Maralen

For the original creature with the same name, see Maralen (Mornsong elf).

Maralen
The New Mother Queen Maralen of the fae
Information
Colors
Species	Faerie
Job	Wizard
Birth, Life & Death
Birthplace	Lorwyn-Shadowmoor
Lifetime	Mending Era
Born	c. 4520 AR (age approx. 44)
Family
Parents	Oona (creator)
Relatives	Oko (brother) Kellan (nephew)
Sources
Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide
Scryfall Statistics
3 artworks 33.3% 66.7%

Maralen is an elf-faerie hybrid who rules as queen of the fae on Lorwyn-Shadowmoor.

Description

Maralen carried an intense expression that marked her as an individual who took in far more than most before she spoke. She had a regal bearing, a deep, melodious voice, and a no-nonsense attitude. There was something preternatural and alien about her, as noted by Rhys, Ashling and the Vendilion Clique, upon meeting her.

Following her accession as queen of the fae, Maralen's body began to adjust — a decades-long process helped along by her coterie of new faerie attendants — with elements of her tall elvish form intermingling with that of the fae. Her body hardened and crystallized, becoming pale green and iridescent. Her horns became crystalline and shone lustrously in the light, and her long black hair fanned out in a wing-like pattern as she slept. Glen Elendra also adjusted, expanding its size over the course of most of a decade to fit an elf. Maralen was accompanied by a personal flock of 35 faeries who had been chosen or volunteered to see to her physical needs.

After the essence of Shadowmoor was infused within her through dawnglow, she became connected to both aspects of the plane. No longer leaking petals when cut, her blood ran red, implying she was no longer fully fae.

History

For millennia, Oona, the queen of the fae, held sway over Lorwyn-Shadowmoor by controlling its cycle of day and night through the Great Aurora. She did this to preserve her memories between the plane's two halves, but found herself unprepared for one shift that approached unexpectedly. As a contingency, Oona created a pair of fae heirs that could each carry her memories forward into the coming world. The first, a shapeshifter named Oko, destined to lead Shadowmoor and who got into furious fights with Oona as he grew up, was deemed a failure and fled.

The younger sibling, born from the other half of the same petal as the first, was meant to lead Lorwyn. This child, a daughter, was similarly raised with callous care as opposed to the motherly embrace that Oona gave to her other faerie children, and grew up separated from the standard stock of faeries that would be released into the plane. Oona fed her nectar and plucked her wings when they began to form. As the Great Aroura neared, Oona deployed this second heir into Lorwyn. This faerie — the being that would eventually come to bear the moniker "Maralen" — would remember only fragments of her time in Glen Elendra and of her brother as she awoke in her new form.

The Duplicate

In 4520 AR, a group of faeries descended on a Mornsong wedding convoy and slaughtered them all. An elf named Maralen was singled out and killed by Oona as she unsuspectingly picked moonglove. The elf was replaced by a faerie imposter— Oona's chosen successor— precisely identical in appearance but with mannerisms and a personality of her own. The faerie assumed Maralen's identity then, and her memories of her prior life as Oona's creation and the elf's inherited memories began blurring together.

Sometime later, this woman, claiming to be "Maralen of the Mornsong", was present in the middle of the Porringer Valley after the Gilt-Leaf hunter Rhys had used his poison magic in the darkest hour of a battle gone wrong, killing everything in proximity and defiling a large portion of the forest. She claimed to be a lost and lonely traveler, telling Rhys of the massacred convoy of which she alone survived— curiously omitting the involvement of the fae and instead blaming the attack on wanton boggarts. Despite her elvish appearance, this "Maralen" had an unusual quality about her, and Rhys was suspicious of her tale, which seemed to blend both convenience with contrivance. Nonetheless, he agreed to take her to the Gilt-Leaf capital, Lys Alana. The pair would soon be joined by the Vendilion Clique and the flamekin pilgrim Ashling. It was then that Maralen's path to Lys Alana deviated, and she instead accompanied the group to Kinsbaile when Rhys discovered he had been urgently summoned there by his former mentor: the ancient last yew Colfenor.

Meeting Her Maker

Her time in Kinsbaile was short-lived, and Maralen was wounded by Gilt-Leaf hunters as she and the others departed the town. Suspicions about Maralen's identity continued to mount when Ashling tried to heal her in the Dark Meanders and discovered that her life-force and aura were unlike anything she had ever encountered before. Lending even more to her mystique, Maralen was impervious to the fae magic cast by the Vendilion Clique as they attempted to ply her with sleep to harvest her mind for her innermost thoughts. The faeries discovered that Marlen's mindspace was enigmatically fortified and were rebuffed by her, who angrily chided them with unexpected authority. The clique, frustrated by their unsuccessful attempts to root out her secrets, took her then directly to Oona— a prospect which Maralen regarded only with curiosity and a flicker of concern.

Maralen survived personal contact with the queen of the fae and returned to the group unharmed but with a renewed sense of coyness. Moreover, the three fae seemed far more cooperative with Maralen and clung to her like bodyguards from that point on, which was distinctly curious. Her capture had been carefully obscured to the others by the fae queen's memory-altering magic, and Maralen deflected all of Rhys' attempts at interrogation. She participated then in the Festival of Tales, during which she observed the death of Colfenor and the birth of the Sapling, which intrigued her deeply.

Maralen, in time, began to piece together and understand her past. She was a fae duplicate created by Oona to bear her memories and essence into the coming darkness of Shadowmoor; the original Maralen had been dead ever since the wedding convoy attack. This truth had, in part, been elucidated to Maralen when she was brought to Oona by the Vendilion Clique. She had somehow gained self-awareness and didn't follow her orders or desires to become part of Oona again. She manipulated the Vendilion into helping her interfere with Ashling's ritual to gain knowledge and power, which enabled her to retain her memories and appearance after the Great Aurora.

Ascension

On Shadowmoor, she helped Mistmeadow doun and Jack Chierdagh for her purposes, and through the Vendilion clique's help, she obtained Rosheen's journal. Maralen was later revealed to all to be a twin of Oona that Oona had created to avoid being corrupted by the Great Aurora. She defied Oona and, by using Rosheen's journal, was able to disrupt Oona's attempt to take Ashling the Destroyer's elemental power, gaining the power for herself instead. Later, she took the Crescent of Morningtide from Brigid Baeli and challenged Oona to face her in a direct fight.

With the combined might of two elementals (Ashling's and the Source of Wanderbrine), the help of Rhys, a diminished Ashling, and a single bloom of moonglove from the very moment when the original Maralen died, Oona was destroyed and wiped from the face of Lorwyn. Maralen became the new queen of the fae, determined to restore the normal celestial cycle in place of Oona's centennial periods of nightless Lorwyn and dayless Shadowmoor. Spreading her arms wide, she brought life back to Glen Elendra as it flourished immediately with a new generation of faeries— her generation.

Maralen gave the moonglove to Rhys and instructed him to poison her at the first sign of Oona's return, fearful that in the future she would find herself elongating the day and night to extend her dominion just as Oona once did. Maralen had realized the flower had always been in her possession, ironically, when Oona had convinced her that she was her chosen heir and not merely Maralen of the Mornsong tribe. The moonglove— an exquisitely rare and poisonous flower found only in Lorwyn— had remained unchanged by the aurora as it followed her from Lorwyn to Shadowmoor, and would remain faithfully in Rhys' care until she needed it again.

Maralen's pact with Rhys became imbued with fae magic, and Rhys was granted eternal life until he was able to carry out his oath-sworn duty.

Queenhood

Following her enthronement as queen, Maralen confined herself to Glen Elendra, where she ruled dutifully over the fae of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor. The haven had evolved under her influence to become a domain where both light and shadow resided and blurred together freely. Maralen, too, had begun to evolve as she adapted to her surroundings and awakened as the new queen of the fae, being able now to detect the presence and absence of faeries with eerie precision as her body began to shift into a unique, hybrid fae-elf form. Maralen was plagued by the ever-present threat of Oona's return, and to that end had permitted Rhys to dwell within Glen Elendra as a means to watch over her. He affectionally sometimes called her Mara.

Oona's defeat had consequently roused the planes' two celestial incarnations, Eirdu and Isilu, into a state of waking upheaval, and Maralen had come to sequester Eirdu within her palace grounds. In staving off Shadowmoor in her presence, Maralan believed, she could forestall Oona's reassertion of control over her.

Mooonglove and Dawnglove

Forty years into her reign, Maralen's brother Oko returned to the plane, unbeknownst to her. Finding Maralen and believing her to be Oona returned in a new form, Oko exploited her paranoia, eroding her mental state until she thought that Oona's manifestation through her was imminent. He then betrayed Maralen's secret fears to Rhys. Rhys, ready to honor his pact with Maralen, sprang into action to cut her down before Oona could reemerge.

Maralen escaped, joined by the peculiar faerie and two extraplanar visitors from Arcavios that she had received moments before Rhys’ attack. The two visitors told Maralen that they had accidentally disturbed Isilu and, in doing so, upset the balance of the plane. Isilu was also now being pursued by the Gilt-Leaf perfect, Morcant, who desired to kill the elemental god using a distillation of Shadowmoor’s rare dawnglove flower to create an eternity of Lorwyn. Although there had been physical indicators of Oona’s manifestation, however false they were, Maralen remained steadfast in her obligation to uphold the natural order that Oona had once subverted; she traveled to enlist Ashling in the defense of Isilu and the half of the plane that it embodied.

Maralen’s party arrived in Goldmeadow, where the displaced Isilu walked vulnerably and out of cycle, causing the landscape to be overtaken by Shadwmoor’s darkness. Rhys’ pursuit of Maralen ended here, and he sliced her with the moonglove poison, thinking he was freeing his old friend from Oona’s clutches. Immediately, Oko and Rhys realized their mistake, but were too late: Maralen’s commitment to preserving the balance between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor had been proof that she was always free of Oona’s impulse and capriciousness.

Oko, whom Maralen finally recognized as her brother upon seeing him in his Shadowmoor form, held her as she died and resolved to save her. He used the vial of distilled dawnglove extract that Morcant carried and used it to counteract the poison of the moonglove. As she reawakened, Isilu had been joined by its celestial twin, Eirdu, and departed, leaving daylight in its wake. Balance had been restored to the plane, and Maralen and Oko reconciled.

Maralen was heartbroken as Rhys was freed from the promise binding him to the plane past his natural life expectancy. Maralen asked him to form another pact, but she had knowingly outgrown his protection and no longer needed to live in fear of Oona’s shadow. Maralen watched sorrowfully as Rhys dissolved into a flurry of moonglove and dawnglove petals. She embraced her brother for comfort, bidding him farewell, offering him a home at Glen Elendra whenever he needed it.

Story appearances

Title	Author	Publishing date	Set	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Lorwyn	Cory J. Herndon & Scott McGough	August 2007	Lorwyn	Lorwyn	Maralen, Maralen, Peradala, Eidren, Ashling, Sygg Gauhren Gyllalla Syllvar, Dugah, Unice, Irgil, Ryleigh, Vendilion Clique, Rhys, Yelm, Brion Stoutarm, Kiel, Gaddock Teeg, Colfenor, Collemina, Smitsmott, Brigid Baeli, Angus Gabble, Oona, Tiristan, Grath, Gryffid, Nath, Rosheen Meanderer (mentioned), Thumb, Grieve, Aeloch, Gaevin, Chevor, Sapling of Colfenor
Morningtide	Cory J. Herndon & Scott McGough	January 2008	Morningtide	Lorwyn	Brigid Baeli, Vendilion Clique, Maralen, Ashling, Rhys, Brion Stoutarm, Kiel, Uaine, Sygg Gauhren Gyllalla Syllvar, Gryffid, Culloch, Eidren, Sapling of Colfenor, Creiddylan, Gulhee, Nora, Flyrne, Whisper, Zephyr, Rosheen Meanderer, Mr. Choppers, Kasella, Holgen, Mullenick, Paertagh Marphi
Shadowmoor - Ode to Mistmeadow Jack	Scott McGough & Cory Herndon	April 2008	Shadowmoor	Shadowmoor	Jack Chierdagh, Emerethne, Molla Welk, Maralen, Donal Alloway, Eidren (mentioned), Keely Welk, Rosheen Meanderer, Wrybert, Wryllick, Wryget, Brigid Baeli, Sygg Gauhren Gyllalla Syllvar, Mr. Choppers, Vendilion Clique, Gilly, Fioni, Oona (mentioned)
Eventide	Cory J. Herndon & Scott McGough	June 2008	Eventide	Shadowmoor	Ashling, Vendilion Clique, Brigid Baeli, Jack Chierdagh, Keely Welk, Gryffid, Eidren, Rhys, Maralen, Aldo, Molla Welk, Visk, Wryget, Sapling of Colfenor, Oona, Donal Alloway, Warree Tarcha, Rosheen Meanderer (mentioned), Kiel, Nora, Anjie, Drimlo, Sygg Gauhren Gyllalla Syllvar, Kasella, Scathak, Artio, The Source, Duren, Filnar, Lysere, Terela, Loira, Shae
Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 2: Shake Off Slumber	Seanan McGuire	2025-12-09	Lorwyn Eclipsed	Arcavios, Lorwyn-Shadowmoor	Kirol, Sanar, Tamira, Abigale, Isilu, Brigid Baeli, Oona (mentioned), Maralen, Camey, Aherin, Rhys, Eirdu, Liliana Vess, Ajani Goldmane, Jace Beleren (mentioned), Tezzeret (refered), Nicol Bolas (refered), Elspeth Tirel (mentioned), Narset (mentioned), Ugin (mentioned), Dina, Oko
Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 3: Aweary of This Moon	Seanan McGuire	2025-12-10	Lorwyn Eclipsed	Arcavios, Lorwyn-Shadowmoor	Dina, Ajani Goldmane, Liliana Vess, Abigale, Killian Lu (mentioned), Tamira, Sanar, Kirol, Jace Beleren (mentioned), Brigid Baeli, Isilu, Maralen (mentioned), Lluwen, Oko
Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 4: Fetch Me That Flower	Seanan McGuire	2025-12-11	Lorwyn Eclipsed	Arcavios, Lorwyn-Shadowmoor	Kirol, Lluwen, Morcant, Isilu (mentioned), Brigid Baeli (mentioned), Sanar, Tamira, Abigale, Maralen, Oona (mentioned), Eirdu (mentioned), Rhys, Oko
Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 5: If We Shadows	Seanan McGuire	2025-12-12	Lorwyn Eclipsed	Arcavios, Lorwyn-Shadowmoor	Maralen, Sanar, Tamira, Rhys, Oona (mentioned), Isilu (mentioned), Ashling, Eirdu (mentioned), Ajani Goldmane, Morcant, Kirol, Lluwen, Brigid Baeli, Oko
Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 6: Full of Hateful Fantasies	Seanan McGuire	2025-12-15	Lorwyn Eclipsed	Lorwyn-Shadowmoor	Isilu, Maralen, Ashling, Tamira, Sanar, Oona (mentioned), Rhys, Oko, Kirol, Lluwen, Ajani Goldmane, Abigale (mentioned), Liliana Vess (mentioned), Morcant
Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 7: The Charm Dissolves Apace	Seanan McGuire	2025-12-16	Lorwyn Eclipsed	Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, Shandalar, Arcavios	Kirol, Lluwen, Sanar, Isilu, Oko, Rhys, Maralen, Tamira, Ajani Goldmane, Ashling, Eirdu, Abigale, Kellan (mentioned), Oona (mentioned), Alandra (mentioned), Talrand (mentioned), Morcant (mentioned), Liliana Vess

In-game references

Represented in:

• Maralen of the Mornsong
• Maralen of the Mornsong Avatar

Depicted in:

• Dose of Dawnglow