The Eastern Ruins
Located on the eastern portion of Karnor, within the northern edges of the Zerapheshi Desert, are the Eastern Ruins of the city of Maerylis. During the Sundering, the entire population of Maerylis was vaporized in a flash of magic, leaving permanent 'death silhouettes' upon the walls and floors. The structures themselves were largely unharmed at the time, though in the hundreds of year since have fallen into disrepair. Shortly after the mass death, it was largely believed that the city of Maerylis was tainted by corrupted magic, a form of radiation essentially, and thus attempts to recover and rebuilt the city were refused.
And that was exactly how she wanted it.
Shortly after the destruction of the Maerylis population, one woman and a few of her closest loyalists seized the operation and claimed the ruins for their own. They established a hidden stronghold among the ruins, and began to grow and recruit from all around the region. This group of people began to raid caravans and traders with military expertise, attacked villages with organized precision, and continued to grow. This secretive group would go on to dub their leader the Bandit Queen.
Through espionage, bribery, interception and forgery of documents, and every subversive tactic seemingly known, the Bandit Queen has managed to keep her settlement a secret for the few hundred years since the death of Maerylis. There is no pattern to their attacks across the region, both in tactics, targets, equipment used, etc, leaving those people to not realize that most of them came from one singular source. This coupled with the gruesome, magical deaths inflicted on any trespassers, including archaeological research teams, has kept Karnor in the dark of the Bandit Queen.
The Bandit Queen's identity is only known to her Generals. The Queen's Bandits maintain a hierarchy of secrecy in their ranks and enforce it on pain of death. The only people they recruit from the outside are military deserters and children that would be too young to remember their life before them.
The current population of the Eastern Ruins live in excavated tunnels and halls built beneath the ruins. The civilians there live a happy, content life, shielded and protected from the outside world and are provided with all the things they need. The Bandit Queen demands spoils be split among the populace, so many live in single room houses that are adorned with the finest artwork, eating stolen food off of golden flatware taken from merchants.
While it seems to the lower ranks that the Bandit Queen is content with building this hidden civilization, the higher ranks know that she is actively working toward her own goal, one hundreds of years in the making. They know some pieces of it, but only she knows the entirety of the plan.
The Bandit Queen's Hierarchy
The identities of the individuals are only known to 1 tier beneath them and all people in equal or higher tiers than them.
1. The Bandit Queen, only known to the Generals.
2. The Generals
3. The Commanders
4. The Bandits
5. The Civilians
Laws
1. Any secret that is given away by anyone within the Queen's Bandits, no matter how small or large, is grounds for immediate execution. Children are taught at a young age to never divulge secrets due to this.
2. The use of names is explicitly forbidden. This only applies to the people living here, names for outsiders, typically in relation to upcoming operations, are used.
3. All members have day to day jobs and operations and are expected to keep to them. Those who serve as bandits or officers are expected to handle both sets of duties without failing at either.
4. To move up from Civilian to Bandit, the Civilian will be given two names. One of these names will be for a member of the Kalzasi military, the other for a member of the Zaichaeri military. The Civilian must return with those individuals' heads. While on these missions, they are shadowed by existing member(s) of the Bandits and watched. If they fail or it seems they will attempt to give up, they are assassinated.
5. If an outside deserter is found in the wilds, they will be approached by a Commander. The Commander will not reveal anything about themselves or who they represent. Some choose to appear as a friend, others as an enemy. Regardless, the meeting is an interview, one that the outsider will not be made aware of. If there is enough of that "special something" that the Commander sees in the potential, the Commander will offer them a formal choice. They will be offered to "join them in something bigger than themselves" or to live a life always looking over their shoulder. If accepted, the Commander then tells them that they must give their entire life's story in one sitting, sparing no details. After hearing this, the Command departs, regrouping with other Commanders. Spies are sent out to confirm various parts of this story without arousing suspicion. If even one thing is found to be untruthful, they potential is killed. If it all checks out, the potential is found once more, and the Commander says that they've been deemed worthy, but in order to join, must give up their old life, their name. If they agree to this, they are brought in as a Civilian.
6. Anyone not recognized as a member of the Bandits seen within or in proximity of the Eastern Ruins are to be killed, their body then mutilated with various magics, and left in a place to be found by travelers.
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