Alcydia is a member of the Undercity Royal Family. With her cousin and rival Duchess Guðrún of Dunghill Fens she is believed to be second or third in the line of succession, although such matters are solely in the hands of the reigning queen. Alcydia hails from a long maternal line of noble witches, including persons of historical note such as Amoralia von Dönnerwetter (exiled to Iceland for introducing base and worldly fashions at court), Anemica von Dönnerwetter (an influential politican married to a Transylvanian noble), Atrocititia von Dönnerwetter (nicknamed the Queen's Iron Maiden) and Anorexica von Dönnerwetter (author of the only cooking book ever put on the Vatican's index).

Being well versed in the blackest of the dark arts and having a penchant for outré costumes, Alcydia is rumoured to be collecting bizarre instruments of torture for a hobby and generally being mad as a hatter. Because of her excellent prospects and family fortune, she is none the less the number one prize for prowling bachelor nobles at court. For some rare stallionswarts such as the Baron von Fieffelfalsfaffel, who are either brave enough or dumb enough to look past mere apperances, she is also regarded as, quote, "a sexy little powder-keg".