Derowen

 was a human woman and former leader of the Shadewatch in Jorenn Village.

Appearance
Derowen was a slender human woman with bushy brown hair and pale skin. She and her brother Culwen looked somewhat alike.

She always wore or carried the magical ring Fracture, "an intricate silver band with dark cloudy gems and shards of bone," with filigree on the band. While leading the attack against the miners, she wore the Shadewatch uniform, including a worn carmine overcoat, a leather breastplate, and a pair of gloves, and her hair tied back in a braid. Later, while confronting Vex'ahlia in the Shade Hall, Derowen wore a crisp version of the Shadewatch regalia, including a belt, her sword, and poniads hidden in her boots.

Background
Derowen traveled, worked, and fought with Wick for many years, and was with him when he lost his partner. She lived in Kymal at one point in her life, but lost that home and nearly lost her life; Wick was present during that event. She was saved by the intervention of her brother Culwen, in an incident that caused friction between Culwen and his colleagues in the Westruun Clasp, and which Culwen regarded as a poor investment. Culwen already was or eventually became a spireling (a leader within the Clasp). Derowen then left without telling Culwen. Around 801 PD, Derowen had a daughter, Aswin. Aswin's biological father was an elven merchant who abandoned them.

Derowen, Wick, and Aswin ended up settling in Jorenn Village. The village was a dangerous place and Derowen took it upon herself to teach the people how to defend themselves, eventually turning the town guard into the Shadewatch. According to Sencha, Derowen "wasn't the first [Shademaster], but she was the first to convince the majority of the people in town to believe in her." She had a "tenuous friendship" with Anissa, who led the miners.

When the miners accidentally unleashed the ash walkers, Derowen's sentiments toward them shifted. She mobilized the people to build palisades around the village. A year after the attacks began, Culwen found out where Derowen was, and gave her the magical ring Fracture. He allegedly found it in his travels and gave it to her in exchange for a workspace in Shade Hall, but in reality, he offered it as a way to protect her town in exchange for her loyalty. According to Wick, Derowen hated the ring at first, until she learned how to use it. Derowen claimed that the ring created a barrier that repelled the ash walkers, but in reality, she used it to summon and control the ash walkers; the barrier was an illusion. Though the ring appeared to give some protection, the attacks only increased, prompting Jorenn Village to take control of the mines from which the ash walkers were emerging. According to Thorn, however, it was less about controlling the ash walkers than it was about greed. Derowen declared the miners to be outlaws, responsible for bringing danger to the area and for the loss of many lives. She led the charge against them and killed her former friend Anissa, among many others.

By 807 PD, Derowen controlled Jorenn Village, its guard, and its mining operations and trade. She appeared to be the de facto leader of the town, as the council of elders was no longer in power. She lived in Shade Hall with Aswin, and had an office on its second floor, above which was Culwen's office. The people of Jorenn Village regarded her as a hero. She had issued a standing order to the Shadewatch to hunt the outlawed miners. They believed that Derowen saw them as a threat to her silver trade moreso than a threat to the community; they felt that she was also preventing them from working elsewhere, intent on killing them and capturing their leader, Thorn.

Derowen was known by the miners to meet with smugglers to sell silver. The idea to begin smuggling was Culwen's, when Derowen gained access to the mines. In a secret compartment in her desk, she kept a coded notebook with details of this activity, including transactions for silver, gems, and craftwork in exchange for gold with traders from Drynna, Kymal, Turst Fields, and Westruun. On the last page of the notebook was a list of nearly two dozen names, including Anissa's and those of other miners, about half of which were marked as "eliminated." On one page, she named Culwen in association with Westruun. Derowen made a personal profit from the smuggling, which she kept hidden from the people of Jorenn and justified as being security for herself and Aswin, while Culwen profited from the share owed to the Clasp.

Kith & Kin
Around 807 PD, Spireling Gideor of the Westruun Clasp contracted Vax'ildan to steal Fracture, which he described as an heirloom currently possessed by the Shadewatch. The true motivation behind the contract appeared to be that Gideor became aware of Derowen and Culwen personally profiting from their smuggling, and wanted to put a stop to it.

Derowen encountered Vex'ahlia and Trinket during an ash walker attack on Jorenn Village. Vax'ildan brought his sister with him to fulfill the contract, but the two were separated by the ash walkers. During the attack, Derowen stood on the palisades, apparently using Fracture to create a barrier around the village. As thanks for their aid, and because she felt responsible for the attack, Derowen offered to let Vex'ahlia and Trinket stay at Shade Hall, and to help them search for Vax'ildan. She rode out with Vex'ahlia to the campsite where she had last seen her brother, and assigned two of her Shadewatch guards, Nari and Olfa, to accompany her.

Over the next several days, Vex'ahlia continued to stay at Shade Hall, and Derowen gave her access to her books and maps. She gave Vex'ahlia as much aid as she could, in the hopes that she could locate the miners' hideout. While visiting Beryl's shop to pick up a mended doll for Aswin, Derowen mentioned that Vex'ahlia was looking for a book on dragons. Later, Derowen and Vex'ahlia were both working when they were startled by Aswin's scream; she was having a night terror about the ash walkers. After Aswin fell asleep, the two women had a conversation, in which Derowen told Vex'ahlia about her motivation to create a better life for Aswin in Jorenn. They were interrupted by Wick's report that a scout had found the miners.

Four days later, Derowen led the charge against the miners in their hideout. She encouraged Vex'ahlia to find her brother amidst the fray, while she told the Shadewatch to continue pushing through, despite the presence of ash walkers. When Derowen came upon Thorn and the twins, she asked the twins to step aside to let her capture the leader of the miners. Vax'ildan let Thorn escape. The fight against the ash walkers continued for several more hours. From Vax'ildan and the miners' perspective, Derowen and the Shadewatch's actions during the fight weren't "about justice," but about "kill[ing] everyone but Thorn."

The next morning, Derowen let the Shadewatch and the twins back into Jorenn Village. She met with the twins in her office and properly introduced herself to Vax'ildan. She asked him many questions about his involvement with the miners; both maintained a diplomatic tone, but disagreed about how Jorenn Village treated the miners. Derowen was visibly angry when Vax'ildan mentioned Anissa and asked about Fracture. The meeting was interrupted by Aswin and Trinket's arrival. Later that day, Wick had to remind Derowen twice about a meeting with her captains. While she was out of her office, Vax'ildan broke in and stole a notebook from her desk. Aswin came to the door while Vax'ildan was within, looking for her mother; Derowen had promised to take her to Beryl's shop.

The following day, Vax'ildan brought the stolen notebook to the miners. That afternoon, Derowen sent the Shadewatch back to the miners' hideout in a second attempt to capture Thorn. Despite her order to take him alive and Thorn's immediate surrender, the guards were violent. That night, ash walkers emerged from the mines to attack Jorenn Village again. Once again, Derowen stood above the gate, casting a spell, with Wick to protect her. Culwen soon joined her. After some time, Derowen appeared to create the barrier, repelling the ash walkers.

Derowen allowed Vex'ahlia and Trinket to stay in Shade Hall another night, but took away all but Vex'ahlia's clothing and her book on dragons. At some point between Thorn's capture in the mines and the following morning, Derowen or Shadewatch guards acting on her orders further injured Thorn and shackled him in an antechamber with minimal care for his wounds. Derowen summoned Vex'ahlia and Trinket in the morning. She sent the Shadewatch to collect the remaining miners; the adults were jailed and the children confined to The Scattered Bar. Vex'ahlia confronted Derowen about the notebook and the evidence within of her smuggling. Derowen believed the ranger's lie that there was a contingency plan to deliver the notebook to the Clasp, should either of the twins be killed. She told Vex'ahlia that she would allow the miners a fair judgement and would find homes for their orphaned children.

Vex'ahlia insisted on a trade of their freedom for the notebook. At that, Derowen showed fear in her expression, and brought Vex'ahlia to an antechamber where Thorn was imprisoned. Derowen was willing to trade the freedom of the others, but not Thorn's; he would be killed, because he knew too much about her operations. Despite Thorn's willingness to be a martyr, Vex'ahlia refused Derowen's counter-offer. Derowen showed true fear when she learned that Culwen knew about the notebook. She began formulating a plan to protect herself, and stabbed Thorn in the stomach, inflicting "[t]he type of wound that any good hunter would avoid, because it would take Thorn a long time to die." Thorn would survive the wound. A moment later, Aswin came into the room, searching for her mother. Derowen attempted to shield Aswin from seeing Thorn's wounds, and was genuinely grateful when Vex'ahlia sent Trinket to take Aswin back to Wick. While Derowen was distracted, Vex'ahlia picked up the Shademaster's dropped sword and insisted on Thorn's freedom once again. Derowen drew poniards hidden in her boots and attacked Vex'ahlia. During their duel, alarms sounded twice: the town was under attack by ash walkers. Derowen seemed prepared to kill Vex'ahlia, but was stopped by Culwen's arrival. He asked her to call off the ash walkers, but they did not seem to be acting under her control. Vex'ahlia escaped the room and left them to fight as Vax'ildan arrived.

Culwen murdered his sister with his rapier for her failure to keep their smuggling secret. He stabbed her body again to ensure she was dead, and attempted to take Fracture from her finger. He attempted to frame Vax'ildan for Derowen's murder. Wick arrived in the antechamber after Derowen was already dead, but still tried to heal her. He attacked Culwen's body in his anger at her death. Vax'ildan later presented the notebook to Spireling Gideor as evidence of Culwen and Derowen's smuggling, rather than give him Fracture as contracted; the ring was given to Wick.

Anissa
When Derowen first began to rise to prominence in Jorenn Village, Anissa was leading the miners, and the two women formed a "tenuous friendship"; "they bonded over having brothers who were too clever for their own good." However, Derowen blamed the miners for the ash walker attacks, and turned against her friend. She killed Anissa using her broadsword, along with many other miners killed by her hand or those of the Shadewatch. Her anger then shifted to Thorn, Anissa's brother, who became the leader of the miners.

Aswin
"Aswin is why I do what I do, Vax'ildan. That little girl is my everything."

- Derowen

Aswin was Derowen's daughter. Because Aswin often had night terrors about the ash walkers, Derowen let her stay in the guard post during the attacks, under Wick's care. According to Wick, Derowen spoiled Aswin. Derowen was fiercely protective of her daughter and told Vex'ahlia that she would kill to protect her. She saw many things and people as threats to Aswin, including the ash walkers, the outlaws, Culwen, and Thorn. Creating a better, safer life for Aswin was Derowen's primary motivation as leader of Jorenn Village, and she didn't trust anyone else to care for her. She named Aswin and Wick as the most important people in her life. She did not expect or wish for Aswin to follow in her footsteps as Shademaster, but hoped that she would grow to be a brave woman, who is "able to recognize a losing battle before she jumps right into it." She was keen to teach Aswin manners, such as how to properly introduce herself.

A portrait of Aswin was carved into a panel of Derowen's desk. The panel was a hidden compartment for a notebook containing coded information on Derowen's smuggling and the conflict with the miners. Derowen also kept, according to Vax'ildan, "even the least impressive of her daughter's scrawlings" in her desk.

Culwen
Culwen was Derowen's brother. He bargained for her life in Kymal, in an incident involving the Clasp and which cost her her home, which he regarded as a poor investment. He was the one who gave her the ring Fracture, which she used to control the ash walkers that threatened the town. The two had a strained relationship; Derowen notably did not include Culwen in her list of people who were most important to her. She regarded him as a bad influence on Aswin, as he often brought presents for his niece. Derowen later admitted to Vex'ahlia that she saw Culwen as a threat to Aswin, naming him alongside the ash walkers and the outlaws. Culwen considered the safety that Derowen and Aswin enjoyed to be his achievement, not Derowen's. Culwen murdered his sister for her failure to keep their smuggling secret.

Vex'ahlia
Derowen invited Vex'ahlia to stay with her and Aswin at Shade Hall, when the ranger was separated from her brother during an ash walker attack. Derowen trusted Vex'ahlia's abilities to be able to locate the miners' hideout. She remarked that Vex'ahlia was good with Aswin, and that the girl rarely made friends. Vex'ahlia and Derowen's relationship took a turn when Vex'ahlia learned the truth about Derowen's smuggling and the harm she had caused to the miners; having been seen in the miners' hideout, Vex'ahlia knew Derowen would no longer trust her, but hoped to regain that trust in order to get her side of the story and find a resolution to the conflict, while Vax'ildan confronted Culwen. When Derowen and Vex'ahlia met again, Derowen was initially cold, and showed hurt and anger when Vex'ahlia tried to appeal to her and understand her perspective, forcing the Shademaster to defend her actions. During that conversation, Derowen said that Vex'ahlia reminded her of Aswin, and hoped that Aswin would grow to be as brave as Vex'ahlia; the ranger countered by saying Aswin was already brave, and she hoped Aswin would be better than both of them someday. Despite their conflict, Derowen maintained genuine appreciation for how Vex'ahlia interacted with Aswin, when she helped shield her from seeing bloodshed.

Wick
Wick was Derowen's close friend and regarded himself as her protector. They were traveling, working, and fighting together when Wick lost his partner and Derowen lost her home in Kymal. They settled in Jorenn Village together. Derowen named Aswin and Wick as the most important people in her life. Wick was aware of Derowen and Culwen's smuggling, but did not know that Derowen herself was controlling the ash walkers. Derowen told Wick not to ask questions about Fracture or respond to Culwen's comments. He remained loyal to Derowen and trusted her wholeheartedly until her death, and attempted to heal her even after she was already dead. He attacked Culwen's body in his anger at her death. He told Vex'ahlia that he felt like he had failed to protect Derowen and Aswin. He became Aswin's guardian and seemed to take a leadership position in Jorenn Village in the days following Derowen's death.

Abilities
Derowen had some magical ability, which she used to create an illusory barrier around Jorenn Village. She was also an accomplished fighter, capable of wielding a broadsword and poniards.

Notable items

 * Broadsword (tall, wielded like a rapier; taken by Vex'ahlia, then by Wick)
 * Fracture (taken from her corpse by Vax'ildan; later given to Wick)
 * Notebook (coded, containing details on her smuggling and a list of targets to be eliminated; stolen by Vax'ildan, later given to Spireling Gideor)
 * Poniards (backup weapon, hidden in her boots)