Valekith was once a powerful Mythar archmage within the ancient Mytharil Empire. Known for his unparalleled mastery of necromancy and Rift Magic, Valekith was a figure of both reverence and fear within the empire. His arcane prowess was said to rival even the Mytharil emperor, Ezekiel, making him one of the most influential and dangerous figures of the Second Age. At the height of the Mytharil Empire's golden age, Valekith operated from the Floating City of Netheril, the crown jewel of the empire’s magical and technological advancements. It was here that he began working on his most infamous creation—the Soulmonger Crystal, an artifact capable of siphoning and using the soul energy of living beings as a raw power source.
Rise to Power
The Mytharil empire, spanning across Tolria and beyond, was a beacon of scientific and magical advancement during the Second Age (Twilight of Creation). The Mythar, angelic beings of radiant skin and resplendent power, wielded Rift Magic to its fullest potential by harnessing the volatile energy of Neznámy. Led by Emperor Ezekiel, the Mytharilese magocracy defied the laws of physics and gravity, creating cities that floated above the land on inverted mountains. Valekith, as one of the greatest archmages of his time, was at the heart of these accomplishments.
However, Valekith’s ambitions extended far beyond the empire’s achievements. Obsessed with the idea of immortality and ascending to godhood, he began studying the forbidden aspects of Rift Magic and the Continuum Crystal. His research led him to creating the Infinity Shards—fragments of the Continuum Crystal that held unimaginable power. Driven by his desire for eternal life, Valekith fractured the Continuum Crystal, hoarding the Infinity Shards for his own.
The First Continuum Crisis
The fracturing of the Continuum Crystal set into motion a series of cataclysmic events that would lead to the First Continuum Crisis. Valekith’s greed and ambition caused a rift to open to the Plane of Khaos, where a terrifying Revenant Titan known as Eyes of Stars emerged. This titanic being from the Plane of Khaos became the catalyst for the crisis, threatening to consume the Prime Plane and all of existence.
Realizing that the empire and his people were doomed, Valekith devised a desperate plan to save the Floating City of Netheril. Activating the Soulmonger Crystals, Valekith began consuming the souls of thousands of Mythar who lived beneath the city, channeling their life force into the creation of a rift that would transport the city to The Shadowfell, a realm of shadows and despair. This was an attempt to escape the impending destruction of the Continuum Crisis.
In the final moments of the empire, Emperor Ezekiel confronted Valekith atop the Floating City of Netheril. In a monumental duel, Ezekiel managed to sever Valekith's right hand, but not before the archmage completed his ritual. The city was pulled into the Shadowfell, along with Valekith, leaving behind a shattered empire and a broken reality. Despite his apparent escape, his very essence was split as his remnant - Malekith - was left on the Prime Plane as he plummeted to the plane of shadows.
The Order of Shadi
Once in the Shadowfell, Valekith drifted through the dark and twisted landscape for thousands of years, his ambitions undeterred. He delved deep into the study of the dark arts, mastering ancient secrets and shadow magic that even the denizens of the Shadowfell had long forgotten. It was during this time that Valekith founded the Shadi Order, a cult of necromancers and shadow mages devoted to him. These twisted followers worshiped Valekith as an Ascendant being, a god of shadows who wielded power over life and death.
The Shadi Order -- led by the Tribunal of Netheril -- thrived in the Floating City of Netheril, which had become a dark and foreboding place, its once majestic spires now twisted into forms of shadow and despair. The citizens of Netheril, now turned into wraiths and Shade-kin due to the corrupting influence of the Shadowfell, followed Valekith’s teachings, eagerly awaiting the day they would return to the material plane and reclaim their lost empire.
Betrayal and the Crimson Hand
Valekith’s growing power did not go unnoticed. Demonic champions of the Crimson Hand, former Mythar heroes themselves, held an eternal grudge against Valekith. Having been deceived by the Archmage in life, as they were sent by Emperor Ezekiel to retrieve the Infinity Shards and seal the Continuum Crystal, sought vengeance against Valekith. In a cunning ambush, they attacked Valekith, severing his left hand, which was taken as a trophy by Lucius, one of the leaders of the Crimson Hand. Despite this betrayal and state of near-death, Valekith remained in shadowy stasis, biding his time and plotting his revenge.
The Battle of The Four Armies
In the events of the Fifth Age, Valekith’s resurgence was brought about by his most loyal follower, Archshadi Neverus. Manipulating The Sunsations, Crimson Hand, Night Mothers Chosen, and Shadowlords into a deadly conflict, Neverus enacted a plan to restore Valekith to his former glory. The Battle of The Four Armies took place in the Dread Marshes, with the Floating City of Netheril hovering ominously overhead. In the heat of battle, Neverus killed Lucius the Master and reclaimed Valekith’s hands.
Activating the Soulmonger Crystals once more, Valekith, through Neverus, consumed thousands of souls from the battlefield, returning to his Ascendant form. In doing so, Neverus ceased to exist, and Valekith was reborn, more powerful and dangerous than ever before.
Legacy
Valekith's name is synonymous with betrayal, ambition, and the pursuit of forbidden power. His actions during the Second Age caused the First Continuum Crisis, which shattered the very fabric of reality and led to the downfall of the Mytharil Empire. In the Shadowfell, he continues to plot his return, leading the Shadi Order in the hopes of one day reclaiming his empire and ascending to godhood. His legacy is one of darkness and shadow, a reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the terrible cost of seeking ultimate power.