Phaeriel Jusztyl

Legless drow slave who rides atop a floating disk.

Appearance

Body Features

Phaeriel often stood out from other drow due to her red hair and eyes. As a slave, she wore the brand of House Azrinae on her forehead but often covered it up with a black scarf. After her failed escape attempt, Nolveniss took her legs away using fleshwarping magic. Phaeriel used her innate magic to get around this by learning ways to use her floating disc spell as a means of transportation.

Special abilities

Phaeriel was a sorcerer with a rare Phoenix bloodline. This allowed her to use her Phoenix-based flame magic to heal, rather than hurt, at her discretion. She also was able to use her floating disc spell as a means of transportation for herself, rather than simply for cargo.

Mentality

Personal history

As a young girl, Phaeriel Jusztyl was always more interested in magic and magic items. She seemed to have a knack when it came to identifying the magic contained within a device. It was this ability that brought her to the attention of House Azrinae. One of the house consorts had come into possession of a beautiful magical ring during his excursion into the Darklands. He brought the item to Phaeriel's mother, hoping to have the child identify the power within it.

Phaeriel did as she was instructed. However, her innate abilities did not reveal the magical curse that came with wearing the item. The consort gave the item to his mistress, who was immediately struck blind and unable to remove the ring. It took the power of house mage Nolveniss to break the enchantment. The consort was then tortured to death. Her father(Phoenix Blood Sorcerer with Floating Disk tricks), servant/slave of House Azrinae. Her family was wiped out when they dared to cross the matron of House Azrinae. She showed arcane aptitude so she was spared. Apprenticed to Nolveniss Azrinae, she took to her studies. He was always bitter toward her because she was a woman, and while he studied constantly to master magic, to her it came naturally.

When it was revealed that Phaeriel was the one who had failed to identify the curse within the ring, House Azrinae paid the Jusztyl family a visit. Feeling the potential the child had, Nolveniss simply took her and claimed her for House Azrinae. Her parents were severely "reprimanded" but left alive as a reminder to others. The child was then taken back for "training and education to achieve her true potential."

As the years passed, Phaeriel excelled in both her natural aptitude for magic and her thirst for lost knowledge. Slavemother Urmetlara would take note of her numerous infractions of uncharacteristic kindness. When slaves were beaten, Phaeriel would tend to their wounds. This resulted in her own wounds needing to be tended to. But when her development of flame-based magic became prominent, Slavemother Urmetlara would use Phaeriel to administer various punishments. However, when Phaeriel used her flames on those being punished, they would not produce the pain Slavemother Urmetlara hoped for. Sometimes the flames would burn away previous afflictions, especially on those Phaeriel was friendly towards. Slavemother Urmetlara deemed Phaeriel "useless."

However, not everyone saw her that way. The slave caught the eye of Lasdolon who, like her, was an outsider to the family. However, he became such a valued member that he was adopted and made a full member of House Azrinae. Nolveniss saw the interest Lasdolon had in her and pawned her off so he would no longer have to see her.

Both Lasdolon and Phaeriel shared an interest in magical items and artifacts. Phaeriel soon found herself traveling both above and below the surface with Lasdolon. They discovered many interesting items and ancient texts. In all their travels, Lasdolon was always searching for two items in particular - an ancient sword that he claimed predated existence, and information about an Azlanti artifact. Lasdolon often mocked magical items created by humans as "cute attempts", but the fact that he actively pursued an item of Azlanti origin made her curious.

One evening Phaeriel snuck into Lasdolon's study to try to learn more about the Azlanti item that Lasdolon was so tight-lipped about. The study was absolutely off-limits to slaves and servants, but Phaeriel was the exception. She was only allowed access for research purposes, but only when Lasdolon was present. Phaeriel entered the study when she knew Lasdolon had been called away and would not be there. Papers and notes were spread across his desk, which seemed somewhat uncharacteristic for the controlled and ordered Lasdolon. Curiosity got the best of her and Phaeriel began reading the notes.

Horror chilled her blood as she read about the earthfall runes. Lasdolon planned to kill a great number of people with those runes. Not just kill them, she noticed. It was to be more of a... sacrifice? It didn't make sense. But before she could read more, Lasdolon returned and caught her reading the notes. She panicked and fled. Phaeriel escaped not just the house, but the city itself. A runaway slave was not usually taken alive but Lasdolon made a special request. The matron agreed and allowed him to retrieve his property alive. He caught her and brought her back, explaining briefly that what he was planning was for the betterment of their people.

Phaeriel had more questions than answers. There had been a name written in Lasdolon's notes, a name she was not familiar with. “Who is Loriana?” she asked. Lasdolon stopped and looked at her in a way she’d never seen before. “Do not ever speak that name again slave,” he said, then beat her unconscious. When she woke, she was floating in a tank of brine. Nolveniss and Lasdolon watched her float - Nolveniss with a great deal of satisfaction, while Lasdolon remained expressionless. Phaeriel realized she was in one of Nolveniss’ fleshwarping tanks. She tried to swim but her legs would not move.

Then she saw why. Her legs were gone, fused together at mid-thigh before tapering off and disappearing where her knees would have been. “No more running,” Nolveniss said with a great deal of satisfaction. Lasdolon said nothing. He just continued to stare at her.