Morathi

Morathi (Morathi-Khaine)
gender	Female
race	Aelf
faction	Order
position	High Oracle of Khaine, the Shadow Queen and grand matriarch of the Daughters of Khaine; later the goddess Morathi-Khaine
status	Alive

Morathi, later called Morathi-Khaine and known as the "Shadow Queen," is an Ascended goddess and one of the handful of Aelf survivors from the World-That-Was, an inveterate schemer and betrayer who has served countless masters and hatched countless schemes.

Morathi hadonce been high priestess for the Aelven gods of old, served Slaanesh, conspired to put Malerion on his dark throne and only survived the transition from the World-That-Was to the Mortal Realms through sheer cunning and force of will.

Powerful enough to claim a place amid Sigmar's Pantheon of Order despite her lack of full divine status at the time, Morathi would abandon her former allies following failed attempts to manipulate them and even bitterly parted with her son Malerion, who claimed the Shadowlands of Ulgu and the capital of Druchiroth for himself.

Now, Morathi has reformed her uneasy alliance with Sigmar and the Pantheon of Order, but in truth, seeks only power and glory for herself. She may have the same empire-building impulses as the rest of Order, but her ultimate aim is revenge upon those who have spurned, scorned or tormented her – and a dark apotheosis, filled by the blood sacrifices made in Khaine's name.^[1]

History

Morathi, though she began her life in the Mortal Realms possessing close to the power of one of the Ascended gods, calls herself simply the "High Oracle of Khaine," the old aelven war god and god of murder in the World-That-Was. He rother titles include the "Shadow Queen" and "grand matriarch" of the Daughters of Khaine. She is a creature of magic, manipulation and secrets: a blood-priestess of battle and a mistress of lies and hidden intrigues. She is Morathi, and she would be a god...

Morathi is an ancient being, a seeress unmatched in her mastery of dark magics. In addition to being able to summon the horrors of the nightshade-realm, she has used her spells to morph into a comely form – a radiant she-aelf framed by outstretched wings wrought of shadow-metal. So great is her supernatural beauty that foes stand mesmerised by her rapturous allure. It is a fatal mistake, for Morathi wields her spear Heartrender with cruel efficiency, and her bladed pinions are themselves razor-sharp weapons that can easily lop limbs and heads.

As the matriarchal leader and High Oracle of the Daughters of Khaine, Morathi's every word is law, her every wish a command. With but a chanted invocation she can send members of the already-zealous warrior cult into a fever pitch, causing them to redouble their efforts to slaughter.

When diplomacy, sorcery or seduction are needed, Morathi maintains her aelf-queen guise, but at need, or when in the throes of the strongest of passions, Morathi reverts to her true form. It is a horrific sight to witness. Rippling waves of shadow emanate from her body, partially covering the violent transformation. Writhing sinuously, she twists into a towering new shape. Blazing eyes glow through the eldritch mists, which dissipate as enormous bat-like wings unfold. Uncoiling to her full height Morathi emerges in her true shape, her flowing hair replaced with venomous snakes that hiss as they strike through the umbral wisps that still cling about her.

Whilst in her Shadow Queen form, Morathi's fury reaches new heights, and she has the power to thrust Heartrender through a pillar of stone. She has been known to wrap foes in her crushing coils, while using her tail's sting and crown of snakes to deliver darting attacks. Most deadly of all, she can focus all the self-loathing and spite inside her into a single transfixing gaze. Those that dare meet her eyes must have a will of iron lest their blood boil and they burst apart.

Once transformed into her monstrous self, it takes time for Morathi's rage to subside: hours, even days, may pass before she can reassume her aelf-queen aspect. So great was her anger during the Blood Strife Wars that she remained in her Shadow Queen form for months.

Throughout her impossibly long lifetime Morathi has been many things: wife, warrior, and the queen and power behind the throne of not one, but two aelven nations of the world-that-was. She was a high priestess of the aelf gods, a consort to daemons and a mother to a son that would ascend to godhood. During all that time she was a spinner of half-truths and a manipulator of such scale that entire empires moved to the command of her sibilant whispers. That infamous past has been left behind, for Morathi has changed. Upon freeing herself from the torments of Slaanesh she has renounced her conniving plots, re-dedicating herself solely to Khaine. As his High Oracle, it is she who interprets the god of battle's wishes, and commands the war covens of the Daughters of Khaine.

And it is all a lie. Khaine is dead, his last vestiges of power and only hope for resurgence usurped, held within his iron heart and exploited by Morathi for her own benefit.

It is the most dangerous of games that Morathi plays, for she speaks with the voice of a dead god, issuing her own commands to an ever-growing order of religious warriors. Yet daily she draws strength from their blood offerings, while draining Khaine's iron heart dry of every last drop of power she can milk from its metallic chambers.

Morathi hopes to one day reap revenge upon all those who scorned, spurned or tormented her. She would use her rising power to achieve a dark apotheosis. With each drop of blood spilt in her cause, that day draws nearer.

Videos

Teaser The Shadow Queen

Teaser Blood and Fury

Morathi The Shadow Queen

Morathi Valentine's Day

Sources

• 1: Daughters of Khaine: Part 2 – Morathi, Shadow Queen
• Battletome: Daughters of Khaine
• pg 19
• Morati on Games Workshop site

Gallery

Morathi early concept art.

The New Aelven Pantheon.