Rising up from the loose sand about half a mile north of the
Zel river is a 100 foot tall pillar of rusty-red stone carved to resemble a naked woman. Scholars theorize that it is about 1,000 years old, but any records about why it was built were lost in The Fourth Reckoning and nobody now remembers the story.
Queen Theory
A popular theory is that she represents Queen Tutish, who reigned from 303 BR to 219 BR. The popular imagining of her is of an unspeakably beautiful Great Princess who feared aging and commissioned a statue to depict her in her youthful glory. She died young - poisoned by a spurned lover, or so the story goes (the fact that her mummy had injuries consistent with falling down a staircase is not widely known or cared about).
Goddess Theory
Another theory is that the statue depicts a goddess. This is not a theory that gets discussed in mixed company, because the statue's nakedness means there are no identifying regalia to determine which goddess, and everyone starts to argue about which goddess is the most beautiful.
Individual Theory
Some think she represents nobody but the imagination of a lustful noble who commissioned it, or maybe the wife or lover of such.
Desert Theory
Those that live on the fringes of the kingdom or frequently travel across it in merchant caravans point to the thickness of her limbs or the power in her expression and refer to her as the representation of the Eni Belul itself. She is beautiful, but also powerful and could easily kill you. She stands at the edge of the deep desert to remind travellers of how small and powerless they are compared to the might of the desert.
The Controversial Cover-Up
Whoever she is, the Queen is a favourite landmark along the Zel and considered the halfway point from
Zedda to Tirasha. In 578, the Great Princess grew offended by her nudity and demanded an enormous sheet be draped over her breasts and groin. This was met with great outcry from the locals.
Though creating the covering employed many weavers for several months, it only lasted 6 months before a sandstorm ripped it apart. The popular interpretation of this is that even the gods wanted to admire her... well, you can imagine.
