Nhovi Mokov (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
equivocator) wrote2014-07-12 07:38 am
equivocator) wrote2014-07-12 07:38 am
written history
Nhovi's Moon Keeper parents (mother: Zhu Mokov & father: Tsimh'sae Maimhov) and two elder siblings (Miah & Zhu'a) were the last among her mother's family to leave Gridania. Zhu's family had long been in Ala Mhigo, certain distant relatives' ancestors having left from before the Autumn War. They were tradespeople, and sought to cash in on war as an industry with their respective goods. A soldier will always need armor and arms, after all.
Her mother had established strong ties with the Conjurer's Guild, having undertaken the art herself, and her father made a living as a leatherworker. So they were reluctant to leave that behind despite the promise of work in Ala Mhigo. But they ultimately did, swayed by Zhu's persistent sisters and maybe a little of a pure money bribe.
Nhovi was yet unborn at the time of their departure, and her mother's condition from arrival until birth was exceptional. Baby Nhovi herself was in good health. Her parents took it as a sign of good things to come. And things were good, considering the wealth and booming economy of a military power. They made a good living there off of Zhu's medicine practice and Tsimh'sae's trade. That was until the King of Ruin, Theodorac, finally sparked the conflict that had been brewing among the recently militarized Fist of Rhalgr and the rest of Ala Mhigo.
A scant two years after immigrating, the massacre of a main temple left the monkhood devastated and the Mokov family significantly smaller.
One of Zhu's sisters was a monk there, and their other sisters had gone to visit and bring the monks some food. While the Mokov family was not all as devout as Nhovi's aunt was, they all had the faith in Rhalgr in common. In fact, it had been one of the main reasons they were drawn to Gyr Abania in the first place. But this common thread brought Theodorac down on their heads, though it took until a while later in his reign for the last of them to be tracked down. Though it is a slow process, it claims the lives of her father, her brother, and then her mother.
Nhovi, being extremely young at the time, didn't understand much of it. She just knew Theodorac was a bad man, that her mother cried often, and that she wasn't permitted to leave the company of either her parents or one of her elder siblings for even a second. She grew up that way, and it wasn't until she was much older that she was allowed to be on her own. The loss of family disturbed her deeply, but she was inordinately stoic about it, especially in comparison to her last remaining relative: her eldest sibling, Miah. Miah was beside herself, wracked with guilt and despair as their life fell apart around them.
They abandoned the house, stepping into the slums and moving ceaselessly through the vast city, never sleeping in the same place twice. They stole from shops all across town, Miah seeing begging as a bad idea as people would remember a pair of young miqo'te beggars. Though she was the eldest of the Mokov children, Nhovi's sister was only 13, and had no idea how to go about leaving the city. Their late mother had instilled into both of their minds that it was impossible anyways-- after all, their father had gone to investigate the gates, only to be singled out by the Ruin King's cronies. They were trapped.
It's around this time that Nhovi picks up the habit of lying; she was encouraged by Miah to do so, in order to stave off the other girl's paranoia. If they mentioned in passing convincingly to other people that they were going one place but didn't actually go there, she reckoned, it would surely throw the "bad folk" off their trails.
Nhovi and Miah often "happened" to pass the then-daily beheadings, her sister muttering to her about destruction as they did so. (Miah totally did this on purpose to try and get Nhovi to react strongly.)
The Garlean invasion left them further displaced, but carried along by the hope in a foreign nation taking the country-- and more importantly, their city of Ala Mhigo-- to reshape and rebuild with new stability, the sisters were in higher spirits than they had been for years. Though things were chaotic for many years longer, the Garleans provided a stability with the introduction of reworked magitek, armed law enforcement, supplies, and construction projects.
Ala Mhigo was to be their foothold in Eorzea, so they fortified it in every way they could. One of these ways was with propaganda. They were offered shelter in a Garlean orphanage, where both sisters underwent a thorough diet of imperialistic dialog. Nhovi ate it up completely, enjoying the feeling of belonging the Garlean agenda offered her, and underwent military schooling along with Miah. They studied in Garlemald for a number of years, indulging in the mandatory military training.
Because Miah was much older than Nhovi, she only went through the mandatory 3 yrs of schooling and training before she was sent back to Ala Mhigo to be enlisted under their own Legatus Gaius van Baelsar's army; the glorious XIVth Imperial Legion. Miah was immensely hesitant, but Nhovi eventually convinced her it would be alright.
And again it was. Up until the assault on Silvertear Lake. Nhovi hears about the accident in Bozja Citadel, hears about Cid nan Garlond's desertion, and her tension only rises as Miah sends her a letter saying she is being deployed to her first major operation. Though certain things are definitely confidential-- Miah expresses frustration with not being able to tell her in an easily intercepted letter-- she also understands that something major is underway.
Nearly a month passes with no word from Miah, but also no confirmation of her death before she receives a letter at long last. Nhovi weeps in profuse relief. Miah has been deeply injured, though she is expected to make a full recovery and return to duty when she can.
There was something off about the letter Miah sent, besides it being typewritten, and Nhovi suspected that it was written by someone else. Especially as the next letters-- while as vague as ever-- are rapidly and increasingly baffling and incoherent. She writes about "grave forces" and of serpents swallowing the moon and many meandering, winding descriptions of things reflected in crystals. It is a concern, but she writes it off as loneliness as suggested by her drill.
Through the vague terms used to describe military operation and worry for her sister's health, Nhovi is rapidly eager to join the front lines. And when she turns 16-- just old enough to join her sister and Empire in battle-- she does exactly that.
Miah and Nhovi reunite, and it's awful. The time apart was massive, and the two sisters approached each other completely different people. Seven years had passed, and neither knew what to do with the other. Miah was a shell of the already hollowed person she had been when they parted, and Nhovi had found immense strength in military discipline. Seeing her sister again lets the now stoic and battle-hardened Miah crack.
The legion is strict with what information is allowed where, and Miah is convinced they are going to level their gunblade firing squad on her instead of rebels. Nhovi manages to calm her down and keep her in control, requesting permission from their superiors to stay with her sister as much as possible-- it's to fortify her resolve and to help her gather her innermost strength. Nhovi reassures her superiors that Miah is no threat to herself or others, but it's important that they stay close together. She is granted that, and their childhood inseparability comes into play once more.
Through these years, Nhovi is promoted twice for her loyalty to her state. Though there's not much going on here, there are occasional attacks by groups opposed to Garlean rule, and Nhovi always does her best to bring down as many as possible in the heat of battle.
She rises from ordinary legionary to optio (an assistant of a centurion) and then to centurion herself; she ends up as the commander of a specialized squad of 25 legionaries. Hers is specifically for stealth/scouting operations. Miah was among those legionaries under Nhovi's command, though her time as an optio left Miah behind.
With Nael von Darnus brought back in from the east, the military takes a rapid shift toward the brutal. Execution becomes a daily ordeal, with soldiers on gunblade firing squad ridding the prisons of captured resistance groups. This has its intended effect on Nhovi, more or less-- she's already very desensitized to death, but it completely wipes away any hesitation she had about personally killing prior. Meanwhile, it distresses Miah greatly-- to the point of speaking out about it, however quietly and privately.
Nhovi and Miah remain in Ala Mhigo only a few weeks more, being transported to Gaius von Baelsar's secret base, Castrum Novum, in Mor Dhona. It is a huge fucking deal and Nhovi can't think of any greater honor, tending to her duties with vigilance and helping Miah with hers.
They know of the VIIth's activities-- that they are personally mining or overseeing the mining of crystals and raw cerulean fuel, presumably to fuel massive amounts of magitek. The lunar transmitter is rumored among the junior centurion to be housed in their very own Castrum Novum, but there is nothing even remotely resembling solid information on that. Asking someone who does definitely know is basically suicide. Just that the site sees many skilled technicians each day, and that the Meteor Project has definitely been restarted with an announcement Nael van Darnus makes to reassure troops.
She wasn't personally worried about the fate that befell Bozja Citadel happening to their Castrum Novum; she trusted the Empire to keep her and her peers safe.
Nhovi's knowledge of the other squads' movements come from outside report. Around the time the Archons begin to appear, Nhovi hears one such report. She knows someone from childhood-- a young Midlander boy-- who is moved from Castrum Novum to attack citystates. He dies in Ul'dah, and she barely reacts beyond revering him as a 'good soldier' willing to die for his Empire.
This creates a great deal of friction between the sisters-- the Midlander was a mutual friend-- and as things inevitably heat up through the weeks to come, things only get worse. Miah's doomsaying paranoia frustrates Nhovi immensely, and she is short-tempered with her consistently now, whereas before she had near-infinite patience. As the Grand Companies go about destroying eikons, Miah refers to the eikons as primals, speaks about the Empire tempering its soldiers, and Nhovi is increasingly defensive and vicious.
It only gets worse as time goes on-- Miah is weepy and slacks off during her duty, nearly landing Nhovi into deep trouble. She manages to subvert it by giving Miah a brutal punishment lashing, and that makes the other girl smarten up. Though in private she is nigh blasphemous, she keeps her composure better in public.
With the attack on Castrum Novum, the sisters are off with their squad on chocoback doing surveillance-- they return as the base burns with volatile cerulean fuel, and as Nael van Darnus leaves the transmitter's chamber. Nhovi remembers striking their salute, holding it, and watching the lively form of the Legatus from the corner of her eye. She thought him glorious, even after knowing the burning of their base was his doing, but not everyone held their leadership in such vibrant esteem.
Miah seemed to know voicing her doubts was a death sentence, as sure enough the Empire began killing those among their ranks so disloyal. It picks up speed with Nael's death a few days later at the hands of the Eorzean Alliance, and then a quiet takes its place. Nhovi thinks it was mourning the loss of a glorious leader, as that is how she felt-- but it was more likely a sense of fear among those with wavering belief. Gaius issues the command to withdraw back to Ala Mhigo from their temporary camp.
The combination of voidsent, the red moon closing in, and execution of their fellow soldiers has Miah completely losing her mind. She approaches Nhovi as they march back to Ala Mhigo, in the dead of night, and begs her to escape the "bad folk" with her. It disgusts Nhovi, and she refuses vehemently. Why abandon the Empire that had given them everything? But her refusal does not dissuade Miah, and she has left by morning.
Nhovi is interrogated for that as though she were an enemy. It shakes her, but it does not actually cause any crisis of faith. She reassures them to the best of her ability that Miah's leaving was a betrayal to them all. Though it's painful, she denounces Miah as a traitor. Her superiors take it, and they continue their march toward Ala Mhigo.
Their march is slow going on account of it being partially on foot, and it's in the Black Shroud that they watch Dalamud finally sink and break apart. The sight of the elder eikon fills them with fear and dread, and they continue on rapidly through the Shroud and around to the border. But while Bahamut scares her senseless, she thinks of her sister first-- Miah must be besides herself.
There's a long moment of hesitation as she's called forward by a fellow centurion, fixed in a deep trance by the sight of Dalamud's fragments descending upon the citystates. She finally makes the hard decision of abandoning all the stability she had amassed in her life, and pulls away from her army in the chaos of a piece falling much too close for comfort.
She is chased, but she throws them-- her specialty is stealth, and they are not extremely eager to follow anyways.
Nhovi stops in a secluded area to change out of her Imperial uniform; she'd brought a few changes of clothes and her savings to carry her through Eorzea. She regretfully dumps the uniform (sans gunblade and centurion helmet) and carries on.
She heads to Ul'dah with her chocobo, and attempts to figure out what to do. The gravity of having left behind so much on the off chance her sister wasn't killed-- or killed herself-- quickly sinks in. She's a centurion, and she's convinced that people will be looking for her. But in the vast city of Ul'dah, she can blend in for a while. She takes an inn room, stowing away her things, and out of desperation she registers with the adventurer's guild under a false name. This brought forth her old habit from childhood in full force: Nhovi developed the paranoia she had detested in her sister, and lied extensively to cover her tracks.
Nhovi Maimhov then took up thaumaturgy. It was initially on a whim since she could only operate gunblades and other magitek efficiently. Neither of which were conductive to inconspicuousness, and she thought it would be a better fit for her purposes than the Gladiator's guild. She'd always been more of a ranged fighter, though she was by no means physically unable. It ended up being something she had a predisposition to. Probably because of her mother, she thinks.
Ul'dah was not somewhere she could stay forever, though-- about two years into her stay there, she swore for an instant she saw a familiar face from the Legion. That was all it took for her to fly the coop. She was getting a nasty reputation for being dishonest, and she's certain she must have let her massive pro-Garlean ideology let slip sometime after a couple of pints at the Quicksand. There was really nothing to lose from starting over; living the typical adventurer life and doing fetch quests brought no consistent coin, but that was alright. So she took her chocobo and left, simple as that.
From there, she traveled all about. Her habit of lying worked for traveling like this, and it was nostalgic to never sleep in the same place more than once or twice. She took an interest in the Allag, traveling to the wreckage of Dalamud scattered about and visiting the sites of particularly nasty ruin. She did research while continuing her pursuit of thaumaturgy, and slowly began to put together the pieces of what her Empire hid from her. It was a gradual thing that brought her a sense of understanding. Though she still worshiped the Legati of the VIIth and XIVth Legions and His Radiance and every piece of the Imperial puzzle, the pursuit of knowledge was something that gave her deep satisfaction.
With that realization, she decided that she had a goal, now; gifted with the ability to both use magic and magitek, she would study intensely and without pause. She would learn to manufacture the deadly weapons the Garlean army employed, and return to them with her research in tow. She would offer it up to them, hoping to contribute to their stalled war effort before they took her head for deserting.
But throughout this, she gradually comes to terms with the fact that she will never see her sister again. It's not too tough, since she pointedly avoids thinking about it in personal terms and makes herself look at it objectively. It's unlikely that Miah survived past the Calamity, but going to look for her like this gave her the opportunity to find a way to apologize to their Empire for both of them.
Her mother had established strong ties with the Conjurer's Guild, having undertaken the art herself, and her father made a living as a leatherworker. So they were reluctant to leave that behind despite the promise of work in Ala Mhigo. But they ultimately did, swayed by Zhu's persistent sisters and maybe a little of a pure money bribe.
Nhovi was yet unborn at the time of their departure, and her mother's condition from arrival until birth was exceptional. Baby Nhovi herself was in good health. Her parents took it as a sign of good things to come. And things were good, considering the wealth and booming economy of a military power. They made a good living there off of Zhu's medicine practice and Tsimh'sae's trade. That was until the King of Ruin, Theodorac, finally sparked the conflict that had been brewing among the recently militarized Fist of Rhalgr and the rest of Ala Mhigo.
A scant two years after immigrating, the massacre of a main temple left the monkhood devastated and the Mokov family significantly smaller.
One of Zhu's sisters was a monk there, and their other sisters had gone to visit and bring the monks some food. While the Mokov family was not all as devout as Nhovi's aunt was, they all had the faith in Rhalgr in common. In fact, it had been one of the main reasons they were drawn to Gyr Abania in the first place. But this common thread brought Theodorac down on their heads, though it took until a while later in his reign for the last of them to be tracked down. Though it is a slow process, it claims the lives of her father, her brother, and then her mother.
Nhovi, being extremely young at the time, didn't understand much of it. She just knew Theodorac was a bad man, that her mother cried often, and that she wasn't permitted to leave the company of either her parents or one of her elder siblings for even a second. She grew up that way, and it wasn't until she was much older that she was allowed to be on her own. The loss of family disturbed her deeply, but she was inordinately stoic about it, especially in comparison to her last remaining relative: her eldest sibling, Miah. Miah was beside herself, wracked with guilt and despair as their life fell apart around them.
They abandoned the house, stepping into the slums and moving ceaselessly through the vast city, never sleeping in the same place twice. They stole from shops all across town, Miah seeing begging as a bad idea as people would remember a pair of young miqo'te beggars. Though she was the eldest of the Mokov children, Nhovi's sister was only 13, and had no idea how to go about leaving the city. Their late mother had instilled into both of their minds that it was impossible anyways-- after all, their father had gone to investigate the gates, only to be singled out by the Ruin King's cronies. They were trapped.
It's around this time that Nhovi picks up the habit of lying; she was encouraged by Miah to do so, in order to stave off the other girl's paranoia. If they mentioned in passing convincingly to other people that they were going one place but didn't actually go there, she reckoned, it would surely throw the "bad folk" off their trails.
Nhovi and Miah often "happened" to pass the then-daily beheadings, her sister muttering to her about destruction as they did so. (Miah totally did this on purpose to try and get Nhovi to react strongly.)
The Garlean invasion left them further displaced, but carried along by the hope in a foreign nation taking the country-- and more importantly, their city of Ala Mhigo-- to reshape and rebuild with new stability, the sisters were in higher spirits than they had been for years. Though things were chaotic for many years longer, the Garleans provided a stability with the introduction of reworked magitek, armed law enforcement, supplies, and construction projects.
Ala Mhigo was to be their foothold in Eorzea, so they fortified it in every way they could. One of these ways was with propaganda. They were offered shelter in a Garlean orphanage, where both sisters underwent a thorough diet of imperialistic dialog. Nhovi ate it up completely, enjoying the feeling of belonging the Garlean agenda offered her, and underwent military schooling along with Miah. They studied in Garlemald for a number of years, indulging in the mandatory military training.
Because Miah was much older than Nhovi, she only went through the mandatory 3 yrs of schooling and training before she was sent back to Ala Mhigo to be enlisted under their own Legatus Gaius van Baelsar's army; the glorious XIVth Imperial Legion. Miah was immensely hesitant, but Nhovi eventually convinced her it would be alright.
And again it was. Up until the assault on Silvertear Lake. Nhovi hears about the accident in Bozja Citadel, hears about Cid nan Garlond's desertion, and her tension only rises as Miah sends her a letter saying she is being deployed to her first major operation. Though certain things are definitely confidential-- Miah expresses frustration with not being able to tell her in an easily intercepted letter-- she also understands that something major is underway.
Nearly a month passes with no word from Miah, but also no confirmation of her death before she receives a letter at long last. Nhovi weeps in profuse relief. Miah has been deeply injured, though she is expected to make a full recovery and return to duty when she can.
There was something off about the letter Miah sent, besides it being typewritten, and Nhovi suspected that it was written by someone else. Especially as the next letters-- while as vague as ever-- are rapidly and increasingly baffling and incoherent. She writes about "grave forces" and of serpents swallowing the moon and many meandering, winding descriptions of things reflected in crystals. It is a concern, but she writes it off as loneliness as suggested by her drill.
Through the vague terms used to describe military operation and worry for her sister's health, Nhovi is rapidly eager to join the front lines. And when she turns 16-- just old enough to join her sister and Empire in battle-- she does exactly that.
Miah and Nhovi reunite, and it's awful. The time apart was massive, and the two sisters approached each other completely different people. Seven years had passed, and neither knew what to do with the other. Miah was a shell of the already hollowed person she had been when they parted, and Nhovi had found immense strength in military discipline. Seeing her sister again lets the now stoic and battle-hardened Miah crack.
The legion is strict with what information is allowed where, and Miah is convinced they are going to level their gunblade firing squad on her instead of rebels. Nhovi manages to calm her down and keep her in control, requesting permission from their superiors to stay with her sister as much as possible-- it's to fortify her resolve and to help her gather her innermost strength. Nhovi reassures her superiors that Miah is no threat to herself or others, but it's important that they stay close together. She is granted that, and their childhood inseparability comes into play once more.
Through these years, Nhovi is promoted twice for her loyalty to her state. Though there's not much going on here, there are occasional attacks by groups opposed to Garlean rule, and Nhovi always does her best to bring down as many as possible in the heat of battle.
She rises from ordinary legionary to optio (an assistant of a centurion) and then to centurion herself; she ends up as the commander of a specialized squad of 25 legionaries. Hers is specifically for stealth/scouting operations. Miah was among those legionaries under Nhovi's command, though her time as an optio left Miah behind.
With Nael von Darnus brought back in from the east, the military takes a rapid shift toward the brutal. Execution becomes a daily ordeal, with soldiers on gunblade firing squad ridding the prisons of captured resistance groups. This has its intended effect on Nhovi, more or less-- she's already very desensitized to death, but it completely wipes away any hesitation she had about personally killing prior. Meanwhile, it distresses Miah greatly-- to the point of speaking out about it, however quietly and privately.
Nhovi and Miah remain in Ala Mhigo only a few weeks more, being transported to Gaius von Baelsar's secret base, Castrum Novum, in Mor Dhona. It is a huge fucking deal and Nhovi can't think of any greater honor, tending to her duties with vigilance and helping Miah with hers.
They know of the VIIth's activities-- that they are personally mining or overseeing the mining of crystals and raw cerulean fuel, presumably to fuel massive amounts of magitek. The lunar transmitter is rumored among the junior centurion to be housed in their very own Castrum Novum, but there is nothing even remotely resembling solid information on that. Asking someone who does definitely know is basically suicide. Just that the site sees many skilled technicians each day, and that the Meteor Project has definitely been restarted with an announcement Nael van Darnus makes to reassure troops.
She wasn't personally worried about the fate that befell Bozja Citadel happening to their Castrum Novum; she trusted the Empire to keep her and her peers safe.
Nhovi's knowledge of the other squads' movements come from outside report. Around the time the Archons begin to appear, Nhovi hears one such report. She knows someone from childhood-- a young Midlander boy-- who is moved from Castrum Novum to attack citystates. He dies in Ul'dah, and she barely reacts beyond revering him as a 'good soldier' willing to die for his Empire.
This creates a great deal of friction between the sisters-- the Midlander was a mutual friend-- and as things inevitably heat up through the weeks to come, things only get worse. Miah's doomsaying paranoia frustrates Nhovi immensely, and she is short-tempered with her consistently now, whereas before she had near-infinite patience. As the Grand Companies go about destroying eikons, Miah refers to the eikons as primals, speaks about the Empire tempering its soldiers, and Nhovi is increasingly defensive and vicious.
It only gets worse as time goes on-- Miah is weepy and slacks off during her duty, nearly landing Nhovi into deep trouble. She manages to subvert it by giving Miah a brutal punishment lashing, and that makes the other girl smarten up. Though in private she is nigh blasphemous, she keeps her composure better in public.
With the attack on Castrum Novum, the sisters are off with their squad on chocoback doing surveillance-- they return as the base burns with volatile cerulean fuel, and as Nael van Darnus leaves the transmitter's chamber. Nhovi remembers striking their salute, holding it, and watching the lively form of the Legatus from the corner of her eye. She thought him glorious, even after knowing the burning of their base was his doing, but not everyone held their leadership in such vibrant esteem.
Miah seemed to know voicing her doubts was a death sentence, as sure enough the Empire began killing those among their ranks so disloyal. It picks up speed with Nael's death a few days later at the hands of the Eorzean Alliance, and then a quiet takes its place. Nhovi thinks it was mourning the loss of a glorious leader, as that is how she felt-- but it was more likely a sense of fear among those with wavering belief. Gaius issues the command to withdraw back to Ala Mhigo from their temporary camp.
The combination of voidsent, the red moon closing in, and execution of their fellow soldiers has Miah completely losing her mind. She approaches Nhovi as they march back to Ala Mhigo, in the dead of night, and begs her to escape the "bad folk" with her. It disgusts Nhovi, and she refuses vehemently. Why abandon the Empire that had given them everything? But her refusal does not dissuade Miah, and she has left by morning.
Nhovi is interrogated for that as though she were an enemy. It shakes her, but it does not actually cause any crisis of faith. She reassures them to the best of her ability that Miah's leaving was a betrayal to them all. Though it's painful, she denounces Miah as a traitor. Her superiors take it, and they continue their march toward Ala Mhigo.
Their march is slow going on account of it being partially on foot, and it's in the Black Shroud that they watch Dalamud finally sink and break apart. The sight of the elder eikon fills them with fear and dread, and they continue on rapidly through the Shroud and around to the border. But while Bahamut scares her senseless, she thinks of her sister first-- Miah must be besides herself.
There's a long moment of hesitation as she's called forward by a fellow centurion, fixed in a deep trance by the sight of Dalamud's fragments descending upon the citystates. She finally makes the hard decision of abandoning all the stability she had amassed in her life, and pulls away from her army in the chaos of a piece falling much too close for comfort.
She is chased, but she throws them-- her specialty is stealth, and they are not extremely eager to follow anyways.
Nhovi stops in a secluded area to change out of her Imperial uniform; she'd brought a few changes of clothes and her savings to carry her through Eorzea. She regretfully dumps the uniform (sans gunblade and centurion helmet) and carries on.
She heads to Ul'dah with her chocobo, and attempts to figure out what to do. The gravity of having left behind so much on the off chance her sister wasn't killed-- or killed herself-- quickly sinks in. She's a centurion, and she's convinced that people will be looking for her. But in the vast city of Ul'dah, she can blend in for a while. She takes an inn room, stowing away her things, and out of desperation she registers with the adventurer's guild under a false name. This brought forth her old habit from childhood in full force: Nhovi developed the paranoia she had detested in her sister, and lied extensively to cover her tracks.
Nhovi Maimhov then took up thaumaturgy. It was initially on a whim since she could only operate gunblades and other magitek efficiently. Neither of which were conductive to inconspicuousness, and she thought it would be a better fit for her purposes than the Gladiator's guild. She'd always been more of a ranged fighter, though she was by no means physically unable. It ended up being something she had a predisposition to. Probably because of her mother, she thinks.
Ul'dah was not somewhere she could stay forever, though-- about two years into her stay there, she swore for an instant she saw a familiar face from the Legion. That was all it took for her to fly the coop. She was getting a nasty reputation for being dishonest, and she's certain she must have let her massive pro-Garlean ideology let slip sometime after a couple of pints at the Quicksand. There was really nothing to lose from starting over; living the typical adventurer life and doing fetch quests brought no consistent coin, but that was alright. So she took her chocobo and left, simple as that.
From there, she traveled all about. Her habit of lying worked for traveling like this, and it was nostalgic to never sleep in the same place more than once or twice. She took an interest in the Allag, traveling to the wreckage of Dalamud scattered about and visiting the sites of particularly nasty ruin. She did research while continuing her pursuit of thaumaturgy, and slowly began to put together the pieces of what her Empire hid from her. It was a gradual thing that brought her a sense of understanding. Though she still worshiped the Legati of the VIIth and XIVth Legions and His Radiance and every piece of the Imperial puzzle, the pursuit of knowledge was something that gave her deep satisfaction.
With that realization, she decided that she had a goal, now; gifted with the ability to both use magic and magitek, she would study intensely and without pause. She would learn to manufacture the deadly weapons the Garlean army employed, and return to them with her research in tow. She would offer it up to them, hoping to contribute to their stalled war effort before they took her head for deserting.
But throughout this, she gradually comes to terms with the fact that she will never see her sister again. It's not too tough, since she pointedly avoids thinking about it in personal terms and makes herself look at it objectively. It's unlikely that Miah survived past the Calamity, but going to look for her like this gave her the opportunity to find a way to apologize to their Empire for both of them.