W'zene Rhelge

**W'zene Rhelge**, called **Zene** by those close to him, was a catfolk wizard and later stargazer from the W Tribe. Born in Scholar's Spire to parents who escaped the Malkenian Imperium, W'zene was raised among many mages and scholars who led him to the study of magic himself. He became deeply interested in archaeology and ancient magics, and during his time at Strixhaven University was gifted an ancient staff from old Thameyis by one of his mentors, which he used often. W'zene often used spells and magics that took long periods of concentration to cast, but had devastating results.

## History

Born to parents who had fled the Malkenian Imperium, W'zene had little understanding of his tribe's cultural customs and attached himself strongly to Maldoaravan culture. He became quite the academic and became extremely interested in ancient magic at a young age after attending a lecture with his father on the subject. W'zene began studying at a young age, often sneaking into libraries around Strixhaven to read their books - and, as such, grew to have quite an affinity for breaking into the forbidden sections of libraries.

Once W'zene entered Strixhaven University as a student, he excelled in his studies, focusing on them heavily. During this time, he also gained a soft taste for adventure - with all the chaos that occured at Strixhaven on the regular, it was hard for him not to. W'zene focused his studies on archaeology and the ancient magics of long-dead civilizations, becoming well-versed in their magics and spells. At one point during his time at university, W'zene was gifted an ancient staff one of his mentors recovered from Thameyis during an expedition. This staff was of great interest to W'zene, both for its origins and its retractability, making it easy to carry around - though, when unretracted the staff would clang on the ground, making a loud "cling!" sound that announced his presence, although he secretly enjoyed this.

W'zene would take place in many events during his years at Strixhaven on research travels, such as a leading an army against the Nightmare Court and meeting The White Lady and fighting off a Malkenian attack on Orkfeld alongside Shamob Rotgut.

W'zene eventually became extremely well-versed in a great multitude of subjects. By the time he had graduated from his four years at Strixhaven, W'zene had developed a working knowledge of countless ancient cultures, various schools of magic ranging from the common to obscure, battle tactics, and an understanding of Focus beyond many of his colleagues. As he grew older, however, he would also develop an interest in the art of stargazing, the nature of manipulating souls after death, and would even develop a rudimentary knowledge of interplanar travel.

## Personality

W'zene is relatively shy at first, until someone starts him talking on a subject he knows about. Sharing knowledge is one of W'zene's favorite activities with other scholars, and how he has built many of his relationships. He is a cordial and respectful person, wishing the best for everyone around him, most of all his friends.

Despite W'zene's shyness, he is a profound leader. Able to encourage those around him with words of encouragement and rousing, powerful speeches, W'zene can be powerfully charismatic in the right circumstances. Despite appearances, W'zene was a tried-and-tested battlemage and had a strong understanding of military formations and warfare. While he rarely got the chance to show off this knowledge due to his general disinterest in politics, the few times he served as a leader of armies during his adventures showed how cunning he truly was.

## Friends and Enemies

W'zene was close friends with Shamob and T'imah Dovah, two friends he had met during his years at Strixhaven University.