Ziggy Highhat

*"You get one turn without my rage"* - Ziggy

**Zilijan "Ziggy" Highhat** is a player character in Tales of Vitore and a member of Team Novitori, later joining the Lieutenant Hunters. He is played by Chesta.

Ziggy also stars in the Legacy Episode A Court of Frost which focuses on preparations for his marriage to the Autumn Princess.

## Introduction

*My name given at birth is Zilijan Highhat, but I don't like to rest on family laurels, so please call me Ziggy. My parents are fine, mind you, just rather than being another Highhat courtier, I've chosen a life of adventure for myself. And, with that, adventure as a muse, I'm going to show a certain someone that my poems aren't all shite.*

*Am I embarrassed about something? Oh, no... My cheeks are just always a little rosy. It's only when that blush reaches my ears that you should be worried... That's when you know I lost my temper.*

## Story

### Background

From an early age, Ziggy recalled the saying in The Spring Court: “They wear their hats so high on their head, there’s no shade on their brow", a saying to make fun of those higher-ups who have no perspective on the working-class and stick to customs for custom’s sake. Zildjian Highhat knew this because such a saying was the source of his family's surname, though he always preferred to be called Ziggy.

His childhood was spent watching his parents prattling about in the Fae Court, rather than freely flying about gracing flower petals and spider-silks with dew. When not tailing his folks, Ziggy had a bit of a raucous childhood. When the other fairy kids would tease him for being a nectar-drinker, Ziggy would hear drums thrumming in his ears and his fists would fly. This eventually led to Ziggy having a rough reputation and falling in with a bit of an unsavory crowd in his teen years.

Ziggy would catch the eye of this brassy group after they saw him lose his temper in a tavern. His ears thrumming, he did not recall much of the subsequent bar brawl, but by the end of it, he had some folks offering him a gig. While Ziggy was never in the game of murder, or anything of the like, save for the occasional mischief. However, this reckless behavior of his did eventually lead to a job gone bad, and Ziggy being grievously injured in the middle of the wilderness, which would lead into Ziggy becoming who he is today.

After the botched job, Ziggy woke up in a small house, with a person he didn’t know. Unsure if he was still in Danger danger, he went for the first things he could find. Ziggy grabbed and shrunk a hammer and a conveniently-sized shield. When facing his captor, Ziggy was asked “what is it you’re planning on doing with the frame drum I just re-headed?”. He looked around, surrounded by an assortment of instruments. The one before him introduced herself as Narcissa. Ziggy was invited by Narcissa to stay with her until his wing had healed.

Day in and day out he listened to her music, and became entranced. Eventually he began trying my hand at it, to little success. Ziggy learned that he did not have an ear for the music, had trouble reading staff, and lacked the eloquence to compose lyrics or poems. My poems, in particular seemed to offend Narcissa.

When Ziggy would lose his temper, he had that same steady pulse pounding his ear drums. Eventually he was able to sync with it, using Narcissa’s magic frame drum and a hammer. In those moments of synchronization, Ziggy felt that he had the potential to access the weave like Narcissa so effortlessly did. In addition to their songs, Ziggy would sit for hours listening to Narcissa’s tales, both personal and mythical, all collected during her own adventures. After 6 long weeks, he left Narcissa’s place, wing healed, to briefly visit home.

Ziggy announced to his complacently stagnant parents that he was not only alive but was leaving again. He planned to embark on his own adventure. Ziggy was going to show that Highhats can do more than sit on the Fae Courts. By the gods, demons, and serpents, he was going to use the content of his journey as a muse to prove to Narcissa that he could write a halfway decent epic poem.