Azriel Santreya

General for the armies of Aphelion and fiance to Calisto Asheri, Azriel was a pureblood Eani of the old world. Afrer death, he was granted a chance for redemption by becoming grimlas avendati to Stein Phais.

## Personality

Noble and determined in life, Azriel's death for the past six years has been spent bound to the grimlas swords owned by Stein. He tends to be sort of judging and grouchy with Stein, although he does act as the guide Stein requires, constantly warning his Wanderer of the dangers of madness and fate and even drawing him back from the edge once with a reminder that he was needed elsewhere.

## History

When the threat of a necryte fell upon the lands of Ravine, the Eani agreed that an alliance was needed. A special alliance in which an Eani would unite with one that would prove him or herself as the most powerful mage of the time. With the Eani's immortality granted to such a mage, that person would come close to the limitless power of a necryte. The man chosen was Nebezial Asheri, and he was married to Freya of Stelladeen. With Freya was sent a warror Eani who was meant to serve as her bodyguard and a general to Nebezial's army; that Eani was Azriel.

For twenty-five years the threat of Necryte Varda was contained to the western continent of Krannad. News of his terrible victories often came to the continent of Ravine, and then finally his terrible armies arrived. Varda found what he was after, and on the Ravenora Plateau he was to claim his prize. However, his plans failed. On this battlefield Azriel fought valiantly, and his great friendship with King Nevezial was sealed when Nebezial granted Azriel his daughter Calisto's hand in marriage.

Despite their great friendship, and Nebezial saving Azriel's life many times, Azriel led many of Nebezial's own people against the mad king when Nebezial fell from grace and sanity. Princess Calisto was also at his side. The battle culminated on the Ravenona Plateau, just like their battle against the Necryte had done.

During the battle, Calisto took a blow from Nebezial's scythe meant for Azriel; this killed her. After her death. Nebezial managed to wake Delphi Bellarya and take her power, demanding that loyalty be sworn to her. Azriel, mad with grief, cast a spell that destroyed him and the battlefield, hoping to take the king and Delphi with it, though they would both survive.

Centuries after his death, Azriel was offered the chance to become a grimlas avendati by the Fates and Aertes. He believed himself unworthy to become a grimlas avendati, but agreed to become the guardian of the Wanderer Stein nonetheless. He knew upon acceptance that a Necryte could never give his grimlas avendati form, but war promised by the goddess that he would hear Stein's thoughts as Stein would hear his; she told him that this limitation (unable to being formed as most Wanderers could do with their grimlas avendati) was the price of his redemption.

Three years prior to the start of the comic, it was the Sealing of the grimlas avendati to which Azriel was bound that caused the tragedy at Ardunat. Following the Sealing and all the deaths Stein's flare of magic had caused, Azriel explained to Stein what he was (a Necryte) and what had happened. Bound to the blades, when Stein left Ardunat so too did Azriel. Apparently Azriel's first rule as given to Stein was that when anything felt too Fated, they were to leave immediately.

At the start of Stein's appearance in the comic, Azriel appeared (mentally, as was the only possibility for him) in order to scold Stein for his plan to get to Runenos - which involved attaching a rune to a dragon. Stein's plan to attach a rune to a dragon was a typically insane one for him: take advantage of the fact that dragons hate the smell of human magic by drawing a rune somewhere and imbuing it with magic and waiting for a dragon to attach it, giving him time to place the tracking rune on the attacking dragon. Stein chose to put the rune on the border gates themselves. Despite Azriel's misgivings, the crazy plan did succeed.

Frustrated with the change of plans and with travelling alone once again, Stein and Azriel speak for a little while about his sanity. They're interrupted by Antheus Prayne and Arthur Feldenstrom, who are returning from Palladia to investigate the Buran Mines, and Stein takes the chance to eavesdrop on them and relay the news to Azriel. Lady Andrea quickly meets up with the two, reporting the situation in Buran and making certain to inform Arthur that his family survived. She also reports the carcass of one of the wyverns near the mine, stating it looked like the work of the Reaper of Ardunat.

Later, Stein saw the sealing of the grimlas spear Ashewara from afar, the light of destruction a clear giveaway that another wanderer had awakened. While Azriel wanted to go and meet the new wanderer, Stein opted to keep his distance, remembering all too well how messy a grimlas sealing could be.

Even later on foot, Stein argued with Azriel about what size castle he would get when he suddenly spotted a dragon diving at him. Figuring the runeglass couldn't get any more broken from magic use, he immediately attacked with a fire spell, not realizing that the dragon in question had a rider. Lynn de Luctes, the rider in question, took offense at being attacked. While he tried to stop her by telling her he was sorry and had thought it was only a dragon alone, Lynn shortly had him pinned to the ground with her spear to his throat.

## Appearance

Unlike most of the Eani, Azriel only has one headwing.

## Abilities

In life he used the Blades of Khallad in battle.

In death, Azriel is unable to take form like other grimlas avendati, and is limited to seeing the world through Stein's apparently very disordered thoughts. He cannot hear or see anything, which can occasionally frustrate him.