Zeviel grew up fairly privileged with parents who loved her and a community that cared for her. As an elf, she had very few peers comparative to her human counterparts, but had no qualms about spending time around her elders, enjoying their stories of past experiences and caring guidance through her youth. This resulted in her being fairly mature and with a deep respect for past, present and future.
Magic had always come easy to her, much to the chagrin of one of her peers. Zeviel happened upon her friend during one of her sessions with her tutor as she was being taught how to spark a simple fire. Zeviel watched curiously from the side as her friend read words from a large book and made complex hand gestures before a small flame leapt from her hand to hang in the air in front of her. Zeviel, being impressed by her friends dedication to her study, wanted to participate and rushed forward excitedly, juggling a series of four small lights around her fingers, chanting a mixed up version of the incantation her friend had read aloud and wriggling her fingers about. The tutor laughed, recognizing Zeviel as a sorcerer not a wizard, clapped Zeviel on the shoulder and smiled, explaining that there was nothing he could teach her that wouldn’t simply come naturally to her in time. This caused a fair bit of jealousy on the part of her friend who had been working to master her simple spell for weeks, birthing the beginning of a very one sided rivalry.
One of the defining points of Zeviel’s childhood and formative years was having a close cousin in the Lantern Bearers. Zeviel found her cousin to be a perfect mixture of beauty, glamour, and badass all at once, and dreamed of becoming as impressive as her. Her cousin was always quite cryptic about what exactly it was she did, but that only added to the romanticized image Zeviel had fostered about the Lantern Bearers. As she grew up, she honed her magic and her interpersonal skills until she was accepted into the lantern bearers, a process that was aided along by a mysterious letter of recommendation marked only by a wax seal that she didn’t recognize despite the weight it clearly held within the faction.
As a capable sorcerer, a hard worker, and a great mediator, she quickly rose through the ranks even getting promoted over her childhood rival who had also joined in with the Lantern Bearers, albeit five years later than Zeviel had been admitted. This only further angered her rival who, in a blind fit of uncharacteristic rage, plotted with the enemy to get Zeviel kidnapped by a drow. Quentel Taken’rae, a drow rogue who had evaded Zeviel several times before, was the only candidate who could be considered Zeviel’s equal and the only one suited to the task. In her rival’s mind, removing Zeviel would remove her only obstacle to success.
Using a series of illusions to lure Zeviel away from her usual scouting route and a burst of light that left her stunned and dazzled her rival put her plan to work. As planned, Quentel was lying in wait and swooped in to bind the disoriented elf. He hoisted her over her shoulder, and no matter how Zeviel screamed she couldn’t make a sound. Panic set in as he continued to drag the helpless Zeviel back towards the entrance to the Underdark. Fortunately, her fellow Lantern Bearers realized she had not returned to check in at her scheduled time and set out to track her. The extra weight and struggle had caused Quentel to leave an obvious trail, guiding Zeviel’s companions directly to them. Obviously outnumbered, Quentel dropped Zeviel and fled the area, deftly disappearing into the shadows under the earth.
Embarrassment and shame overwhelmed Zeviel as she gave her report of the incident, cursing her own self for letting herself be lured into such a trap and vowing to never be so foolish again. She never once suspected that she had been betrayed by another Lantern Bearer, let alone one she had known since childhood. Zeviel took full responsibility for her actions.
After a great many of her peers filed complaints about her lack of competence (again, orchestrated by her life-long rival), she was subsequently demoted and given an out-of-the-way assignment; watching over the entrance to the Darklands at Urgir. This led her to Trunau, where she has stayed for the better part of twenty years, as it was the only safe place in the region for her to keep vigil over Urgir. Her residence here allows her to keep an ear to the ground for drow activity while also helping the town in whatever way she can.
