Zenadia doa Attaneh

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Lady Zenadia doa Attaneh (pronounced zehn-AH-dee-ah DOE-ah AH-ten-nay) is a Chammuran noblewoman. She has powerful connections and is the aunt of the city's amir and a kinswoman of the king in far Hajra. She has been married several times and has quite a few children. Her daughters are all married with children, all of whom Zenadia finds boring. She has a history of murders in her name committed by the Mute and her arms-master, Ubayid. The corpses, even those of the children, are used as fertilizer in her garden.

Biography

Early life

Zenadia was most likely raised how most noble girls were: in a proper manner, and expected to get married and give the husband an heir. She comes from a very wealthy, upper class background, as she is the aunt of the amir. It is unknown when Zenadia married, but probably quite young. It is assumed that Attaneh is her husband's House, although it is uncertain, as it has never been explained. It could be that a noblewoman of such exalted rank keep their maiden Houses—alas, the custom is unknown. She has had many children and grandchildren, but has grown tired of them. She has been married many times, and has amassed quite a fortune. She has grown tired of her children and grandchildren, and looks instead to the city's underbelly for amusement.

Meeting Briar Moss

In 1039 KF, Lady Zenadia meets Ikrum and the rest of the Vipers when they mistake her for a high-class prostitute and drag her away to strip her of her jewels and her money. She threatens Ikrum's life, and he responds by asking her to  make it fast and quick. She laughs at this, and says he has courage. She takes Ikrum to drink coffee and she asks him about the Vipers, his life,  and his victories and losses with his gang. She is fascinated by him, and invites him to her home onCrescent Rim - a wealthy residential district of Chammur - at sunset. When he came, she told him that she was bored and she desired something to amuse herself with. She offers her sponsorship to Ikrum and the Vipers, saying that they must accept discipline if she is to help them. For their new gang symbols, she gives them garnet nose rings. While Ikrum thought that after he left, the lady would just forget about him and the Vipers, he discovered that she did not. The sponsorship did not end, and Lady Zenadia outfitted her Vipers in clean clothing, coins for the bathhouses, and food.

Once she hears of Evvy Dingzai and her stone magic, Lady Zenadia orders the Vipers to capture the girl and bring her to the lady. They are unable to do this at first, and it angers her. She orders the deaths of two Vipers, Orlana and Sajiv, due to supposed lack of discipline and responsbility. After the second attempt, she decides she must court the girl herself, and she seeks out Briar Moss. She buys a larch from him and meets Evvy, even offering the girl a home, a healer, and a wage. At this point Briar cuts in, deciding he did not like the way Zenadia looked at his young student. Zenadia is surprised, but doesn't give up, saying that Evvy should come with Briar when he arrives to set up the larch in her gardens.

On the day that Briar comes to set up the larch, Lady Zenadia invites Pahan Jebilu Stoneslicer to her home, convincing him that he should still teach Evvy magic. She is angered when Briar does not come with Evvy, and shows that she is not used to being defied.

After the Vipers capture Evvy and bring her to the lady, Zenadia orders that Evvy be kept under supervision, as she does not want the stone mage to destroy her home, as it is completely made of stone. However, Evvy tricks Lady Zenadia, and plays the role of a greedy street urchin, saying that Briar and Rosethorn were mean to her and made her do work, and that she always wanted to live with the lady. Zenadia is surprised but accepts this, and even shows tenderness to Evvy in order to soothe the girl. 

When Briar comes to rescue Evvy, Lady Zenadia holes herself up in her chambers. When he and Evvy find her she shows severe disappointment in that he was a "desctructive child". She then says that nothing may harm her because her family, House Attaneh, will protect her. Briar points out that her family's aid will waver after they see her garden, to which she responds by only more arrogance, saying the children of the street are of no one's concern and without value. But then Briar brings to light her murderings of the mutabir's spies in her household. It is here when the lady shows real fear. She excuses herself, and after a moment, Briar and Evvy find her dead in a chair, having taken a fast-working poison just moments before.

She commits suicide before the city's guard can arrest her.

Physical description

Briar describes Zenadia as being very beautiful, with creamy dark skin, and a supple waist. Although she is an older woman, one could not tell by looking at her. She wears cosmetics, and her eyes are always lined with kohl. Her dress is very expensive, and she always wears fine fabrics suitable to Chammuran fashion.

Personality and Traits

Lady Zenadia is haughty and proud of her noble heritage. She sees nobility to be the top of the world, and everyone else to be beneath her. When she adopts her gang, instead of seeing any of them as real people, she sees them as toys, and things to be disciplined. She has a very commanding presence, and although it seems as if she is kindly, she is not. She is a serial killer, and sees those people she kills as scum.

Appearances

Lady Zenadia only appears in Street Magic.