Zhdana's Crossing
A small agrarian community in middle-of-nowhere, Bozja, Zhdana's Crossing has seen its holdings shrink from a thriving village to a struggling smattering of farms and lake-filled craters. The Garlean invasion decimated their numbers and the subsequent conscription calls from their Imperial occupiers cut their population further over the course of the next three decades. Though blessed with an unusual amount of daughters, Zhdana has no holdings left to split amongst them unless their numbers recover. The weakened state of their community has left Zhdana overly cautious and desperate to hold onto what little she has left, even at the expense of her own daughters.
The farmers of Zhdana's Crossing specialize in livestock and herding, often training and breeding their own working animals to assist in their farm duties. They are unerringly loyal to their queen after decades of her efforts to mitigate further losses and her willingness to commit her own children to their protection. No personal cost is too great to Zhdana, so long as her holdings are maintained. In years past, she gave her own children to the IVth Legion in exchange for her continued rule of the Crossing and only fell in line with the Resistance when the Eastern Alliance threw in their support and the tides began to turn at the Southern Front.
With Zhdana's childrearing days all but behind her and very few of the Lost willing to join such a remote community, she has become increasingly reliant on her Helion daughters to maintain the the Crossing's population. Those unwilling to remain Helions she has offered to the Resistance, ostensibly to expand their leadership skills in preparation for becoming queens in their own right.
Upbringing
Born to a queen with an abnormal number of daughters, Zlata was none the less raised with the intent that she would one day have her own holdings and helions. The ideal daughter, she committed herself fully to her studies even as she watched her older siblings be given over to the Garleans one after another as part of her mother's efforts appease their oppressors at all cost, all in the name of preserving their community.
When not studying with her mother and her tutors, Zlata often spent her days amongst the farmers and the livestock, learning the trades of her people. By the time she came of age, Zlata was an expert in Bozjan farming techniques and livestock management; valuable skills for one seeking to one day lead such an agrarian community.
Conscription
Soon after coming of age, Zlata's name landed on the Garlean conscription roster. While the Crossing at large lamented the removal of yet another future queen, Zhdana offered no resistance. The Legion quickly identified Zlata's talent for animal handling and assigned her to combat training with their beastmaster forces. Under instruction from her queen, she made herself the loyal little soldier for the duration of her training.
Before Zlata could be deployed, the Empire was consumed by civil war and the Southern Front erupted into violence. As the forces from Gangos began to gain ground with the backing of the Eastern Alliance and their Liberator, Zhdana sent new orders to all her conscripted children; it was time to switch sides.
The Resistance
In a show of loyalty to the Bozjan Resistance, all of Zhdana's adult sons and two of her daughters were committed to the war efforts. Zlata served alongside the Bozjans and their allies at the Southern Front, utilizing her beastmaster training and tactical knowledge to aid her own people for once in her life.
Following Bozja's liberation, Zlata has remained with the Bozjan military under orders from her queen.
