Azur's Character Backstory: -LeavyArts-

Instructions

As a young child, Azur grew up in the powerful and historical empire known as Li-Ye, or 李叶 in simplified Chinese. The empire of Li-Ye had existed for a long time, and had gradually developed into the only known birthplace for half-dragons: half cat, half dragon. However, one half-dragon was only born every 100 years. This was an empowering discovery, one that would lead the empire into creating a warrior regiment stronger than the world had ever seen. When half-dragons were born, they were ripped from their mother, their family, and trained to be great warriors and obey command blindly. The conditions were harsh, and the half-dragons were treated like worthless power capsules who needed to be tamed. At this point, you can probably guess the obvious: Azur was a half-dragon. Once the government uncovered Azur at a young age, she was torn from her mother and forced into the warrior regiment. Nearly immediately, they realized her power was one of the strongest they had ever seen: Azur could control people with her thoughts. Of course, she had limitations, but there was so much ease at manipulation that no one was safe from her. Azur's masters recognized that this made Azur quite valuable - valuable, yet also dangerous. Azur was forced to train separately from the rest of her regiment, suffering through private sessions of energy-devouring lessons, where she would be forced to manipulate person after person until her head felt like splitting. The training masters hoped this separation would not only protect others from Azur, but that it would enhance her greed for power. Unfortunately, they were poorly mistaken: not only did Azur refuse to manipulate people and fight, but she never forgot her mother. "You wretched, disobedient, ungrateful dragon! Don't you understand this is for your own good?! Now use.your.magic already!" Yet Azur would always respond the same way: "I can't. My mother taught me manipulation was wrong. I cannot and I will not fight. If you are so desperate for bl00dsh3d, then I recommend you wait for the next half-dragon to be born." For several years, this was how Azur lead her life. There were days when she would be deprived of food or water, days when she would be forced to watch her friends' bl00d spill after a battle, and days when she was tortured. Yet Azur always refused to fight. She was well aware of the value of her gift, and that only made her more unwilling to present it. She'd seen what happened to those who were consumed by power and... They were never the same. She simply refused to end up the same way as them. It was tough, and there were moments when she thought dy!ng would have been a better choice than to continue living, but she pressed on. She didn't give up. One day, though, that all changed. The Emperor of Li-Ye himself visited the training regiment to investigate the progression of the warriors. The masters tried to hide Azur, but the Emperor found out about her anyway. "Go on, Dragon," he urged, "manipulate something. Someone. Demonstrate to me what you have learned." Azur was frightened, but she stood her ground and politely rejected the request. The Emperor interrogated the masters, aghast at Azur's reaction. He promptly decided that Azur, without having had proper training, was too much of a risk for the empire. He discussed the matter with his council and, a few short days later, announced his verdict to the entire empire. Even Azur's mother got to hear of what would become of her. Azur was to be banished from Li-Ye for eternity; she was to be ashamed of her disobedience and recluse individualism that had persisted for far too long. Azur didn't fight as she was thrown into the wilderness, separated from the only home she'd ever known. Tears streaking her face, she turned and ran off to who knows where. But even through the tears, Azur knew she had done the right thing, refusing manipulation for so long. As the years continued on, Azur sought refuge in other countries, always trying to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She had lost her family at an age too young, and had spent the entirety of her childhood in a cold warrior training cell, being tortured for not manipulating people. She'd never had personal freedom, much less the choice of what direction her life should go. In a way, the banishment... It was almost a blessing. One day, as Azur clambered to the top of a mountain peak she'd been scaling for months, she peered down. She noticed the faint outline of a small, quaint village set into the cliffside. Thatched rooftops, the smell of food cooked with care, the laughter of children. The village was so far from the monopolistic tyranny of an empire that she'd abandoned, it was almost unfathomable. And in that moment, standing at the top of that mountain with all the freedom in the world at her paws, yet no ounce of manipulation required, Azur chuckled. She chuckled and smiled and shed a few tears. She was finally free.