Zane Vartik
Fire Mote
Mage . . . what image does that conjure in one’s mind? To most, a stoic man. One well aged, with wisdom to match all those years spent buried in grimoires and other sagely articles. Their wisdom emphasized by rudimentary things. Like, how long their beard is—in most cases. In old Valyria, though, some of those assumptions would be correct. The eldest, most austere, generally held more reverence while the youngest and inexperienced had to gain rapport from within the Brotherhood, and also outside of its proud and secretive walls. Valyrian mages were integral to their society, and with that came set rules and expectations placed on and upheld by them. But, there were a select few better at skirting the line, or some that managed to traverse said narrow-line with a level of grace that most still seen as acceptable.
Appearance And Character
Olive skinned with light brown eyes and silver hair. He has a burn mark that covers the left side of his face and stretches from above his eyelid towards the back of his head, hidden mostly under his hair. He is often battered and bruised in some way. Being a Mage Hunter—and one that prefers to get physical—it leaves him susceptible to injury. His voice is deep and sometimes it is hard to discern what he is saying once he talks for too long as it gradually gets deeper and more growl-like, most likely a product of the magical condition he had as a child.
Zane is an easy-going man. Often found entertaining others with fire tricks he developed himself, or walking around Valyria when not on an assignment or anything of importance at the Inaugrion to hold his attention. He learned this from his mentor, and just like the man that taught him, Zane’s demeanor changed while in combat. It was then he became fierce and more serious, especially after witnessing said mentor’s death during a mage hunt. Sometimes his natures would cross, and it looked like he was enjoying the act of killing another.
History
The Spark of Life
Zane’s magic was apparent from the moment he was born. His first breath into the world ended with an exhale of light smoke. Instantly he was taken from his mother and placed in the Brotherhood of Mages. He spent his early years learning the history and basics of magic, spending more time studying than practicing. Eventually he fell ill and it took a while before the Iñaugrion figured out what he was stricken with. An elder Mage, Yanos, realized the boy was suffering from magical excess. It was a condition that happened to mages when their magical power laid latent, pent up and unused. Yanos administered an elixir and left Zane alone in his room overnight with hopes to cure the boy. It worked, and Yanos convinced the Brotherhood that it would be best for him to mentor the boy so something like this couldn’t happen in the future.
A Fire is Kindled
Yanos was a Mage who specialized in combative magics, and was known to mix martial fighting styles with said magics, and was also a mage hunter. Yanos realized that in order for the excessive magic inside of the boy to not overflow or be bottled up, he needed to use it more freely and train his body to contain it. Day after day Zane shadowed his mentor in all aspects of his life—some would even say Yanos was the boy’s only parental figure. Soon enough Yanos was taking Zane with him on hunts, even after being warned by the Brotherhood that they did not approve of this. But Yanos believed the best practice was in real combat.
One day Yanos was assigned to hunt a rogue mage that fled to the forests a few dozen miles outside of Valyria. He took Zane along with him, the pair traveled for days and asked anyone they came across for information so they could better track and find the rogue. They did soon enough, and the both of them ambushed him in his lair. A battle began, but the longer it went on the more Yanos realized that he was outmatched—his hubris had gotten the better of him. The rogue had struck down Yanos, thinking him dead, and was about to kill Zane when a power awoke in the boy. Zane manifested his blue flame, a fire far more intense than normal red or orange fire, and burned the man to ashes. After the roge was defeated, Zane realized Yanos was not dead yet. In his final words Yanos warned Zane of what he saw, saying: “You contain great power within, Zane. You are a true son of Aenela . . .But be weary of power like that. For if you use it incorrectly, you will be burned to a cinder . . .”
They call him Cinder
It was the retelling of the fate of his Mentor that earned Zane his moniker, Cinder. Some used it as a morbid reminder of what his mentor said, others mocked him with it, wishing the warning to come true. Zane kept at his craft and showed devotion to the Iñaugrion like no other. He became a weapon the Brotherhood could wield, and wield they did. Sent out on more hunts than most hunters over twice his age, Zane earned a reputation as a Mage that should not be trifled with.
One day he was given a different kind of assignment. He was to meet with his birth family for the first time, and was given his family name to use if he wished. It had been twenty-four years since he was born, and meeting his family was a strange ordeal he had to figure out. It took over a year before Zane finally felt comfortable around them, and even to present day he still struggles with the idea of family and his identity. He carries out his duty, like he always did, but each day he discovers himself more and finds more purpose in his life outside of being a mere weapon or tool.
Current Location
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
4825 AD
25 Years old
Family
Children
Aligned Organization
Zane Vartik
Strength
+2
Dexterity
+3
Intelligence
+2
Wisdom
-1
Charisma
-1
Strength
+2
Dexterity
+3
Intelligence
+2
Wisdom
-1
Charisma
-1
