Naveera Shahram

## Personality

[a spitfire] [ambitious] [sensitive] [passionate] [dedicated] [a sympathetic heart]

## Biography

#### She, The Daughter of the Mines

She was born in Bovinwick.
Raised in Bovinwick.
Buried her family in Bovinwick.
Buried her friends in Bovinwick.
Buried her husband in Bovinwick.
And she, too, will inevitably have her ashes scattered in Bovinwick.

As a little girl, she would run her bare feet through the white-hot sand, fingertips tracing shapes through the scattered golden pieces of sand, truly believing them to be spireglass.

What memories lie hidden in these dunes?

What battles happened that she could only imagine?

As a thoughtful teen, she learned various crafts; weaving, embroidery, beading. Education was beyond her, then, as it wasn’t suited to girls at the time she was raised. To her, housework and artistry were the most important skills she could learn. Upon hearing the women in South Warren went to school, and were far more educated, she was floored. She could never imagine herself going to school with the men. And yet.. her natural curiosity kept finding her thoughts wandering to history, to language. To science. Not that she could do anything with these skills: she knew that, very soon, she was about to start her fated position in life.

#### She, The Mother of Naia

As young as sixteen, she became a wife.
At as young as seventeen, she became a mother.
She thought she was ready for both of these duties, having more or less seen her sisters and neighbors all lead into a similar fate. She wasn’t. She wasn’t a perfect mother, nor was she a perfect wife. As she barely learned how to navigate adulthood, she was also learning the best way to care for her newborn. She had difficulty in the first few months even recognizing her little Naia as her own, retreating into her books and studying for any brief levity of comfort.

Reading made her happy.

Inevitably, her books were taken away when they were caught by her disapproving mother: she didn’t fight it.

Holding her daughter, Naia, in her arms, and looking out to the golden abyssal seafloor, she made a promise.

**[ Naia. Naia-- you will live ]**

#### She, The Matron of Bovinwick

To say this is the only home she’s ever known would be an understatement. No matter how far her feet have taken her, this girl at heart has always been tied to the rugged and colorful town of Bovinwick-- a near-ancient mining ground from the first expansion of the Concordian people. Her homeland is a messy, dirty, and troublesome place: law is only recently being put into real practice, and tradition far overweighs the need for innovation.

With her sponge for a heart, Naveera saw her homeland as a place that could grow in ways that focused on maintaining the rich culture, without being tainted from outside influence. Economic oppression and regulation shaped her and her neighbors’ perception of what they pride in: “The world is nothing without us and our spireglass!” “We’ve given the world everything and we’ve gotten nothing in return!” It’s this belief that fuels her, as a growing woman. This us versus them mentality is what drives her, bringing her onto the path of advocating for the voice of her people.