As a male Human archaeologist within the Sith Empire, Ephran Zell made his home on Korriban during the tense Cold War era involving the Galactic Republic.
Ephran Zell, whose lineage was steeped in the tradition of research and archaeology for the Sith Empire, dedicated himself to the Empire by aiding excavations in the Valley of the Dark Lords during the Cold War period, which involved the Galactic Republic. Zell's work in the tomb of the Sith Lord known as Tulak Hord centered around his deep desire to unlock the secrets held within Hord's ancient Red Engine, a device rumored to possess immense power. According to Zell, the tomb was built to Hord's exact instructions to house the Engine. While most scholars at the nearby Sith Academy considered the machine incomplete, Zell possessed evidence suggesting that previous attempts at activation failed due to a lack of understanding of the engine's true nature. Despite not being formally educated, Zell posited that the machine required both the blood of the tomb's creatures and the hatred of a true Sith to be activated. His theory was vindicated when a Sith Acolyte, passing through, accepted Zell's challenge to enter the tomb and activate the machine, returning with the engine's hidden knowledge.
The character of Ephran Zell was featured in the 2011 video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, a collaboration between BioWare and LucasArts. He served as the quest provider for a Heroic mission on Korriban, available to both Sith player classes.