A war refugee from Kerebrihn, Garternay grew up an orphan in the slums around Voltaine. She joined a misfit youth gang run by Grippsly, and was prized by the other children for her ability to enter small spaces to steal and when her Augury manifested, to communicate telepathically to them.

Garternay always felt conflicted by the gang's actions, and was sometimes mocked for acting as the voice of reason. Despite this, she was supported by her friends to study for and attend her Tariat examinations, which she passed.

Promising to see her close friends again, she left for Voltaine to become a Tariat, and entered a half-fugue state for 5 years as an Archive, then worked as a Catalogue. During this time, she was moved to Rhyne, where she mindlessly hoarded data about weather patterns and crop outputs. Coming to at the end of her tenure, Garternay elected to stay in Rhyne, fearing the reality of having her friends move on from her if she returned to Voltaine.

Garternay continued to work in adjacent roles, hiding her fear in the mental thrill of new and old information. Her continued service for TAERA was rewarded with a position of Prospectus; managing the economic and social output of Palisades and other frontier settlements in the Circern Region.

Garternay's isolation from her friends would end with the tearful reunion with Grippsly in Palisades, and the grief over the death of their friend Elimarah.

Left little time to grieve, Garternay was forced to coordinate a siege response with Orin Somnihlus as the Pennant Archae unexpectedly assaulted the city.

After the successful defense of the city, Garternay was offered a high position within TAERA's courts, but refused, instead electing to operate as the business manager of Second Sunrise, in hopes of bringing Elimarah's killers to justice. Her pursuit of this was tarnished by the misappropriation of funds, lack of oversight and near criminal activty conducted by the organization, and quit after the Assault on Rhyne by Second Revelation. She was convinced by Regina however to become a Provarchon Director for TAERA, and assume the role of CEO of Second Sunrise.