Ylie was born in Voedeford, a medium sized city inland from the Silver Coast. Her father, a struggling spice merchant, focusing on getting a trade, lest she end up as an indentured servant. Ylie worked a few years as a midwife, until she was discovered to possess arcane traits. Ylie applied to Cyrrian’s Arcane Academy and got accepted through scholarship. During her final year, she set off with her best friend Chersti to visit the Amethyst caverns, a series of underground labyrinths rumored to house mystical energies. Along the way, the two were accosted by first the Pixie Queen, then later the Ruthless, who set them on a quest to retrieve the four crystals of power. Chersti and Ylie split up to search for the crystals.