Maquia is a shy, kind-hearted member of the Iorph, an ancient species capable of living for centuries. The Iorph are famous for weaving their memories into cloth called hibiol, and they're also known as "the clan of partings"—a grim nickname that reflects their curse of outliving everyone they care about. Though she had friends in Leilia and Krim and was raised among her people, Maquia struggled with real connection, partly because she'd been orphaned young. Her elders warned her against bonding with other species, knowing the pain that would inevitably follow.
Everything changed when the Mezarte kingdom invaded. They were after the Iorph's longevity, hoping to add it to their own bloodline the way they'd already done with the last of the giant Renato dragons. The invasion was brutal—most of the Iorph were killed, and the women were taken captive. Maquia managed to escape by accident, clinging to a dying, panicked Renato that carried her far into a distant forest.
Alone and desperate to survive, Maquia discovered an abandoned village and found a newborn child. Despite everything her elders had taught her about the pain of connection, she decided to raise him. She named him Ariel. It was a choice that flew in the face of her entire upbringing—not only was she breaking the Iorph's cardinal rule about bonding with shorter-lived species, but she'd have to navigate a human world she barely understood while watching her adopted son age at a rate she never would.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
