Valerie was born to a small noble family from the Dales. Her father - Lord Francis D'Avenir was a bannerman of the Lord of Shadowdale. Her mother - Jaquelin D'Avenir didn’t gave birth to more children, so she had to fill in the shoes of the sons lord D'Avenir never had.
 
Valerie started practicing the sword and spear as soon as she turned 7. Her father used to say that the best life insurance in Shadowdale was the sharpness of your weapons and your wits and prowess in battle. Around 14 Valerie was already a remarkable warrior, skilled with swords, flails, pikes, spears and lances and was knighted by the Lord of Shadowdale.
 
Then it all went south.
 
First it was the drow who started attacking settlements and kidnapping people for slave work.
Then when she was 16 the Zentharim came. Through corruption and dark rituals in the name of Bane The Tyrant they undermined the whole Shadowdale. Soon enough the sign of the Black Hand of Bane was all over the Dale and Zentharim followers grew like mushrooms. The lord of the Shadowdale gathered his forces and met them at the Battle of the Broken Hills, but with great numbers and dark magic on their side, his forces were crushed.
Valerie's father was killed during the battle, while she managed to narrowly escape with her life. The Shadowdale was overrun with marauding hordes and she barely managed to flee west with her mother and some loyal servants. The D'Avenir manor was no more.
 
The next two years they lived on the road, moving from one place to another. The Zentharim's armies were spreading like wildfire, swallowing all the Dales. When Valerie turned 19 Lady D'Avenir succumbed to the hardships of living on the road and died. She dismissed the remaining loyal servants and took the job of a hired sword. Her luck turned when she heard about the rebellion of the boy-slave Haruman in the Goblin Marches. She joined his ranks and helped him establish his lordship over the Far Hills.
 
Due to her unwavering bravery and unmatched combat skills, she quickly rose through the ranks and served as deputy commander of Jander Sunstar's cavalry wing. She missed the ride of the Hellriders in Avernus due to broken leg and was really envious when the surviving crusaders returned with tales of great battle won in Avernus. Both Haruman and his liege lord Olanthius died in Avenus, as well as the angel Zariel and her mount - the holyphan Lulu but Jander survived and was crowned as High rider of Eturel.
 
Several years later, when she was 25 Jander Sunstar just disappeared. Like that. Her liege lord and commander was no more.
 
Couple of months later she heard rumors that a person that looked like Jander was spotted in Waterdeep, near an asylum. Determined to find out the truth, Valerie hit the road to Waterdeep.