The Duchess

"The Duchess is a woman of independent inclinations. Her opinions do not always align with those of the great and the good."

The Duchess is a survivor of the fall of the Second City. She's an archetypical crazy cat lady, though she is also very intelligent and appreciates scholarly endeavors. And she has secrets...

While investigating a murder mystery at the University...

...one uncovers the backstory of the Duchess: she was a princess of the Second City (El-Amarna in Egypt), and that's why she loves her (talking!) cats so much - Egyptians worshipped their cats. Despite looking elderly and British on the outside, she is actually wearing very heavy makeup over her youthful Egyptian appearance (she looks no older than 30). She arranged the fall of the city to save her husband, King Tut, who eventually became the Cantigaster after he lost favor with the Masters. She still visits him in the cellars of the Shuttered Palace.