Gwendolyn's Backstory

Lady Gwendolyn Oberle was born in Hadleigh to Vivienne and Erich Oberle. Her family is head of the Oberle Estate Winery, which is known throughout Iquai as the main producer of wine. A long standing noble family tracing back to her great great great grandmother Odette, they managed to keep their titles even after the Elyde Senate rose to power, much to the scrutiny of their peers.

Looking at her life from afar, it would be a simple thing to see that even as a child, her life was full of luxury. Siraj’s most prestigious tutors were brought in to teach her, and she was never left wanting for anything material. A closer look, however, would betray this entirely. Her father, though kind to her when he was at home, spent the majority of his time in Siraj running the merchant side of the family business, and only managed a few trips back home a year.

Her mother spent the majority of Gwen’s formative years drunk and emotionally abusive, before eventually returning to Siraj to live a life of excess. This lead to the vineyard being ran by Erich’s friend, Alhwin Goebel, and the majority of the raising of Gwendolyn to governess Margrit Hase. Margrit was a kind woman, though timid and afraid to speak up against Vivienne, and instead chose to teach Gwen of the Maker and of forgiveness, and was her first contact with the faith.

Of course, like every teenager, Gwendolyn had her rebellious phase. During one of her trips to Siraj, she ran into a group of street urchins working together in an elaborate scheme of petty crimes. Over the course of many months she befriended the group, and eventually molded the group into her own personal coterie which she called the Bloody Rose, offering them shelter at one of her father’s storage buildings in exchange for a cut of any profits.

Over the course of six months, the rate of petty crime increased in Siraj. While once only the street vendors were having issues with it, the coterie soon began hitting up the wealthier parts of the city. Eventually this led to a run in with Rolan Westmonte during a visit to the town, who subsequently complained loud enough to get the Rorgh to investigate and arrest the children. Gwendolyn never saw the group again, though her father managed to throw enough money at the right people to hide any of her own involvement from the public. Margrit was eventually blamed as a bad influence, and was sent away from the family, which Gwen regrets to this day.

After Margrit was sent away, Gwendolyn attempted to change the direction her life was heading in. When she was not spending time with her tutors she was out in the city, attending her family’s parties and gathering, the image of the perfect noble daughter. It was at one of these that she originally met Arlan Westmonte, who she held a crush on for many the following years.

At her 18thbirthday party, known as one of the most extravagant dances held in many years, Arlan revealed that his and Gwendolyn’s fathers had been working on an arranged marriage for the two. Ecstatic, the two shared a scandalous kiss, and she was the happiest she had been in a long time. Until, on the same night, she learned the secret to how her family kept their titles. Such knowledge crushed her spirit, and as soon as the weather turned to spring, Gwendolyn left her family in the middle of the night.

Traveling for weeks with no destination in mind, with skills wholly unsuited for camping in the wilderness, she eventually found her way to Fallowfield, half starved and ill. It was here she met Abigail, completely by chance, who had been sent from the church to pick up a few supplies from the town. After hearing her story as she nursed the exhausted Gwendolyn back to health, Abigail took the information to Prilla, who offered her safe harbor. It was here, in the church of Fallowfield, that Gwendolyn stayed for the last 8 years, hidden from her family.

With the church at its max capacity for resident priests, Gwendolyn shared a room with Abigail, and over the years the two became close friends. While she never officially took the vows to join the faithful, Gwendolyn nonetheless lived the lifestyle. She tutored under Prilla herself, learning about the Maker, His teachings, and the inner workings of the church itself. Having full access to the library, she also spent many days reading over ancient texts and old books, and she had often been found asleep at one of the tables inside.

The latter half of the time she spent at the church was much the same, though with more secrets. After seeing a run in at one of the inns in Fallowfield of a passing Rorgh group bullying the owners, Gwendolyn decided she wanted to be able to defend her new home and those she cared about. Simple strength training exercises eventually led to confronting a mercenary who was visiting the town, and he gave her the beginnings of proper martial training until she was capable enough to continue by herself. By the time Prilla had found out, Gwen was many years in to it, and though furious at it being hidden from her, nonetheless agreed that it might eventually be necessary.

While it was the only one she learned about, Gwendolyn kept quite a few more. Around the same time she began her training, Abigail confessed her love to Gwen, and the two entered a secret relationship. Though Abigail often talked of how she felt she was betraying her vows, Gwen would respond that it was only due to the fate of the Maker that they met. They often talked of finding a new life away from the stern rules of the church, though neither it seemed had the nerve to follow through.

With Prilla believing that the Children of Destiny returned, she asked Gwen to travel to Saloria to find proof and to protect them if necessary. Knowing how important such a mission was, she accepted, and soon rode to the city. She had barely made it there when word reached her that the Rorgh was gathering and marching on Fallowfield. Rushing back to her home to try and defend it, she was too late; the Church was destroyed, and everyone who lived in it killed.