Tlakra Ginzin Banoko

Tlakra Ginzin Banoko

Ginzin Banoko is the Tlakra of the Republic of Gwalan - essentially, the elected leader. First elected in 2010, Ginzin has run on a platform of strengthening the central government, building more factories, and rebuilding the deeply neglected trade network. While Ginzin isn't the most innovative and is actually bad at administration and budgeting, they are incorruptible and well liked among the elites and East-Gwalanans alike. 
Ginzin is also quite good at managing appearances. The late-middle-aged half-dryad remains quite fit, and jogs around the Grand Plaza of Darnema almost every dawn as a ritual to "join their spirit with the city", much to their fan's delight. Their hair and flowers are pristine, their clothes and glasses are stately yet fashionable, and their bluster always comes off as good natured. And despite their inadequacies in governing, they always manage to make their laws sound good. Their speeches on policy may also be infuriatingly vague, but when it comes to matters of faith and religion, Ginzin can speak better than most. 
But this sheen doesn't work on everyone. Ginzin's massive expansion of factory-style industry and infrastructure projects have benefited the East using artificially cheap labor from the West, and has greatly expanded the power of elite landholding cliques. Ginzin may not have invented these trends, but their rapid expansion in the last decade and resulting rebellion can definitely be traced to Ginzin's policies.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Ginzin was born in Darnema and grew up around politics and business. As a member of a wealthy commune, they always saw the best parts of the city and were eager to give back. While they were a naturally talented kickball player, they chose to enter the priesthood instead (likely with some parental pressure) and were welcomed into the community as a deputy priest. This was just in time for the 1980s "beautification" campaigns, in which the city's infrastructure was improved and it was made to look more uniform. Ginzin eagerly joined the vanguard of this movement, helping lead work efforts to renovate communities whether they wanted it or not. 
The beautification campaigns were a direct line to politics, particularly for a child of such a prestigious commune. Ginzin began working in the mayoral office in the mid 1980s, and eventually ran for mayor in 1995. As they were well known among the guild lodges and industrial clique groups, Ginzin was able to fundraise unexpectedly well for their mayoral campaign and won in a landslide. 
Ever since their first electoral victory, Ginzin has been a point of Darneman pride (particularly among old-towners). While not everyone enjoyed the fruits of Ginzin's policies, they did channel even more prosperity into the city and they had an eye for urban planning. Some would argue that city-level leadership was where Ginzin did their best work - they actually were skilled at city-level administration. 
But, with their reputation for competence came the opportunity to be promoted out of it. And Ginzin's close connections with major powerbrokers made them a favored candidate for governor of Asarum. In 2005, they made the jump to regional, and after a fairly uneventful tenure as governor that seemed to be mostly marketing, they managed to jump all the way to Tlakra in 2010. As the favored elite candidate and figure of local patriotism in Asarum, they were able to miraculously leap passed the rest of the scandal-strewn candidates. They were the young, energetic, non-corrupted political outsider with a big city smile!
And all in all, the first five years as Tlakra were actually good if you lived in the East or North. As a mediator, Ginzin has been quite effective. But for the South, where ranching began to decline from overfeeding and bad weather, Ginzin's negligence has been obvious. And for Ezeluri, and even poorer communities in other provinces, Ginzin's reign was nothing short of pillaging. 
After the first term, Ginzin went from being a safe candidate to a deeply divisive one- but managed to win anyways. The discontent poured in immediately, and effigies of Ginzin have been burned in protest for years. In 2017, that divisiveness deepened when the Land War broke out in the West. After years of failed negotiation, Ginzin has fully embraced charged rhetoric in defaming the rebels, charging them with heresy, foreign manipulation, and occult influences. As always, Ginzin has resonated more with areas already well-off with these charges, and they have stirred up yet more outrage and community persecution.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Ginzin is a deeply pious Sunekan, who believes absolutely that they have a mystical connection to the people of the land. They take both the mystical elements and their responsibility as Tlakra seriously, though they do tend to write off those they don't understand as "occultists" or "heretics". It has always been Ginzin's dream to build something that would put Gwalan on the map as a religious destination, but sadly that doesn't seem likely anymore.

Current Location

Darnema

Species

Half-Dryad

Year of Birth

1960 ME 60 Years old

Eyes

Black

Hair

Black and Grey, white flowers

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Dark brown

Height

5'11"

Weight

100 lbs

Aligned Organization

Gwalan Republic