D&D: So Who is Lord Soth – An Adventurer’s Guide
In all of Krynn, one figure inspires fear in the whole realm (and then later Ravenloft). Check out the original Death Knight, Lord Soth.
Lord Soth is the original Death Knight. A villain so foul he spawned a whole category of monsters. He became not just a Death Knight but a Darklord as well, when his villainy took him away from Krynn to the mists of Ravenloft.
But who as this figure? And what villainous acts did he commit that took him from reigning on Krynn to being pulled into thedemiplane of dread to both rule and be tormented? Who was the Death Knight in Life? Let’s find out.
Lord Soth – The Life of a Death Knight
In life, Lord Soth was a formidable warrior who was once a proud Knight of Solamnia. He was just and good but had a vainglorious, prideful streak that would be his downfall. His skill helped propel him to the rank of Knight of the Rose, the highest rank in the order. But it all comes crashing down after Soth falls in love with an elf, probably murders his wife (though nobody can prove it), and betrays his order.
Initially, this works out okay for Lord Soth. He retreats from his order to his own keep with his new elven wife Isolde. The two of them have a son, Peradur. For a time, everything is peaceful.
And then you remember this is D&D. As such, Isolde receives a vision of a coming cataclysm for Krynn and sends Soth on a quest to stop the wrath of the gods from being called down. Soth, still mostly a knightly dude, heads out on the quest. Before he can complete the quest, though, he meets with elves who tell him that he’s on a fool’s errand. Instead of going on his business and not believing them, he immediately murders everyone. Then he heads back to his castle and murders his wife (this time we can prove it) and leaves his son to die.
The Undeath Of Lord Soth
Isolde curses Soth as she dies. And death curses are a powerful fantasy trope. Krynn is no exception. In wrath, the gods reawaken him as a death knight, making him one of the most powerful evil beings in Krynn. If you’re wondering why they would do that, clearly you aren’t thinking. Obviously, the best way to punish someone is to give them immense power and immortality so that they have to live a life corrupted by evil and making everyone miserable. That’s definitely what the murdered victim of Lord Soth would want.
Lord Soth became a figure of terror in Krynn, joining forces with series villain Kitiara, and fighting in several of the series’ well-known wars. This made him a perfect candidate for the Mists of Ravenloft. Before he could carry out an evil scheme on Krynn, he was drawn to Ravenloft where Soth comes into conflict with Strahd von Zarovich himself.
Lord Soth carves a bloody path through the Land of Mists, and in his search for a way out, finds himself swept into a recreation of Solamnia, where he is once again given a test – a chance to earn redemption. At the border of the Mists, Soth comes into a recreation of his final moments of life. In the throne room of his keep, he once again finds himself coming face to face with his wife, Isolde, as well as an idealized version of Lord Soth as he was in life.
Now Lord Soth, faced with a chance to atone for his past, refuses, attempting to strike down his wife and son, and becomes the darklord of a new realm, Sithicus.
In Sithicus, Soth is eternally tormented, ruling a kingdom of elves (whom he blames for his betrayal and death) and there he remained until Ravenloft itself came under attack.
Torment, kin-slaying, and unimaginable power–seems like the perfect recipe for an arch-villain.
