Nashandra began her life as a small fragment of Manus, Father of the Abyss. When Manus was defeated, he was reborn as many fragments varying in sizes. Nashandra was the smallest fragment, and because of this, it was the first to become conscious and started to want what it did not have: power.
Nashandra traveled to the land of Drangleic, where she seduced King Vendrick. She warned Vendrick of a looming threat beyond the sea: the Giants. She convinced Vendrick to invade the land of the giants and to claim an artifact of great power. Using this artifact, Vendrick created the Golems, which he used to build Drangleic Castle. After this, and under the leadership of Vendrick and Nashandra, Drangleic went into a Dark-like peace.
After an unknown period of time, the giants, driven by rage and vengeance, invaded Drangleic to reclaim what Vendrick stole from them. They laid siege to Drangleic in a war that lasted for generations, but were ultimately defeated when the Giant Lord was vanquished by an unknown hero. Despite this victory, Drangleic had been reduced to rubble and was now beset by the plague of the undead. Vendrick tried desperately to find a way to save his kingdom, banishing the undead to far-off lands and working to find a way to cure the undead plague. Eventually, he came to realize the true nature and identity of Nashandra, and that she coveted the Throne Of Want. Knowing that his time was short and that his queen had to be stopped, Vendrick created several impasses that would prevent Nashandra from seizing the throne, and sealed himself away in the Undead Crypt. This left Nashandra the sole ruler of Drangleic.
Nashandra attempts to manipulate the Bearer of the Curse into opening the way to the Throne of Want. She directs the Bearer of the Curse toward the Undead Crypt, suggesting that they put an end to the now hollowed King Vendrick. She directs the Bearer of the Curse to follow the symbol of the king and journey to Aldia's Keep. After the Bearer of the Curse meets the Ancient Dragon, she will warn that the dragon is no more than a prop and a false deity, and directs the Bearer of the Curse toward the Forest of Fallen Giants to visit the memories of the Giants.
Once the Bearer of the Curse has finally cleared the way to the Throne and acquired the means to access it, Nashandra will stand ready to usurp their quest and claim the throne for herself.