Zyak
General of the Armies of Svoboda (a.k.a. Former King of the Azure Kingdom)
Zyak son of Elandra ruled the Azure Kingdom from 4990AG to 37PU. He is known for his martial prowess and political competence, but has no magical ability of his own. He is also a demigod of Katrin, but this fact is only known by those closest to him.
Zyak's mother Elandra was herself sired by Katrin under one of the gods mortal guises, wooing then queen Viona with a handsome facade and promises of excitement in the bedroom. The monarch having a daughter with a completely unknown man was a bit unusual, but after she acknowledged the child into the line of succession there was no further controversy. Viona herself was a decently powerful mage, specializing in abjuration. Her magical potency made it entirely unremarkable that young Elandra also showed signs of being a strong mage, so nobody had reason to suspect that her father might have been anything other than another one of the queen’s casual flings.
Elandra, like all of the members of the Azure Kingdom’s royal house, was human and like several generations of ancestors before her a devotee of Katrin. She assumed the throne upon turning twenty, allowing her mother to retire and step back from the stresses of courtly life. Elandra had a flare for politics, engaging in broad reaching diplomacy throughout the Western Continent and beyond. She took many casual lovers and when she found herself pregnant by one of these she may not have even known which of her paramours he was. Unknown to her, the child's father was yet another guise of Katrin, experimenting with concentrating her divine blood within a single family.
From the beginning Zyak was a sickly child, prone to colic and fits and not thriving the way the clerics expected him to. By the time he was five the boy began to suffer from a strange magical malady. Unusually for a child in a line of powerful mages, he appeared to have no magical powers of his own. Instead, he seemed to find the very essence of magic overwhelming, leaving him incapacitated for weeks at a time whenever he got too close to a magic item. The queen called in a variety of wizards and clerics in an attempt to diagnose the young prince and to find a cure for his ailment. The details of his condition were never made public, except beyond some vague rumors at court that the prince had a blood sickness. He was never seen in public and all news was carefully filtered through his mother’s hand picked advisors.
Eventually the queen finally found a cleric of Katrin who was able to help the young prince. This cleric was, of course, Katrin herself, eager to get a closer look at her latest experiment and to see what the magical side effects of her inbreeding had been. She worked with Zyak for many months, learning about his condition and reasoning that he had a hyper-charged version of Detect Magic active at all times, which he could not control. The boy could sense not just spells and other effects in his vicinity, but the very weave of magic flowing through the world. By experimenting with ur-matter and relying on some very ancient research Katrin was able to develop a potion to dull the prince's magical senses, allowing him to begin living a normal life.
To the young Zyak, this 'cleric of Katrin' served as doctor, companion, and mentor, and his reliance on her granted Katrin an opportunity to tighten her control over the Azure Kingdom. She was never a particularly affectionate companion, but was tolerant of him and took time to groom him, instilling in him the certainty that she was the only person in existence who could keep him healthy and safe. Eventually she revealed her true identity to both Zyak and his mother, who were flattered by the personal attentions of their god.
Once Zyak reached adulthood Katrin arranged for the assassination of Elandra. To all outside appearances, the queen had a brief but devastating illness from which she never recovered. Many people suspected poison and some suspicion even fell on Zyak, but he was genuinely unaware of Katrin’s plans and nothing concrete was ever pinned on him. Zyak was surprised to find himself on the throne so young, but was determined to rise to the occasion and to shape the kingdom to his will. Katrin remained close to him, whispering plans in his ear, and reminding him that he needed her to maintain his health and ability to rule.
In 5000AG, through the efforts of Osborne's Misfits , Zyak was approached by Iden, who convinced him that he could be free of Katrin's influence. With help from Natanis he was able to duplicate the formula the king needed to function, and once assured of his continued health, Zyak assisted Iden and his companions in Katrin's ultimate destruction.
Following his god's death, Zyak continued to rule his kingdom, ending an ongoing conflict with Lago and securing diplomatic dies with Dalan ar-Volodar ar-Elomyr ar-Denawyn ar-Jedrak, who was becoming a rising power in the Eastern Continent. Following many years of unrest among the nobility, Zyak abdicated his throne in 37PU, making way for the Azure Kingdom to be run by its oligarchs.
He currently lives in Svoboda, where he serves as that country's chief general.
Mental characteristics
Sexuality
homosexual, aromantic
Species
Year of Birth
9963
307 Years old
Family
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Gender
male
Eyes
Grey
Hair
Black, very short
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Mediterranean complexion
Height
6'2"
Aligned Organization
Comments