Senior Enchanter Zayra Melthene
Born 9:11 on the 1st of Bloomingtide, Zayra is among the younger of the Senior Enchanters of the Ostwick Circle of Magi at merely 29. Born in the local Alienage, she joined her family in servitude to the local Teyrn as a scullery maid at age six. The Melthene family was held in high esteem in the elven community, in no small part due to her grandfather’s role as Hahren. It was his influence that lead Zayra to join the Circle peacefully (rather than face rather more severe consequences) after a mishap with her magic and a minor noble. Nearly ten years old and illiterate, none were more surprised than she when First Enchanter Dmitry Talonhand took her as an Apprentice.
Zayra quickly proved to be a talented student, blessed with voracious curiosity and a drive for excellence in equal measure. She learned to read in but a month, and found herself drawn to primal magic. Sarcastic and guarded, it took her many months to warm to her fellow apprentices. Zayra first found comfort in Mother Rosalie, the leader of their Circle’s Chantry. In time, the elderly woman gently pushed the young elf to build a family among her fellow mages.
Her Harrowing was among the shortest witnessed at the Ostwick Circle in over two decades—Zayra met with, and defeated, a demon of rage in under an hour during her time in the Fade. As a fully qualified mage, she quickly established herself by publishing a treatise on gravitic rings (including a controversial theory that the spell had its magical origins rooted in demons of sloth and envy from the days of Tevinter rule of Thedas). Despite her curt manner, Zayra became popular in the Aequitarian Fraternity. Zayra published several essays on the moderate approach to Circle reform that were well-received in the College of Enchanters.
Zayra found mentorship to be both a challenge and the best experience of her young life. Her first apprentice, a vibrant young human lad named Declan, tested her patience at every turn. In time, the two grew close, with Zayra viewing the boy as a son. His Harrowing very nearly ended in Tranquility, but he emerged triumphant in the end. In contrast, Zayra's time with the young Joslyn went smoothly. After her Harrowing, she began to collaborate with Zayra on a paper examining Avvar influence on the development of primal magic. Her latest apprentice Atlen, an elven lad of nine, has proven so far to be clever, but deeply suspicious of the Circle. Shortly after taking Atlen as a student, Zayra was promoted to Senior Enchanter. Although merely 26 at the time, the promotion was seen favorably among her peers.
Zayra’s faith in Andraste has been central to her life since she first came to the Circle. Although Mother Rosalie disapproved, Zayra stumbled across the dissonant verses of Shartan during her historical studies. She found them deeply comforting and proof that elves were meant to have a more active role in the Chantry. Despite these heretical views, she has maintained a friendly relationship with the Chantry women and the Templars assigned to the Ostwick Circle.
The Kirkwall Rebellion deeply troubled Zayra. It further cemented her belief in the need for careful reform in both the Templar Order and the Circle. She recognized that the Ostwick Circle was blessed in its culture of rationality and commitment to rooting out abuse. However, despite Zayra’s impassioned essay on the need for reform, she condemned the destruction of Kirkwall’s Chantry. When the First Enchanter proposed rebellion against the Chantry, Zayra voted vehemently against the measure. The recent blood mage uprising in the Ostwick Circle has deeply shaken her faith in Templars and mages alike.
