Zeal

Zeal
by Nabetse Zitro
Skills	Pilot
Profession	Field Commander
Religion	Adonalsium
Residence	Beacon
Ethnicity	Threnodite
Nationality	Union (formerly)
Homeworld	Canticle
Universe	Cosmere
First Appeared	The Sunlit Man

This page or section contains spoilers for The Sunlit Man!

This information has the ability to potentially ruin elements of the plot for the reader. Proceed with caution if you have not read this book.

Zeal is a citizen of Beacon on Canticle and works as a field commander or special ops planner under the direction of the Greater Good. He is in charge of planning and executing the raids on Union and along with his team participates in the most sensitive and difficult portions of the missions.

Appearance and Personality

Zeal is a little person standing under four feet tall with dark brown eyes. His arms and legs are shorter than average though his head is typically sized.

Upon first arriving at Beacon, Nomad incorrectly believes Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually is Zeal based on his assumption that Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually's tall, stern, and dour appearance matches Zeal's voice heard over the radio. Nomad is surprised when he recognizes Zeal's voice coming from the short man standing to the side.

Zeal is extraordinarily stalwart, putting duty to his people above that of his own life on multiple occasions. Though he is formal in his speech and manner when speaking in his official capacity and with his superiors, his demeanor is much more relaxed with the members of his team. He is also quite clever and demonstrates an ability to think outside the box beyond what is typical for the other citizens of Beacon. Zeal is a follower of Adonalsium, believing that it plays an active and conscious -though not necessarily omniscient- role in the cosmere.

Attributes and Abilities

Zeal is a member of the central leadership team on Beacon acting as a field commander and special ops planner under the Greater Good. He also leads or is deeply involved in Beacon's security as he is in charge of granting signal alignment access to Beacon and is also primarily responsible for supervision and containment of both Nomad and Elegy.

With his team, Zeal leaves most of the fieldwork to the other members and is instead in charge of organizing and maintaining the group. He is noticeably more informal with his team than he is with the Greater Good and the other members of Beacon's leadership.

Zeal is an experienced pilot, taking over the controls of the Dawnchaser to fly through the great maelstrom after the other occupants had fallen unconscious and being chosen to fly one of Beacon's modified gunships. He also flew scout missions for Elegy in the mountainous southern corridor to look for a viable path through.

History

Zeal was once a citizen of Union but broke away along with the other Beaconites. He ran special operations for their Lodestar Elegy and the Greater Good.

Raid on Union

Zeal leads a raid on Union to rescue a group of captured Beaconites. He uses a device to hack the Charred's bracers, incapacitating them all at once. The raiders then swarm Union's arena dropping bombs and raining down rifle fire from their ships. While the Charred and the Cinder King are distracted by the raid, Zeal and his team sneak onto the Cinder King's private ship and steal the Scadrian authorization key believing it to be a key to the mythical Refuge of Stone, replacing it with a fake.

On their way back to Beacon, Zeal is contacted by Rebeke Salvage over the radio who requests signal alignment, giving the correct pass phrase. He expresses relief to hear from her and asks after her brother Divinity. Upon learning of his death, Zeal conveys his sorrow and condolences. Rebeke then informs him that she captured Elegy and is bringing her back to Beacon. Zeal reprimands her angrily that she was expressly forbidden from doing so by the Greater Good but allows access to Beacon's signal saying that they will discuss the matter when she returns. Before signing off, Rebeke also informs Zeal of the stranger, Nomad, and of the rescue of Thomos from the arena whose family she asks Zeal to inform. Upon learning of Nomad, Zeal's first instinct is to ask if he is dangerous, showing his primary focus on Beacon's security.

The Greater Good

Zeal meets Rebeke as she arrives at Beacon along with Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually, whom Nomad initially believes is Zeal, and a few others. He asks for Nomad's name and when Nomad replies in incomprehensible Alethi, tries communicating with a signed language postulating -as Canticle is a monolingual planet- that Nomad may be deaf. Zeal along with Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually then helps the semi-conscious Thomos from the hovercycle and orders several others to rush him off for medical attention. Zeal, Rebeke, and Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually examine Elegy but are met with only hostile growling, especially after Zeal attempts to prompt her memory of them. Zeal resigns to deal with Elegy later and asks Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually to see to her as best as he can as well as to find Nomad quarters in a ship without local access controls while he and Rebeke meet with the Greater Good. Rebeke and Zeal walk over to the Greater Good's meeting building followed by Nomad who has rebuked Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually's attempts to get him to come to a ship. Rebeke suggests that it may be a good idea for the Greater Good to meet with the stranger and Zeal agrees, placating Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually's worry about Nomad's potential danger with a reminder that Nomad is still wearing the bracers which Zeal can activate to incapacitate the stranger. Zeal takes custody of Nomad and they enter the Greater Good's chambers with Zeal keeping a close watch of Nomad and keeping his hand in his pocket on the device to activate the bracers if needed.

“Perhaps Adonalsium has remembered us, Maybe that is why the Sunlit Man is here.”

—Zeal offers council to the Greater Good

Zeal explains to the Greater Good that as Thomos was being taken away, he muttered something about Nomad having touched the sun and living. The Greater Good begin to debate if this might mean that the stranger is a Sunlit One and Zeal offers Nomad's apparent unintelligibility as an additional piece of evidence toward that end.

Contemplation asks Zeal for the object his team recovered in the raid and Zeal retrieves the metal disk wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket. Confidence questions the key's authenticity but Zeal counters that the Cinder King would have had no reason to create a fake as he believed few even knew about it much less had the audacity to steal it. Compassion and Rebeke both commend Zeal and his team for their success in the mission to steal the key.

Later in the meeting, Nomad bursts back into the room, surprising everybody but Zeal who immediately reached into his pocket for the device to activate the bracers. The Greater Good begins again debating if Nomad is a Sunlit One and Zeal reminds them that the sunlight melts the stones beneath the ground. Zeal explains to Nomad that Elegy believed finding the Refuge of Stone was the only way to escape the hegemonic rule of the Cinder King. Nomad offers his help in opening the door to the Refuge and Zeal, intrigued by the stranger, proposes that they accept his help citing the sweet irony of finding safety behind the very door that the Cinder King had for so long been seeking. He proposes that perhaps Nomad had been sent to them for this reason by Adonalsium.

Nomad requests that they remove his bracers and rebuffs Zeal's attempt to lie that he doesn't have the keys. Chagrined, Zeal asks for permission from the Greater Good to fetch the attuner and brings it back to the meeting room. After a second confirmation from the Greater Good, Zeal removes Nomad's bracers then backs away, continuing to watch him carefully.

Council Meeting

“I’d rather die a cold death and leave my soul to light only the mud than give myself to him. Our souls would just further enforce his tyranny.”

—Zeal argues against giving up

After the failed first attempt to locate the Refuge and being forced into a dangerous southern corridor by the Cinder King, Zeal meets again with the Greater Good and other members of Beacon's leadership to discuss their plan of action. Jeffrey Jeffrey posits that they have no choice but to surrender to the Cinder King which Zeal adamantly rejects, saying that he would rather end his own life than surrender to the Cinder King and become an additional source of his power. Nomad suggests that they hide in the darkness again and fly out of the corridor to which Zeal explains that they have sent out scouts and the Cinder King's forces are completely blockading all paths further north. Nomad questions how they know there are mountains to the south and east if the sun completely destroys the surface each day. Zeal explains that some features like these mountains and the mountains at each pole remain for longer periods. He adds that Elegy had asked him to scout the mountains in the past to find a way to make the corridor tenable but that no such path exists. Nomad asks why they don't just go over the mountains and Zeal sardonically asks why he had never thought of that himself, explaining that that the mountains are over a thousand feet tall at which height, Contemplation explains, their engines give out.

Nomad explains to the group a potential plan to get them over the mountain but Confidence despairs that even if they somehow make it over the mountain, they will again be left without any options if the Refuge turns out to be a myth. Zeal counters that they would be nothing without hope and he would rather have hope that a myth might be true than resign himself to stop and be consumed by the sunlight.

The Reliquary

by Nabetse Zitro

Zeal, Rebeke, a Nomad visit the Chorus

Zeal and Rebeke get the Greater Good's permission to bring Nomad to the Reliquary containing the city's Chorus so they can manufacture parts for Nomad's engine modifications. Regarding the shades, Nomad notes that on Threnody, such things kill people. Zeal explains that they would do so here as well if a person entered the Reliquary. At Nomad's inquiry if they are self aware, Zeal replies that he is unsure and explains that they will sometimes answer questions but other times give only recitations; sometimes unnerving ones about wanting to kill people.

Rebeke exclaims that she sees her brother among the Chorus but Zeal reasons that she doesn't know that for certain. At Nomad's curiosity, Zeal explains that they believe that those who die without being given to the sun rise as shades and are drawn to join the Chorus and that sometimes after a death they see mist gather and move to the Reliquary. However, this belief is false, as the Investiture that would normally become a shade when a Threnodite dies is instead converted into a sunheart, even when the sunlight is not the cause of the death.

Nomad questions why they are here to manufacture parts for the engine and Zeal tells him to show the schematics to the Chorus. He then signals a worker at the top of the Reliquary who lowers in raw materials for the Chorus to manufacture according to the provided plans. Zeal explains that when a new settlement is founded, some of the smoke is divided into a separate containment unit for them to take. When Beacon escaped from Union, they stole some of Union's smoke along with an older containment unit that Union had acquired by absorbing a smaller community.

Nomad asks how long the manufacturing will likely take and Zeal replies that for something like this it will likely take about an hour but it is faster if it is something the shades have produced previously. Zeal asks if Nomad would like any food while they wait and is confused when Nomad replies that he wants something spicy. He leaves and returns with some snacks while they wait for the Chorus to complete their work.

Preparations

Zeal watches the test of Nomad's prototype engine and attends the needs of the Greater Good in their preparations for executing Nomad's plan for flying over the mountain.

After experimenting with Elegy and sunhearts, Nomad asks Rebeke to fetch Zeal so he can use the device to activate Elegy's bracers and freeze her. Zeal returns with the device and they use it to knock Elegy unconscious and reapply her restraints. Zeal inquires how Nomad controls Auxiliary, believing him to be a shade. Nomad explains that Auxiliary is different from a shade. Zeal asks if Nomad wants him to take the unconscious Elegy back to the prison and is incredulous when Rebeke replies that Nomad is helping her and that she spoke to them.

Zeal leaves the bracer control device on the desk and asks about Nomad's notes showing guns affixed to Beacon's ships, noting the apparently large scale. Nomad explains that they will be necessary to push past the Cinder King after crossing the mountain. Zeal asks what Nomad believes their chances of a successful crossing is but further discussion is interrupted by signal horns indicating a call to gather as Beacon is beginning to jettison ships to conserve power.

Stealing Souls

After crash landing on the far side of the mountain, Zeal joins the rest of Beacon's leadership in the Reliquary building and reports that the navigators estimate that they have about two and a half hours before the sun will rise high enough above the mountains to cut off any means of escape. After some discussion, Zeal determines that they need to steal additional sunhearts and offers to gather his team for the mission. Nomad suggests that instead of stealing directly from Union, they could instead raid the Cinder King's prospectors at the location where the Charred created sunhearts from the captives the pervious day. Zeal agrees that this is a workable plan and confirms that they have enough time to reach the spot and get back. Confidence doubts the plan will work as the Cinder King will not be caught flatfooted again after their recent raid. Zeal counters that the Cinder King will not have expected Beacon to survive and so they can use the element of surprise by stealing a Union scout ship to get close. Confidence remains doubtful but Zeal begs her to let him try to save their people. Nomad suggests an alternate plan to use Elegy's reinforced prospector Dawnchaser to fly into the great maelstrom and dig up the sunhearts themselves before the Cinder King's forces even arrive, a plan to which Zeal readily agrees.

“I’m in, let’s do it, Sunlit. Let’s steal from the sun itself.”

—Zeal agreeing to Nomad's plan

Zeal gathers his team and in under ten minutes leaves on the Dawnchaser along with Nomad, Rebeke, and because nobody thought to move her elsewhere Elegy. While Rebeke flies the ship, Zeal stands on top of a chair in the back room leaning against the wall and explains the plan to his team. At Hardy's incredulity that they will fly into the great maelstrom and dig up the newly created sunhearts Zeal jokingly reminds him that Hardy and the team will be the ones to go out to dig them up while Zeal runs the operation from the comfort of the cab. Nomad corrects Zeal that Nomad alone will be going out into the maelstrom and that the rest of Zeal's team is only there because Zeal insisted they be there to provide backup. Zeal expresses confidence in the plan saying that it's enough for him that Nomad believes it will work then sits with his team laughing and eating rations.

When they reach the great maelstrom, Zeal is dismayed to learn that Nomad didn't know it would be on fire. He informs Nomad of the extra insulation, cooling mechanisms, and armor that they had modified the ship with and points out the dual temperature gauges displaying the internal and external temperatures which they can only watch climb as Rebeke flies the ship further and further into the storm. Zeal is amazed when Nomad is able to hear a faint ping indicating they have found the sunhearts and Nomad swiftly exits the ship.

“I barely got us back to the shadow before we all burned up. Rest of the team is out—either unconscious or throwing up all over the cab. Once we get back, I’d hold my breath if I were you.”

—Zeal reunites with Nomad

Zeal takes over the ship's controls after Rebeke collapses from heat exhaustion and manages to guide it back into the darkness. With the rest of the crew either unconscious or incapacitated and believing Nomad to have died, Zeal determines that the only option left is for him to steal the sunhearts from the Cinder King's forces on his own. He lands the Dawnchaser and watches for the lights of the Cinder King's ships, following them while running dark. Exiting the ship, he sneaks toward the Cinder King's vessels and prays to Adonalsium for the ability to manage this mission alone. He creeps up to the vault and unlocks the door with a set of picks finding, to his amazement, Nomad already inside. The reunion is interrupted by the sound of voices outside and the two exit the enemy ship, Zeal leading the way back toward the Dawnchaser. Zeal begins to catch Nomad up on what happened when Nomad notices the Cinder King himself is following behind and tells Zeal to run.

Zeal flees toward the Dawnchaser pursued by Charred. He enters the cab and waits for Nomad to arrive at the ship while dozens of Charred begin to crawl all over the vessel. Nomad arrives and begins fighting the Charred on the deck while Zeal and Rebeke desperately barricade the door. Most of the Charred leave the door to fight Nomad but one sneaky one manages to get through while Zeal and Rebeke watch the fight through the window. Nomad rams his spear through the windshield, killing the unnoticed Charred. As Zeal and Rebeke slowly come to realize what just happened, they look at Nomad in awe who signals annoyedly that Zeal should take off. Zeal cringes, nods, and grabs the controls.

As the crew races back toward Beacon, Zeal raises the city on the radio as soon as they are outside of the bubble of the Cinder King's radio jammer. Confidence answers and Zeal informs her that they have five sunhearts and are on their way. She fearfully asks him how long until they will return and while he calculates their course he nervously asks how the city is fairing. Confidence gives a status report and Zeal tells her they will have the sunhearts divided into parts by the time they arrive in a little over half an hour.

Raid on The Refuge

Zeal pilots one of the new Beaconite gunships with a sunheart powered cannon freshly welded to the roof and charges through the flatfooted forces of the Cinder King. As Zellion explains his plan to Rebeke, Zeal warns that some of the enemy ships are already recovering. He flies his gunship in formation with the others surrounding the four transport ships carrying the people of Beacon. Charred catch up to the formation and begin to board Zeal's ship but Zellion and Elegy leap onto the ship and kill the raiders.

At the entrance to the Scadrian research facility, Zeal hands Zellion the authorization key who briefly looks it over before tossing it back, unneeded.

As the Beaconites attempt to flee for a final time, Zellion sees a gunship, possibly Zeal's, go down.

Relationships

Greater Good

Zeal works directly under the Greater Good and is incredibly respectful of them and obedient of their orders. The Greater Good also highly value and respect Zeal in turn and he provides his opinions and council in leadership meetings.

Zeal's Team

Zeal is much more relaxed and informal with his team. He leaves most of the fieldwork to the other team members while he organizes and runs the operations. Zeal considers his team to be an invaluable asset, insisting that they accompany himself, Nomad, and Rebeke on the Dawnchaser to act as backup should Nomad not be able to complete the mission. Zeal and his team are jovial and easygoing, cracking jokes at each other's expense and eating and laughing together even in the most dire of situations.

Nomad

Zeal is extremely wary of Nomad upon first meeting him. While the two are first meeting with the Greater Good, Zeal keeps close watch over Nomad the entire time and keeps his hand on the device to activate Nomad's bracers. When instructed to remove the bracers, Zeal confirms the order with the Greater Good twice before complying. Nomad slowly gains Zeal's trust; his outlook moving from hostility, to sarcastic contempt of Nomad's apparent ignorance, to acceptance, and finally to reliance and friendship.

Rebeke

While Rebeke is not a member of Zeal's personal team, she does work as an outrider and a scout under his authority. He cares for her wellbeing and is sympathetic upon learning of the death of her brother Divinity and is later gentle in his suggestion that she may not have seen Divinity amongst the Chorus. However, he is frustrated that she disobeyed direct orders not to go after Elegy during the raid on Union and brings her to the Greater Good for discipline.

Elegy

Zeal has great respect for Elegy before she is converted into a Charred and flew as a scout at her behest to try to find a viable path through the mountains in the southern corridor. He and his team also executed her plan to steal the authorization key from Union using the raid as a distraction. After her conversion, Zeal is extremely distrustful of Elegy, keeping her bound and imprisoned at all times. However, Zeal remains hopeful that there is some of the old Elegy left and reaches out to see if she has any amount of recognition of him on multiple occasions.

Notes

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