Arius Sabaramond

Arius Sabaramond (アリウス・サバラモンド Ariusu Sabaramondo) the "Shiranui Sky Tower" (不知火天楼 Shiranui Tenrō) is the centuries-old elder brother of Elsia Sabaramond and, depending on which Arius, the former first-ranked Byadian court sorcerer, a Geldwood priest, an Elemental Eater, alive, or undead. Fifteen "at most" Arius Veytoelka (vessels like clones or homunculi) currently exist; the first seven or six are those undead, and the alive others fated to become undead once they show signs of aging. Most Ariuses share a memory link.

The Arius who served with Corpse God in the imperial court is Arius VII, or "Seven" as Arius IV calls him. Known Ariuses include:

Appearance
Arius has ginger hair, orange eyes, and an androgynous face, the features of which are nearly identical across all Ariuses. His hairstyle and attire varies according by centuries and profession.

Arius VII ("Seven"), the imperial court sorcerer, is slender, muscular, and keeps his hair short aside from two long locks. He wears a hooded gold-lined cream-colored robe, a matching skirt, and matching shoes. His torso is nominally covered by brown cloth with a high collar and a sash reaching perhaps to his knees, leaving his shoulders and midriff exposed. He also wears a necklace with three blue pendants.

Personality
Corpse God remembers Arius VII as a kind, popular man who always attracted crowds at public events. In Easlies Swordfrail's cynical opinion, Arius VII was half politician due to his court position and therefore socialized with ulterior motives. Arius VII describes himself as someone who "cannot get a handle on love" so "...all [he] can do is pine for the world." The Ariuses seen so far seem to share a gentle and melancholic disposition, though they are are often not without a smile.

Chronology
The first Arius, a formidable sorcerer born centuries ago, used sorcery-based reproduction to 'birth' at least one individual who closely inherit his constitution. Such individuals are known as Veytoelka. It was either this Arius or Arius IV (or at least achieved by Arius IV) who significantly advanced and streamlined Veytoelka creation beyond the base clone/homunculi concept: in collaboration with Elsia, he invented an entirely original sorcery by combining necromancy with memory=related Geldwood holy arts. This new magic facilitates the sharing of memories between Veytoelka, i.e. the memory-sharing link.

Arius' younger sister Elsia Sabaramond, a necromancer, is appointed Geldwood's 23rd Saint Salady Sarod Rackhambabel in her lifetime. In the centuries to come as an Undead, she manipulates the successive Saint Saladys from behind the scenes. She likely has a hand in turning her "brothers" into undead once they show signs of aging, which happened happened with Arius IV ("Four") two centuries ago. Elsia at some point installs Arius VIII ("Eight") as a head priest of Geldwood; in the present, Arius IV estimates that Eight has a hundred years left as a priest until he shows signs of aging, at which he will be made undead and possibly leave the position.

Arius VII ("Seven"), an Elemental Eater, joins the Byandy Empire's imperial court and attains the the highest rank among the court sorcerers; it is implied that, if not already undead, he becomes undead during his service. He is well-established as the first-of-rank and the "symbol of the Byandy Empire's military" by the time Rizdilusia Redrazalf is apprenticed to Easlies Swordfrail. On the day that Rizdilusia's apprenticeship official starts, Arius approaches Rizdilusia and Easlies as the latter talks about the court ranks. Easlies cynically remarks to Rizdilusia that Arius already aims to appraise Corpse God's potential to be a future instrument of court politics. Arius VII rests a gentle hand on Rizdilusia's head. "All people are equally valuable," he says. "A price cannot be put on them."

Later into Rizdilusia's apprenticeship, Arius, Rizdilusia, Easlies, and others gather in the woods. Easlies instructs her pupil to closely watch Arius as he 'eats' a lightning elemental, or rather its magic, for his own purposes. Unlike many magic practitioners, Arius is a "first-class thief" able to handle such "stolen magic" without harming himself. Arius laughs lightly at this villainous portrait of him and says he is a mere borrower. He directs a smile at Corpse God and a confession that he envies him, he who is loved by many others, from spirits to his misanthropic witch of a master. Wind and sound rush across the grass and between the trees; as a massive entity rears over the treetops beyond the clearing, Arius continues that he hopes Corpse God loves back as many people and skies as he possibly can, for "love...is the miracle that surpasses all else."

Arius VII unleashes a powerful magic circle of his own design that vanquishes the entity and bores a broad cavity into the ground. With a wistful kind of expression, Arius confesses that love is beyond his ken, so he can only pine for the world.

Sometime well after this event, Rizdilusia is stabbed by his father and resurrected as an skeletal undead via necromancy. He becomes known as the Corpse God for his feats on the battlefield.

Last Century
About or a little over a century ago, Corpse God involuntarily murders the Byadian emperor Framrodia Byandiraz and is poised to undergo an unfavorable trial. However, a traitorous faction within the empire colludes with Geldwood followers to force open a 'fissure' to Earth within the imperial capital. The fissure swallows all units save one of the Byadian army, for it opens underneath their feet. While the fissure remains open, an expedition of people who call themselves the Bastard Children of Sabaramond escort the child Ariux X through it to Earth, where they intend to groom Civil into Arius' Terran heir. Several stowaways tag along, including Riddhe Malacougar.

Seven's involvement in this event is unclear, but it is known that Seven did dub Ten "Civil" at some point before Civil crossed over. It is not confirmed whether this event is also when Seven's memory-sharing link is severed; regardless, after it is severed, Arius IV never hears from Arius VII again, so his fate is unknown to his brethren as well his colleagues. Civil, too, is beyond his other "selves'" ken.

The empire collapses in the span of a single year.

In later decades, Arius VIII serves as Recuria Lofilardo's personal instructor in Geldwood's holy arts. Arius IV continues to have a direct hand in preparing more Arius Veytoelka.

Present
After Sir Shagrua Lugrid vanquishes Corpse God only to rebel against Geldwood and flee into the Byandy Peninsula, Recuria and ten of her allies are dispatched after him. Elsia, having masterminded the vanquishing, arranges for Lord Domdaal to ambush Recuria's group and remotely monitors his life signature; when Domdaal loses his life, Elsia speculates that someone interfered. That someone is Arius VII's former colleague Utsurojuza, sent by Pani Guldmarg—who anticipated Elsia's plot—to escort Recuria and company to the Republic of Zurodakka.

At least three days and nights after the attack, the 143rd Saint Salady announces Geldwood's latest rules and returns to Elsia, who considers making her undead via necromancy. She claims that if Corpse God had been her pupil, she would have taken "such good care of him" that he could have stood to inherit the Geldwood religion. When she asks if "Brother Arius" agrees, Arius steps out of the shadows and does so, albeit forlornly. He recalls that Corpse God was a "very excellent necromancer" in a way distinct from Elsia and Easlies, which he supposes is why Elsia had Shagrua vanquish him.

Meanwhile, Arius IV pursues Pani Guldmarg's Aerial Studio—with which Pani picked up Utsurojuza and Recuria before they reached their rendezvous point, anticipating a problem—and, while he is suspended mid-air, prevents it from accelerating out of Zurodakkan airspace. To Pani and Utsurojuza he says "long time no see." To Recuria, he says he is glad she is well and that he can tell she diligently continued her studies without him. As her former instructor, he "could not be happier."

Pani invites Arius IV inside the Studio and heads to another room to make tea. Arius IV says that Utsurojuza has not changed at all and Utsurojuza replies likewise, unable to discern that Arius IV is undead. Recuria can discern Arius is undead and demands to know why, if he even is Arius. The Arius she remembers was alive. Pani returns with a tea flask, hands Arius a cup, and asks what number he is. Arius answer that he is Four and that he has spent the last two centuries as an Undead. Utsurojuza, having caught on to the truth, remarks that Easlies and Corpse God must have realized Arius was undead as well.

Arius IV confirms yes, though he clarifies that Seven is the "him" who is affiliated with the Byandy Empire and Eight is the priestly "him" who mentored Recuria. He speculates that Eight, who is yet to show signs of aging, can continue to serve as a head priest for another hundred years. Pani explains to a confused Recuria that Arius is like a "clone" in Terran terms and an advanced Veytoelka of sorts in their terms. Not only does Arius IV have a near-identical body to that of Arius (the fundamental Veytoelka concept), he has Arius' memories and/or the means to share his memories with the other Veytoelka. Arius invented a new form of sorcery for this end.

Four modestly says the credit for the memory-sharing functionality itself should go to Elsia. Recuria struggles with the idea that there are multiple Ariuses existing simultaneously in different places, though Four assures her the reality is less extreme than she is imagining. "Counting the individuals I still have in preparation, it's fifteen [of us] at most." He says that he has not heard from Seven since Seven had his memory-sharing link severed and that Seven named Ten "Civil" before Ten crossed over to Terra Mater as a child. Four admits that he probably cannot call Ten/Civil "himself" anymore since Civil is probably at the point now where "he doesn't share memories."

Pani suppresses her jealousy over Arius having "made a move on Earth." Utsurojuza asks why Arius is here and warns him that he will fight back if the reason is to murder them. Arius is here to propose an alliance. He claims he shall not attack them regardless of whether they side with Easlies or Elsia so long as they can help him with his goal. His smile drops for the first time and is replaced with a grave expression; his goal, he says, is to open the 'hole' connecting their world to Terra Matter.

Trivia

 * In Japan, 'shiranui' (lit. 'unknown fire') refers to an atmospheric optical phenomenon described as 'ghost lights' from Kyushu: a phenomenon in which 'flames' can be spotted in open water several kilometres from shore; these flames then multiply into hundreds or even thousands of flames in a row which may span four to eight kilometres in length. This phenomenon, which continues to occur in the present day, has been reported on for centuries; in olden times, the flames were believed to be lamps of the Dragon God.
 * The series has yet to mention this phenomenon in any capacity. It is therefore unknown whether the phenomenon exists in-universe and, if so, whether it is in any way related or relevant to Arius' title.