Juliette Hemlock

*"The* *path to corruption is paved with the blood of innocents"*

Juliette, originally named Lyra Marceaux, was born in the northern region of France to her father, Frederic Marceaux, and her mother, Margot Marceaux. When she was 3, she moved to the United States with her parents and elder sister Sabine. They soon settled in St. Denis where her father, an accomplished doctor, struggled to find work due to his status as an immigrant. For multiple years they lived in poverty until her father finally began working at the local public medical clinic. By age 5, her mother began to grow increasingly ill and was subsequently diagnosed with tuberculosis. Despite fighting the disease to the best of her ability, she perished when Juliette was 7. Her sister Sabine now age 17 began using drugs as a way to cope, and moved out of the family home to a brothel in the city slums, heavily addicted to opium. Having no one to care for Juliette, her father began bringing her to work with him at the clinic, giving her small jobs within the department while continuing her strenuous education.

When she was 11, a mass casualty resulted in a young girl being caught in the crossfire. Being heavily understaffed at the clinic, Juliette began assisting through first aid, and began working on the girl. Though she tried to stem the bleeding, the little girl died in her arms while begging to be saved. This was a pivotal moment in her life and caused her to develop a strong conviction for protecting innocent lives. It also caused her to pursue the medical field, following in her father's footsteps.

For the next 7 years, she apprenticed under the watchful eye of her father, and at 18 she graduated from the St. Denis Medical College, earning her degree and license. It was then that tragedy once again struck.

Late in August of that year a storm rolled through Lemoyne, and though it was her turn to be on-call, she was reluctant to go out in the rain. Upon receiving word of a riding accident late into the night, her father offered to go in her place; a journey he would never return from. In the morning it was revealed that he did make it to the call and help the patient, but after that his whereabouts became unknown, the last clue being his horse who trotted hold covered in a sheet of blood.

Orphaned, alone, and needing a fresh start, she moved to Valentine where she was hired as a Sr. Doctor by medical director Barnaby Cogsburn. She quickly found a home there, and though she did face much conflict, she was overall successful and happy. She then met her now ex-fiance, who was nothing short of neglectful towards her. Their relationship was of convenience rather than love, which was reflected in his treatment of her. Soon after she was promoted to Medical Head of State of Lemoyne, and moved back to the city she once called home.

After a few years in service, she finally left her fiancé, and having stood up repeatedly to the corrupt head marshal, he and her ex-fiance soon framed her for his torture and nearly murder. A warrant was issued for her arrest, where she would surely be facing the gallows. Having nothing left, she faked her death and fled, she soon arrived in a new state under a new name: Juliette Hemlock.

Deciding to try a new career, she was hired on at the Lemoyne Sheriff's Department and quickly rose to the rank of Corporal. Soon though it was revealed that their head marshal was corrupt, and Juliette's sheriff; his wife, fled the county with him. Around this time she had received an offer to help lead a newly formed branch of the Pinkertons, which she accepted.

It wasn't long before the corruption and heavy mishandling by the leader of the branch led her to quit, and she then accepted an offer from a man she considered her brother to become the Undersheriff of New Austin. Despite hating the dry desert, she quickly made a home there and was welcomed with open arms by her new department, despite the fact that she was an outsider. After a short month, the Sheriff was forced to retire due to health issues, and though she felt heavily ill-prepared, she stepped up to the role of Sheriff with the support of her growing and stabilized department.

While dealing with a particularly tumultuous member of her department she enlisted the help of her next lover, a Marshal, with whom she quickly bonded. It wasn't long before their casual relationship with him resulted in conceiving her only child, and after a particularly difficult pregnancy, she gave birth to her daughter, Olive Hemlock; named after a fallen comrade. During her pregnancy she was been promoted to Marshal, and soon rose within their ranks, once again finding a home.

Though there were plenty of growing pains, she soon settled into her new role and began to live for even the smallest aspects of her job, doing her best to serve the county and build rapport with the local law departments. It was around this time however that her husband began to abuse her, and she soon discovered he was cheating on her with multiple women. They divorced amicably, but it resulted in him barring her from law when he dissolved the USMO branch within the county, leaving her without a purpose past being a mother.

It was soon after that the man she considered a brother, her ex-husband, and his best friend put out hits on her. Her brother, now a senator, did it for personal and political gain. Her ex-husband because he was "sick of looking at her". With tearful goodbyes, she published numerous telegrams and documents exposing corruption from a local law office to senatorial level, particularly exposing her brother, a man she had once adored and trusted with her life.

Disgraced, alone, with her daughter staying with family in France, she soon arrived in Ruthless county. Here she reunited with a lawman she knew when he was an assistant deputy and she was a doctor; Eric Horrible, and was hired on as his undersheriff.

Though Juliette's future is unclear, with danger looming from her past and over the horizon, she hopes to make what impact she can before she is killed. Scorned, depressed, and defeated, she is once again trying to reinvent herself, all the while keeping pieces from her scarred past in hand.

To be continued...