Balasar Angari

## Early Life

Balasar Angari was born on the 16th Sun of the First Astral Moon to tribe Angari, positioned in the southern Planes of the Azim Steppe. The Angari clan on the surface, seemed united against all odds, but in truth dissent had been festering for years amongst the tribe members, most pointedly from exiled clan members from other tribes that Balasar's father sheltered from the harshness of the Steppe. Most natives supported their current leader, while most exiles wanted to vie for power, and usurp the current head of the tribe.

For a long time, Balasar was an only child for the first 14 years of his life, and was relatively cold and distant towards other members of his tribe, the sole exceptions being his own mother and father. Balasar was among one of the tallest of his clan, but was far more thin and lanky compared to the others. Despite this, he would make good use of magic, allowing him to be a driving force amongst his tribe members. While not as strong as others in his clan, he moved with more dexterity, at some points mixing his use of magic with melee attacks, wielding his staff much like a quarterstaff.

Like Kordemiser, Balasar went through his trials in much of the same fashion but unlike Kordemiser, Balasar seemed to question the point of it all. No matter how many times he was told that it was tradition, and honorable combat, he simply had a hard time accepting that this was his life. To vie for a floating throne in the center of the Azim Steppe. How isolated he felt they all were, yet he knew voicing this opinion would not go over well with anyone, and thus kept it to himself for a long time.

When Balasar reached 14 years of age, Kordemiser Angari was born. The first time he would ever have a younger sibling in his life, and little would he know that it would be the last. When Balasar first held his younger brother, he felt love for the first time. As he looked to the skies of the Azim Steppe, and thought of their future, he'd hoped that one day they would be able to find a way out of there, as he did not feel that either of them would live meaningful, fulfilling lives in the Azim Steppe.

Years would pass by, battles would be had, blood would be spilled. It wasn't that Balasar didn't find the combat thrilling, he truly did, but when he remembered what it was he was fighting for, it would simply fall flat in the face of the reality he was fighting for. Ultimately, he harbored a deep desire to leave the Steppe, but seemingly had no way to go about it, and desired to take his younger brother with him. He continued to bide his time until he figured the time was right. He knew Kordemiser was still very young, but he could also tell that Kordemiser was fond of where he currently was at now. In time, he figured his younger brother would see the restrictiveness of the Steppe.

As time went by, Balasar Angari would come into contact with Doctor Anardios. Upon realizing that the doctor was an outsider due to his vieran heritage, he attacked the doctor on sight but the Doctor had superior usage of his own magic, defeating Balasar in the battle. Despite this, he piqued the doctor's interest with his show of talent. Anardios offered him a proposal, allowing him access to the Sharlayan Studium to study up, and make much more practical use of his magic. In return, he would work underneath the doctor. Balasar saw this as his own personal opportunity to see what life was like outside of these lands and thus, took the agreement, both out of curiosity and a fear for his life.

Every so often, he would disappear from the Steppe, much to the confusion of his clan members and his own brother. They would begin to think little of it however after he would make his return each time, simply brushing it off as his own personal training. He never got into any specifics, but his father had a strange feeling about his son, that some thing was wrong. Unable to quite put his finger on it however, he pushed it to the side. The tribe was a more important thing in his mind at that time.

As Balasar became stronger, the more unnerving he became to those around him. He became much more emotionless and even distant, even from his own family. This seemed to give the exiles ammo for their soon-to-be coup against the head of the Angari clan, even turning a few natives of the clan against them despite the vast majority of them still maintaining their loyalty. The talks began, and the rumor was that Balasar was no longer the same individual but instead, replaced by a demon merely taking his appearance. Perhaps in a sense, they were somewhat correct. Not only this, but with the idea that Balasar's father was sheltering a true monster were they finally convinced of going along with their coup.

## The Coup

Balasar went inside his tent for the night, having just come back from Sharlayan. Noting that his mother and father were asleep he stepped out for a moment he thought. He admired the night sky, the only comfort he truly had while he was in the Steppe to begin with. On clear nights, there were simply countless stars in the sky, one could've easily been lost in these for hours. After some time, he felt fatigue wash over him and he went back inside, resting his staff close to him before he went to sleep that night. Unfortunately, it wouldn't take him long to wake up to stabbing, and muffled screaming. This caused him to jolt awake. At first he was stunned by what he was hearing, but he immediately reached for his staff and then jolted upright. His eyes caught a gruesome sight, as he witnessed his mother and father being assassinated by two exile clan members that his own father had welcomed to the clan.

Initially, Balasar couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't until he saw the corpses of his mother and father that something snapped inside of him. The brand new staff he acquired from the doctor himself began to cackle with energy before he conjured up a large explosion of fire, entirely decimating the tent they were in, and eradicating the assaulters and unfortunately, the corpses of his mother and father. When he looked outside the sight initally surprised him. At first he looked for Kordemiser, unable to find him he figured he must've been out. He remembered that Kordemiser was finishing up his final trials. A rage burned inside of him that night that couldn't be quelled as he saw his own clan members turning on each other lighting a fire in him on that night that couldn't be stopped.

## Confronting a Shattered Heart, and a Loss for Words

Balasar's rampage had begun, exiles charged him and were met with his ferocious, nefarious black magic, many being eliminated all together as attention began to shift towards him. Balasar witnessed even some of his own natives turning against the tribe, fighting other natives at the side of the exiles. It had become total chaos. A chaos that Balasar knew he could revel in. No longer having any love for his tribe, who he now saw as inferior and petty, none were spared. Not even those who were on his father's side were spared the raging inferno. As he saw it, all were guilty in this coup, and all would pay the price.

As the battle came to a close, Balasar stood as nearly the sole survivor of the slaughter of his own tribe. He stared emotionlessly down at one of the last remaining tribespeople, the man grabbed at Balasar's leg and pleaded for mercy, that he'd always been on his and his father's side. Unfortunately, the fellow Xaela had no mercy for the man, kicking the man's hand away and igniting him into ash. Kordemiser had just returned from finishing his trials and witnessed the final act of cruelty from his own perspective. As much as Balasar reveled in their destruction, when he looked at Kordemiser and his reaction, all the joy he felt faded away in an instant as he now realized he had to confront the shattered, naive heart of Kordemiser. He had no words for the chaos, simply deciding to turn towards the fires, vanishing within them as he left a shattered Kordemiser behind him.

## A Blackened Heart's Ul'dahn Arrival, His First Kill

Years after the slaughter of his own clan, he heard that his brother Kordemiser arrived in Ul'dah, a bustling city of activity. His mind told him not to go, yet something in his heart wouldn't allow him to stay away. He made his journey to Ul'dah, and found the Quicksand tavern looking for his brother. He couldn't have had any idea how it would've gone, he figured likely not good and prepared himself mentally and emotionally for a fight. He would eventually get one, but not in the form of which he would expect.

Upon immediately walking into the quicksand, he garnered the attention of one Jamarcus Groves. Initially, he believed Balasar to be Kordemiser himself until he corrected the man coldly, instead stating that he was his brother and that he was indeed looking for Kordemiser. Jamarcus, believing that he needed to bide his friends time, challenged Balasar outright to battle. The emotionless Balasar agreed to the battle, realizing that his name had come out in Ul'dah before he'd even so much as arrived for the first time. He knew his brother was to blame for this, yet he couldn't find it in him to be angry at his own brother. He knew what he had seen from his perspective. They made their way to the ruined Temple of Qarn, where their fates would be decided.

## The Battle at the Temple of Qarn, and the Death of Jamarcus Groves

At the Temple of Qarn, Balasar was joined by Doctor Anardios but he would not be aiding him in this fight, looking to see the amusement for himself. Balasar quickly overwhelmed Jamarcus, employing a nefarious and deliberate use of powerful black magics that Jamarcus could not counter for very long. Armed with only his gun, Jamarcus fought Balasar for all of fifteen minutes, and after falling into a trap set by Balasar, Jamarcus was disarmed, forced to suffer the loss of all his limbs, and before being struck directly by a recent addition to his repertoire, Despair, incinerating him, leaving Jamarcus's charred, limbless corpse in the center of a crater.

Jamarcus's final message was a linkpearl transmission to Sylar, Vyldur, and Kordemiser, was to find Ceivus Kanius.

The ground caved in, opening up, enveloping and devouring Jamarcus's cold, lifeless body in a grave of hot glass, and warm sand. Balasar enjoyed what he had done to the man, laughing at the man's horrible fate. Anardios reminded him that he shouldn't get too cocky, that Jamarcus Groves could hardly have been considered a warm-up. Balasar and the Doctor took their leave of the place, and Jamarcus. Balasar simply looked for his next thrill, seemingly having nothing left of his life other than that, seemingly coming to terms that he and his brother would likely never be close again.

## Vyldur Hailspear and Kilbryn Lordstead, the Vieran Duo

Eventually Balasar would come into contact with both Vyldur and Kilbryn within the goblet. He was still on his search for Kordemiser, yet it seemed at every turn they would miss each other and he would run into his friends. No matter, he thought. Eventually their time would come. Balasar agreed to take both of them on simultaneously in an attempt to show them the same hopelessness he figured he had instilled in Jamarcus Grove's final moments. He would soon find however, that these two would not go down without a fight and would turn out to be his gravest challenge in years.

When the battle began, the duo started off on the offensive but Balasar initially staved off their advancement with counter-attacks of his own, able to utilize his aether powerfully, effectively, and quickly with the employ of black magic. Vyldur's mobility would save him from most damage, while Kilbryn was one of the most physically tough opponents he had ever come across. At one point, when the battle was at a long stretch, Kilbryn and Vyldur cornered the black mage after suffering burns, unnaturally freezing temperatures, and void magic. They both landed direct hits on Balasar, causing him to aetherially manipulate his way further into the temple, and he began to channel his magic, causing a star shower of fireballs to rain from the sky. Due to Vyldur's mobility, he was able to get out of this mostly unscathed. Kilbryn however, suffered broken bones and more severe burning. In the end however, he was still able to make it to his feet. This prompted Balasar to flee the battle, narrowly escaping with his life as he underestimated the power of the two.

## Hitman of the Cieldalaes

In between the time Balasar went to Ul'dah for the first time, and the destruction of his clan, his first stop was in Doma, where he took on contract killings and charged ludacris amounts for the job to be done. Despite this, he ended up claiming several of these and at first, made much more gil than he should have. Down the line however, he came into contact with Zujin Takujin, a hitman from the Cieldalaes. Zujin Takujin once usurped a hit from Balasar, and because of this he regularly voices his disdain for Zujin, even trying to hunt him down several times in an attempt to try to kill them. However, Zujin continuously proves to be elusive, and has given Balasar sleepless nights as it would appear he was going for the exact same thing, every so often resting at certain places, only to wake up with a red dot on his head and making his escape.

Every time they see each other, be it in the Quicksand or anywhere else, Balasar never hides his disdain, even suggesting they finally settle the score on numerous occasions only for Zujin to slyly, and cleverly back out.

## Sylar West, the Ala Mhigan Monk

Balasar Angari eventually found himself in Western Thanalan, meeting Sylar for the second time. He was joined by Charall Goldentail, Yuri Senju, and another individual leaving four in total in favor for Sylar, and one for him. Upon realizing who Balasar was, and Sylar no long mistaking him for Kordemiser like in their initial meeting, Sylar demanded a fight. He was joined by Yuri and Charall, Charall warning Balasar not to take the fight. However, Balasar instead remained which prompted Sylar to start the fight. Initially like his battle with Kilbryn and Vyldur, he held his own and gained the early lead. At one point however, he conjured up a storm of lightning which was held in place by Yuri's unnatural magic. This initally caught him off guard, and left him open for an attack from Sylar, causing him to take a hard kick to the knee which nearly broke it. This enraged him as Charall also began to unload on him with her very on magic, which prompted him to hit her with and explosion of fiery aether which rendered her unconscious.

As the battle raged on, and each of them were on their last legs, Balasar moreso than Sylar and Yuri, Balasar aetherically manipulated himself into the skies as a hole in the rift emerged, and out came a flying, circular voidsent with a singular eye. It dawned a black hat with a purple string wrapped around it. Balasar was ready to dish out his final attack, and make his exit as he now sat atop the voidsent. He rose his staff skyward as a large flare formed and he sent it hurling at the group. With only Sylar and Yuri remaining, and Sylar having no clue how to stop it, it was up to Yuri Senju to save them as Balasar fled. It took a lot of aether for his shield to withstand the flare, but in the end it managed to barely hold, leaving the group perhaps not unscathed, but alive.