Zhang is a fire and lightning mage from Thundermarch who serves Kaldaryn. A longtime friend of Jin, he trained at Cloudrift Temple before following Khoradyn in his efforts to bring peace to Valrindor.
Appearance and Personality
Zhang has a slim, lean build. He is cheerful and teasing, encouraging Jin through doubts about his strength and relationships. He readily embraces his old friend and celebrates his return. He remains devoted to Tianlei, believing the god watches over them even during his absence.
Magic
Zhang uses fire, lightning, and plasma magic, combining fire and lightning in his attacks. He propels himself with bursts of fire and fights with sweeping flames and lightning strikes. At the temple he initially outmatched Jin in their duels, though he readily acknowledged Jin's greater strength when they reunited years later.
History
Zhang trained under Master Han alongside Jin. When Stormbrook was attacked, he accompanied Jin to the ruined village, destroyed a corrupted corpse, and pulled him away from his dead family before the darkness could overcome him. He persuaded Jin to return to the temple rather than confront Thundermarch's rulers in grief and anger.
After training with Khoradyn, Zhang left the temple to help his campaign for peace. He fought the shapers at Hengvaris and became part of Kaldaryn's growing force under Garrik.
When Jin returned to Thundermarch as Tianlei's wielder, Zhang welcomed him and helped rally people's faith in the god. He joined the defense of Raindawn, fighting outside the city walls and attacking the retreating shapers after Jin's duel with Zharrek. He thanked Master Han as the dying teacher dissolved after overloading to protect the city. Zhang then remained for a time to help Raindawn recover.
Relationships
- Jin: His longtime friend and training rival, whom he teases, encourages, and has repeatedly helped keep alive.
- Master Han and Khoradyn: His teachers. Han guided his temple training; Khoradyn trained him further and gave him a cause to follow beyond Thundermarch.
- Garrik and Kren: His leader and close companion in Kaldaryn, with whom he travels and works to defend western Valrindor.
- Tianlei: The god in whom he maintains faith, rallying others around Jin when the wielder returns to Thundermarch.
Zhang is a mage from Thundermarch who serves Kaldaryn. A longtime friend of Jin, he trained at Cloudrift Temple before following Khoradyn in his efforts to bring peace to Valrindor.
Appearance
Zhang has a slim, lean build.
Personality
Zhang is cheerful, teasing, and readily affectionate. He encouraged Jin through doubts about his strength and relationships, often expressing confidence in him more freely than Jin did himself.
He remains devoted to Tianlei, believing the god watched over them even during his absence.
Magic
Zhang uses fire, lightning, and plasma magic. He propels himself with bursts of fire and fights with sweeping flames, lightning strikes, and plasma attacks.
His skill makes him a demanding training opponent, repeatedly defeating Vianna while teaching her to refine her control of essence.
History
Cloudrift and the peace campaigns
Zhang trained under Master Han at Cloudrift Temple alongside Jin. Slightly older and initially the stronger duelist, he was both a friend and a rival. When Stormbrook was attacked, he accompanied Jin to the ruined village, destroyed a corrupted corpse, and pulled him away from his dead family before the darkness could overcome him. He also persuaded Jin to return to the temple rather than confront Thundermarch's rulers in grief and anger.
After training with Khoradyn, Zhang left the temple to help his campaign for peace. He accompanied the growing force that defeated the shapers at Hengvaris and became part of the community that founded Kaldaryn. He and Kren helped train Vianna after she joined them, and Zhang later served Garrik as a commander.
When Jin returned to Thundermarch, Zhang welcomed him, celebrated Tianlei's return, and joined the defense of Raindawn. He fought outside the city walls and attacked the retreating shapers after Jin's duel with Zharrek. He thanked Master Han as the dying teacher dissolved after overloading to protect the city. Zhang then remained for a time to help Raindawn recover.
Relationships
- Jin: His longtime friend and training rival. Zhang teased him, encouraged his relationships, and supported his return as Tianlei's wielder. Zhang has repeatedly helped keep Jin alive.
- Master Han and Khoradyn: His teachers. Han guided his temple training; Khoradyn trained him further and gave him a cause to follow beyond Thundermarch.
- Garrik and Kren: His leader and close companion in Kaldaryn. Zhang follows Garrik and shares years of travel and training with Kren.
- Vianna: A friend and former pupil whom he helped train after Hengvaris. He remains eager to see her again after she leaves Kaldaryn.
- Tianlei: The god in whom he maintained faith, rallying others around Jin when the wielder returned to Thundermarch.
Zhang is a mage from Thundermarch, a commander serving Kaldaryn, and a member of the Order of Thalion Zenith. A longtime friend of Jin, he trained at Cloudrift Temple before following Khoradyn in his efforts to bring peace to Valrindor.
Appearance
Zhang has a slim, lean build.
Personality
Zhang is cheerful, teasing, and readily affectionate. He encouraged Jin through doubts about his strength and relationships, often expressing confidence in him more freely than Jin did himself.
He remains devoted to Tianlei, believing the god watched over them even during his absence. He also accepted Maia's disfiguring scars without treating them as a reason to avoid her.
Magic
Zhang uses fire, lightning, and plasma magic. He propels himself with bursts of fire and fights with sweeping flames, lightning strikes, and plasma attacks.
He can produce the extreme heat needed to destabilize Varnhallow's temporal barrier. His skill also makes him a demanding training opponent, repeatedly defeating Vianna while teaching her to refine her control of essence.
History
Cloudrift and the peace campaigns
Zhang trained under Master Han at Cloudrift Temple alongside Jin. Slightly older and initially the stronger duelist, he was both a friend and a rival. When Stormbrook was attacked, he accompanied Jin to the ruined village, destroyed a corrupted corpse, and pulled him away from his dead family before the darkness could overcome him. He also persuaded Jin to return to the temple rather than confront Thundermarch's rulers in grief and anger.
After training with Khoradyn, Zhang left the temple to help his campaign for peace. He accompanied the growing force that defeated the shapers at Hengvaris and became part of the community that founded Kaldaryn. He and Kren helped train Vianna after she joined them, and Zhang later served Garrik as a commander.
When Jin returned to Thundermarch, Zhang welcomed him, celebrated Tianlei's return, and joined the defense of Raindawn. He fought outside the city walls and attacked the retreating shapers after Jin's duel with Zharrek. He thanked Master Han as the dying teacher dissolved after overloading to protect the city. Zhang then remained for a time to help Raindawn recover.
Varnhallow and the Order
During a visit to Kyranthos, Zhang grew close to Maia. When a timerift struck the meeting in the Ember Spire, he blasted her clear before being taken himself. He arrived in Varnhallow with Kren, Ivan, and Svanhild. Their investigation brought them into conflict with divine patriarchs, and they entered the tournament while planning to attack Eltaru.
Zhang was among the Order members whom Isaac intended to bring out of Varnhallow. After a drawn match with Vianna, he and Anshar helped Deylin breach the temporal barrier, returning to modern Valrindor. Kren, Vianna, and Maia remained behind.
Relationships
- Jin: His longtime friend and training rival. Zhang teased him, encouraged his relationships, and supported his return as Tianlei's wielder. Zhang has repeatedly helped keep Jin alive.
- Master Han and Khoradyn: His teachers. Han guided his temple training; Khoradyn trained him further and gave him a cause to follow beyond Thundermarch.
- Garrik and Kren: His commander and close companion in Kaldaryn. Zhang serves Garrik through the Order's campaigns and shared years of travel and training with Kren.
- Vianna: A friend and former pupil whom he helped train after Hengvaris. He remained eager to see her again after she left Kaldaryn, and they later met as opponents in Varnhallow's tournament.
- Maia: A woman he grew close to despite her scars. He saved her from the timerift, then escaped Varnhallow while she remained behind.
- Tianlei: The god in whom he maintained faith, rallying others around Jin when the wielder returned to Thundermarch.
Zhang is a mage from Thundermarch, a commander serving Kaldaryn, and a member of the Order of Thalion Zenith. A longtime friend of Jin, he trained at Cloudrift Temple before following Khoradyn in his efforts to bring peace to Valrindor.
Appearance
Zhang has a slim, lean build. He wears a red robe decorated with a golden dragon.
Personality
Zhang is cheerful, teasing, and readily affectionate. He encouraged Jin through doubts about his strength and relationships, often expressing confidence in him more freely than Jin did himself.
He remains devoted to Tianlei, believing the god watched over them even during his absence. He also accepted Maia's disfiguring scars without treating them as a reason to avoid her.
Magic
Zhang uses fire, lightning, and plasma magic. He propels himself with bursts of fire and fights with sweeping flames, lightning strikes, and plasma attacks.
He can produce the extreme heat needed to destabilize Varnhallow's temporal barrier. His skill also makes him a demanding training opponent, repeatedly defeating Vianna while teaching her to refine her control of essence.
History
Cloudrift and the peace campaigns
Zhang trained under Master Han at Cloudrift Temple alongside Jin. Slightly older and initially the stronger duelist, he was both a friend and a rival. When Stormbrook was attacked, he accompanied Jin to the ruined village, destroyed a corrupted corpse, and pulled him away from his dead family before the darkness could overcome him. He also persuaded Jin to return to the temple rather than confront Thundermarch's rulers in grief and anger.
After training with Khoradyn, Zhang left the temple to help his campaign for peace. He accompanied the growing force that defeated the shapers at Hengvaris and became part of the community that founded Kaldaryn. He and Kren helped train Vianna after she joined them, and Zhang later served Garrik as a commander.
When Jin returned to Thundermarch, Zhang welcomed him, celebrated Tianlei's return, and joined the defense of Raindawn. He fought outside the city walls and attacked the retreating shapers after Jin's duel with Zharrek. He thanked Master Han as the dying teacher dissolved after overloading to protect the city. Zhang then remained for a time to help Raindawn recover.
Varnhallow and the Order
During a visit to Kyranthos, Zhang grew close to Maia. When a timerift struck the meeting in the Ember Spire, he blasted her clear before being taken himself. He arrived in Varnhallow with Kren, Ivan, and Svanhild. Their investigation brought them into conflict with divine patriarchs, and they entered the tournament while planning to attack Eltaru.
Zhang was among the Order members whom Isaac intended to bring out of Varnhallow. After a drawn match with Vianna, he and Anshar helped Deylin breach the temporal barrier, returning to modern Valrindor. Kren, Vianna, and Maia remained behind. Zhang survived the subsequent ambush in which Eliona and Azarion attacked the returning group: Thalena healed his severe injuries and hurled him away from the battlefield.
He and Lysander later reported to Garrik, grieving the friends they had left behind. Zhang explained that Isaac had used his allegiance to the Order to ensure that particular people remained in the past. With Isaac gone, Garrik assumed leadership of the Order.
Relationships
- Jin: His longtime friend and training rival. Zhang teased him, encouraged his relationships, and supported his return as Tianlei's wielder. Zhang has repeatedly helped keep Jin alive.
- Master Han and Khoradyn: His teachers. Han guided his temple training; Khoradyn trained him further and gave him a cause to follow beyond Thundermarch.
- Garrik and Kren: His commander and close companion in Kaldaryn. Zhang serves Garrik through the Order's campaigns and shared years of travel and training with Kren.
- Vianna: A friend and former pupil whom he helped train after Hengvaris. He remained eager to see her again after she left Kaldaryn, and they later met as opponents in Varnhallow's tournament.
- Maia: A woman he grew close to despite her scars. He saved her from the timerift, then escaped Varnhallow while she remained behind; her absence continued to trouble him.
- Tianlei: The god in whom he maintained faith, rallying others around Jin when the wielder returned to Thundermarch.
Zhang was a mage from Thundermarch, a commander serving Kaldaryn, and a member of the Order of Thalion Zenith. A longtime friend of Jin, he trained at Cloudrift Temple before following Khoradyn in his efforts to bring peace to Valrindor. He died fighting alongside Khoradyn against Raphael's forces near Cyndarel.
Appearance
Zhang had a slim, lean build. He wore a red robe decorated with a golden dragon.
Personality
Zhang was cheerful, teasing, and readily affectionate. He encouraged Jin through doubts about his strength and relationships, often expressing confidence in him more freely than Jin did himself.
He remained devoted to Tianlei, believing the god watched over them even during his absence. He also accepted Maia's disfiguring scars without treating them as a reason to avoid her.
Magic
Zhang used fire, lightning, and plasma magic. He propelled himself with bursts of fire and fought with sweeping flames, lightning strikes, and plasma attacks.
He could produce the extreme heat needed to destabilize Varnhallow's temporal barrier. His skill also made him a demanding training opponent, repeatedly defeating Vianna while teaching her to refine her control of essence.
History
Cloudrift and the peace campaigns
Zhang trained under Master Han at Cloudrift Temple alongside Jin. Slightly older and initially the stronger duelist, he was both a friend and a rival. When Stormbrook was attacked, he accompanied Jin to the ruined village, destroyed a corrupted corpse, and pulled him away from his dead family before the darkness could overcome him. He also persuaded Jin to return to the temple rather than confront Thundermarch's rulers in grief and anger.
After training with Khoradyn, Zhang left the temple to help his campaign for peace. He accompanied the growing force that defeated the shapers at Hengvaris and became part of the community that founded Kaldaryn. He and Kren helped train Vianna after she joined them, and Zhang later served Garrik as a commander.
When Jin returned to Thundermarch, Zhang welcomed him, celebrated Tianlei's return, and joined the defense of Raindawn. He fought outside the city walls and attacked the retreating shapers after Jin's duel with Zharrek. He thanked Master Han as the dying teacher dissolved after overloading to protect the city. Zhang then remained for a time to help Raindawn recover.
Varnhallow and the Order
During a visit to Kyranthos, Zhang grew close to Maia. When a timerift struck the meeting in the Ember Spire, he blasted her clear before being taken himself. He arrived in Varnhallow with Kren, Ivan, and Svanhild. Their investigation brought them into conflict with divine patriarchs, and they entered the tournament while planning to attack Eltaru.
Zhang was among the Order members whom Isaac intended to bring out of Varnhallow. After a drawn match with Vianna, he and Anshar helped Deylin breach the temporal barrier, returning to modern Valrindor. Kren, Vianna, and Maia remained behind. Zhang survived the subsequent ambush in which Eliona and Azarion attacked the returning group: Thalena healed his severe injuries and hurled him away from the battlefield.
He and Lysander later reported to Garrik, grieving the friends they had left behind. Zhang explained that Isaac had used his allegiance to the Order to ensure that particular people remained in the past. With Isaac gone, Garrik assumed leadership of the Order.
Kaldaryn's wars and death
Zhang continued to serve Garrik during the war against Blackcrag. During the siege of Omberion, he and the army's lightning mages summoned storms to maintain pressure on the city's shields while the cosmic mages paused their meteor attacks. He stayed with Garrik despite learning that some of their missing companions had been rescued. During the assault, his fire magic and Khoradyn's earth magic combined in a lava attack that drew defenders away from the main advance.
He later accompanied Garrik and Khoradyn to investigate Cyndarel. During the fighting nearby, he and Khoradyn helped Aldar against Raphael and Gabriel. Zhang attacked with lightning and plasma while Khoradyn used earth magic. Alistair placed an explosive device on Raphael's chest and detonated it with a cosmic ray. Zhang and Khoradyn died in the explosion.
Kaldaryn erected statues of Zhang and Khoradyn and held a ceremony for those who had fallen in battle. Jin grieved Zhang as the friend who had repeatedly kept him alive when they were young.
Relationships
- Jin: His longtime friend and training rival. Zhang teased him, encouraged his relationships, and supported his return as Tianlei's wielder. Jin remembered him as someone whose help had made his own survival possible.
- Master Han and Khoradyn: His teachers. Han guided his temple training; Khoradyn trained him further and gave him a cause to follow beyond Thundermarch.
- Garrik and Kren: His commander and close companion in Kaldaryn. Zhang served Garrik through the Order's campaigns and shared years of travel and training with Kren.
- Vianna: A friend and former pupil whom he helped train after Hengvaris. He remained eager to see her again after she left Kaldaryn, and they later met as opponents in Varnhallow's tournament.
- Maia: A woman he grew close to despite her scars. He saved her from the timerift, then escaped Varnhallow while she remained behind; her absence continued to trouble him.
- Tianlei: The god in whom he maintained faith, rallying others around Jin when the wielder returned to Thundermarch.