Karaya was an asur sailor who served on the Eagle of Lothern. Seen as the prettiest of the ship's crew by Tyrion, Karaya first met the prince and his brother when they sailed from Cothique to the Phoenix Court in Lothern. She was not the only one aboard whom Tyrion caught staring at him, nor the first whom he had wooed, the sixteen year old prince having a habit of breaking hearts - though claiming it never his intention.[1a]
After days aboard the ship, Tyrion would catch Karaya eavesdropping on conversations, and realize she was not as shy as she was making herself out to be. Indeed, it was Karaya who would teach Tyrion the terminology and anatomy of ships, the two asur spending much time in the crow's nest together as she regaled him with tales of her adventures at sea. Karaya would also be the one to explain why everyone stared at Tyrion; the prince's face looking just like that of Aenarion's statue in Lothern. The same could not be said of Teclis, whom she, one night, paused upon seeing, then walked away from, unable to meet the disease-wracked twin's gaze.[1b]
Karaya claims to have seen many cities on Ulthuan, and in what the Humans call the Old World. She's even seen the Black Cities of Naggaroth, though she only went there to burn them. Envious of all Karaya's experiences, Tyrion asked the sailor what the Witch King's lands were like, to which she described it as cold, bleak, harsh, and the Druchii being of execrable hospitality. Karaya goes on to say the lands of Naggaroth are empty, with very few Dark Elves to see, prompting her to theorize that the Druchii are dying out faster than even the Asur.[1c]
When Tyrion talks about how he's heard Lothern being a lively place, Karaya's tone grows sad, for though she says it is the most populous of all the Elven cities, the size of said-populous is far from what it once was. After they arrived in Lothern, the prince looked around for Karaya, only to realize she was already gone, without taking leave, after the manner of elf maids and strangers they met a-journeying.[1c]
Trivia
- Karaya has a brother serving in the Lothern Sea Guard, whose fought in many frays.[1c]
- On the same day they would be arriving in Lothern, Tyrion and Karaya made love in the Eagle of Lothern's crow's nest.[1c]
- Karaya can remember a time when the Foreigner's Quarter of Lothern was the size of a fishing village. By the time of XI, 10, the place is now home to as many non-elves as there are asur in the entire city.[1c]
Source
