Lexine

• Beastclan Ambassador
• "Archaeologist"
• Deep Scout

Lexine is, in the most technical sense of the term, an archaeologist.

Certainly she has devoted her life to the study of ancient buildings and artifacts, and the cultures that created them. And no one could ever deny her expertise in that field. And even her detractors, of which there are a truly impressive number, can't argue the fact that in terms of firsthand experience in the field she's unrivaled, or accuse her of anything but utter respect and reverence for every ancient or culturally-significant artifact she discovers and excavates.

It's just that she has a habit of "discovering" them in people's private homes. And "excavating" the site in the dead of night, lowering herself into a trophy room by a rope from the ceiling.

She is not, she insists, a thief. That would imply that she stole people's rightful property, which she absolutely doesn't do, for her own gain, which is a grave insult to her work. She's never once touched something that belonged to the person in charge of it, after all, and every one of her "discoveries" always ends up in the hands of its rightful owner. If dragons would stop stealing Beastclan relics, or passing around old trophies from long-conquered clans, or--ugh--hanging trophies made from the remains of sentient species on their walls, they wouldn't have to get all huffy when someone...reclaimed those items.

Harpy-feather hangings, Maren-tooth jewelry and glittering scale scabbards, Tundra rugs or Imperial-bone carvings, Centaur and Serthis-hide leather...for that, there is no excuse, no matter how many generations ago the atrocity was created. They should be returned to their peoples, for proper burial. Beastclan relics belong to the Beastclans. Those clans your great-great-great grandfather conquered may have living descendants; and if not the site should have been treated with respect rather than looted.

Lexine cares about relics, about the cultures that create them. Dragon or Beastclan--though dragons are more often the guilty ones--no one is entitled to something that does not belong to them. So many "trophies" were cultural touchstones, precious things that brought pride and honor to the clans that own them. She just...puts things right.

It's probably a very, very good thing that her mate is a talented lawyer, because one of these days she's going to get caught.