Lilitu Quetzal

Lilitu Quetzal, born Li Li Kyothari, is a human noble of House Quetzal, Virasana Empress to Emperor Iskander, eleventh Virasana Emperor from his death until their son Elisander took over the full power of the throne. Since then, she is the head of the Imperial Intelligence Service.

## Appearance

Considered by many the most beautiful woman of the Empire, Lady Lilitu is petite, pale skinned and dark haired. Her heart-shaped features, her almond eyes and her floor-length blalck hair are just as well known as her preference for long, dark-green robes and gowns, covering as much of her skin as decently possible.

Except for her wedding ring, she eschews jewelry, instead she is often seen with one or two fresh flowers in her hair.

## Youth on Qufu

*Quote from the Memoirs of Empress Lilitu Quetzal*

> "If, in this universe, there is a point to where all tradition gravitates, where it condenses and hardens into immutable facts, then it is on Qufu, where I was born. Here, the caste you are born into determins every aspect of your life - your education, your profession, your food, your spouse, your home and the place you will be buried. Born to a silk weaver, you are a silk weaver. Unless, of course, you have the misfortune of being a woman. Then you are nothing but a silk weaver's daughter, a silk weaver's wife, and many a young silk weavers' mother."
>
>

It is rather safe to say that the Empress hated her childhood on Qufu with a passion. Stifled by the immutable traditions of her home planet, and yet adamant to be a good daughter, she felt ground up between the various demands.

When she unexpectedly conceived a child out of wedlock with her bodyguard slave Mahout, she decided that her only way to save her child and lover was to marry a man who wouldn't mind her either of them and who was powerful enough to ignore the rest of her house - in short, the most eligible bachelor of her time, then crown prince Iskander Quetzal. She managed to get in contact with him through a remote relative of hers - Tahamoney Kyothari, the niece to then-Empress Simal Kyothari.

## Marriage to Iskander

Despite the origins of their marriage being purely strategical, they took an instant liking to each other. His unfettered can-do attitude and her meticulous planning made them a unique team in their time, and they married under great public participation in 2219 ET.

Their marriage is still considered one of the happiest royal marriages in modern history, even though the details of their relationship remain murky at best. Lilitu kept Mahout has her pet, and had at least one more child (Liviana Quetzal) with Ryan, another pet of hers. The only genetic child of Lilitu and Iskander, Elisander Quetzal, was born in 2220 ET.

Upon the death of Emperor Hyperion in 2221 ET, Lilitu became Virasana Empress at the side of her husband.

With the beginning of the Black-and-White War between House Grebenstein and House Ndwane, Iskander increasingly tried to barter a peace agreement between those houses. While on a clandestine mission in 2233 ET that he had kept secret even from his own Ruby Guard, Iskander got killed by a random ambush of Grebenstein troops who had no chance of knowing he would attend the meeting. Upon hearing the news of his death, Lilitu took the crown and swore bloody revenge to everyone involved.

## Imperial Reign and Abdication

Already established as highly skilled, cunning politician, her imperial rule was close to unchallenged. Every slight sign of insubordination was immediately quenched, and political assassinations became a commonplace affair. Her merciless work gave her the moniker 'the vengeful Empress'.

While never taking an official side in the Black-and-White War, the hostilities quickly escalated, particularly after Tahamoney Kyothari was declared MIA after a mission to Espen in 2233 ET. The war ended under her rule with House Grebenstein formally declared extinct in 2234 ET.

In 2239 ET, she abdicated in favour of her son Elisander Quetzal, and only rarely appears on public occasions any longer.

## Head of the IIS

In the wake of her abdication, she took up the role as head of the Imperial Intelligence Service, and has since then focussed on strengthening her son's rule. Particularly in the beginning, rumours abounded about her still pulling the strings behind the scenes. But her son's style of governance and personality are so different from 'the Vengeful Empress' that those rumours sound increasingly more absurd with every passing year.