Ezeki

“I built a tower full of books for you to explore, and you’re still asking me?”

— Ezeki's favorite joke until a distressed patron took it seriously and it felt like a jerk.

Ezeki is the first, and thus the eldest, member of the Yashelin species. As the founder of Aravun Yashelin society, it is revered as the prevailing leader of their society in the absence of the Ida. It leaves much of the finer details of leadership, however, in the hands of the Ezekoru and the Flock system.
Instead, Ezeki focuses on its chief concern: the cultural health of the people. As a proud storyteller of fables and a dedicated teacher, it is a stalwart proponent of education. In particular, it is dedicated to promoting literacy and oratory in the Ivu language as well as the perpetuation of traditional customs and festivities. Ezeki typically pursues such tasks at the Kotuye Library and Education Center, which doubles as its home. 
While Ezeki may be the eldest of the Yashelin, it is only the fifth of the Nisoyal. Ezeki is the Nisoyal of Consciousness and Memory according to the Cardinal Pantheon. Although Ezeki had always known that it stood apart from other Yashelin in some way, it had only discovered its true identity recently. Naturally, this has resulted in a bit of an existential crisis on Ezeki's part.
So far, it has channeled that crisis into an interest in broader societal tasks. The Codex of Babikiye, which you are currently reading, is the most ambitious of said tasks. With it, Ezeki hopes to preserve as many stories about the peoples of Aravu and Kivria before they inevitably fade from our collective memories.

Content Advisory

Blunt description of an ED (ARFID)

Name Meaning

Memory

Purpose

To Tell Stories

Pronouns

it/its

Spiritual Color(s)

Brown

Species

Yashelin
Nisoyal of Consciousness

Ethnicity

Aravun Yashelin

Homeplace

Heshi Ariko

Partner(s)

Seri
Nanatu Zylpeiros

Children

Uri & Heyir
Rafa

Profession/Rank

Fabulist
Leader of the Aravun Yashelin

Physical

General Appearance

Ezeki is a lanky Yashelin person with comically voluminous brown feathers in comparison, especially its broad wings. It would likely strike an imposing figure via height alone if only it did not also look liable to fall asleep at any moment.

Defining Feature(s)

One of Ezeki's defining features is its pale skin, strikingly so compared to its Yashelin compatriots. This sickly, nigh translucent pallor improves with an adequet diet and sun exposure, two things Ezeki does not participate in enough.

Physical Condition

Ezeki has coped with chronic illness for most of its life. The most pervasive health issues have been its eating disorder, vertigo, and fatigue. As a result, Ezeki does not have the strengh nor endurance of its compatriots. It is content to stay behind and support the journeys of others, living vicariously through the stories they bring home to it.
Stress from recent events left it incapacitated, abject exhaustion and dependence on others its only certainty. Happily, its physical condition has advanced from abyssmally poor to the poorest side of middling. Its condition is expected to continue to improve as long as it follows the guidelines of its medical team and tolerates help from its loved ones.

by Daniel Mirlea

Disordered Eating

Ezeki is repulsed by all solid foods. If it has to chew, it refuses to eat at all. It would only tolerate soups with finely blended ingredients for the majority of its life.
This remains a struggle, although its nutritional supplements have led groundbreaking improvements in its quality of life.

Out-of-Body Vertigo

Corporeal Ofanin are ubiquitous despite their fixed location. When the Ida uses them elsewhere, the cognitive dissonance results in vertigo and an out-of-body sensation.
Ezeki is so well adapted that it can usually walk and talk through these episodes so long as the task at hand is not overly complex.

Special Abilities

Unfailing Memory

Ezeki remembers events which happened to it in the distant past with nigh exacting detail from the moment of its creation onwards.
Limitations: While Ezeki's memory is more reliable than average, it is still colored by its personal perspective.

ꙮ

Past Sight

Ezeki may recall the others' memories as if they are its own, and often does so with much more accuracy.
Limitations: May only be triggered using leading phrases, such as if it asks for someone to tell it their story.

Universal Translator

Ezeki can comprehend and communicate in all languages, regardless of whether they are spoken, written, or signed.
Limitations: Sophonts only. Also, it is so used to only using Ivu that it takes a while to get comfortable with another language.

Suggestion

Ezeki can influence those around it with purposeful and properly phrased statements, even against their will.
Limitations: Previous exposure and spiritual strength increases the probability that the person can resist the suggestion.

Personal

General Personality

“Don't worry, you won’t have to lie if I tell them a good enough story for long enough!"

— Ezeki

Ezeki fancies itself as funny, but its jokes sometimes fall flat on its audience. You see, at heart, Ezeki is a frumpy dork with a love of stories, tasty brews, and soft bedding. However, because of it founded Yashelin society and is the Ida's emissary, people often expect Ezeki to always present itself as a stern leader rather than a playful storyteller.
Ezeki refuses to bend to their expectations except when necessary or convenient. After all, if someone of its age isn't allowed to be a touch weird, then who is?
Personality traits notably associated with Ezeki include:

Storyteller

When the Ida created Ezeki and bid it to tell stories, it was unaware that "storyteller" implies both liar and narrator. Thankfully, it embraces an authorial role, but be wary in dire or humorous situations.

Observant

Ezeki is quicker than average at noticing changes in its environment and in others. It also observant in a ritual sense, following a unique blend of modern and archaic rules and customs.

by Michael Dziedzic

Self-Sacrificial

Ezeki has a hardwired belief that the wants and needs of its community are superior to its own. It is often so focused on supporting others that it loses touch with itself.

Resourceful

If all technology vanished overnight, Ezeki has the knowledge, experience, and skill to start rebuilding Yashelin society from scratch. A little goes a long way in its hands.

Evasive

If avoiding answering a personal question directly was an Olympic sport, Ezeki comes in second only to the Ida. Its elusive nature is part anxiety and part survival instinct.

WIP

Likes

Dislikes

Savvies

Ineptitudes

Self Expression

Beliefs

Social

Personal History

Current Status

Public Perception

Important Relationships