Zeramus

Zeramus is the Garid assassin prevelant in Gael's side of the story. He is based off the series Loremaster, Elijah Wright.

Physical Appearance
Zeramus stands at a height of 6 feet, two inches. He is powerful, built of lean muscle as opposed to the bulk of the Astrod demons. He carries a crossbow on his back, and a long curved knife at his hip. He has green, leathery skin, short black hair, and blazing red eyes.

Background
Zeramus was born of the Garid race, the first sentient race to be created by the Gods. When he was 45, he joined an assassin guild which was the fate of the young males who lived in his tribe. In the guild, he was placed under the apprenticeship of Nuvurruk, one of the masters of the guild. Under Nuvurruk's guidance, his skills developed quickly, and he excelled within the guild. Nuvurruk noticed his potential and natural abilities, and thus manipulated him to eliminate the other guild masters, leaving him in solitary command. It wasn't until Zeramus carried out his mission that he realized what Nuvurruk's true intentions were. However, instead of confronting him directly, Zeramus ran away out of shame and fear for his actions. He found another settlement where he met a female named Nimue, who he fell in love with. The two were married and had a son named Acair. This peaceful life was short lived, however; Nuvurruk became increasingly paranoid that Zeramus would one day return for his life. He sent assassins to eliminate Zeramus in order to secure his position. Zeramus' home was destroyed, and his family killed, but Zeramus himself survived the encounter. In anger, he swore vengenace on Nuvurruk, vowing that he would one day slay him for the wrongs he had committed. Centuries past in which Zeramus returned to being a private assassin in order to better hear news of Nuvurruk's exploits. He gained much prestige for his talents in the underworld, the tales of his prowess reaching far and wide. He was eventually contracted by the demon lord Cretian the manipulator to disrupt the forces of Aeranor by eliminating their key members during the demonic invasion. Zeramus accepted, which led him to Aeranor, where he enters Gael's branch of the story Forlorn.

Personality
Zeramus' work as an assassin, combined with his history, has led him to have a cold, heartless exterior. He is a cynic, with a cruel sense of humor, often smiling at the plight of others. He is sarcastic and can be offensive. Quick to speak his mind, he has been described as arrogant by many. Despite this, Zeramus has many complex interworkings due to his past that reflect his injured, delicate heart underneath his icy exterior.

Role in the Story
Zeramus serves as a mentor to Gael, first as a reoccuring opponent, and then as an ally. He assists Gael in his endeavors in Aeranor and serves in the Aeranor Liberation group.

Combat and abilities
Zeramus is a warrior of stealth, preferring to eliminate his opponents before they have the chance to react. He has great speed which many mortals find difficult to match. He possess the ability to vanish and reappear in a short distance; a racial trait which is similar to teleportation. Additionally, he can transform into a fox, another racial trait Garid demons share. Zeramus prefers ranged combat with his crossbow, but is a well versed swordsman with his knife in case he needs to resort to close quarters combat. His battle strategies are reserved for fighting single opponents, and thus he doesn't perform well in a setting in which he must fight several opponents at once.

Connection to other characters
While Zeramus has been around for centuries, he has no solid connections to any of the other characters in the book save Nuvurruk, who is his rival and his final target.