Prompt:
Vlaakith CLVII is the current and terrifying ruler of the githyanki, an undying, powerful lich who commands absolute authority over her people from her fortress-city of Tu'narath in the Astral Plane, where she has reigned for over a thousand years. She is the final successor in a long line of rulers, having solidified her tyrannical power by erasing all mention of the githyanki's true heir, Orpheus, and by fashioning githyanki society to revolve entirely around her, cultivating a fanatic loyalty. Her ultimate goal is to ascend to godhood, and she sustains her vast power and long life by consuming the souls of her most powerful and loyal warriors in a cruel ritual she calls "ascension," a practice she carefully hides from her subjects. Vlaakith is an extremely potent foe, skilled in necromancy and transmutation, capable of casting high-level spells like Wish to instantly annihilate those who cross her, and she maintains an alliance with the Red Dragons, whom the githyanki use as mounts.
Given her terrifying power, millennia-long reign, and absolute tyranny over the githyanki, Vlaakith's "tombs" are not resting places for the dead, but rather monuments to her unending conquest and symbols of the finality of her enemies. The finest and most feared of these is the Sepulcher of False Ascension, located deep beneath the city of Tu'narath and fabricated from layers of polished, obsidian-like Astral shards. This vast, spiraling catacomb is not meant to hold her remains, but instead serves as the permanent prison for any githyanki who question her absolute authority, sealing their souls away in stasis fields to prevent them from ever finding rest or power, becoming eternal, silent witnesses to her reign. Its center holds the infamous Ossuary of Loyal Lies, where the true remains of the thousands of githyanki knights and wizards whose souls she consumed for her lichdom are stacked—not in reverence, but as a chilling stockpile of power, ensuring no rebellious spirit can ever be reincarnated, a chilling testament to the cost of "ascension" in her service.
When high-ranking githyanki attend a state soirée or military gala within Tu'narath, their attire is a stunning display of wealth and martial elegance that still adheres to their utilitarian philosophy. Both men and women favor sharply tailored, high-collared garments made from fine, deep crimson silk and tightly woven black astral fiber, often embroidered with silver or gold thread in patterns reminiscent of their ceremonial armor. For women, gowns feature asymmetrical cuts, flowing capes lined with iridescent dragon scale fragments, and structured bodices that emphasize a commanding posture, frequently accessorized with geometrically cut pieces of rare crystal from the Astral Sea. Men wear fitted tunics and trousers, complemented by polished leather harnesses or ornamental silver pauldrons that evoke their knightly status, and both genders prominently display heirloom jewelry crafted from repurposed silver sword hilts or captured mind flayer cranial fragments, ensuring every outfit is both a declaration of high status and a subtle, debased trophy of war.
Artist
