Alexander Theodin Morthil, also known as Zander, is one of the main characters in the first three chapters of the Visual Novel Series Ascension. He is a Moon Elf, a mage, and Aida's first possible love interest. In the scrapped game Ascension: Echoes in the Dark, he was planned to make a cameo with Aida.
Appearance[]
As a Moon Elf, Zander has pointed ears, light purple-grey skin (which is considered as common among the Moon Elves), long black hair (similar to Vincent Bealuar Morthil (Zander's father)) and light blue eyes. Aida Ethelind Fairbairn and Tillie both once joked that he constantly had a face with an "I think I ate too much" attitude, but he disagrees. Zander generally dresses in black and purple attires. Zander also wears a single golden earring.
Zander is also shown to be a fairly tall Moon Elf.
Chapter 1[]
In Chapter 1, he is shown wearing a long-sleeved black top that gets longer in the middle in the front and back so much that it hangs down to about his knees. He also wears a lighter purple pair of pants, and black shoes. Zander's hair is long and appears to be tied up in a loose ponytail with a single strand that hangs in front of his face.
Chapter 2[]
In Chapter 2, his outfit changes to a sleeveless t-shirt that laces up in the front. He also wears black pants with a purple sash on his waist. The player is also given the option to customize Zander's hairstyle. The three options are
- The "Original" style, which is the same as in the first chapter
- The "Rebellious" style that features a medium length ponytail with side bangs
- The "Rogue" style with a long braid and bangs.
Chapter 3[]
In Chapter 3, his outfit differs slightly from Chapter 2. It is still a short-sleeved black t-shirt, but now, instead of tying up, it has buckles from the bottom to the top. Added onto this, he has a feathery adornment on his shoulder which was given to him by Tillie. He still has black pants with a purple sash on his waist. Like in Chapter 2, you are able to change his hairstyle; you can have the original hairstyle (from Chapter 1,) the two new hairstyles from Chapter 2, and a look Rinmaru names "mature," where he has just long hair going over one shoulder, not put back in ponytail.
Personality[]
Since Zander is a mage, he has ten times the emotion of a normal Moon Elf which led him to be an emotional person. He knows a lot of information, and he's very caring, yet he can be sarcastic, too. Zander initially tries to suppress his emotions, partly because he was raised in a society where being emotional is looked down upon, but also because he fears causing unintentional harm and destruction with his magic, due to loss of control. Unfortunately, this means that Zander often struggles to express himself and is occasionally prone to bursts of intense emotion or comes across as sullen or cold, but after meeting Aida Ethelind Fairbairn, he begins to manage his feelings more effectively and seems happier for it. Zander strongly objects to the way most Moon Elves treat the Lith. He does not hold the same kinds of racial prejudice that many others of his kind do, and considers it "sickening" how some Moon Elves keep Lith as pets. As a result, he is quite open-minded and tolerant of other people.
History[]
Zander was born in Ildis to Lord Morthil and Ygrainne who are very wealthy. He has two sisters named Alanis and Elora. Zander's parents protect the city of Ildis with private guards and as such are in a slight position of power, so the people at the Academy refer to Zander as "Master Zander". When Zander was young he befriended a Lith servant named Kille. When Zander's mother found out about it, she beat the Lith, telling Zander that that was what would happen if he ever mingled with a servant again. This made Zander angry, causing him to burn down their house, accidentally killing the Lith. That incident made Zander very aware of his emotions, so as not to lose control and harm anyone he cares about. Zander gained entry into the Academy of Arcane Arts in Ildis after passing the trials that proved he could control his emotions. In the past Zander has had a few girlfriends, two of them being Lith. A few years before the beginning of Chapter 1, Zander and Tillie were recruited for magical "research" by the Eagles, but they left when they realized the research was about necromancy.
Story[]
Chapter 1[]
Zander and Tillie meet Aida Ethelind Fairbairn and Sky in Ionmarsh in a ruined temple. After Sky suggests that the the four of them team up, Zander begrudgingly accepts and follows the group to the camp to rest. On the trip there, Zander expresses concern for Aida, mentioning that she looks pale after her encounter with an incubus. Once the group reach the camp, they find that all its residents have been murdered. Zander helps Tillie move the bodies away from the camp, then goes to speak with Aida. Zander tells her that he believes the Eagles are behind the killings, and relates his own history with the gang to her. Later, in the camp, he talks to Aida about his approval for the Academy of Arcane Arts and his incident as a child with the Lith girl named Kille. The group agrees to go to Northcliff and have Aida infiltrate the Eagles.
The group travels to Northcliff. Zander waits in the Fragile Falcon's Inn with Sky and Tillie as Aida begins her hunt for the Eagles. When he hears a fight outside the Inn, Zander and the rest of the group run outside. Zander again expresses concern for Aida, asking if she's alright. If the two are courting each other, he is even more protective, asking if she needs any healing. He then meets Jace, whom he is distrusting and (if Aida has been flirting with him) jealous towards. After learning that the plan has failed due to Jace interfering, Zander blasts into the hideout with his flame magic and rescues Aida and Jace with Tillie's help. Once the party regroups, Zander is furious with Jace, almost burning him and threatening him with incredible harm for his actions. If Aida has been flirting with Zander, he confesses his feeling for her, and if Aida accepts, the two kiss. Then, the entire party leaves for the Crimson River, where Diego is taking the journals.
At the river, the group finds a ruined castle serving as Diego's hideout. Zander enters the castle with Jace and Aida, and uses his fire magic to get through the guards. When the building begins to collapse, Zander panics because he is afraid that Aida will be killed. Tillie tells him that they have to get out, but he resists. If the two are in a relationship, he begins to cry. Eventually, however, Tillie talks him out of the building.
Chapter 2[]
In Chapter 2, Aida meets Zander in Taran, where he lives in a village of Lith and teaches the children basic magic and language. If Aida romanced him in Chapter 1, he will embrace her and express both relief and disbelief at seeing her again, and will later be angry at her for hiding on Sundrop Island from him. If Aida did not romance him, he will simply remark that he should have known a collapsing tower couldn't kill her. Either way, Zander will offer to rejoin Aida on her journey.
Before leaving the Lith village, Zander opts to take Seena, the chief's banished daughter, with him rather than abandon her.
Abilities[]
Like all mages, Zander shows ability in elemental magic. His primary element is fire, which can result in fairly disastrous consequences if he does not control himself well. Additionally, Zander can heal others, although, according to Aida, the experience is unpleasant.
Relationships[]
- Aida Ethelind Fairbairn: Zander is a potential love interest for Aida. If Aida chooses to flirt with him, potentially because of his increased emotions as a mage, Zander becomes very close to Aida very quickly in Chapter 1. In addition, he is very protective of Aida. In Chapter 2, things heat up a bit and they are shown to fight a bit in the beginning due to Zander's anger for Aida not telling she was alive for a whole year. But even though he's angry at her, he still shows he greatly cares for her and comforts Aida if he is called to her cabin when she has a nightmare and they nearly kiss. When Aida is about to "vanish" again at the end, Zander apologizes for getting mad at her and Aida tells him she loves him, in which they kiss and are officially completely back together again. In Chapter 3, they are shown to be very close where he is very protective of her and they are more comfortable with loving each other. Zander and Aida still have small arguments, but show they love each other greatly. They make love when they're at the camp outside of Valond when Aida recovered from escaping Kael. Additionally, if you buy the Adeshian chocolate from the market and talk to Zander, he and Aida will make up after their argument outside the clinic of Adeshia. If not chosen as a love interest, they just have a normal and friendly relationship.
- Tillie: Zander and Tillie have a very close relationship, although it became strained after Aida disappeared because he tried dabbling into necromancy to bring her back, thinking she was dead. Soon after they start traveling, they become close again.
- Jace: In the first chapter, Zander and Jace don't get along. If Aida has been flirting with Zander, he feels very threatened by Jace and is distrusting of him. Even if the two have not been romancing each other, Zander mentions in the inn that he does not like Jace because he seems "distanced." Zander is absolutely livid with Jace after he puts Aida in danger with Diego by stealing back the documents. Zander threatens Jace with serious harm if he backstabs Aida again, and continues to be distrustful towards him. However in chapter 2 it seems that they are closer, and get along better. They are also shown to be playing cards together in Ildis. In Chapter 3, it is shown that Jace likes to annoy and pester Zander, but they are now close friends. He gives everyone in the group a nickname; Jace's nickname for Zander is "Skirts."
- Faelern: Zander and Faelern do not get along as Zander doesn't like Faelern's attitude and they have a very strained relationship from the very beginning. Faelern actually calls Zander a simple murderer because he asks Zander how he stayed alive so long with all his emotions and Zander tells him it's because he burned all the people who asked stupid questions. They tend to be hostile towards one another. In Chapter 3, it is hinted that the reason Zander doesn't like him is because he might be a bit jealous of Faelern's relationship with Aida.
Trivia[]
- Zander's parents are actually ashamed of him, and thus they don't get along very well, this is displayed in Chapter 2, when they travel to Ildis.
- Zander is fond of Fengarian berries and he also love sweet foods i.e pies, chocolates and cakes.
- In the end of chapter 2, if chosen as the love interest, Zander teases Aida Ethelind Fairbairn about being a Princess, much like how Aida teased him about being called Master.
- Zander's family is very well known around Ildis due to them protecting the city with private guards.
- According to Aida, Zander is an "emotional drunk".
- Zander was originally supposed to care about Sky but it changed because Rinmaru added Diego.
- Once, when Zander needed throat pain medication, Tillie gave him a three-day intoxication potion by mistake. He has no memory of his three intoxicated days, but he remembers waking up in an Ildis Library garden pool with a duck on his head.
Quotes[]
- (To Aida Ethelind Fairbairn) "I am like any other moon elf. Well...plus exaggerated emotions...and magic."
- (To Jace, referring to Aida) "If you ever stab Aida in the back again, I will not kill you. I will burn you alive, painfully, so slowly that you will end up begging me to end your miserable life. And every time you feel like it's the end, I will heal you. I promise... The pain will never end."
- (To Aida) "Don´t try to hide it, Aida. You are scared. You don´t want to be alone and you are using your body to get a little comfort without having the need to ask for it because you think you will be rejected if you actually show your feelings - Don´t do it. You don´t have to do it. Not with me".
- (To Aida) "I am [afraid]... Most of the time. Afraid of not being able to control my magic... Afraid of hurting someone innocent... Afraid of hurting you..."
- (To Aida, referring to Seena) "I hope Seena doesn't start looking up to you. You aren't exactly the best role model."
- (To Faelern) "I just burned the people who asked stupid questions."
Gallery[]
