Anathema

Unlike Branimir and Cadavros, who both appear to control spiders through their corruption in sablefyre, Zevander’s sigil is a scorpion. Scorpions are known to prey on spiders, which they can overpower with their pincers. Though both are arachnids, scorpions are better suited to hunting spiders than spiders are to scorpions. The fact that Zevander calls upon the scorpion in his first fight with Branimir, defeating his brother’s spiders and forcing him back into his cell, separates Zevander from the other two sablefyre-corrupted characters. While Branimir’s and Cadavros’s spiders evoke a sense of preying on the weak, hiding in shadows, and capturing helpless people in traps, Zevander’s scorpions prey specifically on the deceitful spider wielders. As such, Zevander’s scorpion symbolizes his quest for vengeance and his desire to kill those who would prey on the weak.

At the same time, the symbolism of Zevander’s scorpion connects to a real-world fable, called either “The Scorpion and the Frog” (Russian) or “The Scorpion and the Turtle” (Persian). In the fable, the scorpion asks either a turtle or a frog to carry it across a pond. The turtle or frog is dubious, suspecting that the scorpion will sting it. The scorpion argues that stinging the frog or turtle while crossing the lake would be foolish since both the scorpion and the carrier would die. However, once the turtle or frog agrees, the scorpion waits until they are in the middle of the pond before stinging the carrier. As they die, the scorpion says that it cannot fight its nature. The fable indicates that people who are inclined to hurt others cannot necessarily help themselves. In the novel, Zevander often uses his scorpions for revenge or retribution, a purely emotional response, highlighting that he, too, is subject to his nature and may not be as in control as he appears.