| “ | Now should I do the crossbow? | ” |
—Zoox
Zoox Anthellae (pronounced "Zooks") is player character in the Ethersea campaign. He is played by Clint McElroy.
Zoox is a Brinarr whose body was formed "not very long ago." He describes himself as a mariner and a cartographer with a penchant for undersea exploration.
Zoox is a Swarmkeeper Ranger. He can also communicate through a form of contact telepathy, which he's done with many of the creatures the Coriolis crew has come in contact with, sometimes to his detriment, and much to Devo's chagrin. Perhaps related: he was able to return color to a bleached coral skull through his telepathy, which was previously thought not possible by any means.
As a young Brinarr, he hasn't spent much time with people, and has some trouble with social cues. Zoox is impulsive, impressionable, and tends to shoot with his crossbow first and ask questions later. He is kind but blunt, and doesn't tend to mince words.
Physical Appearance[]
Zoox is 6'9". He has a colorful bouquet of coral varieties integrated into his body, including a brain coral near the head which looks somewhat face-like.
His armor has been noted as being teal in color, a choice which Zoox made at some point prior to his appearance on the show as to better blend in with dark ocean water.
Zoox builds himself a new body in Episode 44, which is ten feet tall and "hulking." His outfit resembles plate armor.
History[]
Little is known about Zoox's past, as he has no memory of his past lives (which is not common for Brinarr) and for much of the early campaign, he doesn't remember anything from more than a few weeks back.
He was occasionally bullied for this while still a newborn Brinarr—in particular, a Brinarr named Brutus used to call him "hollow." When Zoox stood up for himself—that is, attacked Brutus—he accidentally summoned his first swarm (of seahorses), much to the shock of everyone around him; no other Brinarr had ever done that before. (After taking grotto in Episode 25, Zoox recalls a time when his body was still growing in the Coral Spire, before he had been brought to the shepherding pools by Tessellation; after coming to sudden consciousness and watching the activity around Founder's Wake, he began to feel like "a stained glass window in a church," apart from everything, and this made him sad. At this point, a group of seahorses swam up to him and then inside of him—they would later become that first swarm.)
In Episode 21, after Zoox expressed some concern over his lack of memories, Tessellation informed him that sometimes during the Brinarr creation process, the "birth" fails and the would-be coral body has to be disposed of. They thought that that was going to happen to Zoox, but he ended up pulling through and upon "birth," began talking and cracking jokes immediately, so Tessellation assumed he was perfectly healthy.
His lack of memories and supposed "emptiness," in the words of the Infinite Clam, have led to him feeling unsettled and unsure of himself. In Episode 27, he voices these insecurities to Finneas Cawl, and they have a philosophical conversation about souls, which helps to assuage some of Zoox's worries.
Relationships[]
Amber Gris[]
Amber, Devo, and Zoox's relationship began as a working one, more allies and coworkers than friends; despite this, they have become closer over time; Zoox cares for them very much. He often looks to Amber for guidance as though she has the final say on work-related matters, and was distraught when Devo and Amber contracted the Sallow.
Devo and Zoox both intend on searching for a way to re-open the portal to the blink sharks' homeworld in order to find Amber.[1]
Devo la Main[]
Devo and Zoox started off as allies and coworkers seeking employment together at the Blue Span Brokerage. Over time, they have become good friends. Devo often acts as Zoox's impulse control, as in new situations, Zoox's first impulse tends to be to point his crossbow at people.
Tessellation[]
Devo often goes to Tessellation for advice, especially regarding his identity as a Brinarr. The two are friendly. Later, they develop a working relationship as they both want to protect Founder's Wake.
Bleached Brinarr/"Reefers"[]
Although initially antagonistic, the bleached Brinarr quickly come to revere Zoox after he forms some kind of psychic connection with the bleached Brinarr skull in Episode 19. They view him as powerful, and because of this they request his help on more than one occasion—first in freeing their people from Benefactor Orlean, and then in helping them figure out how to (re-)open the passage to the blink sharks' homeworld.
In Episode 44, Zoox formally allies with the bleached Brinarr and begins referring to them as Reefers. They return to Founder's Wake with the rest of the party, where Zoox introduces them to Tessellation, and they begin working to protect the city at Zoox's behest.
Powers and Abilities[]
As mentioned, Zoox is a Swarmkeeper Ranger.
More TBA
Trivia[]
- Zoox's full name is likely inspired by zooxanthellae, a group of symbiotic photosynthesizing organisms that live within, and provide color and food to, certain corals (and other animals).
- Interestingly, the parsing of the word is different - the organisms are "zoo / xanthellae," roughly translating as animals (zoo) that provide yellow pigment (xanthellae)
- Zoox does not eat in the traditional sense, but does "moosh" food into the appropriate holes which is very embarrassing for him.
- Zoox's avatar at the Abyssal Auction was an aquamarine seahorse.
- Despite being a cartographer, he apparently doesn't know how a map works.
- Unique among Brinarr, Zoox's consciousness is implied to be derived from the living creatures that make up his body and swarm, rather than Einarr souls, explaining his lack of memories.
- ↑ The Adventure Zone: Ethersea—Episode 44