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His loveless marriage took 18 years to produce a son, with some saying his wife even sought magical wards against bearing his child. His reign was marked by prosperity and growth, but also by violence and dissent from the conquered tribes.įiran was 60 when he married, as his life-extending spells started to fail and he needed an heir. Also, under his reign, magic once again became an important part of Knurl's daily life.įiran swore allegiance to the distant Malachite Throne of the Great Kingdom, but conducted many unsanctioned military campaigns against the surrounding tribes, adding handsomely to Knurl's holdings. His credits include reversing the decline that Knurl suffered under Ranald's reign, and returning it to economic and military significance. Ranald Zal'honan died as a result of a dissipate and gluttonous lifestyle, and Firan returned to his home, assuming the seat of power and ruling as "Azal'Lan," or wizard-king. In time, he would learn magics that few other mages could master (and which are actually largely beyond reach of normal D&D characters): he could permanently heal himself by stealing others' life forces, he could read minds and steal magical information - completely learning new spells with a thought, he could extend his own life by draining the vitality of enemies. Firan's actions caused his father to expel Quantarius from the city, and Firan chose to follow him into exile, continuing his studies. The death of Irik would prove a telling example: At 15, Firan summoned a demon that broke loose from his power and killed Irik. Firan pursued his studies and thirsted after knowledge, but occasionally displayed an inability or ignorance of the potential repercussions. Where Firan was quick to anger and slow to forgive, Irik was the opposite. The only family member he loved without reservation was his younger brother, Irik. Even into his later lichhood and rulership status, these attributes recur, painting the portrait of a ruler demanding fealty and promising order, but secretly and constantly frustrated by the failings of his fellow men and of himself. Perhaps in a display of rebellion, Firan entered the underworld of Knurl's mages, studying under the wizard Quantarius.Īs a youth, Firan seems to desire control over others and of himself above all else, although he also is given to angry outbursts and quick decisions which he later comes to regret. Firan respected his father's strict rulership, as well as the prior claim to succession exercised by his older brother Ranald, but disliked his father's superstitions and his bans against magic. From an early age, Firan demonstrated a keen intelligence, marked with a distaste for his fellow men and their deviation from discipline and order - a revulsion that manifested itself in self-loathing several times for his own perceived weaknesses. As the second of three sons of Lord Turalitan Zal'honan, his political future was decidedly dim from his birth, and he spent much of his childhood overlooked by his parents. artwork by Stephen Fabian in Ravenloft campaign sourcebooks and Roots of Evil, against Robert Klasnich in From the Shadows, Danilo Gonzalez in King of the Dead, Fred Fields in Lord of the Necropolis, and Talon Dunning in Ravenloft Gazetteer 2.)įiran Zal'honan was born in the earldom of Knurl, a city-state in the eastern Flanaess. Perhaps as a result of this in-game flexibility, official portrayals of Azalin differs greatly from artist to artist, much more so than portrayals of characters such as Lord Soth or Strahd von Zarovich. However, he can alter his appearance to resemble many humanoid individuals, even that of a different race or gender. In his everyday appearance, however, Azalin maintains the illusion of a live king, closely mimicking his late-life persona: an elderly man with aquiline features and a piercing gaze, with unkempt dark hair topped by a heavy iron crown. As an undead wizard, Azalin's true appearance resembles a skeleton or mummy.