Anzu

Soft beaked fool

The Guardian

The Prime Designate

Omar (Childhood best friend)

The Exiles (Formerly)

Lord's Alliance

> "I have begun my journey to see this illusive evil, destroyed."
>
>

Dedicated to the protection of all known timelines, Lord Anzu is a Kenku seer who seems to show up seemingly at random to assist mortal heroes in their adventures, whether to share knowledge, assist in battle, or tell of an omen.

## Biography

Much like other Kenku, Anzu had a terrible memory growing up. Hailing from the Trembling Cities region of Sharan-Anrazi, Anzu left home shortly after adulthood to pursue a strange vision he and his family had, leaving his parents comatose. Journeying to the city of Karabajh, Anzu joined up with an enigmatic nobleman known as Etrucio, and was introduced to a small band of heroes known as The Exiles.

### Land of the Fated Sands

The Exiles took Anzu and Etrucio on their next journey to the city of Carv, where the entire settlement had been taken over by a crazed Masjien named Oswald, who was holding the populace hostage for one million gold. When they arrived, they found the inhabitants missing, and they met Oswald, who seemed to be acting strangely. When the party got in a brawl with him, Anzu was annoyed to learn Oswald was immune to psionic abilities. Eventually, the Exiles surrendered, and were told to bring Oswald news of the deaths of the Black Eagle bandits. When they went to find the bandits, they found that the bandits were actually innocent, and that Oswald had once been a member of them. What started as a simple hold up of the town eventually turned brutal when Oswald found a small gem, and it began to change him. The Exiles and Black Eagles joined forces to try and take down Oswald, and returning to Carv, fought Oswald again. Eventually, they removed the device from Oswald, who returned to normal, and apologized for his actions. The Exiles were shocked to discover the strange device was something called a cypher, which acted as a sort of magical battery. Behind Oswald's throne, they found a small opening to insert the cypher, and discovered the massive labyrinthine Pyramid of Yhakarr under the city. Exploring the pyramid, they eventually found the tomb of Yhakarr, and battled a massive genie that had been hiding in the temple. During the fight, Anzu let loose on his power, and tore the genie apart. As they were escaping the pyramid, Anzu collapsed, having a strange vision of a mysterious time travelling Pharaoh, bent on raising more of the mysterious pyramids for his own gain..

Returning to Karabajh, The Exiles discovered the mysterious Pharaoh had arrived in the city, and was keeping watch over the populace with a massive Roc that was standing guard above the arena. The Exiles recieved word of a Fallen Star to the west that was causing a massive sandstorm. Travelling there with Riocell, the party discovered the "star" was actually another pyramid, far bigger than the one under Carv. When they returned to Karabajh, they were horrified to discover Etrucio had been captured along with the cypher, and had been taken to the Pyramid of Karabajh. With the help of the dragon Tseranino, Anzu and the Exiles found a backdoor into the pyramid, and swiftly made their way up to the throne room, where Anzu spied on the Sorcerer king, Isis, meeting with a large genie hunter. Unfortunately, the Exiles were discovered, and a fight broke out, between The Sorcerer King and her minions, and the Exiles. In the insanity of the fight, the Pyramid started to activate, and threatened to kill hundred of people in Karabajh. As the Exiles fled, Tseranino called for them to regroup in the Isle of the Marteks to the east. In a quick effort, Anzu and Ran removed the Cypher from the pyramid, and were transported hundreds of years into the past.

After two months of fighting for their lives in the Pyramid of old Tyr, Anzu and Ran eventually met up with a strange man named Alean, and his genie friend Alu'Rahn. Trading stories about their experiences, Alean was horrified when Anzu brought up the Pharaoh, as Alean suspected he might become the Pharaoh. Alean made a deal with the two, that if they gave him the cypher they found in the pyramid, he would help them return to their time. Eventually, Alean and Alu'Rahn were seperated from the two, and they continued onward into the heart of the pyramid, where they fought a massive skeletal warlord. Activating the Cypher in the heart of the Pyramid, they accidentally entered a time loop when trying to activate it and causing Alean to attack them. Thanks to Anzu's quick talking, however, Alean stood down, and the two were returned to their time, and parted as friends.

Returning to their time, Ran and Anzu began to make their way to the east. On their way, they stopped in the port city of R'Rende, and met the Air Genasi twins Shion and Andross, who Anzu took a liking to. In exchange for aid getting to the isle, Anzu and Ran decided to help the twins kill the Sorcerer king of R'Rende. During their fight with the king, Anzu was mortally wounded, but Shion managed to save him.

   Finally leaving R'Rende, Anzu and Ran met up with the rest of the Exiles in the isle. While there, they met the psionic matriarch Hathii Gadar. Learning of a mysterious tablet that could stop Pharaoh's time powers, the Exiles departed the isle for the Jungles of Zakhara. When they arrived, they were forced to battle through the death walkers inhabiting Zakhara. When they arrived at the cave they found the tablet held by an Earth Genasi, who gave the tablet in exchange for his freedom from the cave. Upon departing, they were confronted by Pharaoh, who threatened to burn down the entire island if they didn't hand it over. Although the Exiles obliged, Pharaoh did not keep his word, and set fire to the jungle, and threatened Hathii Gadar, before departing, forcing the Exiles to escape. Thankfully, they were saved by Coriander, who helped them find passage to the fortress of Zakhara. While there, the Exiles were able to activate the mysterious gem shards they found during their travels, and turned them into weapons befitting of their talents, Anzu's being a spear known as Arimaar. With the help of Coriander and a mysterious hermit, the Exiles built a new ship, known as The Shadow Tower. Travelling back to the Isle of the Marteks, the Shadow Tower stopped in the Omarri Lush, Anzu's home village. Anzu was reunited with Omar and his family, as they had awoken from their comas, and fought off a mysterious hologram of the Sorcerer king Mohun, who was revealed to be the Exile Akil's brother. Now that his journey to investigate the omen was completed, Anzu was told he had to stay in the Lush, or never return. Anzu felt he had a duty to stay with the Exiles until the end, and chose to embrace the team's name.
On their second visit to the isle, Anzu and the Exiles were forced to battle Fangorn and Katarn, the leaders of the Ranma Martek clan. As they fought, The Exiles learned of the pirate king Bazelaus' capture of Ran's mother, Khylyso. Returning to the Martek settlement, they found Hathii Gadar and Mohun in battle. Choosing to save Mohun, Akil killed Hathii Gadar. Departing on their ship, The Exiles entered a battle with Bazelaus, who eventually turned into a massive Kraken. After the battle and rescuing Khylyso, Anzu discovered a mass of slaves under the deck, including Rajh's family. When the party landed on the mainland, the rest of the Exiles headed for R'Rende to regroup with The Hermit and his team, while Anzu journeyed north to return Rajh's family. While there, Anzu was surprised to learn Rajh had survived, as Anzu had joined the team right after Rajh's death. The two departed as friends, but not before Rajh uncursed Anzu, helping restore his memories, and gifting him a small ring, which granted Anzu holy magic.

   Returning to R'Rende, Anzu reunited with the Exiles, and headed for the Black Anvil region, where the Fallen Star was located. As they arrived, they were attacked by the Pharaoh's Roc. Reaching the pyramid, the party tracked the Pharaoh to the Temple of Time, where Anzu confirmed his fear that Alean was the Pharaoh. As the party was split in half, Anzu and Ran battled Alean's insane past self, while the party fought his present self. Defeating both sides of the Pharaoh, they managed to restore Alean to sanity, and he helped them reach The Realm of Genies, to save Sharan Anrazi from the Genie King Ashtikar. In the realm of the heavens, Anzu once again fought Isis, finally killing her and breaking her reign over Karabajh.

After the crowning of the new genie king Ran, Anzu decided to follow up on Etrucio's mention of his people in the lands of Eesia. When he found his people, he was horrified to learn of the atrocities committed against them, as many of them had been experimented upon, their limbs being replaced with robotic limbs. Finding the last remnants of his people, Anzu led his people in a revolt against their tyrannical rulers, and freed this new tribe.

### Warriors Eleven

After the Terror of the Genies ended, the lands of Sharan-Anrazi were beginning to regrow, and Akil had discovered a gem known as The Mind's Eye, the source of their psionic power. Anzu returned to Sharan-Anrazi to assist him in protecting it, as he and Akil were some of the last remaining psions. Anzu was overjoyed to discover Omar had taken Anzu's departure as a lesson, and had reformed the lush into the Anzurr lush, brokering peace with the Marteks.

However, The Wandering Evil eventually washed over the lands, destroying all in its wake. Anzu and his people were destroyed, but Anzu was able to survive inside the Mind's Eye, which turned out to house a pocket dimension where psions and seers drew their power from. In a battle against the Wandering Evil, Anzu and another warrior, Cannoth, sacrificed themselves to help Akil escape and aid the Warriors Eleven in banishing the Wandering Evil from their world forever.

### Mantling of The Mind's Eye

While working as a scholar for The Lord's Alliance along with Rudolph Hugh's parents and Ulixes' mother, an alternate Anzu eventually found the Mind's Eye, having been thrown through the time ways. While studying it, Anzu activated it, and discovered the dying consciousness of his alternate self. Eventually, The Lord's Alliance came under attack, and Anzu was mortally wounded. In an effort to prevent his attackers from gaining the gem and give his friends time to escape, Anzu shattered the Mind's Eye, absorbing its power and fusing his mind with that of his alternate self's, gaining his power, memories, and the ability to summon Arimaar to him, fully bringing Anzu back to life in this timeline, now in a new body and with newfound purpose: to prevent what happened on his own world from happening here.

In 808, Anzu visited the Realm of Unsurr and befriended Knight Owl and Fabian, and brought them to Galerus, recruiting them in his war against the Chaos Dragon. Anzu would also construct The Shadow Tower, a large floating tower and private refuge for himself and his allies.

### Lost Mine of Phandelver

#### Palaven Timeline

Anzu was first met by the Johnny and Eldin near the old ruins of Fort Istirus in 813. As the party lay beaten and injured from the small army of bandits, Anzu appeared at the last second, bisecting one of the bandits, and magically destroying another. Using his healing magic, he brought the party back from the brink of death, and helped them clear out the rest of the bandits and their chief, Antonidas. Anzu warned the party of the dangers surrounding the mysterious Dragon Cult, learned of the nightmares plaguing Johnny, and set off to try and avert this potential crisis.

After Eldin was mortally wounded by the Redbrand bandits in Tressendar manor, Anzu appeared again, trying his best to heal Eldin, but the damage was too great for Anzu to heal alone, and so he enlisted Johnny to assist with the healing of Eldin, but Johnny for some reason mistook Anzu's message of "do what you Paladins do best", and smashed Eldin's skull in. After just blankly staring for a bit, Anzu instead decided to try and reincarnate Eldin into a new body, this one being similar to a treant. After this, Anzu departed, resuming his mission to investigate Johnny's nightmares.

A few days later, after the party's dinner with Prince Ailen, Anzu met with the party again, this time having news of Johnny's nightmares, and assisted Johnny in locating the source. Before departing, Anzu warned Eldin of a possible crisis involving his church. And with that, Anzu departed, not being seen by the party for another two years.

#### Akrenar Timeline

Much like the main timeline, Anzu met the alternate universe party the same way he met the previous party, this time accompanied by his close friend, Johnny. Once again assisting the party in dealing with a large bandit force and the bandit chief, Anzu and Johnny departed

After meeting this new band of adventurers, Anzu attempted to return to his home timeline, but ended up being summoned into a strange Realm of Shadows. Battling through the Shadowguard, Anzu eventually met the necromancer Sasha Vilmheart, and assisted her in escaping this vile realm.

While returning Sasha to her native realm, he had another vision, and went off in search of the missing party member, Roy. It was around this time his body had began to weaken due to being away from his native timeline for too long, but decided to press on.

As Roy was fighting in the Ferrox Temple's arena, Anzu and Sasha made an entrance, and teleported Roy to a safer area of the temple, rescuing Sasha's wolf thrall, Melon, in the process. While exploring the temple, Anzu began to weaken more and more, and would occasionally have seizures. Pressing on nonetheless, Roy, Sasha, Melon, and a weakened Anzu eventually found the exit, but not before being ambushed by the mechanical bull, Goht, who collapsed the exit. Nearly expending the last of his power, Anzu and the heroes defeated the guardian, but as Anzu lifted the rubble to allow the others to escape, Anzu was ambushed by a large contingent of soldiers, and made the decision to stay behind and allow Sasha and Roy to escape.

Some time later, the thief Noah was captured by the cult, and was thrown in the same cell as the unconscious and injured Anzu, who in sensing their danger and seeing a fever dream of his deceased old friends, managed to gain one last push of strength, and helped Noah escape. Fighting the half destroyed remains of Goht one last time, Anzu managed to escape Ferrox temple, leaving it forever. Taking Noah to Neverwinter, Anzu met Dax and Drew, and departed, not being seen until a week later, when The Heroes of Akrenar infiltrated Wave Echo Cave. Before the heroes entered the cave, Anzu greeted them one last time, healing their wounds and giving them encouragement. With that, Anzu departed for his native universe to recover his power, not being seen by the party for another two years

### Song of the Nightingale

#### Palaven Timeline

After 2 years, Anzu eventually met up with the group, after they had taken on the new members Granzeid and Nightingale. Due to recent cult activity in an area of interest, Anzu told the party of the Tower of Aurus, an old astrology tower that still possessed great power. Fighting through the tower, Anzu and the heroes rescued an Orc hunter, who assisted them in their fight. Eventually reaching the top, Anzu had a confrontation with Star Auger Oculeth, who had been attempting to harness the power of the tower to strengthen his magics, and to serve the Dark Royalty Cult. After he was killed, Anzu stayed behind at the tower to research the machinery, as it pertained to his next pet project, but before leaving the heroes again, Anzu opened up the roof of the tower to reveal the sky blazing with stars, and reminded the heroes what they were fighting for.

#### Akrenar Timeline

Much like his native timeline, Anzu called upon the party of heroes, as well as the new hero Baljeet and this timeline's Nightingale. While in the tower, Anzu explained to Noah of the cult's leader, and what was known about their shadowy monarch. The events of this timeline were largely the same, save for Anzu lamenting over Oculeth's death, as in this timeline Oculeth was an accomplished mage, who Anzu met up with for tea and to trade theories. Still, Anzu was not deterred, and stayed behind to study the machine.

### The Tale of Two Wolves

During his meditation, Anzu received a vision of the heroes of Akrenar being attacked by The Dark Knight. Hurrying to Crow's Keep, Anzu was horrified to find Drew, Roy, and Noah dead, and Baljeet and Dax being attacked by Davriel. Convincing Davriel to stand down, Anzu warped them to The Shadow Tower. Once there, Anzu explained the situation in Southeastern Andassya, and how the two nations, Crivania and Azzodh Vrel, were beginning to prepare for war with each other. Knowing this war could spell doom for Akrenar, Anzu sent the heroes to Azzodh Vrel to try and convince Warchief Ghorbash to stand down.

Later, the heroes of Akrenar learned one of the rose stones had been found in Eldranor, and knew there would be a fight coming, and recruited Anzu for the Battle of the Beachfront.

### Season of Red Leaves

A few months later, Anzu discovered the land of Eversong had been corrupted, due to an object known as The Skull of Deathlord Morlund. Knowing he needed to act fast, Anzu decided to recruit two framed criminals, Saber and Rowan, to his cause. Sending Knight Owl, Anzu met with the two, and requested they head to Eversong to investigate, and to meet up with Rayvon Shadowsong for more information.

When Eversong converged with Belwyn, Anzu was able to return to Eversong to help Ulixes search for her mother in Losttime.

## Personality

Before fusing with his alternate universe counterpart, Anzu was rather foolish and aloof, cracking jokes and mouthing off to his enemies. Over the course of his travels, he grew more mature, and while he grew into his position as a leader for his people and the guardian of the Mind's Eye, Anzu never lost his sense of compassion, and still kept a sense of humor.

Anzu was defined by his goal to protect the world, and all its people. Always curious as to what was beyond the Trembling Cities region, Anzu had an adventurous side and when he was allowed to leave home to prevent the end of the world, Anzu took advantage of this, and travelled all over Sharan-Anrazi. Despite later losing his family and many of his friends to the hands of the Wandering Evil, Anzu never lost his kindhearted nature, and was always willing to help someone in need. Anzu consistently showed a selfless readiness to sacrifice his own happiness and life to save the world, once when he chose exile over abandoning his friends, and once more when he gave his life to help Akil escape.

Anzu took to the Exiles almost immediately, deciding to go on a small looting spree with the Halfling Winnie, and bonded well with the Genasi Ran, with whom Anzu would survive for months with after being transported through time. Anzu would maintain a friendly rivalry with the Martek of the party, Akil, due to them both being psions and sometimes showing off to each other. After the death of many of the exiles, and after taking on his new position as custodian and guardian of the multiverse, Anzu felt more alone than ever, but took quickly to new bands of adventurers.

## Abilities and Equipment

A powerful psion from a young age, Anzu commands mastery of psychic energy, elemental magic, and after meeting the Nasir cleric, Rajh, gained a small aptitude for holy and healing magics. Born to two powerful seers, Anzu inherited their ability to see glimpses of the future, and would act to either prevent or prepare for these visions.

Over time, Anzu and the exiles gained pieces of an ancient weapon, split into several diamond shards. After finally obtaining all these lost shards and reassembling them in a place of power, Anzu reforged the spear known as Alliesaar, later evolved into a more powerful version known as Arimaar. The spear allowed him to imbue any of his magics with the spear, and was linked telepathically to him, allowing him to call the spear back to him.

Anzu also sported a pseudo technological suit of armor known as the Cipher armor, but would later shed this armor, due to its heavy nature and his own abilities growing to make the armor irrelevant.

Also carried by Anzu was a dagger known as Hanging Lightning, a dagger that when thrown would explode in a lightning bolt.

When the Palaven timeline Anzu mantled the Moracar timeline Anzu's memories, Anzu grew even stronger, able to travel through The Planescape to different timelines.

## Appearance

During his travels, Anzu resembled a normal Kenku, with dark feathers and a black beak. However, his training and increasing power eventually transformed his body, giving him glowing eyes.

After mantling the Mind's Eye, Anzu became surprisingly tall for a Kenku. While most Kenku are known to be about the size of Halflings, Anzu stands at around 6 feet tall. Whether this is an illusion, due to magic, or just strange occurrences is unknown. His favorite article of clothing was an ornate black cloak, and wore small bits of armored robes underneath. Due to his resurrection, his right eye turned blue as a result of the heterochromia that came with resurrection.

He later switched to a large black cloak decorated with crow feathers and a more nobleman-like outfit, with armored gauntlets and boots and a pauldron.

Due to being a seer, psionic lines wrapped his body, his being purple. His eyes were normally a dark blue, but would become entirely consumed in purple light when using magic.