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# Summary
- Zamir is a Yuan-Ti Abomination. College of Dance Bard.
- They grew up in a temple hidden underneath a humanoid town.
- Zamir's mother was an important leader to the temple. She did not abandon her egg to the broodguards; an unusual decision. Zamir's mother justified it by claiming she wanted to be certain Zamir was raised properly to be her successor.
- Emotion is considered weakness amongst the Yuan-Ti, they try to breed it out. They value being cold and logical.
- Zamir was never good at scheming and reading people. Often horrible at it, in fact.
One day while a teenage Zamir was skulking about the sewers, they heard music for the first time. Zamir was transfixed. It stirred strong emotion in them which they couldn't understand. They wanted more! They began sneaking out to listen to more concerts; to feel things. They started to realize the emptiness of their usual emotionless state, and the power that emotion and music holds (bard magic).
The intense emotion they felt through song started leaking into their normal self. Still cold and emotionally blunted, but a little less so.
Eventually, people were noticing odd behavior from Zamir. Zamir's mother eventually figured it out by tailing them. The next time they tried to sneak out, she confronted Zamir and provided an ultimatum: If they went to this concert, they can never come back. They'd be banished. Zamir decided to leave anyways.
(Zamir theorizes they got the propensity for emotion from their mother: Most Yuan-Ti would have just killed them.)
Zamir enjoyed the concert, but didn't enjoy being homeless. They were used to certain standards as a noble amongst the Yuan-Ti.
A week or so into being homeless, Zamir witnessed the performance of a semi-famous traveling halfling Bard named Finn, finding it particularly moving.
Zamir desired to be his pupil and followed him out of the city. They propositioned Finn while alone in the woods. Finn was absolutely terrified of the scary Yuan-Ti Abomination before him and agreed out of fear, certain he was bargaining for his life. He'd normally reject these sorts of requests. Zamir wasn't quite good enough at reading people to realize this.
(Finn is very much like Volo in Baldur's Gate 3, an agreeable bullshitter who can talk their way out of any situation. Not as much of a pathological liar though, and more genuine when relaxed.)
Finn remained scared for a while, but began to actually question things when he witnessed a song which left Zamir sobbing. He didn't know Yuan-Ti could cry.
Was it an act? Part of the disguise? Or was it real? Is Zamir his captor, or his friend? He wasn't sure some days. Zamir could be incredibly dense despite their bluntness. His placations seemed to be keeping them under control.
After an early mishap with Zamir's disguise, Finn managed to leverage his fame and fast talking to convince audiences that they're 'tame'. Zamir's snakey nature was incorporated into the performances, and Finn became known as the 'snake charmer'. Zamir didn't like being gawked at and treated like something that needed to be tamed, but they'd never expected to be able to perform as themself in the first place, so they shouldn't complain.
Eventually, Finn met back up with friends he often traveled with; A human named Pippin, and a Dragonborn named Serenade. After finding a private moment, he tells of his situation: He'd been threatened by Zamir and forced to travel with them! But he's become friends with them? Sounds worse that it is?
Finn's friends immediately confronted Zamir, taking the snake completely off guard. With all these emotions out in the open, Zamir felt like Finn lied to them. Used them. Actually *did* consider them something to be tamed. They decided to leave, failing to hold back tears. However, Zamir's hurt reaction removed all fears of hostility and made Finn realize how shitty he's been. After some much needed communication they decide to continue traveling together as equals.
Zamir learns a ton during their travels, developing proficiencies for multiple instruments and dancing.
After a few years of travel, Finn found a woman he fell in love with and decided to retire. By then, Zamir had developed enough of a reputation to be able to travel on their own without being immediately killed, so they continued as a solo act. They visit Finn often, and is considered a family friend.
Notes:
- Zamir crying during a song? Potentially funny. Zamir crying without a song? NOT FUNNY.
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