Behnam Aria is Rayni Aria's father. He was a matchmaker and got banished for illegally pairing himself with Esha Aria, his wife. They were considered a bad match, so he illegally altered their matchmaking result. In a memory in Kenric's cache, Behnam was shown to be talking to Kenric, and he asks him to make a hypothetical match list for Kenric even though he was a Councillor, he reluctantly agrees to his request and shows him that his number one match is Councillor Oralie.
He has bronze skin, shiny black hair, and dramatic eyebrows like Rayni.
Relationships[]
Esha Aria[]
- Wife
Esha and Behnam are married and banished. In order to not be a bad match, Behnam altered their matchmaking results.
Rayni Aria (Glimmer)[]
- Daughter
Rayni is Behnam and Esha's daughter. When Esha and Behnam were banished, they left her in the Lost Cities with a note saying they did not want to ruin her life. Rayni harbored a degree of bitterness towards her parents for abandoning her and claimed that she didn't care whether Behnam and Esha remained banished. Despite this, she held a grudge against the Council, believing that it should have thanked her father for exposing the flaws in their matchmaking system showing that she still cares about them even with her claiming she doesn't.
History[]
Pre-Keeper[]
Behnam changed one question to be able to make him and Esha a good match. This led to speculation as his daughter, Rayni, was growing up that he had altered their lists. He and Esha eventually got put on trial for it and he confessed to the crime.
As seen in Kenric's cache in Stellarlune, Behnam agrees to make Kenric a hypothetical match list in exchange for Kenric's help one day if he needs it.
Book 1: Keeper of the Lost Cities[]
Behnam and Esha's tribunal was happening when Sophie first saw the Lost Cities. They ended up banished.
Triva[]
- The name "Behnam" means "honorable".
- Behnam was a long-time matchmaker.