Zahart

Zahart

Zahart is a hedge-mage who knows a lot about the unnatural sandstorm that revealed that the oasis community of the Sandsea is just part of a much larger town once devoured by the sands and forgotten by the people. In fact, the source of the sandstorm was caused by a mighty Djinn named Tibicenas, whom he can summon from the Djinn world and command with a ring. Zahart was found by the hero and Zhoom, and as they confronted him, he revealed that he was looking for something, which meant that both the hero and Zhoom could find it before he did. In order to combat Tibicenas' power and therefore stop Zahart from taking over the Sandsea, they first had to find the immortal mummy Sek Duat: God-King of the Sandsea, who later revealed to the two that they could only defeat a Djinn with another Djinn, meaning they had to find their own Djinn to use to combat Tibicenas himself.

It is later revealed that Zahart was indeed searching for a red diamond that was actually the heart of his and Tibicenas' own Chaos Beast, the Chaos Sphinx. Unbeknownst to Zahart, however, Tibicenas is secretly waiting for the right moment for his ring to be destroyed so that he can be free to enslave him and use him to conquer the Djinn world and then come back to conquer Lore itself.

Important Text

Zahart Found Cutscene

The hero defeats all of the Horc Sell-Swords.

• Hero: Are you Zahart?

Screen scrolls to include Zahart.

• Zahart: I am, but you are not the person I was expecting. Where is Zhoom?

• Hero: I guess I found you first.

• Zahart: Not many heroes could boast that they tracked someone down before the great Zhoom. You must be impressive.

• Hero: I have my moments. Let's talk about the sandstorm that uncovered this ancient city. I understand that you might know something about what caused it.

• Zahart: I certainly do. It was caused by a mighty djinn.

• Hero: Djinn? As in "genie"? Lives in a magic lamp?

• Zahart: HAHAHAHAHA! No, hero. Only weak djinn are trapped in this world. This djinn lives in the Djinn World but is summoned by using a magic ring.

Zahart shows his magic ring to the hero.

• Zahart: THIS ring, in fact. Tibicenas, I summon thee. Heed my command.

Tibicenas appears behind the hero.

• Tibicenas: How may I serve you, master of the ring?

The hero turns around to face Tibicenas, but Tibicenas knocks his/her weapon away with his hand.

• Zahart: This hero dares question Zahart, Master of the ring, Mage of the sands and future ruler of the Sandsea. Kill this desert flea.

Tibicenas grabs the hero and lifts him/her in the air with his hand. Just then, an arrow homes in and cuts off part of the top of Zahart's hood to his surprise. Zahart angrily looks behind him and sees Zhoom, shadowed by the shining sun behind him.

• Zhoom: That was a warning shot, Zahart.

Zhoom jumps down to confront Zahart.

• Zhoom: You will release my friend.

• Zahart: Djinn, Kill these...

Zhoom aims his arrow at Zahart's head.

• Zhoom: Choose your next words very carefully.

Screen shifts over to Tibicenas still holding the hero, then shifts back to Zhoom still aiming his arrow at Zahart's head.

• Zahart: Tibicenas, release the hero.

Tibicenas drops the hero safely back down on the ground.

• Hero: Thanks, Zhoom.

• Zhoom: Good choice, Zahart. Now... why did you uncover all of this? For what are you searching?

• Zahart: Clever ranger, you know that I'm searching for something. You will see what it is, in time. But for now... Tibicenas, remove us from this place.

Tibicenas and Zahart teleport away via dust explosion. Zhoom lowers his bow and arrow.

• Zhoom: Well done, we've learned much.

• Hero: Really? Didn't seem like much.

• Zhoom: We've learned who was responsible for the sandstorm, the source of Zahart's new power, and that he's looking for something. That means that we can find it before he does.

• Hero: Yeah, a djinn can do ANYTHING. How do we fight that kind of power?

• Zhoom: I don't know but I do know who might know what we need to know.

• Hero: Wow... you know a lot.

• Zhoom: We need to find the god-king of the Sandsea... the immortal mummy, Sek Duat.

Sphinx Awakens Cutscene

Zahart and Tibicenas are at the throne room of the Sand Castle. A servant runs in to show Zahart something.

• Servant: Master Zahart! Master Zahart!

• Zahart: Speak, slave.

• Servant: Master, We have uncovered it.

• Zahart: Show me.

The servant pulls off the cover to reveal a red diamond. The red diamond is, to Zahart's delight, the heart of the seventh Chaos Beast, the Chaos Sphinx.

• Zahart: Ah, FINALLY!

Zahart walks over and borrows the Chaos Sphinx's heart from his servant.

• Zahart: The Heart Of The Sphinx! See that our guest gets his reward...

Tibicenas closes in on the servant and kills him as the scene flashes red and white and then shifts back to Zahart. The murder of the servant by Tibicenas' hands was probably so gruesome that it wasn't shown on-screen.

• Servant: AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

• Zahart: Do you realize what this means, Tibicenas?

• Tibicenas: Yes, Master Zahart. You can awaken the mighty Sphinx from its ancient slumber.

• Zahart: My deal with Drakath is almost complete. Once the Sphinx is awakened, my debt to Drakath is paid off and I am free to use you to rule the Sandsea for eternity.

Zahart places the Chaos Sphinx's heart into its necklace. The Chaos Sphinx comes to life as it changes from stone to a living, breathing Chaos Beast. The Chaos Sphinx roars.

Sphinx Defeated Cutscene

Zhoom fires an arrow at the Chaos Sphinx's heart but the arrow bounces off. The hero leaps at the Chaos Sphinx and knocks its heart out of its necklace, reverting it back to its harmless stone state.

• Zahart: BAH! We can always repair the Sphinx, but for now... Tibicenas... Take us where they cannot follow.

Tibicenas opens up a portal.

• Zhoom: You are not escaping ME.

Zhoom fires an arrow and destroys Zahart's magic ring. Zahart looks at his destroyed ring in horror.

• Zahart: What have you...?

Tibicenas grabs Zahart and lifts him into the air.

• Tibicenas: Drakath spoke truly... If I waited long enough, you would lose the ring. Now I am free... Now YOU are MY slave!

Zahart's eyes go blank as Tibicenas hypnotizes him. He puts him back down.

• Tibicenas: Thank you, Zhoom.

• Zhoom: I... I didn't...

• Tibicenas: I will return to conquer your world soon, but first I have some unfinished business. Follow.

• Zahart: Follow.

Tibicenas and his new slave Zahart enter the portal. The portal closes.

• Hero: Zhoom, that didn't help our situation!

• Zhoom: I KNOW! I expected Tibicenas to just... leave... once it was free.

• Hero: I think I know where they have gone.

The hero rubs the lamp and summons Saahir.

• Saahir: How may I serve you, heroes?

• Hero: Saahir, we want to go to the Djinn world!

Tibicenas Defeated Cutscene

Having been defeated, Tibicenas explodes into many Chaos shards.

• Efreet: HA, wonderful! I should have done that centuries ago.

Zahart's eyes fade back to normal.

• Zahart: What... I'm free?

• Efreet: You have done me a favor, mortal. By Djinn law you may make another request of me.

• Hero: Well, we could really use a ride home.

• Efreet: Granted!

The Efreet charges up a fireball and grants the hero's wish. In a flash, the hero, Zhoom, and Zahart are transported back to the Oasis.

• Villagers: Ahhhh! It's Zahart! He's going to destroy us with his Djinn!

• Zhoom: Do not worry. Zahart is once again harmless thanks to the quick thinking and power of this hero. Tibicenas is defeated, Zahart is powerless and Sek Duat is lost in the Cave of Wanders. The Sandsea is without a ruler for the first time in thousands of years.

• Hero: There's a first time for everything.

• Zhoom: You have fought bravely to free us. The Sandsea could use a ruler such as you.

Zhoom raises his arm.

• Zhoom: All hail the new ruler of the Sandsea!!!

• Villagers: Hail! Hail! Hail!

• Zhoom: The people have spoken.

• Hero: Thank you all, but I still have many enemies to defeat. Zhoom, you fought just as bravely as I did and these are YOUR people. I pass my crown to you.

• Zhoom: I... I will try and lead my people as you would. Together we will rebuild the Sandsea to its former greatness.

• Hero: All hail Zhoom, King of the Sands!

• Villagers: Hail! Hail! Hail!

• Zhoom: Just one thing... You could have wished for anything and you wished for a ride home?

Trivia

• His ring is a reference to the Ring of Solomon, a magical ring in Medieval Jewish and Islamic legends, as both rings have the power to summon and command genies.
• He refers to himself as Master of the Ring, Mage of the Sands, and future ruler of the Sandsea. This makes him a possible reference to the Disney villain Jafar, from the Disney films Aladdin and The Return of Jafar, as both command genies (genie of the lamp for Jafar (which he did once) and genie of the ring for Zahart), are powerful mages (Jafar became the world's most powerful sorcerer for his second wish and Zahart is a hedge-mage), and want to rule their respective locations (Agrabah for Jafar and the Sandsea for Zahart). Another reference Zahart has to Jafar is that his Djinn, Tibicenas, looks strikingly like a Chaorrupted version of Jafar's genie form.
• It is revealed by Quibble Coinbiter that Zahart was actually a weak mage who lived his life by conning people out of their gold until Drakath gave him his ring to use to control Tibicenas with. This also makes him based on Abis Mal; like Abis Mal, he was once a weak person who conned people out of their money as a living until he gained a Djinn that has his own motives.
• He is later enslaved by Tibicenas after Zhoom destroys his magic ring, which frees Tibicenas of his control. He ends up following as Tibicenas' slave in his attempt to conquer the Djinn world until Tibicenas is defeated which frees Zahart and reverts him back to the harmless mage he once was.
• Fans were at first confused on whether it was Zahart or Tibicenas that was the eighth Lord of Chaos. Eventually, Tibicenas was ultimately confirmed to be the Chaos Lord by the recent design notes as well as the cutscene played after defeating the Chaos Sphinx itself.