Alharazad

Historically, few bel dames live long enough to retire. Alharazad is one of the few who have - and one of the most famous.

Known as a successful and ruthless bel dame, Alharazad is most infamous for her "cleansing" of the bel dame council near the end of her career. When half the council voted to take measures she believed were not in line with their oath to uphold the rule of the monarchy - and hence her own bel dame oath - she cut off their heads during one bloody session. She was then among those who sponsored new council members.

Her actions earned her a reputation as one of the few bel dames loyal to the monarchy.

She also birthed 20 children, though only three survived well into adulthood. Raine al Alharazad is her only surviving son.

From **INFIDEL:**

She knew Alharazad by reputation; most people did. Alharazad had been clearing blood debt for fifty years. Nyx had heard a hundred harrowing stories about bug-addled magicians, cross-dressing Chenjan mullahs, and rogue Nasheenian princesses the old woman had brought in over the years. Bel dames spent most of their time running after criminals in dingy unfiltered cities, making enemies with other bel dames whose notes they stole, girlfriends they fucked, and sons they killed. Among bel dames, staying alive was an endurance sport, and Alharazad had been the best at it. ...

Alharazad was a head and shoulders shorter than Nyx, heavy in the hips and jowls. The weathered hands that held the gun were sure and steady. The hood of her shiny green burnous was pulled back, and she wore a white turban and a pair of dark goggles. The hilt of a sword stuck up from a slit in the back of her burnous. Nyx wondered if it was the same one she’d used to behead half the bel dame council. Her gloves covered her from fingertips to elbows, and matched the burnous. Nyx saw something of her son Raine in her aged, sun-sore face: the full mouth and square jaw.