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TsuYa Tai

Tai is the son of ZenToYa and YuKaiYa, and brother to SoYa. He resides in the city of Baron of the Bluestar dimension along with his closest friend, Zeb Ya (Future: along with his wife, Zazo, and their two kids, Zento II and SaRa (Sis)).

Origins

He was born with the name TsuYa in the city of Nefol. As the youngest son of the High Guide he was not considered next in line for leadership. However, during the story of Dreigiau, with the uprise of Ghost Clan and political turmoil of the city’s leadership, Zerom tempted TsuYa with the power to take his missing father’s place.

Unaware of what the choice would cost him, Tsu took up DuLlafn, his father’s battle scythe, and was wrapped up on his journey, slowly becoming the Champion of the dark Arweinydd.

Disposition

TsuYa Tai has lived longer than he’d liked and has seen the rise and fall of more than one civilization in his lifetime. While these experiences have hardened him in heart, mind, and spirit, there’s still a part of him that desperately seeks to find light and forgiveness. While generally blunt-spoken and truthful to a fault, he’s also a deeply loyal companion and far more empathetic than he lets on.

He has his own judgments of the world, always seeking to dish out justice in his own way. Fiery and fiercely determined, he’s not afraid to speak and act on what he believes to be right – so don’t get on the bad side of his scythe!

Dreigiau

Once reunited with his family, TsuYa chose to reject Zerom’s gifts and fight against the darkness. This was not an easy path, however. With no true cure, Tsu was left with only a pendant created by Aur as a temporary means of staving off the shadows of the Marked.

This didn’t keep TsuYa from fighting next to his family in defense of the fallen city of Nefol and what was left of the Nefolian people. During these adventures, he first met a very young KiNaTu (Kip) who would later become a lifelong friend (despite Kip not remembering this initial meeting - Dreigiau Book 3, Chapter 51).

KoGuRai, the son of JinRai, was his greatest rival. It was during the final fight against KoGuRai that TsuYa was pushed to the point of Awakening, but this Awakening also shattered the protective pendant that kept him from becoming Marked.

Though against his will, TsuYa was taken by Zerom’s shadows, and transformed into his Marked Champion.

Runne

When the Nefolians migrated to the world of Runne in order to escape the wrath of the Dark Sygnus, Luccious, TsuYa was brought through the rift by Zazo. There, he was placed in her protective crystal dome, which was only discovered by the Runnian people many years later.

SoYa, Zemus, and the Crystal Dome

Unfortunately, waking Tsu – or TsuMeTai as he was re-named – brought the awareness of Zerom down on the Runnian people. TsuMe was used to infiltrate and take control of the then-young seat leadership known as the Manor, causing corruption to spread through the city and the people.

However, Zerom’s strength had been greatly weakened by his disconnect from the Nefolian world and having taken a blow from Luccious himself. Often, this allowed TsuMe time under his own control, which he used to work against Zerom’s design. It was during such a time that he met his nephew, FuSoYa.

TsuMeTai during Runne

This all eventually culminated in the downfall of his older brother, SoYa. Though the situation that brought about SoYa’s death was out of Tsu’s hands, Tsu bore the fault and guilt of this on his shoulders.

When the planet of Runne met its destruction, TsuMe was purposely placed into cold sleep through Zerom’s machinations. This ensured that the Champion of the dark Arweinydd would continue to serve his master in the next world.

Shimmer

Those who escaped the destruction of Runne became Lunarians. They slumbered on the Red Moon which orbited above the Blue Planet, under the watch of FuSoYa.

Zerom had taken a new vessel at this point in a Lunar named Zemus. Through Zemus, he planned conquest over the Blue Planet, seeking a new living world to empower him once more.

Part of this plan was sending TsuMe to the Blue Planet in secret. However, FuSoYa’s younger brother, KluYa, who had traveled to the planet to pave the way for the other Lunarians to colonize, intercepted Zerom’s plan.

Thus, the pod that sent TsuMe to the Blue Planet was buried and he remained in cold sleep until he was discovered and awakened by Kip. From there onward, the two worked to establish the Tower of Zot and served as leadership within the Tower – specifically, TsuMe was considered Zerom’s General.

However, due to steadily degrading dissatisfaction and watching Zerom’s plans warp and destroy those TsuMe had grown to care for – specifically Kip, Ben, and Aur – Tsu eventually chose to betray Zot and its dark Master. In return, Zerom shredded TsuMe’s wings, broke his life-connection, and cast him from the height of Zot to his death.

Only…

Wayrift

Zemi Dreigiau had kept watch over the youngest son of ZenToYa for all these long years, waiting for a chance to rescue Tsu from Zerom’s hold. And while Zemi couldn’t do a whole lot given his own weakened state, when TsuMe was discarded from Zot, Zemi forged a new Arweinydd life-connection with him and preserved him in a pocket dimension.

Zemi finally woke Tsu during the Wayrift storyline (Wayrift Chapter 35, Page 2), having fashioned a new and less-Marked form for him, and sent him to the Bluestar dimension to help diffuse a situation caused by Zazo. Zemi hoped that Zazo’s affections for Tsu would be enough to bring her back to her senses. However, this just ended up getting Tsu caught up in yet another convoluted situation.

When Zemi was rendered powerless due to the actions of the Others, Tsu was once more left without a life-connection to sustain him. He was found in Baron and taken to the infirmary whereupon Zeb’s crystal made a connection to Tsu (Wayrift Chapter 63, Page 8). This kept him alive, but also kept him bound to the crystal and to Zeb’s company.

Tsu chose to take on the name “Tai” for his interactions with the Blue Planet – in some attempt to keep his identity a secret from Zeb. Over time, he and Zeb became friends, though they are ever on the search of a solution to disconnect Tai from the crystal.

Tai has also reunited with Kip on friendly terms, and is in the middle of sorting out the weird crush that Zazo seems to have on him.

Skills and Abilities

• Marked Abilities – Whether he’s in Marked form or not, Tai possesses enhanced strength, speed, and heightened senses. When in Marked form, he also appears to have the ability to command other Marked, a skill that Zerom specifically sought him out for during the Nefolian war.
• Marked Fear Aura – When in Marked form, Tai has an unintentional fear effect on those around him. This is not always for the better, especially amongst allies – though allies can eventually build up an immunity to it.
• Marked Shriek – Causes extreme fear and freezing in others, is very effective and painful against Mind Mages.
• Battle Skills – Tai has honed his ability to fight over the many long years. While he favors his scythe, he is also proficient in using other melee weapons such as swords and spears, and is comfortable with hand-to-hand combat.
• Magical Skills – Though he has a range of destructive magics, he was never fully trained in focusing its use. He does sometimes enchant his scythe during battle, but much prefers melee skills over magical.
• Wings – While he’s not technically classified as Awakened, he can summon his wings outside of a Marked transformation.

Interesting Facts

• TsuYa was an accidental character who was originally supposed to be a random Nefolian who walked in to interrupt SoYa’s class during Dreigiau Book 1, Chapter 3. The author decided it would be interesting to give SoYa a snarky brother instead, and thus, it began.
• TsuYa was not supposed to be a character in the Shimmer story, either. When the author decided to use Shimmer as an exploration of a younger Kip’s personality, it was decided that Kip needed a foil character to play off of. In designing a “new” character to fill this role, the concept of TsuMeTai was created, then later retrofit onto TsuYa as his future self. This would also later become the concept for Marked Tai.
• Tai was also never intended to be a character in Wayrift. However, during the scenario where Zeb chose to leave the Borderlands and establish a life in Baron, the Authors needed… you guessed it – a semi-foil character to join him. Uncertain why Tai was chosen, but they ended up meshing so well, it was a friendship meant to be.

Music Themes

 

Wretched And Divine - Black Veil Brides

Breath - Breaking Benjamin

Nara – E.S. Posthumus

Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day

Dreigiau and Concept Art

Runne Art

Shimmer Concepts and Art

Wayrift Concepts and Art

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