Ashley Gremoire

The Red Duchess
"If His Grace would be so kind as to excuse my lack of etiquette-my poor upbringing in no small part due to the events recounted herein-I would be so bold as to inform you of a number of crimes, perpetuated by the previous regime..."

Duchess Ashley Gremoire was born the bastard child of an ex-Temple Knight. She was known for her shocking pink hair, pale skin, and blood red eyes, owing her appearance to "an imbalance of her natural humors". She loved the color red, which gave rise to her moniker of "The Red Duchess", though some opponents claim it was a visible display of her ties to Kandarin. She was known for projecting an appearance of extreme tolerance and mercy, leading to high crime rates and poor relations with foreign traders, but was something of a celebrity among the denizens of the underworld, known to walk the slums without fear of assault, as the majority of the criminal population owed their freedom and amnesty to her. It is said the peasantry and working class rather despised her for having slowly transformed the lively Port Sarim into a slum of brothels and opium dens.

Early Life
While much of her early life is veiled with rumor and scandal, it is believed that her mother was a servant of the estate. Upon dying in childbirth, Roui Montaign raised the child in secrecy, publicly presenting Ashley as his daughter. From this short time, she gained a basic understanding of etiquette. As well, the Duchess claimed that her skill with the estoc and misericord were directly gained from observing her father in training, and eventually, joining him. Due to a scandal involving the daughter of a local nobleman, Roui Montaign was pressured to give up the child to a life of service and devotion to Saradomin in the Abbey of Saint Elspeth. Confined nightly to her cell and kept under close watch for many years, she studied music and literature until her eventual escape. It was only by chance the leader of a traveling caravan happened upon her cell, and with an intimate plea for freedom, swayed the man into releasing her from her cell, where she disappeared into the city of Al Kharid for some time.