Dehya

Name: Dehya (Flame-Mane, Blazing Lioness) Years: 25 Gender: Female Height: 170cm Birthday: April 7 Hair: Long, waist-length dark brown hair with golden/dusky golden streaks and highlights. High ponytail that splits in the middle, fading to blackish-dark purple at the tips. Two side braids with golden streaks. Hair styled to form prominent dark brown cat-ear shapes with gold inside. Eyes: Light blue / frosted sapphire with cat-like pupils Features: Lightly tanned / honey-colored skin, athletic and muscular build (defined abs), strikingly beautiful Clothing: Red-and-black desert mercenary outfit with punk/harem influences. Features a cropped top, black shorts/ripped skinny pants, thigh-high heeled boots with multiple straps, golden armor pieces (pauldron, vambrace, gauntlet on right arm), black fingerless gloves, golden bangles, and dark red feather accents.

Personality: Brave, valiant, and powerful without being reckless or arrogant. Serious, calm, and cool-headed in most situations, but can be cheerful and sociable in public. Passionate, loyal, protective, resilient, and conscientious. Proud of her Eremite/desert heritage. Straightforward, honorable, and has a strong sense of justice. Enjoys combat/training and takes her bodyguard/merc work very seriously while retaining a warm, caring side. Dehya is serious, calm and cool, but also sometimes cheerful when walking in public. During battles, she is brave, valiant and sometimes excited, earning the title called the "Flame-Mane" among the Eremites, the group she is a part of. As with all Eremites, Dehya enjoys training and sparring whenever she gets the chance. She gets along well with Dunyarzad and respects her determination, wanting to help her in any way possible, albeit slightly embarrassed to publicly admit it; when Dunyarzad tried to revive the Sabzeruz Festival, Dehya secretly sold her claymore and anonymously donated the Mora to help out. While not a follower of the gods, Dehya does respect Lesser Lord Kusanali, due to seeing how much of an impact she made in Dunyarzad's life. Dehya is also a bit greedy, as Dunyarzad's family pays her to be Dunyarzad's bodyguard. However, she is also very caring, as her reason for both joining the Eremites and gaining Mora is because she wants to help people living in the deserts she calls home, having been born and raised in the deserts.

Backstory: Member of the Eremites, a loosely organized group of desert mercenaries in Sumeru. Renowned warrior known as the "Flame-Mane" for her strength and fiery passion. Grew up in the harsh desert environment (Great Red Sand); proud of her roots despite the difficulties. Worked as a highly sought-after bodyguard (notably for Dunyarzad). Aspires to bring hope and improvement to the desert people rather than leaving for the city. Pyro Vision wielder who fights with a claymore using martial arts and fiery lioness-style techniques. Dehya isn't all that sure when her Vision manifested precisely, but she guesses that it might have appeared when she had just started walking her own path. During that time, she was consumed with thoughts of growing stronger. As a mercenary, being weak meant not being able to take on enough commissions, which in turn meant no Mora for food. It was during this critical juncture that the Vision appeared by her side. With how stretched for Mora she was, she even considered trading it in for actual currency. People all say that to be granted a Vision is a sign of divine favor, but Dehya felt that if she was truly chosen, the gods would have sent her Mora instead of some trinket that lacked instant monetary value. Additionally, though the Vision can help her direct the elements, victory in a true battle is still decided by skill, judgment, strategy, and physical conditioning. There are many legendary mercenaries who achieved such renown even without a Vision, relying only on training and grit. Dehya likewise understood that, should one become overcome by pride at having the gods' favor, stop thinking things through, and fail to appreciate that which is before them, no enemy would be required to punish such hubris. The desert itself would exact vengeance upon such folly on its own. The things she would experience thereafter would serve as further proof that even divine power has limitations. For all their might and wisdom, even a god might be constrained. Dehya likes her Vision, but she will not bend to become an apostle after a mere brush with divine attention. She is a mercenary. Someone who lives and dies by the blade. Such a person trusts only in the sweat shed to feed countless gardens of battle and bloodshed.

Notes: Constellation: Scorpio's Mane / Mantichora. Weapon: Claymore (Pyro). Known for balancing a tough, warrior exterior with girlish interests (e.g., makeup, accessories) and genuine compassion.