Ziva's clan hails from an island in the Cieldalaes archipelago. Like other Moon Keeper Ziva's clan is matriarchal, made up of a small number of family groups, the Ganajai's being one of them.
Despite being a clan of Moon Keepers there are signs of mixed traits, as it isn't entirely uncommon for the females to accept a Sun Seeker into their midst from time to time, as long as the female found him worthy of her time. The logic was simple: If any lone Seeker male was strong enough, smart enough, and/or fast enough to make it past the Keeper males that claimed territory nearby then he was a male worth considering. Most of the females find it amusing to see what lengths they'll go to to court them.
Some of the females choose to further test these would be Seeker suitors in contests of strength and prowess, but one such encounter is how Ziva and her sisters were conceived on three separate occasions. This is why they all three have the lion tails rather than the typical blunted or fluffy tails and warmer skin tones that most Keepers do, though the rest of Ziva's traits are that of a Keeper (such as her eyes and fangs).
As hunters they make their living from the land, and as such they have a high level of respect for it and are cautious not to hunt more than they need, though they do also sometimes sell goods or spoils from their hunts to traveling merchants and traders. They also, in turn for taking from the land, protect their home fiercely both from encroaching rivals, poachers, and hunters with no regard for maintaining the balance of their ecosystem.
As a result Ziva has certain feelings about the topic of Moon Keepers in the Black Shroud. Many Moon Keepers turned to poaching within the Black Shroud and were often at odds with the people of Gridania and the settlements throughout the Twelveswood. If asked about this Ziva would bluntly side with Gridania as having the right of it, given the involvement of the elementals. It isn't about a lack of loyalty, but respecting the bounty of the land.)
Aside from that Ziva's coalition has a rather free way of life aside from a short and strict set of rules, one of which ties in with a coming-of-age tradition. When a huntress comes of age she is expected to leave the coalition for a time to learn to survive on her own. This is to teach her, at minimum, the value of having a community with which to rely on and sisters to always turn to. They very firmly embody the belief that it takes a village to raise a child, and no cub is ever left to fend for themselves before they are ready.
These young adults are between the ages of 16 and 18 when they set out alone. Alternately they can choose to band together with others in their age group also participating in their rites. Should they return their experiences will have taught them responsibility to one another, how to provide for themselves and their family, and provided them an opportunity to discover their independence. Youths are encouraged to find what feels right for them and pursue it, be that elsewhere or back home. More and more many of their youth choose to settle down in one of the three great nations (for better or for worse). Those that do return do not do so immediately, their journeys lasting from anywhere from one year and up- if they return at all. Male offspring nearly never return as most Moon Keeper males are solitary by nature.
Many are drawn by the allure of the outside world and chose to immerse themselves in it for at least a few years before returning, if at all. Results vary drastically, even among Ziva's own family.
Ziva, her older sister, and younger sister were all named using their father's clan suffix (I) for their given names but received their family name from their mother, to honor both clans' traditions.
• I'tondo's tribe name ("I") is the alphabetical representation for the Buffalo totem, which is pronounced as a short "Ee". • Like traditional Sun Seeker names the emphasis is placed on the given portion of the name, rather than the clan letter. • That means Ziva's full given name is pronounced "ee-ZEE-va". Her sisters' would be pronounced as "ee-SOO-zu" and "ee-TOO-nu" respectively, while their father's is pronounced as "ee-TONE-do". • The naming for Ziva's family is strictly headcanon, as no official game lore has been provided for the naming of mixed breeds. This page, however, provides lore-verified naming traditions for both Seekers of the Sun and Keepers of the Moon. Further down you can also find some fan ideas on how naming conventions COULD work with mixed breeds.
- I'suzu left for her rite of passage at the age of seventeen and did not return for three years. I'ziva has no particular plans of permanently returning at all (but does want to visit), and I'tunu not only set out late (at eighteen) but returned as soon as possible (at nineteen).
•|| Birth Coalition Information ||•
Sources Cited:
Miqo'te Naming Conventions • Moon Keeper Information
Ziva's clan hails from an island in the Cieldalaes archipelago. Like other Moon Keeper Ziva's clan is matriarchal, made up of a small number of family groups, the Ganajai's being one of them.
Despite being a clan of Moon Keepers there are signs of mixed traits, as it isn't entirely uncommon for the females to accept a Sun Seeker into their midst from time to time, as long as the female found him worthy of her time. The logic was simple: If any lone Seeker male was strong enough, smart enough, and/or fast enough to make it past the Keeper males that claimed territory nearby then he was a male worth considering. Most of the females find it amusing to see what lengths they'll go to to court them.
Some of the females choose to further test these would be Seeker suitors in contests of strength and prowess, but one such encounter is how Ziva and her sisters were conceived on three separate occasions. This is why they all three have the lion tails rather than the typical blunted or fluffy tails and warmer skin tones that most Keepers do, though the rest of Ziva's traits are that of a Keeper (such as her eyes and fangs).
As hunters they make their living from the land, and as such they have a high level of respect for it and are cautious not to hunt more than they need, though they do also sometimes sell goods or spoils from their hunts to traveling merchants and traders. They also, in turn for taking from the land, protect their home fiercely both from encroaching rivals, poachers, and hunters with no regard for maintaining the balance of their ecosystem.
As a result Ziva has certain feelings about the topic of Moon Keepers in the Black Shroud. Many Moon Keepers turned to poaching within the Black Shroud and were often at odds with the people of Gridania and the settlements throughout the Twelveswood. If asked about this Ziva would bluntly side with Gridania as having the right of it, given the involvement of the elementals. It isn't about a lack of loyalty, but respecting the bounty of the land.)
Aside from that Ziva's coalition has a rather free way of life aside from a short and strict set of rules, one of which ties in with a coming-of-age tradition. When a huntress comes of age she is expected to leave the coalition for a time to learn to survive on her own. This is to teach her, at minimum, the value of having a community with which to rely on and sisters to always turn to. They very firmly embody the belief that it takes a village to raise a child, and no cub is ever left to fend for themselves before they are ready.These young adults are between the ages of 16 and 18 when they set out alone. Alternately they can choose to band together with others in their age group also participating in their rites. Should they return their experiences will have taught them responsibility to one another, how to provide for themselves and their family, and provided them an opportunity to discover their independence. Youths are encouraged to find what feels right for them and pursue it, be that elsewhere or back home. More and more many of their youth choose to settle down in one of the three great nations (for better or for worse). Those that do return do not do so immediately, their journeys lasting from anywhere from one year and up- if they return at all. Male offspring nearly never return as most Moon Keeper males are solitary by nature.
Many are drawn by the allure of the outside world and chose to immerse themselves in it for at least a few years before returning, if at all. Results vary drastically, even among Ziva's own family.
Ziva, her older sister, and younger sister were all named using their father's clan suffix (I) for their given names but received their family name from their mother, to honor both clans' traditions.
• I'tondo's tribe name ("I") is the alphabetical representation for the Buffalo totem, which is pronounced as a short "Ee".
- I'suzu left for her rite of passage at the age of seventeen and did not return for three years. I'ziva has no particular plans of permanently returning at all (but does want to visit), and I'tunu not only set out late (at eighteen) but returned as soon as possible (at nineteen).• Like traditional Sun Seeker names the emphasis is placed on the given portion of the name, rather than the clan letter.
• That means Ziva's full given name is pronounced "ee-ZEE-va". Her sisters' would be pronounced as "ee-SOO-zu" and "ee-TOO-nu" respectively, while their father's is pronounced as "ee-TONE-do".
• The naming for Ziva's family is strictly headcanon, as no official game lore has been provided for the naming of mixed breeds. This page, however, provides lore-verified naming traditions for both Seekers of the Sun and Keepers of the Moon. Further down you can also find some fan ideas on how naming conventions COULD work with mixed breeds.