Queen in Rags

The Queen in Rags is a possibly fictitious folk figure known throughout Surket. She is said to be covered from head to toe in rags and bandages that hide her mangled and burnt body.

The Myth of the Queen in Rags
There are many stories about the Queen in Rags, but all originate from the 5th century of Aquian Empire rule in the Veridian Sea. Most all stem from the aftermath of the War of the False Pharaohs and the Great Burning of Surket at the hands of Pharaoh Celestia, which occurred in the year 461 AA. In order to defeat Princess Riala, the sister of the Emperor who also claimed to be Pharaoh at the time, Celestia set the city of Surket on fire. Princess Riala was reportedly killed when the Temple of the Sun melted from the heat of the flames and cooked the princess inside of it like a stone oven. Celestia claimed her victory and proclaimed herself the one true Pharaoh, marching her army into Surket after the fires died down and unceremoniously posting the charred body of Riala to a pole in the middle of the ruins of the city. Her body was said to have stayed there for a full week before mysteriously vanishing, likely being pulled down by some of the many Surketians still loyal to her.

It is a historical fact that Celestia held a tenuous grasp of her power throughout her time as Pharaoh. The citizens of Surket often rebelled against her, refusing to accept that she was the true Pharaoh. These tensions came to a head one morning in the spring of 467 when the Citadel courtyard caught fire due to unknown circumstances. Celestia, paranoid after years of harassment from the citizens of Surket, ordered that one member of every family in Surket be executed.

She would never get the chance to execute the order however. The people, angry at this and fed up with Celestia and her draconian rule, laid siege to the Citadel and sent a letter to the Aquian Emperor demanding that his wife be removed from the city and never return. The Aquian Emperor Alexias III, whose rule had itself been wracked with constant rebellion and internal strife, sent a letter back that simply said "Do what you wish" and an official letter of divorce.

Celestia was forcefully removed from the Citadel by the Imperial Guard and the Council of Surket held a public trial against her, eventually burning her at a stake in the middle of the Bazaar and casting her body into the ruins of the city that remained behind after the Great Burning. Eventually, these ruins would be built over and would become a part of the Undercity.

The Two Queens
Because of the two historical figures, Riala and Celestia, both dying from being burned alive at around the same time in history when stories about the Queen in Rags began appearing, there are now two different versions of the Queen in Rags to exist. Both are virtually identical in description, but differ in their origin. Some stories imply that Riala is the Queen in Rags, and that she roams the Undercity seeking revenge for the souls of those burned alive over a thousand years ago. Other stories claim that the Queen in Rags is none other than Celestia herself, who stalks the Undercity seeking revenge for her own death. In both cases she is seen as a spector of vengeance, but there is disagreement in her origin. Often, she is viewed as a terrifying but sympathetic figure, meaning that her identity in the story is usually dependent on the storyteller's allegiances, either condemning Celestia for murdering Riala or condemning the people of Surket for murdering Celestia.

Abilities
It is said that, should you ever encounter the Queen in Rags, do not look her in the eyes. She is said to curse any who look her in the eyes with horrible visions of being burned alive. She also burns everything she touches, leaving black footprints in the ground wherever she goes and burning to death anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with her.

The Court of Shadows
The reason the Queen in Rags is called such is partly because of the rags she supposedly wears, but also because of her role as the ruler of the Court of Shadows, a mysterious and probably fictional organization said to rule the Undercity and control crime throughout Surket. It is said that they have sworn fealty to her and that they enact her will upon the city, guarding the poor and weak while subtly sabotaging those in power.