Born to Nellens Kazeden Bronoth, a rotund and spirited merchant of considerable wealth, and a previously-Tepet widow by the name of Shinara, Azralon never wanted for material comfort. Even if Bronoth had not spoiled the boy, Azralon bore quite overt signs of Mela's favor. His hair was perpetually silvery-white and seemed to float on unfelt breezes during moments of tension. His baby-blue eyes quickly adopted a purple hue within days of his birth. His skin always felt cool to the touch, and seemed to take on a preternatural bluish cast when he stood in the shadows.

Exaltation for Azralon was inevitable, and to only mild surprise did it occur on his tenth birthday during a quite-public party his father had thrown for him. Lightning flashed, inexplicable clouds gathered around Azralon, and his family's pride in the event was secondary only to his own.

The boy grew to hold an elitist mindset and imperious bearing, having no desire (nor need) to lower himself to experience such optimistic social artifacts as empathy and grace. His ingrained upbringing had taught him that society has castes and tiers for reasons, and violating that structure would simply be unprofitable to one such as himself. After all, his blood and soul had been Exalted to levels envied by all who laid eyes upon him. Why would anyone doubt the wisdom of the Air Dragon?

Assassination attempts riddled his later life, and ultimately claimed the lives of both his parents. In order to protect his valuable future offspring, Azralon spent some time in secret seclusion and maintained only the lightest line of communication with House Nellens. However, with the return of the Empress, his genetic and spiritual duty no longer allowed him the luxury of safety. He ventured forth to protect the realm, just as Mela had Exalted him to do.

[+2 XP]

“I write these memoirs to better serve my progeny, as it is my duty bridge the history of my ancestors with the future of my descendants. I hope my thoughts bring understanding to the reader and glory to my bloodline.

“House Nellens has bid me and a small group of lesser Dragon-Bloods to investigate the inexplicable silence of some faraway colony of ours. I know not why we find a desert dwelling to have import, as clearly such an environment is inhospitable to sensible society. I'd write it off as a tragic loss and focus upon enhancing our core holdings; but as I am not the leader of the house as of yet, it is not my place to implement that wisdom.

“The lands have been devastated with a plague of some sort. It was an obvious assumption that the dark vessel which greeted us in the harbor had something to do with the death and subsequent eruption of hungry ghosts, which was why I immediately dismissed it as overly obvious. In fact the gregarious underworld lord of that ship was quite hospitable and affected great forthcoming, submitting that he was as curious about the events as we were. I signed some ridiculously vague and pretentious mystic contract to the effect that I'd report my subjectively worthwhile findings on the plague to the fellow, and in return he'd compensate me as he sees fit.

“With that unnecessary level of pomp and ceremony, we set off to trek across the blasted desert to the next cluster of attempted civilization.

”…. Oh, as an afterthought, there was a naval battle on the way. Pirate fools attacked, and for their trouble the survivors now work for us. I'm relatively pleased with the upgrade in living accommodations I enjoyed briefly onboard.”

[+8 XP]

“As I pride myself upon being a fast learner, I have no reservation in relaying the following discovery: Writing one's memoirs is much less bothersome when one has a scribe. Unfortunately, the journeys behind and ahead of us seem to be inhospitable to one less hardy than myself. I fear that a mere mortal would find this lifestyle even more taxing than I find filling this scroll with words of wisdom. So, for the welfare of those weaker and for the education of those dimmer, I shall persist in my updates. Perhaps in a more abbreviated fashion, so as to likewise not tax the eyes of future scholars.

“My companions and I had some mildly interesting naval encounters, with personages not particularly worth noting. I took mildly ill from this accursed plague; it seems as though it is transmitted through a mental vector, afflicting those for whom a carrier has strong feelings. As my royal persona is quite engaging and I accumulated a vast following of would-be worshipers quickly, I did indeed fall ill. With honesty it felt like I was wading through the emotional morass of unwashed commoners so I consider myself twice-blessed that I contracted nothing else. No matter, though, as my destiny shall see me through this minor inconvenience.”

[+8 XP]

“Upon approaching the shrine to some upstart known as 'Adorned in Brass' we came across some unsavory natives. Before my grace enchanted them into potential supplicants from their misbegotten religion, a preternaturally bright flash of light was seen on the horizon. One of my cousins, the tracker, determined the distance and direction but I'd recommend cross-referencing his notes (if the lout even keeps them) for those details.

“The temple of Adorned in Brass was little challenge, as some foolish acolytes and metallic simians were destroyed in the name of their zealotry. It is worthwhile noting that within that edifice we uncovered the girl known as Song, who seemed to have undergone some sort of metamorphosis within the structure before fleeing.

“Nonplussed by this esoteric and nonsensical environment, I look forward to returning to the comforts of civilization proper.”

[+8 XP]

“I seem to accumulate followers without effort, even in the wild. Liberating mortals does seem to endear them easily enough; pity that the poor things are so myopic that they consider their 'freedom' to be valuable. What worth holds the freedom of an ant? Surely the ant is impressed, but not the eagle observing the deluded insect in passing as it soars through the open sky.

“While in town, recovering from the discomfort of the wilderness, some fool of a skulk attempted to spy upon us. Using my cousins as a distraction, I easily intercepted and interrogated the clumsy oaf and determined him to be operating under the orders of the local king.

“This told me all I needed to know of the region's royalty, and I proceeded to operate under diplomatically righteous indigation, as any true noble would. I promptly confronted the knave-king and found myself less than impressed with his statesmanship. I made no secret that I could easily have him replaced with someone more respectful and more competent. I believe he understood and felt properly cowed while keeping up airs otherwise.

“Perhaps the highlight of this journey so far was when the idiotic court ordered our assassinations while we were being treated to royal room and board. The food was awful enough to disturb my slumber somewhat, but not as much as the embarrassingly undergifted would-be-murderers who crept into our rooms and to their swift death. Apparently the chamberlain here considers himself above our station enough to order our quiet dispatching; I shall explain the world to him and his king so perhaps they will benefit from it in their next lives.”

[+8 XP]

“It is with great regret that I write a brief note regarding our respected Empress: There is apparently a discrediting rumor being played about, suggesting she has ordered the deaths of the house leaders within her own great Empire.

“This disturbs me more than I have admitted aloud to my cousins; the source of this heresy must be uncovered immediately and reconciled with reality. To that effect, our convoluted investigation has led us to believe that we will be negotiating with the Fey for further information. They are by definition untrustworthy, but in difficult times brave men must do difficult things.”

[+8 XP]

“I tired of trudging through inhospitably hot and arid environments, missing the cool and moist air of my mountain home. The clouds, gently kissing my skin as a loving fog, call to me within my memories.

“The Fey were appropriately gracious as we approached, my female cousin's poor manners and belligerent armaments aside. I found them to be properly respectful of us, and by merit of my diplomacy I believe we can forge at minimum a beneficial mutual non-aggression agreement in the future if it became necessary. Even trading properly for a captive princess was quite workable.

“Now onward to use our addle-brained prize to straighten out her father's corrupt kingdom, provided no one is dim-witted enough to anger the Fey on the way out.”

[+8 XP]

“The damn fools went in and somehow antagonized our hosts, which resulted in the lavish tent turning into some sort of swirling vortex of sand. The dozen guards rushing in were my obvious targets, with the intent of buying time for my companions to resolve whatever nonsense they had created. Their solution was the murder of our hosts, insomuch that creatures like that can be killed.

“Upon my entry to the tent-vortex, I witnessed a battle odd even in our terms. I shall not presume my talent with storytelling will do it justice at this time; but it occurs to me to perhaps be mindful should a dedicated bard be charged to rewrite my epic.

“In any case, unclear on what the priorities were, I attempted to provide fire support and extraction. My companions urgently suggested I abscond with a young girl that Rathimund just pummeled with his fiery fists, so I did so in the quicksilver manner in which I am quite proficient.

“I carried the incapacitated girl – now evident as our quarry herself – to safety and awaited the rendezvous with the others. From there we made a hidden camp for the night within the volcanic bowels of the earth. She grew lucid as the magical compulsions wore off, and as soon as we deemed her mind no longer delicate, we broached the truth of recent history upon her.

“She took it well, and agreed that her father had at minimum behaved poorly as ruler, any magical compulsions of his own aside. We all together envisioned a plan to oust him and embed her in his stead. The next hurdle will be a political one, and I find myself looking forward to it.”

[+8 XP]

“There is little need for further detail here, under than entering into history that on this day my cousins and I purged the corrupted king and his secretly Anathemic soul from both his kingdom and our realm. His bodily form as disgusting as the dishonorable mind within him, we laid him low and placed his recovered daughter upon the throne.

“Our house served its sacred duty well in this, and I openly show my pride in being part of this stable and righteous Empire. Next, we go to clear the name of the Scarlet Empress from further besmirchment.”

[+8 XP]

”…. I have never felt more betrayed on every level than I feel as I write this.

“We have learned that our Empress has declared us to be not only outlaws, but Anathema. I do not understand why. These facts seem to support the accusations I dismissed previously, but absolutely nothing in the entirety of my being can reconcile this new truth with reality. Perhaps she had been acting under some sort of duress, or perhaps the woman on the throne is a pretender. I cannot believe that the true Empress would do such a thing to her most loyal servants; to _me_.

“Regardless of the unseen currents leading to this event, it has become necessary to temporarily break my sacred blood-ties from my house through magical means. I pray to the Dragon that my soul will be restored after this debacle is over.”

[+4 XP: unable to attend]

“This pen's weight is magnified a thousandfold by the weight of my heart. I have no spirit to write today, but it is my duty to you, reader, which I shall not abandon. I shall not abandon my ideals, as my ideals have abandoned me.

“As our Nellens-hosted manses have been torn away from us, we have resorted to even deeper outlaw tactics and begun marauding other sites of power. My cousins seem to be throwing themselves into the task with some passion, but I find myself lurking about in the shadows as an un-acting witness rather than a participant.

“I have no hunger for this distraction. I fear that my emotional desolation will crumble into a spring of overflowing vengeance, should I lose my grip upon sanity.”

[+4 XP: unable to attend]

“We raided a floating mountain today. It even had godblooded avian folk there, indigenous natives who had been enslaved by a human populace.

“No one within untold miles will understand why I suddenly took such great exception to that circumstance. I fear that Fate has been twisting my passions even more towards anger. Righteous, burning, unforgiving anger.”

[+8 XP]

Royal Historian Bolivard Gomat's “Lost Age” Thesis: Excerpt Indigo Alpha Seven

~~~

Scrying magics, third-hand accounts, and painstaking archaeological efforts have uncovered only sparse details about what truly occurred within the ancient aforementioned “floating mountain” described by Nellens-Tepet Kazeden Azralon in his short journal entries. Scholars of this Age have at best small keyholes of enlightenment to peer into the past that far; with so many mystical obstructions preventing clarity, it should be academically noted that many questions will remain unanswered for eternity.

It was during the course of those events in which a handful of Dragon-Blooded Anathema from House Nellens, after travelling quite literally through Hell, emerged reborn into the Realm as Solar Exalted. At this time we can circumstantially speculate that the one known as Azralon chose another name as he abandoned his previous life entirely: “Voltaris,” of no house, and of no clear motivation other than vengeance for the loss of his beloved Empire.

[+8 XP]