Raaz Verhen

**Raaz Verhen** is Lith Verhen's biological father. He is married to Elina Verhen, Lith's mother.

## Appearance

Raaz has brown eyes and a full beard. He has a broad, workman's build, with rather pronounced facial features. Even though Raaz is in his early forties, thanks to Lith's treatments he looks barely in his late 20's. He is about 1.63 meters (5'3") tall, with dark brown hair and deep-seated eyes. The years of working in the fields had given him a lean muscular build but also deprived his movements of every grace.

### Soul Vision

Raaz's true nature looks perfectly human and is surrounded by a golden aura that attests to his clear conscience and the love he has for Elina.

## Personality

Raaz is upright and honest family man. He believes in humility and giving respect before receiving, and that authority comes from the responsibilities one shoulders, not their strength. He also hates studying, but will do so to help his children.

## Background

Elina and Raaz had married very early, even by village standards, barely sixteen. Raaz, being an only child, had inherited his father's farm, where they are currently living. Raaz became estranged from the rest of his family when he asked them for money for Tista's treatments in the past, and they refused. His farm is on the western edge of Lutia's farmlands, less than a kilometer away from the Trawn woods.

### Childhood Years

Raaz teaches Lith to count and carves him a wooden ruler with the alphabet and numbers. Due to Lith's previous abusive relationship with his father Ezio, Lith doesn't consider Raaz his father until he grows up and begins interacting with him more. Raaz teaches Lith to whittle and manage the farm as Lith demonstrates his competence and talent for magic, causing Orpal and Trion grow even more jealous for him having "stolen" both parents' attention.

When Lith, lamenting Tista's suffering due to her disease that prevents her from playing outdoors, "invents" the swing, Raaz helps him, and also constructs several others due to its popularity. Raaz pleads with Lith to subject him to the same hydromassages as Rena, Tista and Elina, and Lith agrees on the condition that he keep it a secret from Orpal and Trion. Raaz agrees, hoping that the 3 brothers would be able to reconcile once they grow up. However, when Elina returns with an injured Lith due to Orpal's orchestrated ambush, Raaz is furious, and agrees with Elina's judgment to disown Orpal.

### Academy Years

After Lith attends White Griffon Academy, Raaz makes plans to expand the farm and hires farmhands to help him. After Lith is injured and his arm severed during a planned incident involving dimensional fissures, Raaz and Elina visit him in the academy ICU where Raaz nearly strangles Professor Krishna Manohar for hitting on Elina.

When Tista is harassed by Garth Renkin and none of the fellow villagers step in to help, Raaz explains that the rumors of an impending illness caused the villagers to panic and buy out weapons from the village blacksmith Zekell Proudhammer and food. Raaz's farm was the largest in Lutia, so some neighbors approached him wanting to profit by restricting supply and raising food prices, but Raaz refused. Gurid Renkin in particular offered to buy food in bulk to hide them away and price gouge, and sent his son Garth to do the dirty work, trying to force his way into the family through Tista to change Raaz's mind. Garth and Renkin are killed by Lith upon his return from the academy.

After Balkor's attack, Jirni Ernas visits the family, informing them of Lith's condition and revealing that he had been dating Phloria for over a month. When Lith's family visits the Ernas manor where Lith is kept, Jirni orchestrates Phloria's meeting with Lith's family to endear her daughter to them. In his distressed state, Lith exposes how his childhood was spent fighting creatures in the Trawn Woods and all the threats he and Protector faced together. When Tista questions Lith's motivations to take such risks and leading a double life, Lith lashes out in anger. Raaz gently reprimands Lith, reminding him that he could have left it to his parents and not play god, and apologizes for pushing Lith to make such a decision.

After Lith finishes boot camp and leaves to join the Ranger Corps, Raaz and Elina ask Lith to tell Trion to come home if he ever sees him. Later, Trion visits Raaz and Elina, but Trion's jealousy of Lith and blind anger lead him to leave and disown both his parents.

Lith returns home on leave after destroying Kaduria, giving them the news of his promotion to Great Mage. He expresses concerns over his promotion agitating the nobles and potentially endangering his family, but Raaz and the rest of the family reveal to Lith they had known their lives were in danger ever since Lith attended the academy, but unanimously decided Lith deserved a chance at a better life. Raaz later studies a book about the Kellar Region after learning of Lith's assignment there, allowing him to share a deeper conversation.

Lith finally brings his girlfriend Kamila Yehval to Lutia to meet the Verhens for his 18th birthday. The meeting is awkward at first but the tension is quickly broken by the children's arrival. Lith kisses Kamila in front of the family to their delight. Kamila gets accustomed to the family during dinner.

After Lith's 18th birthday, he brings Selia and Protector to his home and reveals his Hybrid form to his family. Having learned that Emperor Beasts can shapeshift, Raaz experiences a brief moment of paranoia where he assumes Elina was unfaithful, but quickly comes to terms with his son's nature. Protector explains how becoming an Awakened works and revealed the existence of the Council to them, going into detail of the internal power struggles now involving Lith.

### Awakened Apprentice Years

Raaz defends Lith when Captain Locrias shows disrespect for a disguised Lith during his deadly battle against Night. After the battle, he expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the magical beasts for saving his daughter and granddaughter and rewards them with steaks. When Lith returns from the Jiera continent for his Council duty he recounts his tribulation to the family, though is derailed when Elina reveals Orpal had visited with Kamila's parents Crefas and Kima Retta with news of Trion's "suicide." The family descends into an argument in which Tista and Lith refuse to believe Orpal's redemption and brush off Trion's death while Raaz and Elina try to argue leniency.

After the family makes up, Lith reveals the DoLorean as a gift to the family for safe travel. The Verhens take a trip over the Trawn Woods before touching down in Lutia, though quickly leave disgusted when the villagers make overt marriage proposals after witnessing the flying craft. They visit Count Lark's household, where they disembark to rest while the Count takes the DoLorean on a joy ride. The Verhens have dinner at Lark's with him commenting on Aran and Leria's magical education. Talk about Aran and Leria's magical misdeeds leads Lith to bring the two on a magical bootcamp. Elina pesters Lith about grandchildren before he leaves, with Raaz quickly abandoning ship.

Raaz and Elina take a vacation in the Flying Griffon Resort. While at lunch, they are approached by Faluel and Leegaain, who asks them for a blood sample to prove Leegaain isn't Lith's father. Elina pummels the Father of All Dragons, having heard from Lith that he was responsible for sending them to the Lost City of Kolga. Raaz attempts to restrain her, though regrets doing so after remembering who Leegaain is. Leegaain explains the dangers of being associated with him, and Faluel vouches for him as well as Tyris who appears.

Tyris promises to protect Lith against any foreign threats; though Raaz initially rebukes the First Queen for having failed to uphold her promise of protection to Phloria, he brings up the possibility of Tyris marrying Lith in the far future once the whole family has passed in order for him not to be alone. Elina accepts and Leegaain makes an emergency summons of the Council and the Jiera and Garlen Guardians. The Blood Resonance spell confirms Raaz and Elina's blood relation to Lith but contrary to expectation Lith's beast life force identifies Leegaain and Salaark as his kin.

Orpal returns with Kima and Crefas who try to associate with Lith to pay off their debt but give away too much, allowing Jirni to expose their crimes and arrest them. She subsequently discredits Orpal's fake backstory, causing Orpal to reveal his true colors before being kicked out the house. Elina and Raaz are devastated by the reveal.

Lith returns from the Eclipsed Lands and shows them his new Tiamat form following his breakthrough to the violet core. Elina and Raaz express their worry for his depression over losing the last semblance of his humanity and (unbeknownst to them) his intention to reveal Solus to Kamila and subsequent expectation for their break-up. Lith introduces his family to Crevan Gershal, Lenanna, and Jhet, and Tezka as members of his Phoenix and Abomination families respectively.

Kamila breaks up with Lith after he reveals Solus to her. The rest of the family, unaware of this reason, tiptoe around him after the break up. News of Lith's single status spreads around the Kingdom and many flock to court him, including beasts hoping to mix with his Guardian bloodlines. Raaz secretly hopes Faluel would catch Lith on the rebound.After one tense evening, Rena convinces Lith to reveal the reason for the breakup.

Lith brings the family to the Trawn Woods where he shows them the tower and introduces them to Solus as his other half. Raaz, Elina, and Rena take the revelation poorly, believing Solus to be a homewrecker. However, after seeing Solus' anguish at their reaction as well as Lith's expectation of their reactions, they rescind their initial judgments. He shares with them their memories in a mind link, including what Solus could remember from her previous life as Elphyn. The Verhens apologize and embrace her as a member of their own family.

Raaz scolds Lith for burying himself in work, leading him to spend some time with them in the tower. Lith brings them to the Verhen Mansion but they decline to move in, preferring their familiar family home. The family hosts a private party to celebrate Lith's 19th birthday. Salaark joins, revealing Raaz and Elina's ancestry as Phoenix and Dragon, respectively. Leegaain is dragged in by Salaark, and Xenagrosh visits with Bytra.

#### Visiting Grandma

The Verhens visit Salaark in the Blood Desert. Before leaving, Raaz pays the local butcher to feed the beasts that protect his fields, his farmhands, and his neighbors with plenty of meat. The parents scold Lith and Tista for their recklessness after learning about Tista's failed experiment with her life forces. Aran and Leria regularly return to Lutia to play with Frey and Filia during their lunchtime, before returning to the Desert to sleep. One afternoon, Lutia is attacked by the Balkor copycat and numerous mercenary groups. Aran and Leria are brought back to the Desert accompanied by Abominus and Onyx. The magical beasts speak to Elina and Rena for the first time to explain the situation, causing the two women to faint.

The Verhens discuss planning for a birthday party for Solus. Solus triggers a memory of her father Threin, also undergoing a breakthrough to the deep blue core and restoring 4 floors of the tower and the memories of their functions. Solus gives them a tour of the Workshop, Greenhouse, Armory, andLibrary. Lith asks Raaz to help take care of the Greenhouse due to never having tended crops before, and he accepts.

Raaz briefly returns to Lutia to resume managing the farmhands for the upcoming sewing. After renegotiating contracts with the farmhands, Raaz contacts Count Jadon Lark, learning that the new citizens of Lutia led by Baronet Frenon Hogum had petitioned to take away the Verhen family's lands during their absence. Disgusted by their attitudes, Raaz returns to the Desert, but not before Lith intimidates Hogum by flying over the Hogum mansion in his Voidfeather Dragon form.

## References

1. ↑ Legion on Discord
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 1305: The Price of Truth (Part 1)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapter 15: Break Ups
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 424: Mage Association (Part 2)
5. ↑ Chapter 5: Growing pains
6. ↑ Chapter 1094: Trust Issues (Part 2)
7. ↑ Chapter 8: Learning A Trade, Again
8. ↑ Chapter 12: Encounters (2)
9. ↑ Chapter 84: Trial And Error
10. ↑ Chapter 125: Chaos (2)
11. ↑ Chapter 165: Domestic Affairs (3)
12. ↑ Chapter 219: Meet the Parents
13. ↑ Chapter 221: Truth Hurts
14. ↑ Chapter 361: Career Change (Part 1)
15. ↑ Chapter 602: Retribution (Part 2)
16. ↑ Chapter 411: Family Reunion (Part 1)
17. ↑ Chapter 484: Meet the Parents (Part 2)
18. ↑ Chapter 933: Cursed Objects (Part 1)
19. ↑ Chapter 1109: Yurial’s Legacy (Part 1)
20. ↑ Chapter 1120: The Calm after the Storm (Part 2)
21. ↑ Chapter 1266: Black Sheep (Part 2)
22. ↑ Chapter 1278: Test Drive (Part 2)
23. ↑ Chapter 1281: Safe Travels (Part 1)
24. ↑ Chapter 1287: Away from Home (Part 1)
25. ↑ Chapter 1306: The Price of Truth (Part 2)
26. ↑ Chapter 1308: Parents and Donors (Part 2)
27. ↑ Chapter 1341: Monsters Among Us (Part 1)
28. ↑ Chapter 1420: Gains and Losses (Part 2)
29. ↑ Chapter 1424: The Weight of Truth (Part 2)
30. ↑ Chapter 1427: Solus and the Family (Part 1)
31. ↑ Chapter 1430: Ins and Outs (Part 2)
32. ↑ Chapter 1438: Family Time (Part 2)
33. ↑ Chapter 1442: Birthday Party (Part 4)
34. ↑ Chapter 1540: Family Care (Part 2)
35. ↑ Chapter 1568: Vortexes and Cores (Part 1)
36. ↑ Chapter 1543: Quality Time (Part 1)
37. ↑ Chapter 1584: The Pain of Loss (Part 2)
38. ↑ Chapter 1602: Shared Power (Part 2)
39. ↑ Chapter 1670: Fields and Ovens (Part 2)
40. ↑ Chapter 1673: News from an Old Friend (Part 1)
41. ↑ Legion on Discord