Character Profiles: Zeloph

Zell

Appearence as of Undeath and Rebirth
Click here to view his Cherub Form

Age Immortal (Physically 27)
Race Demi-Human (Atalus Class)
Identity Male
Voice Tyler Hoechlin

The Fallen One. An angel-like alien creature who first appeared in Fire and Shadow, serving as the main antagonist. He was initially sealed within the Necronomicon (later revealed by his sister, Anarchia) until crossing paths with Beatrix, Lady Ewe, Sombra, and Cerise. He sought to purify the land of all corruption (or, at least, his view of corruption, anyway) with great cunning, advanced light magic, and a vigorous disdain for humanity. He was thankfully stopped by Beatrix and Oona and banished from Cerise's realm, though at the cost of Abadonna's pseudo-existence.

He wasn't always bad, though. Later stories reveal him as a Demi-Human, the offspring of a Terran and deity. Through the nurturing of his human mother and the kindness of a man name Jonn, Zeloph was on a path to appreciate the simple life outside his immortal nature. Sadly, the Divine Father twisted this blooming appreciation into righteous hate upon killing them. And when he rose to slay his parent, he pointed toward man's sinful, self-destructive nature as the source of his pain, thus being labeled in infamy as the Fallen One.

Fortunately, he gets better! Throughout Everywhere and Nowhere, Zeloph came to realize the error of his ways when teaming up with his would-be foes to stop Doppia and the Burning King. Through reuniting with his sister and the partnership (later romance) with Shadow Scythe, the seraphic fallen angel now walks on the path to redemption in a quest to rekindle his fondness for all things mortal.

Zeloph's Onoma is named after the Greek God of the Sun and Art; Apollo. It grants him Solaromancy (sun magic), complimenting his already impressive repertoire of light-based spells. Originally, he wielded the Onoma, Aether, which allowed him to summon more angelic creatures through different halos.

Tropes

• Abusive Parent: Not Zeloph himself (though his methods when acting as Abby's father were questionable at best), but the deity who created him. Bewitching Hour goes into great detail about how unloving Deus was to his children and only saw them as tools to rid the world of humanity.
• Affably Evil: Where most of the fiends Beatrix faced were tyrannical, deceivers or eldritch abominations, Zeloph was a pleasant, well-spoken, charismatic preacher who valued truth and justice. It's only until everyone calls him out for skewered beliefs that he nearly wipes the entire population off the globe out of spite.
• Affectionate Nickname: Ana/Moxxi calls him "Zelly," though he much prefers the shortened form of "Zell" after becoming friendlier. "Sunshine" and "Hot Spot/Stuff/Wings" also popped up with his sun powers.
• Afraid of their Own Strength: Post Heel-Face Turn, Zeloph has become a lot more cautious about using his immense strength. Had he unleashed Apollo at full force during the raid at the manor, he'd likely incinerated the whole place and everyone inside.
• Amicable Exes: Became this with Beatrix by the end of Everywhere and Nowhere. Both recognize their relationship was little more than a way to bring Abadonna into the world. And while Zell has a long way to go before he can fully earn Beatrix's forgiveness, they're at least on good terms.
• Ancestral Weapon: His heavenly sword was given to him by the Divine Father. Untraditionally, the Vorpal Blade was passed onto him by his lover, Atalanta (Shadow Scythe).
• Angelic Abominations: Used to command these during his reign in Fire and Shadow through Aether. They were the Ophanim (intersecting topaz wheels embedded with eyes), the Cherubim (chimeric guardians that fused into the normally depicted angel), and the Seraphim (balls of fire with several wings).
• Angelic Aliens: The realm Zeloph originates from treats heaven and all its inhabitants as such. Given the feathery ears, winged feet, grey skin, weird tail, and plethora of uniquely shaped eyes, Demi-Humans also fit the bill.
• Angel/Devil Shipping: One side with Bellatrix (though they do share a saucy dream together in one chapter of the Bewitching Hour). The same applies to his half-sister, Ana.
• Animal Motif: Serpents and swans. Zeloph has shapeshifted into a feathered snake form, and his old robes were empathized by lengthy tailcoats. Some biblical texts describe the Seraphim (the angel class Zeloph is primarily based on) as 'venomous snakes.' Swans are often associated with purity, artistry, and heavenly themes. But Apollo (the namesake of Zell's Onoma) was also depicted with a chariot carried by the waterfowl. Bonus points, male swans are fiercely protective parents and monogamous mates.
• Anti-Villain: If not for becoming spiteful thanks to the Divine Father's will and going insane from being imprisoned inside the Necronomicon, his goal of creating a utopia for the tainted masses to heal is otherwise a noble endeavor.
• Arch-Enemy: Varys. Zeloph recognizes him as an acolyte that served under his father and unintentionally aided him in becoming more of a vile threat. The plague doctor represents everything Zeloph despised in his father and himself. This places full responsibility upon his shoulders to stop the mechanical menace.
• Art Evolution: Has gone throw the most physical changes throughout the stories. He started out as another eldritch abomination-type villain before his author settled on the 'fallen angel' characterization. Zeloph's full personality truly shines through (pun intended) during the developments of Everywhere and Nowhere. Compare his artwork in the story covers to his final portrait for this page.
• Asexuality: Played with, given the raunchy nature of the series. Zeloph is one of the least sexually driven male characters, only relying on seductive tactics and sweet talk if the action calls upon it. He's not particularly attracted to anyone (save for Shadow Scythe, though this might make him a case as Demisexual, due to their more profound bond).
• Battle Couple: With Atalanta (A.K.A Shadow Scythe). Much like Beatrix and Oona, they were working alongside each other well before they caught feelings.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Both Shadow Scythe and Zeloph spend a majority of Everywhere and Nowhere bickering at each other, the former often threatening to betray the latter at the drop of a hat. Everyone (even Doppia) can see how badly they want each other. They culminate their relationship with celebratory sex.
• Big Bad: He's behind all the conflict that unravels in Fire and Shadow.
• Broken Ace/Broken Angel: Zeloph is an intelligent, sharp-tongued, incredibly skilled demi-god and one of the strongest characters in the series. He's also borderline dead inside. He views his godly heritage as a complete burden that puts everyone around him in danger, on top of the anger issues, traumatic past, and unwanted sexual advances against him. He hides all those under a gentle yet fragile mask. Case in point, he picks up smoking during a very low period in his life, knowing full well he can't heal the damage the nicotine will do to his lungs. Thankfully, he has people to help him snap out of it.
• Broken Pedistal: During Fire and Shadow, many viewed Zeloph as their savior during Sombra's return to evil. This quickly turned once his followers learned that he had a hand to play in that...
• Brother-Sister Incest: One-sided with Ana, who makes her attraction for her brother greatly known by kissing him during Dearly Beloved. Yet, due to his lack of sexual interest and, well, the fact that they share the same father, Zell can only hold familial love for his half-sibling. This is set to become a major plot point in Undeath and Rebirth, where Ana grows jealous of her brother's relationship with Shadow Scythe.
• Brother-Sister Team: With Ana/Moxxi.
• Brought Down to Badass: His cherubic form is this. Despite the major power loss, Zell still managed to be incredibly useful. By sticking to someone's shoulder, he can grant them empowered weapons and extra energy and provide arguably broken levels of healing. Unfortunately, this also makes him a target.
• Catchphrase: Has a habit of saying "Oh, for heaven's sake" when annoyed and "Well, I'll be damned" when surprised/impressed.
• Captured Super-Entity: By his sister no less through the Necronomicon's magic. It did bold well for either of them.
• Combat Medic: As a good guy, Zeloph offers extraordinary healing through his signature touch, along with ways to buff his allies. All while swinging a seven-foot-long blade and firing light beams.
• Cool Sword: His zweihander, Daybreaker. He gets another one in the fabled Vorpal Blade.
• Cursed With Awesome: Some would see being the offspring of a god as an amazing thing! The ability to heal almost any injury, live forever, and conjure high-tier levels of light magic? Who wouldn't want such supreme power? Not Zeloph. Not when said diety was a complete alien incapable of understanding emotion and only saw his conception as a way to wipe out mortal kind. And after blindly following his father's footsteps, he has come to resent his gifts.
• Deadpan Snarker: Can be incredibly sarcastic when in a mood, most notably as a Cherub.
• Death and the Maiden: He is a rare male example of the maiden in this trope, being the romantic partner of self-proclaimed 'Death Goddess' Shadow Scythe.
• Divinely Appearing Demons: Demi-Humans cross between looking humanoid, angelic, and demonic. Zell's universe seems to treat them as being one and the same, just with notable differences.
• Double Standard: Rape, Female on Male: Played horrifically straight when Doppia (in the body of Cerise) attacks Zeloph once he's severely weakened from his final battle with Beatrix. The ordeal was so traumatic that he powers down for a good chunk of the story until he recovers.
• The Dreaded: Was this to Beatrix for a good while. After being manipulated into becoming Abadonna's initial mother and a pawn in his global purification plan, she was left afraid of encountering him. Even after defeating him and joining forces, she's still likely wary of him.
• Easily Forgiven: When he and Ana meet up in Dearly Beloved, years after the latter locked away the former, he's quite understanding and holds no hard feelings.
• Energy Weapon: Can fire beams of light from his fingertips.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: His wings have a manifold of eyes, and all of them are quite expressive.
• Equipment Upgrade: After Varys destroys his famed Daybreaker, Shadow Scythe passes down her father's most valuable trophy, the Vorpal Blade used to kill the legendary Jabberwocky, to Zeloph. With it comes hidden secrets and the ability to carve personal rifts for himself, though he has yet to unlock them properly.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Say what you will about Zeloph. But not a day has passed where he hasn't quietly mourned the deaths of his mother and Jonn. He also genuinely cares for his half-sibling (though not in the way she wants) and extends these feelings to Shadow Scythe.
• Even Evil Has Standards: For all his atrocities and crimes against humanity, he heavily frowns upon mind control as it's against his ideals if people don't follow him of their own accord. He's also the only male villain who adamantly refuses to take advantage of those unconscious or can't consent willingly and was heavily repulsed by Doppia pushing her unwarranted sexual advances while in Cerise's body. A shame that she succeed...
• Evil Makes You Ugly: Being trapped in the Necronomicon did not do him wonders for his appearance. The further he slipped into corruption, the more scaly and sickly he looked. Even taking an extended period of sleep inside a healing pool did not cure him fully. Thematically, his looks begin to restore when he strays away from his 'purifier' mindset.
• Expy:
  - He's clearly one of Lucifer Morningstar from biblical stories, both being fallen angels who rejected their divine origins. They are also foils in their outlook on humans; Lucifer considers them beneath him, while Zeloph values their life and wants to protect them. Both also want to lead humanity away from God but for vastly different reasons.
  - A half-human hybrid born from a powerful deity with a wise-cracking sibling and a sword sharp enough to cut through reality? Zeloph's author must have been motivated.
• Face Heel Turn: His descent into righteous fury started after murdering the Divine Father, seeing the mortal's selfish impulses as the reason for his mother and Jonn's death. And he's only slipped further by spending years of torment in the Necronomicon...
• Fatal Flaw:
  -It may not be obvious, but he can be very Wrathful. Zeloph tries vainly to suppress his anger or vexation through a Stepford smile or smart wits. But when that mask falls, it falls hard. This leads to his second, more obvious weakness.
  -Overextention. There's no doubt he can do massive damage from all fronts, but Zeloph can quickly run out of stamina when the fight is prolonged enough. His Onoma risks leaving him severely burnt out if he's not careful.
• Fallen Angel/Fallen Hero: He's a self-disgraced variation who stood defiantly in front of humans when the Divine Father ordered their execution. He plays this straight after realizing his father may have had a point and turned his grief towards the very Terrans he protected. Luckily, he's given a chance to redeem himself.
• Fire Forged Friendship: With Beatrix and Bellatrix, who was once his most vocal defectors until coming around to the side of good. Became this, and more, with Shadow Scythe.
• Flame Sword: Can ignite both of his swords with purifying flames. His Onoma, Apollo, takes it up to eleven with sunfire!
• Flash Step: He can teleport short distances when not using his avian wings to fly.
• Go Seduce My Archnemesis: Shadow Scythe mockingly suggests this when it comes to figuring out a way to deal with Beatrix, given how close the two were. Zeloph was not amused by the jest.
• Gold and White are Divine: He was once adorned with pale robes decorated with topaz highlights to supplant his holy imagery. Topaz, in general, seems to be the signature material associated with Demi-Humans, as all known creatures wear it in some fashion.
• Good Thing You Can Heal: Subverted. While Zeloph's touch can clean the body of any troubling feeling or significant injury, its main drawback is that he's incapable of healing himself. This often leaves him vulnerable.
• He Who Fights Monsters: Ultimately became the very thing he despises in his divine heritage and brought serious harm to all mortal life. Both in and outside his universe.
• Healing Hands: Demi-Humans each have a unique ability they can activate through physical contact. Zeloph's is that he can heal, restore, and rejuvenate whoever he touches in a matter of minutes.
• Heel-Face Turn: Steadily pulls this off in Everywhere and Nowhere, recognizing how incredibly awful he's become after suffering a lot of heartaches. It is through his unsteady alliance with his former adversaries, the support of his half-sister, and the growing romance with Shadow Scythe that Zeloph comes to terms with his past aggressions and fights to become a much better person.
• Humans Are Special: While it takes him an incredibly long time to believe this fully, Zeloph solemnly vows to honor the teachings of his late friend, Jonn, and develop a fondness for the simplicity of human nature. This is greatly seen when he defends their value from his Divine Father and, eventually, Varys.
• Hypocrite: As mentioned numerous times, he's not good at practicing what he preaches.
• I Hate Past Me: Oh boy, does he ever. Once Zell becomes good again, he looks back at his transactions with deep regret. It's likely the reason why he's so adamant in chasing down Varys, as the latter fully embraces the former's purest mindset. And more.
• I Just Want To Be Normal: He never wanted to be a demi-human, viewing it as a curse that cost him a loving family and acceptance among Terrans.
• Invincibility Power-Up: His ophanim shield is invulnerable to all damage outside the intersecting wheels, making Zeloph impervious for a few seconds. It's his only form of defense, and he uses it wisely.
• Irony: Zeloph, an ace person, has had a lot more sexual encounters in the series than Ana, whose the lovable sex maniac!
• Ignore the Fanservice: Is completely unaffected by the many alluring female characters in the stories, even to those who like him! For more irony, Shadow Scythe has the smallest bust and curves out of the main cast, and she's the only mare he's attracted to!
• Interspecies Relationship: Zeloph, a humanoid man, falls for Shadow Scythe, a unicorn mare.
• Leimotif: "Renegade of the Heavens", a melancholy hymn-inspired song complete with an ethereal choir, bell chimes, and the gentle plucking of string instruments. All singing the tragedy of Zell's character.
• Light 'Em Up: He's a high-tier light mage, able to conjure up solar beams, sphere to blind/stun enemies, and even rain heavenly swords down upon his foes. His tail can also activate special halos around allies' heads, blessing their weapons with a baleful aura.
• Light Is Not Good: Especially when that light was used to annihilate thousands of lives.
• Love Redeems: It was his growing fondness for Shadow Scythe that helped him realize being evil sucked and that by fighting alongside Beatrix and her friends, he could stop the Omega Prophecy and secure Abadonna. He even states this outright during the final confrontation with Doppia.
• Magical Pregnancy: Due to his rejuvenation ability, Zeloph boasts incredible virility and will guarantee anyone lucky to lay with him will become pregnant. Beatrix, who is infertile, was inseminated when she first slept with him. Though this pregnancy never came to full term due to Oona's banishment clause.
• Manipulative Bastard: Very much so in Fire and Shadow. He drove the demiurge to infect Sombra with the Pony of Shadows to reawaken his evil desires so he could gain favor from deserters and citizens and join his coven. Zeloph seduced Beatrix to insert himself into Abadonna's prophecy so that he could convince himself as a better father than the being who created him. His well-spoken nature and silver tongue carry over with his Heel-Face Turn.
• Meaningful Name: 'Zeloph' is likely a shortened variation of the name 'Zelophehad,' who was a biblical figure known for his five daughters carrying the new generation of Israelites. It means 'the shadow of fear.' But if one considers that angel characters like Michael, Uriel, or Gabriel have 'el' in their names, then Zeloph could also mean 'shadow of god,' which is very fitting for a fallen angel. Taken further as the shortening of 'Zell' is one letter away from becoming 'Zeal,' which is to be motivated or energized in a religious sense.
• Mr.Fanservice: Very easy on the eyes, being a tall fellow with his torso and lean muscles exposed. Downplayed as he only used his charm to either seduce Beatrix or rile up Shadow Scythe.
• Musician: Jonn would often teach him how to play guitar and was rather good at it.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Zeloph has this realization when he opens his eyes to how far he's crossed the line during the final chapters of Fire and Shadow. He further reflects on this in Everywhere and Nowhere, concluding that all the pain and suffering he's caused was unwarranted due to his petty sense of justice. And that, in the end, becoming evil only made him feel worse.
• No Shirt, Long Jacket: Wears a stylish burgundy leather jacket with a double-feathered collar, showing off his clean-cut abs and chest.
• Not So Different: Varys claims as such, stating that they both want what's best for humanity no matter what egregious actions must be carried out. And while he's right to some extent, Zeloph has learned to appreciate and respect Terran life, whereas Varys still sees them as little more than stepping stones to bring his mechanical dystopia into fruition.
• Not The Intended Use: In the bible, Ophanims are thought of as the thrones of the higher plane, carrying beings like Cherubim around. This is referenced when Zeloph uses one to safeguard Beatrix and keep her seated. But due to their invulnerability to attacks, they make for a reliable shield. In other words, Zeloph's ultimate defense is an indestructible extraterrestrial chair.
• Offical Couple: With Shadow Scythe by the end of Everywhere and Nowhere.
• Our Angels are Different: As mentioned before, Zeloph (and other demi-humans to an extent) are hybrids that possess the features of humans, angels, demons, and even gargoyles. Adding to their bizarreness are the different shaped tails and magical touches. Zeloph is of the seraphic-looking class.
• One-Hand Zweihander: His old sword, Daybreaker.
• The Paladin: In a Dungeons and Dragons setting, Zeloph would definitely come across as this class.
• The Power of the Sun: Acquires Solaromancy through his Onoma, Apollo. He's notably the first sun magic user in the story since Celestia.
• Power Gives You Wings: More in his case! So far, he's unfurled a total of six wings.
• Rays from Heaven: A notable effect that seems to happen whenever Zeloph powers up.
• Red Baron: Outside of "the Fallen One," he's also been called "the False Messiah/Idol."
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: His eyes are normally celeste blue (magenta during his time spent in the Necronomicon.) But if they ever glow a burning vermillion, that's a sign he's really pissed off.
• Rage Against the Heavens: Fought against the Divine Father with Ana after the death of his Terran mother and Jonn.
• Romance Arc: He and Shadow Scythe go through one during Everywhere and Nowhere. They started off as enemies with similar goals before being roped into the Omega Prophecy by Doppia. They took jabs and criticized each other for their shortcomings while struggling to learn how to work together. Then, they slowly begin to warm up to each other during a stormy night in a cave, where Zeloph calms her infuriating heat through his healing touch. And around the time they make it to the Crystal Empire, it's evident Shadow Scythe sees Zeloph as more than a usable pawn and vice versa. After Doppia's death, they share their first proper kiss as a couple and, by the end of the story, finally make love.
• Single-Use Shield: It should be noted that Zeloph calls upon his ophanim shield once per battle, usually to avoid taking a devastating attack.
• Slap-Slap Kiss: Right after Doppia's defeat, Shadow Scythe chews out Zeloph for 'supposedly' holding back during a dire situation before pulling him into a long-awaited kiss.
• Swans A-Swimming: His wings, while incorporeal, are often used to fight while in melee range and are strong enough to break bone. It's a style he tries to teach Midnight after winning the war with the Burning King.
• Tranquil Fury: Outside of his eyes, Zeloph tends to keep a cool composer even when absolutely livid. Notably, his voice doesn't so much as go above a low growl when delivering Doppia her comeuppance.
• Unusual Halo: On his tail, which can project similar halos to bestow his allies a power boost. He used to have three that called upon angelic abominations when he first wielded Aether.
• Weaponized Teleportation: The Vorpal Blade has the power to cut through dimensions, though Zeloph has yet to figure out how to use it correctly.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Zeloph's efforts to purify people and bring about a shining new future would be viewed as just if not for the fact that he resorted to genocide when his followers and enemies call his morals into question. Thankfully, he grew out of it and is following a path that would be beneficial for mankind.
• Who Wants To Live Forever?: Would greatly give up his immortality if given a chance.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Has midnight blue hair with an orange fade on his bang. It used to be longer.

This page will go through continuous edits as the stories go on. If there are any tropes you think should be added, feel free to make suggestions!
Special thanks to Midnight for helping me compose the music!

Comments

[Shadic Midnight Blitzer]

Well I'm always happy to help make more music!

[Dr Sharaz Jek]

Nice to see yet another profile! Shadow Scythe has definitely helped him shine.

[NotaPonyPerson]

5655566
Agreed. Just the extra step needed to push his character into the right direction!

[Shadic Midnight Blitzer]

5655614
Congratulations on fishing the trope. hopefully, I can develop Shadow's so that her page gets uploaded as well! Also, I never knew that Zeloph's wings glowed, the white background of ImgBB made it hard to notice.