Leyfarien is from Gondor, out of a family of farmers. She grew up on the family farm just south of Crithost. Her older brother is set to take over the farm when their parents are too old, so Ley and her younger brother both joined the army to make a living. Ley proved very adept at fighting and thrived in the army. With her Company she even got to travel to the city of Minas Tirith for an audience with the Stewart of Gondor, Denethor.

Leyfarien was bold and well liked amongst her piers and rose to the rank of Captain at the age of 22 and took over command of the Company her younger brother served in. Their Company was eventually sent to fight back the increasing number of orc raids in the area close to Osgiliath. Many soldiers died in those figths and Ley lost her appetite for the war and the army, and her confidence in her own skills. She felt she had to leave Gondor to put the experiences of the war behind her, so she took on a job as a caravan guard, protecting a trading caravan headed for Bree. Along with her came Othar, an elderly mute soldier who had been in her Company in the army. On the way to Bree she made friends with Leofwenn, a woman from Rohan who loved to fight, but wished to see the world.

When Ley arrived in Bree she was uncertain what to do next, she did not feel like the life of a caravan guard was for her after all. She wanted to do something good, to help people, but all she knew was how to fight and her spirit was too broken to do it very well.
Whilst hanging around Bree trying to decide what to do next she met a young woman, Svafa, who was kind enough to show her the way to the local forge and tell her a bit about what was going on in the area. After Ley met Svafa and learned about the Crimson Brotherhood she became interested in joining and was recruited for the Black Guard.