Difference between revisions of "Zia"

(Note: This is an edited BG which does not include some plot-points meant to be kept hidden.)

Gargoyles were not always creatures of myth and legend. They were once just as real as so many other beasts that roamed the dark of night. Some say that the first Gargoyles took flight in a time when humans were far more likely to have been the myths. A thousand years ago, when the first humans came to lay claim to the sea-side cliffs and give them the name Wyvern, a part of the clan that lived there refused to follow Hudson's decree to live with and protect the humans. Instead, they chose to continue to cling to their own ancient ways, setting out for lands where the humans had not yet reached.

Long after Wyvern had fallen at the hands of the Vikings, they remained, claiming high cliffs and distant reaches as their home, always moving on when humans got close enough to be a danger. Over the course of time, the small nomadic clan came to adopt others under their wings - usually refugees from fallen clans who had once been so many. One that had come to them was an odd looking gargoyle who carried with him a strange blue crystal, and a secret. He never told of where he had come from before, but his strange way of speaking clearly claimed him as a foreigner to Scotland's shores. In time, he came to be as accepted as any other member of the clan and even claimed a mate. It was with her lying in his arms that he finally told his story - of the lands his people once came from and the power that the crystal still held. Through the years, the secret was kept, even as the clan began to grow smaller and smaller. Every generation, some brave souls set off to find out what happened to the rest of the clans, never to return. There were fewer and fewer eggs in the rookery, and less places they could go to be safe from the encroaching reach of humanity. In the end, there were only a handful left, with only a single mated pair who still called the cliffs of their ancestors home.

It was into this tiny clan that Zia was born - the last of a lineage that dated back as far as that stranger who came to their shores, and further still to those who once left the so-called Wyvern clan before humans had given it that name. She spent her early years living with her two parents, elder brother, and aunt, who made up all that was left of the 'clan'. In the ancient ways, she was raised without having a name, although the familial relationships were obvious. Like so many others, her aunt had wished to travel elsewhere - wanting to find a mate of her own, and she convinced her nephew to accompany her. Afterall, what hope did he ever have of a future beyond growing old alone on the cliffs with his parents and sister? They were not the last to leave.

So much would happen in the years to come, starting with the loss of her parents, and ending at last with her capture by a human sorcerer by the name of Valen, who kept her in order to study the girl and possibly use her to further his own magic. It was through Valen that she discovered her gift for spellcraft, and that ended up becoming his downfall when she turned one of his own incantations against him. It was in one of his own notebooks that she first saw the name 'Zia'. For all that the man may have held her as a captive and had darker plans for her fate, he had given her a name with a singular meaning: Light.

She was older now, and smarter about things this time as she set out into the world. For nearly two years she survived, hidden from the humans. Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and the one that brought her to New York was falling asleep in a statuary store. The unique 'sculpture' was immediately bought up by a rich wife of a senator who decided that she just /had/ to have the creature for her garden. Imagine her surprise when she got the huge shipping crate home, only to find her sculpture came to life. The papers claimed it was a psychotic break, but the tabloids picked up the woman's hospital rantings about a 'little white monster'. One would think that it would be quite hard to adjust from a small town to a city existence, but she found one thing to be true for the most part, New York-ers never look up.

So, Zia lives as she always has, as a scavenger - scouring the streets for food and shelter. She's seen the others from time to time - the clan that calls the city home, but these ones seem to work with the humans - first atop the tall castle, and then within the clocktower. Yet, could she ever come to trust humans? Zia had seen their cruelty for so many years of her life, They had taken away her family. They had given her a name. But trust? Well, only time will tell.

To be continued...

Items

• Atlantean Crystal: Only recently discovered as an Atlantean crystal, the blue pendant that Zia wears has been passed down for generations from her ancestors. It not only offers some measure of longevity, but also allows her to forgo a gargoyle's usual stone sleep. Whatever else it might be able to do remains hidden, lost in the secrets of Atlantis.

Combat

• Gliding: Like most gargoyles, Zia has the ability to utilize her wings and the air currents to keep her aloft. This is not true flight, as it has some limitations. She is not able to take flight in close confines, or areas where there would be no wind or air to catch her. Her flight speed is determined by the winds themselves, and generally not as quick as with those who have more full-fledged flight.
• Wind Caller: Zia is a natural-born mage. While she still depends heavily on incantations and spells, she has a natural ability with the winds. This, in some ways, bolsters her already wind-based magic, but also allows her simple feats like shifting the winds around her while she flies, moving the clouds to see the sky beyond, or having some weather sense when it comes to impending storms.
• Dark Thread: The darkness she once experienced at the hands of the sorcerer Valen has left a mark that lingers in Zia's magic. She retains some small ability to use low-level dark magic, but she usually avoids this when she can help it. The ability has dwindled in recent days, due to her stronger connections to the light, and due to disuse.
• Apprentice Sorcerer: While most people can cast simple incantations if they know the right words, Zia has some measure of greater knowledge in the realms of sorcery. She still keeps her old master's spellbooks and notebooks, but often refuses to dabble in such things unless the need for it is great. Some of the spells she might use most commonly would be: simple sleep spells, minor transformation charms, or other relatively low-level enchantments.

Non-Combat

• Scrounger/Salvager: Over the years, Zia has developed the ability to scrounge for what she needs to survive. This involves one part patience, one part luck, and one part ingenuity. Give her a pile of scrap and she's likely to find something useful there. Many of the things she owns were once tossed away as refuse, including things like her television, computer, and video game console. One man's junk is another's treasure.
• Music: Growing up, Zia was raised on her father's stories and ballads, and through him she developed a love of music. She has a good singing voice, but her real skill is with a homemade set of panpipes, which her father taught her how to make when she was still a child.
• Archeology: Due to her experienes with her ties to Atlantis, Zia has developed an interest in the ruins of other civilizations. She has started to collect a notebook of writings and takes the chance to learn from those who know more about these lost peoples. While still a novice, she certainly knows more about Atlantis than a lot of people.

Actions

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