Lore:Medora Direnni

, the Lady of Balfiera (also called the Witch of Daggerfall, and—perhaps pejoratively—the Queen of Oblivion) was a Breton noblewoman  from the Isle of  , the court sorceress of  's King  , and his mistress.  The sorceress was of   Clan lineage, and resided in the Direnni's ancestral home, the ancient and massive   of Balfiera.  

During the  , Lysandus' wife, Queen  , banished Medora from the Daggerfall court. The sorceress retreated to Balfiera, but when Mynisera placed a curse upon Direnni Tower and trapped Medora within, Lysandus decided to fake his death and live with Medora. Unfortunately, the king was assassinated during the war. When the king's ghost began haunting the streets of  , Medora tried to contact Lysandus' spirit, but only ended up raising the dead all over the island. Some time later, an   of the  , sent to investigate Lysandus' ghost, later helped Medora lift the curse upon Direnni Tower. In return, Medora assisted in the agent's efforts to put Lysandus' spirit to rest.    
 

History
The War of Betony
thumb|right|Direnni Tower
During the reign of King  , Medora Direnni served as the court sorceress of the Kingdom of  , and for some time was secretly the king's mistress—an affair which blossomed into love.   In  , the independent island of   agreed to vassal itself to Daggerfall, ostensibly for protection against the rising threat of piracy on the  .This move angered King   of  , who cited an old agreement which named Betony as a traditional holding of his kingdom, and the situation escalated. 

Most of Lysandus' advisors urged the king towards war, save for Medora and the queen mother (and renowned mystic),  . The sorceresses foresaw doom for Daggerfall should that happen, but their warnings went unheeded. Sentinel declared war, and Lysandus led his armies to battle in what would become known as the  .   

While Lysandus was away fighting the war, Queen   learned of her husband's affair with Medora, and had the sorceress banished from court. Medora returned to the  , her Clan's ancestral castle on the Isle of  . But the jealous Mynisera was not finished with Medora and placed a curse upon her, trapping her within her tower. 

Shortly before the end of the war in  , Lysandus decided he would rather spend his life with his beloved Medora. He planned to secure victory in the war at  , then fake his death  with the help of Lord  , a noble of  . However, Woodborne assassinated Lysandus on the eve of the final battle.  

A few months after his death, Lysandus returned as a ghost and began haunting the City of  , screaming only one word: "vengeance".  Medora attempted to conjure his shade, but to no avail. The Lady of Balfiera tried greater and greater conjurations, but succeeded only in reanimating the dead all over her island, giving Balfiera a reputation as being haunted. Ironically, Balfiera was a haven for pirates—the same pirates that had been harassing Betony. They were driven out of the Iliac Bay by the undead hordes menacing the island. 

Lysandus' Vengeance
 
In  , Emperor   sent an   of the   to investigate the haunting in Daggerfall. The trail led to Medora, though the curse forced the agent to brave the undead-infested Direnni Tower to find her. Medora wasted no time in imploring the agent to help free her from her magical imprisonment. The sorceress required Nulfaga's assistance; though Lysandus' mother had reportedly gone mad with grief upon Lysandus' death, Medora hoped she'd recovered enough to provide a necessary ingredient to dispel the curse—a great unicorn horn. Nulfaga had withdrawn to  , her castle in the  , and while the Dowager Queen was still lost in her grief, the agent managed to find the unicorn horn within the castle. 

Once freed, Medora discovered a magical dust that could soothe Lysandus' rage. However, it was in the hands of  , the   Warlord of  . Gortwog had attempted to prevent Lysandus' assassination, and out of respect the Orc king consented to Medora's request; his only condition was that she support his claim to the " ". The Dust of Restful Death was already on Balfiera and was retrieved by the agent, though it was wrapped in an undelivered letter from Gortwog to Medora that implicated Wayrest in Lysandus' murder. The sorceress set about preparing the Dust, while the agent pursued the matter further. 

After a few weeks the powder was ready, though it would only soothe Lysandus' pain enough for him to choose his own exorcism. Medora once again contacted the agent, who found Lysandus' true tomb in   and performed the ritual. Lysandus' spirit was able to communicate, and (naturally) demanded vengeance against his murderer, Lord Woodborne. Lysandus got his wish, Lord Woodborne was exposed and taken down. It is rumored the agent either killed Lord Woodborne, or brought evidence to someone who could destroy him. Some say it was Medora who exacted vengeance, and that a flock of   descended upon Woodborne Hall and carried the treasonous nobleman off to his doom.  

See Also
For more information, see the Daggerfall article about Medora Direnni.
 

Notes

The book   suggests she is of   ancestry.

References