Niera Rowan

**Niera Rowan** is the daughter of Lord Elras Rowan and Lady Grayce Rowan. A slightly neglected and ignored child, she learned from a young age to provide for herself through commerce, if she wanted to build a proper status for herself.

## Appearance and Character

She is half her mother, half her father, sharing both Rowan and Grayce traits and to great effect. Niera is a pretty woman, if not beautiful, slender and graceful and tall in her years. In her appearance many think she looks similar to her ancestor Queen Claire Rowan although Niera's emotions appear much more muted normally appearing a little more sad most of the time. In the light of the sun, one would call her hair black, but in dim lights, it is the color of rich deep brown.

She has astute, critical features. Firm, full lips, piercing dark eyes, and inquisitive brows that highlight almost all of her emotions when they grace her face. This is a woman that carries herself with a shopkeeper’s grace. She’s dressed most commonly in long gowns with furred capes covering the rest of her body.

Few can deny that Niera’s life as a Rowan was separate from those of her siblings. In the year 1,320 AC, born the only child of House Rowan that bore the features of her mother wholly.

All her life, Niera wished to be an author of fashion and prestige; a proprietor of the newest courtly styles. She realized in her youth that in order to do that, one had to make money for themselves, and in order to do that, she needed a business.

Niera set herself to working towards the goal of a business. Though father repeatedly denied her, she kept herself astute in her studies, and furthermore accentuated herself inside Penrith as she grew in influence among the nobility there.

When she met a woman named Elle Lannett*,* who owned a business herself, she set up shop with her immediately, and spent some days working with her - learning, effectively, what it might mean to own a business. She was a natural magnate from the start, and in time her father and mother came around and understood why she wanted to run a business as well as being a lady.

Within the first year, Niera’s business flourished. Named *Finest Golds,* the business sold outfits with incredible quality, fit for men and women both. A socialite, Niera’s growing business exploded with popularity, until Niera’s skill in tradecraft was known all throughout the Stormcrown the North and even down in the Crownlands.

Niera also made a life for herself in the life of nobility. Naturally astute and available, those small spy rings she’d been growing in Penrith worked effectively for both blackmail and knowledge and her money afforded her something that others didn’t. It afforded her the chance to buy spies away from others in secret, and before long, she became an investigator*.*

The business of spies is a shady, despicable trade, but Niera found it all the more necessary to both prevent blackmail on her person, and to decipher plots and threats against others. No, Niera did not truly use her spy ring for harm, but she was more than capable and ready. A sleuth life was best fit for her, even if she despised herself for it.

The years went on, and her business kept going, but Niera found herself wishing for something more. Her friends in Penrith always kept her company, but Vakar was a place of new opportunities. It was a place where, perhaps, she could grow her influence even a little bit more. That was why she wishes to go there one day or at least expand the business to larger cities.