Zerlina Grayflayer

> There are small and petty people in the world and they are destined to act small and petty toward those they envy. This isn't entirely their fault. It’s just the way they’ve found to compensate for their boring, mundane, and empty lives.
>
> - Zerlina

> Zerlina created the strongest alliance in the Games but she failed to make herself a part of it.
>
> - Personal remarks of Archivist Immersfeld

Zerlina proved to be one of the most controversial tributes of the first Hunger Games. Her striking sense of style, strong opinions, and social presence proved a polarizing force during the Training phase. Ultimately, she found herself defeated by the very forces she brought to the Games and was the first death inside the arena.

## Character Bio

### Appearance

Zerlina was an attractive woman, lean with flattering curves. She stood 5’5” tall with smooth brown skin, deep brown eyes, and voluminous raven colored hair with two prominent purple streaks worn in a curly mop. In the arena, she wore matching clothing and armor, along with boots, in the same color scheme. When not dressed for battle, her clothing tended to be both flowing and revealing.

Zerlina was generally loud, brash, bawdy, obnoxious, and often quite outrageous in her social dealings with others. Some of her former neighbors voiced concerns that she was negatively affected by experiences in her adolescence.

### Character History

#### Childhood

Zerlina grew up in a bustling coastal port city of District 4. She seems to have had a relatively normal childhood that was described by her District peers as nondescript. Her family hesitated to discuss the trace of Elvishness in their ancestry with Capitol Archivists when interviewed, other than briefly stating that they accept it as a part of their heritage. While the family doesn't have any obvious telltale physical signs of this ancestry, it shows slightly in their high cheek bones and slender frames.

Zerlina’s friends were from families of similar socioeconomic stature and they grew up on and around boats, as many coastal children did. As they grew older, she and her tight-knit circle all learned a number of labor trades but still enjoyed visiting the fine neighborhoods of District 4 and spending hours on the District's many beaches. They embraced the ample opportunities to venture out on boats, sometimes for work and often for pleasure.

*Archivist's Note: The Bureau of Medical Counsel advises that all citizens partake of alcoholic beverages in moderation. Do not operate heavy machinery or vehicles while under the influence of any substance known to negatively impact cognitive processes, such as alcohol.*

#### Adolescence

According to her own provided account before the Games, Zerlina’s life was forever changed one day as a teenager. While out sailing with friends and family, the revelers' ship was attacked by pirates who killed everyone on board, either by slitting their throats or throwing them into the sea to drown. It was at this time, as she was going under the waves to join the rest in death, that her soul screamed out in agony for retribution and was (according to her statements) answered by an entity, granting her warlock powers and a new lease on life. Unfortunately, Archival investigators have been unable to corroborate this account and ongoing attempts to identify this so called "entity" have not yielded fruit. Records do reflect the mysterious disappearance of Zerlina's family, along with several other individuals from her community around this time, most likely tied to a small band of pirates. The pirates were taken into custody by peacekeepers shortly after the incident was reported.

*Archivist's Note: Citizens are reminded to report suspicious or criminal behavior* *at the earliest opportunity and not to wait until being reaped. Failure to report criminal behavior can carry criminal charges. We must all stand together against threats to our community.*

## Preparing For The Games

### Interview

Zerlina used her interview with Caesar Flickerman to make several points, including calling out other tributes for perceived prejudices, and hinting at her intention to sow chaos during the evaluation stage. Whether or not her brash attitude and assertive flair were effective at winning over the sponsors would prove to be a moot point.

### Time in the Training Grounds

Zerlina sought to unnerve her fellow tributes with outrageous behavior and exaggerated swagger. As it turned out, this worked out all too well, and the alliance that would produce the final three formed in response to her provocations. According to private commentary obtained by the Archival Services, Zerlina's intention was to forge an alliance in private while manufacturing ire from more highly rated tributes.

Although the results of Evaluations remain privileged information, available records show that Zerlina emerged bruised, burnt, and bloodied from the Evaluation Room and that she required escort by medically-trained personnel to her quarters, accompanied by a 24-hour mandatory rest period. No reports of malfunction or arcane feedback were reported from the room during the time of her Evaluation. Her accompanying score of 5.0 could be interpreted to indicate a high level of power but a poor level of control, which correlates with the threat level indicated by other tributes.

## During The Games

### Bloodbath

Zerlina's strategy going into the Bloodbath appeared to be to draw enough attention to herself that the tributes she had secretly aligned herself with would be able to get the equipment the group needed. To accomplish this goal, she intentionally drew the ire of her rival tributes. This plan was lethally effective, as several tributes not in her alliance made her death a priority. These tributes, including Ifan's Angels, succeeded in achieving this goal, making Zerlina the first casualty of the Games she so despised.

### Death

Zerlina was attacked by several tributes during the Bloodbath, receiving a nearly mortal blow as a result of a devastating *Ice Knife* from Alexander. It seemed at first that she was merely winded, pulling herself back up and scrambling for cover amidst the fray. A team effort by Amara and Ifan eventually ended her run in the first Hunger Games.

> I also feel for Zerlina. She's in a situation I feel like she put herself in; its sad to see what the results can be when someone doesn't see themselves as part of the community they are in.
>
> - Lithuana

In the aftermath of her death, the hopes of District 4 turned to Lane. Diehard fans expressed their disappointment over the outcome, causing disruptions to traffic and minor property damage. Citizens are reminded that support for their District is appreciated and to consider pooling their resources toward sponsoring future tributes in order to express that support in a productive way.

## Trivia

Zerlina was a lover of food and, as many noted, drink. Occasionally her mask of absurdity and obnoxiousness would slip when she got into discussions with other tributes about such things.