| Ninaza Eir |
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| Ruslana Korshunova as Ninaza Eir |
| Name: | Ninaza Eir |
| Alias: | |
| Age: | 21 |
| Hair & Eyes: | Honey brown hair & green eyes |
| Faction: | Hestia: Medical |
| Position: | Crewman Apprentice: Medic |
| Colony: | Sagittaron |
| Play Times: | Varies |
| Timezone: |
Biographical Info
A priestess from a remote religious sect renowned on Sagittaron for its eminence in herbal medicine, a rite of passage led Ninaza far from home. Having been among the final refugees rescued from Scorpia, she now serves aboard the Hestia as a healer.
History
Deep within the Pradesh mountain range of Sagittaron's southern continent, spanning the veritable mosaic of evergreen and deciduous forests, tall grasslands and savannas known as the Terai, humanity has returned to the oldest of ways. Their legends of Kobol depict a world out of balance — the founding of the Colonies a benevolent second chance given by the Lords — and these people of the Terai, called the Tharu, took this to heart.
Shunning the avarice and sloth that dominated their former home, they discarded the trappings of technology and creature comforts. Living in harmony with nature, they would acquire all they could ever need. Serving as such stewards of the land, they flourished as an agrarian society and became privy to the secrets of the resident flora. As the seasons came and went, and the years accumulated into centuries, they grew greatly attuned to the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, so plainly evident in all they harvested.
Over time, their worship of the Lords of Kobol dwindled into a reverence solely devoted to the Great Mother (Demeter) and the Chthonic Queen (Persephone). Collectively, known as the Megalai Theai (the Great Goddesses), they are embodiments of nature, life, death, and rebirth on both the terrestrial and spiritual planes. Being the consort of the Chthonic Queen, the Unseen Lord (Hades) plays a role in some of their rites. However, coming to feel neither affinity nor obligation towards any of the other Gods, going so far as to consider those deities to be superfluous, the Tharu ceased invoking them in any sense.
Like other Sagittarons, faith healing and herbalism comprised their medical practices. At the forefront of these arts were the Deionei, a group of priestesses better known as the Daughters of Demeter. Every so often, certain rites of passage would lead a Daughter to dealings with the outside world. As a result, word of their immense skill slowly spread beyond the Pradesh mountains.
It was into this insular world that Ninaza was born to serve as one of the Deionei. From the onset, she was trained in the practices of the Daughters of Demeter. Her earliest memories are those of picking medicinal flowers. By the age of 6, she was learning how to grow, care for, and recognize different flora. Soon enough, she began making simple potions, poultices, salves, tonics, tinctures, creams, lotions, and aromatic oils. As she grew older, the recipes grew more complex, including the preparation of opiates and entheogens. Through the use of mithridatism, she developed immunities to native poisons by taking increasingly larger doses over a span of time.
Like all Tharu, she lived amongst nature, becoming quite adept at bushcraft. Several times a year, for weeks on end, she'd venture even deeper in the wilderness, where she would forage, build primitive shelters, navigate by terrain and by stars, study plants, and avoid dangerous animals by reading tracks. In such an environment, one's senses need to be extremely sharp, and Ninaza grew sensitive to scents and humidity in the air, the strength and temperature of the wind, the texture of things, changes in the terrain, subtle differentiations of color to espy plants, and the minutest sounds made by the wildlife. It was also necessary to be proficient in first aid, so this was no less part of her training.
This education was extremely intensive, but it also was a way of life. Due to an early start, excellent teachers, constant practice, a natural aptitude, and passion for the work, she grew to be very skilled in these areas.
All things come at a price, however, and for all that Ninaza learned, she was ignorant of a great many things. Modern technology was totally alien to her. Mathematics never progressed beyond arithmetic. Able to read and write in her native tongue of Kashmiri, her command of the Standard language was significantly lesser, and her literacy never exceeded a third grade level. The history of the Colonies was mostly omitted; mention of the first Cylon War nothing more to the Tharu than a confirmation that their abandonment of technology was the wisest course of action. Remotely located as they were, they remained uninvolved. In fact, Ninaza's exposure to the outside world and its customs was limited to the occasional pilgrims who braved the arduous trek through the mountains and the Terai. Being that these Outsiders came in search of aid from the Daughters, they were ever respectful.
So, when she finally left her beloved home to undergo a rite of passage, it was quite a shock. Traveling across the southern continent, she studied the flora, took specimens, and collected seeds that she added to those she brought with her. Most of the time, she traversed the wilderness, living off the land. The instances she reached civilization, there were some cultural differences to overcome. Those familiar with the Daughters of Demeter, however, sought her services upon discovering she was one of the Deionei. Some offered cubits and others bartered. To the best of her ability, Ninaza aided them all. The further she went, the worse it became. Having had such an insular upbringing, she had not been exposed to squalor and poverty. Seeing the aftermath of the Insurgency was heartbreaking. In many ways, the northern continent was worse. Industrialism and the pollution made her yearn for the Terai.
Eventually, she found herself at a crossroads. With all that she had seen on Sagittaron, were the other worlds even worse? As if driven by a force greater than herself, Ninaza overcame her trepidation and found herself aboard a transport ship. To one Colony, she decided, she would go. One would be her contribution to her people's knowledge of what is beyond what they know. Out of them all, it was to Scorpia, once she learned of the planet's lush jungles. At the very least, she reasoned, exotic plant samples and seeds could be brought back to her Sisterhood. Jungles, after all, are reputed to be full of much medicinal flora.
What she saw when she arrived terrified her. Expecting endless canopies of greenery, her eyes met with horror steel and concrete. Oh, and the shipyards! Surely, this could not be the right place. Unaccustomed to speaking in other than Kashmiri, Ninaza eventually managed to articulate her thoughts well enough that an attendant at the station assured her that what she sought was beyond the cities. However, his directions on how to get there were not properly processed. Because of this, she found herself not where she intended. Familiar with the forests and mountains of her own home, she figured that she might as well explore the area since she was already there.
Ultimately, this saved her life.
For several months, she managed to get by, accustomed to surviving in the wilderness. Her collection of seeds, herbs, and assorted samples had grown quite sizable. Something, though, didn't seem quite right. It wasn't until she came across some Holocaust survivors that she learned what had transpired. At a loss and realizing that they could use her help, Ninaza returned with them to their base of operations. During her time there, she made herbal medicines and did what she could to grow food. In addition to this, she served as a medic, having been taught some things that augmented her own training. Unfortunately, there was no shortage of opportunities to hone her skills. By the time of the Kharon's final evac of the area, she had become quite the pro.
Although most chose to stay behind, Ninaza bid her farewells and departed. If there was some way to return home, the ship was her best bet. Soon enough, she learned that all the Colonies had been devastated, but hope remained that the Terai was spared, as remote as it was. Once more, however, she was at a crossroads. It was made very clear to her that a decision had to be made: either enlist in the military or be dropped off at a mining outpost.
Thus a Daughter of Demeter became a Crewman Apprentice serving in the medical department of the CEC Kharon. Due to an ignorance of 'modern' medicine, she was relegated to duties as a medic, permitted to use her healing arts only with supervisory permission. Now stationed aboard the BS Hestia, these restrictions remain, much to her dismay.
Family
- The Daughters of Demeter
Education
- The Ways of the Deionei
- Colonial Military Boot Camp
Reputation (or Mil. Service)
Although she is ignorant of conventional medicine, Ninaza is recognized as an accomplished folk healer and a capable medic. Rumor has it that she'd never handled a gun prior to boot camp.
Distinguishing Features
- Soft-spoken
- Somewhat exotic accent even by Sagittaron standards
- Odd syntax when not speaking Kashmiri
- Dubious view of technology
- Primitive cultural practices
- Green thumb
- Worships only Demeter & Persephone
- Pensive countenance
- Watchful gaze
- Wears small amounts of aromatic oils
- Wavy, honey brown hair that cascades to her hips when left unbound
Trivia
- First name was inspired by Ninazu, a Sumerian god of the Underworld and of healing.
- Eir is the Norse goddess of healing with herbs, who taught these practices only to women.
- Deio'ne is the transliteration of one of Persephone's many titles and translates as 'Daughter of the Earth' or 'Daughter of Demeter'.
- In Greek myth, the serpent — a creature representing rebirth in nature and the fertility of the earth — is the animal most sacred to Demeter. This is why the two soma bracelets that Ninaza wears have a vaguely serpentine look.
Skills
- Acuity
- Botany
- Bushcraft
- Herbalism
- Horticulture
- First Aid
- Mithridatism
On the Grid
Known Associates
| Mugshot | The Skinny |
|---|---|
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LCpl Pandorian Ajtai: Despite an unquestionable language barrier that results in no small amount of confusion for the both of them, Eir and Ajtai appear to have an understanding that exists outside of words. |
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Captain Karim Marek: A man from the southern continent and the first Kashmiri-speaking person Ninaza encountered. Even though he's seemingly doubtful that she is one of the Deionei, he advised her to speak with Engineering about setting up a hydroponics bay. For that, the healer is deeply grateful. |
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Ensign Marissa Delann: Not only is Mimi very nice, she's curious about Ninaza's faith. Being a friend of Panda's doesn't hurt, either. |
Timeline of Events
| Title | Date | Summary | Other Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangbangbang | PHD 255 | Guns are vile devices… although it's funny when they're responsible for a clothing malfunction. | Panda, Ninaza, & Marissa |
| Fight Night: The Reckoning - Part I & Part II | PHD 246 | The first Fight Night since the merger of crews. Peeps beat each other up and Ninaza patches them up. | Face-punchers & fans of face-punching |
Quotes
Misc
- Animals
- Flora
- Healing
- Learning
- Living in the wilderness
- Nature & natural things
- Mental stimulation
- Physical activity
- The Megalai Theai
- The Terai
- The 'Old' Ways
Gallery
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