Yenduza Yunae-Maqem (translated literally to "Gentle Birds-of-Journeying" in Scycaen, though name-meanings were more symbolic in that language) was born in Scil-Qallis, the capital and largest city of the Scycaen Imperium, to a family of Human traders who braved the Cindersand Desert. As a teenager, her mother and father were killed on a journey into the desert, however, leaving Yenduza with nothing but her quick wits and quicker feet. She became a thief, developing abilities as a Rogue and stealing from Scil-Qallis elite.
Though she managed to evade the authorities for much of her life, she did not manage to avoid the eye of the Wizard Jassarian Sala-zan. The mage, rather than fighting or reporting her, instead offered her a job. He assembled a team Yenduza, and they would later add the Death Cleric of Ixhis Qiphir Harized, and a powerful Paladin of Thestus, Oxoryn Ipniani. The four went on several dangerous quests in the northern Crowncrests and the Sea of Clouds, generally following Yenduza's instincts for avoiding traps and detection.
The last of such adventures occurred when they met a traveling Vistani caravan who requested their help on behalf of Kolyan Indirovich. Jassarian and the party followed Arrigal to Barovia, only to find that Kolyan was long dead; their Vistana guide then disappeared into the mists, leaving them trapped in the demiplane of the Plane of Shadow. The adventurers were experienced and powerful, however, and easily cleared the Death House after being lured in by Rose and Thornboldt Durst, then made contact with the current burgomaster, Ismark Kolyanovich.
Ismark convinced the adventurers to hunt and kill the dread lord of Barovia, Strahd von Zarovich, as revenge for "killing" his sister Ireena Kolyana. However, they group did not make it far before disaster; seeking to avoid contact with any Vistani, they headed straight for the Black Carriage Crossroads, where Strahd invited them to dinner at Castle Ravenloft. He tormented them in the castle, scrambling the party; Qiphir would die touching the Icon of Ravenloft in the castle's chapel. Strahd let them go, but only after sampling Jassarian's blood and leaving them for the Dire Wolf.
While the three felt defeated and exposed, Jassarian was contacted by a Dark Power named Vaund, the Evasive. Believing the releasing Vaund was key to defeating Strahd, Jassarian made a Warlock pact with the entity, and occasionally used their powers to survive. The group headed down the Old Svalich Road to the Amber Temple, hiding from mobs looking to kill adventurers and Barovia's other dangers, but Jassarian was reticent to overuse Vaund's power, as he believed it would make him lose control of himself. As a result, the three generally relied on Ipniani to defeat their enemies, who had made a pact with the Dark Power Fekre and gained the ability to spread mass contagion.
After over a month, the group made their way up Mount Ghakis and into the temple proper. Jassarian employed Vaund's abilities to remain undetected by the guardian Neferon, but when Yenduza opened the doors to an armory, they found it guarded by an invisible Amber Golem. The golem broke the doors and chased them through the temple, as Jassarian desperately tried to find Vaund's sarcophagus. The noise, however, attracted Neferon, who raised a finger and disintegrated Yenduza on the spot.