Asthrax Eiwar Alagbataar

(alternate modern hairstyle)

(descendants)

Asthrax Eiwar Alagbataar (Eiwar by marriage) is the first female ruler of Valantaar and wife of The Night Emperor. Asthrax is the co-ruler of The Night Empire. She specializes in the country's economy and law management.

She is the mother of Kaan Amir I. Alagbataar, princess Shiza Eiwar and various other emperor's children.

## Appearance

Asthrax Eiwar, (born Alagbaatar) is a dark-skinned woman of southern descent. Her dark brown hair is usually waist long and braided.

Her eyes are dark hazel.

As a Kaana of Valantaar she wears long, expensive dresses decorated with gold, demonstrating her wealth. Her dreadlocks and braids are tied to various hairstyles worthy of royalty, gems, and precious stones braided into them as an accessory.

As the queen of the Night kingdom and wife of the prince of the night, her wardrobe turns dark. On account of the country's national colors - blue, black, and white - she embraces the black color and is often seen wearing heavy dark, menacing dresses. Born a southerner and uncustomized to the cold temperatures her heavy wool gowns bear fur attachments.

## Behaviour

Asthrax is controlling, dominant and inteligent. She likes to be in control and demands respect.

### Traits

#### VISIBLE

* dominant, forward, firm, conceited, demanding, autoritative, smart, serious (generaly)
* short-tempered, reserved with positive emotions, cautious
* untolerant, well-advised, visionary, strict (as a ruler)

### HIDDEN

* Devoted, loving, forgiving (towards her children)

## Biography

### Background

Asthrax Alagbataar, firstborn daughter of Chistan princess, Kanee (*Valantaar* *kings consort*) Mahavo-lis. She was raised as the eldest daughter of the Valantaar Kaan (*King*), although in reality, she was his half-sister.

Despite her mother's silence and secrecy, in her teenage years, Asthrax realized she was a born bastard from her mother's ongoing affair with her father-in-law, Kaan's father. She never said anything about it, nor recognized her 'grandfather' as her legitimate parent. She was close to her sisters and mother, who birthed many daughters but no son for the ruler.

Her family arranged marriage for her at the young age of 8, but her mother insisted she won't get married off at least until she reaches her womanhood (first period). Even as a child, Asthrax was aggravated by the idea of being forced to wed for political advantages and despised men because of it. However, due to her fortune in unfortune, Asthrax never started bleeding. Her family, eager to fulfill the promises made to the other royal family, took her to the health-menders. The healers revealed that Asthrax is suffering from a strange condition - she would never be able to bleed or bear children.

The Kaan was infuriated and treated Asthrax poorly after that as the Alagbataars blamed her for bringing shame upon their house. Her younger sister was married off in her place, and her other sisters were sent away to various lords as well. Asthrax wasn't too concerned for her condition, relieved that she won't be forced to bear some lord's children, and accepted her condition as a blessing from all-father (Valantaar god).

Basically irrelevant to her family and not fit to marry for political alliances, Asthrax was free to roam the halls of the palace as she wished, being overseen and useless to the others. Around this time she started spending a lot of time with her grandfather (whom she knew was her real father). He wasn't repulsed by her presence and was almost always welcomed to join him with his duties as master of coin. He taught her how to run a country and she was always eager to listen, only being able to learn and dream of a power that was so close yet far from her reach.

Later on, she was informed her 'grandfather' died which triggered the attack on the citiy of Manastiir by eastern enemies, the unprepared Alagbataar army was away and thus unable to defend the palace from enemy soldiers.

With most of the royal men and warriors out of the city, the women were unable to defend themselves from the intruders. Asthrax was lucky and fast enough to find a hiding spot in a closet, but her mother and younger sister weren't so quick. Her mother and sister were restrained and violated by the men, while Asthrax was forced to silently watch from her hiding place.

Finally, the aid came and the palace was retaken and enemies pushed back from the royal palace, Asthrax was lucky enough to be spared from any physical harm.

Her young sister suffered various injuries and stopped talking altogether since that day. Her mother, even though traumatized, went on with her life, as usual, tending to her daughters and feeling pity for not being able to protect them rather than worried for her own health. Asthrax grew spiteful, short-tempered, and even cruel since the incident.

As months went by Asthraxe's mother showed signs of pregnancy. Dreaded by the realization she was carrying a child of her abusers, and not having a good enough reason to fool the Kaan into believing the child was his, Asthraxe's mother tried to hide the pregnancy. Even though she tried, Asthrax took notice of her mother's suspicious behavior, but again, never addressed the issue even with her mother and kept the knowledge a secret.

At last, the Kaan found out about the child. Enraged by his wife's betrayal' and the birth of a son that wasn't his (yes, he knew she was assaulted) he took the newborn and threw it out of the tower window, Asthrax witnessing the scene. Her mother died due to blood loss from childbirth and sorrow a few days later.

Driven to a breaking point of uncontainable rage and fury, the barely matured kaniise (princess) took an opportunity of a wide family gathering and murdered all men-relatives with poison. With no male heir and her sisters wed off into foreign lands, Asthrax proclaimed herself the first Kaana of Valantaar.

Feeling confident in her decision, and even not regretting the genocide of her own kin, she began suffering terrible nightmares after that.

### The Dying Howls

The lords and husbands of their sisters didn't take her claim seriously and demanded the rights Alagbataar throne. Their threats went on deaf ears. Asthrax may not have had the support of the lords and people due to being a woman - but she had money. The money she gathered during the years was used to buy an army of soldier-slaves.

With the wealth of the slave trade, she was able to suppress the rebellion and had every lord and their kin publicly tortured and burned.

As a Kaana she was infamous for keeping a firm grip on the realm. Excellent in economics, she managed to turn Valantaar into a place of global trade and the lands grew rich under her rule. So did the slave market though from which she also largely profited. Where she was blessed she also lacked - Asthrax Alagbataar was never a good diplomat, often quick to violence and short-tempered. She stood her ground and held her position of power through fear and intimidation. Due to this, she was notoriously known for the many failed assassinations towards her. Injured from one of those, she was seen limping from time to time. The price for her head and murder attempts went as far as the members of her royal guard being bribed into assassinating her. Barely surviving, Asthrax dismissed all her guards and decided to replace the former honorable posts with slaves, which the former high-ranking soldiers (the dismissed guards) felt like a grave offense since they were to be replaced with scum.

Growing paranoid and uncertain, Asthrax looked for a single personal bodyguard that she could trust to not be swain with the promise of gold, but skilled enough to protect her from the grave danger she found herself in. Pushing her luck, she recalled the gossip about a pale slave from the north who not only won most of the tournaments but also managed to gain the affections of the audience even though being an outsider.

With the knowledge the boy was probably a night warrior - who is famous to be loyal to their graves  -  she traveled south to see the tournaments for herself. Pleased, after the tournament, she decided to purchase the albino pit fighter in exchange for three chests of gold.

She took him home, clothed him, fed him, armed him, armored him, and made him her personal guard. The boy turned out to be the lost prince of the Night Kingdom, who was allegedly a direct son of the Night Goddess. Asthrax didn't believe these claims at first, but as time went on, she came to believe them to be the truth because she not only stopped limping but started to bleed as well. Realizing the enslaved prince's presence had healing effects on her, she went as far as having him sleep in the same bed as her because it eased her nightmares.