Kalas

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

Hey guys, I want to apologise for my prolonged absence.

I've been dealing with depression for a while now and things took a turn for the worst around 2 months ago. I don't really want to go into details but I wasn't able to be online much after that. I also felt bad for leaving you in the lurch and kinda hid myself away out of shame, I guess. I've only visited the site a handful of times since then but I've been talking things through with my therapist she advised me to come back and explain myself so that I might not feel so bad about it.

I'm glad to see you guys have still carried this on up until now and I'm still very much interested in the roleplay itself. I haven't decided whether it would be right for me to just come back after all this time, so I'd prefer to leave that decision to you.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

Okay, just a heads-up that I'm probably not gonna be active much this weekend. I've had my GF over tonight and we're going to the theatre tomorrow afternoon. I might be able to get a quick post up when I get home, but I'm then going back out to watch the UFC at a friend's house. So if I don't post tomorrow, expect it on Sunday.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

Just cranked out a new post. Finally decided on Thaddeus' background, which was actually a pretty fun to RP.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

^{The Judicator | Lord of the Underworld}

---

^{TIME: Present Day - Late Morning | LOCATION: Neberziel - The Canyon | INTERACTION: None}

"Open it."

Azhriel commanded, as he slouched nonchalantly upon his throne. A common habit of his despite being Lord of the Underworld. He was referring to the large spiritual cage situated some twenty meters from the steps of his divine seat. It was currently host to the powerful Soul of a Verzakian Dragon who, until now, had never been seen before across the land.

This one was dead, however. Victim to its' own primal urges to destroy anything and everything it lays it eyes on. Unfortunately, the first and last thing it bore witness to was its' very own creator, the God of Fire; Ragnagedon. The battle that raged between them had caught the attention of Azhriel's most trusted disciple, Lyssa The Gracious, and at his order the remaining essence of this divine creature was brought before the God of Souls.

Lyssa wasn't the only disciple in attendance, the remaining two members of the Ashen Guard, Gibari The Rook and Xander The Silent, had joined them to watch over the ceremonial inauguration of the fourth member. Despite all three of them standing guard, Lyssa still hesitated to respond to her Master's order. The Lord of the Underworld had never tamed a dragon's Soul before, nor had he tamed the divine creation of another God. She could feel her anxiety welling up inside, especially given that this was one of the Destroyer's minions.

Azhriel remained unfazed as the cage opened, granting the dragon freedom. It took a moment to proceed forward, scanning area for any signs of its' former master. The Judge could sense its' fear. Once it had been determined that the Fire God was not around, the beast changed dramatically. Bursting from the confines of the spirit cage with a roar, unfurling its' wings to their full length and bearing its' chest as a challenge. At this, Azhriel finally rose to his feet.

Noticing the challenger before it, the dragon instantly became hostile directing a snarl towards its' opponent as it began to circle. Azhriel remained calm, however, and casually walked down each step of his throne until he reached the canyon floor. Off to the side, Lyssa clenched her fists ready to jump in at a moment's notice. She glanced towards the others, they too looked ready to do the same.

Without notice, the dragon flew into action launching itself forward using its' powerful hind legs to propel it towards its' seemingly defenseless target. As it travelled the distance, an ethereal flame started to build in its' throat preparing to roast Azhriel to death. But it wasn't to be.

"Kneel."

As the singular word passed his lips, the weight of the entire world seemed to fall upon every Soul in the vicinity. A force far more powerful than gravity slammed the dragon to the ground, mid-flight. A deafening boom echoed out across the canyon as the ground shook from the impact. The beast was taken completely by surprise, who failed to recognize what had happened initially before attempting to struggle to its' feet.

Lyssa and the others had been forced to obey too. Both Gibari and Xander were left bowing on both their hands and knees, whilst she had only been reduced to a single knee. As she continued to watch the events of the inauguration unfold, she was almost horrified to see the dragon beginning to stand back up. Disbelief filled her face but Azhriel simply took a single step forward.

"I said, kneel!"

As he raised his voice the force instantly grew much heavier, slamming the dragon down once again. Lyssa had sunken to her hands and knees this time, whilst Gibari and Xander were almost fully prostrated. The beast made a feeble attempt to resist once more but the Judge merely placed a foot on its' head to prevent it.

"I am Azhriel." He spoke. "Lord of the Underworld and God of all Souls. You answer to me now."

The dragon seemed to writhe in pain with each word, a gutteral scream tearing from its' throat. Which is when Azh noticed it, Ragnagedon's essence still remained within the dragon even after death.

"This won't do." He murmured to himself.

Azhriel removed his foot in order to reach down to grasp at the dragon's heavily-toothed maw. Wrenching it open, he shoved his free arm down the lizard's throat. The beast attempted to flail in agony, accompanied by choked cries of pain, until finally the God of Souls ripped his arm out. The dragon recoiled as far back as it could, screeching with anguish, though it was still unable to move very far.

Held firmly in his grip, the Lord of the Underworld, examined a glowing, red sac of essence, Ragnagedon's essence to be exact. It must have been what was driving the beast to destroy, yet it also seemed to be the source of the dragon's ability to breathe fire. Azhriel regarded it with disgust before tossing it over towards Lyssa.

"Get rid of it." He demanded, though she was still unable to move.

Looking down at the Soul of the dragon he'd just tamed, Azhriel came to the conclusion that he had no need for a beast to serve him. Instead he would grant this Soul a new form, a human form. Directing his emerald energy towards the lizard, Azhriel began to envelope it completely. More hoarse roars could be heard coming from the beast until eventually, roars turned to screams. The screams of a man. Half-Human, Half-Dragon to be precise. He remained face-down on the ground, fully naked and panting heavily from the entire ordeal. Several scars covered his dark-scaled, sweat-soaked skin.

"Rise before me and serve your new God." Azhriel stated. "From this day forth, you shall be known as Thaddeus, The Betrayer."

Summary

Azhriel decides to tame the soul of the Verzakian Dragon with almost little to no effort. Upon removing the essence of Ragnagedon from its' soul, the dragon loses its' ability to breathe fire. Azhriel then decides to grant it a new Half-Human, Half-Dragon form, naming him Thaddeus, The Betrayer.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

Apologies for taking so long. I've been busy redecorating my room/upgrading my PC.

Ooh Shiney

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

^{The Judicator | Lord of the Underworld}

---

^{TIME: Present Day - Late Morning | LOCATION: Neberziel - The Old God's Cavern | INTERACTION: None}

"Back so soon, God of Souls?"

The voice oozed out from the darkness as a whisper, greeting Azhriel as he materialized just beyond the entrance of the hidden cavern. Even despite the mystical, emerald-flamed torches burning at either side, no light seemed able to penetrate very far into the mouth of the cave. The sound was becoming all too familiar to him now, a fact he'd rather not be true. This was the third time in the last century he'd come to this place looking for answers, the previous visit occurring just a mere decade ago. As a Divine Being, destined to live forever, a hundred years isn't that long at all.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure this time?" It spoke again, another question asked.

"My brethren, they are beginning to learn of your existence." Azhriel replied, finally. This Soul had been kept a secret for centuries, its' very identity lost to the annals of time. Not even Iva'Krorh, God of Knowledge, knew of them. Though Azhriel had begun to suspect the opposite. Or at the very least they were on course to finding out. It was something he had to prevent at all costs. But how far would his fellow God go to find out the truth, he was quite literally mad about knowledge after all.

"Is that worry I sense from you?" The voice inquired. Though it remained surrounded in unnatural shadow, Azh could feel them smiling back at him.

"Not for your sake." He snapped back, clearly agitated by what they'd implied. "You and I both know why your existence must remain buried!" His final words echoed out as he finished. The silence that followed remained uninterrupted for a few lingering moments before the voice spoke again.

"You already know the answer you seek. Use them, it's what they were created for. They will grant you the power to keep your secret safe." The voice seemed to want to entice him but Azhriel was left disappointed with the answer he'd been given.

"We've had this discussion, already. My answer is no. The balance must be maintained." The Judge began turning his back to the cavern entrance, clenching his fist as he did so.

"Then you will fail to keep me hidden and in turn lose everything!" With that the voice began to laugh, quietly at first before increasing in volume to become a deafening roar. Azhriel had already left by then.

---

^{TIME: Present Day - Late Morning | LOCATION: Neberziel - The Canyon | INTERACTION: None}

As the Lord of the Underworld arrived back at the Canyon, he was met by Lyssa one of the three Ashen Guards. Dead, yet powerful guardians whose task remained to protect Neberziel from any outside dangers. Lyssa had been a half-God in life, detested by the rest of her kin both Human and Divine alike. All except for him, who had appeared before her during an attempt to take her own life. Despite her initial refusal to believe his offer of friendship, Lyssa had been his most loyal disciple for several decades now. She had always remained virtually emotionless but Azh could tell from her expression something was amiss. "What is it, Lyssa?" He asked, his earlier annoyance still lingering.

She took a moment to steel herself before speaking, "My Lord, it's Ragnagedon. He has awoken from his slumber." She responded gravely. The news shook him from his foul mood almost instantly.

"It can't be." He said to himself. "Quickly, you must tell me everything that has happened."

"When he awoke, Verzak shook violently. The rumble of the earth could be heard even from the Pit of Ahael. It wasn't soon afterwards that ash and fire filled the horizon. Then, out of nowhere, a battle ensued-"

"A battle, who could possibly stand against him? Unless it was Sveiand?" Azhriel interrupted before she could finish.

"It was a dragon, my Lord." She corrected.

"A dragon?!" The Judge repeated, almost amused by the answer. "And what became of this...dragon?" He inquired.

"It fell. Though it seemed as if there were more of its' kind who answered to the Destroyer." Lyssa informed him. Azhriel's shock swiftly subsided, just as his anger had, as he slouched back onto his throne.

"A creation of Ragnagedon, huh?" The God of Souls pondered, a wry smile creeping across his masked face. "Bring it before me." He commanded. "It's high-time we recruit another Soul into the Ashen Guard."

Summary

Azhriel meets with the Old God to search for answers in order to keep the secret of its' existence hidden from his fellow Gods. Upon returning to his throne, one of his disciples informs him of Ragnagedon's awakening and the death of one of the Fire God's creations. Azhriel intends to recruit the Soul of the fallen dragon into the Ashen Guard.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

Been a busy weekend for me. I'll get my post done tomorrow.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

@A Lowly Wretch Got it. I'll be sure to edit my sheet.

@Lord Zee Just a heads-up, Wonderdraft is being released as Early Access on Oct 1 for $19.99.

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

Azhriel, God of Souls

Azhriel

The Judicator, Lord of the Underworld

God of Souls

Ancient Mural | Judicator Form

Realm: Neberziel, The Underworld.

Despite its name, Neberziel is not technically under anything. It is a completely separate realm, although a physical entrance may be found situated on a remote island towards the southern-east most direction of the world. This is called the Pit of Ahael and often mistaken for being the Underworld itself, given the sheer depth of the Pit. Inside the realm of Neberziel is rather barren. An endless, stone-grey canyon littered with bone cages suspended from chains and the odd emerald-flame. The canyon stretches on forever in all directions. Indiscriminately situated on the canyon floor is a hulking metallic throne, forged by Ferran as a gift to the Lord of the realm. Placed mere feet in front of the throne is a well-worn chopping block with dried bloodstains for decoration. It is here where the dead are served judgement kneeling as they wait.

Echoing wails of those long passed can be heard in the distance. They originate from the River Oberon which is located beyond the canyon to the west, though it seems to be inaccessible by any normal means. It is here where the Souls of the Damned remain, forever floating by. However there is no noticeable current and the river seems to meander and split in several directions at once. Merely gazing upon it is enough to elicit feelings of nausea for any mortal fortunate enough to witness it. In order to aid him in governing the dead, Azhriel has enlisted the servitude of four souls who were once powerful living beings known as the Ashen Guard. These four loyal avatars oversee the general influx of Souls and take turns at standing guard at the Pit of Ahael. Though their Souls have been reinstated into new forms, they are still considered dead.

Hidden somewhere deep inside Neberziel is a cavern that hosts the Soul of an Old God. Details of who they were or how they came to be killed are lost to all but the Lord of the Underworld. Azhriel rarely visits the Old God though when he does, it is usually out of some dire need for knowledge or direction. There aren't many among his brethren who know of this Soul but even in death, faint remnants of their once-great power can still be felt.

Biography:

A God dedicated to the Balance of All Things. Azhriel's birth was one of necessity, to guide the Souls of those lost in death. Due to Ragnagedon's murderous tendencies, Azhriel was forced to focus on the numerous amounts of Souls lost to the Fire God's hand, sifting through the mountains of dead deciding whom should be allowed to live again and whether the deceased may rest in peace or misery. Over time, his power has expanded to allow him to reside over all Souls that inevitably pass on.

As the Lord of the Underworld, Azhriel is undeniably protective of all Souls he welcomes into his embrace. Good, Evil, Chaotic or Lawful. No matter the judgement, they each become his children and he would see the end of all other realms in order to protect them. Other Gods have, at times, tried to seduce him in order to utilise the Souls of the Damned for their own gain, some have even tried to kill him. But not one has succeeded. Buffed heavily by his Judicator Form, Azhriel has fought back every attempt to gain forceful entry into Neberziel.

As a Judge, he remains unbiased to the occurrences of the other realms. From the petty squabbles of his fellow Gods down to the territorial battles waged between the fledgling Humans, Azhriel refuses to choose a side. Throughout his tenure, Azhriel has remained neutral of all things except for the actions of the God of Fire. He is stalwart in his duties and truly believes in the balance that must be maintained between both Life and Death. That Ragnagedon continuously attempts to upset this balance, whilst falsely professing to be of the same heritage, exists as the only thing that actually irks him.

Misc:

- Azhriel pays no mind to his own age. As a result of this, he doesn't exactly remember when he was born. Only that Ragnagedon's murderous rampages annoyed him greatly during his early years.

- It is possible for any being, Divine or otherwise, to bargain with Azhriel using their Soul as currency. The true ramifications of this have not yet been fully explored, but Azhriel conducts almost all of these deals fairly without any hidden conditions. Azhriel learnt this power from the Old God that resides in Neberziel.

- Despite having his own personal realm, Azhriel spends a lot of his time wandering across the mortal realm searching for lost Souls, leaving the defence and general running of Neberziel to his Ashen Guard.

- Has been known to answer to "Ash" on occasion, mostly from his fellow Gods however.

Notes:
-
-
-
-

_{"Put that on my Tabula"}

---

Relationships

Azhriel's Divine Judgement (of his siblings)

• Oao
  "I've seen darkness envelop the Souls of a thousand men, yet none of those were as dark as she." Azhriel murmured, slouched carelessly upon his throne. "Were she not so frightened of the world, I'd be intrigued to see what she might achieve during a solar eclipse."
• Anu'Varr
  "A sinister and cruel young temptress, though not without good reason, apparently." His mind flashed back to the violent scenes of her birth. "Her hatred of the Humans has yet to pose a problem for me, personally. Should it become one, however, I'll be sure to end her existence just as violently as it started."
• Ferron
  Azhriel slams a gauntleted fist down onto the armrest of his throne. "I was gifted this fine piece of craftsmanship by that reclusive, old bastard." He stated, smiling beneath his mask. "A shame he never visits, I have some cages that are in dire need of repair."
• Hayim
  "A naive, little weedling to be sure. But only a fool would underestimate him." The Judge quickly recalls his vast army of followers. "Health is true riches and this little guy has it by the ocean-load. Maybe I should reach out and offer to teach him a thing or two about Life & Death?"
• Dirka
  "I allow her to torment the Souls of those who misuse magic. Saves me a job, I guess." He said, yawning.
• Iarus
  "Can't say I've ever had the pleasure, to be honest. But if all he does is lie, maybe I should tell everyone we met anyways?" Azhriel adjusted himself on his throne then began needlessly inspecting his staff.
• Sommler
  "Hmm...I should ask for help to hide them from the others a while longer."
• Iva'Krorh
  "Too much knowledge is a dangerous thing." The God of Souls slowly leaned forward, an air of menace surrounding him slightly.
• Sveiand
  "I suppose you might consider us allies." He mused. "His frosty temperament is stark in contrast to the fiery oafishness of his twin brother."
• Ragnagedon
  Azhriel's expression contorts into an angry glare. "His blatant disregard for the Balance of All Things will the catalyst for his inevitable undoing."
• Naswaru
  "Ahh, the Huntsman. The most intelligent of beasts from all that I've met. We share a common respect for each other and for the Balance. Maybe I can recruit him to bring some of the others in line?"
• Dao Rugadh
  "For a God of Memories he certainly seems almost forgettable. If it weren't for the ridiculous amount of names he chooses to go by, I'm sure I would have forgotten about him entirely."
• Hyperion
  "Ugh. What a pompous ass. Coincidentally, that also seems to be the place he believes the sun shines from."

---

Creations

The Ashen Guard

The Ashen Guard

Wardens of Neberziel

Gibari, The Rook

One of the very first Souls to have been welcomed into Neberziel by Azhriel. Once a chieftain of lesser men, strong, powerful and worthy of leadership. However, he was slain as he slept by someone who coveted the same power. Even in death, Gibari exuded great strength before the God of Souls impressing him greatly. As such, Azhriel offered the man a chance to serve beyond death. To help uphold the Balance of Souls and defend Neberziel whenever the need calls for it.

=====

Xander, The Silent

Xander was a Soul who had taken his own life after killing his older brother in their sleep. When asked whether he would like to make amends with his brother's Soul, Xander refused once he saw what his brother had become; The Rook. Noticing the younger brother's cowardice, Azhriel enlisted his Soul to serve as Warden of Neberziel. However, the God of Souls bound him to eternal silence so that he may never be at peace with his brother's murder.

=====

Lyssa, The Gracious

The result of a pairing looked down upon by most at the time of her birth. Half-Human, Half-Divine Being. An outcast for much of her life until she tried to end it. Sensing the uniqueness of her Soul, Azhriel swiftly intervened. He approached her with compassion, understanding and a simple offer. Pledge to him her Soul and he would provide it with a home and meaning. Initially, she was distrustful of the God who had suddenly appeared before her. No Divine Being had ever regarded her as anything more than an abomination but Azhriel insisted. It took some time but eventually she agreed and so the God of Souls whisked her away to his domain, enlisting the half-breed as another of Neberziel's Wardens. Since she hadn't taken her life and was already part Divine, Azhriel allowed her to retain her original form. Though her true parentage remains buried, it is no secret that her Divinity makes her the strongest of the four Wardens.

=====

Thaddeus, The Betrayer

Tabrasa\- Born of Chaos.

@A Lowly Wretch Awesome to hear. With regards to your note about Ragnagedon, does this mean I shouldn't refer to Azhriel as the child of Life and Death?