Maëlys Varn

Maëlys Varn—better known as the "High Lady Strategist"—leads the "Golden Wings," the oldest and most disciplined mercenary company on the Broken Coast. A woman nearing sixty, she hails from the City-State of Verdis, though she has served the City-State of Heartfall—Verdis’s chief rival—for two decades. Years ago, Maëlys served in the renowned armies of one of the successor states to the Great Empire of Pharalin, battling rival claimants and the fierce, disorganized tribes of the Endless Plains; however, her homeland was eventually shattered by internal strife, fracturing (like the rest of the Broken Coast) into numerous City-States locked in perpetual conflict. On the modern Broken Coast, mercenary work is the most lucrative profession, drawing in soldiers of fortune, criminals, and even tribesmen from the plains, as the fighting shows no sign of ending. Maëlys currently commands Heartfall’s mercenary forces against their greatest rivals, the City-States of Verdis and Carthag; she was elevated to the rank of Supreme Commander thanks to her military expertise and commanding presence—a *gravitas* that commands respect and earns admiration, even from her enemies. Throughout her years of service to Heartfall, Maëlys has shown herself more than willing to engage in conflict with Verdis, though her underlying motives remain unclear.