Teani was a woman of Kelewan, born to a woman of the Reed Life in Sulan-Qu to a prostitute.
Her hair was red-gold, something rare in the Empire, with amber eyes.
Early life
At the age of 6 she was cast out into the streets but thanks to her unusual beauty and wits she survived and escaped slavers. At 12 she was bought by a man who took pleasure inflicting pain upon beauty. She stayed with him 2 years and suffering taught her to ignore her discomfort, until she killed him.
She sold out lovers of both sexes, and friends and even done murder upon men who had visited her bed. At first these acts had been ones of survival but then by pure ambition and lust for power. Over the years she rose up society's ladder, choosing one benefactor after another, each more rich and powerful than the last. During the course of almost seven years Chumaka convinced his lord Tecuma of the Anasati about her talents and she came to his service, though never in bed. He used her hatred that motivated her and sent her to his worst enemy, Jingu of the Minwanabi. Jingu accepted her as his agent. She was also playing the lover of his First Strike Leader, Shimizu whom she manipulated.
Relationship with Buntokapi
At 28 she was sent by Jingu to become Buntokapi's mistress when he retreated to his personal quarters in Sulan-Qu, but always under Tecuma's knowledge. Bunto was first man to whom she took some personal interest since he understood her and showed her some love she never knew.
After his death, Mara, his widow came to the house to arrange a resell, and there she met Teani, who presented herself as a servant. Mara told her to take whatever gifts left for her and leave before the new owner, since "no trash shall be left behind" for him. With that sharp comment, Teani hated her and was thirsty for revenge.
On leaving, she was ordered by Tecuma's contacts to return to Minwanabi estates, and was told by Chumaka, disguised as a potter, that Mara should be unharmed, according to the Anasati new strategy.
Warlord's Celebration
However her hate was too strong to comply and conspired with Jingu for Mara's execution during the celebration in honor of Almecho. She was next to her master when he welcomed Mara. Mara did not acknowledged her presence since that would be a sign of weakness. When Jingu provocatively ordered that the Acoma should be seated near the kitchen door, Teani suggested that they should seat with the slaves, since they depend on Tecuma's favor.
Mara still denied to directly respond to her and she rather commended on Jingu's taste, "keeping another man's leavings in his service". The following evening Teani was striving to get her Lord to assassinate Mara herself to which Jingu denied.
That night she visited her lover Shimizu who was drinking as usual. She lied that she was tasked to assassinate Mara, and Shimizu argued that she is cheating on him, since his orders were to execute a different plot on the morrow. Teani said that she should lie with him to prove her loyalty, but Shimizu would in exchange assassinate both her and Papewaio.
That night, during the attempt, Mara's room and a portion of the estate caught fire, and Pape was killed. Teani was by Jingu's side when surprised, saw Mara alive.
The next night, Mara was already informed by her Spy Master Arakasi about Teani's true loyalties and sent a message to her about some supposed jewels left for her by Buntokapi and visit her when all are asleep to claim them. Teani and knew that it was not true and suspected that Mara planned to kill her. She came with Shimizu after the midnight change of the guard.
Death
Mara accepted her and gave her aub tea to drink, and then told the real reason of her invitation: to do what she tells or she will send the supposed documents to Jingu proving her loyalty to Tecuma. Hearing this, Teani asked Shimizu to kill Mara since that would lead both of them to their death, however frustrated Shimizu ran to notify Jingu.
She drew a knife from the waistband of her robe and sprang against Mara. Nacoya ran to find witness while the two women struggled. As Mara was rammed and the knife dipped towards her throat, Shimizu returned and grasped Teani: If she was loyal to Jingu she would never shame him by harming a guest, against Jingu's promises.
As a reaction, Teani tried to stab his heart, but Shimizu spun and took the blade against the wristband on his arm and flung her away backwards. She caught a heel on the track that secured the screens and crashed against the weakened railing of the balcony. The boards splintered from under Teani's feet and she fell on the glazed tiles of the courtyard three stories below. The trap was prepared for an "accident" of Mara.