Kya grew up in Oppara. When she was 3, her family moved into a neighborhood largely inhabited by Tian immigrants. Her and her family assimilated into their culture. The immigrant community culture was heavily involved in theatre and other arts, being actors and singers themselves. They also continued to honor their native gods and these two influences combined to lead Kya to follow both Shelyn and Qi Zhong.
Through her childhood she followed the edicts and respected the deities, but she was not devout. However, when she was a teen, several of her friends formed a community theater group they called Heart of Gold that traveled to the slums to put on colorful puppet and acrobatics shows for the children. After their first show, several of the children begged to help and the group started to teach them to perform and design sets and costumes.
She assisted at the first show the children had helped to produce and was overcome by the joy on their faces and the way the project transformed them and brought them hope. It was in that moment that she truly experienced the power of art, beauty, love, and acceptance. One girl fell during an acrobatics routine and lay still on the stage floor. Shocked and terrified, Kya ran to her and begin to pray to Shelyn to give her the strength - somehow - to save her. To her great astonishment, she felt the power of the goddess surge through her and she was able to heal her. After that, she continued to pray and tried fervently to heal more minor injuries but did not experience that same power she had felt that first day. Frustrated, she approached the local temple of Shelyn and asked for their help. Seeing her devotion and sensing an innate talent, the church took her in as a divinity student and begin to formerly train her. As a result of her studies, she became more interested in religion in general and started learning more about other faiths as well. Being surrounded by the Tian culture, she learned about their deities and felt a particular connection to Qi Zhong. Although her divine power comes from Shelyn, she also follows the precepts of Qi Zhong and has made a vow against lethally harming another creature (with exceptions made for undead, demons, and constructs).
Throughout her training, she continued to work with Heart of Gold, with the church's blessing. Toward the end of her training, she learned that the Pathfinder Society was recruiting. She was not interested, until she learned of the Envoy's Alliance faction and that she had the opportunity to help and protect others. This would give her an opportunity to spread the word of Shelyn and Qi Zhong and to see the world!
