Anwen Karimah

> *“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.”*
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## Appearance

A darkened skin and white coily hair. Though, frowned upon her white hair within the Redguard community, she wears it with pride. Her body has lots of scars. Especially her back. She mostly hides them under her clothes and thick black bodypaint, so they won't be seen easily. Her eyes are green greyish.

## History

Anwen was born in Stros M'kai. Her father she did never know. Her mother was a friendly woman and cared very well for Anwen. But in Anwens 10th year, her mother got sick and died, leaving her alone on the streets. With stealing she came by, until she met Kalnal Tlelli, a mercenary who took pity upon her. He took her in and learned her his profession. She learned how to fight, to gamble and take life as it is.
After she was taken in by Kalnal Tlelli, Anwen traveled with him to Alik'r desert. There she discovered her gift of fire. Kalnal tried to teach her how to use it, although he came short in knowledge and any training of magic. Anwen had to promise to keep it a secret for the outside world, since Redguards do not like magic. But after a while people started talking and for her own safety, Kalnal send Anwen to the Ash'abah where she was taken in and trained. The Ash'abah felt like a family, but Anwen wanted to travel further than the Alik'r desert. So she did. Not all Ash'abah approved of her leave, but the headman Marimah did approve as long as she would not forget her purpose and would come back now and then.
Anwen traveled through Hammerfell and High Rock. Working as mercenary, bodyguard and thief. She had a fair feeling for justice. Killing was not a problem for her, killing innocents was. Her view of the world was formed by the covenant and she was very loyal to the covenant, convinced that the pact and the dominion were enemies.

One time, on a job to kill some necromantic Circusmaster, she met a bear. The animal was a victim left behind by the circusmaster. Beaten and near dead, Anwen took pity upon the animal. She took the animal in and took care of it until it was all healed. By then their bond was unbreakable. She gave the bear a name, Koda, and since then she takes him everywhere. Although, Koda refuses to fight against anything undeadly, he actually is a real coward againt anything bigger or faster than a wolf, he is good company.

Since Anwen can be very impulsive, she gets in trouble more than once in a while. One of those times was when she did not think her plan through to abduct the daughter of an Altmer commander. She got caught and thrown in prison. There she met her cellmate Njadill, a Nord pirate captain. They escaped together. Njadill invited Anwen to travel with her on her ship, so she did for a while. She loved the sea and life as a pirate. She loved Njadill and Njadill loved her. But in the end, she missed the land. They separated as friends and her connection with Njadill is still good.

    In her jobs, she met many individuals, but one who changed her life. An Argonian named Bur-Meseif.
She met Bur-Meseif on a job to escort Ebonheart prisoners from one place to another. Bur-Meseif was one of the prisoners. At this time Anwen was very convinced that these Ebonheart prisoners were a great danger to the covenant. At the new prison, however, she discovered the darkside of her own people. The prisoners she had brought in were tortured during interrogation about some kind of secret pact that had to do something with a rose. Anwen understood this had nothing to do with any danger to the covenant, but to gain, somehow, more power. Also, she did not agree with the methods they used. So at night, she freed the prisoners. Lucky for her, the covenant did not know it was her who had betrayed them. For Anwen it was an eye-opener. After that she discovered that there was more than the covenant and she promised herself to not ever let the borders of the alliances cloud her vision. She wouldn't see Bur-Meseif for a while. They would meet again, this time when Anwen was captured by Imperial soldiers. Bur-Meseif saved her from the soldiers and they called themselves even.

When Anwen was fighting against Imperial soldiers, she got captured. She was thrown into a cell and was tortured to give them any information about the Covenant. Since she did not know anything special, they had no further use for her and left her in the cell to die. And she would have died if it wasn't for Bur-Meseif. The Argonian had sneaked into the prison and saved Anwen. She brought her to her camp and cared for Anwen until she recovered.

> "*From far away a faint noise pierces the darkness. It seemed like voices, but Anwen could not hear what they were saying. She tries to move, but her whole body hurts. She groans painfully. An image of jingling shackles in a dark and cold cell shoots through her head. Someone screems in agony. With a jolt, Anwen sits up. She is sweating and a pain pierces through her chest. Her eyes look fearfully around. The cell has vanished and has made place for a tent. The sun seems to shine outside and warms the tent. Anwen shivers. It felt as if the cold from the cell was still there. From outside the tent comes the sound of running water. And those voices again. This time more clear. It were a male and a female voice talking. "...to be dark. We have to move further." The male voice. Than the female voice. "She can not be moved now. One more day." The voice comes closer and than an Argonian woman steps into the tent. It takes some time before Anwen recognizes her. It was Bur-Meseif, the Argonian she had saved from the Covenant once. "You are awake." Bur-Meseif steps closer, takes her waterjug and holds it before Anwen, who takes it eagerly and starts drinking. Bur-Meseif watches, her eyes worried. "I was not sure you were going to make it. Have you some nasty wounds." She points at Anwens body. Anwen now sees her torso is bandaged. Bur-Meseif shakes her head. "I don't know what they did to you inside there, but I think I came just in time." She looks in a bag and takes out some bread and meat and gives it to Anwen who grasps it and eats. She feels like she hadn't eaten in days. "How did you find me?" She finally spoke. Her voice was hoarse. Bur-Meseif sits down and looks at Anwen eating. "I was on my way to somewhere else actually when I saw your bear. He seemed in distress. When I couldn't find you, I assumed you were on trouble." Anwen looks up from her food. "Koda? Where is he? Is he okay?" She wants to stand up but her body refuses. Bur-Meseif gestures with her hand. "No, don't worry, he is alright. A coward, but alright." She smiles. "Now, just rest and eat. Tomorrow we'll move further. My friend is impatient and we are still on dangerous terrain." She stands up and wants to leave the tent. "Why did you come save me?" Anwen looks at Bur-Meseif. The woman turns at her and smiles. "You saved me once of this fate. I now saved you. We are even." Anwen grins. Bur-Meseif opens the tent. "If you need anything, I am right outside." Than she leaves.*
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> As Anwen has finished her food, she lays down again, carefully. Her back burned. She closes her eyes tiredly. Images flash through her mind of her imprisonment, the Imperial soldiers and him. The man who had been torturing her. His mean laugh and sadistic eyes burn in het memory. How long had she been there? Days? Months? There was no sign of time down there. Only the cold walls, the screaming and crying of other prisoners and the torturing. She really had believed that cell was the last thing she would see. And now that she wasn't there anymore, it all seemed so unreal. She sighs as she slowly falls asleep. At least she was alive.*"*
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In the beginning, Anwen had many nightmares about her time in prison, but after time, those nightmares faded and she now only has them once in a while. It also left her scared for one Imperial commander in particular.
After Anwen and Bur-Meseif talked all night, they split the next day as friends. The two became each others most trusted compagnions. They traveled together to far away places. Sometimes apart, but always finding each other, in a tavern or a treasured cave. Bur-Meseif leared Anwen not to take life as it is, but to change it where you do not approve. Anwen knew her friend had many secrets and was part of a secret group she did not know of, but never questioned her actions and even helped her on some of her jobs. Their last job together, however, was fatal for Bur-Meseif. Her last words to Anwen was just a whisper: "If you want to make your life meaningful, go to the tavern in Davon's Watch and search for Atra-Hasis. Give him this. You will have to follow my path now, my friend." With those last words, she gave Anwen a coin with a strange symbol.

> "*So, not knowing how her life would change from here on, Anwen traveled to Davon's Watch. She had been there before, but only on her way to somewhere else. Now, with more attention, she observed her surroundings. It was different from her own home. When she had finally found the tavern, she left Koda outside, flipped her friend coin in the air and entered silently. With a few strong steps, she stood at the bar. She leaned forward and with her hand she knocked on the wooden bar to get the bartenders attention. "I am looking for someone called Atra-Hasis." The bartender nods at someone behind her. Anwen turns around and sees an Argonian man sitting alone at a table. With the coin warm in her hand she walks to the table. "Atra-Hasis?" The man looks up questioning. "Do we know each other?" Anwen shakes her head and sits down on an empty chair. She holds her fist out to Atra-Hasis and gives him the coin. The man looks at it and than sadly looks back at Anwen. "She is...?" Anwen nods silently. "I was with her. She died fighting for... something." Atra-Hasis turns the coin around in his hand while in his own thoughts. "You were a friend of her?" He looks at Anwen. She nods and stretches her arm to shake his hand. "Yes, I was. I helped her with some of her jobs, she helped me with some of mine." Her eyes scan the man before her as he shakes her hand. "You were a friend of her?" Atra-Hasis smiles melangolic. "Yes, we were very old friends." He holds the coin up. "I gave this once to her as a present for joining..." He silences. Now his eyes scan Anwen. "Do you know what this coin means?" Anwen shakes her head. "It means she has chosen you to follow into her footsteps." Anwen raises an eyebrow. "Follow in her footsteps?" Atra-Hasis puts the coin away. He looks around and stands up. "Come with me, I will tell you."*"
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## Others about Anwen

> "*Annie's a grand lass. One of my oldest and closest friends. Fought alongside her more than a few times. Enough to know she's one deadly Redguard. She has grown a wee bit distant lately. It concerns me. Either way, I'm convinced that if she was a Nord, she'd be welcomed into Sovngarde with open arms when her time came. But I'll try my damnedest to make sure that time comes as late as possible.*"
> ― Akula Windmere
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> "*Aside from the fact that I never know what goes on in that woman’s head, I do think well of her. She is a practical, driven woman who knows what she wants, and she doesn’t seem like she lets anything stand in her way to get it. I respect that about a person, and she is no exception. That being said, she could do with smiling more. She constantly looks like she’s about to enter the battlefield. I thought I had trouble relaxing until I met Anwen.*"
> ― Desira Dolethis
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> "*Anwen.. I'll admit, I don't know her too well. Quiet, sarcastic, and brutally effective. I respect the way she runs her company, and I expect her to keep making money for us. I only know her on a professional level, and that satisfies me perfectly well.*"
> ― Urvel Berendas
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## Public knowledge

For those who live(d) in Sentinel:

* *There might have been gossip in Sentinel between 2E 270 and 2E 275 of the white haired Redguard girl who used actual magic and moved away to live with the Ash'abah.*
* *In 2E 285 the Hammerfell tradinggroup was set up in Sentinel and provided trade within the Alik'r Desert and Stros M'Kai. However, the sandcoloured flags of the tradinggroup have changed into the black and yellow of the Gold Coast Trading Company. Not all reactions to this change seem to be positive as many inhabitants fear too much influence of outsiders and the exploitation of local merchants.*

For those who are familiar with the Sentinel Outlaw Refugee:

* *At the start of 2E 585 the refugee seemed to have a small change. The merchants and fences are talking about the Redguard woman who seems to try to bring some order and protection. For a small price however. Not all reacted well to the change, but after a while they seemed to have silenced. The orc Bazbava and a Redguard woman named Shelaye who walk around there, seem to be connected to Anwen.*

**You might know Anwen when:**

* *you roamed the streets of Stros M'Kai between 2E 559 and 2E 570*
* *you lived in Sentinel or have been in Sentinel refugee between 2E 570 and 2E 575*
* *you had connections with the Ash'abah around 2E 575*
* *you live in Sentinel or have been in Sentinel refugee from around 2E 585*

## Other media

=== **Anwens journal** ===

By: gr00hnBy: Ceeer-artBy: Ceeer-art
**Anwens faceclaim**

*Lawrence Vonetta McGee*