Zetaya Ygg, the Ifrit Sorcerer

Lucia, the Capital of Regnolucia

In Achareon the contrast between the wealthy towns and cities and the poor villages is sometimes very stark, but it’s particularly so in Regnolucia. Whilst the smaller towns and villages of the region aren’t generally suffering from starvation or poverty, the wealth of of the capital city of Regnolucia is a sight to behold. Extravagant to the point of being gaudy, many of its buildings are made of white perfectly polished marble, its city streets are immaculate with cobblestone arranged in places to form decorative patterns, and exquisite scents flood the scent profile of its districts from all directions, emanating from the finest restaurants the realm has to offer. The wealthier districts also house many lavish boutiques, shops with the exceptional wares, and visitors from far and wide greatly adding to the cultural plurality of the city. Lucia is also the hub of most of the realm’s banks, who give out loans relatively indiscriminately, but who are sure to enforce the agreed upon terms and payback schedule. Those unable to pay their debt off in time often find themselves working as servants for a given time until the debt is paid for in labor.

Indeed, wealthy though the city is, sadly this wealth does not apply to every citizen equally. The capital is strictly segregated, with servants having their own quarters and workers living in their own communities and districts, both required to have permission to enter the aristocratic sections of the city for a limited time, often to work for the day. Even a commoner would find little to complain about their living situation, as all the basic amenities were cared for and they were guaranteed safety from the outside world by the city guard and its walls, but to state they were treated equally or, at times, even fairly would be a lie.

The Molten Gavel

It is, then, small wonder that Lucia would also be home to one of the most influential, famous and respected auction houses in all of West-Achareon. Known to be a good place for rare finds and tough competition, this auction house was widely regarded as a key location for the well-off to visit, to add some new rarities to their ever growing collections. Run by the Spellspire family, former farmers quickly arisen to aristocracy after the founding of the Molten Gavel, the auction house has reportedly never sold a single forgery. In addition, the grounds the house is located on run strict security protocols, allowing every person from all walks of life to enter and bid safely, and all sold items are securely transported to a later agreed upon location at an agreed upon date, to ensure they find their way to their rightful new owners without outside interference.

These special services and stellar record meant their services were much desired, and well compensated for, by both the sellers and buyers alike. This, in turn, meant the Spellspire family were very well-off, and as such their children had everything they could hope for, and more.

Childhood

Growing up in this environment was little less than luxurious, especially compared to most childhoods of the era. The house was always packed with servants, so the children never had to worry about cleaning after themselves, learning to cook dinner, washing or shopping. And from these less-than-humble beginnings came Zetaya. Though initially a shock to her parents, they quickly learned to love and care for their youngest child same as her two siblings, despite her strange looks. It is rare, indeed, for humans to give birth to non-humans, but “the fickle hand of Fortelle cares little for norms”, as her mother Vera used to say. It didn’t take her parents long to figure out exactly what she was either. Ifrits are known for their latent and not-so-latent magical prowess, but it wasn’t until a heated argument happened between Zetaya and her brother, during which in a fit of rage she slung what her brother described as “a fireball the size of an Aboleth” at him, that her parents started drilling it into her head to never tap into her magical abilities again. More than anything, it was to avoid drawing too much unwanted attention and scrutiny to the family and their business. Arthur, Zetaya’s older brother and the oldest of the siblings, was a human through-and-through, and made sure to seize every opportunity to make fun of Zetaya’s unique features with friendly jabs and puns, whereas Ashlyn, her adopted tiefling sister, would give as good as she got and often rushed to defend her sister's unique looks, feeling certain kinship between the two.

The Face of the Business

Finally there was Cedwulf Spellspire, the head of the household and the mastermind behind the founding of the auction house. And, as Zetaya grew older and more beautiful, he found new inspiration from his daughter’s looks and started to alter the appearance of his business. The original name, Golden Gavel, was revamped, and the interior gained many flame and fire themed decorations and a new paint job besides. Zetaya paid little attention to the changes, until one day her parents came to her with their plan of making her the face of the business. Not seeing an out, Zetaya initially agreed, but focusing all the publicity around the Molten Gavel onto her did no favors for her. Soon, she was the first to greet incoming bidders and patrons, and her face was plastered on all posters advertising the auction. She could’ve imagined a handful of other things she’d rather do, but the idea of pulling her weight for the family was enough to motivate her to go with it for the time being. Still, she never felt as an important part of the business, more a mascot or an attraction.

In her position she met many interesting individuals, even some Masters, and learned how to behave with all sorts of people to make them feel at ease and welcome to the auction. However, she could’ve never anticipated the drastic turn her life would take when a certain sorcerer one day decided to visit the town and eventually settled in. Having initially come to the town to bid on some rare magical artifacts, the sorcerer and Zetaya first became acquaintances, and after picking up on the sort of items he was bidding on, Zetaya quickly realized he was well-versed with magics. Having been banned from using her own magic, or perhaps for that exact reason, Zetaya began to harass her newfound reluctant and dodgy mentor-to-be. In fact, it took three months of daily visits from Zetaya for the man to even give her his name, Garth Maigne.

The last bidding Garth ever participated in ended in a burst of anger on Garth’s behalf, as he lost the bid on yet another item and after causing quite the scene he was eventually escorted out of the premises. The word of his actions quickly reached relevant people through their sources and he was said to have lost his position as a Master. Devastated by this he settled in Lucia and turned to the bottle to pass time.

A Budding Sorcerer

Zetaya however never stopped her daily strolls to his house, and eventually, with perseverance unlike anything the man had ever witnessed, Garth relented and agreed to teach Zetaya in secrecy. It didn’t take the pair long to understand she had a natural knack for elemental magics harnessing the roaring power of fire. Indeed, all it cost Garth was six sets of curtains. The two grew relatively close over time, as close to a habitual hermit as one can get, as Zetaya’s studies steadily progressed. However, nothing lasts forever, and one day Zetaya arrived to a seemingly ransacked and ramshackle building, unable to find her mentor anywhere. Indeed, the only thing left of him she could find was a chipped off piece of the horn of Garth’s Efreet form. It seemed clear he had not left willingly, or someone came in afterwards in search of something, but the house was located at a sparsely populated area and none of the people living nearby were willing to admit to having seen anything. She was just about to throw in the towel, when she spotted a small group of men enter the home of her now missing mentor. Zetaya walked quietly back to the house in hopes of figuring out who these men were, and heard them talking. They were feverishly looking for something they had apparently missed “the last time”, and that apparently some chamberlain would be “extremely disappointed” with them if they didn’t return to Corwick with the item in tow. This is as much as Zetaya had time to hear, before a fourth man suddenly arrived and gave away her position. What followed was Zetaya utilizing the lessons of her mentor as she defended herself with searing hot flames erupting from both of her palms. Luckily she didn’t have to defend herself for long, as the city guard were quickly alerted to the scene. Initially arriving to arrest a firey beast with a flaming hair, they were quick to recognize Zetaya and moved to instead arrest the now hair-free burglars at her request.

The Disowned Daughter

Although the guards never caused issues for Zetaya, once the news of her magical prowess reached her parents, she was put between a rock and a hard place. Her parents gave her an ultimatum; either she was to seize the use of magic immediately and entirely, or she was no longer welcome in the Spellspire household. Whether this was a threat they intended to uphold or if they were sure the threat of it was enough to jolt Zetaya ‘back to her senses’, they were sorely mistaken. Having been put in front of this choice, Zetaya quickly moved to collect her belongings and salary, before packing her bags and storming out of her childhood home.

Having little going for her in terms of a direction, the young sorcerer decided to try to track down her mentor, or at least to figure out what happened to him. She took a moment to recall what the burglars had said, and decided her best course of action would be to find this chamberlain from Corwick. Whilst finding a single particular manservant from among the undoubtedly many noble households of this Corwick would surely be no easy task, it was better than no goal at all. However, having cut herself off of her family’s fortune, and realizing Corwick was quite a distance away, she needed to find herself some income. Surely, no better place for that than the Adventurers’ Guild.

Life on the road

Whilst she wasn’t the only one to seek the monetary assistance of the Guild, she initially struggled to find her first party. Famous though she was as an individual, due to the aggressive advertising of the auction house, many parties felt having an Ifrit in the party could complicate social interactions. What’s more, many wondered what a pampered little lady with no ‘real world’ or combat experience could possibly offer. Her stubbornness served her well enough once again though, and she’d eventually team up with a certain halfling rogue named Ree-Ree, after an altercation involving her prized necklace and his sticky fingers. The two have been traveling together ever since.

Despite the doubts of many others, Zetaya herself was more than confident that with the training she received from her mentor she could take care of herself regardless of the situation, but even though she was eager for the new experiences ahead of, she would quickly realize it wasn’t all sunshine and eggnog. For example, she wasn’t especially talented with the more mundane daily tasks, like cooking. It was therefore a blessing she actually enjoyed the taste of charred dinner, much to the chagrin of her traveling companions. This new life of hers demanded even more ill-suiting compromises, as she realized just how messy her new surroundings could get without servants there to clean up after everyone, not to mention coming face to face with the at times harsh and cold weather conditions of the outside world. Not a fan of anything even remotely chilly, food and drinks included, she would at times go out of her way to make sure proper temperature was upheld in her surroundings, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Whilst a valuable teammate on the battlefield, Zetaya wasn’t always the easiest party member. She was used to having her way and could occasionally lash out if things didn’t go as she wished. Still, her time at the auction served her well, helping her resolve difficult situations with her silver tongue and honeyed words, which often solidified her position as the “face of the party”. Indeed, many found it much easier for the group to place her in the lead anyway.

Ms. Zetaya Ygg,
The Ifrit Sorcerer

Date of Birth

12th of Satesis

Year of Birth

641 AM 24 Years old

Birthplace

Lucia, Regnolucia, East-Achareon

Gender

Female

Eyes

Firey Orange

Hair

Long, black and wavy hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Red skin

Height

6 feet

Weight

104 lbs.

Known Languages

Common, Ignan and Dwarven

Likes

Favourites food: Charred cinnamon toast and singed eggs
Favourite animal: Bunnies
Favourite color: Firey Orange

Dislikes

Anything cold!

Governed by Emotions

In her thoughts Zetaya often finds something to play with, to calm down her restless hands. Often this ends up being either the latest piece of jewelry or valuables she’s picked up during her adventures, or the necklace she had ordered to be made out of the chipped horn tip of her mentor. This fiddling habit also persists when she’s nervous or even when she’s excited.

When she’s feeling upset, sad or disappointed, she tends to pick on the small scales running down her arms and legs, sometimes causing small bleeds. It’s a bad habit she’s trying to break.

When angered, her speech pattern quickly speeds up and she’s known to occasionally rapid fire insults at anyone who crosses her.

However, if there’s nothing particularly upsetting or triggering around her, her usual demeanor is relaxed, carefree and inquisitive. She’s also visibly proud of who she is, what she has accomplished and what she’s capable of. Her attention span could honestly use some work however, as she’s prone to shift her focus from one thing to the next at the drop of a hat. This has also lead to her at times mixing the many bits and pieces of information she has heard and learned about, causing her fellow adventurers to take what she knows and remembers with a sizable grain of salt.

Religious Affiliation

Zetaya is personally indifferent with deities, but follows along to save face and avoid issues. She is not a stranger to the general tenets and teachings of the The House.

Goals & Motivation

Her primary motivators are twofold. Firstly, she is always on the hunt for new experiences. Understanding she had lead a very sheltered life, she also understands that she has no hope of growing as a person or as a sorcerer should she continue to hide from danger and life itself.

In addition, her search for her missing mentor continues on. At the very least, she is eager to find out what happened to him, why he disappeared and what the men at his house were after. Perhaps answers to this can be found from East-Achareon, from Corwick...