Song of the Shaded Queen

Come with me, my deadly Queen. You shall not rise again so soon. In a thousand years, perhaps. When your children walk in human sight.
Final chapter opening of Song of the Shaded Queen

Summary

Song of the Shaded Queen is part of an ancient hero's epic. It features several heroes and heroic creatures from different time periods. This particular story features an unnamed hero in conflict with an entity known as the Shaded Queen, who was believed to rule over the New Moon nights. The story itself details the hero's efforts in vanquishing this threat, until this hero is finally successful and throws the Shaded Queen into an unnamed abyss. The final chapter of the song speak of a prophecy, in which the Shaded Queen survived the fall and is now lying at the bottom of this unnamed abyss. It describes her children walking the earth, away from human eye. These children are referred to by different names, including Dark-walkers, the Moon-shy, Dusterfolk and most recently, the Mahrs. The foretelling speaks of a second coming, in which the Shaded Queen will return, as soon as humans begin to develop the ability to see her children.

Historical Basis

Song of the Shaded Queen is part of a collection of heroic epics, known as Tales of the Broken Heroes. There is about as much evidence for its existence as The Iliad or The Odyssey, as in, it is an ancient epic story and there is not much evidence on how much of this is actually true or not. It is most likely somewhat based in fact, but nobody is really sure. Even though the story is definitely ancient, there is no direct evidence for much else, although people claim to have found the grave of the Unnamed Hero in a mountain cave. All they found was a frozen body and an inscription above, reading: The Shadows I sought, the Shadows you will one day see. As for the Shaded Queen, nobody know in which abyss she was allegedly thrown into, although some scholars argue it was Darion Keep. There is no evidence for that, though.

Spread

Tales of the Broken Heroes is one of the most common and well read collection of songs and stories in the entire Broken World. Even people, who don't have access to a library have, at the very least, heard of this passed on orally from traders, travelers or their own family.

Variations & Mutation

The original Song of the Shaded Queen is still out these, but inaccessible for most people. Although the overall story remains the same (hero fights monster and banishes it), some minor details change here and there. Some people give the Unnamed Hero a name or claim to know exactly where the events took place. The most notable change, however, is the omission of the final chapter. Since this story is sometimes delivered to children, parents tend to leave out the part where the Shaded Queen returns from banishment, however, there are still many older people who are aware and terrified of this second coming.

Cultural Reception

Song of the Shaded Queen is extremely popular. Many people identify with the Unnamed Hero, give them an name from their own family tree and even celebrate the perceived banishment of the Shaded Queen. These festivals also serve the purpose of postponing the return of the Shaded Queen by lighting as many lamps as possible on the night of the festival.

In Literature

This story, along with all the others in the collection of epics, has been appropriated in songs, re-imaginings and poems many times.

In Art

Some painters have attempted to paint their idea of the Shaded Queen and the Unnamed Hero.

Date of First Recording

Approximately 900 years ago.

Date of Setting

Approximately 1,000 years ago.