Loren Soth (ca. 50 PC - Frostkolt, 1 PC also 421 AC), better known as Lord Soth or the Knight of the Black Rose, was the son of Aynkell Soth and an unknown woman. Soth had a half-brother, Argol Birdsong, and a half-sister, Alsin Felgaard fathered in Aynkell's various affairs, but they were both killed to prevent them from attempting to claim any of the Soth family's holdings. The house of Soth was one of the ruling houses of Solamnia since the nation's founding.

Lord Soth was a tall and heavy-boned man, with a square jaw, prominent brow and high cheekbones, with deep-set and piercing steel-gray eyes and thick, pitch black hair with a shock hanging down over his shoulders in curls. He also had the traditional Solamnic mustache that was stylishly long and tapered.

Early Years

Soth began his career as a squire in the service of Holger Windsound around the Tenthmonth of 40 PC. He went on many adventures, battling creatures of evil and killing them in the name of the Knights of Solamnia. Soth became a formidable fighter as a Knight of the Sword, but had to prove himself in order to become a Knight of the Rose.

He led a mission into the southern part of the Empire of Ergoth to rescue two knights who had been captured by ogres. Soth successfully rescued the two knights, one of which was Sir Degan Kurrold. Lord Soth also escorted religious pilgrims to Istar to pray in the Temple of the Kingpriest, but the caravan was attacked by bandits while en route to the city. Soth killed four ogres and a minotaur himself, and he prevented the injury of all those in the caravan.

In the spring of 5 PC, Soth saved a small boy from a burning cottage while traveling to Throtyl through the Kelwick Pass. He brought the boy back to get healing at Dargaard Keep, which saved his life. For his final deed of honor to attain the rank of Rose Knight, Soth successfully defended Lady Wandra's honor when a former suitor cast doubt on her chastity. As a result of these deeds, Lord Soth was elevated to the rank of Knight of the Rose in Fierswelt, 4 PC.

Lord Soth married Korinne Gladria, a lady from Palanthas, just outside of Dargaard Keep, later that same month. The marriage went well initially; Soth ruled over Knightlund and attempted to settle down, but began to long for the spirit of adventure he felt while out on the road, rather than ruling over a peaceful province from his Keep.

The following year, in Holmswelt, Lord Soth was traveling with his loyal knights to Palanthas to join in the annual meeting of the Knights of Solamnia. En route, the Knights came upon a party of Silvanesti Elves who were being attacked by ogres. Soth and his knights slaughtered the ogres and saved the elven party. However, when Soth laid eyes on an elfmaiden by the name of Isolde Denissa, he was instantly smitten. He took her back to Dargaard Keep so that his loyal healer, Istvan, could care for her injuries.

Fall of a Rose

By the month of Fleurgreen, Lord Soth began cheating on his wife with Isolde. Even when his wife, Korinne, became pregnant through magical means, Soth continued the affair. Matters became more complicated when Isolde became pregnant only a month before Soth and Korinne's child was to be born. When his first son was born in the month of Fleurgreen in 2 PC, it was deformed by the magic. Blaming his wife for his son's appearance, Soth murdered both his wife and newborn son, and maintained that she had died in childbirth. After the appropriate six-month mourning period, he was married to Isolde in the middle of Darkember in 2 PC, with Isolde visibly pregnant to the few that attended the ceremony.

The following year in the month of Newkolt, Isolde gave birth to a baby boy, who was named after Soth's great-great-grandfather, Peradur Soth. One month later, Soth was summoned to Palanthas by the High Justice, where a panel of Knights charged and found him guilty of the murder of his first wife thanks to the testimony of Soth's healer, Istvan. Sentenced to death, he was rescued from public beheading by a group of his knights, and fled to Dargaard Keep. Not wanting to attack the fortress, the Solamnics banished Soth to Knightlund.

Confined to his realm, lest he risk death at the hands of the Knights if captured outside of his lands, Soth fell into a deep depression. Concerned about her husband's welfare, Isolde prayed to Mishakal to save her husband. The goddess charged her to tell Soth to travel to Istar to prevent the Kingpriest from calling down the gods' wrath in the Cataclysm. Furthermore, if killed in the attempt to stop the Kingpriest, Paladine and Mishakal would raise him from the dead to allow him to succeed in his quest, and although he would be killed in the attempt, could die peacefully, with full honor.

Death of a Rose

After contemplating Mishakal's message, Soth agreed to the quest. With three of his most loyal knights, Wersten Kern, Caradoc, and Colm Farold, as escorts, Soth set off for Istar to stop the Kingpriest. However, while on the road he encountered the same group of elves that had been traveling with Isolde years before. The elven maidens told Soth that Isolde had been unfaithful and that her child wasn't his. Enraged, Soth killed the elves (who were phantoms), and rode back to Dargaard Keep with murder in his heart.

Upon returning to the keep, Soth found Isolde holding their newborn son, and confronted her with the lies whispered into his ear. While they argued in the great hall, the Cataclysm that Soth was sent to stop struck Krynn, causing a chandelier to fall from the ceiling, crushing Isolde and Peradur. Trapped and dying underneath the chandelier, the elfmaiden tried to give Soth his son, but the proud knight refused, condemning them both to death. Calling down a terrible curse on Soth, Isolde declared that he will "live one life for every life" as a result of the Cataclysm.

Lord Soth died in the flames of Dargaard Keep, whose fire was so fierce even the stones burned. However, Isolde's curse was heard by the gods, and when Soth awoke he found that his flesh was burned and the pain was strong as he moved, his skin breaking off in pieces with each step. In no time at all, however, his flesh was gone and he was nothing more than a skeleton covered in black armor, with eyes that burned a bright orange flame and he was in constant pain.

His most loyal followers Caradoc, Colm Farold, Darin Valcic, Derik Grimscribe, Kris Krejlgaard, Meyer Seril, Wersten Kern, and Zander Vingus, were also killed in the Cataclysm. Like Soth, however, these Knights of Solamnia did not die; instead, they were condemned to serve Lord Soth in the afterlife as his skeletal warriors. Furthermore, the three elf maidens who poisoned Soth's mind with lies were sent back as banshees to remind him every night of the destruction that he had allowed to happen.

War of the Lance

During the War of the Lance, Lord Soth pledged his allegiance to a Dragon Highlord, Kitiara Uth Matar. He allowed Kitiara to stay in Dargaard Keep and to make it one of her bases of operation. Following the fall of Kalaman to Whitestone Forces, Soth assisted in the kidnap of Laurana for Kitiara to be used as a pawn for the Dark Queen. In return for his part in the plot, he was promised Laurana's soul following the meeting with the Dark Queen, but in the confusion during the collapse of the Temple of Neraka, Laurana and Tanis Half-Elven managed to escape Soth's clutches. With the Golden General out of the picture, Soth assisted Kitiara in the assassination of the remaining highlords, allowing Kitiara full control over the remaining Dragonarmies.

The Blue Lady's War

Prior to the outbreak of the Blue Lady's War, Soth was sent by Kitiara to assassinate Crysania of Tarinius, so that Kitiara might thwart her half-brother Raistlin Majere's plans to enter the Abyss and become a god. However, although Soth spoke the command, "die," Crysania was saved by the intercession of Paladine and fell instead into a deep coma. Soth, however, did not realize this, and reported to Kitiara that his mission was successful.

In the days and weeks following, Kitiara prepared her troops for an assault on Palanthas that would coincide with Raistlin's re-entry into Krynn from the Abyss. As part of the assault force, Soth led the banshee elves and skeletal warriors against the gates of Palanthas to assist Kitiara's aerial assault on the city and to exact revenge on the city's citizens for condemning him to death centuries before.

Soth and his minions tore into the city, killing everything in their path until he arrived at the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas to find Kitiara dying from a dagger thrown by Dalamar the Dark. Prevented from taking Kitiara's soul for his own until she was released by Tanis Half-Elven, Soth succeeded in carrying off the body of the only woman he considered his equal after years of burning jealousy for all her lovers.

War of Souls

During the War of Souls, the prophet of the One God, Mina, came to Lord Soth, who had been trapped in Nightlund by Takhisis. On behalf of the One God, Mina offered Lord Soth the command of her undead armies. However, Soth refused Mina's entreaties, finally having had time to reflect on his deeds and accepting responsibility and regret for his conduct. Infuriated by his refusal, Takhisis destroyed the magic holding the Lord of the Black Rose together, ending Soth's tortured existence.

Powers and Followers

Lord Soth has the ability to kill living things by pointing at the object and uttering the command word, "die." In addition, Soth's touch is lethal. He and his thirteen skeletal warriors ride Nightmares, while banshees carry swords of ice and ride in chariots pulled by wyverns.

Alternate Krynns

Kingpriest Ascendant

In this alternate timeline, Loren Soth was found guilty of conspiracy against the Kingpriest and was put to death. His nephew Arlan Soth continued to carry the Soth name with honor in the the Knights of Solamnia.

References

• Lord Soth, p. 1, 11-13, 21-25, 28-29, 37, 72-74, 91, 151, 155, 199, 203, 220, 229, 242, 259, 273-274, 306-308
• Chosen of the Gods, p. 250
• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Spring Dawning, p. 1058-1065, 1081, 1233, 1289
• The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, href="http://www.dlnexus.com/products/406.aspx"Test of the Twins, p. 916, 1036, 1037, 1113
• The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, href="http://www.dlnexus.com/products/363.aspx"Time of the Twins, p. 79-80, 85, 111, 127
• War of the Lance (Sourcebook), p. 266-267
• Legends of the Twins, p.101
• Dragons of Summer Flame
• Dragons of a Vanished Moon, p. 242-251