Laen was born in a small village near southern thanalan her father being a crafter of sorts, her mother growing up in a small farming village outside of limsa did her best to grow crops in the baren wasteland. laen would assist around the house helping her father with his crafting, her mother with the harvest, and speaking often with the caravan drivers that would come to pick up her fathers wares; curious of their travels.
she wasn't the strongest kid growing up but she was determined... the greatest stories she would hear would come from the caravans heading twords limsa... she loved hearing of tales of life out on the sea and the new adventures awaiting the storytellers on distant islands and continents. she heard the best way to be a part of one of those adventures was to join the marauders guild.
her mind was set she had such passion and drive to join the marauders and have her own grand adventure that she went down to her fathers workshop one morning and attempted to pick up an axe to take it outside and practice... however this axe had been specially made for a large rogadyn so as she attempted to lift it up off the table it fell down on her and lucky for her sake falling in such a manner she was only trapped under the hilt. eventually her father found her and she had to explain to him what she was doing... her father so impressed by her ambition he made her a special axe... one light weight but sturdy, first giving her a dull heavy rock at the end as she practice.. but as she became more talented and he felt satisfied she wouldnt kill herself on accadent he made her a special head to top it... made from melting down an old powerful mages staff, forming the metal into a lightweight razor sharp tool keeping the old weapon hole by placeing the attunement sphere directly into the blade as a focal point for its unique design... laen.. being so excited continued to train ever harder, still going about and doing her chores and listening to storys... a few months into being 16 she decided she couldnt take it anymore.. and left home; knowing her mother and father would just stop her she told them nothing, packed her bags and left.. leaving as fast as she could to limsa. stowing herself onto an airship late at night making the trip much shorter for herself, she made her way to the marauders guild as soon as she arived they accepted her though to her surprise took away her axe, calling it a childs toy, handing her a much heavier axe made of steel and stone to prove her skill, not used to the weight she fell many times doing even the simplest skills, pleading with the guild master to use her own axe he scoffed tossing her the axe and kicking her out onto the streets, ashamed, she couldn't bare to face her parents,, she had run away and had nothing to show for it.. she tried making her way among the streets of limsa, but in her first week had all of her gill stolen from her in her sleep.
lucky that was all they had taken from her she decided it was finally time to go home, ashamed, depressed, confused, she boarded the wrong airship and when the ship came to a stop coming out of the crate she had stowed herself in, found herself in gridania worse she was caught leaving her crate, but was mistaken for someone trying to stow a ride to limsa, and was tossed out of the airship bay, keeping the captains on high alert.
she knew she couldn't get back to Uldah successfully so she made her way out, trying to find work, again attempting to prove herself at the local guilds, she knew a decent amount of carpentry and leather working from her father but was turned away each time. her methods though sucsessfull were odd to the guilds men having a mere child show them up was not something they would be having, they too kicked her out, telling her to come back when she was ready to learn from the best.
beaten at every turn she made her way under a bridge and cried not coming out untill her stomach absolutely forced herself to find something to eat. she made her way to a bar deep in the gridanian city asking passerbys if they could spare some gill shame and grief for both needing to beg, and leaving her family who loved her so much on this stupid venture that ultimately ended in failure, just when she had given up hope being spat upon, or worse. asked to perform sexual favors for the gill which she absolutely refused a small group a lalafell passed by placing his hand on her shoulder he offered her food in exchange for work. he was a trapper he said, he set traps in the gridanian forests for fur and other things he could sell to the markets, she didnt know alot but this was the only chance she had been given and she wasnt about to pass it up, she agreed and was fed. meeting a few of the other trappers as well, she was welcomed greatfully and with a smile by everyone, they talked about what potential she had, assuming they spoke of the way she carried herself, and her axe, which many had tried to buy or steal from her, it was the only thing she had to remind her of home and her family she did not give it up, she would have starved to death cradling it in her arms.
the group took her into the woods and taught her to make traps, large bear traps, traps which would catch the attention of the giant spitting flowers, selling their saliva to local alchemists and shop keepers. the more she learned the more they taught her, is wasnt long before they had her make rope traps among other things and finally let her go out to set them.
a few months in feeling very accepted they sent her on a special assignment, she was to leave the woods and head out onto the road, when a merchant would aproach she was to stop them and ask them for supplies, she did this but felt a bit strange about it, as when she did stop the first caravan she saw the whole group made their way out of the woods surrounding the caravan as the lalafell who had plucked her from the streets of gridania escorted her back home. telling her " dont look back." she was deep into the forest before she heard the screaming she attempted to run back thinking her friends were in trouble but the lalafell just squeezed her hand yanking her to the ground he placed his hand under her chin. " i told you not to look back... from now on you will do what i say, as i say it, or you wont get fed, understood?" she nodded terrified as the group began to walk back through the woods carrying boxes and goods from the caravan she stopped earlier some of them laughing staring at her as the lalafell forced her face back down and into his eyes " they know what you look like, your a wanted girl now ... just like the rest of us.. so unless you wish to spend the rest of your days.. which wouldn't be very long mind you, locked in a jail cell you had better do exactly what i say." ( sombody please tell me how i can add to my wiki.))