Lady Irena

*Appeared in chapters*      4  6

Lady Irena was the manager of the Black Dragon Tavern before it was cleared out by the Val'Sarghress clan.

## Appearance and Personality

Lady Irena is elegant and haughty. She is presumed to be affiliated with the Vel'Sharen clan and appears to be exceedingly wealthy. She does not have time or patience for those she considers herself better than, and she has no problems playing games with people's lives. She mercilessly hosts the arena fights at the Black Dragon and sees nothing but profit in rigging fights that result in death.

She has long dark brown hair worn with elaborate decorations. The dresses she wears are complex and flowing, flaunting her wealth for all to see.

## Biography - Arc I

### Lady of the Arena

Lady Irena ran the Black Dragon Tavern, an establishment with known Vel'Sharen ties. Under Irena's control, the Black Dragon hosted gladiator style arena matches that were often rigged for maximum profit. She would occasionally grace these fights with her presence in her well-guarded spectator booth.

When the young Ariel Val'Sarghress and Faen'arae Val'Sullisin'rune arrived at the arena to buy a fighting slave, they pleaded directly with Irena to allow them to speak with one of the gladiators, Rikshakar, in his cell. Irena laughed at this request and told them they would have to enter the arena themselves if they wished to talk to him. As they left, she mocked their efforts and returned to watching the arena matches.

Minka Sann'ligr Val'Dutan'vir, who had been fighting under Irena's enslavement for 15 years, used Irena's presence during his fight as an opportunity to make an attempt on her life. He threw his sword at her, but missed. Irena had him sentenced to the lowest pits of the gladiator cells.

### The Black Dragon Takeover

Main article: The Black Dragon Takeover
Ariel returned to the arena some time later to watch a fight Rik'shakar had invited her to. When Rikshakar won the fight and was subsequently apprehended by guards, he cried out for Ariel's help while shouting that the management had wanted to force him to lose. When Ariel had her bodyguards help Rikshakar, the situation steadily escalated. Lady Irena appeared to demand that Ariel and her guards replace the lives they had taken by becoming gladiators themselves.

Instead, Ariel attacked Irena. The ensuing fight caught the attention of Laele'aell, who had been trailing Ariel from a distance. Lady Irena ran from the seemingly unstoppable soldier, and Laele gave chase through the pits of the Tavern. Irena desperately freed the gladiators as she ran, telling them they were free if they could stop Laele. Laele charged straight through them, killing anyone who got in her way.

Eventually, Lady Irena came upon Minka's cell. The moment she opened the door, he knocked her out and decided that it was her turn to play the game.

In the wake of the fight, Minka was given ownership of the Black Dragon. He threw Lady Irena into a fight against a large dragon, and watched as she helplessly tried to defend herself from the creature.

## Notable Quotes

*"Such children need to realize that either way their hopes are futile. To hang a bait in front of them just makes it more painful."* - on her decision to allow Ariel to send a gladiator into the arena to speak with Rikshakar

*This article reflects events up to Chapter 39**.***

1. ↑ Chapter 6, page 26
2. ↑ Chapter 4, page 12