Zia

Zia
Age	Adult (Unknown)
Species	Gargoyle
Sex	Female
Height	5'6"
Weight	Skinny
Background
Series	Gargoyles
Combat Styles	Wind Mage
Hometown	Scottish Highlands
Group	Unaffiliated
Occupation/Job	Freelance Scavenger and Part-Time Architecture
Force:	Wandering Force
Quote
"Sometimes, when yer path isnae clear. All you can do is close yer eyes and go where the wind takes ye."
Recent Events
Living in an abandoned building in Manhattan, avoiding humans and gargoyles alike.

Profile

The last born of a once-great clan, the story of how a single Scottish gargoyle came to live in upstate New York is a long one, with many nights far darker than her days. Yet, where there is darkness, there is also light. It was by sheer accident that a rich collector's wife fell in love with a statue while visiting a village outside Stirling, only to discover that when she arrived home, it was not a statue at all. Since then, Zia has lived on the outskirts of Manhattan, scavenging for what she needs to survive. Clever and wary, she's managed to stay clear of both the humans and gargoyles within the city. Yet, with the world changing, it seems unlikely that she will remain a recluse for long.

Skills

Albino Magical Girl, Scottish Lass, Dark and Troubled Past, Well Guarded Secret, Sorcerer's Pet, Spell Books and Claws, Beware the Quiet Ones, Slow to Trust, Mistaken for A Garden Sculpture, Scavenger, Salvager, Wind Caller, Storm Sense, Clanless Rogue

Personality

Like so many who have gone through many trials at a young age, Zia carries with her a subtle sort of vulnerability. She has been through a great deal, and the events of her past are not things you recover from without having some strength of heart to carry you forward. While gargoyles are not creatures who tend to live in the past, sometimes it does catch up to her, especially on those quiet nights when the sounds of the city wander into her dreams. The sky has always been her solace - the guiding stars so dimmed now due to the light of the Manhattan skyline, and yet sometimes if she stares hard enough, she can remember them as they once were.

While Zia is certainly a survivor - one of those who manages to get through whatever life throws at them, she is also quite lonely. She still remembers what it was like to have a family, though it has been a great many years since anyone has reached out to give her a home or offer her anything in the way of comfort. Yet, she remembers what it was like with a basal sort of longing, like knowing love for such a brief time then finding it always out of reach. Gargoyles are, by nature, social creatures who prefer the safety of a clan to life alone, and yet with so many years by herself, there are some walls she has put up to keep others out. The girl is cautious and careful, having known some of the worst that humanity has to offer.

So much of what she knows comes self-taught. Her father taught her how to read and write, which came in handy when reading was all that she could really do to pass the long nights. She's a clever one, quick to figure out most things that she sets her mind to and quick-witted enough to be able to find food and shelter within a city crawling with human beings. She might not be a wiz at modern technology like some, but Zia has managed to pick up some things, and since she sometimes has longer days than most, she often spends her free time reading or tinkering with things she finds that the humans have left behind.

For the most part, though, Zia is caught somewhat in limbo just now. She's managing to survive, but is that all that there is to life? She hovers on the precipice. Even with the influx of Heartless, she seems averse to helping the darkness, and equally so to becoming a 'defender of the night'. The only things clear about her is that she has a strong heart, but just who's side she ends up being on largely depends on who earns the trust of a girl who is used to being on her own, but still longs for everything she's lost.

Background

(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.

Abilities

• 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 flightspeed 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, or moving the clouds to see the sky beyond, or having some weather sense when it comes to impending storms.
• Sorcerer: Due to her experiences while captured by Valen, Zia has some limited knowledge of sorcery, and has access a couple of his stolen spellbooks/notebooks. She knows of one quite dangerous spell, which already got out of her control once. Due to this, she's unlikely to dabble with it a second time, as she has seen the after effects of a spell gone wrong. She does have a natural skill with sorcery, which Valen had been trying to tap in to, attempting to use the girl as a focus for his own magic, but as of now it is largely untrained. She does know one spell which has saved her tail a time or two, and that is a very simple 'sleep' incantation, which only seems to work on those weaker-hearted humans (NPCs) or those willing to accept it.

Combat

Stats	Rating
Physical Attack Power	Bad
Magical Attack Power	Exceptional
Physical Accuracy	Bad
Magical Accuracy	Great
Physical Evasion	Average
Magical Evasion	Average
Physical Defense	Average
Magical Defense	Average

Capabilities
Aerial Fighter
Bright Eyes
Rock Solid
Shield Surf

Bursts
Doublecast
Either
Lucky Striker
Kinetic Barrier

Actions

Action	Type	Element	Description
Airbreaker	Debuff	Air	TBD
Creeping Frost	Debuff	Water	TBD
Air Blitz	Attack	Air	TBD
Electric Shock	Attack	Air	TBD
Static Charge	Attack	Air	TBD
Thunder Blast	Attack	Air	TBD
Tempest Wind	Attack	Air	TBD
Spirit Force	Attack	Dark	TBD
Dark Cutter	Attack	Dark	TBD
Aqua Jet	Attack	Water	TBD

Soundtrack

(TBD)

Relationships

Name		Status	Thoughts
Daniil Petrov		Neutral	(TBD)
Deidra		Wary	She might be a fellow gargress, but there's so much she doesn't seem to know. Is it really amnesia, or is there something else going on here? How can a gargoyle not even know how to glide?
Morgan Albaste		Neutral	(TBD)
Reize Seatlan		Neutral	He seems nice enough, but perhaps not as wary as he should be. There's definitely more to him than there seems to be on the surface. I wonder why he went all stiff when I touched his hair?
Sköll Ulfang		Wary	I... just don't know. He acts like some noble knight in wolf's clothing, but he also controls Heartless and talks about the Darkness as if it's something he reveres. Is he really a good person, or is is there something else going on here that I just don't understand? And just who or what are those 'Dark Lords' he serves?

Logs

Where the Serpent Sleeps	March 27th, 2014	Skoll joins Zia in the Serpent's Trench and the two search for the Cloister of Midgarsrmr.
Crossroads and Graveyards	March 24th, 2014	Skoll meets up with his Golden Wolf and is reminded of a choice that lies before him, and of the dangerous threat that lurks behind.
The Masked Keyblade Wielder	March 21st, 2014	Deelel encounters a woman dressed as a wolf guarding Port Royal.
The Cloister of Shiva	March 16th, 2014	A group of adventurers make it to the Cloister of Shiva. But what will they find inside?
Temple Hunt, the report	January 31st, 2014	After locating the temple Shiva and clearing out the heartless in getting in the way. Deidra contacted Zia to meet her on he roof of the Cloud Nine to give her the information.
Seven: Dreams Go On - Waking Dream	January 18th, 2014	Seith's curse comes to bear. Cinderella falls asleep. As do many of our other heroes. This is the story for those who escaped the curse's grasp.
Seven: Dreams	January 5th, 2014	Our heroes enjoy a ball and learn some of the secrets that the Castle of Dreams holds. But what's more... there is a dark omen that meets our heroes late into the dance.
Meeting the Golden Wolf	November 7th, 2013	Skoll meets a mysterious stranger who just might be the Wolf he's been searching for.
What We Know	September 16th, 2013	The Seekers speculate on the nature of the keyblade quests.
Future Tense: Shiki Misaki	September 15th, 2013	It is decided.
Future Tense: Zia	September 14th, 2013	It is decided.
Present Possibilities: Zia	September 6th, 2013	The past is prologue. The present? Is full of Heartless.
Past is Prologue: Zia	August 24th, 2013	The past is prologue. All else is chicanery and nonsense. Until it's not.
Meetings outside Oblivion: Zia	August 17th, 2013	Zia meets Lucas to have answers questioned and questions answered.
Lamia Seekers	August 13th, 2013	Kidnappings lead Faruja and his considerable posse to investigate rumors of Lamia mischief.
Oh it had to be a Heartless...	August 8th, 2013	The Shard Seekers head off on an adventure sadly for them there is something foul waiting for them at their destination.
A Refugee from Himself	August 7th, 2013	Evja comes to the Shard Seekers, looking for someplace safe from the people pursuing him.
When The Gargoyle Visits	August 7th, 2013	Zia comes to the TDA to look for Will to speak with him on things. She doesn't find him, but she does find Mercade. They catch up on things.
Booze and Business	August 2nd, 2013	Zia and Deidra talk about current events over some cocktails.
The Cloister of Carbuncle	July 28th, 2013	Skoll and Zia stumble through the Cloister of Carbuncle in the first stop on his quest to regain his summoner powers.
Deliveries and Job Postings	July 22nd, 2013	There's some interest in Arthur Drover's 'help wanted' flier, as well as a delivery to his Synthesis Shop.
Above the Town	July 16th, 2013	Deidra's perched up on the Clock Tower having a meal when Zia pops in. It's been a while since the two have caught up and they talk on things. Just generally catching up.
Dreams and Pathways Forward	July 11th, 2013	Skoll wakes from a dream of the Espers, only to find that he isn't the only one with strange dreams.
Visitors, Cupcakes, and Relationships	July 1st, 2013	Maira stops by for a visit to the Watchtower, only to be beset by addictive cupcakes, relationship advice, and... dun dun dun: Percival.
Fragmentary Passage: Zia	June 30th, 2013	Let the pieces fall where they may. A dream twisted out of shape provides answers.. and choices.
In the Deep: Atlantis	June 22nd, 2013	In order to defend Atlantis, the party there leaves the place and plans to use explosives to break their way out. Continued in In the Deep: Serpent's Trench.
In the Deep: Serpent's Trench	June 22nd, 2013	A group of heroes has heard about a Heartless invasion in Serpent's Trench and moves to find out what is going on. What they find is... unexpected!
The Sorrow of Lost and Found	June 21st, 2013	Avira discovers her own ties to Atlantis, and the sorrow that goes along with it.
Power of the Ancestors	June 18th, 2013	Percival discovers the truth about the sword he wields, and the power within.
Wolf-Baths and Gargoyle-Rituals	June 18th, 2013	Skoll gets a bath, and Zia discovers the 'Gorlois' of Atlantis, who perform a ritual to bring life back into her crystal.
Journey Without A Map	June 16th, 2013	Seeking out the lost city of Atlantis and what knowledge might be contained there-in, a group of adventurers set out to face peril... and spear-throwing chipmunks.
Keepsakes	June 13th, 2013	Fate has a way of bringing people together when they need it most.
Behold - The Quest NPC	June 5th, 2013	Skoll and Zia discover a mysterious old man, who just may have a lead for them on their quest.
Love and Dusty Armchairs	May 29th, 2013	Zia and Percival catch up on their recent mis-adventures.
Training Begins	May 28th, 2013	Zia and Faruja catch up a bit on current events, and then the mouse decides to start on her training, only to discover just how difficult a task he signed up for.
Awkward Moments	May 26th, 2013	After fighting the last of the elemental 'sisters', Skoll and Zia try to ackwardly figure out what they plan on doing from here.
Saving Werewolf Ulfang	May 25th, 2013	Avira, Skoll and Zia finally challenge the remaining Gaudium Lord flunkies; 'The Gaia Sisters' to free Skoll of the darkness-inducing collar.
A Dark Visitor	May 21st, 2013	Seith drops in to give Percival a 'friendly' reminder, but ends up encountering a young sorceress instead.
Gargoyles Go House Hunting	April 11th, 2013	Since gargoyles do tend to clan together, Zia and Percival go house-hunting for a decent roost in Fluorgis.
Mystery Woof	April 1st, 2013	He'd promised Hati, and now after things have settled down a little, finally has the chance to do that one thing he still wanted to do. To treat Zia to a 'date'.
Following the Path	March 17th, 2013	Adventurers go off in search of treasure, only to be thwarted by the 'Ghetto Knight'.
Restoration	March 16th, 2013	It has finally come - the final battle to resurrect Manhattan!
Dinner and a Talk	March 15th, 2013	Skoll and Zia have a brief chat over bacon sandwiches.
Love and Rooftops	March 15th, 2013	Zia and Percival discuss things like love, and princesses, and his past.
To Hell and Back	March 14th, 2013	Avira has been captured, dragged into the depths of the Underworld. Avira's friend band together, ready to rescue their friend, and free Manhattan from darkness once and for all. There can be no failure here, for failure has...perminate consiquences.
The Real Xanatos Gambit	March 9th, 2013	Hades invites himself over for tea, things get ultra complicated.
The Final Shard	March 8th, 2013	Time to go visit a friend of Merlin's for the real answer of where the Spirit Shard is - Mama Odie. Yet can this Voodoo Priestess really help them? Or will it just be another wild goose chase?
Shard Packing With Merlin??	March 7th, 2013	Time to go find the last shard! Everyone gather together because we are hitting up Merlin's. Yet what they will find out, isn't what they were hoping for...
Stealing 'Treasure' from Pirates	March 3rd, 2013	A group of adventurers explore an island near Port Royal, where treasure is presumed to be hidden, and have to deal with the wiles of the local pirates.
Mysterious Mysteries	March 1st, 2013	When pigs give maps and Merlin translates, interesting things happen. Including being swept away to an underwater mystery of mysteries.
'Princess' and Penitent	February 27th, 2013	During the celebrations, Zia drags Percival off to the Shard Seeker's Headquarters to figure out what is bothering him.
Celebration in Fluorgis	February 26th, 2013	With the Shadows Over Fluorgis passes, the city undergoes a celebration. Drunks, music, merriment all around. Some shenanigans are abound.
Defending the Temple	February 22nd, 2013	The newly found Glabadosian temple falls under attack by Royce and the undead, leaving only Zia and a few Templar to defend the retreat of the historians and researchers.
Banish the Darkness	February 22nd, 2013	The shadows over Fluorgis at last unleash their true power. The malaise which has so oppressed the once-lively citizenry suddenly condenses and then erupts in a dark rain over the desert, a veritable storm of Heartless weltering down upon the weakened city. With the light of the Fire Crystal flickering and its defenses depowered, Fluorgis's last hope and protection are the adventurers who have heeded her call. A desperate battle in the streets ensues as the siege -- and the Shadows Over Fluorgis plotline -- reaches its climax!
Questions and Answers	February 13th, 2013	The Network tracks down Zia in order to ask some questions, and get asked some in return.
Confessions of the Heart	February 11th, 2013	After the battle in the Pridelands, Faruja and Zia return to the Land of Dragons and the mouse springs his love letter on a certain unsuspecting gargoyle.
Boneyard Shuffle	February 10th, 2013	Shard UNLOCK! --- A massive undead mammoth shuffles about and inconviences the party. Guest starring Shenzai, Banzai and Ed. --Welcome to the Pride Lands.
Revealing the Truth	February 7th, 2013	Deidra and Zia catch up on current events, and share some measure of their secrets with one another.
Dive Into The Heart: Zia	February 2nd, 2013	A stonesleeping Zia takes her first step into a mysterious journey.
Wounded Hope	January 23rd, 2013	Skoll, wounded and bandaged up in VALKYRI HQ, awakens to Zia watching over him.
Port Royal Sniffers	January 20th, 2013	Zia and Avira make their way to Skoll's last known location...
The True Self?	January 19th, 2013	A mysterious fog fell over in Fluorgis. Strange mirrors erected in place and the adventurers who investigate found more than was expected...
An Interesting Theory	January 13th, 2013	The running theory is that a certain white gargoyle is the Manhattan 'Princess of Heart'. She seems quite surprised to be addressed as such by a young knight of her own kind.
Fate and Bacon	January 10th, 2013	Sometimes, it's okay to just have a laugh.
Manhattan Restoration: Mining for Shards	January 10th, 2013	The heroes come to the Woodlands in order to get one of the Manhattan Shards... but run into a bit of trouble.
Prelude ~ Panic in Fluorgis	January 6th, 2013	It started off as a normal day for the Shard Seekers, but then the Heartless invaded the city itself. Many adventurers banded together to stop the outbreak with a bit of a mysterious help...
Warnings and Antics	January 4th, 2013	Avira comes to warn Zia about her confrontation with the 'Dark Lords' that Skoll serves, but the two end up distracted by their shared worries over the werewolf, and puppy antics.
Side Quest: Hold My Hand	December 31st, 2012	The Shard Seekers (and friends) accompany the infamous 'Ghetto Knight' into the Mythril Mines. Cue shenanigans.
Turning to Stone	December 20th, 2012	On a visit to Mullonde, Count Valos encounters a real gargoyle amongst the statues, and a conversation about the prospect of turning to living stone commences.
Sleep By Dawn	December 19th, 2012	Things move from Sammy bugging the Shard Seekers HQ to Zia revealing a big secret to Skoll.
Of Ships and Shards	December 19th, 2012	A slip of the hand means an impromptu meeting between two wanderers who have both lost their worlds.
Songs on Rooftops	December 17th, 2012	The white gargress puts aside her fear of humans for a time to share in their sorrow over the loss of Manhattan, only to find that even among the refugees there are 'heartless' beings that have nothing to do with the fall of darkness.
To Fight Or Flee	December 10th, 2012	After awaking from the battle in Manhattan, Zia discovers her world has fallen. Fleeing to the rooftops, she is soon joined by a friend.
Last Light of Manhattan	December 9th, 2012	Here is it. The final struggle for the Heart of Manhattan. A few brave heroes blaze against the tides of darkness in the hopes to save the world from crumbling into the darkness.
In a New York Minute: The Fall	December 9th, 2012	This is the villain side: Riku has accepted the darkness and old friends collide in battle. ....And more horror is unlocked.
In A New York Minute: The Blockade	December 8th, 2012	Leida and Ember (Katyna) are tasked with creating a blockade around Manhattan's Central Park Shadow Portal. Our heroes will have none of that.
Scaling To The Moon	December 5th, 2012	Skoll Ulfang and Zia investigate a mysterious happening atop the Alexandrian Mountains.
Trouble Brews In the Family	December 4th, 2012	After the situation with Shiki's shower incident, Reize called the Shard Seekers to a meeting. Should Priel be a member of the Shard Seekers?
The Dog Days	November 21st, 2012	Two 'guests' of the Shard Seekers surprise each other in the dorms, and then share the stories that brought them there. With a cameo by a very, very lost Reize.
Beggin' Bacon	October 26th, 2012	Zia and Skoll meet back up within the Shard Seekers HQ.
Rooftop Meetings	October 18th, 2012	Faruja and his companions startle Zia by teleporting onto the rooftop she'd claimed as her perch.
An Awkward Acquaintance	October 9th, 2012	Dark going downs in the city of Fluorgis.
Crossing the Fens	October 3rd, 2012	Once upon a time in a dreary mire... three like individuals cross paths...
Seasalt Shanty	September 29th, 2012	Scrooge McDuck's sale of Seasalt Icecream is disrupted as heartless steal the recipe to the globally well received food-item!
Rooftop Ornaments	September 23rd, 2012	While checking out Manhattan, Daniil, an agent of the Turks, discovers that there are not just humans in this world. Of course, the girl he runs into is clearly suspicious of the 'man in black'.
An 'Easy' Target	September 21st, 2012	A wandering Reize draws the attention of a couple of muggers, only to be 'rescued' by a gargoyle and a werewolf. Of course, it seems as if he didn't really need the rescue afterall.
Tussle in Traverse Town	September 20th, 2012	Skoll encounters a somewhat lost and quite hungry Zia, and then the pair end up accosted by a drunken Bangaa and Seeq and inevitably end up in trouble.
Night in the City	September 17th, 2012	After encountering a Heartless, Deidra meets up with a fellow gargoyle who shows her how her wings work, and takes her into the city for a breakfast of stolen baked goods.