Zurrinaih (ZER-in-eye)
The Gray Ones
Ambient sounds courtesy of tosha73 and EminYILDIRIM
Greetings to those below. I am Death, though I will always smile when you call me Azrael. So, too, will I smile today as I discuss the Zurrinaih because, despite everything, I do believe they are one of my favorites. Perhaps it is because, among all Orostians, I am most familiar with the Zurrinaih, especially considering so many of them today are assassins, and naturally, being Death, I encounter them more than most.
But in truth, I think it has much more to do with their story. They are lost in many ways, and not just because most of their origins claim them to be accidents. Perhaps I can relate to that. But most of all, I think the reason I am partial to Zurrinaih is because, underneath their fearsome reputation, there is a beautiful sadness to them, a longing for family and a sense of home. I definitely can relate to that.
Those Who Came After
by brands amon from Pixabay
A Crisis of Identity
by J. L. Gryphon via Artbreeder
You see, as I said before, the Zurrinaih people are lost. I do believe that, as a people, they have never quite been able to figure out who they are. They began life orphaned as far as anyone can tell, and not knowing where they came from left them quite undecided as to who they were going to be.
There was, of course, The Split, a 5,000-year period of unrest where the Sithuwaye and the Zurrinaih engaged in skirmishes, battles, and sometimes all-out war. Then the Zurrinaih had a purpose, a culture, even if it was a violent one. I don’t know if they knew any other path, and it certainty did define them for much of the Middle Sphere. It is said during this time their native language, Zishlyn, was developed, a language purposely designed to sound threatening and aggressive to further inspire fear. With that in mind, when peace was eventually called and a treaty signed, the Zurrinaih once again were left to wander, unable to embrace what had defined them for so long. They once again sought a definition for themselves.
Some searched for culture in their native language, and new words of a gentler variety were added so they might better express ideas such as love, friendship, and just general affection. Some left Rhye altogether and traveled to Altyma. This was before the mirrors were locked, you must understand, and in fact, the Zurrinaih leaving may have inspired the decision to lock the mirrors in the first place. Other Zurrinaih stayed, and they slowly began to form families, communities, and did their best to fit into a society that had long been built and established without them. They were not excluded on purpose, of course. The Zurrinaih did not face the problem of prejudice so much as they faced the trouble that comes with not existing before everyone else. Indeed, the Zurrinaih were certainly late on the scene, especially compared to the dragons, the Sithuwaye, and even the jeenta, who were the first of Those Who Came After. Society had not made a place for them to fit because society hadn’t known there would be such a need. How can you include something that, until recently, never existed?
I don’t think the Zurrinaih had the chance to fit in until the dawn of the New Sphere when Desmon Anastil came to power, founded the kingdom of Rhyastil, and in so doing restructured, well, everything. Finally the world was created anew, and this time, the Zurrinaih were not late on the scene. They were a common presence by then, and Desmon’s new world included them with ease. For a time, I do believe the Zurrinaih felt like they could finally belong, and indeed they did in many ways, but in terms of forming their own culture, there was still great confusion.
A Budding Culture
by Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay
The Coming of the Goddess
by J. L. Gryphon via Artbreeder
Long past the days of Desmon Anastil, when Vānima the Veldriss came to the throne, she proclaimed herself to be a goddess. The Zurrinaih—or at least what was left of them after The Battle of the Royals Dead—began worshipping her, finally seeing in her the mother they had always sought. Perhaps they thought of her as the mythic Lilith returned. Or perhaps they welcomed the idea of simply being adopted in a way they never had before.
Essentially, they found religion, and while that is not always a bad thing, in this case, it once again destroyed the budding individuality the Zurrinaih people had been cultivating. Vānima was a Sithuwaye like Desmon, but unlike Desmon’s restructuring of the world that included all people, Vānima’s restructuring of the world included herself. Just herself. So the Zurrinaih worshipped her and fit snuggly into that plan. In so doing, they became the dominant people on Rhye, surpassing all other peoples considered Those Who Came After, even the jeenta. Eventually they surpassed even the Sithuwaye once Vānima began hunting them.
Vānima used the Zurrinaih for their ability to trigger zadrels, a surge of voluntary adrenaline that made possible the special technique called wraith-step specifically employed by Sicarius assassins. It is what makes them so unstoppable. It is what makes Vānima so unstoppable.
The Zurrinaih Today
by creatifrankenstein from Pixabay
Signed your impatient narrator,
Azrael the Star of Death
Book Information
To learn more, hop on over to the books page OR hop on over to the teaser and get a sneak peek of Chapter 1! For more articles like this one, have a peek at my Worldbuilding Journal and explore Orosta.
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Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
Parent ethnicities
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
5,000 years (maybe)
Average Height
6’0″
Average Physique
Athletic
Lanuages Spoken
- Zishlyn (native)
- Orostian (worldwide)
The Religion of Velherr
Brought Into Being by
Unknown
Lilith (maybe)
Created by
Le Sair the White Stag (technically)
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