So, I'm a pretty big fan of the Breath of Fire series. A little underrated, a little bit generic, but dangerously furry with a lot of great ideas. It's a god-damned shame their fifth game took too many risks and alienated people to the point of Capcom pretty much abandoning the series.

That doesn't stop me from thinking up fan-characters and scenarios, though.

Enter Laya, a character found chronologically after Breath of Fire II (in the context of this Breath of Fire setting, anyway). Laya - a playable character - is a "Grassman" tribeswoman who serves a mysterious benefactor as a hired mercenary. Her role in the setting is vague at best; she's heavily inspired by Scias from Breath of Fire IV, combined with Spar from Breath of Fire II (and some of Jean's swordplay, admittedly).

Laya's theme is based obsessively around onions; even her name is a pun on 'layer'. Her helmet? A shallot. Her sword? A long green onion with a bulb-guard. On her wrist she wears a small buckler, inspired by a chopped onion. The list goes on.

Art by  Rung