Jad

Jad
Hometown	Erimos
Current Residence	Erimos
Gender	Male
Race	High Flora
Family	Tasha (wife) Ritan (mother) Khali (daughter)
Affiliations	Khali Ritan Kinan
Enemies	Ypsilon Laiyan
Status	Deceased

Jad is a High Flora commoner from Erimos. He is the husband of Tasha and the father of Khali.

Story

Birth of a Mutant

Jad was a High Flora commoner who owned a weapons shop in Erimos. Jad soon married a commoner named Tasha, who used her exceptional physical gifts to defeat Priests and upend the caste system of their society. In order to keep attention away from them, Tasha and Jad kept their union a secret. Jad would later become friends with Tasha's close friend and ally, Kinan, as well as a High Priest named Anan, whom Tasha had saved long ago.

Shortly after Tasha became pregnant with their child, she was confronted by Laiyan - the captain of the Zealots, the city guard. After Tasha defeated him in a Syaman - an honor duel normally reserved for those with magic - she managed to flee the other Zealots and returned back home, where her Jad told her that Kinan had brought them a crib from Anan. Tasha immediately told Jad that they couldn't accept Anan's gift, as the people wouldn't be happy if they heard about a Priest congratulating a commoner on her pregnancy with a gift.

Jad joked that she sounded like a Priest before explaining that they needed the crib, as business wasn't good lately. He told Tasha that there were rumors circulating that they were married and explained that while the commoners supported them, it was mainly the Priests – whom she regularly fought – who bought the weapons that they sold at their shop. Tasha began to apologize, though Jad told her not to be sorry, explaining that he was proud of her, and that he believed that she was doing the right thing. However, he asked her not to push herself too hard, now that she was pregnant.

One year later, Tasha grew deathly pale as she neared the end of her labor. As Jad and Kinan waited patiently, Jad's mother, Ritan, told Jad that Tasha was calling for him. Jad and Kinan rushed to her side, where they were shocked to find her severely weak. Though it was difficult for her to speak, Tasha explained that she could feel magic inside her womb.

Kinan immediately realized that they needed to remove the baby right away, explaining that she had once read a book about mutations, which explained that when a commoner gave birth to a mutant - a commoner child inexplicably born with magic - the mother would be unable to handle the child's magical power during birth, which would result in her death.

Jad asked Kinan whether removing the baby would allow Tasha to live. Kinan explained that Flora babies with magical powers would open their wings at birth, meaning that Tasha would survive if they could remove the baby before that, though she warned that the baby would die in the process. After struggling to make a decision, Jad told Kinan to remove the baby. However, a weak Tasha begged him to save the child instead, as she wanted it to be safe and happy.

Jad reluctantly agreed to heed Tasha's wishes and allowed her to deliver the child, which spread its magical wings at birth and killed her in the process. As Jad began mourning Tasha, Kinan told him to pull himself together, reminding him that the child was still in danger, as mutants were killed at birth for having ‘impure' magic. Kinan suggested that they take the baby and flee Erimos, adding that it was their opportunity to fulfill Tasha's wishes.

At Jad's confusion, Kinan explained that the very fact that the child was born with magic was symbolic. She noted that even two commoners could create a child with magical wings and pointed out that rather than the child being a mutant, it was proof that even commoners had magic deep inside their bodies. She explained that once the child grew up, it would carry on Tasha's legacy to overthrow the caste system. With the child spearheading their cause, Kinan believed that they would be able to find others who shared their beliefs.

When Jad asked about the child's safety, Kinan promised that she would protect it, despite the danger of it being discovered. Jad then conceded that their society was flawed, and that both she and Tasha had gone through many hardships fighting against those injustices, having almost lost their lives many times. However, he explained that she had come close to death many times, and that she was destined to live a life in hiding. He told her that he didn't want that kind of life for his child, and that Tasha wouldn't have wanted it either.

He then asked her whether there was a way for the child to live an ordinary, safe life. Kinan warned Jad that though there was a way, he might never see his child again. Jad replied that as long as his child was happy, he was fine with it. Kinan then explained that Tasha had once saved the life of Anan. As Anan owed his life to Tasha, Kinan him that Anan would take the child in. At Kinan's suggestion, Jad delivered the baby to Anan and requested him to raise the child. With Anan's wife having given birth to their own daughter, both Tasha's child and Anan's child were raised together as twins - Khali and Rasha.

Meeting Khali

Over the years, Jad continued keeping his distance from Khali for the sake of her safety. Shortly before Khali became an adult, Anan sent a letter to Jad, in which he wrote that Khali was growing up strong and well. He noted that Jad must want to see her, though he hadn't yet visited. He explained that Khali was quick on her feet, just like Tasha, and that Rasha was always eager to catch up to her sister as well. He noted that though they weren't related by blood, it was clear that the two were sisters, as they were very much alike.

He explained that though his wife had passed away, Khali and Rasha were growing up happily, and that they were relying on one another. He then added that the reason why he had written was because he wanted a weapon for Khali to use - one that was light enough that she could use without it slipping from her grip while running quickly. As it had been many years since Jad had seen Khali, Anan offered to bring Khali to the weapon store so that he could meet her. At Anan's insistence, Jad agreed to the proposal.

On Khali's birthday, Anan took Khali to Jad's weapon shop. There, Jad presented Khali with the Chakrams that Anan had requested as her birthday present, as Khali was training for the Test of Faith - the entrance exam for the Zealous. As Khali was the daughter of a well-respected High Priest, Jad offered a gift of his own and presented her with a white scarf, which had once belonged to her mother, Tasha. Khali noted that it was beautiful and thanked him before asking if he had another scarf that she could give to her sister. Jad explained that the scarf which he had given her was the only one of its kind, though he presented her with a blue scarf, which Khali graciously accepted.

Arrest and Interrogation

Two years later, the Zealous began investigating the existence of a mutant in Erimos after Kinan began spreading stories about its existence. After Laiyan and Ypsilon interrogated Kinan and learned that the mutant was Tasha's child, Laiyan ordered Khali - who had become a Zealot - to arrest Jad and Ritan in order to question them.

Khali went to Jad's weapon shop, where she had previously bought her weapons several years earlier. Jad warmly greeted her before noticing her expression. He asked her whether something was wrong, to which Khali asked him if the woman standing next to him was his mother. Jad realized that they hadn't met yet and introduced Khali to his mother, Ritan, as Anan's daughter.

Ritan greeted Khali and asked Jad whether she was ‘that child's' sister, to which Jad quickly replied that he would tell her later. He then asked Khali whether she had come to purchase a weapon, to which Khali reluctantly explained that she had come to arrest them both. She then bound both their hands with rope before escorting them to the palace prison.

There, Laiyan ordered Khali to guard the door from outside. After she left, Jad demanded to know what they had done to be arrested, claiming that they were merely commoners managing a humble weapon store. He claimed that they hadn't committed any crimes and asked Laiyan why he was treating them in such a way.

Laiyan repeated Jad's claim that they hadn't committed any crimes in disbelief, to which Jad asked whether they had been arrested merely for being Tasha's family. He retorted that an honorable Priest such as Laiyan would never arrest them for such a reason, to which Laiyan laughed that he had once thought them to be innocent before reminding them that the magic within a mutant was ‘impure'.

A shocked Jad asked Laiyan whether he had a child, explaining that his own child was dead. He told Laiyan that they had announced the child's death alongside Tasha's and began telling Laiyan to check the records when Laiyan grew impatient and slashed Jad with his sword. Laiyan noted that with Jad having lived in a peaceful city under the protection of the Priests all his life, it must be his first time being attacked in such a way.

Laiyan then asked Jad whether he felt like talking, to which Jad maintained his story that his child had died many years ago. Laiyan then declared that he would be joining his wife soon when Ritan begged him to stop, promising to speak on her son's behalf. She revealed that Tasha had indeed given birth to a magical child, and that after seeing that it had been born with wings, they had sent it away to be taken in by a High Priest.

In pain, Jad weakly asked his mother to stop, though Laiyan merely ignored him and asked Ritan for the Priest's name, which she revealed was Anan. A surprised Laiyan then demanded to know the child's name, to which Ritan explained that she didn't know. When Laiyan angrily asked her if she was mocking him, Ritan explained that after they had sent the child away to Anan, the only one who had spoken with him had been Jad, as she had deliberately decided not to know the child's face or name in order to protect it.

Laiyan then declared that if she didn't know, then he would simply get the information out of her son. Ritan immediately begged him to stop and revealed that though she didn't know who the child was, she knew of a way to identify it. She explained that on the child's birthday, when the child had become an adult, they had given her a scarf that had once belonged to Tasha, her birth mother, upon which was Tasha's mark.

Death

After Laiyan left the prison, he met with Khali and began inspecting her blue scarf for Tasha's mark. A confused Khali asked him if there was something wrong, to which Laiyan recalled that her sister also had a similar scarf. After finding no mark, he told Khali that he needed to speak with Ypsilon and ordered her to guard the prisoners while he was gone.

Khali then entered the prison, where Ritan immediately begged her to spare their lives. Khali reassured her that they wouldn't take the lives of innocent civilians and asked Ritan to tell them everything that she knew. Ritan insisted that she had already revealed everything that she knew before begging Khali once again to spare their lives.

Just then, Ypsilon entered the prison with Laiyan and declared that the prisoners were no longer of any further use. Khali immediately stood between him and the prisoners, to which Laiyan reprimanded her for blocking Ypsilon's path. Khali ignored his words and demanded to know what Ypsilon meant, causing Laiyan to grow furious. However, Ypsilon told Laiyan to stand down, claiming that it was alright.

Khali pointed out that the prisoners had told them everything that they knew, which Ypsilon acknowledged, to which Khali explained that their lives then ought to be spared. However, Ypsilon merely asked her why, causing Khali to exclaim that they were innocent civilians, and that they ought to be set free if they had already revealed everything that they knew.

Ypsilon agreed that her words would be correct if the prisoners were, in fact, innocent civilians. However, he explained that she had misunderstood the situation, as the prisoners were actually sinners who had hidden the existence of a mutant born in their family. He pointed out that it was a serious felony, as a mutant was the mark of a sin. However, Khali protested that they had already revealed everything that they knew about the mutant, and that the prisoners were their very own people, not members of other races, to which Ypsilon told her that those who hid the truth about a mutant were no longer their people.

When a furious Khali asked him how he could say such a thing, Ypsilon replied that it was simple logic. He noted that to be a mutant was a sin, and that as the prisoners had hidden the existence of that sin, they had committed a sin themselves, which meant that they needed to be punished. He then asked her whether that was so difficult for her to understand.

Khali retorted by asking what was so impure about the magic of a mutant, noting that the prisoners hadn't willfully been trying to conceal something evil in their society, but rather, they had only been trying to save their child, which made them valued members of their society. Ypsilon coldly told Khali that she was questioning the very idea of a mutant with her words and asked whether she was really claiming that there was nothing impure about a commoner possessing magic. As Khali began stammering out her defense, Ypsilon pushed her aside and extracted the life force out of Jad and Ritan, immediately killing them both.

NPC

Erimos

Jad
Location	Weapon Store

Gallery

• 
  NPC Portrait of Jad
• 
  NPC Portrait of Jad
• 
  NPC Portrait of Jad
• 
  NPC Portrait of Jad