Ziva Scrohl

### Known Relatives

Malkatah (older twin sister), Falko (father, MIA), Chavatah (mother), Drago d'Medani (uncle)

## Sources

### Out of Core (incl. pg #)

Grave Domain (XGtE, page 19/20), Mark of Detection half-elf (Rising, page X)

A Karrnathi patriot set to explore the world and gain a wider perspective.

## Appearance

(What is your character's appearance? Any unique physical characteristics or preferred clothing?)

-Always wears a fingerless glove/some other covering on her left arm/hand because of the Mark of Detection that sprawls its way along most of her arm, starting at the wrist.

-Stylized wolf tattoo on her right calf that reads "Class of 993".

-Eberron dragonshard set in a thin adamantine chain wrapped around her right wrist (*bracelet of arming*).

## History

Ziva was born the second of two children, younger twin to her sister Malkatah by 13 minutes, to Chavatah and Falko Scrohl in late 965 YK. Falko was a member of House Medani who willingly chose to leave the House to fight for Karrnath, the land of his birth, and his skills were quickly put to use by King Kaius II to help innovate and modernize the Twilight Brigade, the young counterintelligence agency of the state. He met Chavatah, a skilled thoughtsinger, while recruiting agents, and they fell in love.

Ziva grew up in the shadow of her older twin; where Mal was beautiful, and inherited not only her mother's grace and quori spirit, she was left without a connection, leaving a great divide between the twins which was unusual. When Mal sat at her mother's knee and learned the art of thoughtsong, Ziva spent much time alone with her books as her father worked long hours for the Crown.

In 977, when she was 12, her father disappeared. He had been travelling between their home city of Karrlakton and Korth when his caravan had been ambushed by Cyran raiders. While many bodies were discovered (and subsequently collected by the Ministry of the Dead), Falko Scrohl's body was never found. Her uncle, Drago Scrohl d'Medani, who had worked closely with her father (and his brother) while maintaining his House connections, moved from his flat in Korth to be with the grieving family. Since he was contracted out to the Crown instead of working for it, he was the largest male role model in her life, and the parental figure with who she identified the most. While he was in town, he taught her a few basic cantrips over the years and acted as supplementary education in addition to public school. She held no real hard feelings against her father for the neglect – he was an important man, doing an important service for the Crown (though she was less sympathetic to her mother).

At the age of 16, she went to boarding school in Atur Academy to hone what little arcane gift she had. It was here that she discovered the faith of the Blood of Vol, which reinforced a belief that she had held for years; you need to rely on yourself, not hope that someone will intercede on your behalf. Her arcane talents laid more to detection and surveillance, which sent her to the scouting division. She didn't have the necessary flair and power for the large evocations and necromantic rituals that would have sent her to formally finish her schooling there.

The next several years, from 983 to 992, she served faithfully as a member of the advance company of the Karrnathi military machine, reaching the rank of staff sergeant. She was deployed on every front over the next decade, though she was often stationed close to Karrlakton and scouted into Cyre. It was in 992 that everything went wrong. A dozen miles west of Fort Bright, her unit was caught off guard by a company of Cyran warforged. Syele Taggert, a necromancer of considerable skill and Ziva's best friend in the company, who had served with her for nearly her entire career, was killed in the battle, but not before raising many of their dead comrades to avenge them, drawing on the power of the Mabarn manifest zone that they found themselves in. Ziva herself was caught on the edge of the effect as a warforged dealt her a fatal blow. The magic of Syele combined with the manifest zone somehow placed her body in stasis as her soul was ripped free from her body as a shadow. With the help of the reanimated soldiers, they slew the remaining warforged without quarter.

As the sun began to rise over the horizon, the army company that they had been attached to reached the staging grounds for the attack on fort Bright, where they'd been ambushed. They found the zombies standing guard over her body, and were astonished to find that she lived still, though her shadow hung menacingly over her comatose form. A Jorasco medic healed her, and her shadow was pulled back into her body. Her back arched as she *screamed,* her sclera an inky black and her mark searing itself onto her arm. She collapsed, and was returned to Karrlakton to recover.

Word of her survival and the ensuing events eventually reached the ears of Maellas, a necromancer of no small skill and one of Queen Etrigani's Deathguard bodyguards, and he made the trip to the city from Korth to investigate the rumors himself. He was initially appalled by the stench of Mabaran necromancy on her, but he believed that he could swing her powers over to drawing from Irian (typical elven arrogance). She was invited to join the Mordrei'in Guard, an elite unit of Karrns who were to be the extension of the Queen's Royal Guard with an emphasis on protecting her beyond Karrnathi soil on her diplomatic missions. It would also allow him to mentor Ziva, and mold her to his own aspirations.

The next half dozen years were spent travelling with the Mordrei'in, protecting the Queen as she traveled all over Khorvaire seeking to establish diplomatic ties for her husband, Kaius III, to initiate peace talks, and to continue her tutelage with Maellas, steadily gaining more control over her new abilities. There were numerous assassination attempts on Etrigani's life, one of the most notable of which happened on the return trip from the town of Otharaunt, where Etrigani met with one of the Royal Eyes to discuss peace talks. A band of Ashbound attacked the caravan, and inflicted heavy wounds on the group, especially Ziva who absorbed a blow meant for the Queen with her own body.

When she joined the Mordrei'in, her uncle Drago accepted a commission to teach at the Twelve, partly out of guilt over the Thiago Alamill incident, and partly out of a parental obligation to stay close to his adoptive daughter.

### The Last War

Ziva was tested for arcane aptitude age the age of 16 and, showing a spark of the arcane, she was sent to Atur Academy for a year before starting her mandatory service at 17. Several years later, at the age of 27, after extending her mandatory service in the military she joined the Mordrei'in Guard at the behest of Maellas, where she served for the remainder of the war and beyond.

### Invitation

Ziva's recommendations to the Foundation came from an unusual source; both through House Medani (via her uncle Lord Drago d'Medani, a professor of the Twelve and ally of the Wayfounder Foundation) and the behest of Queen Etrigani herself, though Ziva herself is only aware of of her uncle's influence. The queen's reasons for recommending her are her own, and only the Trustees know that Etrigani put in a request for membership and her reasons why.

### Experience

She served on the front lines of the Last War, often as part of an advance group due to her darkvision, magical talents and stealth. After being the sole survivor of her unit in a skirmish with Cyran warforged in a Mabaran manifest zone, she was handpicked by Maellas, an Aereni Deathguard, in late 992 YK to serve as part of the newly crowned Queen Etrigani's (the former Aereni ambassador) newly formed honour guard, the Mordrei'in Guard. In the 7 years she served as a member of the Queen's Guard, she helped stopped numerous assassination attempts on the Queen as she went about her various ambassadorial efforts, trying to seek an end to the Last War and the loss of life that had been caused by it.

In 999 YK, she asked for and was granted a leave of absence from the Mordrei'in to join the Wayfinder Foundation.

### Motivation

One of the reasons that Ziva jumped at the chance to become part of the Mordrei'in was that it would allow her to travel far and wide across the face of Khorvaire, and that stoked the spark of wanderlust that she had buried deep inside. Although she has seen all of the major metropolitan areas of Khorvaire, the forgotten places and the lands beyond, especially Aerenal, are in her dreams.

### Future Goals

* Ziva seeks to come to terms with her shadow-granted magic. If she cannot come to understand and accept these strange powers, then she wishes to be rid of them, even if that will greatly weaken her.
* She's got a chip on her shoulder; an implied inferiority complex in regards to her sister, who got the bond with the tsucora Atah, while she got nothing. This chasm only deepened with the loss of her father, and she was alone in the house with two kalashtar.
* Find out the fate of her father. She assumes (and hopes) that he died 22 years ago, but there was never a body.

### Secrets

* Ziva bears the Mark of Detection. It is on her right arm, barely touching her wrist and extending up her arm. It's colour is unusual, however - instead of a brilliant pattern of blues, greens and purples, it is an iridescent inky black, with the normal dragonmark colours hiding in its depth. She always has it hidden, either under sleeves, gloves, vambraces, or an illusion.
* Ziva died in the Mabaran manifest zone, and her soul was ripped out of her body for a single night, bound as a shadow to the manifest zone. When she was found by a rescue team of karrns, she was barely breathing. When they healed her, she gasped back to life, eyes briefly flashing utter blackness and her mark searing itself onto her arm.
* Ziva and Syele had a... complicated relationship. They were dancing around a relationship, still testing out the limits and each others feelings before Syele died. After her death and Ziva's subsequent "resurrection", she had a string of life-affirming one-night stands.

### Enemies

* The Ashbound: the assassination attempt that Ziva was most involved with was when a group of Ashbound druids and their warriors assaulted their caravan on the return trip to Korth from a secret conference in Otharaunt, near the Eldeen border. Ziva has sworn vengeance against a ghost tiger shifter warrior who nearly hamstrung her as she threw herself between a blow meant for Etrigani with her body.
* The Emerald Claw: giving her faith a bad name, and people associate her with them when they learn of her faith and abilities.
* Lady Hendra ir'Kavay: She's courting her uncle. She's clearly got some ulterior motive, so Ziva doesn't trust her.

### Allies

* Lord Drago Scrohl d'Medani, her uncle. Besides his ties to the Twelve, he has recently begun courting Lady Hendra ir'Kavay of the Wayfinder Foundation.
* Maellas, her tutor in Irian necromancy and mentor in the Mordrei'in. He's fascinated by her abilities in both Mabaran and Irian necromancy, though he has taught her to utilize her Irian necromancy, the Mabaran variety comes far easier and more naturally to her, which causes some issues.
* Other members of the Mordrei'in and much of the Karrnathi military structure (see: background feature Knightly Regard).
* Chavatah was an orphaned kalashtar in both senses of the word, raised homeless by the city goblins of Karrlakton. They're a bit of an extended family for the Scrohls now, and Ziva's got immense respect and love for the small little buggers. Ziva's babysitter growing up was her mom's "sister" who is now an elder in the city goblin community.  She's far more comfortable at a communal meal in the goblin slums than at a khoravar unity dinner (and was taught how to make a mean *noon*).

## Personality

**Personality Traits**

* Ziva has a bit of an impish side to her, taking joy in making making people uncomfortable in a friendly or joking way (at least, it's joking to her).
* Ziva has no fear of physical intimacy, freely hugging and touching people. Emotional intimacy is far harder for her, however, and she has few deep friendships, let along partners.
* Despite thinking her fierce Karrnathi pride, her travels have led her to admit that *maybe* the other nations aren't the worst thing ever. They do have their own strengths.

**Ideals**

* Ziva has empathy for downtrodden or oppressed peoples and groups. Appearance or reason doesn't matter - everyone has the right to live their life.
* Don't get stuck in the past and traditions – be open to new things and new ways of doing things.

**Bonds**

* Ziva's faith has been her rock in her life through thick and thin, and anyone who immediately dismisses someone merely because they are a Seeker is someone who has earned her enmity.
* Especially since the disappearance of her father, family is extremely important to her. Her twin sister and mother are some of the most important people in her life even though she has a complicated relationship with them, and her uncle Drago is the father that she never had growing up (and the most important family member in her life).

**Strengths**

* Ziva can look beyond the surface, looking for the best in the most unlikely of people. She may not be able to fren everyone, but if she can avoid unnecessary bloodshed, she will.
* Ziva has a strong sense of community, and is willing to jump to the defense of her family and close friends regardless of the odds. After all, earn the friendship of a Karrn and she will stand with you against any foe.

**Flaws**

* Mistrust of authority figures. Ziva values her independence, but unless they can earn her trust, she'll be suspicious and derisive of their motivations.
* Difficulty taking orders. An independent soul, she can't stand being told what to do or how to do it.
* Ziva jumps to the defense of the downtrodden a little too quickly, siding with them in a snap over the "legitimate" authority unless she knows and trusts the authority.
* Relatively less sympathy for warforged and Cyrans. Warforged views have been enforced by her faith, experiences in Karrnath and Aereni influences, while she feels like Cyrans should abandon their country and live for the future, not dwell in the past.
* In extremely stressful situations, she'll fall back upon Mabaran energies instead of channeling Irian like she was taught to by Maellas.

**Trivia**

* Ziva is a proficient dancer, and she has learned various dances from around the Five Nations due to her uncle and her service under the queen. Of note, she knows how to dance the Cyran tago, though she has never performed it at a social event.
* Ziva has arachnophobia.
* She's fiercely loyal to Etrigani, and she's saddened and kinda pities Etrigani because her husband maintains a harem (and okay, she might have a *little* crush on the Queen, hush you).
* Ziva's got a metabolism of a woman twice her size and half her age, and tends to indulge in food (especially Karrnathi and Aereni). It doesn't hurt to have a sliver of Mabar inside of you to burn those calories.
* Ziva's holy symbol (the amulet around her neck) is a vial of blood. It's about two thirds full, and each drop is from somebody important to her. She keeps the blood "fresh" and non-gross with *gentle repose.* (Which, thanks to her Domain, she always has prepared and can cast as a ritual, so it's effectively never going to spoil).
* Thanks to the sliver of Mabar inside of her, Ziva cannot get drunk. **Literally.** Mechanically, being drunk is considered poisoned, and thanks to her refluffed *Kyrzin's ooze*, she's immune to that condition.
* Ziva's got 5 daggers, each of which has a story behind it (will be revealed as they appear).

## Completed Missions

### N/A (for now!)

(Describe anything from the mission that particularly impacted your character, any achievements, allies or enemies acquired, etc.)

## Crunch

### XP & Gold Log

*This transaction list must include all finished expeditions and the gold/XP earned for each, as well as all expenditures (what you bought and for how much).*

### Inventory

* Studded Leather Armor
* Mithral Hem
* Shield w/ emblem
* Amulet (holy symbol)
* *"Kyrzin's Ooze"* (Attuned)
* *Ring of Arming* (Attuned)
* *Shard of Gleaming*
* Explorer's kit
* Shiftweave Outfit with:
	+ Fine Clothing
	+ Traveler's Clothing
	+ Vestments
	+ Cold Weather Clothing
	+ *Glamourweave* outfit (common)
* Fine clothes
* 5 daggers
* Portable Conqueror set
* ***Analects of War***, by Karrn the Conqueror
* Signet Ring of the Mordrei'in Guard
* *Bag of (Undead) Holding*
* Skeletal Warhorse, inside the aforementioned bag (MM pg. 273)

### Character Sheet

* https://drive.google.com/file/d/16aDTXcMNeMtnKVyveyCCo9TClC\_ojPtb/view?usp=sharing (Current as of December 6th, 2020)