Warden of Ash ♦ Protector of the Fallen
| Age 36 |
| Gender Male |
| Origin Altalusia |
| Occupation Captain ♦ Mercenary ♦ Sky Pirate |
- Grew up in Altalusia in an orphanage. He and other youngsters signed up to become soldiers with high hopes of one day being Knights or Captains in their own right. Zakira was quickly pulled through various trainings and tutelage, eventually being placed under the direction of airship Captain. The man took him under his wing almost immediately, developing a sort of fatherly bond with Zakira that continued for years.
- After one mission went terribly wrong, the Captain and much of the remaining crew decided to defect from the military, stealing their airship in the process. Zakira, out cold from having been badly injured woke to more than one difficult choice. He chose to join them rather than walk off at the nearest port. The other decision was harder to make, known only be a few at the time - to replace the forearm and hand he'd lost during the complications of that ill-fated mission with magitech.
- For a long while, he held no issue with the new appendage. Nothing to worry about or thing would go wrong. Whatever stories were told about magitech augmentations going awry must have been just that, stories. He continued to serve his Captain, earning rank and privledge as time went on until one day, he found himself inheriting the airship when the older man died from an illness that took him far more quickly than any thought possible. It was a loss that shook Zakira's faith in himself and greater plans, but he held tight to the crew that stayed with him and forged something new from the remnants of what was left behind.
- He began to collect individuals who needed a place to be or something to do for work who would not balk at the less savory jobs they sometimes had to take. Some became something akin to family. There was Maeli and Daven, the twins who found shelter behind some crates one evening, looking at him with hope and distrust in their eyes in equal measure. There was Keaton next, who had been running from his own nightmares and family secrets, needing a place to lay low. So many others followed, some stayed and some leaving. And then there was Astera. A strange, young man who he'd nearly killed during combat during one mission before something told him to wait. Of course, a year later, that same man now comes with a plus one in the form of a waifish girl who speaks in riddles and prophecies - and the magitech-caused whispers he's begun to hear, sourceless and concerning, tell him he should heed her warnings.
Appearance
| Height 6'0" |
| Build Athletic |
| Hair Dark Brown |
| Eyes Amber |
Zakira sits somewhere between an opposing figure and something approachable, never quite one or the other. His height is "average" for men who are on the taller side, his build athletic and capable, covered in tanned skin and thin, paler scars from the lessons of his past. It is a warm contrast to his hair, often pulled back into a ponytail to keep it from brushing over his shoulders and face in dark brown waves, or the amber-hued eyes flecked with tones of olive green and gold. He prefers form and function in equal measure when choosing his clothing as well, opting for colors that suit whatever situation he is heading towards and fabrics that are both sturdy and comfortable. His weapons and other tools of the trade are always well kept and of fine make, however, not gaudy enough to draw attention, but reliable and cared for.
And then there are the gloves and bracers. He wears them because it is easy enough to get away with saying they are needed for one job or another that he is doing, even if it gets tiring at times. Annoying. It is better to keep some semblance of disguise, leather bracers or cloth wraps with one full glove and while the other leaves his fingers uncovered, "for better dexterity," or so he'd try to claim. Instead it hides the metal truth he bares, the magictech forearm and hand only seen by a few. Little does he know that it is the "worst kept secret" on his ship or that the crew both accept the knowledge and protect it in equal measure, letting him believe that they do not know.
And then there are the gloves and bracers. He wears them because it is easy enough to get away with saying they are needed for one job or another that he is doing, even if it gets tiring at times. Annoying. It is better to keep some semblance of disguise, leather bracers or cloth wraps with one full glove and while the other leaves his fingers uncovered, "for better dexterity," or so he'd try to claim. Instead it hides the metal truth he bares, the magictech forearm and hand only seen by a few. Little does he know that it is the "worst kept secret" on his ship or that the crew both accept the knowledge and protect it in equal measure, letting him believe that they do not know.
Personality
Prideful ♦ Compassionate ♦ Calculating ♦ Secretive ♦ Rebellious
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
There was once a time when Zakira was the "perfect soldier" in every way imaginable. Dedicated. Compliant with authority. He did not question orders or stray towards chaotic tendencies. He did everything by the book with an eye for detail that often earned him praise more often than argument. It was simply "how things were" in his mind - taught from a young age that this was his role in life and what was right or just.─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
That was before his old Captain left the Empire's armada of airships, absconding with a small vessel he dubbed his own. It was before he was taken under that man's wing and the tutelage of the other like-minded soldiers, sailors, and pilots who saw the harm that they had done and decided it no longer outweighed the good. Zakira was forged in the fires of rebellion, unchained and untethered by callous hands that guided him to new heights, or so he would say.
He's a prideful creature these days, not that that's necessarily changed from back then. He has an ego that is well supported by his skills, his looks, and the loyalty of his crew, and he knows it well. Some truths simply cannot be denied, and he will gladly say as much with a wicked and reckless grin as he somehow pulls off whatever plan he concocted.. And concoct he does, calculating out small details and overarching themes until he can plan for every possibility.
Despite the tendency to tease out every option, he is ruled by a brash and chaotic nature that often seems at odds with his own need for control - two halves still at war with one another, one from lessons of his past and the other from his current and future needs. His inclinations lean towards "good" at least, though that definition be one of his own making. He genuinely believes in helping others when it is deserved, trading favors carefully and keeping track of owed debts as much by itemized detail as by general feeling.
With his crewmates, however, as well as those wayward souls he has a habit of collecting and reaching out to on his journey, he is fiercely protective and compassionate, stopping at nothing to make sure they are cared for and happy. Their livelihoods are what keeps him up at night and going during the day, especially as the whispers start to grow louder from the attached magitech forearm and hand that he hides from their knowledge. For all he may adore his crew and be an open book to most questions, that is one secret he will carry close.
Skills
- Combat & Strategy: From a young age, Zakira was taught not only how to fight, but how to plan. The best fight is one that he only has to do once. Better yet, it is one that never happens. His mind is the sort that ceaselessly grasps at details and knowledge, learning all he can about politics, culture, and trade as much as weapons or wartime strategies. Every space he walks into is a potential proving ground or killing field, something he learned a long time ago and takes care to never forget. He keeps his skills as sharp as his blades because of it, and his crew ready for whatever might come their way.
- Navigation, Airship Management, Etc.: Over the years, Zakira has learned enough of every job on his ship to fill in with whatever position is needed or available. At first it was simply his duty, the old Captain telling him to shadow one person or another. Now it is how he works shoulder-to-shoulder with his crew, managing his people not from a lofty position that is detached from their needs, but lending them his strength as well as his opinions. Keeping himself busy certainly doesn't hurt either, as he's likely to turn towards less creative or productive pursuits if left to his own devices.
- Woodcarving: One of the few skills he's collected over the years that does not have to do with his day-to-day work, however, is woodcarving. Having been handed a whittling knife as a younger teenager when that old Captain first took him under wing, Zakira has been "keeping his hands busy" for a long time with the creation of smaller trinkets and mid-sized carvings. It helped him relearn how to use his hand as well, regaining fine motor skills with it until he couldn't tell the difference between what he has and what he'd lost.