Zaru'Kina

Zaru'Kina was a human village in the Western Forests. It was the birthplace of Lyralei. On the date of her birth, a violent storm swept through the village, destroying everything in sight. Prior to its destruction, the people of Zaru'Kina was known to wear leather pads on their shoulders, and style their hair in topknots. They worshiped the sacred Gilded Falcon, and told stories of Angvols, mysterious flying beings that blessed them in battle.

Culture
The people of Zaru'Kina were guided by a council formed from worshippers of the Angvols and the Order of the Rising Wind, a hereditary order of wind-worshippers. Most in the line were born with the blessing of the wind, with Lyralei's grandmother being a very rare exception.

The spiritual leader of Zaru'Kina was a high priest, a position once held by Lyralei's grandfather.

Ostracism of the Wind-Worshippers
Lyralei's grandfather was known to have a heavy distrust of the Order of the Rising Gale. However, he did not rush to action. When his son became romantically involved with a member of the Order's oldest family, he sanctioned the union and welcomed the woman who would become Lyralei's grandmother, and associated with the Order to learn about their ways. Then, he gradually spread fear and mistrust among the people of Zaru'Kina, slowly making the wind-worshippers of the Order pariahs in the village. What happened next is unclear, though it is likely that many crimes were committed against the wind-worshippers as a result.

Destruction
Upon Lyralei's birth, she received the blessing of the wind, and the wind spirit took the opportunity to right the wrongs that had been committed against its worshippers and pass judgment on Zaru'Kina. A savage storm swept through the village and destroyed it completely, while whisking the newborn Lyralei away to another village and depositing her on the doorstep of her soon-to-be foster family. Growing up, Lyralei was told that she had been left there by a Zaru'Kinan refugee, though others in the village told her that there were no Zaru'Kinan refugees. When Lyralei visited the ruins of Zaru'Kina later in life, she would confirm that there had been no survivors of the destruction save for herself.