Zenj Ninian Rakna

"Just because I caused the problem doesn't mean I have a solution for it." ~Zenj Ninan Rakna~

Zenj Ninian Rakna is a mysterious pure-blooded Shinzoka mercenary and member of the Kadasi Circle. She is one of the few rare Shinzoka that people see outside of Krawvill that is not part of the Kagero-Kiza organization, although it is popularly believed that she has much of the training required for such a role, but that her size prevented her from admittance. Whatever the case, she is an anomaly for Shinzoka in nearly all respects, making her unpredictable and dangerous to those unfamiliar with her antics.

Early Life
Zenj, like most Shinzoka, originated from Krawvill, although she speaks nothing of who her parents were or why she left. She has hinted that the name "Zenj" is not her real name, but has never actually disclosed what her actual name was. Her travels took her to Koldia and later to Shahar-Eka, where she spent most of her childhood and adolescence before she joined the Kadasi Circle shortly before she came of age. In the meantime, Zenj made her living taking up odd jobs or the occasional mercenary work, where she discovered she had a knack for stealth and subterfuge, as well as picking locks and pockets. These abilities seemed much more inline for a Mizulen or a Madizi, and were heavily frowned upon by Shinzoka, and so by committing herself to these arts, Zenj essentially sealed her fate in accepting that she would never return to Krawvill.

Kadasi Circle
Zenj's diverse skillset soon caught the attention of the Kadasi Circle, a group of formidable individuals who seek to help rid the world of fouler or corrupt individuals or organizations. While Zenj questioned why they would want someone with a criminal history (for Zenj had been to prison at least three different times, but managed to break out in each instance), she pledged to turn her life around for the better after joining the Kadasi Circle, and became an apprentice under Korin Îasuda, alongside Todawa Warrior Royota Fenyk. From there, she appeared to find a place among the Kadasis, and thus has remained in a stable position ever since.

Misadventures with Eka-Zenj
At some point in her life, a Kumenza was created of Zenj, and surprisingly enough, she and Zenj became friends almost instantly, and went off on a wild adventure together. Where they went and what they did was unclear, but if their claims are to be believed, their wild adventures took them to lands unknown full of other people that none of them recognized. While these claims were corroborated by three individuals called The Mavericks, the dubious origin of that wily trio also causes this account to be taken into question.

Appearance
Zenj falls just outside the average/standard height range of Shinzoka, being shorter and on the smaller side. These attributes help with her stealthy thievery. Her dragon form is similarly small, and Zenj's awkward posture makes her appear even shorter than she actually is.

Physical Appearance
Zenj stands at 5'5" and weighs only 133 lbs, giving her a slender and lithe appearance in contrast the usually taller and more robust Shinzoka and Kagero-Kiza agents that most people see. She has a light tan from the time she spends outdoors, although she is usually geared up fairly modestly, in contrast to the likes of Kagero-Kiza agents. Unlike Zaderei, she does not go barefoot, although like them, her ears tend to stick out much more than normal Shinzoka, leading to the belief that one of Zenj's maternal grandparents may have been a Mza Zaderei.

Zenj wears her hair down, where it hangs between her ears and shoulders. she has rather pronounced eyebrows and pointed yellow eyes, and a surprisingly well-endowed bust. Her voice is surprisingly low for a woman of her size, although it is not considered low enough to be a case of the Voice of Hachi. Other than her elemental affinity and her ability to transform into a dragon, Zenj's small, lithe, stealthy build is much more resemblent of a Madizi than a Shinzoka.

Dragon Form
Zenj takes on the form of a red dragon when she transforms, although it is rare for her to do this and thus she's almost always seen in humanoid form. Like her physical form, her dragon form is also much smaller than normal, although the benefit of this is that she expends much less energy in her transformed form than most other Shinzoka. However, as a woman who prefers stealth and vicious first strikes, Zenj prefers a more subtle approach, and dragons are anything but subtle. As such, she tends to either utilize draconic features at most, or stay in her humanoid form entirely unless stealth is not an option.

Clothing
Zenj usually wears fairly form-fitting leathers that don't drag or hang, as to prevent making too much noise when she's sneaking about. Even though her attire tends to have lots of pockets, she keeps it low-cut in the front and has comically been spotted stashing things between her cleavage. While blacks and browns are her usual colours of choice, she has also been seen in dark reds or purples as well. She often also wears a hood when she travels, but otherwise only her head and neck are usually the only things exposed.

When not dressed up in roguish attire, Zenj prefers bright shades of red and gold, in line with her elemental affinity.

Personality
Zenj is a fairly easy-going thief when all is said and done, although she is easily swayed by coin. While her fondness of money is not nearly as severe as Zelgiaz, it is still very easy to convince Zenj to do things for coin. She also holds the Shinzoka in disdain, which has earned her an interesting relationship among Krippans, who also share that ideal.

Virtues
Despite her career (even among the Kadasi Circle) and criminal history, Zenj is overall a fairly amiable woman who is not fully driven by money. She is known for her wisecracks and easygoing humour, which has helped diffuse some tense situations in the past. While she speaks little of her past or her backstories, she is always willing to lend an ear to others to give them the same benefit. Despite her vices, she also holds a close loyalty to certain friends that show patience towards her, and is usually more than willing to see an adventure through to the end.

Vices
As friendly as she is, Zenj's primary vice is money. While she is not monetarily lacking, she holds an innate attraction to shiny objects, and so can easily be swayed to do almost anything for coin. She thus far has not betrayed friends for money just yet, although many of them worry that the right amount might tip Zenj's hand. She holds little regard for laws unless convenient, and thus her Chaotic Neutral alignment reflects this behaviour--especially when it comes to shiny objects that are not bolted down--or that people might not notice the absence of. She is also believed to have connections in several unlawful guilds, particularly Thieves' Guilds.

Beliefs and Morality
Zenj believes that the gods are generally well-intentioned people, although she tends to pay them little heed unless in a dire situation. She doe snot outright disrespect them though, but ultimately prefers to let them be as she does her own thing. Because of this lack of attachment, her beliefs tend to reflect a more open-minded view akin to the Kagero-Kiza, even if she has no affiliation with that faction.

On a moral scale, Zenj believes that it is something of a sliding scale based on one's position in life. Owning money helps people define the rules, and that those with an innate knowledge of "the system" are the ones that manipulate it for their own gain. Despite this disdain for law and order, Zenj does not see fit to try and dismantle it whenever she comes across it; rather, she tries to stay out of the eyes of the law, and in turn, lets them do their thing.

Relationships
Zenj was something of a ghost for her first little while on Tsominku, up until she joined the Kadasi Circle. As a woman who was disowned by her parents for her rejection of Shinzoka customs and for "tainting the bloodline", as well as a woman who was utterly unaffiliated with the Kagero-Kiza, she had no real relationships upon her early arrival, and up until she was inducted into the Kadasi Circle.

Family
It is unclear if Zenj had any siblings, and she does not speak of her parents. From the implications she has made, as well as her status as a rogue Shinzoka, it is implied that her family disowned her. Evidence supporting this theory is also seen by Zenj's disdain for the Kagero-Kiza organization, of which she was not qualified to join—and none of said criteria being from a lack of skill. As of The Rebirth of Krippa, she also remains unmarried, and does not have any children to speak of either.

Friends
Since she was purportedly disowned by her family and her people, most of Zenj's friends have been acquaintances she met and befriended while in the Kadasi Circle, or in some of her less lawful factions she has joined. Of these, her closest friends are a Todawa named Royota, and her own Kumenza, Eka-Zenj. Her mentor, a Renkida named Korin, also has commanded Zenj's respect, and she holds him in very high regard as a role model, despite the fact that she often teases him for being too stuffy.

Enemies
Enemies of the Kadasi Circle are enemies of Zenj on principle, but her hatred of the Kagero-Kiza and of Shinzoka in general appears to be mutual, although it is unclear who started this grudging dislike. Her calm and playful nature has earned her few enemies outside of her own people and society, although there are the occasional members of the Red Shadows and other criminal factions that occasionally come after her.

Role in the Series
Zenj has a somewhat minor role in the series, primarily as a prominent figure throughout the earlier novels. She and her Kumenza were also responsible for a discovery that later made many changes to Mencuan society.

The Crown of Zivia
Zenj's role is fairly prominent in The Crown of Zivia, where she part of Leto's party as they set out to help dismantle the oppressive hierarchy of the Koldizé Empire. While she is not a primary focus, she still appears enough to be a semi-recurring character.

The Crusade of Zulera
Zenj's role is diminished somewhat by the time of The Crusade of Zulera in comparison to the previous volume, but she was still involved in helping deal with the Renkida Vampire Crisis due to the involvement of the Kadasi Circle in dealing with this conflict.

The Shadows of Shinzoka
While she does not appear directly, Zenj is mentioned several times in The Shadows of Shinzoka, and while she does not play much of a role in Asami's tale, she has several personal issues that get resolved behind the scenes during the time period that encompasses the events of this volume.

The Rebirth of Krippa
Neither Zenj nor her Kadasi Circle comrades appear in The Rebirth of Krippa, but it can be assumed that due to the fall of Krawvill and most of Shinzoka society, that Zenj celebrated this occasion in some form.

Trivia

 * Zenj has a Kumenza named Eka-Zenj.
 * Zenj and Eka-Zenj were the first ones in centuries to make contact with the Talaki.