Description
Zahir Tariq is the Commander of the Obsidian Army, a man of unyielding discipline and an unshakable belief in military rule. His broad-shouldered frame, graying dark hair cropped close, and perpetually rigid posture mark him as a lifelong soldier. His black-and-gold uniform is immaculate, every medal a testament to decades of warfare, city defense, and strategic mastery. His amber eyes hold the weight of experience, forever scanning for the next threat—because in his mind, peace is never permanent, only the calm before the next battle.
Personality
Zahir is pragmatic, disciplined, and intolerant of weakness. He does not see governance as a game of diplomacy but as a matter of control, security, and force. To him, the Marble Academy is little more than a nest of idle theorists, completely detached from the realities of war and leadership. He has no patience for intellectuals who talk in circles while soldiers bleed to keep the city standing.
His worldview was shaped by years spent defending Lusteris from Sandwalker invasions—horrific waves of desert-dwelling undead that rise from the dunes, attacking settlements and testing the city’s defenses. It was not politicians or scholars who saved Lusteris in those times—it was the military, men and women like him who held the walls and burned the dead before they could rise again. This is why he believes in strength over rhetoric, in rule by force rather than philosophy.
Background
Born into a generations-old military lineage, Zahir was raised with the belief that stability is only maintained through strength. He rose through the Obsidian Army not through nobility, but through relentless discipline and battlefield prowess, earning the respect of his soldiers and the fear of his enemies. For years, he has commanded Lusteris’ defenses against Sandwalker incursions, witnessing firsthand the horrors of what happens when leadership fails to act decisively.
With Reformists undermining authority and the Academy growing too powerful, he sees weakness creeping into the city’s foundations. If Lusteris cannot govern itself properly, then perhaps it is time for those who understand war and order to take control—for the good of the city.