The Aged Bones (formerly Empress Irene)
Origins and History
The Aged Bones originates from the First History, where the Holy Roman Empire conquered the majority of Western Europe under the rule of the Empress. After many years of studying the occult, she found her way into the House of the Serpent through a now-forgotten Door, and held long, philosophical debates with the Architeuthian, whom she met along the way. With her duties in her own realm to handle, however, she could never spend too long in the House before making her journey back with secrets or forgotten knowledge.
When her time slowly came to a close, she travelled once more to the Serpent’s Palace with the knowledge that her line would not continue if she stayed in her own world, and took up a throne of carved stone in a large hall beside the Aquarium. Though she succumbed to her mortal condition soon after, her bones were filled to bursting with her old occult knowledge, and ascended to the ranks of the Long in spirit - if not exactly in body.
Despite being immobile as she slumped against the cold stone, the Aged Bones could recount tale upon tale of the Old Monarchs and their place in history, merely asking another tale in return, until she grew to become an Hour after the Splitting of the Great Serpent with the help of the Architeuthian.