Overview
Jin Leiyun is an elemental mage from Thundermarch, the bonded wielder of Tianlei, and an ally against Xol'Zahir, the shapers of Shroudvale, the guardians from the Malverand era, and Qadir after Gabriel empowers him with a crystal at Pyrenis. He is known in Xalmyrra as Draven Skyforge, in Xolterra as the Wanderer of Xolterra, and in ancient Valrindor as John the Elementalist.
Jin leaves Cloudrift Temple after the destruction of Stormbrook, crosses into Xalmyrra under Tianlei's guidance, lives for years in Chronasis with Thalena and Thalia, and later fights beside Thalion's Order during the Malverand era. By the latest events, Tianlei is restored to him, and Jin trains legati in Chronasis, tracks God Realm changes with Tianlei, and fights Qadir at Pyrenis after Gabriel's crystal empowers him.
Appearance
Jin has dark hair, storm-blue eyes, and the glowing lightning mark of Tianlei in his palm. When he channels large-scale power, his eyes brighten with lightning-blue energy and his hair lifts with the charge of his magic.
As Draven Skyforge, he enters the Xalmyrran tournament in dark-toned cloth armor that ripples with static. As John during the Malverand era, he wears the deep-purple robes of Thalion's patriarchs and alters his appearance as the years pass.
Personality
Jin is disciplined, blunt, protective, and action-driven. He has little patience for rulers or gods who allow suffering to continue, and that anger drives his break with Thundermarch's old order after Stormbrook and Cloudrift fall. He kills Ren Wuye because Tianlei's previous wielder abandoned Thundermarch and failed its people.
He protects civilians, rescues the vulnerable when he can, rebuilds damaged land and waterways, writes histories for those who come after him, and returns repeatedly to the people he considers home. His bond with Tianlei is personal as well as tactical; losing the god leaves him diminished, and as John he works to reclaim the bond in the past.
Abilities, Skills & Magic
Jin begins as a lightning and air user trained in Thundermarch's dragon arts under Master Han. Khoradyn, Kren, and Rhalyn teach him Keldaran combat methods; Thalassai's archons teach him water, fire, earth, and air mastery; and Thalena teaches him aether and temporal theory. Jin's pact with Tianlei gives him the god's storm power.
As Tianlei's wielder, Jin can summon and shape storms, fly at extreme speed, channel enormous lightning strikes, create frozen lightning swords, combine elemental schools in layered spells, and drain essence from the world around him. He also uses aether and resonance techniques, though Thalena remains his superior in advanced aether work. In Xalmyrra, he is announced as a level nine lightning, air, and multi-school elemental mage.
Jin writes and revises versions of The Eleven Stories of Old, leaves warnings under the Draven name, authors a version of The Forgotten Order, studies archives and technology, works on gate and void problems in Chronasis, and uses earth and water magic for construction and repair.
Background & History
Jin is born in Stormbrook, a southern Thundermarch village threatened by the darkness. He trains at Cloudrift Temple with Zhang and struggles to match the strongest students around him, even while Master Han insists he has unusual potential. During a temple trial, he encounters Khoradyn's stranded Keldaran group in the mountain passages and brings them back to Cloudrift.
After Stormbrook is destroyed, Jin returns to his dead and corrupted family and village, then later survives the attack on Cloudrift with Rhalyn. In Stormpeak, he encounters Ren Wuye drinking in an inn, kills him, and accepts Tianlei's pact. The new bond sends him west toward Xalmyrra's effort to break Xol'Zahir's cycles.
In Xalmyrra, Jin lives as Draven Skyforge. He competes in the tournament, reaches level nine recognition, loses a famous duel to Brynor, and leaves written clues that later guide Cassian. He then crosses the storms into Thalassai, where Naryon, Ignaros, Calythos, Zephyra, and Thalena train or test him in their regions. He settles in Chronasis and fathers Thalia with Thalena.
Jin returns to Valrindor when Tianlei calls him back to the fight against Xol'Zahir. He aids Eira, Kaelion, and their allies, suffers the loss of Tianlei during the timerift, and travels onward as a former wielder while searching for a way to restore the bond. Later, as John, he reaches Rimvold during the Malverand era, reunites with Thalion and Tianlei, wins back the lightning shard by duel, and fights beside Ignatius in the final destruction of Raphael at Maraveth.
After awakening in the restored present, Jin returns to Chronasis and Thalassai's orbit. He trains legati, carries Jareth into the void while Jareth examines and reprograms Abraxas, stays near Cassian while Cassian traces cracks in the God Realm connection near Pyrenis, and fights Qadir after Gabriel gives Qadir a crystal that turns him into an essence bomb.
Relationships
Jin's parents and sister die in Stormbrook. Zhenyu Leiyun is his ancestor, and Thalia is his daughter with Thalena.
Tianlei is Jin's god, patron, and closest supernatural bond. Their pact begins after Jin kills Ren Wuye, deepens through Jin's travel through Xalmyrra, Thalassai, and the Malverand era, breaks during the timerift, and is restored during the Malverand era.
Thalena is Jin's lover and Thalia's mother. Their relationship includes affection, shared home, and family, but also Thalena's secrecy, manipulation, and long strategic plans involving Tianlei's essence and Thalia.
Jin's allies include Zhang, Master Han, Khoradyn, Kren, Rhalyn, Eira, Kallion, Cassian, Ignatius, Zero, Benedict, Garrik, Isrynn, Naryon, Ignaros, Calythos, Zephyra, Jareth, and the Order- and Thalassai-aligned forces. His enemies and opponents include Ren Wuye, Xol'Zahir, Zharrek, Raphael, Eremion, Virel, Qadir, and forces aligned against Thundermarch, Xalmyrra, or Thalassai.