Sword weilding - Apprentice
Zarrath has been learning self-defence and how to weild a sword from a master since he was little.

Rune engineering - Apprentice
Currently under his master's tutoring since he was little.

Cooking - Novice
Zarrath has had to help with the cooking now and then.

Nether healing - Novice
Zarrath has been learning how to weild Nether since he was little. Healing specifically not for as long.

Literacy & numeracy
Zarrath has been schooled at the local academy in Valour.

Mesalian language - Fluent
Xitian language - Fluent
Sign language - Novice

Zarrath was born on the Mainland in the town of Haven in the country Wynheim to Zaira Stengar-Duras (Xitian) and Bishop Connors (Mesalian).

Upon Zarrath's birth, Bishop Connors ended the very short marriage with Zaira Duras and left the mother and the newborn child. 

Zarrath only lived in Haven for two seasons before his mother took him home to her current hometown Nightveil. That's where Zarrath grew up until he was 5 years old, raised by his mother, his mother's friends, his great uncle's family and his grandmother.

Zarrath's mother decided that they would leave Nightveil when most of her own network in the town had left. Her plan was to travel the Forbidden Lands with her son. However, she ended up meeting her future husband Kane Stengar in a nearby new settlement and stayed. The settlement later was named Valour.

In Valour, Zarrath has spent the rest of his years up until now. Since he was little he has gone to the local school, been tutored in defence and the sword, and been under the tutoring of a rune engineer called Master Khasah.

At the age of 9 Zarrath went through a traumatic event when his mentally ill aunt kidnapped him and he almost died due to cold on the nearby mountain. Since this event he's very cautious to always make sure that the doors are locked since his aunt entered the house and knocked out his unsuspecting grandmother to get him.

These days, he's finalizing his last season of school to graduate early and will have to figure out what's next.

Swords (?Uncertain?):
Kane has swung swords practically from birth. It's been one of the few constants of his life and the many plateus and setbacks he has faced, he is extremely good at it, having managed to find a way to balance his rage and battle junkie nature with his skill and more innately calculating mind has allowed him to become something very dangerous in a fight even with the permanent disadvantage of losing an arm.

Shields (Competent):
Once, Kane routinely used shields to pair with his one handed weapons. That isn't really possible anymore, however he does still have a wealth of knowledge about the proper way to use one, should he need to impart it to someone else.

Leadership (Novice):
Kane has spent a surprising amount of time in positions of leadership and has despite his best efforts picked up a few things about how to do it, but it was never something he really felt was his calling. He's loath to even try and make use of his meager skills here.

Climbing (Novice):
Kane is a habitual climber, or was at least. It's far more difficult now and despite having plenty of years of experience he simply isn't able to do what most would be able to in terms of scaling. Still, he can get up some walls though stubborn determination alone.

Carving (Novice):
Another hobby Kane used to have some skill with before losing his arm. He can make do with holding using his feet and carving with his remaining arm if he really felt the need to, but a few other things have happened to have him leave this skill unused for quite some time now.

General Strengths: Deception, ingenuity, willingness to take injury, controlling medium range.
General Weaknesses: Missing an arm, willingness to take injury, extreme ranges, extended close range engagements.

Strangely enough it has been the loss of his arm that has really pushed Kane to form and develope an actual style, rather than simply being a throughly average fighter with a good mastery of the basics. This is because he now fights with a permanent disadvantage compared to almost anyone. So he's started to come up with ways to compensate.
To this end, Kane has begun to build a style all about deception, trickery and, for lack of a better word, cheating. After all, it's not like he can ever really have a fair fight naturally so he might as well do what he can to level the field.
For Kane, a fight is only about achieving your goals. Generally that means you live and the other guy dies. Results are the only thing that matter and everything is on the table to get them. Intimidation, lies, surprise attacks, traps and anything else he can think of. The notions of pride and honour cannot be found in how he approaches combat, or anything else.
Now Kane has always been the sort of person to look for the upper hand in a fight, no matter how he can get it, but it used to be an unconcious thing. His mind was always occupied by the joy of battle and his body working on instinct and memory alone. He was talented then and he knew it. Now however he has felt the need to evolve beyond that and the taming of his bloodlust has allowed him to start to bring his mind into the fights with him properly.
This has led to his new-found penchant for deception. He will leave holes in his defence, fake mistakes, act as if he if far less skillful, anything he can do to try and bait out mistakes from his opponent, he will. Feints of all kinds are a constant as he fights. Further, he looks to try and condition the opponents reactions and thinking. He will attack with the same rythmn and combination several times, until the enemy is used to it, only to change the speed and motions part way through to attempt to catch them off guard. Even his expressions while fighting are often attempts to try and control what his opponent thinks he thinks of the position.
All of this is best served when Kane can control the tempo and flow of the fight. However if he is on the backfoot, his more creative side comes out. Anything and everything he can think it make use of, he will. Spit? Teeth? Dirt? Anything in the area is fair game. Kane has had it drilled into him that to fight with honour is a stupid notion. If he can surrender only to stab them in the back, he will without hesitation.
At the same time, Kane is more than willing to take a blow or three if it means he can end the fight decisively or put himself in a position to at least. While it's not his first resort he is, perhaps worryingly, willing to make insane moves and risk bleeding out or worse if he sees the opportunity for it.
In terms of ranges, he is most comfortable at medium range which is where most one handed blades work best. It gives him the space and time needed to set up and execute all his lies and tricks as well as more easily letting him watch for and then exploit mistakes. Further, medium range allows for a greater amount of movement and manuvering which he need in order to be able to prevent he weak side from being targetted.
He does however like to mix up the distances with quick step-ins and attacks inside the opponents range which he typically attempts as a counter to the opponent making a mistake, be that being too slow, overextending or breaking proper footwork. He does not like to stay there too long unless he mantains momentum and the upper hand the entire time however, as close range is where his lack of a free-hand can be best exploited. For example if grappling becomes a threat Kane has little counterplay.
Long range is what he dislikes dealing with most, as there's generally too much distance to properly punish mistakes or even to make most subtler feints and tricks work. Faced with trying to break past someone with a strong long range guard, Kane is more likely to break off from the fight entirely and try to reengage them on better terms.


Personality:
[spoiler]
Kane can be a difficult person to get a good read on, a long history of stifling and respressing thoughts and emotions coupled with a fair amount of intention deceit and misdirection on his part have done a good job clouding who he really is, even from himself for much of his life.
Strip away all excess and get down to the core of who he is and you find someone who is loyal but slow to trust. Clever but by no means smart. He can easily come off as cold and unfeeling, he is more than capable of genuine warmth and kindness more commonly than people might first suspect. That isn't to say he isn't cold though, he is. Outside of battle he has a particularly careful and calculating nature. He has a tendancy to weigh things up without heeding any clear moral code. To put how he views morality in brief; Life doesn't matter to him, specific lives do. However that only comes out in more dire times, generally he is willing to help people out and act in ways most would call 'good'. This is mostly because he sees it as a net positive with no significant downsides.
His natures bears out in how he speaks too. He tries to be curt and to the point, tending to say what he thinks and challenge what he thinks is wrong if he thinks there is a chance of correcting it. He makes attempts at empathy and tact but does struggle with really understanding how other people feel. His rather simple way with words doesn't help matters either. He's mellowed out a lot over the years though, actually able to let himself relax and lower his guard around a small number of close friends.
Kane claims to be a warrior, but his interpretation of it is different to most others. He rejects the ideas of honour, pride and honesty. Life has shown him all three get in the way of actually achieving your goals. Namely, making sure you don't die and the other guy does. To that end he's unlikely to see eye to eye with anyone with a more strict code. He can't really understand why you'd throw away advantages and take risks over something so intangible.
Part of this is Kane didn't really choose to be a warrior, it's more like he has no other option. He has for much of his life been defined by combat and gambling his life, it was the only place he could truly find and outlet and be himself. He has it more under control now, but he still only feels truly at peace when death is hanging around him. He's learnt to live with it, finding some calm in motion and labour but still never truly at peace. It's a large part of why he feels he can never truly stop and settle down, paradoxically a peaceful life will grant him none.
However it came to be, Kane is about as dishonourable as they come. Much of everything he does is some sort trick. For example, he purposely keeps himself discheveled and ragged to, in combination with his missing arm and simple vocab, try and make people underestimate him and write him off. Any lie that he thinks might give him an advantage in the long run is one he'll consider using. He draws the line at lying and cheating his friends however, most of the time at least.
When it comes to other people and relationships Kane can act quite oddly indeed. Owing to some unfortunate events, he doesn't feel capable of forging strong relationships or total trust in anyone. He's someone who carries a lot of pain with him in that respect and finds it more sensible to prevent the chance of betrayal entirely by always expecting it and in doing so never leave his back open to it. This doesn't really lend itself to making regular friends, never mind anything more intimate. The very notion is something that seems to be something he either despises or fears. There are a few exceptions to this rule, people who he's known for yonks but now he keeps even them at arms length if he can.

Has a strong dislike of birds.
Enjoys high places, the greater the height and the nearer the edge the better.

Figure out exactly what he wants
Find a path forward in life and profession
Refine and expand on combat style
Get Zai to forgive him & see who Zarrath is growing into
Have a drink with Ezri and Zark

Parents and family, pre-birth
Netha Darl Spy and her husband Amdis had returned with their little son, Light, to a near-abandoned town covered in ashes after a long adventurous journey. Auria had been nearly destroyed a few months earlier when a nearby volcano erupted and the small family’s home had suffered same fate as most of the town’s buildings. From the remaining and struggling survivors they learnt of those that had taken their escape from the town as a passing-by cargo ship stopped by to look for survivors and that Netha’s parents were gone with them. In the remains of their relatives’ home, all she could find was her mother’s many journals and notes, an iron cane and the sad remains of her father’s dog along with some moldy and ashen bread loafs.

They mourned the loss of their home and feared for their loved ones and friends before they began to aid in the reconstruction of the town. There was no time to dwell too long in the past. It would take many years before Auria would be more than a work in progress while the jungle nearby slowly reclaimed lands lost. Amdis and Light lend their hands and Xitian abilities to aid in construction and cleaning up while Netha did her best in the mines with providing building materials. However, once Netha learnt she was expecting a second child it became a priority for them to find or restore a proper home for the growing family.

Amdis, a blacksmith by trade, thus begun restoring and moving the remains of the smithy he once worked in. With some help from his son and the townsfolk they had soon expanded it into a small home. All this while Netha was dwelling in dark thoughts and grief as she waited for the child to be born. She held her parents very dear and had lost them before. After this long time with no word from them she feared the worst; that she had lost them again and this time, for good. That is why the family’s second baby boy, born in the middle of fall, came to carry the name Caesar. Named after his grandfather.

The years that passed after Caesar’s birth consumed his parents with joy, hard work, grief and of course a healthy dose of some happiness here and there. One of these moments of happiness were the news that Netha was expecting her third child.

Birth
In spring, a few years after the Caesar’s birth, a healthy baby girl was born. Her ashen locks and at the time deep-red eyes convinced her mother to continue what she’d begun with the girl’s older brother and named the girl Zaira, after the girl’s grandmother Zarkaylia. It had been a tough birth on her mother who fell ill over some time afterwards, leaving her older brothers to aid in taking care of the newborn.

0-5 years old
Zaira grew up in the family’s home and its nearest surroundings. Most of the family helped to take care of the young baby girl, her parents’ occupations being demanding on them and their bodies and raising three kids not the easiest task with a growing town on the rise alongside them. Light had to care for his younger siblings a lot and it didn't take long to realize that Zaira was an unruly child, downright violent, and energetic. Far too often Light had to part his younger siblings or Zaira and another kid as they broke into open fights. Already early in life Zaira often got scolded for her behavior. What first was quite cute for a young child had at the age of four grown occasional grumbles and mutters from her oldest brother, even though he was still in an age where he enjoyed some playful fighting now and then with his beloved sister. Her mother, Netha, had always held great compassion and understanding, thus didn't discourage Zaira’s spirit too much at start though she always condemned Zaira if she hurt herself or, especially, anyone else. Something Netha did very thoroughly the times she did.

Zaira loved her parents. Her mother was always warm and tender, timid, while stern when needed. She smells of bath oils and dust and is soft and cuddly to sit with. Her hair’s very soft and well cared for, her hands as coarse as Zaira’s father’s. Her father is stern and smells of sweat and ashes, strong and quiet. He can lift Zaira with ease and let her fly. He’s not as warm as her mother and bit more distant. He demands respect and had always kept teaching her about her Xitian heritage and what makes a good warrior.

When Zaira was still just a little girl, about four years old, her older brothers found a small litter of kittens. It was the tailor’s cat that had had kittens some weeks before and thinking of their sister, Light and Caesar brought Zaira to see the cute little miracles. Zaira, who’d never seen anything the like, played and patted the kittens and their mom with joy and laughter for weeks to come and could barely be dragged away from them to go home for dinner each night. Speaking of this new wonder the way only a four year old can, which is to say constantly and in no means in a way her parents could fully understand, led the family to adopt one of the kittens for her. The cat was named Little, as that was what four year old Zaira had first called and kept calling kittens. As she grew she’d grow to love animals and brought home bugs, frogs, a stray dog and to not mention others’ cats that she thought were homeless, to care for. All of which of course mostly had to be let out or returned again.

At the age of five her parents were expecting her to show sign of her abilities as Xitian any day. That the girl had been born with it they already knew as Nether had effect on her. A very effective way to calm a Xitian baby is to touch them carefully and lightly with Nether and Zaira had been no exception. And sure enough, in the kitchen one day during a fight of the wills between Zaira and Light the small girl was upset enough to suddenly and without warning produce a blast of fire. Not only setting her poor older brother’s socks on fire but also the kitchen. Luckily, a family with one half-blood Xitian with skills with Fire and three full-blood Xitians didn't have too much problems in taking care of the fire and poor exhausted Zaira who’d fainted on the spot. Since that day, her parents begun to train her in her abilities and let her practice with her brothers.

Already early on in life, her mother and brothers told her stories of her grandparents. Not just because she was named after her grandmother or because Netha missed them very dearly, but also because they were simply exciting and good stories to tell. Zaira quickly came to admire both. Her grandfather, the Xitian multi-man who tamed a beast and went on man-hunt to save said beastly wife, and her grandmother, the fierce determined warrior that slays all in her path with cunning and strength without needing powers hiding deep beyond the color of her eyes.

Zaira learnt of the slavery this way. She learnt the harsh reality regarding her own red eyes and her abilities and she learnt of the Veld war and the Realms. She learnt that since before she was even born there’d raged a long and terrible civil war on a continent far far away that is named and called the Mainland. She learnt of the Purges and the intended annihilation of her own kind. She had to learn, that she and her family are unwanted beings in this Realm. That long before even Light was born there was already whole nations cursing her existence. With some few exceptions. And she listened, with awe and fear. She was a child and they were stories, tales. They were from a world she didn't know and couldn't even imagine, herself spending her whole life so far in a small remote town a whole sea apart from it. But the tales of Purges and teaches of racism came with many warnings from her parents and she quickly learnt to be weary of using her powers where she’s not safe and that her eyes give her away.

6-7 years old
Zaira was taught the basic things, literacy and basic math, some history and certainly to read. With her parents working hard and her oldest brother starting his apprenticeship they all helped out the best they could. Most days the only two at home over long periods of time would be her and Caesar. Caesar, being the most level-headed of the siblings, took good care of his sister and often played with her in her violent and energetic way so she’d be happy. It also mostly meant that Zaira would return the gesture and let him choose what to do next, right according to the generosity and empathy her mother kept hammering into her head.

Zaira was at this time also starting to explore and broaden her horizons. Often in company of Caesar and Light, or at least one of them. This of course was still limited to only being allowed within town borders, but she was often found following the older children in town and Light’s friends as they either ventured into the jungle or to the mines. One of these adventures into the more dangerous areas nearby her home almost ended in disaster when she was just around six years old. The children had kept daring one another down in the mines to do seemingly harmless things like jumping between broken steps or see who dared to venture the furthest into areas where warning signs alerted of danger and warned to not pass beyond. This had been a popular game for a few months and at this day Zaira had followed Light and Caesar along with a few other of the children in town into the mines. Zaira, being the smallest and youngest, was taunted into a reckless attempt to venture into an unstable mine shaft. Not taking any warnings seriously, the two oldest around begun shouting and jumping to tease when it looked like the little girl was going to beat their attempt. Zaira had simply been too young, childish and reckless to know any better or be scared of stones and rubble lying around. No one realized the true danger until the children’s yells had instead started to draw the attention of a few dusk creatures nearby. With arrows suddenly flying over their heads, the children fled while screaming for help.

Luckily, Netha and the other miners were not far away and saved them that day. Though after previously having refrained from teaching her nagging daughter her own mother’s teachings with the sword, Netha had to admit to Amdis that it was best to at least teach her something. Thus, after some proper scolding and punishment, an overjoyed Zaira begun her training in defending herself since then. She received a wooden sword to practice with that got remade regularly to fit as she grew. She quickly begun carrying it around in a makeshift rope-belt around her waist.

The event itself had little other effect on Zaira than making her not trust the children in question and having her feel incredibly ashamed of her misbehavior. From then on, she was bit more careful with what mischief she was up to and at least sometimes tried to ask first if she was allowed to. Sometimes.

However, neither of her parents liked what they saw. Zaira’s violent trait seemed to be encouraged once they begun training her, and once the already quite strong girl was getting better at fighting it just started to get worse. Zaira was stronger than she thought and often hurt without meaning it. Once the talks about becoming a warrior like her grandmother started they quickly tried to discourage her and find her another interest. At the age of seven they let her come along to the mines to see how her mother worked, but she held little interest in it. Once that didn't work they let her spend her days with her father in the smithy. Relieved and glad as they saw Zaira show some interest in her father’s work they put her as his apprentice in hope she’d find it a possible future for herself. However, a dreamy Zaira watched her father create everything from weapons to pots while daydreaming of a childishly romanticized version of wars and battles.

7-10
Then one day there were new arrivals to Auria. Well, technically they were returning. They called themselves the Connors and arrived in a ship they called The Snow. They carried news of Zaira’s grandparents along with new tales to tell. Ezri Connors, the old ex-pirate and mother in the family, told quite a bunch of exciting and thrilling tales of Zaira’s grandmother. How her grandmother had alongside Conradian Larson lead a group of people through a desert and became Security Councilor and Guard Captain of a far away old town named Ravenna. That she had a little child, an aunt about Zaira’s own age that they named Estelle. The tales fascinated Zaira and she many times returned to the Connors’ home to hear them again.

Alongside with the drinking and cursing old pirate that Zaira quickly started to like there came two children for her and her brothers to play with. Bishop and Lapis. Bishop, with his dear cow surprisingly named Cow, she found a daring and exciting friend who was more wild than her own brothers. Whenever he dared her, she’d accept the challenge. Lapis, being closer to Zaira's own age, she became good friends with and called Queeny.

Zaira’s raw energy, impatience and inability to stand any nonsense combined with her violent nature and strength had poor Queeny end up with a few bruises now and then. Only partly because Ezri Connors took up to train the girls in swordsmanship together. Zaira’s own training had been basic and where she had strength, guts and never pulled her punches, Queeny had more finesse and technical knowledge. The girls got training each morning before the day begun and while Zaira’s parents did nothing to stop it, they certainly didn't entirely approve of this new source of encouraging Zaira to fight.

Over the years that passed, Zaira went on many adventures with her new friends and Queeny grew her best friend. They trained and they played together as they grew. Often listening to tales of their families’ adventures when the night had fallen and Queeny’s mother worked hard at the inn to provide the sailors with drinks. The laughter filling the room as the sailors gladly listened to the tales Ezri had to tell as well. Zaira learnt a bit of a foul language from Ezri, to her parents’ dislike, and the tales of her grandmother chasing sailors out of town had her start helping Ezri to get the thrown out sailors back to their ships with taunts, kicks and not-so-nice pokes with the tip of her wooden sword. Often aimed right at their rear as they swayed their way back to their captains to get scolded. Overall she had an exciting and rich life and despite her nagging at her parents of her dreams, she was happy with what she had.

During these years, the news of the end of the civil wars on the Mainland slowly but surely reached Auria. There’d been a notable decline in work for the miners of the town the past few years as the demands on supplies for weapons grew less. Once the news reached the town Netha had begun to worry, they all noticed the sudden change. Netha’s work hours grew less and also grew less demanding. As the town started having to fire the most recent hired or those they didn't need anymore, even the children begun to feel it. Parents lost their jobs and some of their friends since many years moved away. Zaira hoped along with the rest of the family that her mother had stayed long enough in the mines and were good enough to not lose her job. She didn't want to have to leave their home. This time around, they were in luck. Netha had been there longer than most and wasn't let go. Zaira was ensured there was nothing to worry about anymore once the last one had been let off, but it was kept from her that it was going to stay uncertain from there on.

Then, when she was nine years old, there was three firm knocks on the door one sunny autumn morning. Her mother screamed as she opened the door to find her parents standing outside and with tears and laughter the family, that they learned now was called Karalis and Zaira’s name got swiftly changed from Darl Spy to that, rejoined and met. For the first time in her life, Zaira met the grandparents she’d heard so many tales about and she looked up at them with awe. She couldn't ever had imagined them the way they actually were in reality.

Her grandfather seemed so stern. And smaller than she’d expected for someone that’d fit the tales she’d heard of him. She felt bit shy to go greet this old man with fine lines and a few grays, strangely keeping a hoe on his shoulder all the while, but the stern lines were softened by those warm loving eyes and that warm smile. There was pride there too. She’d always remember how he smelled of earth and dirt, his coarse hands and how she had to shyly ask if he was Spy or Caesar. To not mention how his mother and grandmother looked when she asked him. She liked him, he was very nice. His unshaven cheek scratched hers. His arms were stronger than they looked and she liked to sit in his lap and be held by them.

Her grandmother was also much smaller than she’d expected. Yet still, scary. The wild hair with its grays, all those scars were so many more than she’d imagined, and the weapons she carried with such ease and habit. Just her movements and gestures. There was something in the way she moved and even just stood or sat that had Zaira remain silent and watching, intimidated. Her grandmother didn't seem at all as nice as she’d heard she would be from Light and her mother. Once they were introduced and greeted and those red eyes studied her she felt nervous, what if she wasn't good enough? But just as with her grandfather, there was only warmth and pride. Though as they first met, her grandmother smelt of puke, sweat and some spice she couldn't put her finger on. As she frowned and pointed out that ‘grandma stinks’ they all laughed and it was explained to her that her grandmother needed a bath after spending several weeks feeling sick in the hull of a ship. Later, she’d instead note that her grandma mostly smelled of… well, still a bit of sweat, with a hint of her own mother’s bath oils. Her hands were also coarse, and her skin soft but uneven from all scars. Her hair was just like Zaira’s own. Wild, thick, fluffy, plus very fun to hide things in that were later discovered at the weirdest moments. Like when they fell into her grandmother’s soup at the dinner table.

Then there was her aunt, Estelle. That the girl just a few years older than herself was her mother’s sister was just weird and they looked quite alike. At least, that’s what everyone told them. She was very shy and was wearing such a pretty dress, like Queeny. Zaira herself had never had any dresses like that far as she knew. Her mother always said she kept destroying them and that she just had been too small for her to remember she used to have some. They shyly greeted, Zaira giving her a beaming smile, and later played a lot over the time they stayed. Together with Queeny of course.

A few weeks of joy and fun followed. With danger, excitement, amazing training sessions with her grandmother and Ezri and adventure as well, before she had to say goodbye when her grandparents carried on with their travels. She’d only get a brief few days more with them before they all left for this time, but the last day her grandmother passed by before returning to her own home in Ravenna they were told the strangest news.

The Dusk Portal had re-opened. As her grandmother told the kids of her travels, Amdis and Netha held a quiet conversation in the kitchen. Zaira was of course eagerly hearing her grandmother’s tales instead of worrying about the angry mutters and upset hisses from Netha, but something definitely had disturbed the peace of the home. Amdis, no longer a youth and certainly one who’d long ago sought to aid in the opening of the Portal and now felt inspired by the journey Zarkaylia had managed, held a desire to go to his home Realm. Long ago the couple had discussed this and it had then ended at the fact that Netha, as a half-blood, can’t go even if she wanted to leave her home and what she saw as her home Realm.

Nothing of this was openly spoken about until Zaira’s grandmother had already gone and the quiet fights became open ones. They weren't getting any less either. Once Zaira had gotten a new idea in her head they were only going to get worse. Zaira wished to learn how to be a warrior from her grandmother.

Thus, she begun to nag at her parents. She begun to protest and refuse to see her father at the smithy and she ran off to cause trouble in town. The months that followed were tough on the whole family and she grew less happy than she’d ever been before. Netha and Amdis watched with frustration and sadness as this all happened and how it, along with their own fighting about what to do in regards of the Portal, tore at the family and its internal relations. Zaira seemed to grow resentful and bitter towards her parents and they in turn ached inside to see it and to see her so unhappy. Light begun to stay out or away from his home for longer periods and Caesar grew quiet and distant. There’d had to be something done eventually. Zaira wanted to learn from her grandmother and she was bitter to not have it any other way. Other parents and children begun their complaints and Zaira herself injured and got herself injured more and more often in increasing amounts of fighting.

One day, her tenth birthday, her parents reluctantly gave her permission to go. It was her birthday gift. They hope that it would give them all some peace and in the long run heal the strained family-bonds. Overjoyed, yet saddened to say goodbye to Queeny and her family and friends, the preparations begun for her to leave. She brought with her a few belongings she had, supplies, and a letter to her grandparents from her mother. As the old pirate Ezri had gone and gotten herself more children and couldn't take Zaira to Ravenna, a captain with a crew was found that’d see to her getting safely and cared for to Ravenna. For a handsome fee.

Zaira was excited and joyful, yet at the day it was time to say goodbye and set sail she cried so much when she hugged them all and waved them off from the deck of the ship. From her mother she received a brown leather book with her name on the front as farewell gift. She promised to write and visit. Her father reluctantly gave her a small knife that he had made for her with a matching hilt. From her brothers she received gifts as well. Light had bought her a small and simple ornate copper bracelet and Caesar had, with some help from his mother, made her a stuffed toy cat. How could she do this? This was a terrible idea, she thought. How was she going to be able to make it without them. Already missing them all greatly she felt crestfallen already before she could no longer see her home. Zaira had never in her life been on her own like this… And she was afraid.

1 large golden ring.
1 in gold and silver with a purple gem.
1 gold and yellow.
1 wooden bead with patterns.
2 of coloured metal, blue and green shades.
Multiple in iron, decorated.
3 copper.
4 silver.
1 plain iron.
1 gold with a deep red gem.
1 gold with a purple amethyst.

Damascus steel bastard sword [old]
While Zark does well without material things, the sword that's stuck by her side through her whole life does hold some of her affection. It is one of few things in the world that have never faltered and never failed her. It's been reforged several times and is a bit unmodern in design of course.

Ezri's dagger
This old dagger used to belong to Zark's partner. When it was believed that Ezri Lapis had died this dagger was gifted to Zark by Ezri's previous husband, Rook Connors. Ezri hasn't wanted it back and ever since the woman returned from the dead Zark has taken it off its honorary place on her wall and carried it in her belt.

Armour set
Zarkaylia has a brand new shiny black-colored full-plate armor set that she sometimes wears as a half-plate.

Journals
A hobby of Zark's has always been to write. The amount of journals she's accomulated over the years is near ridiculous, but they hold a value to her family. Some she keeps at her home in shelves, the rest she's since long sent to her oldest daughter Netha.

Books
Zarkaylia's hobby has grown to a secondary profession as author. She keeps a lot of books in her shelves.

Mordecai's banner
Many years ago now an old depressed warrior named Mordecai gifted Zarkaylia this golden and red banner. Considering herself having defeated the demons Mordecai fought and almost perished to, the demons of any old warrior, this banner a long time ago served its purpose as reminder. These days the banner's collecting dust in a chest and Zark's considered trying to return it to its homeland.

Drawing of Netha
Thomas, Zarkaylia's adopted son, long ago drew her oldest daughter Netha. She displays it over her fireplace and wished she had drawings of her whole family.

Reading glasses
Zark's a woman of age. She can't read or see at close range without glasses anymore these days. She keeps them in her pouch or, of course, on her nose.

Iron token
Long ago now given to her by a mercenary whose name she's forgotten. She's kept it in case it'll serve her well in the Mainlands sometime. It's kept at the bottom of her pouch.

New damascus steel bastard sword
When it was believed Zark had lost her old sword in battle with the dragon terrorizing Nightveil, her granddaughter Zaira forged her a new one. This would be it... And she's uncertain what to do with it, it's a much better looking sword than her old one and of high quality.

Sword wielding - Master
Zarkaylia wields an estoc-like blade, also known as a bastard blade or simply a longsword, and use an aggressive but fine fighting style. She's practiced this one talent all her life and got a lot of experience.

Leadership - Expert
Zarkaylia got a total experience ranging up to about three and a half decade in leading. In her days she’s not only been a Guard Captain and Councilor, but a ruler and an organization leader. With occasional smaller leadership roles in between. It’s safe to say she knows how to do it most of the time. She's been an Elder for about a decade or more.

Battle Tactics - Expert
She uses what she's seen in war and learned at sieges, but the strategies of battle and war is something she often apply to more or less anything nowadays. It’s in a way part of her lifestyle as warrior.

Martial Arts - Apprentice
Unrefined and rough, she can punch you in the face and kick you hard, or elbow your face for that matter, but she's not had any formal training. Just experience over the years.

Cooking - Novice
She no longer burn her food, but she's still no good at making it taste nice.

Healing - Novice
Jace of Corelia long ago taught her what she needs to quickly wrap a wound up, mostly useful for quick fixes in the heat of battle.

Literacy & numeracy

Common Language - Fluent

Xitian Language - Advanced to fluent
Born and raised a slave as well as twice being enslaved in her life she learnt to understand and speak Xitian. Over years of not using the language she forgot a lot about it, but her brother spent his time in jail teaching and re-learning her the language she still knew more of than she thought she did. Since then, she speaks and write it frequently within her family.

Ko'Ban Language - Competent
Zark has taken lessons in Ko'Ban for a long time now. Starting years ago when a need to learn in order to communicate with the local tribe arose. She might struggle with dialects and more advanced words and still got an accent that she's not likely to be rid of.

Sign Language - Competent
Zarkaylia has an adopted grandchild that is mute and communicate with sign language. Said adopted grandchild some years ago married her grandson and the grandson made an effort to have the whole family learn. Since then she has used it for silent communication within family as well as when meeting those that know or want to learn the language. She has acted as tutor in it.

Lucin Language - Novice
Zark can grab a bit of text and maybe make out the gist of it if it's not too advanced Lucin language. She can't write, talk or hear it well.

By now, she's an old war veteran and warrior, but the ever burning flame in her heart does not seem to be able to settle or retire to a tranquil life. She's unable to stand by and watch and a woman of action, anything else makes her restless, and thus she keep doing the only thing she's ever known; fight. She’s given up any thoughts of retiring entirely after first planing to but finding her life turned upside down and her future plans these days impossible to achieve.

Zarkaylia strikes fear into hearts with ease, her never fading confident warrior posture intimidating as is without her glare. Radiating that she's a deadly enemy she can accomplish with every step she takes. But, that doesn't mean she wants to and will do so.

Calling herself "Warrior", she fights for what she believes in, never lies, stand by her word and any oath or promise is held, otherwise would be dishonoring. However, you'll not easily get an oath out of her, nor a promise. Not lying does not mean she doesn't know the weight of words and when to be elusive, thus making her quite deceitful. She despise those wielding lies and praying on the weak, thus she hold a natural dislike for sellswords and mercenaries.

She's been through and seen most things. She's likely to give off the "been there, done that" attitude, but it also gives her a deep and wide understanding for everyone, though it makes her feel a lot older than she is and be wiser beyond her years. She rests on a treasure of rich but also horrible experiences.

She is and have always been well renown for her fiery temper, something she struggled with for years to control. She's still quick to irritation and anger, but the rage she's infamous for she mostly manage to fend off nowadays as she's masterfully controlling herself. However, if it's let out she can lose all control and become violent, reckless and blinded.

She's lost many and much over the years, thus she does not value possessions or riches, she values knowledge and persons. And her memories. When she mourns, she does so intensely and in deep depression, but for a short period of time, able to seemingly move on, though it will keep haunting her mind for a longer time.

She's strong minded and slightly paranoid and cynical, even skeptical. She's not easily fooled and is likely to stand unbiased to possible cost on personal relationships. It's simple, she's learned not to judge based on words, past and opinion, but from facts and witnessing. She believes the simplest solution to most things is to be reasonable or a whack over the head.

As a person who's been on "both sides", she sees the world not in black and white, nor in right or wrong. She doesn't see sides, she just sees persons and motives, actions and results. She can completely disregard a person's past and flaws until they step in her way, she sees the good in all those there's anything good in. She's cautious towards everyone, the Mesalians due to her eyes, the Lucins due to her eyes and history of murdering them and the Xitians due to past enslavement and what that's done to her mind. Though these latest years as Elder she's grown to easier welcome people into town, she's growing more cautious again.

She's very protective of those she judge fall under her protection and would without hesitation give her life in the task. She's a leader and protector, peacekeeper and guardian, but she does not want to lead or fight for what she does not believe in.

A dark side of Zarkaylia is the sadistic nature deep inside her, grown from her years in slavery and slightly suppressed after years as a murderer. She hides it if she can, but blood and violence she finds very enjoyable and if her foes deserves it, she'd laugh at the pain in their eyes when she run them through and watch them die slowly. Otherwise she's not much for torture, she lack the patience. However, her humor can definitely let this darker side slip through.

Her history with slaves, slavers and enslavement left her uneasy with titles, servitude and anything the like, it even mess with her mind after all years of being beaten to obedience, especially if Xitians are involved. While she's pretty much overcome this nowadays it is still not preferrable. She demands respect, for her age and for the honour, wisdom and name she rightfully carries as warrior. Naturally she herself respects her superiors, elders and betters.

She's a fiery and passionate person that wear her emotions on the outside, direct and honest, thoughtful and with people's best at her heart more than often, but sometimes shadowed by tiredness and a mind and body that's suffered through too much. You don't easily get close to her heart but once you're there, she won't let you go easily.

Empathy is quick to rise in her heart if certain topics are touched and might be the only thing that can calm her rage. After being through things she'd not wish many to go through she knows that the strongest warrior isn't one who cold heartedly slays its opponent no matter what, but the warrior that knows where and when to show mercy.

Zarkaylia can easily turn to darker deeds to accomplish a higher good, disregard her own health, use her influence over others to see her own way through and stubbornly stick to doing what's right to her.

In a fight she's all from ruthless to dangerously creative and smart with her every calculated move. She knows how to effectively face Lucins and Xitians wielding their power. She has a high pain tolerance and high endurance and doesn't shy away from taking hits in favor for her own next blow, though she's grown to only do this if necessary with her age and wisdom. These days her fighting style is adaptable and she chose depending on situation but precision and energy preservation are key.

The lights of Zarkaylia’s life and existence are those she call her family. The last half a decade or so weren't easy on the warrior but she stands victorious at the end. She's wiser, she's more experienced, got some good old heart wrenching stories to tell and most of all stand tall and stronger on her own. When one door closes another opens, Zarkaylia has found love and life again and those who want none to do with it can fuck off.

* Zark often grunts. She just does this… It can be as a ‘yes’, a confirmation or as a replacement of ‘hmpf!’.
* Zark also growls a lot, a deep throaty noise that’s louder the stronger she feels about something. Either she shows disapproval, irritation or anger.
* Zark sometimes rumble from deep in her chest. It can be an expression of thoughtfullness or accompanied with a sigh, or more.
* When thoughtful, she strokes right cheek. Usually with a thumb, sometimes with another finger.
* When holding back, she bites her lip or clenches her fists.
* When on her guard she puts a hand on her hilt or holds her cane, sometimes stroking it with her thumb.
* When clueless or awkward, Zark scratches the side of her head.
* Zark gives nods for acknowledgements.
* She gives bows of her head to show respect or acknowledge that someone’s superior in ex. rank.
* Zark does not ever bow entirely. It doesn’t fit her status as warrior to do so and she ties it too strongly to that of a servant or slave. And she’s not ever allowing herself as such again if she can help it.
* Zark keeps a constant warrior posture. If she does not all of a sudden, something’s wrong.
* (Does not include ‘normal’ kneeling) Zark only ‘kneels’ in admittance or submission. It can be anything from admitting someone’s superior in rank or honour to admitting she’s in dishonour or wrong.
* Zark has a warm chuckle and laugh most of the time, she appreciates her students and people.

Zarkaylia was the result of intentional breeding of half-blood Xitians. Her father Jorod Duras raped her enslaved Mesalian mother Zarkaylia Darl and 9 months later the annoyingly powerless bugger that is Zark was born. Highly disappointed and enraged with the powerless abomination of a baby Jorod killed the mother and asked his wife to kill the baby. The spiteful wife instead sold the baby with the mother's name attached to it.

Long story short; Zarkaylia grew up in slavery. She'd several masters before the last one that came to start her training in swordplay and eventually forced her to less nice things at a too young age. By the time Zarkaylia was freed by the rebelling Mesalians and Lucin military she was 100% loyal to her master even when she was to be executed the following days for a theft she'd been framed for. Her newly gained friend however gave her a chance despite her eye-colour and begun to teach her about the wrong doings towards her.

A couple of years later she faught in the last battle of the Veld war and was gravely injured. When she woke, the war was over and a lot of the friends she knew had perished. She grew a depressed and aimless teenager held onto her feet by a dear friend that she lived with in a town named Wyndallon for about a year. Up till that last close friend she had left after the war tragically passed from a disease that had ravaged her body for months. At this time the worries about the Dusk Portal opening again laid like a thick fog in the town that laid so close to the Portal and the first whispers of surviving Xitians had started to surface. Some Mesalian townsfolk that found pity at the sight of the now homeless and all alone in the world girl with red eyes managed to get the girl to go with them. To the ships headed for another continent; the Forbidden Lands.

So, after months of suffering her seasickness and hydrophobia beneath deck on a ship, Zarkaylia arrived to the settlement of Aercrest in the Forbidden Lands.

Within a few years Zarkaylia went from a homeless and starving child to a wife, mother and leader. She accomplished much and grew a lot within these years but unfotunately it came to abrubt end when she was abducted and once again enslaved under a Xitian master.

The years passed and in captivity Zarkaylia somehow lost who she was. A head trauma and the very brutal conditioning in combination a possible reason. The day the young slave was released with the order to murder every Lucin she came across there was little, if anything, left of Zarkaylia.

Roaming the land the slave eventually came across the growing town of Nympha and in an attempt to murder yet another Lucin met a man that her mind faintly recognized. The years to come she spent recovering who she is, or was, with the assistance of both old and new friends. A crush developed between her and the man she recognized from her past and she took up the job as a town guard.

After failed love and the revelation that she had once had a husband Zarkaylia was reunited with her now adult daughter and soon moved to the nearby town Auria to be close to her. Another flirt developed but was snuffed at the return of her husband. Soon enough, Zarkaylia had new friends and enemies as well as a grandson and spent her days as Captain of the guard and tutor to a boy she soon adopted.

Disaster struck Auria and Zarkaylia fled with her husband, son and a bunch of the townsfolk. Eventually finding the ruins of Ravenna and settling in yet another home, the warrior birthed another daughter and discovered her roots upon meeting her half-brother Morath Duras.

Dear friends departed, grandchildren were adopted, and after a serie of dramatic events Zarkaylia's brother was executed. Eventually, facing starvation and a too harsh winter at the hands of a pissed off Lucin trader, the warrior lead the townsfolk to the small little town of Alroc.

Here, she begun anew. Again. From apprentice guard she climbed to town Elder. Her children and grandchildren grew up and her husband's health begun to deteriate. But her bond to the pirate Ezri Connors grew ever stronger.

So, after once again escaping death and destruction as Alroc was flooded the warrior lead her people to the haunted town of Nightveil and the dragons have awoken. Her faith has been tested, as have her body and mind as her beloved friend and sister was thought to have perished and her husband has left to not be heard from again. Now, she lives alone. At the golden years of her lifetime Zarkaylia is re-shaping and building her life again with her fire still burning brightly. She is the Elder. She writes her books with joy and creativity and tutors her students in her years ago founded school with love and care. She still keeps highly active as elderly and has found love once again. <3

She starts her days early. Often doing a brief check on the morning patrols before she deals with what bores her the most with her job as Elder; paperwork. If there is any. She gets this over with as soon as possible in her days so she can do other things.

A few hours before noon and some after she handles her school and her students whenever it's the day for that.

Zark typically takes an afternoon nap after mid-day meal, for about an hour, in order to manage the rest of her long days. If she have much to do, she skips it.

Later afternoons Zark either works out, practices her skills in sword wielding, does a few chores or maintains her weapons and armor. She might write or read at these hours. Up till dinnertime.

Zark eats dinner before dusk, at home or at the tavern depending on what she feels like.

During the evenings she patrols if it's necessary to help the guard or she checks on the guards. When that's done she spends the rest of the time either socializing at the tavern or docks, writing, fighting dusks or just otherwise doing what she finds fun. Should she against all odds have more work to do she does this now.

Late at night once everyone's walked their last patrol, Zark takes a finishing one per old habit.

Zark usually returns home to sleep rather late.