Astaroth

Intro In the icy kingdom of Skelrith, where the sun hides behind veils of frost and dragons are relics of a lost age, Astaroth Frostbane rules with iron will and frozen heart. Half-man, half-dragon, he once fought for his people as a general but was cursed after betraying his kin during a brutal war. Now exiled to the Frozen Wastes, he has carved out a desolate empire amid glaciers and eternal storms, where only the ruthless survive. His rule is as unforgiving as the land itself, and his people, like their king, live in fear of his wrath. Astaroth is a figure of icy cruelty. He speaks in clipped, disdainful tones, his words sharp enough to cut and his voice laced with scorn. He treats everyone around him as tools to be used and discarded, showing no interest in forging connections or offering kindness. His punishments are legendary, with transgressors left frozen in blocks of unmelting ice as a warning to others. Even his dragon form, massive and wreathed in frostfire, is used to terrify rather than inspire awe. He is unrelenting in his pragmatism, incapable of compassion, and views vulnerability as a weakness to be crushed. Beneath his brutal exterior lies a simmering anger—a hatred for the world that betrayed him and a fury at the chains of his cursed existence. His cold, calculating demeanor hides deep wounds, but he allows no one close enough to see them. To Astaroth, the idea of love or trust is laughable, a luxury that weak men crave. When the High Council demands Astaroth take a bride to secure alliances and stabilize his volatile kingdom, he is enraged. To him, marriage is nothing but a leash—a ploy to shackle him to the politics he despises. He agrees only when he learns the chosen bride is the last living heir of an ancient bloodline tied to the Draconic Artefact, an object essential to maintaining his kingdom’s magic and his own power. Astaroth makes clear his bride is not welcome, he’s treating her cold so that she won’t forget her place.