Mia

[Mia Zaro]

Mia Zaro Race: Inarta Caste: Endal (Modded thread to be completed with Phoenix) Age: 17 Birthday: 34th of Spring, 495 AV Physical Appearance If you asked Mia to describe how she looks she would probably just shrug and claim “Average.”. Her older-by-a-few-bells brother Mas spent the better part of their childhood explaining to her how ‘her forehead was too high, her nose - too big, her lips - too thin‘ and so on and so forth. The boy wasn’t exactly wrong, but what he never noticed (or did, but never mentioned) was how her whole face lit up when she smiled and made all the other imperfections of her features disappear. Her hair is a dark shade of red that reaches to just a little bit below her shoulders. She doesn’t keep it in any particular style, but she likes threading feathers of glass beads through it, making it more colorful. Her eyes are a golden color, reminiscent that of an eagle. She has a fair complexion, her face and shoulders littered with freckles as the only proof to the amount of time she spends outdoors. At 5’7 Mia is taller than the average female Inarta. She moves a bit awkwardly, which is exactly how she feels in her gangling frame. She climbs and runs just fine, it is walking straight on a relatively flat surface the appears to be problematic for the girl. She always wears a Sontav on her right arm and from the wrist to the elbow on her left one there are strings of colorful glass beads all made for her by her brother Mao. Mia has kept her body mostly void of tattoos and piercing. The only mark on her skin is the one Zulrav gave her when she was only five years old - a swirling hurricane over her right shoulder. For now the outlines are hardly visible, showing that she has only been marked once. Personality Mia is used to being the odd one out. She’s rather forgetful at times and a little bit of a scatterbrain. The girl has an incredibly short attention span and is prone to suddenly stopping everything else she’s doing to listen to something ‘the winds are saying’. This usually makes people underestimate her and think her awkward or strange. Some even claim that she lacks certain mental capabilities, likening her to Mao. They would be incredibly wrong in their judgement however, as Mia’s very much aware of the world around her as well as people’s natures. She has a strong understanding of the concepts of good and bad, but prefers to see the world in shades of grey. Mia rarely abides by the rules of the castes never making use of her sufficiently high place in the society of the Inarta, unless there is a need to protect herself or someone else. She’s often seen stepping in to defend a young Dek from an Avora or Endal who’s mistreating them. Mia is happiest when she’s up in one of the Aeries with the Wind Eagles or when she’s out training with her anatum peregrine falcon. From her very first bluejay as a child she’s shown incredible promise for working with any bird, the relationships she builds with the creatures of the sky stronger than most of those with her own kind. While she’s open with people, ready to share more of herself, not many seem to have taken her up on the offer. Despite her oddities Mia is a true Inarta - feeling and expressing every single nuance of any and all emotions that might take hold of her soul. She’s loud when she talks and when she laughs and you are bound to notice her entering a room (and not only because she might have tripped at the door). With a foolish bravery not typical for the fairer sex she throws herself into any situation, forgetting that she’s in fact smart enough to calculate most risks and avoid them. As long as you don’t let her near alcohol and stay away from the topic of her archery skills you just might get to like the ‘what you see is what you get’ girl. Character History Mia is the youngest of triplets born on the 34th of Spring, 495 AV to two Endal - Lavek and Paleo. The evidence of the perhaps unnatural love between a brother and a sister the triplets have always been said to cary the burdens that result of a love such as their parents’. Mas, the eldest of the children, who bonded with his Eagle and became an Endal at the age of twelve, always had a penchant for cruelty. With a strong, but cold personality and a natural talent for wielding any weapon the young man is not someone you want to cross. Mao was born one bell and twenty three chimes after his brother. His mentality never grew past that of a child and he sees the world in simple terms and bright colors. Very quiet by nature he will rather smile than talk. His incredible skill when it comes to glasswork is the only thing that has prevented him becoming a Dek and most likely suffering abuse and ridicule on a daily basis. The triplets grew up with their parents in the Aeries until they were old enough to be sent to the part of the city reserved for Youth. Mia was picked up by a master falconer who showed her the subtler nuances of his trade while her brothers sought to develop their own skills. It was unfortunate that Mas shared her desire to become an Endal and the two ended up spending an inordinate amount of time together, taking care of and trying to impress new fledgelings. The rivalry and animosity between them only deepened and to this day they avoid each other as much as possible. (TBC) What makes Mia "Mia"   Loves Flying Birds of all kinds Storms Berries (blackberries in particular) Colorful glass beads Niro Swimming in one of the Twin Lakes The color blue Wind Drawing, despite being horrendous at it Mao The feeling of silk on her skin The smell of wet grass after it’s rained Rain Warming her fingers with a steaming mug after a flight during Winter Sun Stars Challenges Singing A warm bath Big fluffy pillows full of feathers Bitter chocolate   Loathes Missing breakfast Having to repeat herself The feeling of snow melting down her neck and back Coconut and Fuzzy Squirel Being clumsy and tripping over her own feet People saying ‘I can’t’ The color purple Forgetting where she’s left things The abuse of status Any dish containing liver or kidneys Strong smells Mittens Cooking Glass figurines - they are just useless! Getting ink on her fingers Sleeping in Deception   Quirks Mia can never get lost. She has an incredible sense of direction reminiscent that of migrating birds She bites on her tongue when she’s concentrating on something She’ll grit her teeth and bare most injuries, but when she has a headache she won’t stop complaining and will search for medicine Mia gets drunk easily and becomes even louder than usual. When’s she’s really, really drunk she starts coming on to anyone in her vicinity despite usually being very awkward about flirting She has an incredibly short attention span so she’s easily distracted If she’s walking on tiles she will never, ever step on the lines   Fears Being under the level of the sea Losing Niro Snakes Losing her hearing Angering the Gods - Zulrav in particular   Dreams Becoming a Flightleader Deserve Zulrav’s second, third and fourth mark For one of her arrows to hit its mark (not by accident) Possessions   Clothing Bryda Vinati Katinu Sontav Sandals Undergraments   Toiletries Brush Comb Razor Soap   Others Backack Waterskin Rations Eating Knife Flint & Steel   Heirloom Short Bow with 40 Arrows The bow was given to Mia as a gift of her 8th birthday when every one of the triplets received a weapon of choice. It was a sign their parents considered them grown up and responsible enough to take care of themselves. The bow is very light and fits perfectly in the girl’s hand. At the tip of both limb are tied feathers from her parents’ Wind Eagles   Ledger Purchase Cost Total Starting +100 Pinions 100 Pinions Falcon -30 Pinions 70 Pinions   Housing To be determined Skills, Lores, Magics, Gnosis, Languages   Skills Skill EXP Total Proficiency Falconry 10 RB, 16 SP 26 Competent Climbing 10 SP 10 Novice Mauntaineering 5 SP 5 Novice Fishing 5 SP 5 Novice Land Navigation 9 SP 9 Novice Birdkeeping 5 SP 5 Novice   Lores The Winds Speak to Us Birds: My Brothers and Sisters   Languages Fluent Language: Nari Basic Language: Common   Gnosis Stormwarden - Marked by Zulrav. At the age of five Mia was fortunate enough to catch the attention of the God of Winds and receive his mark and his blessing. On that day she truly became one of the sky like she had always wanted and to this day she lives proud to be one of Zulrav's chosen children. She hopes that in the future she will be worthy of more of the deity's trust and the mark on her back will become more beautiful and more complex. Gnosis Story : A five year old Mia was sprawled on the ground in the middle of the family’s rooms. She had spent the better part of three bells there, lying on her stomach and leaning on her elbows, trying to draw an Eagle. Used and discarded sheets of paper littered the ground around her, evidence of her unsuccessful attempts at producing just the right picture. The girl wouldn’t give up however, and with her tongue held between her teeth in concentration she moved her quill slowly and deliberately over yet another sheet. She was working on the eyes when one of her brothers’ sudden entrance startled her, making her hand jerk suddenly and ruining all of her hard work. With a hiss Mia looked up the angry cry of: “Mas!” following the discovery of the eldest of the triplets standing a few steps away from her. The boy’s windswept hair hung over his eyes and he was panting, hands placed over his knees for support as he leaned forward. It was obvious that he had ran from somewhere and was exhausted, but his sister’s glare didn’t lose any of its heat. “You made me mess up Arelo’s eyes,” she accused, little hand clamping over the now useless paper and crumpling it up. Arelo was their father’s - Lavek’s - Eagle. A proud bird with a generally bad temper, he didn’t allow anyone, but his rider or other Endal getting too close to him. He had made an exception last night however, when Lavek had brought his excited triplets (well, Mas and Mia had been excited, Mao not so much) to try and introduce them to the Wind Eagle, his first attempt having failed spectacularly. Arelo had let all three of them approach this time and when Mia’s little hand had reached out for him he had bowed his head and let her touch the soft feathers just above his beak. Neither of her brothers had been allowed such familiarity despite Mas’ continuous attempts to approach the proud bird. Lavek, ecstatic at what he saw as his little girl’s first step on the road of becoming an Endal, had even taken her with him for a few chimes of flight. By the time they had returned Mas had been seething, but his sister in her enthusiasm had remained oblivious to the boy’s hurt pride. In the span of half a bell the animosity that the eldest triplet had always felt towards his sister managed to grow into hatred and that was what shone in his eyes now as he regarded the girl from underneath red bangs. Mia didn’t notice the slight shift in her brother at the mention of their father’s Eagle, focusing instead on her own irritation. Mas waved her off quickly however, moving to the reason for his abrupt entrance into their quarters - The Plan that he had laid awake thinking about through most of last night. “Two of the newer fledgelings have left the aeries,” the boy delivered the line hurriedly, trying to sound as distraught as possible. “They wanted to see who could fly higher and closer to the mountainside. But you heard the Endal last night! Zulrav is sending a storm today!” The story was far from perfect and had it been told to someone with a little bit more experience they would be able to recognize the lie for what it was. Mia however, despite generally lacking in naïveté, found herself jumping to her feet at the horrible possibility of fledglings in danger. “What should we do?” The question was directed to herself rather than her brother, but it was Mas’ cue for his next line. “We should go out, of course! Try to warn them or help them. They might even want to bond with us afterwards.” The last was added with what he hoped was an enticing voice. If someone had said that to him, he knew he would be out of the door in no time. Mia however, was biting her lip, looking skeptically at him. “Shouldn’t we wait for mother and father to come back? They will know better what to do. And they have Arelo and Mira.” Mas shook his head in frustration immediately. “There is no time. The storm’s already starting.” A quick glance through the windows where snow was indeed falling heavily confirmed his words. That was all the convincing the five year old needed. “Ok then.” In a rush she retrieved her Katinu (Mas already had his on) and the two left running. *** “How are we going to find them?” This wasn’t the first time Mia had asked her brother the same question and just like the previous three he answered: “We just will. Now move quicker.” They had made it out onto the mountainside easily enough, the Inarta too busy preparing for the expected blizzard to pay attention to two small children running through the city. It started getting harder the moment they stepped away from the paths made by the hunters and started climbing their own way. Mas was leading for now, but that wouldn’t last too much longer. The wind was picking up, whirling the snow all around them and occasionally throwing it in their faces. Gradually, it was getting harder to walk and to see, the slope steeper and harder to navigate. Mia was breathing heavily, not bothering to talk anymore from fear of messing up the precarious rhythm of exhaling and inhaling she had going. Her eyes were focused on her brother’s back as she struggled to follow him up the mountain the thought of going back never once crossing her mind. The two fledglings were Zulrav’s children. He had given them the wind beneath their wings and showed them how to fly on it. Mia and Mas belonged to the God as well - the girl knew it. They would fly with the eagles on his winds one day and be closer to him than any of the others who prayed to him could be. There was nothing to be scared of. There were just their siblings somewhere out there, waiting for them, needing their help. The first time the girl slipped was when Mas suggested they trade place. “You go ahead. That way I can catch you if you fall.” The fact that her brother had never been particularly caring or protective of her wasn’t really on Mia’s mind as she struggled past him to take the lead. The girl’s conscious thoughts had narrowed down to making sure she moved forward and to the goal of reaching the fledglings that required their help. There was nothing but the mountain, the wind and her eagle brothers. Mia didn’t know how long she had walked or how far they had gotten from the city, but when she looked back to see if her brother was still alright what met her gaze was the slope she had already climbed and snow - a lot of it. “Mas!” She cried out for her sibling, trying to shout over the sound of the wind in her ears. “Mas!” There was no reply. Had he gone back? Why wouldn’t he say something? Surely he hadn’t slipped and fallen - he would have called for her if he had. Had he just gotten scared and chosen to return to the city’s safety? They said there was bound to be something wrong with Lavek’s triplets, for the man had laid with his sister, knowing of their blood relation. The younger of the boys - Mao - was lacking the intelligence and comprehension of most children his age. He was quiet, not even the Inarta definition of it, and smiled more often than he spoke. Mia (who appeared to be normal and was the favorite out of the three for becoming an Endal because of her easy relationship with birds of all kind as well as the Wind Eagles) was prone to sudden distractedness, when she became just as uncomprehending as her brother. She would completely change the topic of a conversation she was participating in with no warning at all, going as far as to walk away without a word. As for Mas... Even at five Mas was showing a startling proneness for cruelty. It was not lack of awareness of what was right and wrong because of his young age as his mother had claimed many times. The little boy, unlike his two siblings, seemed to always know and understand what was going on around him almost with a starting clarity reminiscent of an adult’s. Like an adult he made a decision to hurt someone for whatever his latest childish goal was and he would see it through, sometimes found laughing or even bragging about his misdeeds. What Mas wanted now was the respect of his father, the man’s Eagle’s and the Endal’s. And in the way of that stood his sister. When no answer came and there was no other sign of her brother Mia turned around and started walking again. It was impossible to move standing up anymore, the wind beating against the girl’s chest and trying to steal her balance. Mia was leaning against the current, but at some point she just gave up, falling to her knees and continuing like that, with hands feeling for the way ahead. There was nothing to be heard but the wind’s hiss and roar, reminiscent of that of an angered predator. There was nothing to be seen but the snow, swirling all around her, seemingly trying to bury Mount Skynarta completely. ‘Zulrav is the father of all creatures of flight. He has gifted his children the currents on which they fly and has shown their wings how to rely on them and use them. He’s the one who sends us off and the one who returns us home to our brothers and sisters. He’s everywhere around us, whispering his guidance to be carried to us on his winds. Zulrav will sometimes send storms and blizzards, tornadoes or hurricanes, but that is not to punish the children he has chosen for his own. For he has gifted us knowledge of him and his element and waits to see if we have learned the lessons and understood them the way he intended them.’ Words spoken by her father and mother and by other Inarta the girl had come into contact with had all come together to form her own interpretation of the God of Wind’s nature. And it was that interpretation that made Mia fearless in the face of the snowstorm and pushed her forward to aid a brother and sister who knew even more about the God and the wind than she did. Mia’s trek was turning into a climb that was quickly proving to be impossible in these conditions. She struggled for a while, making little to no progress at all, finally reaching an overhang of rocks that provided somewhat of a natural shelter. The wind was still pulling at her hair, stinging her skin and sending snow to blind her, but there was no immediate danger of being sent flying off the mountainside. When the girl realized she couldn’t really see and there really wasn’t much to see she let her eyes fall shut. The five year old didn’t know the right way to pray. Some said there was no right way of conversing with the Gods at all. You could just tell them your thoughts, let them see your desires and your determination and perhaps they would choose to listen. So with her eyes closed and with heart filled with her resolution and her hope she threw her words at the wind, asking for his lightness, asking for him to help carry her higher and steady the currents under the fledglings’ wings so they remained safe until she got to them. Time had long lost meaning, the only way to measure it - how cold Mia felt from one moment to the next. Even her thick Katinu couldn’t provide protection against a storm quite like that. Snow had started piling around the girl and on her and her little hands shook every time she made to brush it off. Still, there was no fear in the young Inarta’s soul. There was no room for it. There was just faith. “Young one.” Voice like thunder sounded suddenly from all around Mia, air prickling her skin and the smell of storm and lightning in her nose. “Don’t you know by now there are no fledglings waiting for your rescue?” The girl remained as she was - with her eyes closed - certain that the voice was only in her mind rather than on the wind itself. “I didn’t know,” she admitted, adding after a pause. “I couldn’t be certain.” She couldn’t know if the voice was answering her prayers or if her thoughts were conversing with themselves. “Why did you continue when faced with these conditions? Many would have gone back.” “Fledglings want to spread their wings more than anything.” Mia knew that very well - it was her own desire that matched the Eagles’ and allowed her to understand that part of their nature. “I wanted them to know there were other winds waiting for them, but that they had a sister who would fly with them even on such currents.” There was a long moment of silence, before the voice thundered again, a little bit softer than before. “And now that you know no one is waiting for you what are you going to do? What would you want?” There was no delay, no hesitation as the girl delivered her response. “Wind.” “Wind?” The voice sounded amused. “You would like more wind?” “I would like a wind that will carry my father’s eagle safely through the storm and will lead him to where I am,” Mia elaborated, voice determined. “They are probably looking for me now.” “Very well, young one. Wind I can give.” With that the voice departed, leaving wordless winds behind. But a warm gust made it through the folds of the girl’s Katinu and settled over her shoulders, partially chasing away the cold. It still had to leave her skin when a few chimes later the powerful wings of a Wind Eagle spread the curtain of the falling snow. That warmth and soft presence would never really leave again. Threads   Flashbacks Date Thread With Status 15th Day of Spring, 503 AV What Do You Mean There's No Naptime? Niro Ongoing 76th Day of Spring, 506 AV Reaching For The Sky Modded by Phoenix Ongoing   Fall 512 AV Date Thread With Status 4th Day of Fall One With Nature Niro Ongoing