Darya D'Arcy

Human Name: Darya D'Arcy
City Representing: Abadan, Persia
(Reza Shah asked the Western world to use 'Iran' in 1935, but the UK continued to use 'Persia' for some time, at the request of Winston Churchill. See her backstory for why this is even relevant.)
Human Age: ~19
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Carnival Alliance: Mistique
Special Skills or Talents: None
Role in Carnival: Investor (sort of; see backstory)

Appearance:
(terrible ref #1)
(terrible ref #2)

She normally wears a shawl or coat of some kind--partly to cover her back and arms, and partly because as she finds the weather here to be on the 'chilly' side. (The world's highest unconfirmed temperature was during a heat burst in Abadan: 188 degrees Fahrenheit. In general, the climate there tends to be very hot and dry.)

Special Personal Items: Gold jewelry (Iranian ladies traditionally keep their wealth in their jewelry)
Anything Else:
Due to the Iraqi use of chemical weaponry in Abadan, she suffers from a myriad of ailments. Most physically noticeable is the extensive burn scars on her back, and some patches of discoloring on the backs of her arms and thighs, left by mustard gas. She also has difficulty breathing, at times, and is prone to coughing. (Of all Iranians--both soldiers and civilians--exposed to mustard gas, 95% have had long-term respiratory damage, and 83% have skin lesions.) In addition, the nerve agents used (namely, tabun and sarin) have caused her to have developed symptoms of chronic polyneuropathy. Sporadically, she will get a pins-and-needles sensation, numbness, and/or loss of vibration/position sense (i.e. knowing where the arms and legs are), in her hands and feet.
The incessant bombing of the city has also left her with a mild case of hyperacusis: over-sensitivity to the volume of sounds. In particularly loud environments, she will sometimes break down into a crying spell and/or panic attack. (Mothers and grandmothers in Abadan during the bombing had to plug their children's ears with their fingers, least they "go crazy" from the noise.)

Of course, since she doesn't recall any of this, she believes that she was born with these problems or (in the case of the burns) acquired them at an age too young to remember.

AU Background History:
Having lost her parents at a young age in Abadan (there is no solid record of who founded the city first, but it has historically been passed between Arab and Persian hands--in fact, it was not even 'officially' named the Persian word 'Abadan' until 1935), she's spent most of her life in the same home as Arash--though as a servant. 
Her sole job since childhood has been to fetch buckets of water for the large household, for the cooking, washing, and cleaning. (Abadan is located at the joining of the Tigris and Euphrates; the water that fed the earliest civilization. The very name 'Abadan' is believed to have stemmed partly from the Persian word 'ab', which means 'water'.) It was a hard life, given her condition, but it was preferable to starving in the streets.
However, as her symptoms began to worsen over time, it became clear that she was becoming unfit for a life of labor. By her teens, her future was looking unclear.

But when a wealthy British businessman came to Persia looking for oil, and interested in a guide to help him around, Amir gave him Darya (the British were given oil rights to practically the entire country, by the Qajar Shah), on the agreement that she would be taken back to England for medical treatment.
When Darya ended up helping to lead the party to the oil in Abadan, she was adopted by the businessman (the city became centered around the Anglo-Persian Oil Company) and was brought back to England to experience a life of wealth and luxury (by the late 30's, the refinery in Abadan boomed into the world's largest oil refinery). Her health has not improved greatly, as there are few available treatments--though being in a better environment helped her tremendously, psychologically. She has acquired excellent English, though her Persian accent does sometimes slip through her received pronunciation. (Abadan, also by the late 30's, enjoyed higher education, as a result of the oil company.)

After living in England for a while, she was unfortunate enough to be inside a cinema that caught fire, and though she escaped without injury, the smoke aggravated her respiratory problems. (The Cinema Rex in Abadan was set aflame--purportedly by revolutionaries, though some blame the Shah's secret police--killing over 400 people trapped inside.) Being somewhat traumatized by the experience, she was sent on vacation to America for a change of scenery. Despite that she found it dismal, at best, she did become fascinated by one thing: the carnival. Having convinced her new family to invest in the spectacle, she, after the disastrous brothel fire and third breakdown in leadership, went from being a regular carnival-goer to traveling with them. To make sure there are no more mishaps...


((No, I do not intend for her to take over, but she will always be there. Watching. Scrutinizing. Arguing. True Persian-style--/SHOT))

Accepted lol why do I even have to say so anymore-- XD

RULES ARE NOT MADE TO BE BROKEN, MA'AM.

Although I didn't bother claiming--/SHOT