The Beginnings Allie was born Adelaide Capell, in New York City. Her father was from old money, and old magic. Her mother was new money. Mother was the ruthless one, the businesswoman who took the wealth of both families and grew it through whatever means necessary. Those means required that the family look perfect. Father went along with it, as did Adelaide's older brother, but Adelaide chafed under the strict rules. And, behind closed doors, voices raised in endless screaming arguments. Father taught the children about the family's history with magic and showed them their first runes. Mother taught the children how to behave in high society. How to manipulate without seeming like a manipulator. How to draw out people's secrets, and how to use those secrets against them. Adelaide was never enough for either parent. Her brother was the natural, in both magic and manipulation. One time, Adelaide bought an old, used tarot deck and brought it home to show her father. He scoffed at the worn cards and told her to throw them out. Eventually, she realized her parents had given up on her. She got fewer and fewer lessons. There was less shouting directed her way, but there was less attention in general. She was expected to stick to the back and speak when spoken to when the family went out. Any attempts to exceed the lower expectations were met with criticism. She was told to stay out of the way and stay quiet. When she did that, it felt like her entire family forgot about her. If she didn't make the effort to talk to them (which usually resulted in a reprimand), then no one talked to her. She wasn't sure if it was forgetfulness or some sort of punishment when her parents failed to give her food, but she kept trying to find some way to make them happy. She kept quiet, listening in on her brother's lessons in proper behavior and in magic. She practiced on her own, as much as she could. Rebellion and Defeat For a few years, Adelaide shrank in on herself, her self-worth crumbling to nothing. But when she turned 16, she suddenly started to act out. She skipped class, hung out with the bad crowd, smoked, got into trouble. If her parents wanted to ignore her so badly, then what did it matter what she did in her own time? Some part of her hoped this would finally get them to realize things were wrong and she was suffering. But reputation was everything to the Capells. When her parents received notice from the private school of her many absences, they both became furious. That was the first time her mother hit her. Adelaide could see through both her cards and her intuition that it would not be the last if she stayed. So she ran away. Adelaide had a brief month or two of glorious freedom, even if it was a struggle to adapt to living on the streets. She didn't care. There were no expectations on her any more. She was free. But she'd been reported as missing. She saw her parents on TV, begging her to come home with crocodile tears in their eyes. They blamed bad influences among her peers for her disappearance, and promised to help her. Adelaide never trusted it for a moment, but with her face on TVs, it wasn't long before the cops found her and brought her home. Her life became hell from that point on. Her family was furious for forcing them into a scandal. They tucked her away and hired tutors to homeschool her. She was hardly ever allowed to leave the house. Before running away, punishment would take the form of vicious words and taking away possessions. Now, punishment included all of that as well as physical abuse. Adelaide hid her Tarot deck, the one thing she wanted to keep hold of. It helped her navigate her personal hell a little easier. And it saved her life. It told her something awful would happen soon, to the house and the family. An attack from someone cunning. One night, the cards warned her to leave the house. She listened, packing up what little she could and slipping out the window. She hid in the woods and watched as her house went up in flames. There were no survivors. She couldn't bring herself to care. You see, the Capell couple had pissed off a certain young businessman a few too many times. This young businessman came from a family of old magic, too. He made sure those inside the house were asleep and would not wake up, and then set the fire. Adelaide managed to piece this together somewhat at the time with her cards. The rest came later, when she had enough resources to confirm the details. The Iron Lord A few months passed as Adelaide struggled to survive on the street. She did what she had to do, but she still didn't know this life. She tried to plan out how to improve her situation. Get a job, get an apartment, maybe. But she couldn't use her real identity. She was certain that if the certain young businessman learned Adelaide Capell was still alive, he would hunt her down. She chose the surname Greene, but just because she called herself Adelaide Greene didn't mean she had any way to prove it. Without a real name or identity, the only work available to her ranged from shady to horrifying. Adelaide did what she had to do. Then, one day, the Iron Lord found her. He made an offer. She shuffled her battered and dirty deck and drew three cards. And then she accepted the offer, and joined the Syndicate, taking the name Allie. Something simple and unassuming. Allie studied under the protection of the Syndicate. She studied a darker magic than her parents would ever condone. And she studied the legal system, and the ways to make it bend or break to your will. The Syndicate supported her through college and law school. They gave her the resources to find the man who had burned her house down and make sure he would not be a threat to her again. And she thrived when finally given a bit of positive attention. She grew close to other young mages picked up by the Iron Lord. This, finally, was a real family. People who actually cared about her and supported her. She knew she'd do anything to keep the Syndicate together and on top. And then... And then the Syndicate collapsed. Friends died or disappeared. Some survived. She survived too, trying her best to guide her small family through the storm. When the storm finally ended, she worked to rebuild. House Hex. Things have calmed down now. She's been sticking closely to her family, listening to their guidance and providing her own. If something happens again, she'll do her best to make her little group survives it. And if not, she'll help them climb back up that ladder to the top.