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Maiya Akrisa
The Walking Arsenal•
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Introduction
A Garlean Halfblood who lived a chaotic, storied life. She now seeks peace, using her skills with machines and steel to blaze a path of her own making.
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Character Information
Basic details about Maiya Akrisa
Age
27
Race
Garlean
Partner
Taken
Pronouns
She/Her
Occupation
Blacksmith/Engineer
Body Type
Short & Muscular
Birthplace
Garlemald
Residence
The Goblet, Thanalan
Background
The story of the character's origins
Maiya Akrisa
“The worst thing you can do to a dream is give up on it,” - Larsa mal Laphenia
Born as Mari Laphenia in Garlemald, Maiya had the idyllic life. A comfortable home, loving family, kind neighbors, the Laphenias exemplified the Garlean dream. Despite this, she suffered persecution by her peers due to her halfblood nature. She had to work twice as hard to be accepted by her fellows, and recognized by her mentors. Though she lamented this, she never gave up. Her determination eventually won her mentors over, but her selfless nature and kindness won over her peers.
Family
Her father, Larsa mal Laphenia, taught her from a young age in the arts of steelwork and machina, trades Maiya seemed to be a natural with. She took to it like a bird to the wind, quickly being recognized as her father's equal by the age of 16 (though she never considered herself as such.) During these lessons, Larsa encouraged his daughter to be creative, using her wit and ingenuity to solve problems and make her dreams come alive. But more than that, he taught Maiya to never give up when things get difficult. He told her that, no matter how difficult things got, she could not give up. She needed to square her shoulders, grit her teeth, and power through. That determination has served her well in all her endeavors.
Her mother, Samila T'Karas Akrisa, a former knight of Dalmasca, taught her daughter to fight. The Akrisa clan is gifted with the ability to learn any weapon's combat style with relative ease, a gift that was passed on top her daughter. Through rigorous training, she stoked this gift in Maiya, always pushing her to be better. She was a brutal task-master, often leaving bruises upon her daughter during practice, but she would always drop the drill instructor act to care for her daughter the moment she realized she pushed too far. Maiya's relationship with her mother was always complicated, but the two shared a special bond that could never be broken.
The Centurion
After the accident with the Dalamud project in Bozja, citizens of Garlemald were called upon to join the now weakened IVth Legion. Larsa was a member of the IVth, so naturally Maiya answered the call to arms. She suffered harsh treatment at the hands of her drill instructors, who were very much traditionalists who believed in the purity of the Garlean people. This culminated in a brutal trick played by the instructors, where they gathered all the halfbloods and conscripts into a single group and left them out in the mountains of Ilsabard under the guise of “Survival Training”. Maiya gathered the recruits and organized them, eventually leading them back to the barracks after almost two weeks of surviving. The instructors were relieved of their positions, and Maiya was awarded a medal for her efforts and was selected for officer training. When she finally was deployed to the IVth, it was as a Centurion, leading a squad of those she had once saved.
She served dutifully in the IVth during the Bozjan Civil War, fighting the Resistance alongside her squad and racking up a high kill count thanks to the ordinance she built and deployed. During a routine patrol, her squad was ordered to gather civilians suspected of working for the Resistance and interrogating them at the Castrum. She determined none of them were rebels, and recommended they be either returned home or brought to a relief camp away from the battlefield. The next day, she found those same people left piled in a shallow grave a few malms away from the Castrum.
She and her squad would see the worst of the Empire's crimes afterwards, finally acknowledging the toll the occupation took on the people. They chose to undermine the IVth and assist the Resistance, leaking patrol routes and sabotaging war machina. They saved lives on both sides of the war, though they eventually were caught.
Her squad was lined up outside the Castrum to be executed via firing squad, but were saved when her father let loose a fleet of malfunctioning machina, causing enough chaos to free his daughter and her friends. Her mother, dressed in her knight armor and wielding a trident, lead them all out of the Castrum, the group making a mad dash for Resistance lines. They got close, but were eventually stopped when a mortar landed on top of them. Maiya was gravely injured in the explosion, but survived. She was one of few to survive the mortar barrage. Her parents were not among the survivors.
The Orphaned Knight
Maiya suffered amnesia from her injuries, unable to recall her name or past. Fearing the truth would confuse her further, the medics withheld the circumstances of her arrival from her. Seeing a Dalmascan Knight was with her, the medics assumed Maiya was one of them Knights in Bozja helping with the way, and handed her to them. The Knights, unsure of who Maiya was, took her in and trained her in their ways. When asked her name, she picked Maiya, a name she saw in a book left open near her.
She eventually became a Condemner Knight, an adherent of the Esper Zeromus (not one from MSQ), and was charged with hunting specific individuals and assassinating them.
She served as a Condemner for months, until she was deployed to Garlemald after the Telephoroi takeover. Her target as Callisa viator Junas, a former member of her squad. During their fight, Callisa managed to knock Maiya's mask off, revealing her identity. She plead with Maiya to remember, to not kill her after everything they went through together. Maiya broke through her amnesia that night, and refused to complete the contract. For her failure, she was flogged and locked up, and eventually was saved by Callisa and her friends. Together, they escaped the Order, though it would cost Callisa her life.
Strange Bedfellows
Her memories returned, Maiya decided to keep the new name and travel with Callisa's friends, Auvo Monnawesfv and Vesna Zolasch.
Auvo is a Veena of an extremely secluded forest in the Skatay Mountains. He's a skilled archer and talented musician, his music capable of manipulating nature around him. Calm, sweet, and wise beyond his years, he sat with Maiya through numerous nights helping her deal with her grief. His music strengthens the body and emboldens the soul, healing the most grievous of wounds. His arrows always strike true with the force of gales.
Vesna Zolasch is a Bozjan mage who was sent to Sharlayan early on in the Garlean occupation, allowing him to receive an in-depth education in the arcane arts. A kind but chaotic soul, he would eagerly show Maiya new spells her learned to take her mind off her sadness. With his staff, he wields a vast array of magicks to both strength his allies as well as hamper his enemies. He calls this style “Green Magick”.
The three of them travelled across the world, taking jobs as mercenaries and hunters to help the local population at Auvo's behest. He believed having Maiya immersed in helping others would help her see the beauty in the world rather than letting her remain stuck in her grief and self-loathing. His gambit worked like a charm, and slowly Maiya opened up to the two of them and allowed herself to heal.
Others would join their group during their travels, forming an adventuring party capable of taking on most challenges that came their way.
Talan Harper, who joined them in Werlyt to hunt a Behemoth, is a Landisian knight/hunter with a fiery passion for his craft and a deep respect for the cycle of life. Wielding a greatsword and pyromancy, he dishes out massive damage and keeping all aggression focused upon him so his allies can strike. He shared with Maiya the excitement and glory of the hunt, teaching her to respect and pray for the life lost, as well as how to properly butcher and prepare the kills.
Megumi Nakano, who joined them after rescuing her from assassins in Kugane, is a stoic, quiet mountain of a woman hailing from Hingashi. Formerly the daughter of the Daimyo of Clan Nakano, her family was slaughtered by rival clans after rumors spread they were consorting with oni. She does not talk much about what happened that, but the regret in her eyes speaks volumes. Suffering a freezing curse, she conjures blizzards and ice spikes from afar, hampering her enemies and pinning them down for her allies to finish off. Megumi taught Maiya about respect and honor, instilling in her a sense of duty and justice that neither the Empire nor the Order thought to taught her.
Evalynn Woods, who joined after the group found her injured after she tried to fight a Blasphemy, is an orphaned Raen from Werlyt raised by foster parents in Gridania. She claimed to be blessed by Hydaelyn, and taught Maiya about the Echo and how it shaped Eva's life. She feels she was chosen for a purpose, and fights tooth and nail to live up to that purpose. Even if Eva can be cold and rude at time, she does care deeply about the group even if she can't show it. Maiya claims Eva is an inspiration for her, driving her to want to help people to the best of her abilities.
Alwenne Fontaine, who joined after the group stopped her from ending herself at Witchdrop, is a former dragoon of Ishgard who has taken up the healing arts to separate herself from the trauma she suffered in the Dragonsong War. The firstborn daughter of the Fontaine family, Alwenne was poised to inherit the family estate and all the money and titles that came with it. She chose instead to join the Order of the Knights Dragoon, wishing to gain experience as a leader before taking her father's place. While at war, her brother Harrien schemed to sully her name so he could inherit instead. When she returned home after being injured by a dragon named Jormungandr, Harrien spread the rumor that Alwenne consorted with the Void. The Inquisition, as was their wont, acted quickly, ripping her from the clinic and tossing her into Witchdrop to die. On death's door, a voidsent made a deal with Alwenne to save her life in exchange for letting it inhabit her body alongside her. Alwenne, desperate to save herself and make her brother pay, agreed to this deal. The voidsent became Astrelle Wyrmheart, Alwenne's avatar of darkness and revenge. Maiya helped Alwenne come to terms with her condition, and managed to befriend both Alwenne and Astrelle by treating them as unique individuals.
Tsaanho Kaahe, who joined after the group helped him track down a group of thieves, is an older Hhettsaro from Yak Tural, wielding a sword and shield forged by his father after a journey across the salt. Tsaanho served his tribe for over 40 years as its sole guardian, before thieves broke in and stole a precious heirloom to sell in Eorzea. Believing chasing the thieves was a one way trip due to his age, he travelled across the ocean to find the thieves and make them pay. He found them in La Noscea, and attempted to strike them down, but was struck down with a cut across the face. Now blind, Maiya and the party found Tsaanho and treated his wound, with Maiya reading, learning, and teaching Tsaanho how to see using the obscure technique known as Aethersight. He chose to stay with the group, acting as its protector while his son took over being the tribe's guardian.
The Burning Brand
This group travelled together for a long time, assisting others and facing off against the Blasphemies of the Final Days until finally a new dawn broke over the world. When the Final Days ended, the group went their separate ways to pursue personal goals, though they often contact one another to help each other, or gather to talk about their journeys.
Maiya decided it was time to walk her own path at last, using the skills her father taught her create rather than destroy. She founded the Burning Brand Workshop in Ul'dah, and has forged weapons and magitek for adventurers across the world to wield in their travels. By arming those that help others, she is ensuring their success, and something about that sits right with her. The workshop has contracts with the Grand Companies, the Eastern Alliance, the Ilsabardian Contingent, and recently the Dawnservants of Tural. Demand for her products is increasing due to this, and so she has chosen to expand the business and hire new talent to assist her.
Sale Pitch
“If you are a seasoned steelworker, a brilliant engineer, a wise scholar, a dedicated gatherer, a brave hunter, or a stalwart warrior, the Burning Brand wants YOU! There is a place and a job for all and one, so please put your skills to use with us! Help us grow into a household name known for quality, care, and passion. Reach out to us today through moogle-mail, linkpearl, or visit us in person!” (Feel free to send a DM to lost_wanderer28 on discord is you are interested in joining us!"