Yasmin Maydlow
Lady Yasmin Maydlow
Yasmin is the matriarch of the Maydlow family, and a powerful magecrafter that the city employs for major projects. She is the mother of Rashona Abither, wife of Oligarch Kian Abither.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Yasmin has been terribly injured multiple times, leaving her without an arm, eyes, an ear, and rendering her permanently frail. Looking past her injuries, however, she is in shockingly good condition for her age; her skin is still smooth and healthy, just as youthful as ever, and she has had no health complications or issues with her memory.
Special abilities
Yasmin is a powerful sorceress of the unicorn bloodline, granting her powers over restoration and nature, and rendering her resistant to evil forces.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Yasmin was born in Korosa, and has lived through nearly half of its existence. She was alive when Ayrith and Ardglass were founded, and watched Korosa evolve from a waystop to the trade capital of the Expanse. Unfortunately, she did not watch all of this growth from a place of comfort. When she was young, the Maydlow family was one struck with deep debts and few options, and so Yasmin stepped forward, offering herself as a slave to spare her younger siblings from the fate. Yasmin spent an astonishing seven years as a slave - and not a favored one. She performed hard labor, slept in squalid conditions, and was fed too-little food for all seven of those years.
During her second year as a slave, Yasmin accidentally stumbled into a on the docks, sending him into the water. As punishment, her slavemaster took her to one of the beaches and pinned her right shoulder to a cliff wall with a shellbolter (an especially cruel punishment before Kian Abither made it standard practice thirty years ago), then left her there for the night. While she was stuck there, Yasmin's blood burned and screamed, struggling to keep her alive as if it had a mind of its own, and before long that mind woke up. The sanguine fluid that flowed from her arm and stained the sand suddenly transformed into dozens - hundreds - of butterflies. They surrounded Yasmin, sweeping across her body in waves, and then struck the shellbolt from the wall. Unfortunately, the damage had been done, and Yasmin's arm went with it. The butterflies were not done, however, and folded themselves around Yasmin's wound. A moment later, the blood stopped flowing and vitality returned to her body.
Yasmin laid there for the rest of the night, too exhausted and shocked to move, and she was brought back to the skumhouse the next morning. There were several more incidents like this, where Yasmin would be burnt, cut, bruised, or otherwise badly injured, only for her to be miraculously healed, although not perfectly; her blood was not powerful enough to spare her from scars, nor could it return her arm. The worst event, however, was in her seventh year, when she was strung out during an Adgen storm. Situated as it is in a bay, Korosa is usually spared from the worst of storms, but Adgen storms roll down from the north - the same direction the Sharp Gold Bay faces. Yasmin was hung from the eaves of the skumhouse by her ankles, hand bound to her waist and could not free herself no matter how she tried. When the storm struck, the wind buffeted her, the rain tore at her skin like stones from a sling, and in one terrible moment, a bolt of lightning flew for her face. Screaming in fear, Yasmin's voice summoned a creature in front of her, a spirit in the shape of a horse, but with a longer mane and tail and a horn protruding from its head. It caught the worst of the lightning bolt, but it could not spare Yasmin entirely. The horse shattered before the storm and Yasmin's eyes were struck with electricity.
She was cut down the next morning, yet again miraculously alive, though now permanently blinded. After that, Yasmin's debts were considered to be paid and she was released from bondage. From there, she managed to hone her sorcery for a few years, offering her services as a magecrafter until she could afford a modest home in the Kalisa district.
By the time she was twenty two, the legendary pirate Karlus Maxton came to Korosa, ship overflowing with riches. The guards tried to seize him, but he repelled them and called for his right to pay his bounty - an insane amount, after all he had done. Begrudgingly, the Oligarchs of the time agreed, and Karlus stepped into Korosa as an unwanted - and very wealthy - man. Naturally, the people of Korosa shunned the ex-pirate, loathing him for all the money the man had cost him. All but Yasmin. She would visit him when she could find the time, sharing meals or performing magic for him. Eventually, their friendship blossomed into romance, and then marriage, whereupon Karlus' immense wealth quickly found them a home in the Hano district and therefore status as nobles. To distance himself from his past, Karlus adopted Yasmin's surname: Maydlow.
Karlus and Yasmin had only one child, who they named Rashona, but she seemed somehow wrong. Too cruel, too selfish, and so they avoided having any more, for fear that Rashona would abuse her younger siblings. Later on, Rashona married Lavernus Alwood, who was, in Yasmin's estimation, a lovely young man. Unfortunately, their marriage was not to last. Rashona gave birth to Vierna, who inherited Yasmin's sorcerous blood, but their marriage grew estranged quickly as both of them started affairs; Rashona with the prominent Kian Abither and Lavernus with a poor slave girl named Althea Vere, whos slave price he paid.
When Rashona and Lavernus were divorced, Yasmin and Karlus adopted the orphaned Lavernus to entrench Viera's place in the Maydlow family and, frankly, because they liked Lavernus. Unfortunately, Karlus died shortly afterwards, which neither Yasmin nor Lavernus took well.
Education
Yasmin did not receive much in the way of education. She learned what she could from the jobs she did and from what the other slaves could teach her, but it wasn't much. After being elevated to high society, however, Yasmin learned a great deal more. Either way, she knows much of Korosa's history simply because she lived through it.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Yasmin is an experienced and skilled magecrafter, responsible for raising a great many of Korosa's buildings over her years. Most notably, she helped construct Korosa's library, which now serves as the headquarters for members of ARCHES in the city.
Mental Trauma
Yasmin's time as a slave was very traumatic for her, especially the incident with the shellbolter and her time in the Adgen storm. Although she has been free for more than half a century now, the sound of a shellbolter being fired still causes her to flinch, and she huddles down in fear during storms.
Morality & Philosophy
Despite her rough life, or perhaps partly because of it, Yasmin is a fundamentally good person. She offers healing to those who need it, treats all people equally, and is doing her best to push Rashona into easing the harsh treatment of today's slaves.
Social
Family Ties
Yasmin is the widow of Karlus Maydlow, mother of Rashona Abither, the previous mother-in-law, now adoptive mother of Lavernus Maydlow, mother-in-law to Althea Maydlow, and the grandmother to Viera, Melissa, and Dorsey Maydlow.
Social Aptitude
Yasmin is not particularly confident, despite her notable power as a mage. She is, however, generally calm and kind to any who go out of their way to speak to her.
Hobbies & Pets
Yasmin has two pet cats, Azi and Bo.
Relationships
Wealth & Financial state
When Karlus died, all his considerable wealth was given to Yasmin. This has kept the Maydlow family luxuriantly comfortable for years, and does not appear to be about to run out any time soon.
Alignment
Neutral Good
Current Status
Leading the Maydlow family
Current Location
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Lady Maydlow, Elder Maydlow
Age
74
Date of Birth
30th of Remal, 3395
Birthplace
Korosa
Family
Spouses
Karlus Maydlow
(spouse)
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
The Maydlow Estate
Gender
Female
Eyes
Scarred over
Hair
Incredibly long, wavy red
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale, marked by many burn scars
Height
5'5"
Weight
110
