Que Zo

Que Zo Due (奎佐杜; Kuízuǒdù), born in 149 AG, is the Chủ Tàu of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, succeeding Tiger Kai'morah.

Background

Early Life

Que was born and raised in the heart of The Swamp, where his mother, a native of the Swamp, raised him among its dense wetlands and spiritual traditions. His mother possessed an unrelenting curiosity for the hidden and unknown.

She was particularly welcoming towards outsiders who found themselves in the swamp. Her willingness to help strangers eventually led her to Que's father, a foreigner whose charm and adventurous nature captivated her. Despite being unfamiliar with the Swamp, he chose to remain there and raise their son. For several years, the family lived happily together. This changed when Que was six years old. His father travelled into the Swamp on what was meant to be a short journey, but never returned. His disappearance and presumed death devasted Que's mother.

At the age of 14, his mother returned home carrying a Cay Lan, a spiritually charged plant whose torns and toxins made it extremely dangerous. During a violent discussion between the two, Que panicked and seized the plant in an attempt to defend himself. He swung it towards his mother, causing its throne to wrap around much of his own body and exposing him to its deadly poison. Leaving Que critically wounded, his mother regained her senses. Realising what had happened to her son, she used her remaining strength to suck the poison from his body and save his life, in which her efforts cost her own life. Eventually, Que's mother succumbed to her death, leaving him orphaned at the age of 14.

Following the loss of both of his parents, he became increasingly withdrawn. He often avoided forming close relationships with others due to the fear of gaining the pain that came with losing people he cared about. For much of his life, he preferred to keep others at a distance.

Later Life

For roughly two years, he lived in isolation, rarely allowing himself to become close to anyone. The loss of both of his parents left him deeply fearful of forming attachments, leaving him to believe that keeping others at a distance was the safest way to avoid being hurt again.

Around the age of 16, Que began to leave his isolation behind, marking a new beginning in his life in which he became increasingly willing to talk to others and form relationships, despite the lingering fear that those friendships would eventually end in a loss.

Que became involved with Mai Gui, leading to series of events that would significantly alter his life. Not long afterwards, Chu Tau Yuehua died. Due to his long-standing abandonment issues, he blamed himself for the death of Yuehua, until Giac Mo gradually assumed a role as a parental figure. Approximately a year later, Que began a relationship with Alejandro Zal'dree. Given Que's difficulty with abandonment, this relationship would become one of the most significant connections in his life.

The Faces of Que

As Que continued living in the Swamp, the condition of the Swamp began to deteriorate due to The Atu. Que became desperate a way to save his home, after it started becoming increasingly unstable. He eventually became aware of Koh, the face stealing spirit, and began to believe the spirit possessed knowledge that could save the Swamp. Before speaking with Koh, however, he had considered the possibility this adventure could come at a severe personal cost—his face.

During his research, Que was also made aware of the Mother of Faces, a powerful spirit known for granting faces to those who sought her. He researched the circumstances surrounding her appearances and what might be required to reach her. Knowing that he potentially might not return from his attempt to find answers from Koh like initially he entered, Que prepared a letter for Alejandro, leaving it on his bed.

Que subsequently lost his face. With Que's memories now gone and him left faceless, his letter serving as the only explanation for what he had intended to do, Alejandro began searching for the Mother of Faces in hopes of regaining Que's original face. His search eventually led him to her.

At this point, Que and Alejandro's relationship had not ended. However, Que's condition had deteriorated to the point where he was barely himself. Despite this, his connection with Alejandro remained. The Mother of Faces eventually granted Que a new face. However, the restoration came with an enormous cost—Que's memories would remain with her.

Que was left with a new face and no recollection of his past life. Despite his lost memories, however, his feelings for Alejandro remained. This created a conflict for Que, as he continued to love him without understanding why. He could recognise his feelings towards Alejandro, but had no memories to explain where those feelings came from. Unable to reconcile his emotions, Que eventually told Alejandro that he needed to leave and search for his true self.

He struggled to understand how he could love someone whose place in his life he could no longer remember. The relationship consequently ended, at least temporarily, as Que attempted to find his past face. Que eventually succeeded in recovering his original face, and with it, his memories.

All his memories of his childhood, his parents, his time in the Swamp, and his relationship with Alejandro were restored. For the first time since meeting the Mother of Faces, Que was able to remember the life that had been taken from him. With his true identity restored, Que reached out to Alejandro once again, hoping to reconnect after everything that had happened between them, though he never received a response. Que was consequently left to confront the possibility that the person he had spent so much effort trying to return to was no longer waiting for him, despite regaining his face and memories.

Reign

(...)