The first part of this post will be unusually short. There's not a whole lot to report in on this week; my fibromyalgia flare-up continues, and it's really slowed me down. Nonetheless, I've been able to do some work in spite of it!
Most of my "work" this week has been learning about and doing a little bit of interacting and networking on social media. I'm very grateful for all my new followers on Twitter and Instagram, and I'm excited to have more people to share my work and space with! Honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised by how, well, peasant Twitter has been. I'd heard and seen a lot of negative stuff about the online culture there, but the art sphere has been welcoming so far. Granted, I'm only 40 followers in, but I still feel mostly at home.
Now, on to the meat of the post, the thing everyone has been waiting for: meet Ammen!
Meet Ammen, "Queen of the Stacks"
Ammen is only 24, but that means she's been an adult by nourt standards for 11 years. She's used her time well--from a certain perspective.
Born and raised in a region of Te'an known as "the Stacks," Ammen experienced a life of poverty and difficulty. The area is so named because of the haphazard, densely packed streets, and it's largely inhabited by the kinless and other impoverished people. Living there reflects very poorly on a person, and no respectable citizen would be seen visiting.
The Stacks are also poorly patrolled, and the local police force even actively ignores the area's issues, thanks partly to the danger of the region and a reluctance to take the risk, and thanks as well to stigma against the kinless. As a result, the Stacks have a very high crime rate, and an unfortunate number of residents end up as thieves, or even join organized gangs. Ammen was one of these people. In childhood, she helped an uncle and older cousin, both members of a criminal organization, by playing the part of an innocent orphan to act as bait or provide distractions. At the time, the gang was small and mostly dealt in petty theft and cons.
As she grew up, Ammen became a valuable member of the gang, until, when she was 17, they came into conflict with another organization, this one larger, more bloodthirsty, and better equipped, called Aranel Company. Ammen's gang suffered many losses over months and years, until eventually their leadership was eliminated and the rest of the gang--those who were willing--submitted and joined Aranel Company, including Ammen.
Ammen proved herself in the eyes of her new superiors and adjusted easily to the escalation of the types of crimes she was committing. She still ran her cons, but she began to favor--and excel at--armed robbery, intimidation, and her new favorite, extortion rackets.
At age 21, a high-profile series of incidents involving the company got messy. The incidents caused enough of a stir to get the authorities, including an elite jeruvellal, down into the Stacks. Aranel Company experienced heavy losses, either killed in conflict, imprisoned, or scattered. Following the purge by the police, the company's leadership started infighting. This thinned the upper ranks even more, and opened the way for Ammen to take up a position of power.
Having proved her competence for years, few of her peers questioned when Ammen stepped up, and she quickly became a trusted leader. After her position was secure, she made a lot of improvements for Aranel Company.
These days, the company is still recovering from its conflict with the law, remaining small and broken and trying to keep a low profile. Ammen has grown bold and can even get away with minor crimes against full citizens. Additionally, at some point within the last few years, she found a romantic relationship with a young man named Sherram, and the two are expecting their first child to hatch in about three months. No one knows much about Sherram, as Ammen keeps him secret and prioritizes his safety and the safety of her future family.
Thank you to everyone who voted in my Instagram story for which character bio you wanted to see! I love Ammen, and I hope you do too!
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