Xala

Xala Fiarus
Race:	Human
Gender:	Female
Age:	Claimed - early 30's, Actual - early 40's -_-;;
Birthplace:	New Tio, Maerova
Height:	5'10"
Weight:	160 lbs
Hair:	Red
Eyes:	Sea-blue
Place of Residence:	Fiarus Mansion, just outside Yuriba
Religion:	Priestess of Raeva, goddess of fire and passion
Romantic status:	In a relationship with Alice_Toshiba

Childhood

Born in a faraway land where swords and sorcery rule, Xala Fiarus (pronounced Shah-lah) has had to struggle her whole life to attain happiness. Her home village was poor, and she lost her parents to illness at a very early age. Until the age of seven, she lived alone with her older brother, Jonathon. Though financial hardship was always upon them, they got by. Then, soldiers from the ruling Gerahan Empire came, and Xala learned where Jonathon earned what little money they had - He was a thief, responsible for swindling countless people in order to support himself and his sister. Jonathon was thrown in prison, presumably to be sentenced to death, and Xala was left to fend for herself, her troubles ignored by the uncaring empire.

For a couple of years, she begged for food on the streets, and one day a troupe of performers rolled into town. Gypsies were generally frowned upon by the ruling classes, but watching their impassioned dances and uplifting music, Xala became fascinated with them. The leader of the troupe spotted her in a crowd, and impressed by her uncanny beauty, invited her on-stage. There, the performers taught her a simple dance, which she mimicked almost perfectly. After the show, the troupe leader commented that she had a natural talent for dancing, and offered to take her in as one of their own. Overjoyed at the opportunity, Xala eagerly accepted.

Adolescence

Over the next five years, Xala perfected her abilities in many different areas, including dance, singing, several musical instruments, and visual art. It wasn't long before the red-haired young teen became the star of her troupe, renowned everywhere she went for her breathtaking performances. Though she didn't earn a lot of money, she was happy for a time. It was then, while traveling around the larger cities of the empire, that she learned her brother was still alive. With the help of her surrogate family, she found the prison where he was being held, and snuck inside. Showing a proficiency in sweet-talking that would have made her brother proud, she made her way past several guards, and located Jonathon's cell.

However, as she approached, she heard voices from within the cell. She listened, her eyes widening in surprise. Her brother was there, all right; and in there as well was a priest of Vanghir, the god of light worshiped by the emperor and nobility. The words exchanged indicated that Jonathon was now working for the church in exchange for his life, using his talents to sabotage rival faiths and assassinate the emperor's political opponents. Xala could hardly believe her ears; the emperor and church were corrupt, and they'd wrangled her own brother into doing their dirty work... She became enraged, and tried to attack the priest. However, Jonathon intervened, and knocked her out with a single strike.

She awoke in a forest far outside the city several hours later. As she sat up, a beautiful elven woman appeared from amidst the trees, dressed in a red gown that shimmered like a flickering flame. The woman introduced herself as Natali, a priestess of the fire goddess Raeva. She explained that she had seen a young man carry Xala into her forest, laying her down in the clearing. Xala realized that it must have been her brother, placing her where imperial soldiers wouldn't find her. Natali smiled, commenting that Xala actually bore a stunning resemblance to Raeva. She invited the girl to her home, a temple located deep in the woods.

There, Xala told Natali about how she had ended up in the forest in the first place. Natali listened carefully. "I suppose it was fate that we met, then..." The elven woman revealed that many days prior, she had received an oracle from the fire goddess, saying that she would soon meet a sort of 'avatar' whose appearance matches that of Raeva. This avatar would take on the mantle of a Flamedancer, an elite sorceress. Natali told Xala that such power would be enough to free her brother from servitude, but obtaining it would take years of harsh training. Knowing that it was her only chance to save her brother, Xala agreed.

For the next ten years, Xala stayed with Natali at the temple, learning all she could about the ways of Raeva. Her mentor gave her further training in the arts of song and dance, as such performances were often used in temple ceremonies and celebrations. In addition, she began to develop her magical skills, learning to command the element of fire. As a central part of her training, Natali also began to teach Xala about one of Raeva's most important values: Love.

Adulthood

Xala committed to her training wholeheartedly, and, under Natali's extensive and intimate tutelage, became a powerful sorceress. She departed from the temple, and began traveling around the empire as a performer once more. However, she was constantly searching for allies who could help her accomplish her goal. Eventually, she became acquainted with a small group of adventurers, affiliated with a rebel movement against the empire. She joined forces with them, and through many terrible battles, they defeated the emperor. In return for the part she played in the conflict, the adventurers helped her fight against the corrupt church that had imprisoned her brother.

With peace returning to the land and her brother finally freed, Xala felt relief at last. However, while she was truly overjoyed to be reunited with Jonathon, she was not content to have a quiet life just yet. She wanted to see the rest of the world, and so she departed the land of Maerova, tales of her beauty and masterful dances spreading wherever she went.

Five years ago, while traveling by ancient ruins in the grasslands, Xala was drawn to a strange, glowing rune upon a stone slab. Touching it wrenched her away from her home world, transporting her through time and space to a new, alien land. In this new place, Xala was astonished; everywhere she looked, she saw beautiful women and adorable young girls. She had landed in a place nearly unknown to men, where love and passion could be felt in the very air you breathed - She had arrived in Yuriba.

Yuriba

Xala fell in love with this new land immediately. The people were kind, the scenery was beautiful, and for the first time, she felt a true sense of peace within her heart. She sold many of the treasures accumulated in her travels and used the money to construct an enormous mansion just outside the village, where she spends most of her time. She even hired a young maid, Mia, to tend to her household. A list of her friends can be found below.

After a couple of years living amidst so many wonderful people, Xala decided it was time to find companionship. Her first real partner was introduced to her by Veeru. The girl's name was Arika, and immediately, Xala was struck by her loveliness. Sweet, kind, and generous, the girl completely caught Xala off-guard. They saw each other often and grew very close, eventually becoming lovers. It was not a stretch to say that Xala had completely fallen for her, but it seemed fate had different plans. One day, Arika left Yuriba, and Xala withdrew into her mansion, scarcely seeing anyone. A few of her friends banded together to help her heart recover, and after a year, Xala re-entered the proverbial dating pool, but until recently, did not become so romantically attached to anyone else.

Lately, Xala has been appearing more and more outside the mansion. She is friendly towards most people, and maintains her prior friendships. One of Xala's defining characteristics, due to her background in the art of seduction, is that she enjoys physical closeness with her friends, though she keeps a very clear line between snuggling with a friend and anything in the realm of true intimacy. This is especially true when she is in a committed relationship. Despite the implication that Raeva's teachings promote totally unrestricted love, Xala herself is a monogamist, and has only been intimate with a very select few over her many years.

Friends

Veeru: A teenage girl from a more modern world, regarded by Xala as a surrogate daughter.

Talia: A druidess from a world like Xala's, the two consider each other best friends.

Neiko: A young catgirl who has been a close friend of Xala's for several years.

Lynnia: Xala's biological daughter, who visited Yuriba for a short time.

Luca: Xala's fiancee, who seems to have left Yuriba for now.

Kaelyn: A former princess from Xala's world, Kaelyn now lives with Xala as her adopted daughter.

Alice_Toshiba: A teenage girl who Xala met in town. The two were quickly attracted to each other, and have begun dating.