Zaoh Zenya (Zow Zen-Yuh)

Grand Surveyor

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Zaoh Zenya was born in the Koukorat Highlands of the Douma Imperium in the year 1201. The only son of a pair of farmers, he helped tend to his family's farm alongside his four older sisters. Whenever Zaoh wasn't helping with farmwork, he was excitedly exploring the rocky hills that bordered his home. Though he often fell and injured himself, Zaoh's burning curiosity about the world around him could not be snuffed out. He wanted to see the entirety of the Imperium and all the lands beyond it. When Zaoh grew to be of age, he enlisted in the Douman Imperial Navy to see the world.
Despite growing up a peasant farmer, Zaoh was self-taught in reading and writing and kept extensive records of his time serving the Imperial Navy. Zaoh's constant log keeping led to his fellow crewmates giving him the moniker of 'The Scribe'.
During a routine naval patrol, Zaoh's ship was hit by a monumental storm that destroyed the ship. Half of the crew, including the captain, perished. The other half- with Zaoh amongst them- washed up somewhere on the eastern coast of Meladoria. Zaoh's experiences navigating the Koukorat Highlands gave him the advantage he needed to lead his surviving crewmates through treacherous terrain to reach the city of Peldor in Bralthe.
Upon returning to the Imperium, Douma was brought before Empress Oum Rui. It seemed that fortunes had lined up for Zaoh: Not only was the Empress bestowing honors upon Zaoh, she was tasking him with leading an exploratory mission to go beyond the continent of Kidan and write a report on the places he finds. The Empress gave him a retinue of scholars, scouts, and even a memoryweaver from her own court. On the dawn of the first day of the year 1238, Grand Surveyor Zaoh Zenya began his first- and only- expedition.
Zaoh's travels took him from Bralthe to Telesmata to Kalem, across the Minaria River into the uncharted jungles of Tchar, over the Godstair Mountains and all the way along the western coast of Meladoria. However, nine years into Zaoh's grand expidition, tragedy struck.
As Zaoh's expidition team was preparing to cross the Nelujean Ocean, the Harrowing took place. Though Zaoh was not among the Harrowed, it was one of his retinue who became transfigured in their sleep. Imperial Scribe Yen Jia became, as Zaoh wrote, 'a scorpion the size of a horse, with Yen Jia's weeping face pleading for forgiveness'. Though the Harrowed Yun Jin was slain by Zaoh's appointed guards, the Harrowed managed to pierce Zaoh with its poisonous stinger.
The poison ravaged Zaoh's body. He knew he would die before they could synthesize an antidote, and used his remaining life to draft a letter to the Empress and send his retinue back to Douma. It is unknown what happened to Zaoh after he died, though some believe that a stacked rock formation on the coast of Nelujean marks the place where one of Zaoh's retinue buried him after doubling back to find him.

Current Status

Deceased

Age

46

Life

1201 1247

Pronouns

He/Him