When the first Gelmorrans emerged into the light, not all ascended into Gridania. Some, jaded by the elementals and their treatment in the The Shroud, went north to Ishgard and beyond, pledging themselves to the aristocracy and the radiance of the Holy See. With their knowledge, wisdom, and the gift of time, many families grew to be well-respected in the echelon, carving out their own slice of power and prestige. This is how House Deveraux, a middle to upper-class family, found their way.

However, this loyalty did not come without a price. Patrons of propaganda and waylaid causes, their family crypt was dark and deep—a macabre offering swelling in the years—and the place to which Alaice Deveraux interred her parents at only seventeen. Inheritor of their wealth and caretaker of their legacy, this vulnerability was quickly monopolised by one Draeir Dubois who sensed in the girl a desire to please, and monopolised her innocence and noble tutelage. Wooed within the first few months of her debut, though many suspected other men would scarce have a chance, the chromatic bird was swiftly locked in a golden cage where all could look but none could touch. Her husband loved the idea of her, but he did not love her.

For the first few years, the Lady Dubois did whatever she could to please—though it was to little avail. Her husband could be hot and cold, cruel and kind, and the pendulum swung as quickly as a grandfather clock. Draeir was a lordling who craved power, and this power came with unscrupulous deals and strange men at their door. While she did her best to ignore or brush it off, the nagging feeling around his wealth continued to grow, as did his fervent hold of her. When she strayed, she was pulled back; when she questioned, she was put in her place. When she defied...

Aligned to the aspect of ice, Alaice always had trouble controlling her aether and keeping it contained in a society that saw such things as heretical. Draeir was always prudent to remind her. But on one such night, long after she knew what he was and had grown frightened of his ire, the hand that sought to grab her was met with an icicle through the chest, and Alaice watched him writhe and die on their parlour floor. There was no horror—no pain, no sadness. She was relieved. That was the most frightening thing of all.

She had killed her husband and she felt nothing.

The knights were summoned, the body removed, but no one could seem deduce who or what had killed Draeir. He was hardly a popular man, and many eyes turned on Alaice in the aftermath, but she played the part of mournful widow holding their one-year-old daughter, and few could spurn her when she seemed wholly ignorant. The case reached a dead end and she was granted her freedom.

But what does freedom look like when the shadow of a man looms keenly over her? What does it look like when she sees his eyes reflected in Alyna's—as if her own, a murderer's, were any better? Though the case around her husband is cold, what might happen if someone uncovers something they shouldn't?

For now, Alaice tries to pay it little mind.

These hooks are not comprehensive! Rather, they serve as a springboard for potential interactions based on a few core tropes, backstory info, characterisations, etc. You are more than welcome to message me OOC to hash things out before approaching.

Ishgard: If your character is a member of the aristocracy, or has any interest in their going-on's, Alaice's story was subject to the rumour mill both during her marriage and in her husband's death. While much of it is bored speculation... maybe some has a grain of truth to it?

Alaice would have also had friends she lost in her marriage, hired servants, cooks and waitstaff over the course of her life, and encountered lots of people from the city-state. If you'd like your character to know her through this, please let me know!

House Dubois: Those who run in certain circles would know the name Draeir, as he was often seen employing mercenaries, cutthroats and undesirables. In some ways, Alaice's captivity was as much by his desire as it was his demand—if the bird flew from the nest, she risked being eaten by cats. Loyalty meant very little to the man, and so Alaice does her best to watch her back.

Bakery: Striving for her own independence and separation from her husband's affairs, Alaice sold much of his assets and opened a bakery in the Jewelled Crozier—one curiously sponsored by Firelight Trading Company. Here she sells all manner of sweets from pain au chocolat, éclairs, macarons, chouquette's and more. If it is a front, it's certainly a delicious one, as she keeps a generous amount of foot traffic. The shop is maintained by an elderly hyur woman when she is away.

Firelight Trading Company: Draeir was one of the first people to reach out to foreigners after the end of the War, which put him into contact with Rexonus Fira'lux and Firelight Trading Company. Disagreeing on methods, and Draeir far too paranoid that Rex was interested in his wife, he swiftly ended their relationship to pursue other contacts. In his death, however, she has done her best to rekindle that relationship and serve as their confidant for Ishgardian affairs. Some claim she has gone so far as to warm Rex's bed, but is that such a crime after everything she has been through? Can she really fall any further? Whatever the reason, if you deal with the Company, you may have had dealings with her. Rex may not be a good man, but better the villain you know.