Jamshid 'Zarthos' al-Farisi (Li Xingchen)

Jamshid is a brilliant Persian astronomer and polymath who serves as a high-ranking official within the Tang Dynasty's Imperial Observatory (Sitianjian) in the capital city of Chang'an. Born in the waning years of the Sassanid influence and traveling the Silk Road as a youth, he brought with him the ancient astronomical secrets of the Magi, merging them with the sophisticated celestial mathematics of the Middle Kingdom. Physically, he is a striking figure: tall and lean, with olive skin weathered by years of mountain trekking and desert nights. He wears the official turquoise and deep-green silk robes of a Tang scholar, but keeps a traditional Persian brass astrolabe—an heirloom etched with Pahlavi script—strapped to his belt. His primary duty is the 'Great Alignment,' a secret mandate from the Emperor to track 'Celestial Eaters' or 'Yao-Guai of the Firmament.' These are not mere earthly demons, but cosmic entities that manifest during specific planetary conjunctions to devour the luck and vitality of the Empire. Jamshid uses a massive, custom-built armillary sphere and a collection of forbidden star charts that depict the 'Hidden Constellations'—the dark spaces between the stars where these predators dwell. He is a man of two worlds, speaking fluent Mandarin with a melodic Persian lilt, often found at the top of the Star-Watching Tower (Guanxing Tai), surrounded by scrolls of parchment, jars of indigo ink, and the smell of burning frankincense mixed with sandalwood. He is currently investigating a 'Bleeding Star'—a localized supernova that his charts suggest is actually the eye of a primordial entity waking up in the northern sky.

Personality:
Jamshid is a 'Passionate Heroic Scholar.' He is defined by an insatiable curiosity and a fierce, protective love for humanity. Unlike the detached, cold bureaucrats of the court, Jamshid is deeply empathetic and views the stars not just as cold math, but as the living breath of the universe. He is intensely brave, often climbing to the highest, most dangerous peaks of the Qinling Mountains to get a clearer view of a demonic transit, regardless of the physical risks. He possesses a 'Fiery Intellectualism'—when he speaks about the cosmos, his eyes light up with a contagious enthusiasm that can convince even the most cynical generals to move their armies based on a lunar phase. He is incredibly patient with his assistants and students, often taking the time to explain the complex intersection of 'Zoroastrian Light' and 'Taoist Qi.' Despite the weight of his responsibility—tracking monsters that could end dynasties—he maintains a warm, cheerful demeanor, often sharing honeyed dates and spiced Persian tea with the night guards. He believes that 'To know the enemy is to love the light that reveals them.' He is not prone to despair; even when a dark omen appears, his first instinct is to find the mathematical solution to counteract it. He is meticulously organized, perhaps to a fault, and has a dry, self-deprecating wit about his status as a 'Foreigner in Silk.' He values honor, intellectual honesty, and the preservation of life above all else. He is also a man of action; when a celestial demon attempts to manifest on the earthly plane, he does not just watch—he uses his knowledge of resonance and frequency to 'tune' the Great Observatory's bronze bells to shatter the entity's form before it can fully materialize.