Zelos Wilder (S-TU)

Zelos Wilder is the Chosen of Tethe'alla and the eventual leader of the Renegade Base in Triet in the Student-Teacher Universe, an AU of Tales of Symphonia

Author: KitKatt0430
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 22 at the time of the Journey of Reunification
Date of Birth:
Place of Origin: Meltokio, Tethe'alla
Currently Located: Triet Base, Sylvarant
Height: 6 feet
Hair Color: Crimson red
Eye Color: Cerulean blue
Occupation: Chosen of Regeneration (Tethe'alla)/Renegade Spy/Renegade Base Commander
Languages: Angelic, Common
Nickname(s): Chosen One, Idiot Chosen, Brat-Child, Fire Angel
Appears In:

Biography

Born 22 years before the start of the Aselian Calender, Zelos Wilder was heir to the Mana Lineage in Tethe'alla. Zelos' family had status equal to that of the Royal Family and was known as the Chosen Family, with Zelos' father considered to be the Chosen One of the Church of Martel. If the Tower of Salvation were to disappear, it would mark the beginning of Tethe'alla's decline and signal the current Chosen would be required begin the Journey of Regeneration in order to awaken the sleeping Goddess Martel.

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Zelos' mother, Mylene Wilder, died when Zelos was eight years old during a failed assassination attempt on her son. However, her death was accidental and it's quite likely that, had she been aware of the assassin, Mylene would have survived that day. Her last words to her son were to tell him that he should never have been born; words that haunt Zelos for years.

The assassin is captured and revealed to be the half-elven lover of Zelos' father - mother of Zelos' half-sister, Seles Wilder. Convinced that her lover was dying of illness, she sought to secure a better future for her daughter by killing Zelos since, if anything were to happen to Zelos then Seles would become the Chosen instead.

Zelos' father recovers from his illness only to learn that both his wife and his lover are dead, saddling him with two children he does not want. Zelos winds up filling in for their increasingly absent father and takes over raising Seles, determined to make sure she grows up feeling loved and safe.

Three months after the assassination attempt, Remiel of the Archangels arrives to announce that Zelos' fiance has been chosen by Cruxis: Princess Heather. The King defies tradition by allowing his daughter to grow up in the same city as her fiance. (The Chosen and his or her affianced were typically not allowed to meet until their wedding day, ostensibly to prevent assassination attempts from hitting them both at once.)

Approximately two-and-a-half years later, a group of anti-Martelists set fire to the Wilder mansion. Zelos is able to rescue his sister, but is injured when he returns for his father. After the blaze is finally put out, Zelos is burdened both with the title of Chosen One and second and third degree burns on his arms. Due to governmental distrust of half-elves, Zelos is not healed by magic until the next day and is left with permanent scarring.

As a show of power to keep Zelos in line, the Pope sends Seles away to a remote Abbey and convinces her that the decision was made by her brother, creating a rift between the siblings.

Depressed and lonely, at twelve years old Zelos runs away to the Tower of Salvation in order to meet with the angels and ensure his sister's will inherit the title of Chosen from him upon his death. As luck would have it, he encounters Yuan Ka-Fai, who recognizes Zelos' intention to commit suicide. Disturbed that such a young child would prefer death, Yuan takes Zelos to the Renegade Base in Flanoir and reveals the truth of Cruxis and the worlds to him. Offering Zelos a place with the Renegades, Yuan convinces Zelos that he can do more to protect his sister alive than dead.

At the age of fifteen, Zelos encounters a half-elven woman named Callista. He recognizes her as the missing sister of his sister's mother and chooses to save her from being dragged into the underground world of half-elven enslavement. Unaware of how much Zelos knows about her, Callista decides to enlist his aid in the Starr Syndicate, a group dedicated to rescuing half-elves from unjust imprisonment or enslavement, while attempting to keep her relationship with his family a secret. Eventually the two of them are able to gain one-another's trust and set up a hidden refugee center for half-elves smuggled out of the major cities by the syndicate.

Three years later, Cruxis' interest in Zelos becomes apparent when Yggdrasill offers the Chosen a place in the Angelic Training Program. Despite Yuan's wishes, Zelos joins Cruxis as a spy for the Renegades and eventually recruits two of his fellow trainees as spies. Though Zelos had to return to Tethe'alla after gaining his wings, he proved to Yuan of the viability of flipping some of the Angels of Cruxis to the Renegades' side.

On Heather's twentieth birthday, both Zelos and Heather are attacked by unknown assailants in the Meltokio Square. Though all the attackers are killed, they manage to murder the Princess and severely injure Zelos. While unable to prove his suspicions, Zelos becomes convinced that the mercenaries were hired by the Pope in retaliation for the way Heather and Zelos blocked his most recent attempt to further restrict and segregate the half-elven population of Tethe'alla.

Two years later, Zelos encounter Lloyd Irving, a charismatic young man from Sylvarant. Lloyd's idealism struck him as naive at first, but Zelos eventually comes to believe that Lloyd might very well be able to defeat Cruxis. Disobeying Yuan's orders, Zelos helps Lloyd obtain Rheairds from the Renegades and infiltrate the city of Welgaia, the Cruxis stronghold on Dherris Kharlan. In order to obtain the means to allow Lloyd to wield the Eternal Sword, Zelos reveals his connections to Cruxis and pretends to betray the group. When the truth is revealed, Lloyd welcomes Zelos back without any resentment just in time for him to help defeat Yggdrasill, the leader of Cruxis.

Just as Zelos and Yuan reconcile their differences, Yggdrasill uses his Cruxis Crystal to take over Zelos' body and return to Welgaia. Under Yggdrasill's control, Zelos destroys the Tower of Salvation in Tethe'alla and attempts to cut off access to the Great Seed. Ultimately, Zelos' will proves too strong for Yggdrasill to maintain control over and Zelos regains control of himself. He is then able to rejoin Lloyd in time for the final battle against Yggdrasill and is present at the naming of the new World Tree.

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In the aftermath of what came to be known as the Journey of Reunification, Zelos is appointed Second in Command of the Renegades and Commander of Triet Base. Despite their recent differences, Yuan expresses complete trust in Zelos capabilities, but hopes that all the paperwork will keep his wayward student out of trouble in the future.

Only a year after the Reunification, however, Zelos is drawn into the investigation of interconnected murders across the cities of Aselia. During his investigation, Zelos discovers that the Chosens of the past did not die when they failed as vessels for Martel. Instead, they were placed into stasis and hidden among the caskets within the Tower of Salvation. Zelos challenges the leader of these Chosen, Spiritua, and proves that she is responsible for the murders. When she refuses to atone for what she's done, Zelos strips Spiritua of her Angelic status and turns her over to the Tethe'allan justice system.

During the Vanguard crisis in year two of the Aselian Calender, Zelos helps Aster Everett and Marta Lualdi defeat the Vanguard and reseal the barrier between Aselia and the dimension known as Niflehiem, or Hell.

Zelos' friendship with Linea Langford, a blind seer living in the desert city of Triet, eventually led Linea to come to him with concerns about several far reaching visions involving a distant descendant of Zelos', Chester Burklight, and Dhaos, an Angel Zelos knew while part of Cruxis. Zelos leaves behind several key pieces of information and items that later help Chester rebuild the Renegades.

Personality

Outwardly, Zelos plays the part of the lazy, noble playboy. He often speaks tactlessly and affects a joking attitude towards serious events. His actions are often underscored by the reactions of others, such as the noble women who throw themselves at him and the disdain of more serious figments, such as Regal Bryant and Kratos Aurion. At first glance, Zelos tends to leave the impression of stereotypical, self-absorbed noble.

Beneath the surface, Zelos is, in fact, a highly observant, intelligent, and sensitive person. He's often the first to notice when something is wrong - such as the way Presea suffers because of her Exsphere or that Mithos is more than he seems - and hides a surprisingly strong work-ethic.

Highly stubborn, Zelos doesn't like to be told he can't do something. Often he will go out of his way to master a new skill simply because he was told that the ability is beyond his grasp (I.E. learning high level magic, unarmed combat, and sword fighting). Zelos was also the valedictorian of his graduating class at Sybak Academy despite the fact that he often skipped his classes. His eidetic memory allowed him to easily memorize information and ace tests while his popularity led to the willingness of his fellow students to take notes for him.

Zelos also has a fiery temper that is mostly under his control. However, when he grows particularly angry, his more dangerous side shows through. Though not easily angered, both Sheena and Regal have a tendency to set him off by treating him as though his 'mask' is all there really is to him.

Raised as a Chosen, Zelos has a self-sacrificial nature that dismays his friends and family. He will often act without thinking, placing himself in danger to protect those he cares about, such as when he verbally attacked Kuchinawa in order to buy time for the Otherworldly Gate to activate.

Difficulties in his life have led Zelos to become an insomniac. As a result, he must be careful to ensure that use of his Exsphere or Cruxis Crystal do not exacerbate the issue, as in his Angelic form he cannot sleep, though because he remains mortal he still requires sleep. His sleeplessness is considered a major worrying point for his friends.

Relationships

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Seles Wilder: Zelos and his sister have a particularly rocky relationship. Though they were friends as young children, Seles is frightened by the physical and emotional changes Zelos goes through after their father's death. Making matters worse, Seles is sent off to the Abbey by the Pope, who leads her to believe it was Zelos' decision. Though Zelos never tries to hide his love for Seles, Seles spends much of her teenage years pretending that she hates her brother when she truly loves and misses him.

After the world of Aselia is reunited, Zelos removes Seles from the Abbey and takes her to Triet to live with him at the Renegade Base. During the year Seles spends there, the two of them manage to work out the problems between them. Seles leaves for Tethe'alla afterwards to complete her education under Yuan's tutelage, in emulation of her brother, and eventually joins the Renegades in order for them to remain close.

Heather Tethe'alla: Heather was a sweet, innocent young woman who grew up alongside Zelos, acutely aware that there were many secrets he kept from her. Despite those secrets, the two of them came to love each other and, until her death, it was believed that they would have together what Zelos' parents had lacked - an arranged marriage based as much on love as duty. Zelos was never able to fully trust Heather with his secrets, however, which became one of his greatest regrets after her death.

Though it took Zelos several years, he was able to eventually avenge her death when he proved the Pope ultimately responsible for her assassination.

Yuan Ka-Fai: Yuan is the father that Zelos always needed and, in turn, Zelos is the son that Yuan always wanted. The time they spend at odds with one another during the Journey of Regeneration only further cements the familial relationship between the two and leads to Yuan's decision to entrust Triet Base to Zelos' leadership. The two are never quite able to be genuinely angry with one another, despite their many differences in opinion leading to some rather spectacular fights.

Jonas Quin: Jonas and Zelos meet when they join Cruxis for Angel Training. Though Jonas' ties with his identical twin, Jeran, take precedence at first, the time Jonas spends with Zelos changes Jonas' opinions of humans, Cruxis, and the Renegades. Jonas becomes Zelos' first 'Renegade convert' among the denizens of Welgaia and later, frightened by the depression Zelos falls into following Heather's death, becomes Zelos' Sworn Brother.

Jonas' death at the hands of Spiritua violently ends the bond between the two and badly damages Zelos' ability to manipulate mana. Though Zelos recovers in time to defeat Spiritua, the emotional damage of losing his closest friend nearly leads Zelos to leave the Renegades.

Sheena Fujibayashi: Zelos first meets Sheena the week before Heather's death and his radical shift in personality after the event colors her impression of him for years to come. During the events leading up to the Reunification Journey, Zelos renews his contact with Sheena and finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, eventually recognizing that he has fallen in love with her. Sheena's stubborn nature eventually pushes him away and by time she realizes she has feelings for him, he's already moved on. The two of them manage to develop a close friendship, particularly after Jonas' death.

Lloyd Irving: Zelos equates Lloyd with hope. Though the naive and idealistic Sylvaranti native seems to be the complete opposite of the more world-worn, jaded Tethe'allan Chosen, Zelos is inspired by Lloyd's insistence that 'everyone deserves to live' and that no one has the right to sacrifice the lives of others for their own benefit. For Lloyd, Zelos is willing to risk his position as a spy against Cruxis and his place among the Renegades in the belief that Lloyd can change the world.

Raine Sage: The relationship between the two starts slowly, a deep friendship springing up between the two during the Journey of Regeneration. Zelos convinces Raine to join the Renegades after the journey is over and the two work together closely on projects to promote half-elven acceptance and rebuild the world. During the crisis with the Vanguard, the two come to realize the depth of their feelings for one another and start a relationship.

Skills and Abilities

• Fighting Skills: Despite the loss of some of the feeling in his arms from a childhood brush with fire, Zelos has become highly skilled in the art of combat. He's talented in unarmed and magical combat as well as fighting with a sword. He favors a style that balances his swordsmanship with his magical abilities, making him an ideal mid-range fighter.
• Angelic Transformation: Due to his time as a spy in Cruxis, Zelos has the ability to transform into an Angel when he uses his Cruxis Crystal (he later gains the ability to maintain the transformation only using a lower level Exsphere in place of his Cruxis Crystal, though this version of his Angelic form is far more unstable). When in his Angelic form he grows orange, crystalline wings and his physical strength, hearing, and sight improves. His control over mana, and thus his magical abilities, also improves dramatically in his Angelic form. He doesn't require sleep as an angel, however, which tends to cause his insomnia to worsen when he returns to his human form.
• Magic: Zelos is a highly accomplished magic-user. His main element is lightning, but he is skilled in the use of fire, light, wind, and healing magics as well. Zelos also has a talent for spell-casting (the ability to use magic outside of the offense/defense catagories), which is rare in humans.

Special Items

• Cruxis Crystal: Zelos' Cruxis Crystal is an unusual shade of green; most Cruxis Crystals are blue while their less powerful counterparts, Exspheres, are typically red. With his Cruxis Crystal equipped, Zelos is able to transform into an Angelic being, but he usually prefers not to use the crystal, viewing it as a crutch of sorts.
• Exsphere: Zelos' current Exsphere once belonged to his fiance, Heather Tethe'alla. He received the Exsphere after her death and began using it when his first Exsphere is destroyed by Jeran Quin. In times of crisis, Zelos is able to use his Exsphere to shift into a limited version of his Angelic form.
• Guitars: While Zelos also plays the piano, he favors the guitar. He tends to keep two guitars with him at all times, usually safely stored away in his Wing Pack. Though one of the guitars really belongs to Botta, Zelos is typically in possession of it anyway.
• Wing Packs: Similar to backpacks in their function and appearance, Wing Packs are capable of storing objects much larger than them while remaining light and easily transported. Zelos typically keeps a spare coat, two guitars, and his Rheaird in his Wing Pack, though it can easily fit more.
• Rheaird: Modified to be faster than a typical Rheaird, Zelos uses this when he needs to quickly travel between distant locations. A Rheaird is capable of low-level flight and is typically associated with the Renegades.

Spoiler Information

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Two years after the events with the Vanguard, Zelos marries Raine Sage. They have two children: Anna Wilder, who joins the Renegades, and Botta Wilder, who goes into politics in Tethe'alla. Anna's descendants lead to Chester Burklight.

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