Among the Aeluri, whose fleeting presence is usually marked by simplicity and secrecy, Zayael stands apart. Her wings shimmer with delicate hues, and she adorns herself with fine trinkets and jeweled garlands woven from forest light. Where others of her kin keep to moss and mist, she wears the forest like a crown. To those who glimpse her, she appears every inch a queen—graceful, radiant, and commanding in her stillness.

Old songs of the Thaeryx speak of an Aeluri princess who once pledged herself as guardian of the hidden groves, ensuring the pact between the forest and her kin would never fade. Many believe Zayael to be her heir, the living continuation of that ancient promise. Whether the tale is truth or simply a story woven around her regal bearing, she has come to embody it in the eyes of mortals and sylthae alike.

Unlike her more playful sisters, Zayael moves with measured intent. She does not scatter mischief in her wake but instead carries an aura of solemnity, as though her presence alone is a benediction. When she appears, it is often at thresholds—where grove meets glade, or where the veil thins between realms. There she lingers, listening, her jeweled adornments catching the light like stars through leaves. Travelers who encounter her speak of a calm that settles in their hearts, a quiet reassurance that the forest is watching but not hostile.

Among the Aeluri themselves, her status is less easily defined. Some regard her as royalty, a guiding figure who stands between their hidden world and the outside. Others see her as a symbol rather than a ruler—an embodiment of their dignity, clothed in the beauty of their realm. Yet whether queen, guardian, or legend reborn, Zayael remains a figure of reverence.
She does not speak often, and when she does her words carry the weight of ancient memory. A blessing murmured by Zayael is thought to turn ill fortune aside, and a warning from her lips is heeded even by the most reckless Nissri. In her, the mystery of the Aeluri wears its most regal face: radiant, untouchable, and forever bound to the deep magic of Vhalandar’s woods.