Sanya Shale

Red-tipped horns and ears and a long, spaded tail, in addition to their thick raven hair, are Sanya's most identifying features.

• They often stim to keep themself calm and maintain focus. This sometimes may manifest in a self-destructive manner, such as chewing on their knuckles or scratching themself.
• Can't sit or stand still for more than a few seconds at a time. When they aren't rocking back and forth, they're bouncing or shaking their legs, or stomping their feet.
• Eye contact is nearly impossible for them to maintain without losing focus on an ongoing conversation, so they unfocus their vision or look elsewhere instead.
• Their tail visibly reacts to changes in their mood. When happy or excited, it will wag; when angry, it may thrash and whip against the floor. Anxiety and nerves are betrayed by snake-like wriggling, while sorrow will leave the appendage limp or drooped with the spade touching the ground.
• Sanya's eyes will change from dark brown to a bright scarlet when experiencing strong negative emotion--particularly anger or sadness.

Sanya is never seen without a black choker around their neck and an amulet bearing their insignia, a crescent-moon within a circle, someplace on their person.

Before Dianera

Sanya was abandoned by their biological parents shortly after birth and discovered at the foot of a dumpster by a resident of a nearby apartment complex. While in the foster care system they were passed from caretaker to caretaker until the age of four, when they were assigned a new pair of foster parents, whose care they remained under for years. The environment of this home was incredibly toxic and ultimately detrimental to Sanya's mental health, leaving them deeply traumatized and a selective mute as a result of the abuse they faced. They were removed from the home and adopted by another, much more loving couple by the age of eight. Despite the damage that had already been done, their new mothers presented them with an opportunity to leave their past identity behind and adopt a new one for themselves.   Throughout childhood Sanya struggled with their gender identity, their dysphoria persisting as they stumbled their way through a gender-critical social environment at school and in public spaces. A transphobic incident when they were young led to them cutting their hair with safety scissors and they stopped wearing traditionally feminine attire altogether for over a year out of fear and shame. While in the safety of their own home they could present as they liked, they were deeply closeted from the outside world. As they grew older they began to fear the inevitable onset of male puberty as the changes to their body threatened to strip away the little gender-reaffirmation they still had. This fear manifested in unhealthy eating habits in an attempt to remain thin and slender and the worsening severity of pre-existing stress- and anxiety-induced self-harm; what began as chewing and picking at their fingers and knuckles eventually evolved into scratching and digging at their wrists and forearms to cope with their worsening mental state.   By the age of twelve, they had fallen into a deep depression as a result of gender dysphoria, social exclusion at school, persisting mental trauma and illness, and bullying. Their relationship with their mothers saw a degree of deterioration as a result of disagreement on how best to handle these issues and Sanya began to steadily isolate themselves from the few people they knew in the real world, putting more and more of their time and self into the world of online gaming.   The discovery of online gaming -- Coven Online in particular -- proved to be a major "safe space" in which they could connect with people without having to meet them face-to-face, eliminating many of the struggles they faced in social situations. A coven of primarily adolescent players, the PrANGSTers, known for their mischief, adopted the young newbie as a fresh recruit and family member. Their online personality, "Ditzy," allowed them a true escape from the hurt, confusion, and isolation of the real world.   After they received an invite to join Iliad Rising's Beta test, Sanya's parents allowed them to depart for "Tregaron" in hope that they could overcome some of their social barriers and make new friends. While the teenager, now fourteen, did manage to gain a number of friends through this method, they were unfortunately never able to communicate this accomplishment with their well-meaning mothers back home. They were killed during a boss-battle and reborn in Dianera.  

The Coalition

After their rebirth in Dianera, Sanya went with a fellow beta tester to study under the Red Hand and become a Huntsman. During their time on the mountain, they initially cycled through the five stages of grief before quickly coming to terms with their new situation. Once they did so, they saw a great improvement in their physical and mental health and put themselves into their tasks and chores, determined to live their new life better than their previous one. The presence of Cyd, who soon became a father-figure to them, helped them to adjust to their new circumstances.   Upon completion of their Huntsman training, they returned to the Coalition with a personalized revolver and a new summon: a white tigress whom they dubbed Artemis. They were informed of their new title as a Champion and given a brief rundown of this new world's political situation, as well as the new expectations that were in place for them. While they wanted to trust and help the Princess, doubts spoken by some of their fellow Champions left them feeling uncertain and uncomfortable with their position.   They and the rest of the Champions were given orders to ambush Semia's soldiers as they marched to secure Beacon Hill. It was a horrific slaughter that left Sanya feeling both disgusted in themselves and deeply misled by the Coalition. The "victory" itself was also short-lived as Semia's army retaliated and many lost their lives.   Despite the terrible loss, the Coalition hadn't given up their fight. A gate with the ability to transport the Champions directly into the Dreadhold was found in working condition and a member of the rebellion, Conrad, led them to it. As he activated the portal and channeled it to the correct location, Ingrid, seeking revenge, threw herself into it. Despite not having known her well and their reluctance to follow her into a likely deadly and unnecessary scenario, they couldn't simply stand by and watch as two of their companions attempted to give chase. Conrad closed the portal before they could reach it and reacted with fury.   The Champions stood trial for their attempted desertion. Despite not trusting or believing their defense, Aevis spared them a harsh punishment and instead forbade them from leaving the Coalition's base. As far as they were concerned, this merely provided the quiet teenager with an opportunity to get to know their remaining comrades better as the Coalition prepared to set their plans in motion. The apparent return of "Ingrid" -- along with some newcomers -- during this time was surprising, but Sanya was conflicted on how they should feel about it.   In preparation for their assault on the capitol, the Coalition gathered together the Champions along with many of their own mentors and went over their strategy. After the initiation of the mission, the group came across King Semia alone and weakened. The original plan was to locate his power source and destroy it, but as the admiral's ship fell and the situation grew dire Sanya was the first to act outside of the plan, out of anger and impulse. Joined by the rest of their comrades they challenged the King, the group fought him, and felled him.   The consequences of King Semia's death proved deadly, unleashing a near-apocalyptic event as a result of the Well losing its host. They pushed through to the Well's location, where they met their estranged friend and watched her perform a seemingly suicidal ritual to bind herself to the entity and stop the destruction. There was little time to mourn her loss as the Shroud closed in, resulting in another violent confrontation to put a stop to their actions.   After the remaining Coalition members' departure from the damaged city of Tregaron, Sanya made a decision to stay out of obligation with Princess Aevis despite everything that had happened, even as their father-figure slipped away and left them with only a note to cling to.  

The Counsel - Queen Aevis

As the Coalition struggled to recover, Sanya devoted themselves to their remaining friends and continued to hone their aim and abilities as a Huntsman. A month after Alena's passing, the teenager was still aching and blaming themselves for her alleged death. They were overcome with emotion when Cyd returned to them.

Sanya is fluid in their gender identity, feeling at times a more 'masculine' or 'feminine' leaning but never quite fully identifying with the labels of 'man' or 'woman'.   Neutral language and they/them pronouns have been adopted as an outward preference, as they feel it "simplifies" matters due to the common shifts in their presentation. In quiet, they oftentimes wish to hear others refer to them with soft, traditionally feminine terms and she/her pronouns -- essentially acknowledging them as a girl -- although the lingering self-doubt over whether or not they deserve or qualify to actively adopt these terms prevents them from voicing such a desire.   With time, they aspire to break down the boxes constructed by human society and challenge traditional gender roles and norms. Their own intersexuality contributes to this.

Sanya is pan-romantic and finds beauty in everyone with ease. They're especially susceptible to falling head-over-heels with feminine-presenting or androgynous people, but their heart truly is not safe around anyone, including the boys within their own age group. It's common for them to develop strong but usually temporary crushes on strangers or acquaintances, especially if they're shown kindness by them.   When it comes to sexual relations, this isn't really a subject they think much about. In fact, the kid hasn't had a single sexual urge in their life, especially not that they've ever had the desire to act upon. They may make a joke on occasion if only to see their partners become flustered, but that's about the extent of it. The attraction they feel toward other people isn't at all sexual in nature and if they grow flustered when speaking to a particularly pretty or handsome individual, it certainly isn't for that reason. Sanya might never understand what the big deal is or why there are some folks who can't seem to get enough "bed-time." They just want to be close to people.

Sanya has only a very basic education, having only completed school through grade 8. The disastrous events unfolding in Dianera since their arrival have left them with little time, opportunity, or resources to continue their studies, though they now spend the free time they do have learning to play instruments and write music.

In the old world, Sanya was merely a student going into their first year of high school.   After arriving in Dianera they shortly became a Champion for Queen Aevis and still hold this title.

• Well, they've only died once so far. Uh, I mean, technically--
• KING-SLAYER GET FUCKED, SEMIA
• Assisted in convincing Queen Aevis to return to Tregaron and claim her throne.
• An established member of the Hellgate-closing committee.

Do we even want to go there

• Let a guy die in a spooky vampire castle.
• Tried to follow an impulsive goblin with a death wish into a portal leading straight to Pain Town and nearly got rekt for attempted desertion of the Coalition.
• Okay, so the consequences of disregarding simple instructions and becoming KING-SLAYER was lots of people dying in a near-apocalyptic scenario and the spawn of evil Hellgates across the land. That's fine. It's fine.
• According to their anxiety: almost everything they've done from the moment of their birth to the current day should be listed under this category.

Sanya's experiences in both foster care and the public school system have left them deeply afraid of rejection and abandonment. They struggle to believe in the fact that anyone is capable of genuinely loving them, or that they're even deserving of such affection given the amount of "work" or "effort" it must take. Suppression of their own emotions to appear more likable, dependable, and mature than they feel has become a terrible habit that, while they are aware of it, ultimately bars them from speaking up about their feelings when they need to. This creates a crushingly heavy weight on their chest which they cope with in deeply unhealthy ways. These struggles have intensified due to the demands and expectations of the Crown, instilling a forced sense of heroism in Sanya and the belief that the fate of the world rests squarely on their shoulders. It is incredibly difficult for them to accept that they will inevitably make mistakes or that doing so is simply a part of growing up; they can't afford to mess up, lives are at stake.   The deaths of a number of Semia's soldiers at their own hands also weigh on Sanya, in addition to the witnessed apparent suicide of Alena which they partially blamed themselves for against all rationality.   The adults in Sanya's life have ultimately failed them. They have developed conflicting trust issues after being used, manipulated, and emotionally, mentally, and physically abused by the people they were supposed to be able to depend on the most. Their betrayal at the hand of Rouge, most recently, paired with the lack of closure before her loss has left them confused, tortured, and hurting from wounds both fresh and reopened from their past.

While the safety of their friends and family is their utmost priority, Sanya also fights to protect the innocents of this world -- primarily children, minorities, and the oppressed. They feel an obligation to preserve as much peace and as many lives as they can, although, ironically, they are willing to achieve this through violent means if necessary. While bitter and resentful toward human society and the systems and hierarchies enforced by the Royal Council, they can't find it in their heart to hate humans as a whole and instead strive to create a better world where both they and the non-human peoples of Dianera can co-exist peacefully and enjoy a much higher quality of life.

Likes:

• Animals, particularly rodents and felines
• Cuddling
• Warm honey-water
• Soft, smooth, or nicely-textured materials
• Head-pats and hand-holding

Dislikes:

• Noisy environments / too many people talking at once
• Crowds
• Skin-to-skin contact and being touched without permission
• Loud booms (explosions)
• Seeing sad kids

• They cannot fall asleep without something to hug (pillow, stuffed animal, person, etc.).
• Sanya tends to feel emotions in extremes, or at the very least more intensely than most people.
• Assigns nicknames to nearly everyone they meet. They may or may not be flattering, depending on their opinion of the person.
• They often feel compelled to sketch portraits of people they meet.
• Has a tendency to mimic others they spend time around. This leads to them adopting accents and vocabulary they wouldn't normally use otherwise. It might come off as offensive or mocking around the wrong people, but it isn't intentional.
• Does not sit in chairs like a normal person. Physically incapable of this except for in very specific instances of over-politeness. This child rarely pulls chairs out before they sit in them--they are so chaotic that they would prefer to extend their leg over the arm of the chair, lift themselves into it and squat down. Exhibition of Chronic Gay Feline Syndrome, symptom #1423235.

Sanya holds those who they love near and dear to their heart and would give anything to keep from losing them, even if it meant going to extreme lengths.

• Cyd Shale: Adoptive father-figure
• Emory Gottlieb: Good friend, "Uncle"
• Alena Gottlieb: Good friend, "Aunt"
• Zephyr: Best friend and romantic partner
• Ingrid: Close friend and romantic partner

To have a happy, loving family is all they ever really wanted.

• Cassidy Grey: Adoptive mother
• Harriet Grey: Adoptive mother

Sanya wasn't raised into any particular religion but adopted atheist beliefs early on. While some may have a belief in the afterlife, they took solace in the denial of such a thing. In their mind, the ideal and most comforting scenario would be for one to simply cease to exist after death. At a time when living was so painful, no longer having a conscious mind or body was something to long for.   After having been reborn in Dianera, Sanya found themself confused and conflicted. This world was so different from the last that there could very well be a God, or numerous gods. Though they continue clinging to their atheist beliefs, for now, they can no longer deny that there is some form of an afterlife. They find this unnerving rather than comforting.

Sanya has adopted two squirrels during their travels, Uni and Corn, who provide them with a great deal of entertainment and emotional support.   In their free time, they enjoy writing music and lyrics, playing the lute, singing, and drawing portraits of animals, plants, and people in their journals.

Sanya's manner of speaking tends to adjust depending on the company they're in or their current mood. When surrounded by friends, they're generally relaxed enough to use informal language and contractions and speak in a louder tone. Around strangers, they adopt a more formal and polite manner of speech and keep a hushed voice. Regardless of who they're speaking with, they have a tendency to ramble on before they can make a point. This is primarily due to nerves and a struggle to consolidate their thoughts before speaking.   Sanya does not typically communicate verbally unless they are in the company of someone they trust. Instead, they largely shut down but may use gestures to respond if they feel up to it.   Their voice fluctuates between somewhat high to boyish and they most often speak with an accent they picked up during the time they've spent around their fellow Champions, most -- if not all -- of this influence coming from Cyd and Rouge. It is a light mix between Scottish and Canadian. Sanya also has an involuntary stutter which worsens with stress or anxiety.

Councilmen give them your wallets now.