Annalavara

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Annalavara, or "Lava" to those who consider themselves her friends, hails from Theram, a chaotic bandit kingdom ruled by shifting alliances and treachery. Her skin and curling ebony horns mark her as one of the tieflings who thrive in this tumultuous land, using their cunning and resilience to carve out a living in a world where might often trumps right.
Born the illegitimate daughter of a minor bandit lord and a tavern maid, Annalavara quickly learned that survival in Theran required more than brute strength. Her mother, who ran an underground safehouse for outlaws, taught her the value of information. Bandits came and went, sharing secrets over cups of cheap ale, never realizing the sharp-eared girl in the corner memorized every word. As a child, she would often distract drunken brigands with songs and jests while her mother lifted their coin purses or stashed incriminating evidence for future blackmail. By the time she was a teenager, Annalavara was composing ballads so cutting and clever they turned the squabbling of bandit lords into public ridicule, sowing distrust among their ranks.
When she came of age, Annalavara left her mother’s safehouse and set out into the wider world of Theran. She reinvented herself as a wandering bard, spinning tales of adventure and rebellion that endeared her to the bandits she encountered. Her performances made her a favorite guest at raucous gatherings and clandestine councils alike. But behind the veil of her charming persona, Annalavara was building an empire of secrets.
She leveraged her skills in persuasion, deception, and stealth to become an information broker, trading intelligence for coin, favors, or leverage. In the shadows, she orchestrated betrayals, forged alliances, and sabotaged power plays, always ensuring she was just out of reach of any retribution. Her knowledge of Theran's labyrinthine politics grew vast, and soon even the kingdom’s most feared warlords respected—or feared—her reach.