The favourite child of the nature goddess Somina, Layla spent her childhood traveling back and forth between her divine mother and fenva father, Glynn. During these years, she listened to many tales of adventure and exploration from Glynn, who was part of an adventuring guild that specialised in obtaining exotic materials for artisan crafts. Glynn himself focused on working with lumber and plant life, having always felt a natural connection to the two.
During his younger years, he had heard rumours of a legendary garden known as the Suveikon, where all time had come to a pause. According to the myths, it was an ancient experiment of Igann's, one that had never been seen by any other than the gods themselves. In that garden, it was said there stood a crystal tree which bore prism shaped fruits granting eternal life, a trait Glynn wished to have for himself.
Ever the adventurer, he sought nothing more than to live an unending life of travel and discovery.
Being so, he was fully resolved to uncover the location of this garden. Glynn pursued its whereabouts with zealous dedication, taking it upon himself to trace the whispers of its ancient legends all across the land. Through stormy seas, frigid ice, and burning sands, he persisted, never losing his sense of wonder. It was during these travels that he caught the eye of Somina and conceived a child with her.
Far flung destinations were hardly a fitting place to raise an infant, and as such, Glynn was content for Somina to bring their child back to Resovinasis.
Being born into a comfortable, yet closed off world, Layla grew up quite happy. There was little friction with her mother, who constantly showered her with affection. But always, Layla yearned for more.
The sprawling azure skies of the wider world was what she yearned to spend her days beneath. Once she had grown a bit older, Layla made the decision to live with her father instead. She had heard much of the far flung realms he'd visited, as Somina never failed to talk highly of his many experiences. From the moment she first learned of the adventurer life, Layla knew that was what her heart desired.
Her thirst for sightseeing and exploring drew her away from the life of a typical fenvasi, where she would be bound to the will of the gods she served. So before she had to settle into her inevitable role as a fenvasi, she took it upon herself to wander with her father, assisting him with his work.
The truth was, somewhere throughout the year, she too had become enamoured by the idea of the Suveikon. Layla began to hope that she and Glynn would become the first to explore its walls and bear witness to the powers of the mystical fruits within. The treasures they would find, the magic they would encounter, it made her feel starry-eyed to even think about.
Yet more than anything else, a part of her hoped to be able to explore the world with Glynn forever. Life was fleeting, and she hoped it wouldn't end like that.
If the rest of her days could be spent on the road with her father, going from place to place to experience all the world had to offer, she would have never wanted for anything else.
However, as it was, it would not come to be. Even the uninitiated fenvasi aged very slowly, and though they didn't possess the indefinite lifespan of a true fenvasi, they would always outlive their fragile fenva counterparts.
When Glynn eventually passed from old age, they had obtained few leads as to the garden's potential locations. The loss saddened Layla, but she had no time to stop and mourn.
As Glynn had always said, there was beauty to be had in everything. And even in the moments where sadness began to colour her vision, Layla could always look past the fraying edges and into the distant horizons.
She had been to so many places, seen so many things, and experienced so many unforgettable moments. Death didn't bother her, it was something she had accepted from a young age. She felt the loss of Glynn pulling at her heart, but she also felt the world pulling her heart in the opposite direction with no shortage of force.
The true end of a person was when they stopped being free. Layla believed in this ideal, and in the years to come, it guided her every waking moment. She had never wanted for happiness, even in the worst of times, because she never cared for restrictions set by others.
Regardless of her heritage and destiny, Layla knew she would always find the path forward. Even if it meant clearing out the entire forest to build that path herself.
In the months following, Layla returned to Resovinasis, still seeking to continue her search for the Suveikon. She took the oath as a fenvasi, binding herself to the gods for the promise of a longer life and stronger body so that she may one day see her search to its end. Shortly after completing her training, she decided to join the ranks of their dolkunrulla, an adventurer's guild, knowing it would allow her to traverse the globe throughout her many assignments.
Layla felt a sense of pride to follow in her dear father's footsteps; though he was gone, she would tirelessly look to finish what he had started. And with that, she began to mirror Glynn's path, becoming a dolkunru who sought not just their quarry, but their own dreams of treasure and wonder as well.
Even without Glynn as a travelling companion, she continued to carry his favourite compass with her, holding his name and ambitions close by. And when the day came that she finally found the Suveikon herself, she would want nothing more than to bring it with her past its walls, holding her head high with the knowledge that the two of them had succeeded at long last.