About

Ambitious, hardworking, and highly focused on her area of study, Zathura is a young professor at the Groxworth Institute of Space Travel, where she teaches evolutionary biology. Being a Grox, she is instructed to preach ideas that aren't quite correct, or that put down other species. After all, the Grox are the most gifted empire in the galaxy, and no one comes close to challenging their power. Or so they believe.

Zathura, being a very dedicated scientist, learns new things about extinct animals, evolution, and the roots of the Grox species every day. These new findings confuse her. Other life forms are not as stupid and inferior as she was once taught to believe. Whenever Zathura tries to teach these ideas in her classes, however, the president of the institute, Doctor Europa, often tells her she must stop.

"You must remember your place here, Professor Zathura," the president once told her. "You are not a true scientist. Your job is not to 'study' inferior life forms. It's to let these students know how dangerous diversity truly is. Do you think the Grox have survived this long by allowing petty disagreements to tear us apart? No. Uniformity is key. Other species bring wars and fuss and differing ideas. If we all think the same way, we will be stronger, united towards a common goal. That's why you must never let your students know that they have evolved from lesser beings. We are a truly special and gifted species."

Obviously, this conversation was incredibly disheartening for Zathura, and continues to bother her to this day. The president went on to explain that her tools, her books, all her most prized possessions, are merely for show.

"Why do you think we supply you with state-of-the-art equipment?" he asked her. "It looks professional at our open houses."

Doctor Europa's demeaning words could have led to Zathura giving up entirely. But with her new knowledge, Zathura has made it her goal to teach her beloved students the truth. Zathura cares about them all. They're passionate about what they're learning. They're the future of the Grox empire. Zathura knows the importance of encouraging them to respect all life in the universe.

Personality

Zathura is a lot more gentle and easygoing than most other members of her species. She has trouble standing up for herself, often letting others push her around. Quiet, shy, and soft spoken, she does not appear to be much of a threat at first. Despite her seemingly harmless nature, she is very intelligent and more capable than she looks. A hard worker, she is detail-oriented, taking the time to focus on her individual students in order to give them the attention they need. She tries to think of her students' needs first, instead of the interests of the school. She follows her own ideas of what is right, rather than blindly accepting the ideas of the empire. Her quietly revolutionary nature has earned her a spot on the Grox Empress's "threat list."

Although some of her students can be difficult, Zathura is patient and understanding. It's hard to get on her bad side. She is incredibly kind and sweet, but she has trouble speaking up for herself. She works in secret to discover more about the very things the Grox empire forbids her to study.

Relationships

Io

student

Io was one of Zathura's students. Zathura always thought she was a hard worker, always raising her hand in class and handing in her work quickly. Io also came to Zathura's office hours and would occasionally vent to her. Her stress was not apparent on the surface.

Mother & Father

family

Zathura's family was distant but kind to her. She had a good relationship with her father in particular, who told her lots of stories about his past and read her lots of books. He said that the grox empire was a different place before Empress Hera was elected. Zathura's father died in a factory accident when she was 18. She really misses him.

The Grox Empress

tyrannical dictator

Zathura is slightly afraid of Hera, the Grox empress. She has never met her before, so it's hard to form an opinion of her. In fact, she has heard nothing but good things about her. However, Zathura can't help but feel a little uneasy when she hears Hera's voice on city intercoms. Zathura feels alone in this opinion, so she hasn't said anything about it.