Overview
Zayren, known as Zero while serving in the Order of Thalion Zenith, is a level-nine aether mage from Thalcoris. He serves Tazarin in Tequaltor, follows Kaelion into Xalmyrra and Valrindor, joins the Order, and returns from temporal stasis to scout contested fronts and fight for Thalassai, Haverloch, and their allies.
Appearance and Personality
Zayren has bright yellow eyes and spiky black hair streaked with gray after his return from stasis. His Tenari features stand out in Xalmyrra and Haverloch, even when he wears local robes.
Zayren is theatrical, flirtatious, proud, quick with irreverent jokes, deeply loyal, and remorseful. He throws himself into scouting, escort, and combat assignments, protects people under his care, accepts responsibility for attacking Eira at Xalatun with Razen, and helps stabilize the city.
Abilities, Skills, and Magic
Zayren's aether magic manipulates gravity, propulsion, levitation, fine object control, crushing pressure, and defensive shields. He can move at extreme speed by collapsing gravity, carry people through the air, propel boats and improvised transports, and manipulate objects telekinetically. He can also use aether magic inside the void routes reached through gates, where he uses ropes, gravity, and later aether artifacts to make travel safer.
His most destructive specialty is singularity magic. As Zero, he traps Eremion at Morindel in a black hole. Kallion drops a sun-like attack into the singularity, and the detonation destroys the city and contributes to the formation of the Morindel Sea. Near Cyndarel, Zayren forms another black hole after Remus is killed, consuming Kjeldan and tearing apart the battlefield.
Zayren once wielded a second-generation god core during the Fall of Malverand. By the restored present, his and Aelius's cores remain part of the stasis machinery that carries the displaced group forward.
Background and History
Zayren begins in Thalcoris as a powerful Tenari mage serving Tazarin. When Eira, Lythariel, Cassian, and Kaelion arrive through the gate, he escorts them into Tequaltor and later becomes a powerful Thalcoris ally of Kaelion.
At Xalatun, Zayren and Razen attack Eira during the Tenari's moon shard control by Xoh'Metztli. Lythariel retaliates with devastating darkness magic, severing Zayren's arm and breaking the battlefield around the city. After Xoh'Metztli is destroyed and the control ends, Amaril heals Zayren, and Zayren accepts responsibility with Razen and stabilizes Xalatun.
After Thalcoris, Zayren travels with Kaelion through the corruption storm toward Xalmyrra. He anchors himself on Zephyra, uses gravity to pull their vessel through the storm while Kaelion shields it and Splin uses resonance magic, and reaches Xalmyrra with damaged memories and renewed loyalty to Kaelion. In Irrathis, he explores the gate beneath the council hall, enters the void on a rope tether, and establishes a dangerous route toward Chronasis.
After the Varnhallow timerift brings him into the Fall of Malverand, Zayren uses the name Zero. He protects Dorian and Rowenna, joins Thalion's Order, trains Helena in aether magic alongside Sylvia, and Helena comes to call him family. As Zero, he fights with the Order at Morindel, where he and Kallion destroy Eremion's body.
Zero remains with the displaced group through the Fall of Malverand. He teaches local people magic in Stormbrook, scouts ruined regions, serves with Kallion, John, Ignatius, and the divine patriarchs, and eventually enters stasis with the surviving displaced Order members.
In the restored present, Zayren wakes weakened and aged, then recovers enough to fight. He flies with Haverloch-aligned forces against Zain near Rimvold with Lythariel and Remus, then joins the Battle for Cyndarel against Raphael's faction, Ravira, Kjeldan, Severin, and hostile Malverand- or Rahmavir-aligned mages. After Remus dies during the Battle for Cyndarel, Zayren kills Kjeldan with a black hole and later evacuates and defends Kaldaryn from the hurricane aftermath.
Relationships
- Kaelion: Zayren swears loyalty to Kaelion after Thalcoris and remains a close non-Xalmyrran ally.
- Xarion / Thalion: Zayren serves Thalion as a strong Order mage and remains fiercely loyal to him after stasis.
- Thalena / Helena: As Zero, Zayren teaches Helena aether magic, accepts her calling him "dad," and passes the black hole spell to her.
- Svanhild / Sylvia: Zero and Sylvia train Helena together and become romantically involved after Sylvia becomes Queen Sylvia the First of Skarnheim.
- Zephyra: Zayren's bond with Zephyra anchors him through the corruption storm and remains openly romantic after his return.
- Close Allies: Aelius, Jin Leiyun, Isandriel, Vianna, Kren, Virel, Remus, Lythariel, Tazarin, Razen, Amaril, Aldar, and the Order.
- Enemies: Zayren fights Eremion, Zain, Ravira, Kjeldan, Severin, and Malverand- or Rahmavir-aligned threats.