Ediro Zanarin

**Ediro Zanarin** is a prelate of Ulis in Amalo and an enemy of Thara Celehar.

## Appearance

According to Thara, she had "considerably cold beauty", and was some inches taller than Celehar but shorter than Anora Chanavar. She had close-set granite gray eyes.

## Personality

Since she was from the south, she was a skeptic and doubted that Witnesses for the Dead truly spoke to the dead. She also didn't hide her distaste at the sound of Thara's voice, which sounded the way it did due to surviving an illness, though her distaste may also be because she disliked him. She often reprimanded him for acting like he outranked Aiva Vernezar.

She was also ambitious, and even ready to go over Aiva's head to seek power from the Amal'othala. Zhodeän Parmorin called her proud and fanatical.

## Life

She was a member of Aiva's staff, and the loudest voice in the faction which objected to Thara's presence in Amalo. She believed that, because Thara did not have a benefice, he should have the lowest rank in the Ulistheilian of Amalo, with only novices ranked below him. She'd made the argument first, but had been quickly backed by others.

She was present at the end of Thara's trial of ordeal, alongside Aiva.

After the explosion at the Amal-Athamareise Ashenavo Trinciva, she arrived to investigate, and demanded the use of Thara's services. She was patronizing, and used his inability to discover any more information for her as an excuse to call him a coward. She eventually turned to helping the injured.

She went over Aiva's head to get power from the Amal'othala, which she used to command Thara to work with her again in the Amal-Athamareise Ashenavo Trinciva's Second Production Hangar. Ediro was on-site interrupting the investigation of Zhodeän, a judicial Witness. The three of them discussed matters: Ediro was constantly patronizing to Thara, and Zhodeän was supportive of him. Thara attempted to excuse himself, and Ediro denied him, and was patronizing of Zhodeän's abilities as well. Ediro insisted the explosion was deliberate rather than an accident, over the advice of both Zhodeän and Thara. Thara realized this was to find something to prove this whole escapade was worthwhile, as Ediro could alienate both the Amal'othala and Aiva with the stunt. Zhodeän insisted there was no evidence of malice to be found, and left. Ediro insisted she and Thara continue, ignoring Thara's support of Zhodeän's position that there was nothing to find. Eventually Ediro called a halt for the day, implying they would pick it up the next day.

They both returned the next day, and when Thara completed his investigation under her orders, saying, again, that it was an accident, Ediro refused to accept it, and dismissed him. Zhodeän's investigation meanwhile found a leak in one of the eisonar tanks, and with just a little ignition, that ultimately led to the tragedy, showing no ill intent. Ediro eventually said she would report as much to the Amal'othala, and left. Notably, the mass of evidence Ediro forced Thara to gather was usuful as supporting testimony for Zhodeän's case.

Aiva ordered Ediro “to spend a season in isolate devotion in the Chapel of Floods” in the spring, as retaliation for her actions.

## Relationships

#### Aiva Vernezar

Ediro was supportive of Aiva, but also on the lookout for her own gain, which Aiva ultimately didn't appreciate.

#### Amal'othala

Ediro was able to obtain the Amal'othala's support, though it's unclear what the fallout from him, if any, for her failed stunt with the explosion investigation was.

#### Thara Celehar

Ediro hated Thara for many reasons: the odd position he held in Amalo and who did or didn't hold authority over him, the sound of his voice, and his connection through marriage to Maia Drazhar (via Thara's kinswoman, the widow empress), which Ediro perceived as giving Thara an attitude of false importance. Ediro also disliked that Thara didn't care about rank, and she was skeptical of his work. She also thought it inapropriate that a disgraced prelate had investigated the murderers of Varenechibel IV.

#### Zhodeän Parmorin

Zhodeän was a judicial Witness who worked with Ediro and Thara at the Amal-Athamareise Ashenavo Trinciva. Zhodeän and Ediro disliked each other, in part because Zhodeän stood up for Thara to Ediro, and in part because Ediro was incredibly patronizing to Zhodeän.

## Quotations

* Ediro to Thara: "Do you claim that you outrank the Ulisothala?"
* Thara to Ediro: “It has never been our impression that we are much in your thoughts.”

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Addison, Katherine. *The Witness for the Dead*, First ed., Tor, 2021.