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"A kind of thinking beyond the normal reasoning processes by which one immediately apprehends the truth, perceives and understands reality."

Ezylryb, The Rescue

Ezylryb



Description
Species:	Whiskered Screech Owl (Otus trichopsis)
Gender:	Male
Family
Brother: Sister: Mate: Son: Grandson:	Ifghar Lysa Lil Bo Braithe

Book Appearances
Appears in:	The Journey, The Rescue, The Siege, The Shattering, The Burning
Movie Appearances
Appears in:	Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Details
Also known as Lyze of Kiel; legendary warrior and tactician

Ezylryb was an old Whiskered Screech Owl, or Otus trichopsis, and a legendary warrior, scholar, poet, and ryb at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

Appearance

Ezylryb is scruffy, battle scarred and a very unkempt owl in the movie. He is also missing a toe because in a deleted scene from the movie Metal Beak cut it off in the Battle of the Ice Claws. In the books, however, he is noticeably more well groomed. In both the novel and the movie, he has a lazy eye, possibily damaged in battle. His feathers are grayish-white, different shades of brown, and black. In the books Ezylryb is missing a talon on his left foot, which he bit off to relieve himself of pain after it was injured.

Personality

Ezylryb was a peace lover. After his mate, Lil, was killed in battle, Ezylryb swore never to fight again, and he kept that promise up until the day he died. When Soren first met him, it seemed Ezylryb was a no-nonsense owl, but this changed when Ezylryb was shown playing around, singing, and telling dirty jokes in flight during a weather interpretation flight. Ezylryb strongly believed in goofing around with others, saying it induced friendship and trust.

Ezylryb had a special fondness for his apprentice, Soren, who, at first, thought Ezylryb was terrifying, but then grew to see him as a fatherly figure. Soon, Ezylryb told Soren that the Barn Owl was under Ezylryb's protection as a son would be.

Ezylryb, being a scientist, is shown to be fond of reading books involving an owl's gizzard, or books about weather. He did not believe in superstition or visions. However, despite his scientific nature, one of the things he enjoyed most are dirty jokes, like Boron did much to Barran's disaproval. He often jokes with seagulls (who Otulissa describes as "the scum of the avian world") and his other chaw members during weather interpretation classes, where Ezylryb is at his happiest.

In the film, Ezylryb's personality is much different then from the books. At first, he is shown to be more grim than in the books. He is somewaht sarcastic at times, such as commenting that he thought Soren could last only a minute in battle. Neverless, he still believed in Soren and stood up for him during a Parliament meeting. After Metal Beak's death, Ezylryb seems to have undergone a complete transformation. He became much happier and lighthearted, even playful as shown when he feigns a threatening chuckle directed towards the recently rescued owlets and making them laugh.

History

Before the Books

Lyze of Kiel was born in the Northern Kingdoms during the War of the Ice Claws, with a brother, Ifghar, and a sister, Lysa, who was eaten by a coyote when she tried to fly before she was ready. His father died in combat against the League of the Ice Talons, so he enrolled at the Kielian Military Academy so as to "Avenge his forfathers." One day, he obtained a pair of battle claws from Orf, the legendary rogue smith of Dark Fowl Island. Ifhgar was blindly jealous, until Lyze revealed that they were actually for him, but he'd have to work for them.

Lyze graduated at the top of his class and developed a new battle technique, the Kielian method, in which owls flew with Kielian snakes on their back. He fell in love with another Whiskered Screech named Lil, and he proposed to her. She eventually laid an egg. Once again, Ifghar was jealous of him, for Ifghar had also fallen in love with Lil. Lyze also introduced the future rogue smith of Silverveil to Orf, who became her teacher. After Ifghar received the Blue Heart of Valor award for courage in battle, Lyze passed on his battle claws, but when Ifghar proposed a Kielian League surrender, Lyze took them back and said that type of thinking was treacherous.

Later, Ifghar betrayed the Kielian League when he went to the League of Ice Talons and gave them information. He asked for Lil to be his mate if the Ice Talons won. However, the plan went terribly wrong when Lil was mortally wounded. Lyze went yeep when he saw this, but an eagle caught him by the port talon at the last minute before he crashed into the water below. It proved to be such a bother that Lyze bit it off himself.

Under the persuasion of Octavia, a Kielian snake fighter and close friend of Lyze who had been blinded in the battle, he retrieved his battle claws and vowed to never fight with them again. He joined the Glauxian brothers and becomes a famous author, writing poems and war history. One of the Glauxian Brothers felt that it was a shame that Lyze's knowledge was stuck in an old retreat, instead of a place where he could teach young'uns, so he suggested the Great Ga'Hoole Tree as a place where he can go. Lyze, who renamed himself Ezyl, agreed and leaves the retreat and is appointed to teach the weather chaw and supervise colliering at the Great Ga' Hoole Tree. As is tradition, "ryb" is attached to the ending of the teacher's name, so Ezyl became known as Ezylryb.

The Journey

When the band arrived to the great tree, Soren and Gylfie were horrified by Ezylryb's missing port talon, which the old ryb disapproved of. Later, Soren, Otulissa, Ruby, and Martin were "tapped" and chosen for the weather chaw. Soren was initially unhappy about this but had a complete change of heart in the first class when they flew in a gale, during which he discovered that there was actually a playful side to the ryb as he sang songs, told dirty jokes, and gleeked about (or "messed around") in flight, which Otulissa highly disapproved of. He also supervised colliering, and congratulated Soren when he caught a large bonk coal in the middle of the air. When the Great Downing took place, Ezylryb left the tree to investigate but disappeared when all of the other owls returned.

The Rescue

Unbeknownst to the Guardians, Ezylryb was trapped in a Devil's Triangle, a triangle made by placing large amounts of flecks at three different points, which made him lose his sense of direction. Luckily, there was enough prey there to last a while, but not for a long period of time. The Pure Ones' leader, Metal Beak, wanted him for his vast knowledge, but they didn't have a base to lure him to because the St. Aggie's owls had previously raided the former one. Prey also began to become scarce and starvation was imminent for the old ryb.

Meanwhile, the band had found out from the rogue smith of Silverveil that Ezylryb had enemies, even though they know that he is the most nonviolent owl imaginable. They decided to sneak into his private hollow when Octavia wasn't looking, and discover a secret chamber where his old battle claws are hidden. Octavia found them, but told them that she would not give them away. Then they asked of Ezylryb's past, and she revealed that he was a great warrior in the War of the Ice Claws, and that he was betrayed by his brother, Ifghar. The band, Eglantine, and Otulissa went to rescue Ezylryb and discovered that he is contained within the Devil's Triangle. Otulissa said that the flecks' powers could be destroyed by fire, so in that matter, they destroyed all the bags of flecks and suddenly met up with Ezylryb. However, the Pure Ones, unwilling to give up their prize, attack them, but they and Ruby and Martin, who arrived at the last minute, defeated them with burning branches. Ezylryb, however, kept his promise from long ago and did not fight.

The Siege

A discussion took place in the parliament hollow about whether the study of higher magnetics should be banned, or declared "spronk." Ezylryb was fiercely against the notion, along with Bubo, and the argument remained undecided. Ezylryb states that "dark magic" is just a science that can't be explained. However, Dewlap, the Ga'Hoolology ryb, who was in favor of spronk, removed all the higher magnetics books from the library, such as Fleckasia and Other Disorders of the Gizzard. Soon after, Ezylryb, Boron, and Barran (the monarchs of the Great Tree) summoned the Band, Otulissa, Ruby, and Martin, the group who are becoming known as the chaw of chaws, to go on a spy mission to St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls because of the possibility that the Pure Ones were infiltrating it to take the owl world's largest supply of flecks. Ezylryb came up with a cover story for being there, which was that they were sucked up to the Northern Kingdoms by a violent wind, or "williwaw," but thought the society too disorganized, and gives the owls lessons in the Krakish ways. Also, he gave to Otulissa the book Fleckasia and Other Disorders of the Gizzard. Dewlap, unfortunately, saw that Otulissa was reading it and took it from her, accidentaly dropping it in the sea.

When the chaw of chaws returned with news of a massing of the Pure Ones, who were about to attack the Great Tree, Ezylryb was first to hear it. Ezylryb instantly began planning battle strategy for the siege that soon began to ensue, and decided upon snares made of vines to capture the enemies. Dewlap complained that it would ruin the health of the Tree, and Ezylryb suspected that she had turned traitor, as she believed that the Pure Ones would take better care of the tree then the Ga'Hoolian owls. Soon after, Soren came up with the idea of digging out from under the tree and pinning the Pure Ones in, and Ezylryb agreed. The Ga'Hoolian owls won, but Strix Struma, the navigation ryb, was killed, along with many others. Dewlap admitted to the betrayal and was removed from the parliament.

Ezylryb soon resumed the regular schedule of teaching weather and supervising colliering, even going out to look at a forest fire on the same night that Strix Struma was killed.

The Shattering

When Otulissa and her friends were studying a fragment of a page from the destroyed book, Ezylryb helped them understand a little about the process and basics of "shattering" in one's gizzard. But for Dewlap, that wasn't the case with her; she just misunderstood and had a nervous breakdown.

During the search for Eglantine and Primrose in The Beaks, Ezylryb, along with Boron and Barran led the guardian divisions in a peg-out. They were going to fool the Pure Ones into thinking there were Northern Kindom warriors along with them, when they were really just twenty-four owls using the fire around them.

After the rescue, Ezylryb met Soren before he is sent on his next mission. He gave his battle claws to the young Barn Owl as "keys" to the Northern Kingdoms. Furthermore, Soren was now a ward under Ezylryb, protected as a son.

The Burning

Ezylryb sent the band, Eglantine, Ruby, and Martin to the Northern Kingdoms to enlist recruits for the war against the Pure Ones. He gives Soren his battle claws as passage to the northern kingdoms. He hoped that Soren and the others can get his old division, Glauxspeed, and the Kielian League to join them in their fight.

The Hatchling

Ezylryb appeared in this book at the very end waiting for Nyroc, soon to be Coryn, in the top branches of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

The Outcast

In the end he is seen sitting upon a branch of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and keeping Pellimore back when Soren tries to meet Coryn, Otulissa, and Gwyndor.

The First Collier

After Coryn came with the Ember of Hoole to the Great Ga'Hoole tree, Ezylryb became gravely ill and on the brink of death. Before he died, he told Soren and Coryn to read the legends of Ga'Hoole.

Lost Tales of Ga'Hoole

Braithe, a young Greenowl of Ambala, was plagued with nightmares concerning the phrase "Lil's spots." Braithe would also be visited by the scroom of Ezylryb multiple times. Ezylryb informed Braithe that his father, Bo, was good, despite Braithe thinking he was bad. Ezylryb also revealed that he and Lil had a chick together but lost the egg during the battle of the Ice Claws. However, the chick survived and was raised in Ambala and was named Bo. Therefore, Braithe had inherited Lil's spots from his father who had inherited them from Lil, making Ezylryb Braithe's grandfather. Having completed his unfinished business, Ezylryb finally ascended to glaumora to be with his mate, Lil.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Before the events of the film, Lyze of Kiel faced Metal Beak, slicing off his beak in battle, but losing a talon and wounding his eye.

When Soren was brought before the Parliament, it is Ezlyryb who stood up for the young owl's claims. After the meeting, he congratulated Soren for making it to the tree. While teaching the Guardians-in-training to fly through a storm, he tested Soren's ability to trust his gizzard. Afterwards, Soren realized that Ezylryb was really Lyze of Kiel, but the old ryb was indifferent to his past.

Ezylryb joined the Guardians in their attack on the Pure Ones, falling into their fleck-based trap. After Soren freed them, Ezylryb went after Metal Beak. However, Nyra attacked Ezylryb, who was once again saved by Soren, who ended up killing Metal Beak. Ezylryb consoled Soren afterwards, telling him he did what was right.

When Soren and his friends were made full Guardians, Ezylryb was among those who bowed to them, and later led them on a flight.

Behind the Scenes

If you look at Ezyl, the first part of his name, it is Lyze backwards, and the word ryb is the last part of his name, reflecting that he is a ryb at the great tree.
His full name is Ezekiel Ezylryb.
Ezylryb is also known to like snacking on dried caterpillars.
If you look closely there are four talons on the left and three on the right in his picture.
In the film, if you look closely at Ezylryb's helmet, you can see a scar on the helmet just above Ezylryb's lazy eye. This could mean that, at least in the movie, Ezylryb's eye was damaged in battle sometime before the film.
Also, in the books Ezylryb is a nonviolent owl, whereas in the movie he is quite the fighter, though he shows some regret about it.
If he kept his original birth name, Lyze, and went to the great tree, he would be Lyzeryb.
In the movie, Ezylryb is voiced by Geoffrey Rush.
Soren thought that Ezylryb was scary before he tapped him for his chaw.