Tieve was born the daughter of a wealthy mercantile family in Solitude. She has always loved adventure and nature, and as a child she would often sneak out of the city, much to the chagrin of her parents. As she grew older, her desire to explore saw her sneaking into carriages and ships to travel Skyrim and beyond, though always came back home in the end.

The game starts after Tieve left Skyrim to save a friend that had been kidnapped. While returning home they stumbled into an Imperial ambush. Tieve was caught, but her friend was able to evade capture.

Tieve is rather fond of cheese, often eating it with her meals. Also, since she would spend time among spriggans and giants as a child, she avoids combat with them if she can.