The Queen

The Queen of all Tenglan and the one Guardian for all Imperial. Granted immortal life by the White Lord during his day of Purification and the first and only Imperial to receive a Sorce Aka Soul Force given by the Lord himself. (Well, if you exclude me, of course, but I'm not here to brag - just saying.)
The mightiest of all Imperial and, along with the other 4 Guardians of Lendor, tasked with maintaining the safety of all her citizens and, above all, to stop wars and the rise of darkness from destroying Lendor.
She confines herself within the Palace walls, and on the rare occasions she walks the streets of Imperias City it is only within the Purista District. For this reason, and the fact all public pictures of her are banned, most Imperials have never seen her. And yet, it hasn't stopped commoners from protesting she is the most beautiful person alive. But then again, the common folk often speak out their buttock holes.
My unusual life has allowed me to grace her presence several times, and it's time to put the record straight. She's no beauty. Period. Now, don't get me wrong, if she asked me to poke her with my stick, I'd rip off my breeches quicker than you could say, "Put it away, Ricardo, you're embarrassing yourself."
Despite her plain looks, I don't know a man (or woman) alive who could refuse her charms. A charm that men would jump off mountains just to get one last moment with her.
I, of course, don't give an arse for such dramatics. I've lived long enough to know; I wouldn't think twice about sacrificing one of my single highs for a procession of mediocre ones. Spending time with a Greggle and interesting company is infinitely preferable to wasting time with the rich and mighty immortals. Thank you very much.
Treasonous, yes, but since nobody reads what I write, I can say what I want, and before you moan on about my 'disrespectful' words, Did you witness the Queen's first marriage to King Clementine De Reine? No, exactly, so shut up, complaining tossbag.
By the way, no discussion about the Queen and her justice can be complete without explaining the importance of the Day and Night Lendorian cycle.

Sorce Power:

If you think the Queen is secretive about her appearance and birth name, then you would be shocked to know the extent she goes to remove any mention of the blessed gift she possesses. Revealing them here is the fastest way to swim with the fish in the deepest part of the Ronus River.
I can only add they relate to time in the present moment and suffice it to say they make it impossible for even the most source-gifted assassin to sneak up on her and land the killing blow. Combine her blessed talents with her physical attributes and then throw in her husband's. Sorce gives you a 2-person army that could rival the whole Imperial Empire. The Royal Guard protecting them is just veneer on a beautiful oak table.

Time for a memoir:

I have included below an article taken from the thoughts of Jasarnus Riggs detailing his views on the Queen and her reign. If you are wondering how I have access to such personal information, then you clearly haven't read anything about me. Do some research.
A moment in the mind of Jasarnus Riggs. (So as not to sound too creepy, I have written it in the 3rd person) See Imperias City Class System for an explanation of some terms he uses.

Jasarnus Riggs, passing thoughts, 841AP

Jasarnus and the boys sat on the second floor of an outdoor restaurant that gave them an unobstructed view of the passing barges. He hoped the waiter didn’t see them and ask for their order; it was struggle enough buying a drink in the bronze quarters, let alone one in the silver strips. His boys had begged him to see the boats, and this was the perfect spot.
As his sons pointed at the passing barges, Jay studied the restaurant, it was priced for the regulars of Silver District. One woman sat on a table opposite him, wearing a lime green hat. Like all silver class hats, hers was smaller, more stylish, and less cumbersome than the ones for commoners. It had a gentle upward-sloping rim with delicate white cotton frills down the side, a mesh net connected to the rim hiding her face.
She raised her hand, and a moment later, a waiter arrived. “How can I help Madame?”
“A glass of grollocks, please.” The waiter bowed and walked away.
Jay nodded his approval. Grollocks was his favourite alcoholic beverage but was not a common choice amongst Imperias women.
Jay turned his attention to a moored barge below them. An afternoon soiree was in full swing. The women wore ankle-high silk dresses with intricate patterns sown by skilled artisans. The men wore crisp cream linen chinos and shiny robes in various colours.
The fashions on display revealed the event was for the Golds, known as the ten percenters. They wore the latest stylish hats: sleek, smooth materials and ultramodern designs that made it impossible for the essence to settle on. For a classy touch, some headpieces included a colourful feather laced with its own glowing essence.
The designs were a stark contrast to the commoner's substantially sized, blindingly colourful hats that even a horse would be embarrassed to wear. At the back of the barge, a woman in her early twenties stood on a Voice of Purity - a wooden box with each side painted in one of the four sacred colours. Purity speakers were located throughout Imperias city, preaching all matters of alleged importance.
The party’s host would have invited this lady to speak. She wore her speakers’ white gown and golden amulet, which gave her the right to say anything she liked. Currently, there were several women and two men listening to her. “If we don’t take a stand now, we will lose more rights. Men cannot be the only ones dictating Imperial rule...” The female speaker began.
A tall, slim man draped in a long silk green robe, brown sandals and a red fez shouted out, “And what about us getting paid less than women? Do you really believe women are more talented than men? My wife can’t even go shopping without 3 shopping lists to help.”
The other man chortled before covering it with a cough. Angry eyes glared at the green-robed man. Only a fool voiced concerns against the Queen’s word without standing on a Purity box. A Royal View in 801AP declared women were better multitaskers than men and should, therefore, receive positions that reflected their greater abilities.
A Royal View was a proclamation by the Queen, which was then posted around all of Tenglan. She gave one every few years, which Imperials were expected to follow. If you went against it you would face public scorn. It was different to a Royal Decree, which was written in law and if broken, would lead to incarceration in one of the City Watch prisons.
“Are you criticizing Her Royal Majesty?” The speaker said.
The man fell quiet, then cleared his throat before continuing, “Of course not.”
“If you have an issue, purchase one of these,” she raised her amulet. “Purchase a Voice of Purity,” she stamped a foot on the box, “then say whatever you want. That’s their purpose.”
The chastened man looked at his feet, mumbling something incomprehensible. He had expressed frustration that the Royal View unfairly gave women increased essence earnings.
The highest bracket of both the Silver and Gold social tiers was comprised of females. Outside of the Purista district, they held the most lucrative positions.
This was not the only advantage women held over men. They also lived, on average, a decade longer. This, combined with the wage differential, bred an interesting social quirk. Males relied on their female partners for financial support in their early years and then physical support later in life when their health began to fail. For this reason, ruthless rich women often got rid of their ailing husbands for a younger, fitter, less demanding version.
But imperial females didn’t have everything their own way, as highlighted by the female speaker who’d been preaching about political inequality. It was unusual to see a woman in the highest positions of the Elista and the Queen’s cabinet. It was often said you had a higher chance of meeting the White Lord himself than seeing a woman in power.
Jay liked to compare the situation to his wife’s favourite pastime - mountain climbing. If you were a female, you could climb high, but then an unexpected precipice would appear - insurmountable for even the most talented female. And if you were a man, climbing was just too much of a pain, so they remained where they began.
However, for the rare breed of ambitious man - those who enjoyed climbing, there would be no precipice to get in their way. Straight to the mountain top and at the peak, a table of men, headed by the Queen herself.
A less lofty option to scale, but almost as influential, would be a post on the also male-dominated Elista General Civic Committee – The Generale. Either of these positions would earn you a place in the Purista district, The Supreme location of Imperias City.
When the new King, Johan Ganay, took over from King Augustine Tireste in 819, controversial new laws were introduced removing all women from power. This included stripping all-female Royal Guards of their post and banning women balters from the arena. The timing of Ganay’s appointment led people to blame the young King. But those who understood Imperial politics knew a King’s power was limited to the Merc guild, All-Race League and Elista control. The Queen controlled all other Tenglan matters and was solely responsible for removing women from power.
Other powerful institutions like the Church, Wizard Guilds and the Vaults had their own structure. None of them gave preferential treatment to gender. In these establishments, it didn’t matter who you were; if you had the right combination of talent and ambition, the mountains might have been smaller, but all could be scaled.
The waiter arrived, “Here’s your drink, madame,” and popped a glass next to the woman in the lime hat. The colourful drink had arrived unstirred with all four layers visible. Not Jay’s preferred choice.
If Jasarnus had his way, he’d employ a professional barkeeper to solve all Lendorian problems. Grollocks were comprised of four layers. Each of the three bottom layers was thick enough that if left alone, it would remain in position without spreading. The first layer of sugared water always hung on the top.
If you tried to drink this version of the drink, you would have to go through each layer one after the other. The blue sugared water would be acceptable, but the green, yellow, and red layers, if taken individually, would taste foul—unmixed grollocks, attractive to look at but disgusting to drink.
The woman took a fork and began stirring the mixture. The layers began blending together but she’d never mix it as a good as a pro. Already, the bottom layer was congealing and not spreading evenly. But he had to admit the kaleidoscope of colours was beautiful to behold as they swished around together, causing an almost hypnotic effect.
If a barkeeper had mixed her concoction, the drink would appear no different from water yet taste divine. A delicious combination of flavours causes a mouth sensation. Imperial society needed such a person - to shake up the mix and remove those thick grollock layers. It wouldn’t look impressive, but the end result would be a better taste for all concerned.
But her Royal Majesty saw the situation differently: The men she controlled knew their place and would never challenge the immortal monarch, especially when that immortal was your guardian for all eternity.
The situation mirrored Jasarnus’s own life: He was a simple one-tier balter. Yes, he hoped for something better, but his wife, the woman in charge, wouldn’t allow it. Perhaps life was more straightforward if you didn’t try to shake things up.

Written by Ricardo Butler

Current Location

Imperias City

Species

Imperials

Age

More than 8 centuries (Dates pre-Purification)

Gender

Female

Eyes

Variable - Depends on her Sorce Use

Hair

Unknown (Last time I saw was brunette)

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Variable - Depends on her Sorce Use

Height

Unknown (I estimate close to 6 feet)

Weight

Her weight can never be documented

Related Reading:

Day and Night Cycle
King Johan Ganay
The Elista

Imperial Life:

Imperial Home | Timeline
Structure & Politics >
Culture
Commerce
Imperias City
People

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