Born twenty-three years ago to the Lord of Adorec House, Aywen lived a sheltered, comfortable life until she was eight years old. At that time, a smoldering feud between Adorec House and Marrath House burst back into flame, ending with all of Adorec House dead, except Aywen.

Children...seldom have a proper sense of their own tragedy, discounting and keeping hidden the true horrors of their short lives, humbly imagining real calamity to be some prestigious drama of the grown-up world.

~Shirley Hazzard

Awyen escaped death only because she had sneaked from the house before the killings, oblivious to danger. Found afterwards wandering the streets in bewilderment, allies of the ruined House had her taken from the city, and sent elsewhere. Unfortunately, her small escort, fearing the anger of Marrath House, abandoned her as soon as they arrived at their destination, a port city called Kersah. Aywen, lost and alone, was taken in by the city's thieves.

Seasons change with the scenery;
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me
At any convenient time?

~Paul Simon, "Hazy Shade of Winter"

Five years as a thief, and Awyen became the Lady of the Docks, an underground part of the city where the thieves lived, though many years had passed since they have lived under the docks. She held the position for four years, running the underground city of thieves, until betrayed by an unknown source.

There is much pain that is quite noiseless; and vibrations that make human agonies often a mere whisper in the roar of hurrying existence. There are glances of hatred that stab and raise no cry of murder; robberies that leave man or woman for ever beggared of peace and joy...

~George Eliot

Aywen remembered none of the events of those fateful two nights, save that she awakened in a dungeon cell with an open door and a dead guard. Her left arm was badly broken, and she had other injuries, but, in shock, and forgotten everything, something that continues to disturb her. The arm was set, but not magically healed; because of that, nerves that had been damaged in the break never healed properly, and she was never able to use her left arm again. Knowing that her new disability would make her too obvious, she sought a way to leave the city, that she might not endanger those who had been her friends.

And you wake up to realize
Your standard of living somehow got stuck on survive
And when you're drowning in deep water,
Bailing yourself out with a straw...

~Jewel, "Deep Water"

Desperate for escape from the city, she persuaded a group of merchants to take her on as an apprentice, and picked up their trade swiftly. Within two years, she had struck out on her own, and was extraordinarily successful, making a fortune by the time she was twenty-one, partly because she was also a smuggler. Canny and careful with her money, her wealth increased, until her fortune equaled that of most nobles. With her money, she began a small, secret undertaking that developed into a small empire, employing the street children of various cities to become her eyes and ears elsewhere. With her wealth of information as well as gold, she became a startling and powerful political force.

My hands are small, I know,
But they're not yours, they are my own,
They're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken.

~Jewel, "Hands"

Disappointed that she showed no aptitude for magic, she chose to take up other skills. Extensive experiments and research yielded valuable results; in subtle and occasionally cruel ways, Aywen is able to dispose of any who prove to be too dangerous to her. She has developed into a ruthless and dangerous young woman, armed with a sharp mind and surprising delicate assassination methods. With a small army of street children at her behest, there is little she cannot learn or do.

But if you could hear the voice in my heart it would tell you
I'm tired of feeling this way
Won't somebody please hold me, release me,
Show me the meaning of mercy,
Let me loose
Let me fly, let me fly, let me fly...

~Jewel

Aywen stands five feet, four inches tall, slender, blue-eyed, and graceful. Her useless left arm is always in a sling, to keep it out of her way. She has a fondness for fine clothing, and usually wears her blonde hair up. Her softer side is shown only to her street children, as she understands them and their needs well. To others, she appears cold, arrogant, and proud...and, indeed, she often is.

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