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Jhazaad Azah Ha'ash
The Word-Weathered
Shokhyr Jhazaad Azah Ha'ash (pronounced [dʒəˈzɑːd ˈɑːzɑː heɪʃ], juh-ZAHD AH-zah HAYSH; born Garda 27, 269), formally Jhazaad adn Samirak adn Malukhar qa-Majhun Azah Ha'ash, also known as "qa-Majhun," is a distinguished Western Kaliti human nobleman, financier, patron, and purported sorcerer. An eminent figure of the Free City of Shaalith: he sits upon the Shomajla ruling council, and as patriarch of the "Great Skull" (an ancient familial house) Azah Ha'ash, Jhazaad serves as Grand Keyholder of the White Bank - counted among the most prestigious banking houses and financial networks in Liadain.
Jhazaad's life was marked by tragic events early; first with the loss of his mother during birth, before too losing his father shortly thereafter. He found refuge, solace, and comfort in the saray of his paternal grandfather's harem. Into adolescence, his education flourished within the Ha'ashai palace school, surrounded by his close family and devoted servants. Guided by his grandfather, the esteemed founder and first Grand Keyholder of the White Bank, Jhazaad embraced a studious path, absorbing knowledge under his mentor's watchful eye and exacting discipline throughout his youth and early adulthood.
Late into his grandfather's life, Jhazaad served as steward and aide-de-camp, often attending to familial, mercantile, and political affairs on his behalf. Following his grandfather's death in 299, Jhazaad was left to inherit the patriarchy of Azah Ha'ash as well as control of the White Bank; three weeks subsequent, the ruling council of Shaalith saw fit to extend the honor of a junior seat at the high table of power.
Since his appointment to the Shaalitheen oligarchy over seventy years hence, Jhazaad has used his position - and its increasing seniority and power - to strengthen the prestige of his house, foster and grow the arts and academia of Shaalith, and expand the reach and connectons of the White Bank far beyond the peripheries of western Amol-Kalit. He is renowned within Shaalith as both shrewd, commanding, and visionary, while also often being perceived as enigmatic, secretive, and - among the nobility and aristocracy - uncompromising in his pursuits.
The question of Jhazaad's age is an open but unspoken secret within Shaalith. Known most often by the sobriquet "qa-Majhun" - a title indicative both of sagacious respect and occult suspicions - the fact that he has lived far beyond the typical lifespan of a human is not discussed outside of palatial sanctums or beyond the hushed whispers of aristocrats.
Jhazaad's life was marked by tragic events early; first with the loss of his mother during birth, before too losing his father shortly thereafter. He found refuge, solace, and comfort in the saray of his paternal grandfather's harem. Into adolescence, his education flourished within the Ha'ashai palace school, surrounded by his close family and devoted servants. Guided by his grandfather, the esteemed founder and first Grand Keyholder of the White Bank, Jhazaad embraced a studious path, absorbing knowledge under his mentor's watchful eye and exacting discipline throughout his youth and early adulthood.
Late into his grandfather's life, Jhazaad served as steward and aide-de-camp, often attending to familial, mercantile, and political affairs on his behalf. Following his grandfather's death in 299, Jhazaad was left to inherit the patriarchy of Azah Ha'ash as well as control of the White Bank; three weeks subsequent, the ruling council of Shaalith saw fit to extend the honor of a junior seat at the high table of power.
Since his appointment to the Shaalitheen oligarchy over seventy years hence, Jhazaad has used his position - and its increasing seniority and power - to strengthen the prestige of his house, foster and grow the arts and academia of Shaalith, and expand the reach and connectons of the White Bank far beyond the peripheries of western Amol-Kalit. He is renowned within Shaalith as both shrewd, commanding, and visionary, while also often being perceived as enigmatic, secretive, and - among the nobility and aristocracy - uncompromising in his pursuits.
The question of Jhazaad's age is an open but unspoken secret within Shaalith. Known most often by the sobriquet "qa-Majhun" - a title indicative both of sagacious respect and occult suspicions - the fact that he has lived far beyond the typical lifespan of a human is not discussed outside of palatial sanctums or beyond the hushed whispers of aristocrats.
Appearance
By all accounts, Jhazaad is the picture of a healthy, well-conditioned, Western Kaliti man in his mid-forties. While his height is above average among many human demographics, he is not uniquely or characteristically imposing in his physicality; this says nothing of the general weight of his presence, however, in which his demeanor imparts a certain commanding imposition by way of both a noble magnetism and an enigmatic charisma - a product of his prestige, Shalitheen renown, and social-political capital.
His skin is of a rich, sun-touched bronze that, while not without blemish or signs of senescence, is a clear product of care and a privileged, healthy lifestyle. While predominantly black, Jhazaad's lengthy hair and beard also hold traces of a reddened umber - a trait inherited from his mother, known for her deeply-auburn hair. As a child, illicit rumors were spread among the nobility as to his lineage, predominantly due to his appearance: his overall features, build, and complexion hold a remarkable resemblance to his grandfather, with only the near-golden brown of his eyes being indicative of his father.
As is typical among Shaalitheen men, his ears hold numerous piercings: each lobe twice, several helices, as well as a left daith. Jhazaad's nasal septum is also pierced, and is occasionally chained to his ear with delicate gold. His right index and middle fingers are marked with simple tattoos consisting of five bars each, indicating his years of education within a palace school. Similarly, Jhazaad's left ring finger has a set of seven tattooed rings, one for each wife he has wed.
Unbeknownst to all but his wives and immediate household, much of Jhazaad's chest, abdomen, back, upper arms, and upper thighs are etched with intricately detailed tattoos. These consist variously of complex sigils, occultic scrawl and symbols, as well as geometric patterns and shapes - all of seemingly unknown provenance. A persistent rumor among Jhazaad's household slaves alleges a servant once mentioned these, only to lose her tongue before being shipped to Cerak At'Thul; the validity of said rumor is unknown.
It is expected in Shaalith, as in much of the world, for the nobility to dress to impress. While Jhazaad is not one to be obscenely ostentatious by Shaalitheen standards, he does not shirk demonstrating his and his house's wealth - either in a rare public appearance or within meetings of confidence. He is often dressed in fineries of silk, brocade, damask, and finer wools. Jhazaad's favored attire includes a kaftan, sirwal, and a turban, but occasionally adorns himself in a bisht and thawb. Aside from his piercings, with regard to jewelry and gems, he is often adorned in gold, amber, carnelian, and pearl, as well as finely-cut rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds. Jhazaad is rarely seen without his golden chain of office and a key-shaped pin of white gold.
His skin is of a rich, sun-touched bronze that, while not without blemish or signs of senescence, is a clear product of care and a privileged, healthy lifestyle. While predominantly black, Jhazaad's lengthy hair and beard also hold traces of a reddened umber - a trait inherited from his mother, known for her deeply-auburn hair. As a child, illicit rumors were spread among the nobility as to his lineage, predominantly due to his appearance: his overall features, build, and complexion hold a remarkable resemblance to his grandfather, with only the near-golden brown of his eyes being indicative of his father.
As is typical among Shaalitheen men, his ears hold numerous piercings: each lobe twice, several helices, as well as a left daith. Jhazaad's nasal septum is also pierced, and is occasionally chained to his ear with delicate gold. His right index and middle fingers are marked with simple tattoos consisting of five bars each, indicating his years of education within a palace school. Similarly, Jhazaad's left ring finger has a set of seven tattooed rings, one for each wife he has wed.
Unbeknownst to all but his wives and immediate household, much of Jhazaad's chest, abdomen, back, upper arms, and upper thighs are etched with intricately detailed tattoos. These consist variously of complex sigils, occultic scrawl and symbols, as well as geometric patterns and shapes - all of seemingly unknown provenance. A persistent rumor among Jhazaad's household slaves alleges a servant once mentioned these, only to lose her tongue before being shipped to Cerak At'Thul; the validity of said rumor is unknown.
It is expected in Shaalith, as in much of the world, for the nobility to dress to impress. While Jhazaad is not one to be obscenely ostentatious by Shaalitheen standards, he does not shirk demonstrating his and his house's wealth - either in a rare public appearance or within meetings of confidence. He is often dressed in fineries of silk, brocade, damask, and finer wools. Jhazaad's favored attire includes a kaftan, sirwal, and a turban, but occasionally adorns himself in a bisht and thawb. Aside from his piercings, with regard to jewelry and gems, he is often adorned in gold, amber, carnelian, and pearl, as well as finely-cut rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds. Jhazaad is rarely seen without his golden chain of office and a key-shaped pin of white gold.
Skills & Abilities
Born within a noble household, Jhazaad has had the privileges of wealth and extensive reserves of social capital since childhood. Receiving a highly distinguished, palatial education, as well as an extensive period of mentorship beneath his paternal grandfather, has gifted him more than enough scholarly insight and skills to become an accomplished autodidact in his adulthood - saying nothing of his own, inherent gifts. As he has matured into a senior position of power, both within the Shaalitheen halls of governance as well as behind the pale marble of the White Bank, experience, ambition, and necessity have only honed such to a keen edge.
Even so, beneath his mundane, if but exceptionally-developed, mental skills and intellectual faculties, fundamentally: the rumors are true. Though ignorant as to their futility, it is well that some hang charms upon their doors to ward off ill spirits in the night; it is the right habit to only raise mention of the whispers of this truth behind shuttered windows and in high confidence; it is wise for heads to hang low, steps to hasten, in the shadow of the crimson kaftan.
Forgotten Sorcery. It is not considered commonplace for a child to be found slumbering in a garden, a cobra of sand and polished stone protectively circling them, but this was nonetheless an early sign of Jhazaad's inherent occult talents. With his grandfather's guidance and tutelage, never-the-mind copious ancient volumes of arcane rituals and half-a-dozen or more scholars and wisemen to supplement, he grew to hone his magical skills quickly; with each year, Jhazaad's aptitude grew, excelled, and ultimately surpassed even his grandfather's own. Yet, with the support of his ever-present mentor, his arcane interests diverged from the more oft-tread paths, such as College magic.
Jhazaad is exceptionally skilled and maintains a perennial and ongoing fascination with forgotten, ancient, and oft-forbidden disciplines, crafts, and sorcerous practices. In his age, it has become a rarity for him to discover a practice which he does not at least hold a passing familiarity by-name; when he does, it becomes a personal imperative to learn of it what he can. This fascination and ongoing practice has increased his preternatural reserves and stamina to a phenomenal degree; while like many magi that to some degree rely on the strain of their own arcane exertion, Jhazaad's power is far from limitless or without its own tax - though he has, by age and experience, learned when and how to best optimize his exertions.
Masterful Evocation. As evidenced by the propensities of his early childhood, Jhazaad has had a life-long fascination with evocation - conjuration, summoning. It is one matter to conjure a sandborn-serpent, little more than a servitor or familiar; it is another matter entirely to liaise with a being of unknown provenance with an intellect comparable to that of the higher races of Arethil. Of the ancient sorceries to which Jhazaad has committed himself, none other surpasses his skill as a conjurer: he has mastered the craft of summoning objects and beings, both of lesser and higher orders, and either entreating of them service or, by sheer force of magical will, dominating and binding them into his service or bondage.
Using peculiar methodologies - some of his own design - Jhazaad has learned to bind beings to his person directly by way of a protracted and arduous set of rituals. The ancient spells, incantations, and the very liaised dialogues of these initial consorting acts are writ by agony and the occult into his very flesh: a myriad of tattoos, fading with time and use, that mar much of his body, allowing him to later call-upon and summon at-will his chosen by rationing the collateral of his own pain and exertion. For objects or beings of more specific use, Jhazaad may select an object or even a place to bind them by arcane terms for a length of time, calling them into service as needed.
This novel route Jhazaad chose - to bind some of his most trusted and controlled to his own person, compartmentalizing their diffuse influence - lead down a natural path, albeit one considered forbidden and vulgar by those few aware of the existence of the process: the binding of beings to others, either as a willing host or via the violation of possession. Through a modified, albeit similar set of rituals, he may bind an entity to another; though considered a heinous violation, Jhazaad may then utilize the magical, telepathic link of correspondence between conjurer and conjured to surveil through the host's own senses, intercept and interpret their thoughts, or even influence their actions - albeit through exceptionally taxing strain.
Outer Patronage. Centuries ago, a man was driven by ambition to seek power and patronage. He plumbed the depths of primeval sand-strewn ruins, plundered ancient tombs, scoured private collections: anything he could do to find the avenue he desired. In a desolate place, he heard a whisper; calling out to it, the whisper became screams of revelation. A pact was born. A pact that ensured longevity to the man and protection of lineage, but with the cost of seeing those of that same lineage - the very man's children, grandchildren, and beyond - die as he lingered, and the threat of ages' worth of calamity to befall those whom may survive the pactbound were he to pass without remit. That man was Malukhar, Jhazaad's grandfather; that revelatory power was Sabakhûn, the Whispers in the Wastes.
In great age - an age far beyond the eighty years he wore - Malukhar sought the confidence of his mentee, his grandson. The terms of the Whispers' pact were clear: were Malukhar to die, all of the calamities that had been held back from his house would rush back upon them without respite or reprieve. He knew his days were numbered - he could feel the pact waning in his very bones. There was but one out: a willing and knowing, direct blood descendant. Jhazaad took up his grandfather's pact, the pact which placed his family as collateral, and mere days hence, his grandfather passed in some semblance of peace.
This pact with Sabakhûn has afforded Jhazaad years more beyond the expected for humans, as well as a subtle boon of protection to his kin: namely, that insofar as he lives, he will guide his house, and that the price of ages would not befall them, would not destroy them; for this, he must linger within his mortal chains, watching as his own kin live, age, and die. Jhazaad has done well to stack the deck in his favor, being fruitful and multiplying, knowing a day will come when he, too, must choose an heir to his burden. Even so, in his consorting with the Whispers in the Wastes, the Far Antecedent, he has elevated himself to some transactional service. Once or twice, with the appropriate rituals, when the stars were right, he invoked the primordial name, to both great ends and great costs.
Eminent Influence. In the over five-hundred years Malukhar expended in his lengthy life, he built many things: the fiction of Azah Ha'ash, raising a long-dead lineage back into reality by carefully manipulating his own presence, father-to-son; the Great Library of Shaalith, a store of innumerable tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls ripe with knowledge, and all the coterie of scholars it attracts; the policies, body of law and jurisprudence, and norms of the high table at which he sat as Shokhyr; and the White Bank, with its far-flung bureaus and networks, both financial and informational. Jhazaad, through both his own skills and by benefit of this inherited tapestry of power, has only grown this eminence.
Jhazaad has connections, both within Shaalith and far beyond, by benefit of both the White Bank and the countless foreign scholars the Great Library attracts - an institution to which he continues extensive patronage. In Shaalith, as a Shokhyr himself, he has manipulated the politics of the Free City, subtly competing and cooperating with his presumptive equals to the betterment of Azah Ha'ash; the fact that a significant amount of the city's debts sit within his vaults is not incidental. Through both scholars and his employed, he has nurtured and grown an intelligence network that touches any city housing a White Bank bureau. In times of need, he may find a scholar, an operative, an assassin, or even a free company to exact his plans; with a word and a bit of coin, little is beyond possibility.
Noble Erudition. Within Shaalith, the smallfolk often depend upon the charity of the nobility and aristocracy. While a few may themselves rise, often through mercantile venues, to the ranks of the aristocracy, for most such is near-impossible. Even literacy cannot be presumed. Among the privileged, however, there are the palace schools: institutions of learning holding patronage from powerful individuals or families, those who open their homes to kin, kith, and the children of loyal servants, imparting worldly learning and education - often itself in exchange for a promise of future service or some manner of compensation. As the child of a Great Skull, Jhazaad greatly benefited from years within this institutional framework.
History, law and jurisprudence, merchant endeavors, mathematics, courtly life, noblesse oblige, both Shaalitheen Kaliti and the Trade Tongue, among a myriad of other subjects were included in Jhazaad's years of education. Beyond such, however, he had the special privilege of being mentored by his grandfather in matters of the arcane, familial and Shaalitheen politics, and was reared to be the inheritor and next Grand Keyholder of the White Bank. Jhazaad never abandoned this studious practice, despite his age, and takes great pride in his polymathy; even when attending to court functions, it is rare to see him without some tome or scroll in hand - whether it be a current object of interest or a work of his own.
Subtle Stratagem. In polite society, it is considered not only a faux pas, but a fundamental violation of the conventions of interpersonal relations to treat individuals as tools, as means to an end. Few value their opinions and views being coerced, fewer still find grace in being deceived and manipulated to meet others' goals - even without a detriment to themselves. Even in Shaalith, such machinations must be made with subtly, soft power, and a gentle touch - the prestige of the Free City, of its nobility, of its collective honor depend upon it. To Jhazaad, however, all are viewed through an instrumentalist lens.
Through over seventy years of political and commercial experience, as well as an advanced theory of mind, Jhazaad has learned how to read people, how to assess their emotions and desires, how to coerce and deceive, how to paint a picture that would make a beggar give up his last copper for investment in a venture he will never live to see mature. While no deceiver, no manipulator, has a perfect track record, Jhazaad's own speaks for itself. Few are beyond the scope of his willingness to play and scheme; in the face of his family, its survival, and its prestige, not even his own blood are exempted from this controlling puppeteering.
Even so, beneath his mundane, if but exceptionally-developed, mental skills and intellectual faculties, fundamentally: the rumors are true. Though ignorant as to their futility, it is well that some hang charms upon their doors to ward off ill spirits in the night; it is the right habit to only raise mention of the whispers of this truth behind shuttered windows and in high confidence; it is wise for heads to hang low, steps to hasten, in the shadow of the crimson kaftan.
Forgotten Sorcery. It is not considered commonplace for a child to be found slumbering in a garden, a cobra of sand and polished stone protectively circling them, but this was nonetheless an early sign of Jhazaad's inherent occult talents. With his grandfather's guidance and tutelage, never-the-mind copious ancient volumes of arcane rituals and half-a-dozen or more scholars and wisemen to supplement, he grew to hone his magical skills quickly; with each year, Jhazaad's aptitude grew, excelled, and ultimately surpassed even his grandfather's own. Yet, with the support of his ever-present mentor, his arcane interests diverged from the more oft-tread paths, such as College magic.
Jhazaad is exceptionally skilled and maintains a perennial and ongoing fascination with forgotten, ancient, and oft-forbidden disciplines, crafts, and sorcerous practices. In his age, it has become a rarity for him to discover a practice which he does not at least hold a passing familiarity by-name; when he does, it becomes a personal imperative to learn of it what he can. This fascination and ongoing practice has increased his preternatural reserves and stamina to a phenomenal degree; while like many magi that to some degree rely on the strain of their own arcane exertion, Jhazaad's power is far from limitless or without its own tax - though he has, by age and experience, learned when and how to best optimize his exertions.
Masterful Evocation. As evidenced by the propensities of his early childhood, Jhazaad has had a life-long fascination with evocation - conjuration, summoning. It is one matter to conjure a sandborn-serpent, little more than a servitor or familiar; it is another matter entirely to liaise with a being of unknown provenance with an intellect comparable to that of the higher races of Arethil. Of the ancient sorceries to which Jhazaad has committed himself, none other surpasses his skill as a conjurer: he has mastered the craft of summoning objects and beings, both of lesser and higher orders, and either entreating of them service or, by sheer force of magical will, dominating and binding them into his service or bondage.
Using peculiar methodologies - some of his own design - Jhazaad has learned to bind beings to his person directly by way of a protracted and arduous set of rituals. The ancient spells, incantations, and the very liaised dialogues of these initial consorting acts are writ by agony and the occult into his very flesh: a myriad of tattoos, fading with time and use, that mar much of his body, allowing him to later call-upon and summon at-will his chosen by rationing the collateral of his own pain and exertion. For objects or beings of more specific use, Jhazaad may select an object or even a place to bind them by arcane terms for a length of time, calling them into service as needed.
This novel route Jhazaad chose - to bind some of his most trusted and controlled to his own person, compartmentalizing their diffuse influence - lead down a natural path, albeit one considered forbidden and vulgar by those few aware of the existence of the process: the binding of beings to others, either as a willing host or via the violation of possession. Through a modified, albeit similar set of rituals, he may bind an entity to another; though considered a heinous violation, Jhazaad may then utilize the magical, telepathic link of correspondence between conjurer and conjured to surveil through the host's own senses, intercept and interpret their thoughts, or even influence their actions - albeit through exceptionally taxing strain.
Outer Patronage. Centuries ago, a man was driven by ambition to seek power and patronage. He plumbed the depths of primeval sand-strewn ruins, plundered ancient tombs, scoured private collections: anything he could do to find the avenue he desired. In a desolate place, he heard a whisper; calling out to it, the whisper became screams of revelation. A pact was born. A pact that ensured longevity to the man and protection of lineage, but with the cost of seeing those of that same lineage - the very man's children, grandchildren, and beyond - die as he lingered, and the threat of ages' worth of calamity to befall those whom may survive the pactbound were he to pass without remit. That man was Malukhar, Jhazaad's grandfather; that revelatory power was Sabakhûn, the Whispers in the Wastes.
In great age - an age far beyond the eighty years he wore - Malukhar sought the confidence of his mentee, his grandson. The terms of the Whispers' pact were clear: were Malukhar to die, all of the calamities that had been held back from his house would rush back upon them without respite or reprieve. He knew his days were numbered - he could feel the pact waning in his very bones. There was but one out: a willing and knowing, direct blood descendant. Jhazaad took up his grandfather's pact, the pact which placed his family as collateral, and mere days hence, his grandfather passed in some semblance of peace.
This pact with Sabakhûn has afforded Jhazaad years more beyond the expected for humans, as well as a subtle boon of protection to his kin: namely, that insofar as he lives, he will guide his house, and that the price of ages would not befall them, would not destroy them; for this, he must linger within his mortal chains, watching as his own kin live, age, and die. Jhazaad has done well to stack the deck in his favor, being fruitful and multiplying, knowing a day will come when he, too, must choose an heir to his burden. Even so, in his consorting with the Whispers in the Wastes, the Far Antecedent, he has elevated himself to some transactional service. Once or twice, with the appropriate rituals, when the stars were right, he invoked the primordial name, to both great ends and great costs.
Eminent Influence. In the over five-hundred years Malukhar expended in his lengthy life, he built many things: the fiction of Azah Ha'ash, raising a long-dead lineage back into reality by carefully manipulating his own presence, father-to-son; the Great Library of Shaalith, a store of innumerable tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls ripe with knowledge, and all the coterie of scholars it attracts; the policies, body of law and jurisprudence, and norms of the high table at which he sat as Shokhyr; and the White Bank, with its far-flung bureaus and networks, both financial and informational. Jhazaad, through both his own skills and by benefit of this inherited tapestry of power, has only grown this eminence.
Jhazaad has connections, both within Shaalith and far beyond, by benefit of both the White Bank and the countless foreign scholars the Great Library attracts - an institution to which he continues extensive patronage. In Shaalith, as a Shokhyr himself, he has manipulated the politics of the Free City, subtly competing and cooperating with his presumptive equals to the betterment of Azah Ha'ash; the fact that a significant amount of the city's debts sit within his vaults is not incidental. Through both scholars and his employed, he has nurtured and grown an intelligence network that touches any city housing a White Bank bureau. In times of need, he may find a scholar, an operative, an assassin, or even a free company to exact his plans; with a word and a bit of coin, little is beyond possibility.
Noble Erudition. Within Shaalith, the smallfolk often depend upon the charity of the nobility and aristocracy. While a few may themselves rise, often through mercantile venues, to the ranks of the aristocracy, for most such is near-impossible. Even literacy cannot be presumed. Among the privileged, however, there are the palace schools: institutions of learning holding patronage from powerful individuals or families, those who open their homes to kin, kith, and the children of loyal servants, imparting worldly learning and education - often itself in exchange for a promise of future service or some manner of compensation. As the child of a Great Skull, Jhazaad greatly benefited from years within this institutional framework.
History, law and jurisprudence, merchant endeavors, mathematics, courtly life, noblesse oblige, both Shaalitheen Kaliti and the Trade Tongue, among a myriad of other subjects were included in Jhazaad's years of education. Beyond such, however, he had the special privilege of being mentored by his grandfather in matters of the arcane, familial and Shaalitheen politics, and was reared to be the inheritor and next Grand Keyholder of the White Bank. Jhazaad never abandoned this studious practice, despite his age, and takes great pride in his polymathy; even when attending to court functions, it is rare to see him without some tome or scroll in hand - whether it be a current object of interest or a work of his own.
Subtle Stratagem. In polite society, it is considered not only a faux pas, but a fundamental violation of the conventions of interpersonal relations to treat individuals as tools, as means to an end. Few value their opinions and views being coerced, fewer still find grace in being deceived and manipulated to meet others' goals - even without a detriment to themselves. Even in Shaalith, such machinations must be made with subtly, soft power, and a gentle touch - the prestige of the Free City, of its nobility, of its collective honor depend upon it. To Jhazaad, however, all are viewed through an instrumentalist lens.
Through over seventy years of political and commercial experience, as well as an advanced theory of mind, Jhazaad has learned how to read people, how to assess their emotions and desires, how to coerce and deceive, how to paint a picture that would make a beggar give up his last copper for investment in a venture he will never live to see mature. While no deceiver, no manipulator, has a perfect track record, Jhazaad's own speaks for itself. Few are beyond the scope of his willingness to play and scheme; in the face of his family, its survival, and its prestige, not even his own blood are exempted from this controlling puppeteering.
Personality
Self-restraint, decorum, and respect are important to Jhazaad - a consequence of both his noble upbringing as well as the Shaalitheen customs within which he matured. Even so, his expectations are high. Jhazaad expects success of himself, as well as an overall restraint; calculating and strategically-minded, he keeps his true thoughts and views guarded, shielded, presenting different aspects and facades to others based upon his judgment of their desired perceptions, contrasted to his own goals. The beggar peasant may see the crimson kaftan and judge him aloof but benevolent, while his contemporaries see a man of an uncompromising and fierce determination.
Such expectations extend well beyond his person, however. Jhazaad expects his kin, Azah Ha'ash, to uphold the family's honor, prestige, public image, and secrecy without fault. It is one thing to fail; it is another thing entirely to fail due to incompetence or a lack of personal self-restraint. Such failures - familial or otherwise - are one occurrence that is known to push Jhazaad from his guarded persona into a demanding and uncompromising force; as a consequence of his routine control and restriction of his emotions, when those guards are lowered, his mere raised voice can bring silence to a room. Failure within the family is met with a range of consequences; without the protection of kinship, such consequences are truly severe.
In the face of success, however, Jhazaad's high standards bring considerable rewards. Associates, hires, employees, even family which reach the high bar he sets routinely find themselves with favor. Loyalty truly cannot be bought, and is paid in kind. His dealings are often transactional, his attitude quid pro quo; individuals who by merit have demonstrated their use are gifted a softening of Jhazaad's severity, usually accompanied by preferred postings, lengthy and favorable terms of employment, the benefit of his influence and word, or even riches. "Patronage" has many meanings and implications; Jhazaad is familiar with and practiced in the use of each. Even so, one mistake, one fault of which the blame can only be placed upon a personal failing - a bout of drunkenness, an oversight, or not fulfilling a contract to the letter - and such gifts can be snatched away with a single word.
Despite his general demeanor, severity, and distance, Jhazaad is not rude. To be rude is not merely a breach of decorum, but evidence of weakness when unwarranted - a personal failure of control. There is a precise time, a precise place, for raised voices and assertive aggression, but such are few and far between in Jhazaad's eyes. In true Shaalitheen style: it is easier to gain flies with honey than vinegar, but sometimes jackals and asps are of more use. Sincerity is highly valued when surrounded in deception, but to fall into the trap of naiveté is more dangerous than a hidden, poisoned dagger. Jhazaad is almost never outwardly violent; to slip into violence in a moment of stress or anger is the ultimate failure, as it represents the absolute surrender of control. Even in his use of bloodshed, he demands restraint and calculation.
Fundamentally, Jhazaad keeps his cards hidden throughout the complex, manipulative game of life. With few exceptions, even among his family, he is reserved and guarded, overall presenting an aloof or even severe exterior - statuesque and enigmatic. Transactional and utilitarian, he only ever provides people with a slim glimpse of the inner workings of his mind. Jhazaad is a student not only of coin and conjuration, but of people and their perceptions. Calculating and exact, despite his stern presence, Jhazaad extends the level of respect he feels others deserve, and until they meet his exacting standards, little else.
Philosophy
Studious from a young age, Jhazaad is very familiar with the writings of learnéd scholars, philosophers, magi, and madmen from across the world - the Great Library of Shaalith serving as a testament to such. Overall, his beliefs revolve around a descriptive expectation of egoism from the world: practiced self-interest and self-favor as a basic, psychological norm; he does not believe himself above this dog-eat-dog mentality, but instead assesses the morality of his actions within the framework of an agent-focused consequentialism. In other words: "Do the ends justify the means?" This transactional, pragmatic amorality extends to his interactions with the preternatural, coloring the loose collection of religious beliefs Jhazaad holds.
To Jhazaad, his actions and moral prescriptions revolve around Azah Ha'ash, his family. It is one of the few things he feels warrants a true expression of love; with the exception of his wives and, on rare occasions, his children, few would ever find him affectionate. Love of family is wrapped in the complex intersection of Jhazaad's own self, his role in Azah Ha'ash, and prestige: he is the best helmsman for the ship that his is family, the best captain to command, and thus that which benefits him, by extension, benefits his family. This viewpoint is shaped not merely by his preternatural patronage, but in his views and opinions regarding his grandfather, the Ha'ashai patriarch that preceded him, and, by way of a sequence of identities, guided his family for over five hundred years.
All potential actions and courses are ultimately judged by the questions of personal and familial benefit. The White Bank, the Great Library, even his role within the governance of Shaalith itself are weighed against such prospects. If a course of action may harm Jhazaad or a member of his family, it is avoided; if it may benefit either, then any action, no matter how socially taboo or broadly-considered morally reprehensible, is valid. A course which may personally inconvenience himself, his wives, or his children is likely to be avoided, even if such presents little burden, unless it has a far greater utility; conversely, entire family lines of enemies, even neutral parties, may be worthy of annihilation if the result is strategically pertinent and rewarding.
This viewpoint extends to Jhazaad's consorting with preternatural beings and the manner of "religion" in which he believes. He is not one for worship, but the necessary veneration and transactional contact with his patron is acceptable: the benefit of such far outweighs the costs, even though the costs are dire. Within the nebulous network of cults to the Whispers in the Wastes, Jhazaad sees little purpose in maintaining connectivity, much less in prescribing to what formalities and rituals he judges to be fruitless pomp and circumstance. He is aware of what works and what does not, and finds little reason to gallivant in the desert, wrapped in burlap robes, groveling to every wash of the wind.
In the end, Jhazaad's morality is guided by a simple series of questions and judgments. To some, such may be considered amorality, even immorality, but such concerns are meaningless when derived from the self-serving and sycophantic. By his judgment, were every man in his position, they, too, would cast their lots and chart a course based upon similar principles - presuming they were intelligent and self-restrained enough to do so.
To Jhazaad, his actions and moral prescriptions revolve around Azah Ha'ash, his family. It is one of the few things he feels warrants a true expression of love; with the exception of his wives and, on rare occasions, his children, few would ever find him affectionate. Love of family is wrapped in the complex intersection of Jhazaad's own self, his role in Azah Ha'ash, and prestige: he is the best helmsman for the ship that his is family, the best captain to command, and thus that which benefits him, by extension, benefits his family. This viewpoint is shaped not merely by his preternatural patronage, but in his views and opinions regarding his grandfather, the Ha'ashai patriarch that preceded him, and, by way of a sequence of identities, guided his family for over five hundred years.
All potential actions and courses are ultimately judged by the questions of personal and familial benefit. The White Bank, the Great Library, even his role within the governance of Shaalith itself are weighed against such prospects. If a course of action may harm Jhazaad or a member of his family, it is avoided; if it may benefit either, then any action, no matter how socially taboo or broadly-considered morally reprehensible, is valid. A course which may personally inconvenience himself, his wives, or his children is likely to be avoided, even if such presents little burden, unless it has a far greater utility; conversely, entire family lines of enemies, even neutral parties, may be worthy of annihilation if the result is strategically pertinent and rewarding.
This viewpoint extends to Jhazaad's consorting with preternatural beings and the manner of "religion" in which he believes. He is not one for worship, but the necessary veneration and transactional contact with his patron is acceptable: the benefit of such far outweighs the costs, even though the costs are dire. Within the nebulous network of cults to the Whispers in the Wastes, Jhazaad sees little purpose in maintaining connectivity, much less in prescribing to what formalities and rituals he judges to be fruitless pomp and circumstance. He is aware of what works and what does not, and finds little reason to gallivant in the desert, wrapped in burlap robes, groveling to every wash of the wind.
In the end, Jhazaad's morality is guided by a simple series of questions and judgments. To some, such may be considered amorality, even immorality, but such concerns are meaningless when derived from the self-serving and sycophantic. By his judgment, were every man in his position, they, too, would cast their lots and chart a course based upon similar principles - presuming they were intelligent and self-restrained enough to do so.
Preferences
Due to his noble birth, and despite his oft-perceived severe exterior, Jhazaad has gained a fondness for the finer things in life. Unlike some in Shaalith, however, he does not see value in obscene ostentation or opulence for its own sake; some within the Free City might spend the value of an entire palace in a single gown or bit of jewelry. To Jhazaad, not only is this a waste of coin, it demonstrates a lack of control, a lack of restraint in the face of wanton hedonism. He holds no fondness for such degeneracy, even when he himself is dressed in finery which may dwarf the annual earnings of an entire peasant family.
As his primary passion, Jhazaad enjoys books: literature, philosophical treatises, grimoires, and scrolls of primeval provenance. While his grandfather grew the Great Library, Jhazaad has bloated its contents tenfold the same measure. It is one of the few matters in which he feels an obscene amount of gold may truly be worth the expense. Jhazaad's personal collection, among other things, includes: ancient historical accounts regarding Amol-Kalit, manuscripts recording the lineage and personalities of Anirian noble houses, obscure and forbidden grimoires, and dozens of single-tract works by forgotten practitioners from Cortos to Thagretis.
Adjacent and complementary to his love of books and literature, Jhazaad is exceptionally studious. Though most commonly expressed through his research and practice of forgotten sorceries, his interest is not constrained to a single subject. History is of particular note, be it political, martial, or on cultural topics. Similarly, Jhazaad holds a profound fascination with the Forbidden City. He has studied many treatises published under the auspices of the College of Elbion; albeit finding most wanting, few escaped donation to the Great Library. Jhazaad has put his research-oriented nature to good use, and devotes considerable time and effort into the study of any practice or commercial concern before investing.
Though introduced to fine art at a young age, it was not until Jhazaad met his first wife that such became a considerable interest - namely due to her passion for such. It is was one of the few matters in which he allows himself to be outwardly sentimental, providing patronage to worthy artists far beyond what pragmatism might otherwise suggest is useful. After his wife's passing, he commissioned a series of artists from across Amol-Kalit to design and create a jewel-encrusted mosaic within a prominent hall of the Ha'ashai Palace; the mosaic acts as a visual representation of the Ha'ashai family tree, albeit taking the form of a dazzling peafowl - his late, first wife's favorite animal.
Jhazaad is fond of coffee, wine, and above other vices, tobacco - namely mu'assel. While both coffee and wine are common imports for the nobility of Shaalith, Jhazaad has made considerable expenses to invest in native tobacco plantations along the Bay of the Neck, as well as several, smaller ventures in the Horseman Highlands. One coastal plantation is of particular note, as he has fostered such a close relationship with its proprietors that they cultivate, dry, and produce a mu'assel catering specifically to Jhazaad's personal tastes. Shipments of the sweet, nectarine-scented tobacco and molasses preparation arrive bi-weekly to the harbor of Shaalith. His preferred mixture is often a gift of choice when Jhazaad holds court or seeks particularly prestigious partnerships.
Bigotry is more often a hindrance than a help, from Jhazaad's perspective. He holds no particular distaste among the species and races of the world; this is not out of any personal moral or ideological repudiation of such prejudices, instead he simply views such as a needless restriction on potential pools of talent. Humans, abtati, orcs, and even more bestial-folk can all be found in his employ. Even so, when needed, Jhazaad is not above exploiting the bigotry and prejudices of others in order to achieve his ends or capitalize on a lucrative opportunity.
As his primary passion, Jhazaad enjoys books: literature, philosophical treatises, grimoires, and scrolls of primeval provenance. While his grandfather grew the Great Library, Jhazaad has bloated its contents tenfold the same measure. It is one of the few matters in which he feels an obscene amount of gold may truly be worth the expense. Jhazaad's personal collection, among other things, includes: ancient historical accounts regarding Amol-Kalit, manuscripts recording the lineage and personalities of Anirian noble houses, obscure and forbidden grimoires, and dozens of single-tract works by forgotten practitioners from Cortos to Thagretis.
Adjacent and complementary to his love of books and literature, Jhazaad is exceptionally studious. Though most commonly expressed through his research and practice of forgotten sorceries, his interest is not constrained to a single subject. History is of particular note, be it political, martial, or on cultural topics. Similarly, Jhazaad holds a profound fascination with the Forbidden City. He has studied many treatises published under the auspices of the College of Elbion; albeit finding most wanting, few escaped donation to the Great Library. Jhazaad has put his research-oriented nature to good use, and devotes considerable time and effort into the study of any practice or commercial concern before investing.
Though introduced to fine art at a young age, it was not until Jhazaad met his first wife that such became a considerable interest - namely due to her passion for such. It is was one of the few matters in which he allows himself to be outwardly sentimental, providing patronage to worthy artists far beyond what pragmatism might otherwise suggest is useful. After his wife's passing, he commissioned a series of artists from across Amol-Kalit to design and create a jewel-encrusted mosaic within a prominent hall of the Ha'ashai Palace; the mosaic acts as a visual representation of the Ha'ashai family tree, albeit taking the form of a dazzling peafowl - his late, first wife's favorite animal.
Jhazaad is fond of coffee, wine, and above other vices, tobacco - namely mu'assel. While both coffee and wine are common imports for the nobility of Shaalith, Jhazaad has made considerable expenses to invest in native tobacco plantations along the Bay of the Neck, as well as several, smaller ventures in the Horseman Highlands. One coastal plantation is of particular note, as he has fostered such a close relationship with its proprietors that they cultivate, dry, and produce a mu'assel catering specifically to Jhazaad's personal tastes. Shipments of the sweet, nectarine-scented tobacco and molasses preparation arrive bi-weekly to the harbor of Shaalith. His preferred mixture is often a gift of choice when Jhazaad holds court or seeks particularly prestigious partnerships.
Bigotry is more often a hindrance than a help, from Jhazaad's perspective. He holds no particular distaste among the species and races of the world; this is not out of any personal moral or ideological repudiation of such prejudices, instead he simply views such as a needless restriction on potential pools of talent. Humans, abtati, orcs, and even more bestial-folk can all be found in his employ. Even so, when needed, Jhazaad is not above exploiting the bigotry and prejudices of others in order to achieve his ends or capitalize on a lucrative opportunity.
Biography
The Great Skull of Azah Ha'ash, an ancient house which predates the Way of the Asp and the foundations of the modern Free City of Shaalith, is a lie. It is a deception originally conceived by Malukhar adn Yashiir, Jhazaad's paternal grandfather, in order to achieve his ambitions of wealth, influence, and greater sorcerous power. While such a lineage did once exist, dating back to the tribes of the Horseman and southern Golden Wastes, it collapsed long ago, destroyed as little more than a footnote in history; in his pact with the Whispers in the Wastes, Malukhar used the history of the Ha'ashai as a cover, and over five hundred years played the role of grandfather, father, and son through a combination of illusory sorcery, political manipulation, and assassination, crafting the fiction that would become the modern Azah Ha'ash.
On the 27th of Garda, of the year 269, Jhazaad was born into this well-crafted deception. He was the first and only child of Samirak adn Malukhar and Safhiya adyt Khaaldun. Once of the Great Skull Azah Rahnim, his mother Safhiya passed due to complications during childbirth, emotionally and psychologically destroying his father. Over the next four years, Samirak philandered, womanized, and drank to self-destructive excess, effectively abandoning his only son to the care of his harem and a small coterie of eunuchs. Though this period was brief, it left indelible marks upon Jhazaad, and ultimately helped sculpt him into the man he would become.
In Jhazaad's fourth year, drunken to the point of indignant and boastful belligerence, his father Samirak was expelled from a prestigious brothel in Shaalith - one frequented almost exclusively by aristocrats and the nobility. Accompanied by several friends and associates, all equally intoxicated, an altercation broke-out spurred by the repetition of a salacious rumor: that Jhazaad was born of cuckholdry in a union between Safhiya and her father-in-law, a rumor spurred by the resemblance Samirak's son held to his father, even at such a young age. When the dust settled, Samirak was left to die in a back alley not a quarter-mile from the Palace of the Ha'ashai.
Jhazaad, as a son of the Ha'ashai, was taken into his grandfather's harem to be cared for and looked after by his grandmothers, Malukhar's bound concubines, and servants of the saray. Whether due to the effects of his initial abandonment or by some predisposition, he is said to have never once cried after the death of his father. He was afforded all of the privilege and luxury a child of four could ever want, but in his earliest years he spent most of his time in the eastern garden, watched over by one of his grandmothers.
At the age of five, one of his grandmothers found him bundled amid a blanket just after dawn. He had apparently slept the night in the open air of the garden. Unbeknownst to his warden, he was not alone. While approaching to rouse and fetch Jhazaad, she was driven back into the interior of the saray by a hooded-serpent, a cobra composed wholly of sand, grit, and gravel, fangs of polished and honed marble. It was Jhazaad's first manifestation of magic, and terrified the household servants and much of his kin. But not his grandfather.
On the 27th of Garda, of the year 269, Jhazaad was born into this well-crafted deception. He was the first and only child of Samirak adn Malukhar and Safhiya adyt Khaaldun. Once of the Great Skull Azah Rahnim, his mother Safhiya passed due to complications during childbirth, emotionally and psychologically destroying his father. Over the next four years, Samirak philandered, womanized, and drank to self-destructive excess, effectively abandoning his only son to the care of his harem and a small coterie of eunuchs. Though this period was brief, it left indelible marks upon Jhazaad, and ultimately helped sculpt him into the man he would become.
In Jhazaad's fourth year, drunken to the point of indignant and boastful belligerence, his father Samirak was expelled from a prestigious brothel in Shaalith - one frequented almost exclusively by aristocrats and the nobility. Accompanied by several friends and associates, all equally intoxicated, an altercation broke-out spurred by the repetition of a salacious rumor: that Jhazaad was born of cuckholdry in a union between Safhiya and her father-in-law, a rumor spurred by the resemblance Samirak's son held to his father, even at such a young age. When the dust settled, Samirak was left to die in a back alley not a quarter-mile from the Palace of the Ha'ashai.
Jhazaad, as a son of the Ha'ashai, was taken into his grandfather's harem to be cared for and looked after by his grandmothers, Malukhar's bound concubines, and servants of the saray. Whether due to the effects of his initial abandonment or by some predisposition, he is said to have never once cried after the death of his father. He was afforded all of the privilege and luxury a child of four could ever want, but in his earliest years he spent most of his time in the eastern garden, watched over by one of his grandmothers.
At the age of five, one of his grandmothers found him bundled amid a blanket just after dawn. He had apparently slept the night in the open air of the garden. Unbeknownst to his warden, he was not alone. While approaching to rouse and fetch Jhazaad, she was driven back into the interior of the saray by a hooded-serpent, a cobra composed wholly of sand, grit, and gravel, fangs of polished and honed marble. It was Jhazaad's first manifestation of magic, and terrified the household servants and much of his kin. But not his grandfather.
Childhood & Education
Over the coming years, Jhazaad remained within his grandfather's harem, looked-after by family and servants all while being given the early education expected of a child of a noble house. In this time, Malukhar kept a much closer eye on him, following the incident in the eastern garden; Jhazaad told him of what occurred, and divulged the secret of his vivid dreams and the verisimilitude of his nightmares. In exchange, Malukhar taught him what they might mean, and how best to keep his emotions constrained, promising a day would come when something more would come of it. A room off the eastern garden was made fitting to Jhazaad's liking, and thereafter it would become his personal space.
At the age of thirteen, as is typical of Shaalitheen boys of noble birth, Jhazaad was taken from the harem to be reared within the palace school of Azah Ha'ash. It was at this time that Malukhar first began his mentorship, albeit with a gentle touch at first: the day came when the truth of what had happened would be divulged, at least a portion of it. Even as he first began learning of courtly life and the wider world, Malukhar would spend many evenings with Jhazaad, teaching him of the arcane. It was an initiation, after which he excelled at a remarkable rate under his grandfather's watchful oversight and strong discipline.
Within the palace school, Jhazaad was quiet, contemplative, but mingled well with his contemporaries when required. He learned of mathematics, language, and history in the day, while in the evenings he learned the fundamentals of sorcery, quickly progressing along each avenue at a rate that both swelled his grandfather's pride and gave him pause.
At the age of sixteen, initially unbeknownst to Malukhar, Jhazaad summoned forth a minor ifrit in a secluded palace garden. Despite his terror and inexperience, he managed to dominate the being by sheer force of will, mastering a level of hyperagonal correspondence far beyond his years. Even so, the garden was severely damaged; Jhazaad was afforded new chambers within the palace, including a private space to more safely practice his craft under greater supervision. What servants had discovered the occurrence were quietly given passage to a city far in the west, with promise of reprisal if their mouths ran faster than their feet.
As Jhazaad passed into adulthood in his eighteenth year, his grandfather began introducing him to far more complex works, even paying for both the services and silence of scholars from abroad. He manifested flame easily, gave animation to suits of armor without strain, and even compelled one of his tutors into physical silence and binding shadow purely off intuition and the desire to be done with his evening studies. College magic proved droll, and Jhazaad's interests in older arts and more occult sciences became clear. On the eve of his nineteenth year, he was introduced to Malukhar's private library and all the ancient works it held.
At the age of thirteen, as is typical of Shaalitheen boys of noble birth, Jhazaad was taken from the harem to be reared within the palace school of Azah Ha'ash. It was at this time that Malukhar first began his mentorship, albeit with a gentle touch at first: the day came when the truth of what had happened would be divulged, at least a portion of it. Even as he first began learning of courtly life and the wider world, Malukhar would spend many evenings with Jhazaad, teaching him of the arcane. It was an initiation, after which he excelled at a remarkable rate under his grandfather's watchful oversight and strong discipline.
Within the palace school, Jhazaad was quiet, contemplative, but mingled well with his contemporaries when required. He learned of mathematics, language, and history in the day, while in the evenings he learned the fundamentals of sorcery, quickly progressing along each avenue at a rate that both swelled his grandfather's pride and gave him pause.
At the age of sixteen, initially unbeknownst to Malukhar, Jhazaad summoned forth a minor ifrit in a secluded palace garden. Despite his terror and inexperience, he managed to dominate the being by sheer force of will, mastering a level of hyperagonal correspondence far beyond his years. Even so, the garden was severely damaged; Jhazaad was afforded new chambers within the palace, including a private space to more safely practice his craft under greater supervision. What servants had discovered the occurrence were quietly given passage to a city far in the west, with promise of reprisal if their mouths ran faster than their feet.
As Jhazaad passed into adulthood in his eighteenth year, his grandfather began introducing him to far more complex works, even paying for both the services and silence of scholars from abroad. He manifested flame easily, gave animation to suits of armor without strain, and even compelled one of his tutors into physical silence and binding shadow purely off intuition and the desire to be done with his evening studies. College magic proved droll, and Jhazaad's interests in older arts and more occult sciences became clear. On the eve of his nineteenth year, he was introduced to Malukhar's private library and all the ancient works it held.
Tutelage & Sorcery
Jhazaad continued his higher learning within the palace school, focusing on law and jurisprudence - a suggestion made by his grandfather. By this time, Malukhar had grown beyond mere mentor an into a father figure, with Jhazaad increasingly taking the role of a confidant and surrogate son. He began accepting invitations to travel with his grandfather to cities along the coast of the Gulf of Annuak and beyond, learning first-hand the more mundane aspects of his grandfather's life - namely the demands of being both an oligarch and as Grand Keyholder of the White Bank.
It was at a gala upon return from a trip to Lazular that Jhazaad would be introduced to the young Zairha adyt Rashouh Azah Nhossra. In Jhazaad's twenty-third year, Zairha's nineteenth, they were wed. Less than a year later, they had their first child: a daughter. Subsequent, Jhazaad would have six more wives and twelve children; while polygynous, a common manifestation of Shaalitheen polygamy, he would not take a second wife until his estrangement from Zairha - a consequence of the eventual revelation of the burden he would come to take upon himself from his grandfather. At the age of fifty-two, Zairha passed; Jhazaad commissioned the construction of a mosaic depiction of his family tree, presented in the form of a peacock - Zairha's favorite animal.
Even as Jhazaad's education of mundane affairs continued, his grasp of sorcery excelled significantly. By the age of twenty-three and his formal graduation from the palace school, his unique talents in regard to evocation had become pronounced. While he continued learning beneath his grandfather Malukhar, their relationship steadily evolved into less of a mentor-and-mentee one, and more of a partnership. Jhazaad increasingly was given a seat of counsel to his grandfather in highly important matters, be it the White Bank, his custodianship of the Great Library, or on the ruling council of Shaalith. This extended to Malukhar's more secretive and taboo aspects of sorcery. Jhazaad began developing his own methods of conjuration during this time.
With his thirtieth year on the horizon, Jhazaad was not merely a practiced sorcerer in secret, but a well-known figure in Shaalith and among the Ha'ashai court. He had become his grandfather's aide-de-camp, and increasingly his proxy as well. Malukhar was approaching eighty, at least by word and appearance, and was increasingly prone to both physical ailment and, perplexingly, anxious fits of anger - a characteristic he had never manifested in all of Jhazaad's life hitherto then. At his worst, Malukhar would have retired to his personal chambers, with Jhazaad never being privy to anger or exasperation beyond a handful of moments in nearly thirty years. Malukhar expected discipline, both of others and himself.
It was at a gala upon return from a trip to Lazular that Jhazaad would be introduced to the young Zairha adyt Rashouh Azah Nhossra. In Jhazaad's twenty-third year, Zairha's nineteenth, they were wed. Less than a year later, they had their first child: a daughter. Subsequent, Jhazaad would have six more wives and twelve children; while polygynous, a common manifestation of Shaalitheen polygamy, he would not take a second wife until his estrangement from Zairha - a consequence of the eventual revelation of the burden he would come to take upon himself from his grandfather. At the age of fifty-two, Zairha passed; Jhazaad commissioned the construction of a mosaic depiction of his family tree, presented in the form of a peacock - Zairha's favorite animal.
Even as Jhazaad's education of mundane affairs continued, his grasp of sorcery excelled significantly. By the age of twenty-three and his formal graduation from the palace school, his unique talents in regard to evocation had become pronounced. While he continued learning beneath his grandfather Malukhar, their relationship steadily evolved into less of a mentor-and-mentee one, and more of a partnership. Jhazaad increasingly was given a seat of counsel to his grandfather in highly important matters, be it the White Bank, his custodianship of the Great Library, or on the ruling council of Shaalith. This extended to Malukhar's more secretive and taboo aspects of sorcery. Jhazaad began developing his own methods of conjuration during this time.
With his thirtieth year on the horizon, Jhazaad was not merely a practiced sorcerer in secret, but a well-known figure in Shaalith and among the Ha'ashai court. He had become his grandfather's aide-de-camp, and increasingly his proxy as well. Malukhar was approaching eighty, at least by word and appearance, and was increasingly prone to both physical ailment and, perplexingly, anxious fits of anger - a characteristic he had never manifested in all of Jhazaad's life hitherto then. At his worst, Malukhar would have retired to his personal chambers, with Jhazaad never being privy to anger or exasperation beyond a handful of moments in nearly thirty years. Malukhar expected discipline, both of others and himself.
Whispers & Ascension
In Safir of 299, five months before Jhazaad's thirtieth birthday, he was summoned late in the night by a eunuch from his grandfather's harem. While such summons were not uncommon, they were peculiar at such a late hour. He was brought to Malukhar's bed chamber, only to find his grandfather pale, visibly ill, and looking far greater in age than his eighty years. Beckoned to sit aside him, Jhazaad sat and his grandfather detailed the truth - a truth he'd kept hidden not just for all of Jhazaad's life, but for countless lives more.
For over five hundred years, Malukhar had played the part of father and son, manipulating Shaalitheen records and obfuscating, via exceptional illusions and subtle machinations, this fact from his own family. Samirak was Jhazaad's true father, despite the salacious rumor that had cost him his life, but through secrets and deception, for many years before, Malukhar had been both his father and his own son: when one role needed to die, a convenient heir would take his place. All were roles played by the same man. Samirak was to be his planned heir, in more ways than one.
It was then that the nature of his pact with the Whispers of the Wastes was revealed to Jhazaad, and that calamity would destroy Azah Ha'ash were the terms of that agreement - longevity in exchange for living to see generations of beloved kin die - not passed on to a knowing, willfull, blood descendant.
Jhazaad did not immediately accept the burden placed before him. At first, he returned to Zairha, but could not wake her. In his private journals, he would mark this moment as when their estrangement began, albeit unbeknownst to her. Instead, he wandered far through the palace, returning to the eastern garden within his grandfather's saray. Now, bereft of his grandmothers, of concubines, hollow and silent, it was much as he remembered it when he first arrived, albeit for vastly different reasons. One last time, the eastern garden brought him peace and ease of contemplation, at least until dawn.
Malukhar, son of Malukhar, son of Malukhar, a nameless sorcerer who dredged-up a long-dead ancient house for the sake of his own ambition, died in peace three days after that night. Jhazaad did not reveal the nature of his inheritance to a single soul for fifteen years, finally choosing to reveal the nature of such to Zairha; it shattered their relationship irrecoverably, and while their marriage remained, it was an estranged one - they would never again share a bed. Even so, on that spring morning in 299, the burden of a nameless sorcerer Jhazaad knew as "Malukhar" was passed on.
For three weeks, Shaalith mourned the passing of Malukhar: patriarch of Azah Ha'ash, founder and Grand Keyholder of the White Bank, preeminent patron of the Great Library, and Shokhyr of the Shomajla of the Free City. When the black banners fell and the mourning candles were snuffed out, Jhazaad was quietly invited to the Grand Palace of Shaalith: he had been voted to become as his grandfather - a Shokhyr, an oligarch - by the assembled nobles and aristocrats which ruled the city. It was just as Malukhar had divulged they would. Jhazaad, now lacking hesitation, accepted.
For over five hundred years, Malukhar had played the part of father and son, manipulating Shaalitheen records and obfuscating, via exceptional illusions and subtle machinations, this fact from his own family. Samirak was Jhazaad's true father, despite the salacious rumor that had cost him his life, but through secrets and deception, for many years before, Malukhar had been both his father and his own son: when one role needed to die, a convenient heir would take his place. All were roles played by the same man. Samirak was to be his planned heir, in more ways than one.
It was then that the nature of his pact with the Whispers of the Wastes was revealed to Jhazaad, and that calamity would destroy Azah Ha'ash were the terms of that agreement - longevity in exchange for living to see generations of beloved kin die - not passed on to a knowing, willfull, blood descendant.
Jhazaad did not immediately accept the burden placed before him. At first, he returned to Zairha, but could not wake her. In his private journals, he would mark this moment as when their estrangement began, albeit unbeknownst to her. Instead, he wandered far through the palace, returning to the eastern garden within his grandfather's saray. Now, bereft of his grandmothers, of concubines, hollow and silent, it was much as he remembered it when he first arrived, albeit for vastly different reasons. One last time, the eastern garden brought him peace and ease of contemplation, at least until dawn.
Malukhar, son of Malukhar, son of Malukhar, a nameless sorcerer who dredged-up a long-dead ancient house for the sake of his own ambition, died in peace three days after that night. Jhazaad did not reveal the nature of his inheritance to a single soul for fifteen years, finally choosing to reveal the nature of such to Zairha; it shattered their relationship irrecoverably, and while their marriage remained, it was an estranged one - they would never again share a bed. Even so, on that spring morning in 299, the burden of a nameless sorcerer Jhazaad knew as "Malukhar" was passed on.
For three weeks, Shaalith mourned the passing of Malukhar: patriarch of Azah Ha'ash, founder and Grand Keyholder of the White Bank, preeminent patron of the Great Library, and Shokhyr of the Shomajla of the Free City. When the black banners fell and the mourning candles were snuffed out, Jhazaad was quietly invited to the Grand Palace of Shaalith: he had been voted to become as his grandfather - a Shokhyr, an oligarch - by the assembled nobles and aristocrats which ruled the city. It was just as Malukhar had divulged they would. Jhazaad, now lacking hesitation, accepted.
Time & Expansion
As a junior among the elders of Shaalith, Jhazaad was quickly tested: a former debtor to his late grandfather had chosen to refuse to pay, entering default willfully. A Shokhyr himself, the man sought to directly challenge the junior oligarch, presuming the untested and novice politician could neither play the role nor apply significant pressure as the newly-inaugurated Grand Keyholder. Jhazaad provided the elder statesman an opportunity, an out: the man could surrender his eldest son and presumptive heir to Azah Ha'ash, where he would be tended and raised as a noble, provided unparalleled education and privilege, albeit as a captive, until his father could pay the debt he owed. The man not only refused, but balked at the notion.
For a month, Jhazaad was not seen. Many on the ruling council surmised he had fled the city; such was common when councilors could not adjust to the reigns of power. The debtor, seemingly victorious, mocked Azah Ha'ash openly - first in the confidence of the Shomajla, then in the souks and brothels. One morning however, he, his wife, and his two children were found not merely deceased, but desiccated - as if they had been dead for nearly thirty years, left to decay and mummify in their beds. That same morning, Jhazaad returned to the council, drained of color, lethargic, but present. He issued no word, made no statement, and only requested forgiveness for his leave: it seemed he had been stricken with a crippling illness, but it had thankfully passed.
Over the next seventy years, the singular incident served as a kernel around which rumor and intrigue were built. As Jhazaad seemed to excel in seniority, even as his features kept their youthful color and his physique remained that of a man less than half his actual age, Shaalitheen nobility began to call him "qa-Majhun": the Word-Weathered, the Sorcerer. Initially intended as a slight, an epithet, Jhazaad adopted the moniker for its political usage and weight. Never again did a Shokhyr, or indeed any noble or aristocrat of Shaalith, openly mock his honor or the honor of his house. It became known among the upper classes and merchants of the Free City that, one way or another, Jhazaad always ensured debts were paid - monetary or otherwise.
Though none would openly discuss the nature of Jhazaad's apparent longevity nor the rumors of rituals in the night, that did not serve to deter discussion of him in whole. He became known as a patron of the arts and academia, and on more than one occasion pushed through reforms that provided a modicum of relief to the smallfolk and the impoverished - all a convenient tool in the perpetual political warfare of the Free City. Eventually, while he passed on proprietorship of the Great Library of Shaalith, he remained an unobstructed and privileged guest, both due to his ongoing patronage and his both copious and conspicuous donations of works and artifacts.
As Grand Keyholder, Jhazaad grew the White Bank's influence beyond Amol-Kalit, establishing bureaus in cities across Liadain. These acted as centers for lending and money-changing between the myriad of specie across the continent; a merchant in Shaalith could deposit his earnings, receive a bill of exchange, and could extract his money in some far-flung city once he arrived - sans a fee. He increased the bank's coffers and vaults, loaning money not only to merchants and aristocrats, but to nobility and the Free City itself. Beyond mere gold, however, the greatest boon Jhazaad created through the White Bank was the transformation of each bureau into a quiet network for the gathering of intelligence; tellers and accountants became informants, but beyond such, operatives themselves were employed, using their bureau as a quiet place for reporting.
All the while, ever-studious, Jhazaad continued to grow as a sorcerer, practitioner, and occult researcher. Using his rogues abroad and scholarly connections made through the Great Library, he accrued artifacts - both magical and mundane - for his personal collection, or for the library itself. Expeditions were contracted, sometimes operating under the cover of merchant caravans conveniently protected by Ha'ashai guards, and what ruins could be plumbed, were. All the while, Jhazaad continued his development and growth, burying himself against the costs of his inherited pact in work, study, and occasional comfort.
For a month, Jhazaad was not seen. Many on the ruling council surmised he had fled the city; such was common when councilors could not adjust to the reigns of power. The debtor, seemingly victorious, mocked Azah Ha'ash openly - first in the confidence of the Shomajla, then in the souks and brothels. One morning however, he, his wife, and his two children were found not merely deceased, but desiccated - as if they had been dead for nearly thirty years, left to decay and mummify in their beds. That same morning, Jhazaad returned to the council, drained of color, lethargic, but present. He issued no word, made no statement, and only requested forgiveness for his leave: it seemed he had been stricken with a crippling illness, but it had thankfully passed.
Over the next seventy years, the singular incident served as a kernel around which rumor and intrigue were built. As Jhazaad seemed to excel in seniority, even as his features kept their youthful color and his physique remained that of a man less than half his actual age, Shaalitheen nobility began to call him "qa-Majhun": the Word-Weathered, the Sorcerer. Initially intended as a slight, an epithet, Jhazaad adopted the moniker for its political usage and weight. Never again did a Shokhyr, or indeed any noble or aristocrat of Shaalith, openly mock his honor or the honor of his house. It became known among the upper classes and merchants of the Free City that, one way or another, Jhazaad always ensured debts were paid - monetary or otherwise.
Though none would openly discuss the nature of Jhazaad's apparent longevity nor the rumors of rituals in the night, that did not serve to deter discussion of him in whole. He became known as a patron of the arts and academia, and on more than one occasion pushed through reforms that provided a modicum of relief to the smallfolk and the impoverished - all a convenient tool in the perpetual political warfare of the Free City. Eventually, while he passed on proprietorship of the Great Library of Shaalith, he remained an unobstructed and privileged guest, both due to his ongoing patronage and his both copious and conspicuous donations of works and artifacts.
As Grand Keyholder, Jhazaad grew the White Bank's influence beyond Amol-Kalit, establishing bureaus in cities across Liadain. These acted as centers for lending and money-changing between the myriad of specie across the continent; a merchant in Shaalith could deposit his earnings, receive a bill of exchange, and could extract his money in some far-flung city once he arrived - sans a fee. He increased the bank's coffers and vaults, loaning money not only to merchants and aristocrats, but to nobility and the Free City itself. Beyond mere gold, however, the greatest boon Jhazaad created through the White Bank was the transformation of each bureau into a quiet network for the gathering of intelligence; tellers and accountants became informants, but beyond such, operatives themselves were employed, using their bureau as a quiet place for reporting.
All the while, ever-studious, Jhazaad continued to grow as a sorcerer, practitioner, and occult researcher. Using his rogues abroad and scholarly connections made through the Great Library, he accrued artifacts - both magical and mundane - for his personal collection, or for the library itself. Expeditions were contracted, sometimes operating under the cover of merchant caravans conveniently protected by Ha'ashai guards, and what ruins could be plumbed, were. All the while, Jhazaad continued his development and growth, burying himself against the costs of his inherited pact in work, study, and occasional comfort.
Present
By 372, Jhazaad has solidly established himself as an eminent figure within Shaalith. Patron, financier, oligarch: his name is known among the nobility, the aristocrats, the merchants, and the smallfolk alike - albeit each with their own, distinct perceptions of him. For over seventy years, he has ruled with his presumptive equals - presumed primus inter pares in all but name. He is a notable figure among the assembly of notables that is the Shomajla, and never neglects their bi-weekly meetings for standard business. When there is a crisis, he is there to assist in its resolution - particularly if such directly threatens the city itself.
Even so, Jhazaad is not the only figure of Azah Ha'ash of some renown. His living children occupy pertinent positions within Shaalith, the White Bank, the Great Library, and abroad; some, however, have not taken as kindly to his expectations, finding themselves in far different stations than he would prefer - either out of chosen exile, or by command.[3] Jhazaad's current wives - known collectively as "the Jewels Threefold" - are uniquely empowered proxies of his will, both within the Great Palace of the Ha'ashai, also known as the Great Palace of the Scorpion, and within Shaalith.
A centenarian, albeit in secret, Jhazaad continues to grow his sorcerous knowledge and proficiency even into the present. His expanded connections and networks of scholars, rogues, sellswords, and wealthy associates have served him well in this endeavor. Rumors among the superstitious within the Free City continue, however; there is a certain trepidation to the crimson kaftan, among some more than others.
Even so, Jhazaad is not the only figure of Azah Ha'ash of some renown. His living children occupy pertinent positions within Shaalith, the White Bank, the Great Library, and abroad; some, however, have not taken as kindly to his expectations, finding themselves in far different stations than he would prefer - either out of chosen exile, or by command.[3] Jhazaad's current wives - known collectively as "the Jewels Threefold" - are uniquely empowered proxies of his will, both within the Great Palace of the Ha'ashai, also known as the Great Palace of the Scorpion, and within Shaalith.
A centenarian, albeit in secret, Jhazaad continues to grow his sorcerous knowledge and proficiency even into the present. His expanded connections and networks of scholars, rogues, sellswords, and wealthy associates have served him well in this endeavor. Rumors among the superstitious within the Free City continue, however; there is a certain trepidation to the crimson kaftan, among some more than others.
Relationships
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In dapibus mauris a risus malesuada iaculis. Vestibulum in quam nulla. Integer dapibus felis eu mauris consequat congue. Donec vitae tempor sem. Nullam et mi eget odio tempor consequat sed quis nisi. Nullam in tortor tellus. Cras ac ante sed libero finibus viverra sed aliquam purus. Etiam nibh velit, pellentesque in tincidunt ac, ultrices vitae odio. Curabitur dapibus fringilla egestas. Suspendisse libero risus, sagittis a mi hendrerit, volutpat fringilla ligula. Morbi luctus aliquam lectus, nec venenatis tellus ornare at. Suspendisse sit amet sollicitudin neque. Nulla tempor semper ex vel lacinia. In malesuada semper convallis.
Aenean in ligula et urna hendrerit rhoncus vel eu velit. Nam laoreet velit quis risus cursus, sed venenatis turpis egestas. Duis a vestibulum nibh. Fusce sed metus sem. Ut vel tellus luctus, blandit risus id, dictum massa. Nunc id porttitor neque. Integer pretium velit sit amet ex efficitur gravida. Duis nulla ipsum, pulvinar eu euismod ac, luctus quis nibh. Proin efficitur sapien dolor, eu venenatis odio mattis eget. Quisque et consectetur enim.
In dapibus mauris a risus malesuada iaculis. Vestibulum in quam nulla. Integer dapibus felis eu mauris consequat congue. Donec vitae tempor sem. Nullam et mi eget odio tempor consequat sed quis nisi. Nullam in tortor tellus. Cras ac ante sed libero finibus viverra sed aliquam purus. Etiam nibh velit, pellentesque in tincidunt ac, ultrices vitae odio. Curabitur dapibus fringilla egestas. Suspendisse libero risus, sagittis a mi hendrerit, volutpat fringilla ligula. Morbi luctus aliquam lectus, nec venenatis tellus ornare at. Suspendisse sit amet sollicitudin neque. Nulla tempor semper ex vel lacinia. In malesuada semper convallis.
Aenean in ligula et urna hendrerit rhoncus vel eu velit. Nam laoreet velit quis risus cursus, sed venenatis turpis egestas. Duis a vestibulum nibh. Fusce sed metus sem. Ut vel tellus luctus, blandit risus id, dictum massa. Nunc id porttitor neque. Integer pretium velit sit amet ex efficitur gravida. Duis nulla ipsum, pulvinar eu euismod ac, luctus quis nibh. Proin efficitur sapien dolor, eu venenatis odio mattis eget. Quisque et consectetur enim.
Lore
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In cursus nisi a magna congue rutrum. Maecenas placerat arcu eu pretium dignissim. Duis auctor vehicula quam ac finibus. Donec sed commodo ex, a lacinia purus. Donec quis mattis dolor, et euismod mauris. Vivamus pellentesque velit at libero dapibus sodales. Quisque ac maximus dui. Quisque eget ligula tellus. Etiam condimentum est non felis posuere scelerisque.
In dapibus mauris a risus malesuada iaculis. Vestibulum in quam nulla. Integer dapibus felis eu mauris consequat congue. Donec vitae tempor sem. Nullam et mi eget odio tempor consequat sed quis nisi. Nullam in tortor tellus. Cras ac ante sed libero finibus viverra sed aliquam purus. Etiam nibh velit, pellentesque in tincidunt ac, ultrices vitae odio. Curabitur dapibus fringilla egestas. Suspendisse libero risus, sagittis a mi hendrerit, volutpat fringilla ligula. Morbi luctus aliquam lectus, nec venenatis tellus ornare at. Suspendisse sit amet sollicitudin neque. Nulla tempor semper ex vel lacinia. In malesuada semper convallis.
Aenean in ligula et urna hendrerit rhoncus vel eu velit. Nam laoreet velit quis risus cursus, sed venenatis turpis egestas. Duis a vestibulum nibh. Fusce sed metus sem. Ut vel tellus luctus, blandit risus id, dictum massa. Nunc id porttitor neque. Integer pretium velit sit amet ex efficitur gravida. Duis nulla ipsum, pulvinar eu euismod ac, luctus quis nibh. Proin efficitur sapien dolor, eu venenatis odio mattis eget. Quisque et consectetur enim.
In dapibus mauris a risus malesuada iaculis. Vestibulum in quam nulla. Integer dapibus felis eu mauris consequat congue. Donec vitae tempor sem. Nullam et mi eget odio tempor consequat sed quis nisi. Nullam in tortor tellus. Cras ac ante sed libero finibus viverra sed aliquam purus. Etiam nibh velit, pellentesque in tincidunt ac, ultrices vitae odio. Curabitur dapibus fringilla egestas. Suspendisse libero risus, sagittis a mi hendrerit, volutpat fringilla ligula. Morbi luctus aliquam lectus, nec venenatis tellus ornare at. Suspendisse sit amet sollicitudin neque. Nulla tempor semper ex vel lacinia. In malesuada semper convallis.
Aenean in ligula et urna hendrerit rhoncus vel eu velit. Nam laoreet velit quis risus cursus, sed venenatis turpis egestas. Duis a vestibulum nibh. Fusce sed metus sem. Ut vel tellus luctus, blandit risus id, dictum massa. Nunc id porttitor neque. Integer pretium velit sit amet ex efficitur gravida. Duis nulla ipsum, pulvinar eu euismod ac, luctus quis nibh. Proin efficitur sapien dolor, eu venenatis odio mattis eget. Quisque et consectetur enim.
Chronicles
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References
- ^"Lorem Ipsum" is a filler text used to approximate page layout until completion of an article.
- ^Considered highly derogatory, this alias implies a question as to his heritage, implying Jhazaad's father is Malukhar adn Yashiir not Samirak adn Malukhar.
- ^ a b
Please check this article's discussion page.This is not yet completed. - ^Unless otherwise indicated, all images are cited Midjourney.