Lady Maeriel

Lady Maeriel is a distant figure within the cult, keeping only to her own company, her brethren, and Greatmother Lucaerna. For years now, Maeriel has served as the shadowed hand of Lucaerna, even before The Mother recused herself broadly from active movment and activity. A highly capable wielder of illusion magic, Maeriel holds a careful balance between Shadow and Fel magics. Her talents of intelligence gathering are storied in the Shal'dari, with her greatest achievements being her inroads into Suramar during the Legion War. Many times she impersonated Nightborne so to better obtain Nightwell energy. Many more times she took positions of Legion authority to better command lessers around. Deceitful and prideful, Maeriel perhaps takes after her parents a bit too much.

History
The reasons for her service are mysterious to many, unknown to all save to Lucaerna and her closest sisters if that. Shortly after her maturation, she vanished from the temple and Lucaerna's sight, perhaps to go to her other parent; the Sayaad Queen Xazariel and her domain of Helmouth. Some suppose she chaffed under the binds of blood ties and sought to wander. Or perhaps she was permitted to by Lucaerna. All that is known is that after a time, she wordlessly returned to the temple and the halls of the night walkers, displaced the satyr at the head of the Assassin Clades, and took control in a single stroke.

In addition, she nominally "controls" the Queensguard; the Sayaad born of Lucaerna and Xazariel. This loose alliance within the cult see themselves as superior to their "halfbreed" brethren by dint of Xazariel's blood. Perhaps they are right, or perhaps it is undeserved.

Maeriel's own effectivness and prowess has earned her the nigh unique honor of bearing Lucaerna's own surname as a title, to the extreme jealousy of many, and to her sisters of the Queensguard who actually care.

Personality and Acts
Lady Maeriel is an arrogant and haughty individual who lords her status over others. For among all the servants of the Shadow Cult, she alone has earned the status as the most favoured Sayaad outside of the Handmaidens of the Mother. She herself was offered a position among the Handmaidens, but declined, and shortly thereafter vanished. Unwilling to take child for herself, and, uncommonly among many ranking Sayaad, follow the path of destruction to perpetuate the cycle of birth and death. She has born no children, and despite her seductive and mercurial nature, is careful to avoid the act of procreation herself, for she bears all of the qualities of a Handmaiden, but suppresses them.