Serena Sparkles

"Keep safe all who gather here, within the protective shelter of your arms." - a traditional petition to Nophica and the elementals

Serena Sparkles was born and raised in the deep green beauty of the Jadeite Thick to the descendants of Raen refugees from the Far East. Owing to the Thick, she was prepared early by the people of the Twelveswood. Including the Nelhah Keeper family, her childhood was comprised of lessons of understanding of harmony from the locals. She learned quickly how intrinsic peace to the Twelveswood was necessary for life. 

Though she honoring the ways of her current home, her parents also made sure to remind her of her ancestry. They accomplished this sharing stories of the grand battles of Raen retainers, preparing food in traditional Far Eastern methods, and even letting her try on outfits handed down from her grandparents. Much was lost due to the result of the Seventh Umbral Calamity, but watching young Serena grow up despite that tragedy made her the pride and joy of the small community. Her parents responded by giving her a name honoring her identity as an Eorzean, omitting traditional Hingan of her ancestry. This would serve as a sign of new hope. 

They say her name came from the legend of a saint hailed to have been a secret supporter of refugees across the Ilsabardian landscape. Her surname originated as a family nickname that stuck due to her excitement as a little girl in chasing the lightning bugs native to the region. This earned her the occupational surname of "Sparkles" following common Midlander traditions in the area.

Due to the region's placement within the shadow of Gridania's walls and its proximity to trade-heavy thoroughfares, travelers frequently visited her home on their way to and from the city-state to peddle their wares and rest if night happened to fall during their journey. With cooperation came rumors, and among the shared tales of the Warrior of Light and their exploits in conjunction with the power of imagination ignited by the stories of Raen heroes, came the inspiration for the family to consider taking to the road themselves. 

Her father was the first to set off, following a caravan heading to Ul'dah. One of the clans to which her parents bear legacy from were proud court onmyoji, which made it easy for her father to seek and excel at the teachings of the Order of Nald'thal. It was by this means black magicks became the foundation of her arcane education, as her father would bring back Eorzean interpretations of the art that had traveled down from parent to child over a long history of service to the Doman warlords of legend. Wishing to follow in his footsteps, Serena soon traveled down the Lumberline once she came of age, observing that practicing black magicks within the Twelveswood would be a risk to her and felt better training herself like her father did at the Ossuary.

Over several months of practice and taking assignments from the Order, it came to her attention that despite it being a natural part of her heritage, the magicks of polarity came to weigh heavily on her conscience. She found the alignment of desiring destruction unable to reconcile with her upbringing in the Thick, wishing an art of magical principle more in tune with the teachings of harmony and peace of her childhood, of those told to have been practiced by Saint Serena of old. As if Nophica herself heard the pleas of her heart, an incident involving Lalai and the adventurer who helped retain Ququruka's legacy brought the attention of the affairs of the Conjurer's Guild, represented by none other than Hearer Zhai'a Nelhah, once a childhood friend. 

Recognizing Serena from their shared home, she expressed her desire to step away from the goals of complete destruction harbored by the practitioners of black magic. He endeavored to help her learn the arts he was well versed in along with a recommendation to get her approval from E-Sumi-Yan, in exchange for aid in his investigation of the Defiant cult and their wanton misuse of black magicks. He was extremely eager to get her out of the guild as soon as he could, considering at that time black magick to be a problematic principle and wishing to see his childhood friend free from its discipline. 

Accompanying the Keeper back during one of his scheduled trips to report his ongoing investigation to the Stillglade Fane, she returned to Gridania. Her prior honing of aetherial manipulation made it easy for her to focus attention more on the energies in the environment of her birth, placing dutiful emphasis on the connection between this flow and her own aether. It wasn't long that she was able to hear the quiet whispers and embrace the will of the elementals fully. 

The Stillglade Fane was impressed with her sensitivity to their traditions and requested her to attend to the rites associated with the Lifemend Stump, conveniently located in the heart of her home. Her careful attention and poise by which she handled her duties in the Twelveswood granted her the epithet of Emerald Princess from her family. To them, they felt it described her exceptional work for Gridania, and their people were reminiscent of tales of the royalty of Sui-No-Sato retained in her family's memory.

The Padjal took quick notice of how quickly the mannerisms of their people were being observed by Serena and offered her further instruction in the newly available white mage traditions that they were custodian to. Since this opportunity was only accessible by appointment, it was clear her desire to heal and help had been observed entirely, and she was given a chance to seize fully on teachings that would give her further ability to accomplish this goal. 

However, a white mage will come to a fork in the road of their life: follow the pilgrimage of A-Towa-Cant healing plights of the world around or seek an appointment into the inner circle of the Seedseer Council. Once an adventurer, so she would return and take the wanderer's path, desiring to heal anyone that would need the benefit of her unique talents.