Lord Soth

Lord Loren Soth was a Death Knight from Krynn who became the first darklord of Sithicus, a domain in the southern part of The Core of Ravenloft. Soth always wore the armor of the Solamnic knightly Order of the Rose, including a great helm which hid all of his facial features save for his glowing orange eyes. ThIs armor was charred by the divine fire that slew him leaving only the blackened image of the rose upon its surface, from which Soth gained the moniker "Knight of the Black Rose". Beneath his armor Soth's body was pale and translucent, with patches of burned and blistered skin and the scant remains of his blond hair and mustache. He also radiated a supernatural aura of cold that could cause frostbite on contact.

Lord Soth was a formidable warrior; a skilled melee combatant who, thanks to his curse, also commanded a powerful array of lethal magic spells. In addition, he could raise and control lesser undead at will. Though he came to view the ideals of the Knights of Solamnia as hypocracy, Soth always maintained the forms and appearance of honorable combat. He viewed any opponent who would flee from battle or fight dishonorably with utter contempt.

Background

Mortal Life

On Krynn, Lord Soth was a member of the Order of the Rose, the highest of the chivalric orders of the Knights of Solamnia. Soth did many brave deeds across the continent of Ansalon, and his goodness and valor were well renowned and celebrated by his fellow knights. Soth built a castle for himself in the shape of a budding rose which he named Dargaard Keep. He moved into this keep with his wife Lady Gladria of Kalaman and thirteen loyal knights. That Soth's marriage was a loveless one of political convenience was generally known to his household and the other knights of Solamnia, and it was this fact that led to his eventual downfall.

One day, Lord Soth and his knights came across a group of bandits attacking a party of elven women who on their way to the city of Palanthas. Soth's knights engaged the bandits while Soth himself chased down the bandit captain, a great ogre who was attempting to flee with one of the captive women. Soth slew the Ogre in single combat and rescued the elf maid Isolde. The knights agreed to escort the elveen women to Palanthas, where Isolde was planning to become a priestess of Paladine. During the trip, however, Soth became infatuated with the beautiful Isolde and seduced her. The two became secret lovers and Isolde became pregnant with Soth's child.

Soth then truly began his slide into darkness. He arranged for his Seneschal Caradoc to murder Lady Gladria in her bed so that Soth would be free to wed Isolde. This Caradoc duly did, but Soth's indiscretions with the elf maid had been discovered by the other Knights of Solamnia. Soth was accused of adultery and of failing to live up to the chivalrous oaths he had sworn. Also, because of his apparent indifference to Gladria's death, he was suspected of complicity in his wife's murder. Soth was convicted of these crimes, stripped of his knightly orders, and imprisoned. Shortly thereafter, Soth escaped from prison with the aid of his thirteen loyal knights and returned to Dargaard Keep. The Knights of Solamnia followed and laid siege to the castle. Soth married Isolde, but their life inside Dargaard was not a happy one. Soth became sullen and abusive to those around him, even to his new wife and child.

In a moment of clarity, Soth prayed to the god Paladine for a quest to redeem his honor. The god responded, instructing the disgraced knight to travel to the city of Istar and prevent the Kingpriest there from demanding excessive power from the gods. Paladine threatened to crush Istar with a giant meteor if Soth failed. Soth slipped out of the besieged castle and set out on his quest. However, on the way Istar, his wife's companions goaded Soth with lies about Isolde's fidelity and the paternity of their son. Consumed with rage and jealousy, Soth abandoned his quest and turned back. Paladine made good his threat in a massively destructive event (later known as "The Cataclysm") just as Soth returned to Dargaard to confront his wife. Divine fire burned throughout the Keep. As she was dying Lady Isolde held out their son for her husband to save, but Soth refused and instead let them die. The fire burned Soth to death; however, he rose from the dead as a Death Knight.

Undeath

The curse that turned Lord Soth into a Death Knight also affected others in his household. His thirteen knights were transformed into mindless skeletons under Soth's command. The thirteen elven women of Lady Isolde's party became banshees who constantly tormented Soth by reminding him of his failings. Caradoc remained the Seneschal of Dargaard Keep, only now as an incorporeal ghost. For three hundred years Soth sat on his throne in Dargaard until, once again, he became obsessed with a woman. This time he had become infatuated with Kitiara Uth Matar. Kitiara was a blue dragon highlord and a general in the service of the evil goddess Takhisis on Krynn. Soth devised a plan to trap her soul and turn her into his undead consort. But before his plans could be completed Soth was betrayed by Caradoc, and the two were drawn into Ravenloft. Later, the shade of Kitiara (though not her true spirit) periodically appeared in Sithicus, reminding Soth of that which he could never have. Throughout his time as master of Sithicus, Soth desired nothing more than to return to Krynn with Kitiara at his side.  

Soth in Ravenloft

Emerging from the Mists into Barovia, Soth and Caradoc met the minions of Strahd. While Soth was distracted, Caradoc made good his escape. After slaying a number of Strahd zombies, Soth was led to the Vistani camp of the Kulchevich Family.

In the camp of the Kulchevich Family, Soth sought wise counsel on the nature of the Land of Mists, Barovia, and their masters. Madame Girani, raunie of the clan, received him, and there was a brief exchange of information. However, hostilities and then violence emerged between Soth and Girani. Soth set loose Girani's "pet" upon her and then set her vardo ablaze. Girani's curse fell upon Soth as she died. On his way out of the Kulchevich camp, Lord Soth slew a number of vengeful Vistani whom attacked him. He also kidnapped Magda Kulchevich. To Soth, the young granddaughter of Madame Girani had a defiant spirit that marked her as different from her kindred

With Magda (unwillingly) serving as a guide, Lord Soth traveled through Barovia, eventually ending up in Castle Ravenloft to meet Count Strahd. There, a tense situation was seemingly absolved through Strahd's declaration that all of the Kulchevich's lives would be forfeit for their transgressions against Soth. However, this peace was but momentary, as animosity flared into Soth's rampage across the castle. Strahd's minions beset Soth and Magda as they forced their way out of Castle Ravenloft.

Back in Barovia Village, Soth encountered Terlarm, a fellow outlander from Krynn. Under interrogation, Terlarm revealed the location of the Luna River Portal. With the help of the new met Azrael Dak and his keen sens of smell, Soth was able to locate and enter the portal. There a a horrible gibbering guardian assaulted Soth, Azrael, and Magda. Though they slew it, the portal turned out to be a dead end. Strahd reappeared and sought to reconcile with Soth. Soth accepted Strahd's appeasement and, manipulated by Strahd into seeking the Hunadora Portal, left for Gundarak. There, Soth was told the spilled blood of Medraut Gunder, Duke Gunder's son, would open s portal to escape the Land of Mists

A pair of giants, Fej and Bilgaar, waylaid and attacked Soth and company during the trip through Gundarak. Azrael and Soth slew the giants, but Magda escaped during the commotion. After pursuit became unfeasible, Soth and Azrael left her to whatever fate had in store for her in Gundarak.

At Castle Gundarak, Lord Soth fought both Medraut Gundar and his father. Duke Gundar was put to flight, and Medraut was cut down, his blood leaked on the floor of the boy's own laboratory. Soth and Azrael went through the Hunadora Portal, only to wind up back in Barovia.

Subsequent to their unexpected return, Soth and Azrael rampaged through Barovia, taking on a mixed company of several hundred zombies, skeletons, and mercenaries, before coming back to Castle Ravenloft, where th. ey witnessed Caradoc's retreat from. Soth and Azrael caught up to Caradoc along the border between Barovia and Sithicus. Soth gripped Caradoc's neck, enjoying the latter's torturous death so much he did not see the Mists surround them. Within the Mists, Soth appeared in a seeming recreation of Solamnia. There, he was given a final last chance at redemption. He rejected it and thereby became the darklord of the newly-formed Sithicus. Although Caradoc had met his doom, he had achieved victory in preventing Soth from finding Kitiara.

==As Lord of Sithicus

Soth disappeared during the Hour of Screaming Shadows and returned to Krynn, where he was subsequently slain.

Lord Soth either can roll death's heads at will using death's-head dice or alternatively can only roll death's head. He cursed Oliver Arkwright to only be able to do the latter.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Domains of Dread
		Domains of Dread - p51 When Black Roses Bloom - throughout
		Domains of Dread - p51 Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p84 When Black Roses Bloom - pp58-59
		Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp50-51 Ravenloft Third Edition - pp15-16,18,139-141 Domains of Dread - p51 Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - pp30-31,84 The Evil Eye - pp57, 58 When Black Roses Bloom - p58 Tales of Ravenloft:The Rigor of the Game - pp183-188 Realm of Terror - pp78-79 Heroes of Light - pp92-93
		Loren Soth Knight of the Black Rose The Cursed Knight