Saoirse Storm Crow's page

Even when the old system was serving her best, she was at most a pawn, a trading chip. As a lesser noble in a powerful house, she was given every advantage in society, being well educated and trained extensively in warfare, but soon after she came of age, she was sent off to pay an old debt between her father and his school chum Ileosa Arvanxi- now Queen Ileosa Arabasti, monarch of Korvosa. There, thru magic, manipulation and torture, her mind was broken into a Gray Maiden, the fanatically loyal bodyguards of the Queen.

Ileosa saw Valarie's beauty as insult, a challenge to her own, and thus her face was scarred and twisted, a worthy sacrifice, she thought, so conquered her mind had become. The Queen would become immortal, and Valarie would be her protector until death. But immortality never came for Ileosa. Before Val could pass her initiation and serve, the Queen was beaten back and murdered by a band of rebels. Val managed to escape and returned home, where her father disowned her, refusing to acknowledge her until his recent death.

It has been seven years. Seven years since her scars were cut and burnt into her face, seven years since she was manipulated into fanaticism and hero worship, seven years since the death of Queen Ileosa. Valarie has largely shed this past, worked to become someone else, forget her conditioning, and there are few who know of her involvement in Korvosa.

But three weeks ago, it all came back. The peasants revolting, the city guard disposing rebel groups, martial law, the city burning. It was too much. She began to lose track of time, waking up in strange places or polishing her old armor. Soon, she understood; she was surrendering to her conditioning. Present conditions were too triggering. The Gray Maiden within her has awoken.

Both halves of her want an independent Kintargo. For Val, the tyranny that she had served in Korvosa is her biggest regret, and this time she can stand up and make things right. For the mask, all the mask cares about is keeping Thrune out of her home. Many of her sisters now serve the Majetrix Abrogail Thrune, but she does not deserve their loyalty. As far as the mask is concerned, only the Queen Ileosa can command them, and with her dead, any pretenders must be beaten back by any means necessary.