Planet Zar: Nexus

Yinzerios

BONDED TO CAURANDE

BASICS

Name	Yinzerios	Gender	Male
Species	Orc	Pronouns	he/him
Age	46	Height:	6'8"
Residence	Extant, Lomeelas	Occupation	Paladin of Halae

Personality

Yinzerios is a quiet, serious man who mostly keeps to himself. He has trouble trusting others and takes a great deal of time to open up to new people. Just the same, he's quick to make assumptions and tends to judge people negatively. Better to assume the worst than be caught off-guard. He doesn't trust his own judgement when it comes to "good feelings" about a new person. He's scrutinizing and incredulous. His gut-instincts have led him astray too often in the past to be followed now. He will perform good deeds for people without taking kindly to them, but expect gruff remarks and unwillingness to accept gratitude.

Hard-work is the way to redemption. Yin has a troubled past to make up for and he throws himself into good, sweaty toils. Nothing like a hard day of labor under a hot sun to forget your guilt. Yin hates idleness and feels his best when his hands and his mind are busy. Since dedicating himself to Halae he splits his time between tending fields and combat training. Yin has hope for Lomeelas' future but no expectations that he'll make it through the end of this war. The more good he can do before he sets foot on the battlefield, the better.

Yin is a steadfast and formidable ally that doesn't shirk at the sight of hardship. His loyalty, once earned, in deep and true, but he's developed a strong sense of justice and will no longer stand with his allies if they do something against his strict moral code.

Background

Yinzerios was born to the Highfang orcish clan in western Conflict. A clan who famously worshiped Direkes and Cassimir.

As is typically of Lomeelian orcs, Yin grew up with several siblings and had close relationships with his extended family. He was taught simple weaponry, combat, and strategy training at a young age, along with most of his peers. The elders of his family - retired soldiers, mostly - raised goats for fiber and cheese-making. Yin was enamored with the animals and loved spending time with them in the pastures.

While not all orcs of the Highfang clan become soldiers, battle experience is a common rite of passage. Yin deliberated deeply on which army he wished to join; Cassimir or Direkes. At this time, the two gods were not enemies and there was no push for servitude toward either. Yin was free to make his choice.

As things tend to go in adolescence, Yin's choice was decided by a pretty face. Hagren, a clan-mate and long time crush, chose to serve Cassimir, eager for the power and freedom granted under the Lord of Destruction. Yin followed suit.

The early days of their training and warfare were magnificent. Yin earned valuable experience as a foot soldier and remained close to Hagren. The two fought many battles together, razing lands and reveling in their victories.

As Cassimir's desire for power grew stronger, the battles he chose became less discriminate. Unrelenting destruction was the goal. Yin did not awaken to the long-term effects of his actions until the warband returned to his clan home. What was once lush and green, farmlands and families abound, was nothing more than smoke and ash. Yin was horrified. His parents, his siblings, were gone. As a footsoldier he'd been tasked with cleaning up the detritus of battle, picking of stragglers. But this was his home and these were not honorable deaths.

The straw that broke him was returning to the pastures of his homestead. The goats his family so lovingly raised, who he'd grown up with, had been slaughtered.

"They were just animals," said Hagren. "They serve a greater purpose for our god, now."

Yin was troubled, but to flee the army seemed like certain death. Were any of his clan still alive? Why would Cassimir attack a place that supplied him with soldiers? With allies? Yin had no idea of the larger conflicts occurring between Cassimir and Direkes, let alone the other gods. He kept his mouth shut and continued to follow Cassimir, although his loyalty was shaken.

It wasn't until some of the final conflicts between Cassimir's army and Direkes' that Yin came to terms that this life wasn't for him. It was dishonorable in every way. He had taken lives that didn't deserve to be ended. His soul was red with blood and black with the ash of a scorched earth. Hagren couldn't see it; or chose not to. Perhaps even reveled in the cruelty of indiscriminate destruction.

On the eve of a disastrous battle, Yin fled. Shame gripped him at every possible angle.

He smuggled passage on a merchant ship and landed in the lush continent of Extant. He dropped his clan name entirely, too ashamed of himself to tarnish the Highfang name.

He found work on a farm, tending to crops and animals. He labored endlessly and rarely spoke. He deserved the loneliness for all the destruction he caused, and helping on a farmstead was one small way he could give back to the world. He found the work incredibly rewarding and if he labored hard enough he could almost forget the terrible things he'd done.

Priests from the local temple to Halae, Lomeelian god of nature, came to Yin's village to collect tithes from the farm. Food, leathers, fabric, and raw materials that could be turned to clothes. In exchange they brought spices, beautiful (but practical) clothing, seeds for new crops, and blessings from Halae. In their party was Branta Fatespinner, a magic-weaver arachnid - the first Yin had ever seen. She took a keen interest in Yin and began to visit the farm regularly. He was a soldier, wracked with guilt, and just the ally Branta needed for her own quests.

Over time, Branta managed to earn Yin's trust. She asked him for help in finding and freeing her many sisters that had been sold into captivity. Yin agreed and the two traveled together for many months, freeing Magic-Weaver Arachnids as they did so. The work was never over, but longs stretches passed between clues of the Fatepsinner whereabouts, and the pair returned to Extant and the farm Yin worked.

The two spoke endlessly of Yin's past and how he wished to fix the mistakes he'd made. Branta offered to guide him as an acolyte for Halae.

Yin was hesitant. Pledging his allegiance to a god was what created his turmoil in the first place. He agreed to return with Branta to Halae's temple to meet the goddess. Branta explained Yin's situation to Halae, and Halae agreed to grant him access to her divine magic if Yin swore to use it to redeem himself; to replenish the world, to help things grow and communities flourish. And, if it came to it, to take arms against Cassimir in the war to end him.

Yin was permitted time to think on his decision. He didn't want to act rashly, as he had in his youth.

News of Cassimir's defeat of Direkes reached as far as Extant. Rumors abound that Cassimir intended to take over all of Lomeelas, destroying the temples of the other gods as he went.

This helped push Yin into choosing his fate. With magic and the guidance of another god, perhaps Yin could be used to defeat Cassimir. He traveled back to Halae's temple to accept her offer and pledge himself to her.

He took the name "Greentusk" that day, to represent his allegiance with the nature goddess.

Branta and Yin continue to chase clues to free Branta's sisters.

Abilities

SHAPESHIFTING

the ability to shift between human and lion forms

Stories

Connections

Connections

Branta Fatespinner

COMPANION, MENTOR

Yinzerios has vowed to help Branta find and free her siblings in order to redeem himself for the choices he made in his youth. She's been his mentor as an acolyte of the goddess Halae.

Gallery