ZAHRA SCROLL-KEEPER
Desert ScholarsJunior Archivist and Translator
"Every word is a door. My job is to find the right key, even if the lock has been rusted shut for a thousand years.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Great Library of the Sands
- Civilization
- Desert Scholars
Appearance
• Physical: Petite with ink-stained fingers and perpetually tired eyes from reading by candlelight. Her hair is cropped short for practicality. • Clothing: Simple scholar's robes covered in pockets for writing supplies, a heavy pendant bearing her family's archival seal. • Distinguishing Marks: Reading glasses with lenses ground from ancient crystal; a burn scar on her forearm from a mishandled magical text.
Relationships
- Family - Parents are proud but don't understand her work; younger sister is a merchant who supplies the library
- Allies - Her mentor Senior Archivist Menes, a small circle of junior archivists
- Rivals - Senior translators who view her as an upstart; her former classmate who sabotaged her first major translation
Backstory
Zahra is the first in her merchant family to join the scholarly class, winning her position through a translation contest. She specializes in pre-Cataclysm dialects that few can read. Her ambition to translate the legendary "Codex of the First Sand" has made her both respected and mocked among her peers.
Daily Life
Spends twelve hours daily in the translation chambers, working through newly excavated texts. Evenings are for self-study and correspondence with other translators. She sleeps in a small cell within the library, rarely venturing outside.
Secret
2. Someone has been stealing her translations and publishing them under another name; she needs help finding the culprit.
Narrative Value
Information broker and quest giver for lore-related adventures. Her ambition drives plot opportunities involving ancient texts. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════