| Zemarkhos | |
| Fictional Character | |
| Videssos Cycle Videssos Series | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | Empire of Videssos |
| Religion: | Phos-worship |
| Cause of Death: | Throat torn out by a dog |
| Occupation: | Priest, Mage |
Zemarkhos was a Videssian priest of Phos from the town of Amorion, who preached against heretics like Vaspurakaners and organized pogroms against them. He went so far as to name his dog Vaspur after the first man created by Phos in Vaspurakan legend.
Zemarkhos preached against heretics of every kind, including Marcus Scaurus and his Ronam legionaries. In one episode, he was put into a bag with and injured by his own dog, a revenge of Vaspurakaner general Gagik Bagratouni when he came to try and convert the Romans and the Vaspurakaners.
After the death of Mavrikios Gavras and the Yezda invasions, he revolted against the Gavras regime and tried to found his own state in Amorion. Within his sphere of influence he killed many Vaspurakaners and other perceived heretics, after using minor sorcery to torture and, sometimes, used magic to kill them in gruesome ways.
Zemarkhos was later killed by Marcus Scaurus and Gaius Philippus. While giving a sermon in the public square, Scaurus challenged Zemarkhos' claims of speaking with Phos' authority and called on Zemarkhos to strike him dead to prove otherwise. Scaurus held onto the hilt of his charmed Celtic sword which protected him from Zemarkhos' magecraft. Zemarkhos' failure to strike Scaurus dead called into question his authority and in the ensuing riot his dog Vaspur turned on him ripping out his throat.
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