cruelty. You sowed the thorn—we merely grew sharp.”
Connections & Rivals
- Crone Yaga: Vanessa’s original initiator into the Black Coven; relationship now distant, possibly tense.
- Princes Andor and Lothar of Albion: Her sworn enemies, responsible for ending her reign over Pedmore.
- Black Coven: Vanessa is an independent force but remains aligned with the broader goals and malice of the Black Coven.
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