Zia

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Zia is a SandWing/SkyWing hybrid who is the prophet of the Mambas, a notorious criminal organization that controls the Scorpion Den.
== Appearance ==
* Zia stands taller than average, but is otherwise rather scrawny and unathletic
* Has golden-brown scales and deep brown eyes with barely discernible pupils
* They usually wear dark eyeshadow and eyeliner
* Boasts several gold piercings, including a few on their sail, two in both ears, and one in their nostril
* Their SkyWing heritage isn't especially obvious besides their long neck, curved horns, and large wings
* Has whiskers on their muzzle
* Wears a gold wedding band on one horn—Theda has a matching one
== Personality ==
* Cunning and calculating
* Silver-tongued and charismatic. Will threaten people but also manage to be extremely polite about it
* Relies on his wits rather than his physical prowess for most tasks
* Has little respect for the law, but sees it as a tool he can exploit to achieve his goals
* Abides by a self-imposed moral code, albeit one that is flexible and serves his purposes. Refuses to harm dragonets or betray his fellow Mambas
* Despite this, he has a soft spot for his wife Theda—the two share a mutual trust for one another, and he would do anything for her
* In reality, he's deeply insecure and tries to compensate for this by making himself seem as intimidating as possible
== History ==
* Born in the city of Proach, the product of an affair between a SandWing noble and a SkyWing envoy
* After the affair was discovered, Zia's mother, Dingo, was disowned and stripped of her wealth. With nowhere else to go, she was forced to seek shelter in Proach, making a meager living through a variety of odd jobs
* Zia's father, Topaz, left while he was still in his egg, wanting nothing more to do with his lover
* Most of Zia's early life was spent living in a cramped and dirty apartment, a far cry from his mother's opulent family estate
* Despite their living conditions, Dingo did her best to raise him with what little they had
* Zia became fascinated by his noble birth from a young age, which Dingo tried to gently dissuade him from
* Their only solace was the weekly sermons they attended at their local temple of Oliba. His faith allowed him to maintain some semblance of hope about his future
* Eventually, when Dingo's earnings became too little for them to survive on, he resorted to more unscrupulous methods to provide for the two of them—primarily through pickpocketing and theft
* Dingo never asked questions about where his money came from, and he was more than happy to keep it that way
* Zia's curiosity about his noble family only continued to grow, and he began to constantly fantasize about he and his mother being accepted back into the manor
* When Zia was thirteen, he ventured to his mother's family estate, hoping to speak with his grandparents
* Unsurprisingly, they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. They cast him out as soon as they learned who he was, claiming that a bastard like him would never be welcome in their family
* Enraged, Zia returned home, vowing to carve a name for himself and prove his family wrong
* He became more and more involved with the criminal underside of the Sand Queendom, participating in larger-scale heists and eventually finding himself in the Scorpion Den
* Zia had lost his faith long ago, but soon realized that he could use his religion as a way to gain power
* One day, Zia successfully “predicted” a solar eclipse and claimed that he was the divine messenger of the sun deity Oliba, amassing followers of his own
* He struck a deal with the leader of the Mambas, Theda, in order to gain his position as their prophet. In exchange for allowing him to join their group, Zia would use his religious influence to help Theda achieve her goal of usurping Queen Wormwood
* Zia has since become the unofficial co-leader of the group
== Relationships ==
=== Theda ===
Zia's wife and the one person he cares the most about in this world. He's willing to do anything for her and is dedicated to helping her achieve her rightful place as MudWing queen.
=== Black Rain ===
Zia cares for Black Rain, but only conditionally. He's invested a large amount of time and effort into her training specifically so that she can be of use to him, and he won't hesitate to dispose of her if she ever turns against him or Theda. Secretly, he's afraid of the sheer power she holds, but it wouldn't be true to say that he isn't at least a little attached to her.
=== Dingo ===
Zia is immensely grateful to his mother for raising and providing for him despite her many struggles. To this day, he still continues to send her money in order to ensure that she lives comfortably.
== Trivia ==
* Zia is a name of Arabic origin meaning “light.”
* His theme song is “Who Are You, Really?” by Mikky Ekko.
== Gallery ==
Zia Wiki Event.png|Zia by Rain, background and rendering by Bell
Zia Wiki Event2.png|Sketch and coloring/rendering by Bell, lineart by Helsing
Zia Fierro.png|Fierro
Zia Human.png|Human Zia (source)
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Characters
Category:Non-binary
Category:SandWings
Category:SkyWings
Category:Hybrids
Category:Occupation (Criminal)
Category:Occupation (Mystic)
Category:Status (Leader)
Category:LGBT+
Category:Content (TheSeafoam)