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Background[]

"BRO!" ~ Zenrio (repeatedly)

Zenrio, Zenny, Little Zen (to his parents), or simply Z is an eternally chill Triton that lives in Canary Channel in an area called Canary Deep with his parents, slightly Southeast of Storm Giant's Cradle. He often goes with his father on expeditions across the ocean floor to find artifacts and various other things that float down from below in order to sell, as their method of making ends meet.

Zenrio has coloration and features resembling those of a clownfish. He has a fin on his head resembling a mohawk and wears a shell necklace. An unspecified incident with the vents of magic on the sea floor gave him his abilities, where he was comatose for a few days before recovering. He would gain the ability to use Wild Magic as a result, creating all sorts of unpredictable effects during combat, sometimes beneficial to himself and those around him, and other times detrimental.

It was he and his father who had a chance meeting with Crabbius the Mighty, who led them to The Unexpectables, barely clinging to life at the bottom of the ocean. He nursed them back to health with the help of his parents, and was not-too-hastily pushed out the door to help the group in their quest to make it to the surface. His goal was to make it to the Nerasmun Collective, with the hope of stabilizing his magic so that it is less dangerous.

After being a pivotal part of the plan to defeat the United Orun Clergy in Canary Channel, Zenrio decided that he wanted to help people through their problems while in the City of Alivast through a public speaking event he called "The Rule of Cool." Thanks to a recommendation from Nulnis and Zelnis, twin Tritons and members of the Nerasmun Collective, Zenrio was able to enter the city. Zenrio was pulled away the party shortly after meeting with Edward Enrobso quite suddenly, when the Aasimar Ios took an interest in his skills, stopping time itself in order to lead him to her. She would offer to train him in the art of Wild Magic so long as he stayed with her, to which he agreed.

He is the "father" of Frivayne Jr, a two-dimensional dragon he created with Marvelous Pigments.

Personality[]

Zenrio is a laid back, friendly, go-with-the-flow type who tends to let things come to him rather than be proactive. This has however led him to be fairly immature, as he has trouble paying attention to things that bore him, has scatterbrained thought processes, and prefers not to think about moving on from a carefree existence, even with the looming threat of his power. He has no experience dealing with people who wish him ill, so his first response to practically any interaction is to try and be friendly. He has a policy of starting off conversations with a compliment to ease people into interaction and support a positive attitude. He is also incredibly supportive and motivational to a fault, believing in the very best in everyone he encounters, and it takes a lot to dissuade him from such beliefs.

While he can perform Wild Magic, he prefers not to use purely offensive spells unless in danger he cannot talk his way out of, due to his fear of hurting people around him.

Prior to meeting The Unexpectables, Zen had never been to the surface, and was amazed at the sight of trees, land animals, and weather. He was quite literally a fish out of water.

Relationships[]

Zenrio and Maria fan art by @LordSirRailgun

Zenrio and Maria fan art by @LordSirRailgun

Maria[]

Zenrio was a real bright spot for the otherwise traumatized Maria, and found someone who laughed at his bad jokes. She seemed to genuinely appreciate his kind gestures, despite his clumsy delivery.

Crabbius The Mighty[]

Crabbius and Zenrio are good friends, even sharing a secret handshake. It was Crabbius that helped Zenrio meet the Unexpectables, contributing to their rescue.

The Unexpectables[]

The Lads were in dire straits when he, his father, and Crabbius found them, and the three helped drag them back to relative safety. He got along best with Borky, who shared his "unique" view on the world. Task and Panic were either catatonic with sorrow or rage when they met, and Greckles did his best to show his appreciation, though the cultural differences were vast. He got along with them pretty well after an initial awkwardness.

Zenrio proved to be a valuable asset to the team in the raid against the United Clergy Base, as it was his magic that allowed for the Kiwisaurus and Tasksaurus drop to come to fruition. When Ios snatched Zen away from the group, she suggested that he send them a parting gift, so he used the last of the Marvelous Pigments to create Zenis Oki, which now serves as a Spiritual Guardian of the Sweet Dragon.

Task[]

Zenrio and Task fan art by @NoodleLazer

Zenrio and Task fan art by @NoodleLazer

Zenrio unknowingly treads a very fine line when his optimism and belief in the innate goodness of all things clashed with Task's cynicism when the two were interacting with Brimfang. When Brimfang revealed his ties to Task's arch-nemesis, Darkus, and proceeded to taunt and berate the kobold, it was only Zen's pleas for mercy and restraint that kept Task from executing the dragon on the spot.

Zenrio and Task fan art by @PurpleFishBones

Zenrio and Task fan art by @PurpleFishBones

Later, Zenrio Polymorphed Task into a Brontosaurus in order to defeat Athtar. When the experience was over, Task finally gave him the high-five he had previously left Zen hanging on, and admitted that being a dinosaur was fun.

Task later encouraged Zenrio to interact with Arlo at the Sweet Dragon.

His Parents[]

While his parents love him, they are exasperated by his airheadedness and his sometimes standoffishness. They also worry deeply about his ability to cast Wild Magic, hoping for him to go to the Nerasmun Collective to possibly help him stay alive. His father is an archaeologist and researcher, is slightly hunched, and wears spectacles. His mother has tendril-like hair and is a physician versed in both magical and mundane healing methods. Along with selling various items found on the sea floor, the family also runs an oyster farm. Zenrio's worst memory was the recollection of being in a feverish state, with his mother crying and father pacing helplessly when he was gravely ill due to his wild magic talent awakening.

Frivayne[]

Zenrio initially had a negative opinion of Frivayne, as she had taken items from his family's store without permission or payment. This frustration was amplified when he saw the couch she had taken from him in her hoard. However, she gifted Zenrio a small container of Miraculous Pigments as a trade, which he accepted graciously. He later used them to paint Frivayne Jr., who leapt off he canvas and came to life. He also made a cat for Evelina, and would later create Zenis Oki, an overweight bird that was an attempt to let the party know he was safe.

Arlo[]

Unlike most people, Zenrio managed to make an immediate positive impression on Arlo by complimenting his fins and asking how he keeps them from drying out. Despite blushing, Arlo retained his aloof demeanor and responded that he uses oils. Task encouraged Zen to speak to Arlo in draconic and upon learning that Arlo is in fact a dragon, he introduced Arlo to his daughter, Frivayne Jr, which he reacted to with disgust and confusion.

Tai Borpington[]

Due to Tai and Zenrio sharing fish-like qualities, the two were both delighted to see someone of similar appearance. Instead of freaking out over Tai's face, Zenrio complimented Tai's outfit - his ascot in particular. Tai burst into tears and hugged Zenrio, making the bold claim that Zenrio was his favorite person, and then immediately apologizing to Borky. Tai thinks he may have heard Zenrio's name before, but he couldn't place it. After calling Frivayne Jr. "actually horrifying" he commented on how skinny she is and made her a cracker sandwich, which she consumed thankfully and horrifically.

Log[]

On his journey to the Nerasmun Collective building in Alivast, Zenrio encountered Log preaching the good word of Oreyara to an assembly of other constructs. Zenrio took note of Log's exuberant personality and said that he had a really big heart. Log corrected Zenrio, explaining that he had no organs. Zenrio insisted that he had a big heart regardless. Log entered an immoble state to process this information, ending the conversation. Zenrio decided to use the Marvelous Pigments to create a living facsimile of Log's depiction of Oreyara, the current whereabouts of which are unknown.

Ios[]

During a meeting with Edward Enrobso, time seemed to suddenly stop for Zenrio, and he was unable to interact with his friends anymore. Wandering out into town, he encountered a strange creature with features of both a weasel and a lizard, which led Zenrio to an empty archway. Passing through, he met Ios, an Aasimar of the Council. After briefly turning Frivayne Jr. into a real bronze dragon, she told Zenrio that the incident that gave him his magic brought him incredibly close to Nerasmun and that Edward is not equipped to properly train him. Hoping to learn how to control his magic and keep it from hurting people accidentally, Zen decided to take Ios up on her offer and become her apprentice. Before they departed, Ios suggested that Zen send a parting gift to his friends, which prompted the creation of Zenis Oki.

Frivayne Jr.[]

Frivayne Jr.

Frivayne Jr. Official Art by @Octopimp

Frivayne Jr. is a two-dimensional, squiggly dragon that was created when Zenrio attempted to paint Frivayne using the Marvelous Pigments she gifted him. Though most people react to first seeing her with disgust or terror, Zenrio came to love Frivayne Jr. immediately, affectionately referring to her as his daughter and giving her the nickname FJ. Though her methods of communication are limited to strained squeaks and her face is impossible to read, she seems to return the sentiment.

Magic Items[]

Trivia[]

Zenrio fan art by @Boo Rad13y

Zenrio in his regular form and also polymorphed into a giant ape. Fan art by @Boo_Rad13y

  • Octopimp stated that the inspirations for Zenrio were, among others, Michaelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Crush from Finding Nemo, and Spicolli from Fast Times At Richmont High.
  • As soon as the regular cast chose the quest that went by sea, MontyGlu contacted Octopimp to bring him into the campaign as a guest character.
  • Monty and Octopimp are using a different, expanded table of random effects for his Wild Magic than the ones printed in official sources. Such effects have included:
    • Broadcasting the battle music of the encounter for a minute
    • Full restoration of his Sorcery Points
    • For a minute, everything he touched burst into flame.
    • Having the effects of Invisibility and Silence applied to him for one minute.
    • Magic vents appearing and briefly sucking unwitting party members into the earth if they didn't succeed a Strength check.
  • The full version of the Wild Surge table used is available here.
  • Zenrio's preferred alternate form for Polymorph Self is a giant ape that shares his scale pattern on it's fur.
  • Prior to the battle for the United Clergy Base, in lieu of actually symbolic use of warpaint, Zenrio painted himself to look like a kitty. He did a good job.
  • The Youtube upload of episode 78, "And now, your moment of Zen," is both a pun on Zenrio's name, and a reference to The Daily Show, where they close out each episode with "And now, your moment of zen," followed by a video clip relevant to what was discussed on the show that evening.
  • Octopimp himself has voiced in several roles, some of his most prominent works including Axl Low in Guilty Gear Strive, Eric the Blacksmith in Boyfriend Dungeon, and Lazar Blazer in Wasteland 3.

Gallery[]

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