Al'tesh Vel'Sharen

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*Appeared in chapters*                                                 47   50 51 52  54  56 57

## Al'tesh Vel'Sharen

Moonless Age Cameo Character

Sponsored by: Thrair

Ver'drowendar

## Deceased

### Trivia

* Affinity - Water Sorcery

* Ambidextrous.
* Tainted during the Nidraa'chal War.
* Blue eyes prior to tainting.

## Family

* Diva'ratrika - Great-Grandmother
* Sarv'swati - Grandmother
* Nir'naya - Mate

Al'tesh was a long-serving Imperial Guard of Sarv'swati's lineage. He died defending his Captain during the course of the Coalition assault of the Council Dome.

## Appearance and Personality

Al'tesh was male drowolath with a lean build and tainted eyes. He dyed his hair teal and styled it as a mullet drawn into a loose ponytail. He typically wore a blue tunic, either over dark clothes or under his armor, but always adorned with a neck badge bearing the mark of the Imperial Guard. His favoured weapon was a heavy sabre.

His true loyalty having laid exclusively to Diva'ratrika, the events of the Nidraa'chal War and its aftermath had left him a world-weary and jaded individual. Identifying more as a member of the Imperial Guard than as a Vel'Sharen, he retained a strong sense of both duty and loyalty. However, he had become an excessively heavy drinker and utterly lacking in hope. As such, he served with negligible enthusiasm or professionalism, taking little initiative in anything besides his service to the Guard.

## Biography - Arc II

### Vloz'ress Gathering

Al'tesh first appeared during the waning hours of the District War, off-duty and drinking while distantly observing a Vloz'ress gathering alongside Nata'sinh. Though she suggested her feral's inability to understand the Vloz'ress to be the result of deliberate efforts to confuse spies, he scoffed at what he perceived to be a clan of "lowlifes". He predicted that whatever they happened to be discussing, the Vloz'ress would end up disrupting the ongoing parley between the Sarghress and the Sharen.

### The Puppeteer Incident

As with most of the drow in the area, Al'tesh was soon caught up in what would later known as the Puppeteer Incident. As Kharla'ggen's death released those she had controlled, Al'tesh regained awareness in time to see the joint flare fired by Quain'tana and Zala'ess, noting that the call-to-arms wasn't coming from the expected direction. After the Demon God summed forth by Ni'bai was driven off by the combined might of the Sarghress and Sharen forces, he witnessed the birth of the new alliance as Zala'ess and Quain'tana solidified a tentative truce. Mildly disgusted by the sight, he expressed the desire for a strong drink.

### Escorting Zala'ess

Al'tesh was later assigned alongside Chrys'tel to escort Zala'ess and her youngest daughter during the gathering of the clans following the truce between the Sarghress and the Sharen alliance. The group happened across Sil'lice as they made their way to a meeting with Sarghress leadership, with Al'tesh the first to take notice of the impending altercation. Moving quickly, he joined Chrys'tel in interposing themselves between the two estranged sisters. As an enraged Sil'lice struggled with the impulse to lash out at Zala'ess, despite her niece's attempts to calm her, Al'tesh reminded her of the Sarghress forces surrounding them. With Sarghress guards moving to intercede, Sil'lice departed snarling threats of future vengeance, prompting Al'tesh to respond with bitter derision.

With the crisis averted, the group proceeded to Zala'ess' requested meeting with Quain'tana. Upon their arrival, the self-proclaimed Empress found herself unable to recall the purpose behind their meeting, a foreboding sign of the illness now taking effect following her earlier infection by Shinae.

### Zala'ess' Illness

Main article: The Flower Plague
Alongside Sorn'mal, Al'tesh continued to guard Zala'ess as her infection progressed to a madness stage, with Nona'brail providing medical care. Zala'ess' most recent hallucination episode induced a panicked shriek, startingly the two soldiers. As it became clear that Zala'ess was succumbing to a rapidly-advancing insanity, a horrified Al'tesh insisted word of her condition could not be allowed to reach the Sarghress.

Fortunately, within a week Chrys'tel was able to secure treatment for her mother's illness from the Jaal'darya. As Zala'ess tasked most of her attendants with errands in an attempt to regain control of the situation, Al'tesh followed the Empress as she was unwittingly led by Wi'am to speak directly with Snadhya'rune. Though he began drawing his blade in preparation for a fight, he was pressured by Bae'rali's empathy to stand down. It soon became apparent to all present that Zala'ess' control over the situation had faltered, and Snadhya'rune proposed cooperation. With distaste, Al'tesh had little option but to stand by and witness to the negotiations that followed between the two sisters.

Three days after Zala'ess' recovery, Sorn'mal and Chrys'tel marched to the Imperial Barracks to question a newly-released Nir'naya about Snadhya'rune's involvement with Zala's sudden questionable orders, intent on killing her if necessary. Joined by Sarai, they discovered their former Captain beaten and without a tongue. Entering the room, Al'tesh informed his fellow guards of Nir'naya's torture and interrogation at the hands of Sarghress. As Chrys'tel attempted to make sense of the situation, Al'tesh revealed his presence during Zala'ess and Snadhya'rune's recent meeting, informing Chrys'tel of her mother's successful bargain to have her appointed Captain of the Imperial Guard.

## Biography - Arc III

### Alliance Convoy

Three years later, Al'tesh was assigned to escort duty for a large alliance convoy on a diplomatic mission to Felde. As Ariel's Wolfpack watched from the shadows, Mimian warriors ambushed the convoy, assassinating two envoys and seizing hold of Suna'madhuri before the convoy's escort could respond. As the scene descended into chaos, Al'tesh immediately focused his efforts on the safe retrieval of Zala'ess' youngest daughter from the Kavahini warrior attempting to abduct her. However, Commander Oiloss'lin arrived first alongside her dragon, striking a deep wound into Koubagia and narrowly missing Suna. Before Oiloss'lin could position for another strike, Al'tesh shoved himself between Oiloss and took hold of Suna, chastising the veteran soldier for risking injury to the child.

Irritated at the interruption and moving to finish off Koubagia, Oiloss insisted her actions were necessary and suggested Al'tesh continue to pose as a Guard if he lacked the stomach for war, an accusation to which Al'tesh could offer no reply. As it would happen, the the Mimiam commander flew down to save her subordinate. Enraged by the Mimians' continued attacks on non-combatants and practice of avoiding direct battles, Oiloss'lin opened a nether gate, swiftly forcing the attackers to flee and ending the assault.

The ambush thwarted, Al'tesh attempted to comfort a shaken Suna, finding a bitter irony in himself being entrusted with the care of the child.

### Wolfpack Assault on Felde

Some time later, Al'tesh was still present in Felde when a flare was spotted outside the city walls, believed to indicate yet another convoy had come under attack by Mimians. Seeking to utilize a pair of loitering dragon-riders and also to punish Al'tesh for helping himself to the contents one of the city's wine cellars, the commander of the city's garrison sent Al'tesh out to lead a patrol, accompanied by Zehur. Lamenting that it had begun to rain and pondering how the Mimians could fly in such conditions, Al'tesh wearily resigned himself to his present duties and used his sorcery to avoid getting wet.

However, the patrol had barely passed through the city's gates when Zuhur spotted the captured Airship approaching the city at high speed. Though the city's defenses were quick to respond and a mercenary was able to direct a cannon shot to force the vessel to crash land into Snadhya'rune's tower, the vessel unleashed a broadside mana-barrage into the city, wreaking immediate havoc among the defenders. As Zuhur called out to Al'tesh, asking if the patrol should fall back to provide assistance, Al'tesh grimly noted the rogue airship to be the least of their worries as he spotted the entirety of the Highland Raiders charging towards the city gate under the command of Quill'yate herself.

Ordering the patrol to close ranks, Al'tesh drew his sword and met the oncoming charge as Zuhur fought alongside him expressing shock at their enemies' numbers. Fortunately for the two, Quill'yate's goal was to enter the city as quickly as possible, directing her troops to charge through the patrol and continue onward to the city.

## Notable Quotes

"*There's plenty of reasons why that clan is a laughing stock. They'll do something stupid to mess with the parley, mark my words.*" - Dismissing the Vloz'ress as being incapably insane.

"*A reason to drink more.*" - Summarizing his assessment of the incoming Airship.

## Character Concept

First official concept art of Al'tesh, Chapter 47.Second official concept art of Al'tesh, Chapter 50.Third official concept art of Al'tesh, Chapter 52.Fourth official concept art of Al'tesh, Chapter 54.Fifth official concept art of Al'tesh, Chapter 57.