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Basics

Full Name: Ganzaya of the Dhoro
Nickname: Zaya
Age: 27 (ARR)
Gender: Cis Female (she/her)
Race: Au Ra, Xaela Clan
Sexuality: Bisexual
Birthday: 15th Sun of the 3rd Astral Moon (5/15)
Place of Birth: Azim Steppe
Zodiac: Taurus ☀️ Pisces 🌙 Scorpio ⬆️
MBTI: INFP
Main jobs: DRG, WAR, BLM, DRK, RPR
Grand Company: The Immortal Flames
Patron Deity: Halone
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 190 lbs

Likes

Fashion
Spicy food
High places (it's the DRG instinct)
Quality time with close friends
Porxies

Dislikes

Abstract, theoretical discussions
Talking to strangers
Riddles, puzzles, etc.
Feeling vulnerable
Boats (she gets seasick...)

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Personality

Ganzaya's typical demeanour is cold, aloof, and even a little gloomy. She appears uninterested in relationships and tends not to speak unless spoken to. Ask her a question and you can expect a hasty, one-word answer. Most assume that this means Zaya doesn't like people, or even that she is rude, and they tend to stay out of her way as she does theirs. Perhaps, her acquaintances assume, the Warrior of Light is so singularly focused on her goals that she doesn't have time to waste on idle conversation. It probably doesn't help that she's frighteningly fierce and relentless on the battlefield...or that she has resting bitch face.In truth, Zaya is painfully shy, socially awkward, and easily embarrassed. She wants to make friends, but due to an unusually isolated upbringing, she has no social skills to speak of. She's terrified of anybody discovering how "weak" she actually is as a person and wears a veneer of cool indifference to hide her true self. However, she is a lot more scared and lonely than she lets on. On the rare occasion when she does make a true friend, she lets the sweet and bashful side of herself show through. She's a great listener and would do anything to help someone who really matters to her. She's also very easily flustered, especially upon receiving compliments!Though she's loath to admit it, Zaya is a sensitive and idealistic soul. She often finds herself with her head in the clouds and can be overtaken by romantic notions. Much as she tries to suppress this side of herself, knowing that the world can be cruel and unforgiving, she can't help the fact that she's a dreamer who follows her heart, not her head. She tends to make self-indulgent decisions over rational ones, which doesn't always end well for her. However, a rose-coloured vision can sometimes be a strength as well — her willingness to imagine a better world motivates her to try and make it real, no matter how hard she must struggle. She also cries easily and tries extremely hard to hide this.

Strengths

Tenacious
Physically powerful
Loyal
Idealistic
Gentle-hearted

Weaknesses

Standoffish
Vain
Socially inept
Uneducated
Sensitive

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Backstory

Zaya's story eventually diverges into two timelines: one where she becomes the WOL, and another where she joins <<babie>> FC and works as a freelancer.

Childhood on the Steppe

"The Dhoro tribe of the Xaela is an elusive tribe that avoids contact with others. Lookouts are posted all about their camps with orders to flee given the moment an outsider is spotted."

Ganzaya Dhoro, as her name suggests, was raised as a member of the Dhoro tribe of the Azim Steppe. A remarkably flighty, insular, and paranoid group, the Dhoro are rarely seen by outsiders, even other Xaela. Their tribe policy is to pack up and run if there is any risk of contact. This, they believe, is the only way to survive when the Garlean threat constantly looms. Perhaps this mistrustful attitude rubbed off on Zaya, who was always shy and stayed close to her mother, Khaliun. Her father, Sansar, died of illness when she was too young to remember. Though Khaliun was a kind mother and loved Zaya very much, the other tribespeople whispered that her smile was never quite as bright after his passing.

Sansar and Khaliun Dhoro

Unfortunately, Othard was not a peaceful place to live. Fleeing nearby clashes between the Garleans and Doman rebels that encroached on Steppe territory had become a regular maneuver for the tribe. The Dhoro adopted a "survival of the fittest" policy, refusing to stop for anyone who couldn't keep up or would become a burden on their resources. When Zaya was 14, that included Khaliun — her mother was hit by a stray bullet and collapsed to the ground. Though she cried out for help, Zaya was ignored, and the rest of the Dhoro abandoned Khaliun to her fate. Tough luck, but that's how you survive on the Steppe...or so the tribe's wisdom dictated.Zaya refused to leave her mother, despite Khaliun's insistence that Zaya must run, that it was too late. And, to be fair, it was. Perhaps Khaliun could have survived with immediate treatment, but there was little a child could do except drag her mother to a safe hiding place and wait for the inevitable. Khaliun passed away in an abandoned animal den, Garlean bootsteps thumping oppressively overhead. Zaya has never forgotten the sound.By the time the skirmish was over, the Dhoro were long gone. In the moment, Zaya had no desire to seek them out again, anyway; to her, it was just as much their fault her mother had died as the Garleans'. She decided to leave the Azim Steppe to put some distance between herself and all that had happened. She had been taught some basic survival skills with the intention that she would one day become a Dhoro huntress and provide for the tribe. So, she hunted rabbit with a makeshift spear and ate whatever plants she recognized as non-poisonous until she found her way to a permanent settlement.

Fighting Career

For a couple of years after leaving the tribe, Zaya was like any other street rat trying to eke out a living in Etheirys. When game was plentiful, she used her skill with the spear to hunt and sell meat and pelts; when it wasn't, she lied, begged, and stole her way to her next hot meal. Not every night was spent with a roof over her head, and the winter months were especially difficult. She figured there had to be a better way for her to live. But she had no formal education and could not read or write in the common Hyur language, so there was little chance of her finding anything but monotonous, back-breaking labour in exchange for a pittance. (Curiously, she was able to understand their spoken language despite having been raised with the old auri tongue. She didn't realize it at the time, but this was the power of the Echo to transcend words.)She had almost accepted that fate, until one day she overheard two Hyur talking outside of an alehouse about the bets they'd placed on their favourite cage fighters. If she had ears, they would have perked up. That was the one thing every Xaela knew how to do: fight. She asked the men for details, and they nearly laughed off the teenaged Auri shrimp, but they shared the information anyway. That was the day Zaya began her 6-year career as an underground fighter.As expected, she got her ass handed to her many times at first, and the only clubs that booked her did so as a joke. Watch the 5-foot-tall lizard's puny spear get snapped in two! But Zaya was nothing if not persistent. If she couldn't be tall or burly, she would strike with concentrated strength and utmost precision. She spent hours each day at the striking dummy, perfecting stabs, kicks, and punches, equipping all kinds of weapons, improvised or otherwise, to learn how they work. If she knew what her opponent's next move would be with each type of fighting style, then she could dodge and counterattack. She even experimented with magic, weak though hers was back then, to create small distractions or stop a little bleeding on the fly. While she was limited by her minimal reading ability (she had managed to pick up basic words by her late teens), she learned all that she could by observing, experimenting, and trying again. And again. And again.The first time Zaya won a fight, people thought it was a fluke. Then she started winning on occasion. This drummed up a little interest. And then she started winning a lot. People were actually rooting for Zaya. More importantly, they were putting money down on her, and she got bigger and bigger cuts. She not only had enough money to survive, but to actually enjoy small luxuries. This usually meant buying nicer clothes, as she had developed a love of fashion and used her outfits to stand out in the ring. She adopted the moniker of The Black Mamba: small and unassuming, but deadly strong.Of course, injuries were inevitable. Bruises, bleeding, and broken bones were just part of that reality for her, but she figured it was nothing she couldn't handle. That is, until she was 22, in Limsa, shortly before the Calamity. That day would be the last fight of her career.

An Eye for an Eye

Content Warning: Eye Trauma. Skip to the next section, "A New Start," if needed.

The Black Mamba had been booked for a highly-anticipated match and, as a veteran versus an up-and-coming fighter, she...lost. Badly. The total defeat was a bit humiliating, but as she licked her wounds, she didn't anticipate that what was in store for her later would be much worse.On her way home alone in the dead hours of the night, she was ambushed by three Roegadyn. As it happened, a local mobster had bet a lot of cash on Zaya's presupposed victory that night, and he was properly pissed at her performance. They three had been tasked with sending a message: don't mess with Rhitfyst's money. They took turns beating her, and though she tried her best to fight back, she wasn't strong enough to prevail in a three-on-one scenario, especially not with a height disadvantage of several feet. At the end of their attack, they decided to leave her with a permanent reminder of her own folly; and so, Zaya was repeatedly stabbed in her left eye. They ran off at some point afterward, but she was in too much shock, pain, and terror to register when.Her wailing eventually managed to attract attention from a drunken couple stumbling home from the bar. They clumsily assisted Zaya with finding her way to the nearest infirmary. The chirurgeon informed her that the damage to her eye was too great to save it, and it would have to be removed. Left with no other choice, Zaya consented to an enucleation procedure. She had to use a large portion of the money she had saved from her matches to pay for the procedure, so she declined to be fitted for a prosthetic as she couldn't really afford it. Besides that, the damage to the surrounding eyelids was great; looking at her left eye, there was no hiding the fact that something had happened, and she feared the inevitable questions where she would have to recount the tale of her own weakness. Instead, she started to wear her bangs over her eye, with an eyepatch underneath, to conceal the socket and the shame that it held.

A New Start

Between her attack and the Calamity, Zaya existed in a somewhat catatonic state. Not only was she permanently injured, but the self-confidence she had managed to build up had completely deflated. For years she had felt invincible, but in the end she couldn't defend herself when it really mattered. Furthermore, while her career had left her with a better standard of living than...well, the streets, at the end of the day she had nobody around her. No one was there to comfort her in her time of need. Cage fighting didn't make her any friends. Just ravenous audiences eager to exploit her pain for a voyeuristic thrill, and maybe a payout if they got lucky.

FC Timeline

As Zaya lamented the worthlessness of her current life all alone in the Drowning Wench, Leota Salvador sat down and offered to buy her a drink. Leota was the sort of warm person who couldn't ignore someone else in pain, and she saw it writ all over Zaya's face that night. For reasons Zaya couldn't comprehend, Leota spent the evening with her — not forcing her to talk about anything, and in fact, boisterous Leota did about 95% of the talking anyway. But Zaya was so relieved to have company, to think about anything else for a while, that she didn't mind giggling along to her ridiculous stories.At the end of the night, Zaya shyly asked if she would see Leota again, and Leota assured her that she'd be around the city. At this point, Zaya's interest wasn't yet romantic — she was just so lonely that she was eager to have even one familiar face in the crowds of Limsa. But fate can be cruel, and the Calamity would soon follow their serendipitous meeting.

Amidst the chaos that the Calamity wrought, Zaya fled Limsa for the Far East, where it was safer. She came to regret her cowardice instead of staying to fight, but she was still healing from her injuries, and her confidence in combat hadn't yet recovered either.In the weeks that followed, Zaya would reconsider what she wanted to do with her life. Once again, she was faced with the reality that all she really knew how to do was fight. But maybe this time, she could fight in a way that benefited others instead of harming herself and prolonging her loneliness. Post-Calamity, the world was in desperate need of wandering heroes and sellswords to deal with the new threats that had emerged across Etheirys. For a few years, she wandered the Far East and worked for various travellers and merchants, protecting them from monsters, the tempered, and, as ever in that region, Garleans.But Zaya still felt that her technique was lacking. After all, she hadn't managed to defend herself that one fateful day. Not only that, but she wanted to refresh her training, as her newfound lack of depth perception had led to more stumbles and misses in combat than she cared to admit. She became fed up with her own stagnation and took a boat back to Eorzea, this time to visit Gridania. She had never been to the city before, but she heard they had a Lancers' Guild of some renown, plus an Adventurers' Guild where she could at least pick up some work for gil. Not to mention, it was just south of Ishgard — which, while closed to outsiders, was the home of the legendary Dragoons. Perhaps if she was exceedingly lucky, she would get to spot one in action while travelling through Coerthas and observe their techniques.

WOL Timeline

Of course, Zaya had no idea that strolling into the Gridanian Adventurers' Guild would change the course of her life forever...nor that the strange, identical children across from her on the chocobo carriage would give her a new reason to fight and protect the realm.

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Relationships

Bear in mind that these are Zaya's opinions on the cast, not necessarily my own!
Her canon character relationships apply to her WOL timeline, and other WOLs to her FC timeline.
Unfinished section because there are so many gd characters
❤️ = love interest, ⭐ = important friend

Scions

Alisaie: ⭐ One of the most important people to Zaya and the little sister she secretly always wanted. They became very close during Stormblood and then especially post SB/into Shadowbringers. They're both a little awkward and tsundere, so they can be a chaotic duo at times, but they get along really well and Alisaie deeply admires Zaya. Zaya is extremely flattered that this kid likes her so much and works hard to be the best role model she can be. (Whether she succeeds or not is up for debate.)
Alphinaud: ⭐ Zaya's sweet little bro. She thought he was a bit obnoxious at first, but changed her tune come Heavensward. She's extremely proud of his growth and he inspires her to better herself as well. Alphinaud eventually taught Zaya how to read properly so that she could study more Disciples of Magic and become a better warrior; she is infinitely grateful to him for this.
Minfilia: Zaya regrets that she didn't get to know Minfilia better before they had to part. She always sensed that they might be kindred souls, but Zaya wasn't able to overcome her shyness in time to really speak from her heart. It's hard for her to think about Minfilia without also feeling remorse.
Thancred: ⭐ Zaya felt very awkward around him at first given his flirtatious personality. He quickly realized she was much shyer than she seemed and adjusted his behaviour to help her feel comfortable. After that, they got along surprisingly well despite their differences, and Thancred is one of the few people Zaya will actually gossip with. He's super nosey about her love life and enjoys embarrassing the hell out of her over it.
Y'shtola: Zaya is bit shyer around Y'shtola at times because of her blunt personality. In fact, Y'shtola respects Zaya quite a lot and would much sooner turn her sharp remarks toward the other Scions. Zaya's cold and gloomy veneer never fooled Y'shtola for a single second, and she finds Zaya's nervousness kind of cute and funny.
Urianger: Zaya definitely trusts him less than the other Scions after his repeated betrayals, and he typically only gets to see her colder side. She keeps him at arms' length until Endwalker, when she sees how much distress it actually causes him that he has to deceive his friends for the greater good. She wishes he had been more honest with her, but pities him at the same time.
Papalymo: He was one of the first friendly faces Zaya met when she was new and alone in Gridania, and she misses him dearly. She valued his wisdom and giggled at his snark. One of the harder losses for Zaya.
"Yda"/Lyse: While they initially got along well, Zaya isn't sure what to make of Lyse after finding out that she had been lied to about her identity, and even her personality, for so long. Zaya doesn't dislike Lyse, but considers her more of an acquaintance than a friend.
Tataru: ⭐ Zaya and Tataru get along swimmingly, thanks to Tataru's warm-hearted personality melting Zaya's icy exterior — and, of course, their shared love of fashion! Tataru is privy to many secrets that Zaya wouldn't tell anyone else, and she usually doesn't blurt them out to the other Scions...
Krile: Can a Lalafell be the mom friend? Somehow, Krile is Zaya's mom friend. Like Y'shtola, she was wise enough to see through Zaya's act and recognize the lonely girl beneath.
G'raha: A valued friend. He's just so nice that it's hard for Zaya to feel any discomfort around him. Not her number one closest confidant, but definitely a good chum who she wishes would value himself more!
Estinien: ⭐ They have a long history thanks to Zaya training as a Dragoon during ARR. One of her closest friends in the Scions, and she was very excited when he joined up. Somehow, despite both being awkward and antisocial, they manage to have some pretty good conversations. Perhaps their brains just understand each other. They also spend way too much time sparring together...Zaya admires his skill in combat and wants to absorb all the knowledge she can!

Other NPCs

Raubahn: ⭐ ~~you're my dad, boogie woogie woogie~~ Zaya is very close with Raubahn and deeply respects him as her once-commander in the Flames. He's incredibly proud of her accomplishments and hypes her up. They both went through a lot because of the Crystal Braves, but they're proud to have come out on the other side.
Kan-e-Senna: Ehhhhhhhhh.
Merlwyb: No real relationship outside of being political allies. Zaya has a generally positive opinion of her, though.
Cid: (And the other Ironworks employees) They're chill, but not super close. Basically work friends.
Yugiri: ⭐ Another of Zaya's closest friends. She was very excited to meet another Au Ra in Eorzea (and a woman at that), as she often felt isolated and "othered" during the events of ARR. Although some memories of home are painful, Yugiri's kindness makes her think of happier times in Othard, and she is glad to know her.
Haurchefant: ⭐ Rather than any romantic involvement, Zaya and Haurchefant saw each other as brother and sister. He was there for Zaya at a time when no one else was, and she'll never forget that kindness as long as she lives. He inspired her to embrace the more idealistic side of her personality and fight for a better world. A smile better suits a hero, indeed.
Aymeric: ❤️ Zaya wasn't sure what to make of Aymeric at first, but he earned her trust when he sided with her and provided her support following the disastrous banquet. She was disarmed by his willingness to be honest and open with her about his troubles and felt that she was safe to confide in him in turn. It took Thancred repeatedly pointing it out for Zaya to realize that he was ""secretly"" interested in her. After their interrupted dinner date, Zaya finally admitted to herself that she might be into him too, and they awkwardly danced around their feelings until she woke up in an Ishgardian infirmary post-Stormblood. Overwhelmed by relief when she saw his face, she confessed her affection (in her own stilted way) and they got together. He's definitely a traditional romantic and, despite her bashfulness at his gestures, she loves that kind of corny stuff deep down. He gets to see her gentle side more than most people and finds it adorable.
Ysayle: While they were first enemies, Zaya came to admire her resolve and understand her point of view. As with Minfilia, she wishes they had more time to get to know each other better.
Hien: Zaya has mixed-to-negative feelings toward him. On the one hand, he's a powerful ally and generally friendly. On the other hand, she resents that he, as an outsider, hijacked the Naadam for his own ends. She's secretly bothered by it and considers herself the true Khagan, not him.
Zenos: Frustrates Zaya because he's not entirely wrong about her loving to fight and stuff...just not like that, you know? She needed reassurance from her friends that they were, in fact, different people. Also finds him generally creepy.
Ryne: Zaya admires her strength for someone so young. They occasionally snuck off together to train against monsters when Thancred wasn't looking.
Emet-Selch: Actually she will forget him on purpose. Out of spite.
Venat: ⭐ Meeting her literally restored Zaya's self-worth. When Hydaelyn finally disappeared, the sense of loss Zaya felt was deep and profound.

Other WoLs

Leota Salvador: ❤️ Leota's unexpected kindness helped Zaya through a very difficult time (see Story section), and she was scared she would never see Leota again after the Calamity. Happily, they were able to reunite around the start of ARR when they both joined up with the same Free Company of adventurers. Eventually, they became romantically involved. Zaya is much quieter than Leota, but she doesn't see that as a bad thing and likes listening to Leota talk. Not that she would ever say that — in fact, Zaya grumbles about how Leota is too loud. (Everyone knows she doesn't mean it.) Leota often gives Zaya bone-crushing hugs, and given their size difference, it's a miracle that little miss Zaya is intact.
Valrune Biancanne: ⭐ Val was the one to invite Zaya to their Free Company after they met in Gridania. For better or for worse, Zaya thinks Val is the coolest person ever and wants to emulate her sarcastic demeanour. To tell the truth, Zaya doesn't have the self-confidence to pull it off...she's just too awkward. They have a similar taste in fashion and it isn't unheard of for Zaya to copy Val's outfits. Val actually isn't bothered and encourages her emo little protegé to keep slaying.
Yaella Khoury: ⭐ Yae takes on a very motherly attitude toward Zaya, and while Zaya pretends to find it demeaning, she actually enjoys being doted on. Yae often delivers food and other goodies to keep Zaya well-fed and energized! It was Yae's graceful battling style that made Zaya decide to stick her neck out and train as a Dancer, even if it was embarrassing.
Rat Baby: ⭐ Zaya doesn't know where the enigmatic Lalafell came from, nor her riches, and she isn't quite sure she wants to know. She equally fears and respects the Rat. She is grateful that this benevolent and powerful Baby has taken a liking to her and often helps her in her quests.
Gettrikh Amila: ⭐ At first, Zaya felt like she couldn't keep up with Gett's boundless energy. However, she soon learned that he has a quiet and contemplative side to him as well. She enjoys being a friend to whom he can show that facet of his personality and tries to be a confidant that he can trust with his problems, just as she can trust him with hers.

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Design

Race: Au Ra, Xaela clan
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 170 lbs
Hair: Short blue bob with aqua highlights; bangs covering left eye
Skin: Light grey, accented with dark blue scales
Eyes: Golden yellow with reptilian pupils
Other: Horns on either side of face; thin, pointed tail; eyepatch over left eye under her bangs
Makeup: Black lipstick & eyeliner, red eyeshadow

I'm currently working on a proper reference sheet so stay tuned... :')

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Trivia

Her favourite food is Shorlog — a Steppe staple! Overall, she loves any spiced meat dish and is somewhat of a carnivore. She very much can be bribed with a juicy steak.
She has incredibly mixed feelings about whether she ever wants to see the Dhoro tribe again. When she encountered the abandoned Dhoro Iloh during Stormblood, she had a good cry about it (...and threatened Hien to never, ever tell, or else!)
This might shock you, but her favourite colour is black. ~~Like her soul.~~
Her father gave her the name "Ganzaya," which means "steel fate," because he thought it sounded strong. He wanted her to become the most powerful Xaela not just in their tribe, but in all the Steppe. Over two decades later, she would fulfill that wish by winning the Naadam.
Zaya largely picked up crafting to prove to herself that she was good for more than just fighting. As it turned out, her hands were deft, and she succeeded at learning various crafts. Her favourite DoH is Weaver, and she and Tataru enjoy quietly stitching together!
As a child, she was afraid of horses.
She really likes red wine, and thanks to Aymeric, now has rather picky tastes.