I am super on board with mom vanishing. Maybe that was the catalyst for Briar losing interest in the family business and what ultimately set her off to her roguish lifestyle. I think she's pretty young still so she might have been entering the "rebellious teen" era of her life and losing her mother was the final thread keeping her tethered to home. Here's what I have now:
Rosaline Nettlebloom married Linden Thistlethorn.
The Nettlebloom family of yester-century founded Nettlebloom Jewelrs & Gemcrafts which became an established source of the highest quality gems sourced by the extremely shrewd and keen-eyed Nettleblooms. Their final products were exquisite and highly sought after. The business was handed down through the generations.
Linden's family had a similar business history though they specialized in precision cutting and delicate metalwork. When Rosaline married Linden, the duo set the new standard in uniquely elegant and whimsical artistry, merging their two respective business dynasties into Nettlebloom and Thistlethorn.
Some decades after their union, Briar became their only child and was destined for greatness, being taught to run the business and having acquired the unique skillsets both her parents had excelled in. Early in her childhood, Briar was known to be headstrong and stubborn, a bit of a spitfire and her parents lovingly nicknamed her Bramble.
At some point during Briar's "late teen" years, Rosaline ventured on a solo trip to broker a deal that would yield some unique resources for the family. As time went on and it became less and less likely she would be seen again, the business struggled due to Linden's insurmountable heartbreak. Between her father withdrawing into himself, having to shoulder additional burdens for the family business, and the loss of her mother, Briar rebels against the structures she has been placed into and abandons her home to find life meaning elsewhere.
She now uses Bramblethorn as a surname and adopted Nettle as her middle name; she doesn't want to erase her parents but she wants to forge her own path with her own identity separated from that business.
As for the rest of the bits, it's only natural that she would have made some friends, some enemies, and maybe some frenemies along the way. Since she's made a bit of a living stealing and repurposing stolen goods, she's bound to have crossed some lines along the way. At this particular juncture, I am not sure that it is important to have any of those particular encounters solidly fleshed out unless you think we need one.
Note: Update last names.
Last edited January 3, 2024 1:58 am