Alyssum

Born the youngest daughter of House Zenaide of Fariscourt, Alyssum's early life was marked by comfort, privilege, and an emphasis on magical study. With her parents members of Fariscourt's council of eight, and accomplished magical scholars in their own right it was expected early on that Alyssum, alongside her older brother Yarrow, would grow up to play prominent roles in their city. It was an idyllic youth that came to an abrupt end when, at 13, the council of Fariscourt was deposed by an outside group, whose search for alliance and power was spurned. Over the course of a single night the coup in Fariscourt resulted in Alyssum and Yarrow being spirited from their home, her parents staying behind to wage a desperate, ultimately fruitless, battle against their assailants. Alys would never see them again, and the Zenaide Manor was left an empty shell, one warning of eight in a city that had been claimed by force.

Adrift and still hunted, Yarrow secreted them to the house of their maternal aunt, Zinnia. Though there was marginal comfort in the presence of family, Zinnia's prominence and known status as family made it ill advised for the siblings to stay with her. Yarrow, already on the cusp of adulthood and keen to reclaim his birthright chose to pursue his goal by enlisting in the kings army. Alyssum, too young to follow Yarrow and too at risk to stay in Zinnia's house, was sent to a temple of Sehanine to be brought up in the protection of its clergy. Discarding her last name and more frequently going by Alys or Lys, she severed her obvious ties to nobility and spent nearly 10 years as an acolyte. Faith became her shield and strength, and the temple as much a home as it was a place of worship. Though earnest and goodhearted, an endless streak of mischeviousness made her a somewhat exasperating member of Sehanine's devout.

Now an adult, and straining against the familiarity of the temple itself, Alys' own drive paired with the pull of her faith have led her to strike out on her own. Out of boldness and a desperate desire to live without feeling the need to hide Alys has opted to trade sequestered safety for the chance at answers, reuniting with her brother, and sharing the strength that faith has given her.

Alyssum's mother, sometimes known as Anemone of the Gale, was an air genasi sorcerer. Born of a human mother and an elemental of the north wind, Anemone was a tenacious and gifted magician with a tongue almost as sharp as her wit. Her marriage to Aspen Zenaide, a noble born wizard and aclaimed researcher was initially a political play between friends that blossomed into genuine romantic love over the course of their partnership. Though common born herself, her strength, intelligence, and determination made her an easy fit among the upper eschelons of Fariscourt.

Alyssum's father was a noble born moon-elf native to the city of Fariscourt. Endlessly curious about unfurling the mysteries of the world, Aspen spent many years travelling in study to become a wizard. On his journeys he met the genasi Anemone whom he formed a fast friendship with and strong affection for. When he returned to Fariscourt to inherit his title and join the council of eight he asked her to go along with him, ultimately marrying her. Though not as naturally inclined to magic as Anemone, Aspen was unmatched in the breadth of his research and the pride it gave him.

Alyssum's older brother, Yarrow, was raised as the inevitable heir to House Zenaide. Charming, if not prideful and stubborn, he inherited his fair share of tenacity and sense of duty from his parents. The older sibling by almost 5 years, Yarrow was nonetheless still a child when his house was attacked and his parents killed.Running was not in his nature, and were it not for the heated insistence of his father to protect himself and his sister he likely would have tried to stay. While Alyssum was placed in hiding in the temple of Sehanine, Yarrow refused to sit idle, taking up arms in the service of King and Country in hopes that he would one day be in a position to reclaim his home. During his tenure he has gained a reputation for loyalty and strategy, having found his own new family in his fellow soldiers in the same way that Alyssum found hers among the faithful. He writes his sister perhaps less often than he ought to, and would have strong opinions about her opting to strike out on her own... if she had made him aware.