I think O’Khasis would be a very religious “Praise be to Lady Irene” place and that means Zane has religious trauma because I say so.

But I think he abuses that trauma. He knows how worthless, fearful and willing religion can make you so he uses it against others. He threatens his followers (since he is High Priest) with the same threats of eternal pain and suffering and the fear of coming back as a Shadow Knight to get people to do as Irene (he) wants.

He knows it works because throughout his childhood it worked on him and his brothers. He watched his father keep him and others under his thumb using religion and wanted to feel that kind of control since he lacked it so much in childhood.

I think that as Zane got older he didn’t even believe in the eternal suffering because if that was true why was his father so terrible and why was he not scared of what Irene planned for him? I don’t even think Zane believed Irene was a Goddess or some kind of celestial being. I think he probably thought she was a very powerful and clever witch who manipulated people to believe her own hype. And I think he respected that and wanted it for himself and wanted the power and notoriety to get everyone to worship him and thats what started his hunt for her relic.

I think Zane believes everyone is like him in some way. Doing whatever it takes to get to the top which is why he feels no shame or guilt in it. In his mind, from what he’s been shown by his father and everyone around him thats just how people are.