Elise

Vicious and elegant, Elise's charismatic grace lures the innocent and greedy alike into her web of deceit. While her victims may discover her true intentions, no one has ever lived to reveal what dark secrets lie behind her enigmatic guise.

In dark halls, hidden from society, Elise preached the word of a mythical  spider god ^[1]. Her desperate followers hungered for the god's favor, believing its blessings to be the source of Elise's vibrance and power. When Elise proclaimed that she would lead a pilgrimage to the spider god's shrine, she selected only her most devout disciples to join her. Ecstatic, the chosen few followed her blindly as she led them on a perilous journey across the sea. When they came ashore at their final destination, the mysteriousShadow Isles, Elise led them to a cavern shrouded in webs. Expecting a shrine, the group looked to their priestess in confusion. She turned to the crowd and raised her arms in triumph, revealing strange, spider-like legs that grew out of her back. Seeing her terrifying true form for the first time, Elise's followers turned to flee, but she conjured magical webs to trap them. With her victims ensnared, she turned to face the cave and uttered a screeching cry. An enormous undead spider-beast emerged from the darkness, dragging its hideous bulk on thick, pointed legs. Elise's followers could only scream as the monstrous spider ate them alive. She approached the sated creature, extracted its venom, and drank the strange substance. An immediate sense of rejuvenation flowed through her veins. With mortality delayed once again, Elise left to rejoin her congregation. They were overjoyed to hear that their fellows had chosen to remain at the spider god's sacred home. Elise reassured her disciples that she would lead another pilgrimage in due time. The spider god would be waiting.

"The truly faithful need not fear the spider's embrace."

― Elise

"Elise's regal demeanor and captivating charms belied the feeling of dread she conjured in the pit of my stomach. Something in the deceptively musical timbre of her voice gave the impression there was a monstrous beast locked away beneath that unearthly smile. I looked around at her spellbound followers, and could not shake the feeling that they were ensnared like insects in a web, awaiting some horrible fate."

―  Riven

"As the fog parted and I first beheld the Shadow Isles, I sensed immediately that something was amiss. From the mysteriously placid waters of the bay to the dead calm of the night air, an eerie stillness gripped the place – even the sea and sky. Even as I made ready to go ashore, the crew begged me to return at once to the mainland."

― Elise

"Despite its size, the immense forest loomed like a sepulcher around us, and the dank air and unnatural stillness bred increasing feelings of paranoia and dread. My companion begged me to turn back, but some primal yearning spurred me onward, deeper into the gloom."

― Elise

Play "The Shadow Isles – They say they don't exist. Mythical islands haunted by ghosts and specters. Tales to frighten children. But I know better. I have been there. When I first set foot there I immediately knew something was wrong with that place. My skin crawled and in the pit of my stomach I felt a terrible revulsion. Life didn't belong there. But I also knew... somehow, deep inside I knew, that the islands welcomed me. They wanted me."

"As I wandered deeper I saw death all around me. Ghostly trees, grass and flowers engulfed me in their horrifying radiance. It was so quiet and so beautiful. I passed my hand through a spectral leaf fluttering in the wind; but there was no wind. That was when I understood that death was another world and I was at its door."

"Then I heard the song; the spider's song. My companion cried out in terror and fell to his knees. I embraced him. I told him he had nothing to fear. He was going to a better place. I will take them allto a better place."

― Elise