Rilena Thariss

Rilena was born in the neighbourhood of Seaside, overlooking the docks of Emitlestar, a neighbourhood known for the mixture of the salty air and shouting merchants. Her father, Daron Tharis was a spice trader who due to some unlucky trade and a ship going down in a storm fell into debt with some unsavoury lenders. Her mother Anira, meanwhile worked as a weaver in the poorer districts of the city, despite their struggles, or maybe because of the struggles, Rilena grew up resourceful, sharp-witted and learned to haggle while still a child when she sold small pouches of spice to the local cooks at the taverns.   When she was 15, her father's debt had grown out of control and the family were forced to flee Emitlestar in an attempt to avoid being forced into indentured servitude. Rilena refused to be dragged away, instead, she joined her uncle's trade business, a "respectable" merchant that was more of a front for a smuggling ring, Rilena had discovered this when she had unexpectable run out of spice to sell early that day and wanted to see if her uncle had some job for her, walking in on a shady deal. Through the smuggling ring, Rilena gained a lot of contracts from all walks of life, all wanting some of the goods forbidden by Imperial law, or just items to expensive to get legally, could be rare silks, artefacts or just people who wanted to disappear from the Dercian Empire she quickly learned that for the right price, most were willing to turn a blind eye to the law.    Currently, at the age of 25, Rilena is well-known across the docks of the city. Like her uncle, she operates a legitimate business, trading in spices and exotic textiles, items that allow her to mingle with the upper classes of the city, while her more shady works make her a trusted ally for those operating in the underbelly of the city. A few years earlier she managed to buy her father's old shop which has now been modified to suit the more shady work of Rilena better, she installed compartments under the floor and in the walls and decorated the shop so that the scent of herbs and spices and the counters all help hide the secrets hiding in the shop.