Aurora Shadowborn

First introduced in the Ravenloft adventure module A Light in the Belfry and later appearing in the novel Shadowborn, Aurora is a nonplayer character associated with the mythos surrounding the Shadowborn Family. In universe, she is the sister of Ferran Shadowborn, the former High Mother of the Church of Belenus, and the would-be love interest of Morgoroth. However, due to tragic circumstances and Morgoroth's treachery, she is trapped in a glass coffin locked in eternal stasis within Tergeron Manor, Morgoroth's former residence.

Publishing History

As previously mentioned, Aurora was introduced as an NPC in the module "A Light in the Belfry" (release date 1995). That module lays down her background as an adult and how her fate came to be. That module also provides player characters the chance to free her from Morgoroth. Domains of Dread set the events of this module at 646 BC.

Later (release date 1998), a very young Aurora Shadowborn made a cameo appearance at the beginning of the novel Shadowborn (set in 626 BC).

Biography

Family Information and Early Life

Like the rest of the Shadowborn Family, Aurora Shadowborn hails from the Great Kingdom of Avonleigh (specifically, the Province of Avonleigh. She resided at Shadowfast. She is the daughter of Lord Vincent Shadowborn and Lady Victoria Shadowborn, the sister of Ferran Shadowborn, niece of Lady Kateri Shadowborn, and the cousin of Alexi Shadowborn. (However, Alexi was raised by Aurora's parents as her adoptive brother.)

As a youngster, Aurora Shadowborn was lovingly nicknamed the "Terror of Shadowfast" for her rambunctious and energetic disposition. She gave some training to Pitch on how to be a trick pony, though the tricks may have had useful purposes.

Adult Life

In 640 BC, the necromancer Morgoroth fled to Avonleigh seeking a new chance to atone for his life of dark deeds. By this time, Ferran was lord of the province and also the leader of the Knights of the Circle. He granted he granted asylum to Morgoroth in return for swearing loyalty. For quite a long time, Morgoroth served as a trusted and faithful adviser, so much that the other paladins set aside their misgivings and even the spirits that haunted the Phantasmal Forest were disregarded.

When Morgoroth met Aurora, he became smitten but did not express his feelings for fear she did not return his love. Despite his perceptions, she felt the same way about him and she held similar feelings. In 645 BC, Morgoroth could stand holding his feelings in no longer and confessed his love to Aurora. Saddened and shocked, she ran away, for she was to take a vow of celibacy to become the High Priestess of Belenus' church. Because of the suddenness of Morgoroth's confession, Aurora believed she had behaved too sinfully tempting to him. On the other hand, Morgoroth interpreted her reaction for horror, and he made no more mention of it. Aurora and Morgoroth avoided each other for the ensuing year, making the necromancer's heart grew heavier with despair.

In 646 BC, Morgoroth's heart turned black again after killing Lambert, a knight that had tracked down Morgoroth from his homeworld. Seeing little else to lose and realizing the true evil in his heart, Morgoroth decided to take what was his. Ferran soon met doom on Morgoroth's doorstep merely checking in on him. Following Ferran's disapperance, Morgoroth kidnapped Aurora and fled back to his home. He destroyed the rest of the Circle as they attempted to siege Tergeron. With this final act of betrayal, the Dark Powers brought him, Tergeron, and the land surrounding it to the Land of Mists (but not the full Province of Avonleigh itself, which remained behind). Aurora was placed in a a glass coffin. Morgoroth attempted to construct a magic mirror to escape the Demiplane of Dread, but the effort backfired with a blast of eldritch power. The blast destroyed the mirror, separating it into thirteen ethereal shards. In addition, the blast destroyed Morgoroth's physical form and dispersed his ethereal essence throughout Tergeron. Driven mad, his malign intelligence became one with the manor itself.

Current Sketch

Aurora remains eternally unaging but eternally slumbering in the glass coffin. The disembodied Morgoroth watches over her with a jealous eye. Even after over a hundred years so trapped, Morgoroth's hostility towards adventurers and other intruders unwittingly thwarts those who might have helped him by collecting the lost lost shards of his mirror.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		A Light in the Belfry
		A Light in the Belfry - p30
		A Light in the Belfry - pp28-31, Track 4-13,49