Queen Antonia Bayle (Lore)

History
Antonia Bayle is ruler of the kingdom of Qeynos. Born with the name Shirrana on a small island isolated for centuries by cataclysms, she had no idea that she was descended from the ruling house of Qeynos. When the cataclysms subsided and word reached her island that the Bayle family had been wiped out by disaster, the guardians of the young woman's secret finally revealed the truth of her destiny. Shirrana went to Qeynos with letters that proved her ancestry, and she began the process of learning how to be a leader. After several years of training, she assumed the title of Antonia and took the throne; she has led her city for over seven years.

Though only in her late 20s, Antonia Bayle is already an accomplished leader. Possessing an enigmatic charm and an undeniable beauty, she immediately commands the attention of all who see her. But she is far from just a pretty face; she proved soon after her arrival in Qeynos that she has a natural gift to inspire her people and make wise decisions regarding their future. She speaks from the heart and motivates her subjects to believe in their ability to achieve great things.

Antonia cares little for the accumulation of personal power, putting all of her time and energy toward the benefit of her city. To her, the past is simply prologue; she encourages her subjects to put aside old rivalries for the good of the future. She constantly emphasizes accomplishments over failures, believing strongly that people must move past their mistakes and learn to improve the lives of everyone around them.

In keeping with the tradition that no ruler of Qeynos should ever be called king (or queen), Antonia sees herself as a representative of her people. Though she does not shun her royal lineage, she portrays herself as a fellow citizen who faces the same challenges as the average person. Her speeches appeal to commoner and aristocrat alike, making clear that all people have a responsibility to one another, regardless of station. When speaking of the accomplishments of her people, she emphasizes that a victory for one is a victory for all. Antonia understands her people's need for faith, and so she encourages religious freedom. Though she advocates no specific deity herself, she sees any belief in a benign god to be a positive thing that can inspire people to do the right thing.

When speaking of the rival city of Freeport, Antonia is careful to direct her animosity at its leader, not its people. She openly despises Lucan D'Lere, who has attempted to deceive and mislead her multiple times in the past. She will portray him as the liar and manipulator that he is, but rarely depicts the people of Freeport as anything other than misguided. If a former follower of D'Lere renounces his evil ways and proves to have a desire to work toward the greater good, Antonia will accept him gladly and count such a conversion as a victory for Qeynos. She wants to see Lucan fall so that all citizens of Freeport have the opportunity to accept a new path, but she is wary of a costly war between the cities.

Though kind and giving by nature, Antonia Bayle is extremely willful and does not back down from what she knows to be the right thing to do. While open to compromise in many areas, she will not negotiate her belief in justice. She is a formidable ruler who has earned the respect of those around her by being that rare combination of idealist and pragmatist, believing a better future is possible only through hard work and unity - as well as the judicious use of force.

(Source: Everquest II website)

Lineage Information
Appellation: The Queen

Forebear: Unknown

Progeny: No known children

Time of Rule: Age of Destiny

Antonia Bayle, born with the true name Shirrana, is the current ruler of the City of Qeynos, and therefore the ad hoc ruler of the continent of Karan.

It has been tradition for nearly a thousand years - since the decree of Antonius Bayle the First - that the ruler of Qeynos will not be known as king or queen. However, in the current Age of Destiny, this tradition may be lost, as Antonia is usually referred to as "Queen Antonia." Statuary bearing her likeness throughout Norrath bears this title, often in the form of "Visage of the Queen." (Indeed, her subtitle line when she appears as an NPC has been seen to say "Queen of Qeynos.") Many Qeynos guards are even quoted as saying "All preserve Queen Antonia."

Properly, the name "Antonius" is in and of itself a sort of title, having been given to (or some say taken by) every ruling descendant of the Bayle line.

Antonia Bayle took the liberty of altering the appellation slightly, having been born with the name Shirrana, arguably traceable to her ancestor Shaonia, daughter of Lady Shae of Felwithe and Antonius Bayle III.

Antonia is correctly addressed simply as "Antonia," not "Queen Antonia." Other now common but technically incorrect forms of address include "Your Majesty" and "Your Highness."

Out of Verse Info
Antonia Bayle has been voiced by actress Heather Graham. Following the "Quest for Antonia" modeling competition, SOE hired performer Anna Wainscoat to portray Antonia at public events. Various renderings of the character throughout the SOE franchise are shown below.