Backstory
Lyra grew up in a poor neighborhood of Ardis, Ustalav, with her mother and father, usually barely scraping by to pay to keep a roof over their head. Despite her parents warnings, Lyra began seeking work herself, and eventually caught the eye of a criminal syndicate who hired her on as a pickpocket and thief.
The criminals who gave Lyra her marks often gave her the risky jobs - less due to an expectation she would succeed, and more because they could easily deny knowing her, or even turn her in to the guard themselves as a favor.
Regardless, Lyra was fairly successful at her job - until she didn't notice a pair of guards following her. To her surprise, the man who she had been about to pickpocket turned around and said loudly, "Ah! Dana! I've been looking everywhere for you."
With disappointed scowls the guards returned to their patrols, and Lyra looks quizzically at the man. When asked why he lied to save her, he told her that one day, he might need a favor.
Seeing how close she was to being thrown in jail, Lyra quit the syndicate (but not without a beating, from which she still bears a few scars), and tried to find some way to put her skills to use. For months there was little work she could do, until someone seeked her out specifically - he had a job she needed done, and one Professor Lorrimor had told him that Lyra might have the skills to complete the job.
The man never mentioned any favor owed, and simply hired her on to explore a ruined crypt - Lyra's first legal job, and the start of her career. Over the years, she gained more clients that hired her to investigate ruins, recover artifacts, or simply document locations.
Lyra's mind occasionally wandered to the favor she owed - the professor clearly had not forgotten about her, but it had been years since she last heard of him. Until she received a letter from a weary courier.
Personality
Lyra prides herself on being reliable and trustworthy, attempting to distance herself as much as possible from the mistakes of her youth.
