Derek

## Derek Yazdi

— **Derek Yazdi**

**Derek Yazdi** is a non-playable Character in *Back 4 Blood* who is the brother of the Cleaner, Tala Yazdi. He was implemented with the Children of the Worm expansion. This NPC can be found in the fifth Act and the sixth Act of the Campaign.

* Main Article
* Quotes

## Overview

Derek is a former member of the Children of the Worm who went rogue and helped the Cleaners escape from the clutches of the Cultists. Like the other Cultists members, he is in symbiosis with the Devil Worm and is thus ignored by the Ridden.

Derek wears an orange prisoner outfit the same fashion as the other members of the cult. His top has large patches on the shoulders. Over his shoulder he wears a rope. He also wears a belt to which he has pouches attached. In addition, he has a brown face mask, similar to those worn by the Crones and Snipers, attached to his belt. On his left arm he wears a black glove. His pants also have patches and Derek wears black shoes.

His eyes glow like the other Cultists which has not escaped the attention of the Cleaners. He also has a very thin upper lip and chin beard and some of Derek's skin is very scarred. The skin has changed the hue to a brown-greyish color due to the transformation. Below his left ear on his neck is the Rune of the Children of the Worm. The Heralds of the Worm Rune can also be found on both forearms.

Players first meet Derek in the Mission Where Me Flock's Chained where he rescues the Cleaners from an infinite Horde near the end of the Mission by opening an entrance to a Saferoom for them that lies beneath an arena.

At first, he is relieved that help has arrived, but is quickly disillusioned by the Cleaners, who are not sent to rescue him and others. However, they promise to send help as soon as they have escaped. When they offer him to come with them, he declines the offer, pointing out that he will not make the escape without his sister.

Like the Cultists, who are hostile to the Cleaners, Derek has retained his intellect as well as the ability to speak despite the transformation. What makes Derek drastically different from the other Cultists is that he has either retained his own will or has been able to free himself from brainwashing. Derek also appears to be technically proficient, which allowed him to tap into the Cleaners' radio channel in the mission Surrounded by Devils and tell them how to escape.

After the Cleaners escaped the Cultists' lair by means of the truck Derek told them about over the radio, the Cultists captured him and held him hostage. Helping Derek's sister free him is the main objective in The River of Blood along with stopping the Cultists' plans. In the mission, Behold the Harbinger, the Cleaners end up successfully freeing Derek from his prison and he is last seen walking to Fort Hope along with his sister.

## Notes

* Yazdi is a common name for someone from the city or province of Yazd in central Iran. Thus, Derek and his sister Tala not only share the same roots as Tala's voice actress Dalia Rooni, who is also of Iranian descent, but also the same family name as Turtle Rock Studios' Systems Administrator Kevin 🐢"MadnessMetal" Yazdi.

## Gallery

Derek in the mission In the Depths.Derek alongside his sister Tala.

# Campaign

## Behold the Harbinger

 Tala, you came back for me...
 Hey, Tala? Stop being such a sap.
 Fuck. Thank you so much. They're building a monster. They've got to be stopped!