Arc Warden/Lore

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[e][h]Arc Warden

Order and Chaos

About

Names:

Warden / The Warden
Splinter of the Primordial Origin
The Arc
“Space Face”
“Fragment of the Mad Moon”
“Fishbowl Head” / “Fishbowl”

Origin/Abode:

Primordial Mind

Family/Connections:

Radiant
Dire

Race/Species:

Ancients

Associated With

Heroes:

Phoenix
Skywrath Mage
Zeus

Races:

Wraiths

Places:

The Earth
Mad Moon
Primordial Harmony
Sundered Moon

Gods:

The Fourth Ancient

Resources:

Nemestice
Runes of Power

“

▶️ It is not to aid the Ancients that this war is joined, but to destroy them both. This disunity must end. — Arc Warden explains its stake in the war of the Ancients

”

From the shattered Primordial Consciousness, Zet the Arc Warden wills itself into being with one goal in mind: to restore perfect unity for all things by reuniting the fragments of Radiant and Dire back into the one unified intelligence that they once were at the beginning of the universe, or destroy them both should the conflict spread even further.

Biography

Zet, the Arc Warden

Before the beginning of all, there existed a presence: a primordial mind, infinite, awesome, and set to inscrutable purpose. As the universe thundered into being, this mind was fragmented and scattered. Two among its greater fragments—who would come to be named Radiant and Dire--found themselves locked in vicious opposition, and began twisting all of creation to serve their conflict. As war and cataclysm threatened the nascent cosmos, the will of a third fragment made itself known. Naming itself Zet, this intellect sought to resolve the disharmony and return all to perfect unity. Appalled by its kin's conflicting nature, Zet gathered the sum of its power. In a sudden flash, it overwhelmed its siblings, and fused the warring aspects into a stellar sphere before hurling them into the darkness to orbit a nondescript world. Harmony was restored, though only the barest fraction of Zet's strength remained. Setting its gaze on the prison, Zet chose to use its weakened power to serve as watchful warden until time's end. For uncounted aeons, this vigil stood. Life flourished upon the world below, oblivious to the dangers imprisoned within the softly glowing moon, or of Zet's struggles to contain them. As the captives' eternal clash reverberated within, the surface of the prison shuddered, over time beginning to crack. Ultimately, Zet's depleted power proved insufficient to contain the breach, and at last the moon was shattered. The prison's ancient inhabitants had escaped to sow their conflict anew. Flung to the farthest reaches by the prison's explosion, Zet was transformed by the dissonant energies of its former captives. No longer of single form and thought, its presence had become split among many—some lesser, some greater—each connected by a fleeting arc of consciousness. Struggling to suppress its own disunity, Zet sped toward the burgeoning conflict of its siblings, bending its fractured wills toward a singular conclusion: the aspects of the primordial mind must be made to reunite, or all must be destroyed lest the conflict spread further…

Personality and Mannerisms

Zeal for Unity

Gathering from the ways that Zet consistently behaves, Zet is the aspect of the Primordial Consciousness that seeks this shattered Mind's own wholeness by reuniting its fragments back together. Therefore, Zet is wholly preoccupied with pursuing and preserving states of order—order for itself because of its shattered being, and order for the conflict between its siblings, Radinthul and Diruulth. Zet's ultimate purpose is to reunite all things into the original form of the one Primordial Consciousness they were once united in, undoing the great Schism that divides a rift into the entirety of existence. Zet calls the Consciousness' former state of perfect unity as matter's “intended form” for it, which shows that the current state of existence in Dota 2's world is a mistake that deviated from the cosmic order that a higher power meant for it.

Feelings towards its mission

Because of Zet's natural aversion towards disharmony and its desire for a cosmic unity, Zet feels a great amount of dedication to its mission—the “Great Unification” as the Self calls it—causing it to feel the following emotions towards its work. Aware of the cosmic scale of the stakes of its mission, Zet reasonably feels worry when it's thwarted from finishing its work.

Speaking of worry, Zet's dedication is also fueled by its fears over this conflict spreading further, having already witnessed both Ancient minds twisting this once infant cosmos to serve their reckless war, which Zet is aware that their war yields consequences in which either Ancients' victory over the other could end the worlds. Zet's knowledge of all these stakes makes the Self serious about its mission and it gives Zet the determination to finish its job and see to the end it has in mind for its work.

However, Zet's dogged dedication to the task has taken its toll on Zet, whose power is depleted plus its once whole form is now hanging at the seams. What's worse for Zet is that Zet alone is often blamed for letting the Ancients sow war on this world, with only a few being willing to forgive Zet for its failure to imprison the Ancients.

Because of Zet's dedication to the mission, Zet cannot tolerate and will not be pleased with its failure. When Zet fails its mission, it may feel furious or humbled. Zet may be unfazed by its defeat with its determination to strive one more time and redeem itself. Zet may even remain unfazed and confident if it had planned its loss. All of these reflect the zeal Zet has for restoring perfect unity.

Vigilance

Zet's personality embodies a jailer or a prison warden. To watch over threats that the Self has kept away from the others that the Self seeks to protect well, Zet possesses and employs great vigilance towards its prisoners, like a watchdog. Zet's duties go beyond keeping its prisoners, but they also include hunting down its fugitives. Therefore, Zet also embodies the enforcer by being an assertive force. Similar to brutal law enforcement, Zet doesn't tolerate resistance from its subjects and will force its foes to submit to its will.

Deceitful

Although Zet hates disharmony above all else, it isn't above certain means that are aligned with chaos, like deception, to attain this unity that Zet seeks. In the war of two Ancients, Zet is capable of pretending to ally with either side in order to destroy the Ancient it sides with after annihilating its Nemesis Stone. Zet even goes as far as buying the weapons from the Ancient's shopkeepers with the intent of using their wares against its sibs. He even purposes his Tempest Double as a powerful decoy in combat. Though Zet seeks to end the war out of its hatred for it, Zet isn't shy to participate in conflict and even further it with its own participation for the sake of ending it.

Miscellaneous habits

Illeistic

Arc Warden is what one would call an illeist. An illeist is a being who's inclined to refer to themself in the third person, as Zet does whenever it says “the Self” or just “Self” instead of “I” or “me” when it talks.

It's possible that Zet's illeism is a result of it existing as a disunited being made of many selves. Speaking in third person disconnects the entity from itself by referring to itself as if it were distant from it. Seeing how Zet would always feel disconnected from its complete form, with all the Tempest Doubles and lesser fragments of itself separated, illeism seems appropriate for how Zet talks about itself.

Laconistic

Zet also has a habit of acting laconic, as it is sometimes extremely brief and blunt with its words, to the point of sounding robotic.

The Self's laconism could be related to its dislike of being talkative, like its issue with Zeus when these two first met.

Arrogance

As a powerful cosmic force, the Arc Warden is naturally confident and proud of itself, though not narcissistic. While Zet already thinks highly of itself, Zet also seeks to be feared and taken seriously by its foes in battle.

Like most Heroes with an ego, Zet disdains or humbles its enemies and sometimes takes pleasure in humiliating or dominating its enemies as shown in its sadistic, gloating laughter whenever Zet kills a hostile Hero.

But still, Zet has a humble side for its allies in which it willingly acknowledges and praises the unselfish deeds that Zet receives from them.

Relationships

Primordials

The Ancients

Feelings

Ever since it willed itself into being, Zet bears an inborn aversion for the Ancients' inclination for strife and the disharmony that their struggles for dominance over the other sows upon creation. To this conclusion, Zet seeks to either destroy them both or have them reunited back to their original form as the one Primordial Mind in the Beginning.

Both the Ancients and Zet are parts split from the Primordial Consciousness. As such, Zet sees them both as extensions of itself.

Zet looks down on the thralls of the Radiant and the Dire with contempt and pity. Despite this, Zet is aware of the suffering they all go through as pawns who perish in the Ancient's war and get sent back to it with resurrection from Death in a fatal cycle. Choosing to be involved in their plight, Zet kills these slaves for the sake of putting them out of their misery.

Interactions

In the War of the Ancients, Zet may align with either the Radiant or the Dire. By doing so, it can avail of (read: exploit) their blessings, including their ability to resurrect their forces endlessly, letting Zet resurrect in their fountains. When it dies, it returns to the Mind.

The upheaval brought by the participation of another Ancient in said war inflicted a condition on Zet that attuned it to the Radiant and Dire. In gameplay, this condition manifested as the properties of its abilities and its Double's swapping between the two selves depending on which of the Ancients Zet was sided with. This condition was temporary though, as Zet eventually “adapted to the new paradigm” over time.

Elder Titan

Interactions

Zet may ally with Elder Titan on account of their shared pursuit of perfect unity, inviting the latter to restore harmony together.

Feelings

As enemies, Zet will blame him for the universe's disunity by calling him “world breaker” and will punish him for this by killing him.

Fundamentals

Feelings

Zet appreciates the aid of his fellow primordials the Fundamentals— Chaos Knight, Keeper of the Light, Io, Enigma—in battle.

Familiarity

Besides knowing their quirks, Zet claims to know Enigma's previous identity, feeding into the mystery of his background.

Dawnbreaker

Interactions

Dawnbreaker claims to have a part in freeing the Ancients from the prison made for them by Zet in the Mad Moon. Although Valora wasn't awake when this happened, Valora became aware of her own involvement in it once she saw that the series of events that led to the Ancients' escape from the Mad Moon matched with what she knew. It's possible that her drifting body crashed into the Mad Moon before she fell to the planet the Ancients now fight in, compromising the Mad Moon's already fragile constitution from aeons of stress.

Feelings

Even as enemies in the Ancients' war, she still has goodwill and respect towards Arc Warden. If she kills Zet, she may do so as a way of giving it peace while reassuring Zet by continuing its mission to end both Ancients as a means of making up for her past complicity.

Phoenix

Familiarity

Zet once saw the Phoenix star from light years away when it was travelling across the cosmos to hunt down the Ancients.

Void Spirit

Familiarity

As allies, the Void Spirit knows Zet's watch over the Ancients and he reassures Zet that its vigil will be over soon with their destruction.

Feelings

As enemies, Inai humbles the Arc Warden for thinking that it knows all there is to the truth behind the war between the Ancients.

Allies

Earthshaker

Interactions

Earthshaker plans to travel beyond this planet to avenge his sister earth and, to that end, he has prepared his inquiries for the Arc Warden about its experiences to aid his own journey, including Zet's travels through the cosmos and Zet's cosmic origins.

Skywrath Mage

Interactions

Skywrath Mage once crossed paths with Zet (who was still a stranger to him) in his campaign towards the Ghastly Eyrie when he saw Zet at the crash site of Anzua the Nomad Star. Drawn by his curiosity towards this crash site, he saw Zet and its lantern from afar, and was surprised to find how fast Zet arrived at the site mere moments after the meteor fell to earth.

Dragonus left his sleeping companions Axe and Centaur Warrunner, and sped towards the site to meet Zet, who answered his remarks coolly until he asked if he could join it in exploring this place, causing Zet to turn its attention to him for once but only to sternly state that he's unneeded in this site before ordering him to return to his companions. Zet then turned away to the entrance.

But before Zet could leave, Dragonus tried to convinced Zet on account of their similar purposes with the site, making Zet relent by giving up any responsibility it has with exposing Dragonus to the maddening things inside. Dragonus agrees before he realizes that Zet knew him and his companions by their full names and it knew they were by a fire, so he tried to ask it again, but Zet had already entered the cave made by the meteor without inviting him, prompting him to follow it.

Together, they explored the ancient city exposed by the meteor blasting a hole in the mountain it was hidden in, with Dragonus learning more about the city and its connection to an unprecedented Ancient from Zet's answers to his questions.

Despite Zet waiving its responsibility to Dragonus' mental constitution, Zet kept Dragonus away from the dangers of this Ancient warping time in the city and Zet kept him from touching any things in there to prevent any unpleasant consequences. But Dragonus' curiosity got the better of him when he touched the crystal Facets despite Zet's warnings, sending pairs of Facets towards every Hero in a large explosion. Despite the resulting blast and the consequences Zet told him about, they both survived, but it's unknown how they left the situation.

Zeus

Interactions

Arc Warden once met Zeus in the Sundered Moon bar one night, where it attempted to get his attention away from another potential tryst with Medusa by provoking him. After a brief misunderstanding, Zet explained the origins of the Ancients' primeval war and its catasthropic consequences for all creation. Having said this, Zet explains that it needs an army of its own to thwart their war before handing him one scroll that contains something that it wants Zeus to “fulfill” later on.

Somewhat unconvinced, Zeus asks Zet if he gets to gain anything from being involved in its war versus both Ancients. Zet promises him that if they win the war by destroying both Ancients, it will restore him to wholeness. When Zeus tells it that he isn't convinced and to prove its word, Zet agrees by restoring a “fragment” of his powers, endowing the Tempest Helm upon him.

Relishing his lost power, Zeus admits that he never took Zet's revelations about the Ancients seriously, but he agrees to join Zet regardless if it meant recollecting more of his old godly power. He then succumbs to his impulse when he invites Zet to hear his story about his divorce while offering it ambrosia. Zet politely declines, on account of the remaining work it has with the other scrolls like Zeus' it seeks to distribute.

Other Characteristics

Powers

As an aspect of the Primordial Mind that seeks ultimate unity, Zet wields vast powers that are conducive to its goals. The Self has the power to reunify that which is splintered and incomplete, mastery over both electricity and magnetism, as well as a degree of control over the power to create, give life, and cast a primordial form of magic. Being a splintered entity itself, Zet's presence in battle is guaranteed to be felt more than once, creating electrical duplications of himself and sending out fragments of his being to dominate in battle.

Creation

One of Arc Warden's lesser known powers is its ability to create. It was Zet who formed what many cultures in this world call the Mad Moon, a celestial body made of a luminous crystal matter in which the Ancients were fused and trapped together in. However, this cost Zet the sum of its powers, so its current form can't tap into such abilities… yet.

Such feats are proof of Zet's claim of possessing an innate authority over creation itself.

Reunification

Pursuing perfect unity, Zet wields an ability that lets it attain this: the power of reunification, allowing Zet to restore entities in disunity back to their original state of wholeness. One such instance was when Zet easily restored a “fragment” of Zeus' powers, half of which were taken from him by Hera's magic which even Zeus found “irrefutable” to him.

Strength

In its prime, Zet possessed so much strength that it could hurl the Mad Moon to send it flying across the growing universe's physical void until it was captured by the gravity of the planet that would become our earth.

When the Ancients split the Mad Moon apart from within, Zet was able to withstand the blast that destroyed this Moon, only being flung away into space by the resulting shockwave. It seems it was only the dissonant energies of the Ancients released by their destruction of their prison that affected Zet by splitting its form and consciousness.

Despite being in its lesser form, after having most of its vast power sacrificed into imprisoning both Ancients in the Mad Moon, Zet still retains immense physical durability. One instance is when Zet remained completely unscathed from a Nemestice meteor falling directly on it.

Nemestice

Zet's original self once wielded an ancient energy which seemingly contains life-giving power that it had sacrificed into the Mad Moon's crystal body to imprison the Ancients it had fused within during the early times of the universe. Left behind in crystals called Nemestice, named after their function to cease the Nemesis Stones' war, these crystals could not be corrupted nor influenced by either Ancient's will.

These crystals emanate an aura that was able to revitalize the blasted lands left by their impact on the planet's surface, growing tiny blades of grass and small colorful flowers at a gradual but noticeable pace around them, while imbuing others with their power to some effect.

Such vital energies are proof to Zet's claim of wielding authority over life itself.

Cosmic Flight

Arc Warden can travel across vast swaths of space at high speeds. Zet retained this power in the wake of its disunion, using it to head towards the Ancients' new warzone on this planet from the far ends of the cosmos after it was flung there by the Mad Moon's destruction.

Another instance of this power was when Zet reached the crash site of Anzua the Nomad Star mere moments after it crashed to earth at a big mountain in Druud's deserts. Zet's arrival there was made apparent with a tall pillar of light, visible from miles away. It is not specified if Zet flew there at high speed or simply teleported there (or maybe even both), but what's certain is that Zet can travel through space that fast.

Flux

Flux is a tiny fraction of the power that Zet once used to imprison the Ancients. Now, it only electrocutes targets that are alone.

Magnetic Field

Zet's atavistic power may distort space to generate a circular distortion field of magnetic energy, thus spawning a Magnetic Field. Zet and its allies remain unscathed from attacks outside the field, but it's not explained how the field uses the magnetic energy or distorted space to protect them. Nevertheless, this ability is said to be a testament to the insignificance of space and time against Zet's ancience.

Spark Wraith

The Spark Wraiths that Zet summons are lesser fragments of Zet's original self, split from Zet in the wake of the Ancients' splitting of Zet's being with their dissonant energies. Zet deploys these sentient pieces of itself in places that it seeks to watch over. The wraith patrols Zet's designated area until a trespasser comes near, alerting it to attack by “fusing them with harmful magic”

In place of its sentient fragments, Zet can employ wyvernlike wraiths from another plane of existence. Unable to enter our plane of their own will, Zet and these wraiths have a mutual relationship in which Zet uses its powers to grant them access to our plane to feast on the energies here (which they crave because even a shred of these energies' power manifests tenfold in their home realm) in exchange for their service to Zet, allowing it to summon these wraiths to patrol an area and attack any intruders.

Rune Forge

Zet's power to conjure runes via Rune Forge is a testament to its priviness to the most inscrutable arcana of magic, including the origins of the Runes of Power that spawn in the Ancients' battlefields, which is still undivinable to practitioners of sorcery.

The Regeneration Rune restores vitality, the Bounty Rune gives magic gold, the Double Damage Rune amplifies outgoing damage, the Haste Rune increases the speed at which one moves, the Invisibility Rune provides invisibility, the Illusion Rune conjures two identical illusions of the user, and the Arcane Rune lightens the costs of spellcasting. All this power is available for Zet to avail.

Tempest Double

Zet can gather the fragments of its being, and use its power of unification on them to fuse them into a Tempest Double, a perfect electrical duplication that's “perfect” in a sense that it retains the original's abilities, making it more powerful than the average clone.

The Double stands out from most known clones (e.g. Phantom Lancer's phantoms and Spectre's Haunts) as it possesses a sense of self and is therefore autonomous. However, its lifespan is temporary as it will grow weaker and fracture over time. When it expires, Zet will reunite the selves that compose the Double with itself, rendering Zet whole until the next use of this ability.

One of Zet's notorious tactics with the Double is to send it into the battlefield where its enemies might be fooled into paying attention to the Double, thinking it's the real one who is nowhere to be found. Should Zet's enemies manage to kill or deal with the Double in spite of its power, they would have achieved nothing in thwarting the real Zet.

Friendships and Rivalries

Allies meeting Arc Warden

• ▶️ r Waste not your energy, Zet, but wield it well.
• ▶️ r You had to let the ancients to break out of the moon?
• ▶️ r You know, Warden, if you did your job properly, we wouldn't be in this mess.
• ▶️ r Arc Warden, try to keep up.
• ▶️ r How does one self so easily accept its fate to die in service of the other?
• ▶️ r If you were so good at your job, how did the Ancients escape?
• ▶️ r Warden, your jurisdiction stops at the Mad Moon, right?
• ▶️ r Was it my transgression that freed your wards, ancient gaoler? The timeline seems to match.
• ▶️ r You did the best you could, Zet - no one could contain the Ancients.
• ▶️ r You could not control your prisoners, and now I must stir.
• ▶️ r What can you.. tell me of.. traveling the cosmos, Arc Warden?
• ▶️ r Is it true what they say about your origins, Arc Warden? I have much to ask you.
• ▶️ r Your most useful aspects are in the Ancients now.
• ▶️ r If I prod the other one, do you feel it?
• ▶️ r Is "Zet" your name, or just a useful pronoun?
• ▶️ r If I had a nut for every bloke who came through these parts with a big head and stories to match...
• ▶️ ▶️ r Bring forth the tempest, Arc Warden.
• ▶️ r You didn't need to go through all the trouble. I could have solved this problem for you ages ago.
• ▶️ r Which one of you two would win in a fight?
• ▶️ ▶️ r Alright, it's just a suggestion, take it or leave it at your leisure. But maybe you should start talking in the first person?
• ▶️ ▶️ r Arc Warden, you're not planning on sticking me in the moon or anything like that?
• ▶️ r We can do that too, Arc Warden, if we want. I can't.
• ▶️ r So this whole mess is all your fault?
• ▶️ r Didn't I just see you over there?
• ▶️ r Let us end this battle quickly. I have my own agendas to please.
• ▶️ r I think I like the other one better.
• ▶️ r You look stressed, wanna give a squeeze?
• ▶️ r Lend me a hand, Zet? And you too, Zet.
• ▶️ r I cast off my role as gaoler. You merely failed at yours.
• ▶️ r You two make a lovely couple!
• ▶️ r To be honest, I didn't factor two of you into my bakin' plans.
• ▶️ r Your watch soon comes to an end, Warden.
• ▶️ r Arc Warden, you have such a magnetic personality.

Enemies meeting Arc Warden

• ▶️ r You may have imprisoned the Ancients, but you'll never capture me.
• ▶️ r This was the great jailer of the Ancients? This war should be easy to win.
• ▶️ ▶️ r Alright fishbowl head, show me what you've got.

Enemies killing Arc Warden

• ▶️ r You had one job, Arc Warden. Now look what your failure has caused.
• ▶️ r Make all the copies you want, I'll kill you all.
• ▶️ Arc Warden, your spark goes out.
• ▶️ r This is necessary, ancient one. To meet your own ends.
• ▶️ r I wasn't sure if someone could annoy me more than Donte, but then you had to go talking in the third person.
• ▶️ r Die in peace, Warden. I will see to the end of both ancients myself.
• ▶️ r If I am to blame for your presence here, then consider this my first act of contrition.
• ▶️ r Make as many copies as you want, it won't make a difference.
• ▶️ r You failed Zet.
• ▶️ r All your ancient schemes…for nothing, Warden.
• ▶️ r You should have suffered more.
• ▶️ r You fail again, warden.
• ▶️ r This is merely a means to the end you desired.
• ▶️ Rest with your tempest, Warden.
• ▶️ r The ancient pales in the shadow of the infinite.
• ▶️ r You come unbound, Warden. I merely finished what was already started.
• ▶️ r This one's heaps of fun! Get to kill him again and again!
• ▶️ r Glad I didn't get zapped.
• ▶️ r These guys are everywhere!
• ▶️ r Your goldfish are missing.
• ▶️ r Fragment of the Mad Moon huh? Ahem, wonder how you got the job...
• ▶️ ▶️ Never trust a--what are you anyway?
• ▶️ r You didn't need to go through all the trouble.
• ▶️ r Don't worry, Zet. I'll bring them all crashing down.
• ▶️ r You're the one who brought sickness to Selemene!
• ▶️ r You're just another one of the Invoker's puppets.
• ▶️ ▶️ r Arc Warden, I'll take you seriously the moment you start talking in the first person.
• ▶️ r Was it real? Felt real.
• ▶️ r You didn't need to die, Arc Warden. I was going to end this war either way.
• ▶️ r You're too weak to stop the Ancients. Leave this one to me.
• ▶️ r Only a fool can't tell you apart.
• ▶️ r Eh, is one of you… gone a bit off?
• ▶️ r Go and play with yourself.
• ▶️ r I never was much for being ruled.
• ▶️ r From one gaoler to another: your soul belongs to me.
• ▶️ r I don't do two for one sales!
• ▶️ r I honestly expected there would be fish inside that bowl.
• ▶️ r Maybe this will stop all that shaking.
• ▶️ r Lesser Ancients are the first to fall.
• ▶️ r I'm told all this is your fault, fishbowl!
• ▶️ r I think your story's fulla holes. Just like you.
• ▶️ r The warden falls.
• ▶️ r Imprisoned in death.
• ▶️ ▶️ r Dissipate further.
• ▶️ r Enough with your games.
• ▶️ r The shard falls far from the Ancient.
• ▶️ r You thought you understood the true nature of this conflict. Fool.
• ▶️ r We shouldn't blame you alone, Arc Warden, all amongst us could have done more.
• ▶️ ▶️ Go back and guard your arcs.
• ▶️ r Time to crack that thing open, and find out what you're really about.
• ▶️ r The Ancients are just another footnote in my story. I don't care what you think your role is.

Oracle's Prophecy

• ▶️ r I envision not one, but two tempests to twist your fate awry.

Trivia

• During Arc Warden's release, the pronoun “it” was used to refer to this Hero. It was only until the release of Zet's Wraithbinder cosmetic in 2019 that Zet was referred to with “he” pronouns instead.