Grollis Zephyr/IF-36.28

Rumor / Community Lore
This article contains lore created collaboratively by the Blaseball community. It is just one of many Rumors that we've found in the Interdimensional Rumor Mill. You can find more Rumors about Grollis Zephyr at their Rumor Registry.

Background

Grollis Zephyr comes from a dynasty of tokusatsu heroes based on Okinawa. Ze joined the family business as a teenager but soon found hyrself uncomfortable with the costumed-hero lifestyle.

While boldly-dressed, highly athletic and equipped with all the poses and catchphrases expected of a hero, Zephyr often felt ze was going through the motions. In particular ze felt hyrself to lack the empathy required to fully inhabit the role, something which seemed to come easily to the rest of hyr family. Zephyr also disliked the relentless publicity work, preferring to lose hyrself in biology textbooks and solo exploration of the island's limestone caves.

In Tokyo

After the cancellation of hyr lacklustre TV series, Zephyr took the chance to step back from front-line heroing and moved to Tokyo to study fashion design. Hyr clothes make use of sustainable fabrics such as cellulose, soy protein and hemp, as well as vivid natural dyes sourced mostly from seaweed. Both of these elements are present in the eye-catching full-mask superhero suits which ze continues to use for Blaseball duties.

While in the capital ze became involved in urbex, and particularly in mapping disused Metro tunnels - often the closest to peaceful seclusion the neurodivergent and distractible Zephyr could find. On one never-completed line ze chanced upon a loose grating which opened into a natural cave system. Return visits to the site revealed a series of passages inhabited by unfamiliar species, including bicep-curl-shaped fungi apparently tended by an agricultural society of centipedes. In time these friendipedes led hyr to a grotto teeming with bioluminescent life, centred on a glowing, nutrient-rich pool fed from both warm and cool springs.

Zephyr recalls hyr first thought as "wow" and hyr second as "I could make some awesome colours with these algae". While kneeling to take photographs ze slipped on moss and fell headlong into the water. Hyr eyes later developed a soft blue-green glow. Zephyr is adamant ze has now acquired Actual Superpowers though cannot as yet identify what they might be.

Blaseball career

Having established that the cavern lay under the former Dilsneyland Tokyo park, Zephyr was both excited and puzzled to be contacted by the Tokyo Lift Blaseball team. Ze agreed to try out for the batting lineup but found hyr cartoonish, acrobatic style more suited to pitching.

Ze discovered only after earning hyr place that the invitation had been sent by hyr mother, retired tokusatsu superstar and newly-installed Lift coach Arda Zephyr, who had conceived of this as a convenient way to spend more time with her "little Grolly". Ze agreed to remain with the team on the condition that there be "no snuggly-wugglies in front of the guys". This arrangement held firm for roughly seven minutes.

Zephyr is in a queer platonic relationship with the more socially confident Yusef Fenestrate. Ze is part of the close-knit "Brokyo" clique alongside Val Hitherto and Coolname Galvanic, who are only too happy to take turns play-acting as supervillains.