Aya Foxheart

Aya Foxheart
Gender	Female
Race	Hyur
Clan	Unknown
Citizenship	Ala Mhigo (Formerly)
Age	~20
Residence	The Roost, Gridania
Occupation	Mercenary, Dancer, and Model
Employment	The Hungry Wolf

Appearance

Long blonde locks fall freely over the shoulders of this Hyur woman, bearing a somewhat unkempt waviness that threatens at times to become a curl. Bright blue eyes are the highlight of a warm smile framed by typically rose-red lips. She is short and slender for a Highland Hyur, but by the standards of Midlanders would be considered tall, with a curvaceous figure. Finding herself somewhere between fit and athletic, her body is finely honed for dancing (particularly the full-body tone of her pole dancing specialty), and is only secondarily adapted to the rigors of combat.

Aya is usually seen wearing at least light makeup (even when engaged in her mercenary profession), and is rarely found without makeup, eye-liner, and light mascara. She loves jewelry and sports seven piercings on each ear (four upper, and three lower), usually wearing larger earrings on the lower-most piercing, and then matching studs in the remaining (frequently changed to match her outfit, and sometimes her mood). She usually wears necklaces, bracelets, and several rings, as well as navel jewelry that she prefers to have visible whenever possible.

She prefers outfits chosen for form instead of function, frequently wearing heeled shoes and boots, skirts instead of leggings, and armor that give priority to flattering her figure rather than protecting her. While her commanders have been able to get her to wear practical armor when preparing for situations where combat is expected, it remains a constant struggle to convince her to wear proper uniform at other times.

Personality

Aya typically wears her personality on her sleeve. She is outgoing, social, with a clear orientation toward fun and pleasure. She has a significant caring and soft-heated streak, that sometimes conflicts with her better sense, and often speaks before she thinks(sometimes leading to unexpected shyness). She generally prefers to avoid hard work, has expensive tastes for comfort and baubles, and will almost always take the easiest route to Gil when offered. Nonetheless, she has become significantly more responsible since fleeing Ishgard and encountering the difficulties of the real world shorn from the protective layer of her family, and can usually be counted on if it really matters.

Preferring shopping, relaxing, and most especially partying to hard work, these tendencies will almost always become obvious to even the most ambivalent observer.

Background

Born the youngest of three children into an upper class family steeped in a long warrior tradition, Aya was born into what should have been a life of relative luxury. All hope of such fortune was washed away among the die of refugees fleeing the Kingdom ahead of the Imperial conquest. Living as refugees the family moved from city to city in a vain effort to call in old favors to find permanent settlement. After being turned away from every hope, including an extended stay near Limsa Lominsa, Aya's father finally made the decision he had been so loath to consider in the past: to call upon distant relatives who had settled as sellswords in Ishgard several generations in the past, the black sheep of the once prominent and proper family.

Unaware of their fortune to gain entrance to the city shortly before the gates were sealed to the outside world, their long lost relatives welcomed the family with the grudging acceptance of blood relatives. Unable to adapt to Ishgard Aya's parents adopted only the minimal necessary trappings of Ishgardian society. Refusing to abandon his pretensions her father quickly became a burden, followed by the eldest son intent upon claiming the trappings of an inheritance that had evaporated before his eyes. Loyal to a fault Aya's mother served her husband's every interest, pressing the children to accept his desires and command as they became ever less realistic. The two younger children grew closer to one another, as both proved more capable of adapting to their new social status.

The younger of Aya's brothers chose to become an apprentice weapon smith, planning to open his own shop and provide support for his parents, and if possible to repay the relatives to whom the entire family owes their survival. Aya meanwhile felt less productive, but equally rebellious pulls. Despite their poverty, Aya's parents set her on the path to be schooled to become a proper Lady befitting her station. Of the arts and manners she studied as a child, her favorite quickly became dancing. As an adolescent she embraced a social circle that skirted the edges of "acceptable" society, preferring the fun, excitement, attention, and notoriety to be found in the world of underground clubs and taverns. Finding that she could earn gil as a dancer and entertainer Aya completely abandoned her ties to the social circles her parents still struggled to cling to.

Facing increasing pressure from her parents, and feeling a general alienation toward the accepted culture of Ishgard, Aya made the life-changing decision to escape from the city. Once in the outside world she made her way to Gridania with a purse that rapidly grew bare. Finding work as a wench she was eventually employed at the Roost, where she was able to rent a room on a long-term basis. With an eye on greater prizes (and a blindness to the risks) she embraced the opportunity to find work as a sell sword with a Free Company she had come to know through her work. Thus Aya came to the Hungry Wolf.

Although she had mislead the Company on her experience and capability, Aya has proven a rapid learner if tentative combatant. In just months she has earned her way into the confidence of the Company's leadership, earning unexpected (and perhaps undeserved) promotion and praise.

Combat Style

Aya's formal training in military skills has been as a Lancer. Accepting early lessons from the Wood Wailers, and later trained by the Hungry Wolf, she is naturally well-suited to the weapon. Physically fit and athletic she is able to utilize the leverage-advantage of the weapon to a great extent, while maintaining distance from her opponent. Although tentative to enter combat, once engaged she fights with a raw tenacity and viciousness that the Hungry Wolf seek to instill in all of their fighters. She would rather avoid danger if at all possible, but if forced she will kill or be killed. Quick and graceful she relies on rapid and precise movements en lieu of brute force, utilizing surprise and distraction to create opportunities to exploit with the goal of inflicting debilitating injuries. To utilize her impressive leg strength she makes frequent use of kicking and jumping attacks, often in conjunction with the lance to create difficult to defend sequences of strikes. Most experienced soldiers would still consider her an amateur, but one still capable of being a sometimes surprising threat in hand-to-hand combat.

She is familiar with archery, which was one of her childhood hobbies, one which she has rediscovered in the Shroud which prizes skill with the bow and arrow, and offers much to teach the interested amateur.

Her early education included an introduction to the arts of healing magic, for which she possesses slight natural talent. Unfortunately she lacks the discipline or dedication to develop this talent to its full extent, she nonetheless is capable of minor, but sometimes life-saving, curative magic.

She has been trained in standard Hungry Wolf military tactics which included basic forestry, and long-range small-group coordination. Stealth, ambush, and surprise-attack training has formed a major portion of her education in tactics. Her recent promotion has made her technically responsible for small squad command within the Company, she has never commanded units in the field and is likely unprepared.

Behavioral Tendencies (OOC knowledge that is readily noticed IC)

• Her mannerisms often shift inexplicably between teasing sensuality and flushing shyness
• Even when in uniform, or preparing to enter combat her mannerisms are more civilian that military.
• Her body language is entirely feminine, with nary a hint of martial influence.
• She speaks with an Ishgardian accent
• When dealing with someone who is obviously Ishgardian, her manner will be considerably less friendly than usual
• There are hints of a sharp intellect behind all of the bright, silly, cluelessness

[[category:Player Character][category:Hyur]]