Auriana Warren, Prizefighter
Professional puncher. Previous (and soon to be again) 185 ponz Thanalan Boxing Conference belt holder. Product of Ala Mhigo.
Boxing Stuff
Record: 16-3-0Weight class(es): 185 ponz, 200 ponzCurrent Streak: 1 LossTitle Defenses: 7Notes:Fast, wicked left hand that will land, generally a matter of when.Hard, occasionally inaccurate jab.Footwork is not particularly technical at times. Has shown improvement over time but still a very real weakness.She possesses a bit of a show(wo)man streak, known to point at center ring and goad opponents into finishing the fight with a highlight reel knockout.At times she throws the jab a little too much, but it does find it's target more often than not.She has a Ala Mhigo flag draped round her shoulders upon every successful title defense. Endearing or grating depending on opinion.------------------------------------------------Notable additions to the resume:Hildelana Trinder: - Remained with a knee on the canvas after a particularly wicked liver shot. 1:50 round three. TKODarwin Wolfe: - Auriana dug deep to the body over the first eight rounds, both to drain the energy and lower the guard.Soon enough, with 30 seconds left in round nine, his guard lowered just enough for a cracking left hand to come in over the top. KOBiorn Gage: - Deep in round eleven, perhaps down on the scorecards, he too wanted to give the fans what they really wanted.As a result, the by now classic point happened and that is where it went down. Auriana slipped an absolute missile of a right hand to counter with a rocket of a left and that was that. KOGoldyna Foster: - Auriana's first opponent in some time to be nearly as big and strong as she is. Going into round 10, scorecards were dead even.Halfway through said round, Auriana cracked her with a solid left, only for the challenger to eat it like it was nothing just about. After two more rounds of being just a little slow on the draw, an absolutely scathing body shot finally did Auriana in. TKOA rematch is in the works for some day soon. The first fight has the lookings of a very close (and as a result profitable) rivalry.
Backstory
Beginnings
Auriana came into being some time before Gaius van Baelsar and his legion waltzed into Ala Mhigo.The insurgency / freedom fighting (depending on perspective) against the king and his madness already had the family debating leaving the city.However, the Empire's legionaries sweeping through the gates of the already battered city-state made such a decision for them.The family was able to make it out, but only just. One of many benefits of knowing one's homeland better than invaders. And having friends with particular sets of skills.After what felt at times like moons of travel, they ended up in what would be called Little Ala Mhigo. They and those that came with them found the surrounding area less than hospitable in a lot of ways. Even for the desert.Necessity being the mother of invention and such, minds were put to the task and before too long, something approaching a city sprung up.
Ul'dah, jewel of Thanalan
Eventually things became stable enough for Auriana to seek out the desert rose Ul'dah as so many others were doing, to try her luck in the city. After winding her way through the refugee intake system, she was able to settle down in the city, for a while anyway.Significantly more comfortable than Little Ala Mhigo (at times), the time had come to earn her keep. Of course there were those that took advantage of Ul'dah's generosity, but not Auriana.On account of all the different things she had ended up doing in Little Ala Mhigo, Auriana did her best to make herself useful. Both to ingratiate herself to those in the city for allowing her to settle there, but also to rack up some coin.
Auriana takes up pugilism
Auriana had taken up pugilism training as a way to work off stress and get in shape, but as time went on it appeared that she might be able to make some coin off of the whole thing at the very least.Back in Little Ala Mhigo she had become one of the boys in a sense, partaking in a quasi legal mini fight club that sprung up several moons into the refugees living there. Even back then, she was able to hold her own and then some.But of course, ideas about becoming professional in such things were little more than dreams.After perhaps the smallest amount of persuasion anyone has ever needed, Auriana found herself in a exhibition boxing match. Several moons to train, no real stakes to speak of.The bout took place outside the city at one of the rest stops on the way to Ul'dah.
The major leagues
Several exhibition fights later and she was able to land a four fight contract with Thanalan's boxing promotion. The operation had not been around very long, however the plan, so she was told anyway, was to unseat the gladiator arena as Ul'dah's favorite sport one day. A lofty goal indeed, but one has to start somewhere.Starting off 0-2 in the first two was less than ideal. And as things go when entering into a business relationship with Syndicate and Monetarist types, were she to go 0-3 that would most likely have been it, more left on the deal or not.After a [small] break to put some more muscle on and tweak some mechanics, the power that got her a contract in the first place returned nearly as swiftly as it had appeared to leave.
Shot at the title
Another contract followed and she won all but 1 of the fights on said contract via knockout or technical knockout. Before she knew it, she was 9-2 overall with 8 knockout victories.After hearing she was next in line for a title shot for what felt like moons, the day finally arrived. And the gravity of the situation didn't really sink in until she was walking out into the middle of the nearly sold out coliseum.When the ninth round came about, the gut feeling that had gotten her to that moment told her that she was probably down on the cards. More than one round, probably. Not ideal. Time to handle business. Championship rounds and all that.The bell sounded, starting the 9th round. Auriana slowly but surely advanced forward, slipping and dodging most of her opponent's strikes, finally setting her feet properly and tossing that left cross killshot. Even in the raucous atmosphere of the coliseum, the sound of her fist connecting was unmistakable. It was over the second fist met flesh.The final bell sounded, her hand was raised, they brought out the (even for Ul'dah's standards) jewel encrusted belt, and that was that. In what was quite possibly a spur of the moment decision, she had the powers that be bring a Ala Mhigo flag out to her to wrap around her shoulders for the post fight interviews and all.Of course that was the plan from the beginning, but it didn't really sink in that she was finally champion for several days after the fact.She went on to defend the belt 7 times, setting the record for defenses in the process and taking on essentially anybody that wanted a shot at the champ.Until someone came around that did, in fact, take a shot at the champ and did not miss. Not even a little.She even ate one of Auriana's signature left crosses, right on the chin, in round four and just kept coming. All the way to a TKO loss for the champion in the eigth round. First of her career. One too many body shots and that was that.
Physical Description
Her hair rapidly became something of a symbol for her, both in the ring and outside it. Nearly highlighter cyan in the right lighting, it's rather difficult to miss.The tattoos also became something of a symbol for hers. The left arm has a full sleeve, both to indicate it is the proverbial money maker and it simply seemed the right thing to do at the time.She stands around 6 fulms 1 ilm, 200 ponz or so out of training camp. She does have designs on snatching more than one belt sooner or later, but she terrorizes the 185 ponz division for the time being.She's not quite body builder levels of jacked, but pretty close. Shredded abs, big ol biceps, thighs like small tree trunks et cetera. Highlanders are generally always big and strong and this one is no exception.Even in the heat of Thanalan, she is rather fond of sweatpants and the like. Perhaps a strange move, but it does not appear to affect the performance inside the ropes.
Personality
Like a lot of fighters, Auriana inside and outside the ring are rather different.Inside the ropes, it's time to do the job, entertain everyone that came to watch her, and get a highlight reel knockout at the end of course. More or less in that order.And as one might expect, she's none too pleased with the Empire. In basically any capacity. Were she not a championship boxer, she very well might have joined the resistance when she was old enough.There are definitely times where the vaguely Scottish Highlander accent becomes more pronounced. Spending time in Ul'dah and all these other places has diminished it to one degree or another but it's still there.