Character: Leira Marie Orta

Age: 28

Pronouns: She/Her

Height: 5 feet 3 inches

Weight: 155 lbs

Hair and Eyes: Naturally Blonde hair (dyed Black), Blue eyes

Affiliation: Senior Zoologist/Thaumaturge Mammalogist for the Zoological and Ecological Classifications Department of the Archives

Magick: Elemental

Nationality: Procoline – Abaroguian

Family: Cora Madeline Farshawn (maiden) Orta (mother); Ire Orta (brother); Bourne Theodore Orta (father); Bronsan Farshawn (maternal grandfather); Clara Farshawn (maternal grandmother); Fife Orta (paternal grandfather); Foe Orta (paternal grandmother); Francia Orta (paternal aunt)

Languages: Abaroguian is her native language; is fluent in Procolish; is somewhat fluent in Ain-na; has a passing understanding of Wathra but is in no way fluent

Leira Marie Orta was born to Cora and Bourne Orta seven years after her brother, Ire, in the city of Abarogue near the eastern mountains of Procoline Kingdom. Unlike the rest of her family, Leira awakened with Elemental power around age five. Because of Bourne’s dogged ambition to ascend the ranks of the military for more powerful positions, Cora tried to hide Leira’s magickal prowess when it was discovered but was unable. Bourne noticed but when he wasn’t able to convince the little girl to become ambitious like him, Cora did her best to shield Leira from the anger and resentment slowly building in the male side of the family. Even her brother, Ire, who was never close to her because of the age gap, resented her because of her awakening. By the time she was ten, he was headed off to university in the Confederation of Trade.

When she was young, Leira spent much of her time alone or with her mother. She was teased as a child at school because of her poor eyesight, enormous glasses, and crooked teeth. It didn’t help that she was short, stocky, and entirely too fascinated with animals, bugs, and plants. Cora, however, adored her daughter. They would garden, hike the forests and mountains near Abarogue, and take trips to other surrounding towns in search of produce and gardening supplies. Leira fell in love with flora and fauna near and far, a love that only deepened as she got older.

Cora also introduced Leira to the guitar, having, herself, loved and played it most of her life. Leira took it up quickly and the pair would play together on evenings out in the garden. It became something of a passion for Leira and she eventually began writing her own songs. While at school, she met a child named Arlynn Frever in music class. Arlynn, who was originally from Calim, was a gifted singer and the two formed a fast friendship. Outside of school, they met outside of Leira’s home, Cora not wanting Arlynn to be exposed to Leira’s contentious father and brother. Arlynn would sing with the pair while they played guitar, furthering Leira’s love for music and the bonds it could bring.

When Leira was ten, Bourne was given a Lieutenant General position with the Procoline Military, afforded to him by his continued excellence in previous positions. However, with this, the family had to relocate to Jaixia. In Jaixia, while her father spent most of his time at work, Leira found herself alone. Unlike Abarogue, Cora had begun leaving without Leira most days, returning late at night with no explanation. Once or twice, Leira saw a man with a rose tattoo nearby.

Everything came to a head one night when Bourne discovered something that set him off. He never physically touched Cora but yelled at her about betrayal and humiliation. He ordered her to make things right or “there would be consequences.” She collected her things and sat with Leira after Bourne left the house. She explained that she had to go but would write Leira every single day to let her know what was happening.

Shortly after Cora left, Arlynn’s family relocated to Jaixia and they ended up in the same school as Leira. The two friends immediately reconnected. When Arlynn heard Leira attempting to talk without her accent, they urged Leira not to drop it and, with a fair amount of prodding, Leira eventually stopped trying to erase the part of her that was Abaroguian. It didn’t hurt that it also went against everything Bourne would have wanted for her.

When Leira was around 12, her and Arlynn formed a band and started writing tons of songs. They discovered rock and punk music shortly after that and metal a year later. Leira soon became better at guitar than most anyone she knew. With so many stellar melodies and heavy riffs in her pocket, the pair decided to recruit more people into the fold: rhythm guitarist Sadie Cross, bassist Ina Fukuoa, and drummer Sudesh Re’nah. Together, the five were known as Cryptid à Carnivale, a name that Arlynn came up with. Around this time, to fit the look they were going for, Leira started dyeing her hair black.

When Leira was 15, she filed for emancipation from her father and won. Successfully arguing against him, the judge awarded her a government supplied apartment and monthly stipend. She would keep the stipend until she was 21 as long as she pursued higher education. Once emancipated, all trace of Bourne as her father was erased from her records. Legally, she was no longer his daughter and any documentation that established their relationship was null and void. For the world at large, they had never been related.

Leira continued going to school and had regular check-ins with a counselor to make sure she was staying on track in her new apartment. After she graduated high school, she enrolled in the College of Southern Jaixia with a degree in Zoology. She took both in-person and online classes as the band started to get bigger, eventually graduating with a Bachelors in Zoological Studies, solidifying part of what she wanted to do career wise in her early adulthood. When she was 21, she quit the band.

She started working at The Archive in the Zoological and Ecological Classifications Department and was quickly moving up the ladder. Instead of desk work, she would be responsible for venturing across the world, registering, cataloging, and updating the records of Procoline Kingdom regarding various animals. Specifically, she was a Thaumaturge Mammalogist, looking for magickal mammals or magick adjacent creatures. It also allowed her to “search” for her mother, though her inquires would prove fruitless. Still, she looked for her when she could.

In her first few years of the position, she met a junior cataloger named Saul Menfer, a man she formed a fast friendship with. The two started spending time together outside of work and eventually things became romantic. Though Saul tried to convince Leira to date him exclusively, she declined, though, in truth, she wasn’t dating anyone else and she felt strong feelings for Saul.

As time went on, she continued working, looking for her mother when she could, though hopes of finding her dimmed as the years trudged on. She was estranged from both her father and brother. Letters from her mother arrived, newer ones stating a love of the weather in Shehroz. She picked up an assignment that took her to Warukem Sovereignty and, when she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she returned home to redo the calculations.