To be an adventurer you must fit a certain criteria. Often as not, adventurers are equated with mercenaries and sellswords, and in some cases you would not be wrong, but the adventurers of Eorzea are a breed of their own, reckless thrillseekers perhaps, but they represent a hope, seen by many as paragons of freedom, and symbols of Eorzea's salvation.
Kanin'a was not born into adventuring. In fact, adventuring as a whole was not a common practice in his youth. No, adventurers were born with Dalamud's fall, the great Calamity that tore the nation asunder, and devastated its peoples. Before this, his life might have been considered simple, at least in terms of Eorzea's commonalities.
Born beneath the boughs of the Twelveswood, in the citystate of Gridania, Kanin'a is the first and only son of Kanin and Niaa'to, the eldest of four, followed by four sisters: Kanin, Suta, Taka, and Sohza. He is a miqo'te, of the Keepers of the moon, a matriarchal faction, and despite being the eldest he was overrun by his younger sisters quite easily. He is rather a humble sort of man, gentle-spoken and patient nearly to a fault, possessing a great heart, incredible compassion, and supreme endurance. His father was and remains a carpenter by trade, his mother a talented archer, and member of Gridania's Gods' Quiver.
Much of his childhood was spent in relative peace, living in the settlement of Fallgourd Float in the northern regions of the Twelveswood, an area that closely bordered Coerthas, the neighboring city-state. He learned much about forest life, and the ways of Gridania and her people, hunting, botany, and survival. The constant threat of the local beast tribe, the Ixal, kept his skills sharp, for his mother was quick to teach her children in the way of the bow. Kanin'a showed talent in archery, and it was not long before he sought to join the Gods' Quiver. Quick to befriend the local bowmen, he joined the Archer's guild in Gridania's main city the moment he was old enough to enlist. It was around this time that the family uprooted as a whole to move to the main city in order to better facilitate Kanin'a and his four sisters' training.
Learning to fight began to instill in him a quiet passion, and pride in his own strength and the newfound ability to protect both his family, and Gridania itself. Kanin'a is and always has been incredibly loyal to his people and his cause, and there is no amount of power or money that could sway him from this course. Once you are his to protect, he shall stand forever by your side, unswayed and undeterred - though it is in this way that betrayal can and will hit him incredibly hard. He can be a bit slow to grow intimately close with others, but believes solidly in those he holds dear, to the point that any trespass of his trust would come as a terrible and extreme blow.
Just as he is somewhat slow to trust, Kanin'a is also slow to anger, but in this way he is as a dormant volcano - cool and calm for long stretches of time, but once roused his fury is a destructive blaze that is difficult to quench. Kanin'a's is a coldly burning ire, and even when enraged he is unlikely to raise his voice, but that, perhaps, is what makes him all the more threatening.
Still, such fury as this is uncommon for him, and like as not, despite being a warrior, Kanin'a will more than likely attempt to negotiate his way through a problem before applying muscle and brute force. In fact, he's rather a pushover when it comes to most things, though when he digs his heels in his stubbornness is steely. Once he sets his mind to a task or a goal there is little that will sway him. Like the wood and earth he is connected so deeply with, Kanin'a is a grounded figure, thoughtful, brooding, and slow to rouse. As a keeper of the moon, he reveres the goddess Menphina, avatar of love and warmth; he takes her teachings seriously and so he is a kind, helpful and generous soul, often to a fault, for he is like to work himself into the ground when assisting others, and his comrades must needs remind him to eat, sleep, and care for his wounds. He's a bit of a mother hen, fretful and worrisome, incredibly cautious and at times overprotective. The bloody battle of Carteneau and the terrible Calamity that followed cost the lives of countless Eorzean citizens, Kanin'a's mother, and two of his sisters among them. This loss has only amplified his fussiness; he will go out of his way to protect those who are important to him, and there is no sacrifice too great, that might assure their safety.
As a child Kanin'a was on the shy and withdrawn side, but his training with the Gods' Quiver, battles in Carteneau, and experiences during the Calamity and afterward he has opened up quite a bit, and though he keeps his cards close to his chest he is a friendly sort, unafraid to approach others, easygoing and a natural speaker. He enjoys the simple things in life - warm fires and hot stew, ale and a good book read beneath the peace of a broad elm, or in a sunny windowsill. He enjoys grand festivals and nameday celebrations, and all holidays that bring his loved ones together, even if he is likely to take a back seat and enjoy these things from the sidelines. Seeing others in happy celebration brings him joy. But intensity is in his nature, and his morals, ethics, and beliefs are very strong.
After the battle of Carteneau, Kanin'a sought to better himself by taking up adventuring, and turned instead to healing - after finding himself unable to save his dying mother and sisters, he found himself drawn to the arcane, never wanting to be caught unable to help someone important to him ever again. Thusly, in Limsa Lominsa he picked up the art of both the Scholar and Summoner, to which he has clung ever since. Having awakened to the Echo during the bloody battle on the Flats, he soon began his journey.
Overall, Kanin'a is an easy cat to get along with, genteel and polite and warm, even if he is a bit aloof with his heart. He is an easy conversationalist and you could not ask for a more steadfast ally, on the battlefield or off of it. A fine singer and baker, Kanin'a is an attentive lover, a protective brother, a stalwart comrade, and a reliable friend. By those he loves he's often swayed and manipulated, but his cautious nature finds him not so easily charmed by enemies, for however soft and generous he might be, Kanin'a possesses a great deal of pride: pride in himself, in his peoples, and in all of Eorzea.
Kanin'a is up to date through the end of Shadowbringers!
