Z'kila Tia

Growing up under the watchful eye of a kind nunh in a small tribe, the traditional responsibilities of a tia were lost on Z'kila. He made a good shot with the bow and hunted as well as any of the women, and thus for a time he was no different from them. Until a challenger arrived to take the mantle of Nunh, and Z'kila's rebellious streak was ignited. Continually unimpressed by his un-tia-like sensibilities, Z'rhale Nunh announced that Z'kila had committed the cardinal sin of a tia, and he was chased from the Z territory without question.

An exile of the Z, Z'kila considered dropping the prefix from his name for a time but found the name 'Kila' far too intimate for mere strangers. He found his way to the ocean with time, where he was picked up by a merchant vessel as a deck hand. He was paid well during his time on board, and sailed for two years under the same captain before a frightening encounter with a sea monster drove him back onto the land. It is here that Z'kila's adventures truly began.

A Realm Reborn

Z'kila fell into the role of adventurer quite by accident, and the role of hero quite unwillingly. While he favoured his trusted bow for a time to protect himself, he found his twin blades more reliable and mobile as adversaries grew in ferocity. The Garlean attack on the Waking Sands marked the end to Z'kila's reluctance to face the primal and Imperial threat, and he began to embrace his role as one of Hydaelyn's Chosen, though not without the occasional complaint.
While the invasion of Castrum Meridianum was a necessary one, it took its toll on Z'kila's mental health in the aftermath. No longer able to justify his fighting as a form of defence, he developed PTSD and chronic nightmares following the invasion, and attempted to cope with it by denying himself regular sleep. A lengthy expedition with the company of a certain Allagan scholar into the mysterious Crystal Tower helped begin the process of recovery.
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Heavensward

The snows of Coerthas ravaged Z'kila's body for the time he was in hiding there with Alphinaud and Tataru. He did not take naturally to the cold, but grew accustomed to over the weeks he spent in Ishgard and its surrounding territory.
Learning of the truth behind the Dragonsong War marked the point at which Z'kila truly began to embrace his status as hero and Warrior of Light. Travelling with the fundamentally damaged Estinien taught him a semblance of empathy and selflessness not before seen in the Scions' supposed hero. The death of good friend Lord Haurchefant at the hands of the Heaven's Ward threatened to send him down a path of vengeance and destruction and for a time he regressed back into mental instability. If not for the calm, gentle and reliable guidance of Ser Aymeric, Z'kila may have found himself stuck there. While Haurchefant could never be replaced, Aymeric became a consistent friend and a source of advice when Z'kila needed it in his adventures to come.
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Stormblood

Very much a miqo'te better suited to milder climes and plenty of shade, the heat of Gyr Abania proved something of a hindrance during the liberation of Ala Mhigo. The Far East, meanwhile, peaked his interest as the homeland of his favoured battlecraft and he discovered something of a home of the heart on the Azim Steppe.
Having fallen in the role of adventurer very much by accident and somewhat reluctantly, the role of a soldier did not come easily nor without complaint. Z'kila quite openly admits that he makes a poor team lplayer and prefers to handle issues of the combative kind alone, and as such having to work alongside entire military armies came with many a teething problem. His own perception of himself was put to the test when confronted with the Garlean Prince, Zenos yae Galvus, a man as hedonistic as Z'kila with a great deal more bloodlust. Claiming him as a kindred spirit caused Z'kila to question every motivation he has ever has on this journey as adventurer and hero; and had he still been mentally fand emotionally fragile he may well have fallen victim to the same level of evil.
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Shadowbringers

Lost without the rest of the Scions for guidance and comradeship, Z'kila felt the loss of the Leveilleur twins most keenly. As such, he began to resent the voice of the Calling long before he journeyed the the First himself.
While he had his suspicions about the identity of the mysterious Crystal Exarch from the outset, Z'kila was never willing to cling to them out of fear of disappointment. He and the Crystarium's leader butted heads often and arguments often grew heated and personal, much to the confusion of the other Scions. The Ascian Emet-Selch with his constant company and commentary on their quest to save the First began to make Z'kila question himself and his purpose, wondering whether he was a hero of his own making or just another tempered soul of an elder primal. The tale of the Amarotines and the sundering equally had him questioning whether Emet-Selch was right in all of this developing mess; but it was an Echo vision of a future that would never come to be, of those his stories inspired that strengthened his resolve.
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Endwalker

TBD