Zachary Nyrid

"Actions speak louder than words. Well, more so in my case than anyone else."

Zachary has been wandering throughout the Human Territory for many years of his childhood. Never being one to stay in one spot for very long, the young bard yearns to find his long lost grandfather. The border facilities would not let a minor cross their borders into other territories which left him left to wander the Human Territory. However, now that he is of age, the time for expanding his search has come and Zachary will search far and wide for his missing grandfather.

## **History**

### **A Troublesome Upbringing**

Zachary was born into a poor household in the human city of Perten, a northeastern city of the Human Territory. Ages ago his ancestory once played music for any royalty willing to request their talents. Their musical talent was unrivaled for generations, and the way they produced such music almost seemed magical to spectators. Alas, those are only the stories Zachary heard from his grandfather when his parents were out fishing for a living. Zachary's father always complained that grandfather Pappy should not be teaching his boy such nonsense, but Zachary's grandfather always just shrugged him off. "Nobody had played an instrument in this family since ancient times," according to Zachary's father.

Zachary knew better than this; in fact, he's *heard* better. Whenever Zachary's mother and father took to the fishing boat for work, his grandfather would bring over his guitar to play music while telling Zachary of his heritage. The stories were spoken almost lyrically as his grandfathered played just about every day. Zachary's ancestors did not only play music for royal events; in fact, they inspired soldiers in the middle of battle to rally the troops and keep on the fight. His grandfather would always somehow manage to tell a new story every day about the ways of his heritage for years of Zachary's life. It wasn't until his teens that Zachary was taught the ways of the guitar and the magical sounds that he could make.

With everything gained something must be lost. Zachary had finally gained a fraction of the musical talents his grandfather had to offer, but one day his parents arrived home early in the middle of his lessons. Zachary's father was furious, feeling betrayed by Zachary's grandfather Pappy for going behind his back. "My son is not to believe in these myths!" his father shouted. "He is to work hard for his family, not thinking that twanging strings can earn a living!" For this, Pappy was cast from their household to never be seen from again. Zachary was devastated by this and took solace by continuing to practice his musical skills for months on end. Soon enough his father grew furious towards Zachary as well and attempted to destroy Pappy's heirloom guitar. Zachary struck his father that day and fled from the house with lute in hand.

Zachary wandered the Human Territory from then on, earning spare currency from passersby he played for. He was on a personal quest to find his grandfather and thank him one last time for all he taught. The tales that Zachary's grandfather spoke of took place across many areas across each territory, but Zachary could not cross the borders for so long. Now he is finally of age and can cross the borders freely. Along the way he somehow acquired a red-breasted grosbeak as a companion. Neither feeding or offering it a place to rest, it would always find Zachary every time he played his music. And thus the two traveled beyond the Human Territory into the unknown, in search of a master gone by.

### **An Honest Life**

Zachary lived as a modest, homeless life for as long as he could. His journeys led him to Centrus where the CCPD caught him earning street performance income without a license. In agreement to levy all charges against him, the police department made a deal with Zachary. The boy would have to live at a homeless shelter and look for honest work as part of a program the city was putting in place. The money he needed to save for a license was nothing short of a fortune compared to what Zachary had ever seen. It wasn't until he lied about his age on a job application that he landed work at Centrus Academy as a lunch server for the students. Now he works an honest man's pay in hopes of saving enough money to start earning a name for himself.

## **Personality**

As with all bards comes a kind soul that loves teaching people the joys of music. Wherever Zachary goes, it's with a smile on his face as he plays the lute like it is an extension of his self. He is a young, passionate boy dedicated to a life of bringing the beauty of music to life. Zachary approaches any situation he can with a kind and merciful heart, for that is the way his grandfather taught him. However, he is not without negativity in his optimistic life. He still carries the guilt of leaving his mother and father at a young gauge everywhere goes. Zachary only wishes them the best, but he has a personal mission to revive the Nyrid family name as prestigious musicians. It was a legacy left to him by his grandfather. If his father was not up to the task, then Zachary would gladly step up to the mantle. The guild he carries does not weight him down too much. Instead, it ties him back home and gives him a reason to return once his quest is complete. Zachary is a man driven by his passion for music and he intends on making a name for himself.

Zachary is quite overprotective of both his hat and lute. Both are gifts to him left by his grandfather, leaving Zachary to believe that they were left to help him carry on his mission. If someone were to attempt to take these items from him, Zachary would protest greatly. Another thing noteworthy is that, although flirtatious sometimes, Zachary carries little intention for romance. If something were to spark surely he would fan the flames, but he is not actively seeking romantic love. He has a mission to carry out before he tends to his other desires, but as his grandfather always said, "Life can happen at any moment, so enjoy it while it lasts."

Lastly, he tends to speak in broken tongue that sometimes mixes both the international language and his local Perten tongue. This is quite rare and mostly occurs when he is speaking without thinking.

## **Abilities**

As of current, Zachary is not aware of any Maya or Yura that he possesses. It was never relevant in his early life not in that of his family of fishers. Albeit these powers are commonplace across the world, Zachary himself shows little interest in attempting to see if he has any of these abilities.