Character

Raised by a family that knew mostly the trade of weaving, Zhango grew up in the wooded lanes of Gridania. His mother, a weaver and his father a merchant had sent Zhango's oldest brother to peddle their wares in Ala Mhigo. He had not been there for more than three days when the Garlean empire attacked.

Like many whose family or friends had been in Ala Mhigo during the attack, Zhango and his family did not discover the fate of Nair until weeks following the first news of the Garlean empire's attack reached Gridania. Zhango was still a child who adored his brother, when it was explained to him why his brother would not be returning--and that he'd gone to be with the Twelve--Zhango had difficulty accepting it. To this day Zhango harbors a deep-seated hatred for the Garleans. Not just for taking his brother from him, but for all the pain and misery that they caused.

His family became very isolated following the memorial service held for Nair. Neither Zhango nor his sisters were allowed to travel far from the city limits. Though his two sisters were content with their lives in Gridania, Zhango was not. Zhango harbored a great deal of resentment toward the Garleans who took his brother from him and spent much of the remainder of his youth cultivating this anger.

As Eorzean city-states restructured and the guilds established themselves, Zhango--against his father's will--began to study the bow and the art of conjuration with a mind towards becoming an adventurer. The divide between Zhango and his family grew. Eventually, Zhango decided to leave Gridania; hoping that despite the differences he and his father had that he might still receive his blessings, Zhango returned home. Upon announcing his decision to leave Gridania to his family, Zhango's father stood and left the room. There would be no reconciliation between father and son.

Reassuring his mother and sisters that he would not bring shame upon the family name, he enacted the rite of cyracenilia, giving up his family name and choosing a new one. Given one of his late-brother's affects (an Onion Helm), Zhango left Gridania with no plans on returning any time soon. His first stop would be to see Ala Mhigo with his own eyes, then to travel until he could find the strength to challenge the Garleans and avenge his brother's death.