Galena Mulzerro

Galena is the oldest, and only female, councilor on the Five Talons, the representative body of Egrecia. She stands as an exemplar of Egrecian prosperity, having risen from a nameless orphan to one of the most powerful women in Egrecia. To many, she is proof that Egrecia is a place where power is what you make it; a society where birth and ethnicity hold little weight. To others, she is a formidable rival both feared and respected for her quick wit, schemes, and silver tongue. But even fewer know about her ruthless side - or have survived to tell about it.

As the guildmaster of one of the oldest and most powerful guilds in Egrecia, the Elcorde, she is officially in charge of managing Egrecia's system of bathhouses. But rumor has it that, under Galena's leadership, the bathhouses hold the largest spy network of the entire region. Indeed, many suspect that her inspirational rise to power was not merely due to her silver tongue.

Early Life

Young Galena and her family, like many others, were drawn to Egrecia for its promises of 'prosperity for all'. Outside the kingdom, the city of Egrecia was infamous for many things: as a honey-trap for fools, a haven for undesirables, and a den of lust. But Galena's family, including her sister Nael and her father, was certainly desperate enough to take the risk; her father believed Egrecia was the best chance to support a constantly sick Nael. No doctor, at the time, knew what affliction raged through Nael, only that the symptoms could be treated (...after an exorbitant fee). Any other charitable temple believed Nael was cursed by the gods, and refused to treat her at all.

Shortly after arriving at the docks, Galena's father would throw every coin he had to start-up his glassblowing business. He managed to attract the interest of a minor guild of craftsmen, who offered him and his family membershp, in exchange for a labor contract. Although this meant a majority of his profits would be reserved by the guild, he still accepted it as it would provide Galena and Nael both shelter and stabilty. Unfortunately, the guild was choked dry by a rival guild, leaving Galena's father penniless while the other remaining members fled Egrecia with the coffers. Eventually, he would die from overexerting himself, leaving his children in the treacherous slums of Low Town.

For the nex two years, life was hard for the siblings. Galena did everything she could to keep them alive, including theft. And she became very good at it. One day, she got caught stealing appetizers from a bathhouse, and savagely beaten by the bouncers. However, the Elcorde guildmaster at the time, Isabil, intervened out of pity. She also happened to need another worker, as time-to-time a client would inevitably rough-handle one. Although life was still rough, Galena would adjust perfectly to her new role as an attendant, and be mentored in vital skills, from how to present herself to gossiping - figuring out how to coax valuable information that would later be sold or exploited by Isabil herself. She grew to become Isabel's favored, her right hand, to eventually her successor. Meanwhile, Galena continued to care for Nael, while keeping her aloof of Galena's new life of espionage.