U'ahlia Tahkyn
 U'ahlia Odh
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| Gender | Female |
| Race | Miqo'te |
| Clan | Seeker of the Sun |
| Citizenship | Ul'dah |
| Age | 23 |
| Guardian | Azeyma, the Warden |
| Nameday | 2nd Sun of the 5th Astral Moon |
Basic Info
History
Born to a desert-wandering clan of Seeker females, known as the Followers of the Sun, Ahlia spent much of her life with her mother, aunts and siblings by her side. Rarely did she encounter males, as she and her age mates were often protected by the experienced women from nomadic Tias—a lack of sexual maturity meant they had no reason, given their inability to bare young in their early years.
Of course, once she was finally of the age which her family allowed her to approach males, never was the fiery youth actually given permission to mate. The group had to keep a sustainable number and the latest generation consisted of five: four girls and one boy. Nhabori, Lhommin, Kheera, Ahlia and Kho. Female Followers stayed within the group for their entire lives, save for the few with a wanderlust, born and dying beneath Azeyma's scorching sun. The males were expected, even forced, to leave the group upon reaching maturity, to find territory of their own. Such was life for the nomads. Until numbers required desperate measures, only the highest ranking females would mate.
Mating rituals themselves were never too complicated. A Tia simply had to prove himself to be of good stock, fit and healthy. More experienced males achieved this by recalling tales of where their lives had taken them, what they had hunted and achieved, in order to impress the women and prove their worth. Ahlia was captivated by the descriptions she heard of the world beyond the sacred sands. Thick, lush forests and deep, expansive oceans, frozen mountain peaks and jagged, winding canyons … it all sounded so fascinating to the young woman and she longed to see it. Without hesitation, she silently swore that she would be the female to leave her family this generation.
Eventually, with Ahlia at the age of nineteen summers, the Followers of the Sun came to the portion of the Sagolii claimed by the U tribe. Drawn by the scent of blood on the air, the tribal women watched as party of U hunters expertly, almost effortlessly, brought down a particularly impressive Wellwick sandworm. The young redhead Seeker couldn't look away; she was entranced by their grace and deadly efficiency in battle, none giving in 'til the beast fell. A dark skinned male seemed to be commanding the group, leading the effort, and as her superiors led the others away, Ahlia caught the man's gaze and, for what felt like an eternity, their eyes locked. Snapped back to reality by her mother's calls, the young woman turned and skittered away with one last fleeting glance over her shoulder.
She couldn't ignore the burn in her heart that demanded she return to the experienced male. Not for long.
The sun set on the desert many times before Ahlia finally decided she would seek out the tribe she had witnessed hunting, to find a place amidst their ranks. There was much she could learn from them, from the grizzled male. Of that much she was certain. She spoke to the elder women, for permission to leave the Followers and their blessing. They were easy to convince—Ahlia's mother was once again pregnant, and Kho would soon be leaving, too. It seemed wise to allow one to leave for another to join them. Her parting from her family was treated with the highest respect and joy; a ceremonial ritual to signify maturity and to wish her well in her life. An ash-based mixture was used to paint markings and patterns across her face and arms, white contrasting against her skin. With both Azeyma and her family's blessings, Ahlia was finally able to leave her clan behind and make her own path through life.
That path led her straight to the territory of U.
Upon arrival, she immediately sought the male who had led the hunt party she had become to obsessed with. The Rangers of the Drake were quick to point her in the right direction: to their Nuhn, U'odh. For eleven summers, he had led the women of U and each agreed he was worthy of their respect. She approached him, resting within a strange stone building, and spoke her piece, attempting to win his favour and his acceptance.
“You are barely a woman,” he had said, “but I see prrromise in you … a passion in your gaze. Ah, yes. I remember you. I saw you, and you had seen me.”
The spoke for hours, as if she were bargaining to gain more than a rank beneath him. Her persistence paid off, for the Nuhn agreed to allow her within U. She had one thing left to ask for, though. Lessons.
“I wish to learn to hunt like you. With the weapon you wielded.” U'odh's brow quirked, an amused smirk tugged at his lips. Now this was something he had not expected to hear. He leaned forward, watching her for a moment in silence. “It is no easy task to wield the lance. Before I consider for even a moment, I would ask you bring me something … mmh, worthwhile. Show me that you are skilled in the hunt. Then we will see if you are fit to be my student.”
Her life had been spent hunting, and so she was no mewling whelp to bringing down prey … but something worthwhile? That would be something she would need to consider for a moment. For days, she ventured out into the desert with bow in hand, and returned empty handed. No simple thing would work. It was during one outing that her prize reared its ugly head: Ulhuadshi, the giant sandworm. As soon as her golden eyes fell upon the writhing vilekin, she knew that the twitching mandible at the opening of its mouth would be what she would present to U'odh.
She fought long and hard, arrows flying as she danced away from the great worm's strikes. It thrashed and hissed, flailing and slamming into the sands ferociously. Well placed positioning granted Ahlia the tiny window she sought. Stood atop a thick boulder, tucked away, she waited for another body slam. The worm rose and with a spitting hiss, flung himself at her. She leapt and Ulhuadshi's head came crashing into the boulder with a dull, sickening thud. With one twist, dagger in hand, Ahlia stole her moment. She plunged her blade into the beast's flesh, using it to hoist herself up. Adrenaline raced through her veins and she gave a triumphant cry as she brought her heel down.
There was a crack, followed by a pained shriek. The thick mandible tumbled to the sands and Ulhuadshi gave one last desperate shake. Ahlia was sent flying through the air, hitting the sands with a yelp.
