Editing Dancers in Shadow/Erin the Bold (section)

== History ==

Erin was born in the province of Rajere, which is ruled by a particularly corrupt aristocracy. The Priest-Kings have heard rumors of the corruption and sometimes sent agents out to investigate and try to clean things up, but the trouble runs so deep that, while they have punished a few nobles here and there, they have been unable to do anything to solve the problem. Erin’s family were blacksmiths--her mother, Nellaine, in particular was renowned for her skill in making swords. The local lord, Baron Renault Carvaessen, demanded that she make the finest sword possible for the knighting ceremony of his eldest son, Vaeden. When the Baron refused to pay the agreed upon price, Nellaine protested, saying that she had put so much time and resources into it, she would not be able to feed her family. The Baron told her, “Well, I will make sure you will never be able to feed your family again,” and killed her on the spot. Erin’s father, Othric, tried to hurry the children out of the house, but the Baron killed him, as well as all of Erin’s siblings but one, her older brother Dell. The two of them were forced to wander the roads as beggars. They did better than one might expect, since Erin had a good eye and was skilled at killing rabbits and other small game for food with a sling.

One day, when Erin was in her early teens, a member of the Free Company, a loose network of social bandits operating all across Rajere, saw her in action and approached her, asking her story and how a beggar had grown so skilled with a sling. Impressed that she had such good aim with no training and moved by her tale, he invited her and Dell to join the Free Company. Erin suddenly found herself with a new home and a new family--and a new purpose. As they trained her, Erin quickly took to the bow as well as the sling. She heard many others’ tales of injustice and suffering at the hands of the lords of Rajere. And she heard their grand plans of overthrowing the lords and creating a republic instead, where all citizens would be equal and none would lord it over another. Erin considers the outlaws her family now and is dedicated to them and their cause. Indeed, due to her skill at arms and her charisma, she has risen in their ranks, being elected the one of the lieutenants of the Free Company. She has also begun to grow frustrated. The Free Company is able to snipe at the lords, steal from them and give some of the money to the poor, right a few wrongs here and there--but they seem no closer to their long-term goals of overthrowing the aristocracy.

Like her fellow social bandits, Erin is skeptical of most authority figures, including the Priest-Kings. As far as she can tell, they have done little to help the people of Rajere. When asked about any future role they might have in a republic, Erin is likely to suggest a primarily religious one, with them perhaps acting as advisers to the elected leaders of the republic. Like many members of the Free Company, Erin has a particularly strong dislike for goblinoids--the Lords of Rajere often hire some of the tribes from the nearby mountains to act as mercenaries and assassins, particularly for night time raids and actions the lords want to be able to deny responsibility for.

Erin’s experiences have left her inclined to be morose and withdrawn--something she tries to hide not only from others, but herself as well. She usually likes to surround herself with people and show off--including doing daring, flamboyant things in battle, even things she knows are foolhardy. Occasionally though, she finds she needs to simply be alone and wander in the woods, in the presence only of her own thoughts and the wild.