"Beware King Richard! You will pay for your lack of vision!"
Scotia (real name Margarithe Fiston) was a powerful witch and arch-sorceress of the Dark Army. She died at the hands of the Champion during the events of The Throne of Chaos. Her son Luther is the protagonist of Guardians of Destiny.
Background[]
In her youth, Margarithe had romantic aspirations for the then young Prince Richard and studied to become a member of the Talamari, an ancient traditional order of magical practitioners in Gladstone. However, she was ultimately spurned by both, as a lover and then failing her examinations. She eventually married a prominent local landowner and bore a son. After years of peace, the war between the Dark Army and opposing White Army flared anew and one of its first victims was her husband, slain by a raiding party as he accompanied the wagons to market along Gladstone's main road. She became enraged, blaming the lax security for her loss and turning enthusiastically to the dark side. She rejected the name Margarithe Fiston and took the name Scotia, burying herself in studies of the dark and magical arts. Proving to be a good student, soon her magical skills and unswerving hatred for Gladstone earned her the respect of all the Dark Army. She reigned supreme as the most powerful sorceress of her time and sought to bring about the death of King Richard. However, he was jealously guarded and she could not get close enough to do him harm. Acting on rumors mentioned in several of her magic tomes, Scotia began hunting for the legendary artifact known as the Nether Mask for it's reputedly powerful Shape changing properties that it bestowed upon the possessor. Becoming the first mortal in 18 centuries, she finally unearthed the mask from the deep mud where it had lain safely for centuries at the heart of the Urbish Mines in ancient priests' temple. Unbeknownst to her, the Nether Mask was one of the last major sources of Ancient Magic left in the world and the Ancient Magic radiation emanating from its activation not only destroyed the magical barrier that protected the fallen ruins, unleashing the monsters within, but also awakened the long dormant Mother Beast.
Not long after, King Richard received word from a messenger she had acquired the Mask. He sought out a Champion, a Huline named Kieran, to retrieve the Ruby of Truth from the noble Sir Roland at his estate. While he insisted they take whatever troops could be gathered locally to march upon and destroy her now before she could make use of the artifact, he was dissuaded by his councilors the mystic Dawn and Geron Arbroath, underestimating her powers and falsely believing that Gladstone Keep's defenses would be enough to stop her. Finally getting her chance at vengeance, she used the Mask to transform into a beautiful woman, hoping to entice Kieran into giving her the password to Gladstone Keep, but was rebuffed. While Kieran traveled to the Southlands, she flew in through the window of Jeron's office as a crow and poisoned Richard's drink while he sat in the throne room. Before she had a chance to see to his death however, she was confronted by the mystic Dawn and forced to flee. A protective magic shroud was placed over Richard's unconscious body until a cure could be found. While Kieran and Baccata sought out the Draracle is his caves, her Dark Army forces laid siege to the Keep, taking his body back to Castle Cimmeria. Without the Pyramid Keys however, she could not lift the shroud that kept him alive. When Kieran first attempted to enter the White Tower in search of the Elixir of Tybal, she placed a magic barrier preventing his entry that could only be destroyed by Vaelen's Cube, which he later acquired and used. After completing the Elixir, Scotia and her forces kidnapped Dawn and killed her driver Droek, then used the power of the Nether Mask to shape-shift into Dawn and attempted to trick Kieran and his party into giving her the last of the Pyramid Keys. Failing to do so, she transformed into a Giant Lizard and battled them before fleeing yet again. Shortly thereafter her armies, tunneling through the Catwalk Caverns, attempted to lay siege to Yvel but were roundly defeated and the Champion entered Castle Cimmeria to confront her. She attempted to transform into various monstrous forms but was prevented by the Whole Truth and thusly slain.
Shortly before her death however, she attempted to send the Nether Mask to her son through magical means. Instead of arriving in his hands however, the mask merged with his flesh, cursing him with uncontrollable metamorphoses. The Gladstone guards under orders from Geron proceeded to throw him into the Keep's dungeons for the crimes of his mother, despite no ambitions beyond bringing in the next harvest, very little in the way of magical talent and certainly none of his mother's pathological hatreds.
In Luther's final confrontation with the fully formed Belial, he resurrected the long-dead sorceress to battle against her own son in the Birth Chamber deep beneath the southern oceans in the City of the Ancients. It is unclear whether this was her true form or merely an illusion, as the Ruby of Truth gifted earlier by Dawn could be used to dispel her.[1][2][3][4][5]
By Game[]
Shape-Shifted Creatures/Characters[]
- Jenny[6]
- Lady Bird
- Crow
- Dawn
- Giant Lizard
- Toadulus
- Serpentis
- Executioner
Stats[]
| Form | To Hit | Dodge | Attack Speed | Magic | Armor Factor | Hit Points | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hag (Human) | 100 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 50 | 300 | 1000 |
| Toadulus | 150 | 75 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 250 | 200 |
| Serpentis | 150 | 85 | 150 | 100 | 45 | 350 | 500 |
| Executioner | 175 | 90 | 175 | 150 | 60 | n/a | 1000 |
Dialogue[]
The Throne of Chaos[]
Introduction cutscene:
Scotia: What can be taking so long? I want it now!
Scotia's minion (presenting her the Nether Mask): Your unholiness!
Scotia: (killing the minion): You will not make me wait again.
Scotia: (looking at the Nether Mask): Ha! It's a pretty little package! At last! Richard and his forces have met their match.
Scotia: (transforming into a young lady - Jenny): Ha! I like this!
Scotia: Yes! This mask will serve me well. Beware King Richard! You will pay for your lack of vision! Hahahahaha!
In the Northland Forest:
The Champion: Hmm, what would a beautiful young woman be doing on a road like this?
LadyBird: Excuse me lad. Are you with King Richard? I need to get into the Keep, and I have forgotten the password. May I go in with you?
The Champion: I am sorry Miss, but these are dangerous times!
LadyBird: (Leaving): Timid fool! I will not forget you!
Attacking King Richard in the Throne Room:
Dawn: Leave him vile witch!
Scotia: You cannot stop me! I found the Mask! My warriors have the Ruby, and this realm will soon beg for mercy beneath my heel!
Dawn: Postpone your celebration, hag! I will not permit this travesty!
Scotia: Oh? The inept charmer threatens me??
Scotia: (after being struck by her own magic attack): You, Dawn, will be the first to grovel at my feet!
In Opinwood:
Scotia: You fellow have become bothersome. Don't press your luck. You don't want to make me angry. I have business in the tower now, and I do not wish to be disturbed.
The Champion: I wish she would just stay and fight!
In Castle Cimmeria:
Scotia: (Warning): You will not cheat me again.
Scotia: So! You worthless dogs have come to your deaths!
The Champion: It is you who will breathe your last, Scotia!
Scotia: Ha! You brought my Ruby and its Shard to me! That fool Richard actually believes the old tale that they may defeat my Nether Mask. It is folly. They shall give me even more power.
The Defeat of Scotia:
The Champion: Well struck! That looks to be a mortal blow!
Scotia: Fool! My death will not save you from our wrath!
Guardians of Destiny[]
?
Gallery[]
The Throne of Chaos[]
Guardians of Destiny[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Trivia[]
- She is voiced and portrayed both times by Barbara A. Costa.
- The name Scotia is derived from Latin and originally meant "land of the Gaels". Later, it became personified as the mythological Queen Scotia who supposedly founded Scotland.
- When Scotia uncovers the Nether Mask she proclaims "You will pay for your lack of vision!". This line of dialogue is a reference to Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi when Luke Skywalker confronts Emperor Palpatine.
- When Luther interacts with her portrait in the Draracle's Museum he laments "Oh mother - dear mother, where did we go so wrong?".
Appearances[]
- The Throne of Chaos
- Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny (as a clone)
- Lands of Lore III (Mentioned Only)
References[]
- ↑ Lore of the Lands - Volume I
- ↑ Lore of the Lands - Volume II
- ↑ Events of The Throne of Chaos
- ↑ Events of Guardians of Destiny
- ↑ Dialogue with Greph
- ↑ Extracted audio file name