I was given little choice about my profession. Had I been raised in Cormyr or some other barbarian land, I likely would have found my vocation in following the High One, dabbling in spellcraft to better serve Him, rather than as my main vocation. But I was not born in Cormyr, and my talents were not turned towards priestcraft. Instead, I was born in Thay, and that has shaped my destiny. I am Azzedur Kassur, wizard of Thay and devotee of Azuth.

I was born in the slave markets of Tyraturos, or so my master Bareris has told me. My parents were of Thayan stock, but had failed several times to pay their taxes. Bareris noticed my magical talent, and paid but a pittance for me. I have no idea as to the fate of my parents; what happened to them troubles me at times, and I hope that their ends were not as harsh as some slaves might experience, but I cannot be held responsible for their eventual fates.

I was too young to be weaned when Bareris bought me, so he gave me to one of his servants, Nana. I cannot name Nana's race, as she was one of my masters many experiments in household servants. She resembled a bear without claws, capable of holding a human child in her four-fingered hands. I have fond memories of those hands. Nana wasn't capable of teaching me much… Bareris did not want me to get any wrong ideas by learning from slaves… but Bareris taught me a lesson through her. He never mistreated his slaves, practically coddling them by the standards of other Red Wizards, but always punished those who misbehaved quickly and severely.

When I was six, Bareris took me from Nana's side, and began to raise me himself. At first, it was instruction in reading and ethics, and then in religion and spellcraft. Does my instruction in ethics surprise you? Many would be surprised that a young wizard in Thay ever learned ethics, but my instruction in that art had a very definite slant to it. I was taught that the Art was the ultimate justification for anything that must be done; if an action served the Art, either directly or in your own understanding of it, then that action could not be wrong. As I grew older, we debated points of this ethic, since many amongst my master's brethren would destroy one greater in knowledge to advance their own power. Bareris argued that such battles strengthened the Art by removing those who would hoard knowledge, but I saw that rarely did those who win share their knowledge, either. I kept my own council on this matter.

When it came to religion, my master spoke slowly of the newly risen Mystra, preferring to teach me of Mystra as she was, rather than the new, good version of her. He had great respect of Velsharoon and Savras, though the arts of both were beyond him. His greatest veneration, though, went to Lord Azuth, the High One. I believe that I pleased him in my deep veneration for Azuth; in him, I see the ideal that all wizards must strive for; that knowledge of the Art should be approach rationally but that you should find joy in its use. That magic itself might not be the only solution to a problem, so learn to use its energies only when other avenues have failed. Azuth knows that I do not serve Him as a priest does, asking a measure of His power because I cannot wield my own. I do not think He could respect me if I did that. Rather, I follow His example, learning the Art as an act of devotion to Him.

My instruction continued, though. I slowly mastered the cantrips my master could teach me. His instruction naturally favored the Art Bareris knew best, Transmutation, and he found that I had a great deal of talent for it. My instruction in Necromancy and Divination suffered somewhat, as Bareris himself had no talent for them, but my own weakness was in Enchantment and Illusion; deception and control do not come naturally to me. Bareris ensured that I understood how to create spells, rather than simply cast them by rote; the cantrip of Disrupt Undead in my spell book is my own creation.

Two years ago, Bareris left Thay for the enclave in Hillsfar; his struggles with one of his opponents had grown heated, and he felt it better to leave instead of being destroyed. I was a fully competent wizard on my own at this point, but I elected to stay with Bareris to gain more instruction. My hope proved to be in vain, though. Soon after we arrived, Bareris became involved in a feud with Maalthiir, the First Lord of Hillsfar. My master foolishly challenged the far more powerful wizard to a duel and, when refused, attacked him anyway. He was destroyed, and I felt that it would be best to leave the city as soon as possible; though I was protected by the Law of Sovereignty, I did not care to push the matter with a wizard of Maalthirr's potential. I gathered my belongings and moved to Scardale Town. I set aside my red robes, growing my hair out to cover my tattoos, and lived quietly in the Dales for a time, maintaining a shrine to Azuth and bartering scrolls of little power to passing wizards.

That has been my life the past two years; a hedge wizard of little importance, and a lay priest of Azuth. I have decided, however, that I am serving Azuth poorly in doing this; I am not seeking out magical knowledge, but rather letting it come quietly come to me. I am not teaching anyone, only doling out tiny bits of power to those who already know the Art. As such, I have exchanged my shrine and home to a wizard who wished to cease his travels, gaining a few potions in exchange. I have taken up a red cloak instead of robes, and now I seek a group of adventurers to aid me in my quest for knowledge of the Art. May Azuth bless my search, and Beshaba look away from me; I have a long road ahead of me, and only the lightness of a near-empty spellbook and its cries to be filled drive me on.

Description: Like many of his country-men, Azzedar has golden skin, a result of long years of oiling, and his short, black hair covers the magical tattoos that are his Thayan birthright. His eyes are reddish, making him appear ill-rested most of the time, but they shine brightly when presented with some new bit of knowledge. When he speaks, his voice carries a slight accent, and he usually speaks quite slowly and deliberately, choosing his words carefully.

Now that he is on the road, he usually wears very utilitarian clothes of leather and homespun, his only concession to style being a soft leather cloak, dyed red and embroidered with mystical-looking sigils. The only symbol of any power, however, is his own Wizard's Sigil; three pentagrams inside a triangle.

Disposition: Azzedar has a very regimented mind; while capable of creative thought, most of his decisions proceed from point A to point B. He rarely makes allowances for those who cannot follow his train of thought, however; he simply tells his conclusions. He finds chaotic situations somewhat distasteful; given his choice, he'll usually choose the quiet, relaxing inn that serves tea over the traditional "adventurers inn", complete with bar and games of chance.

Azzedar is largely amoral, adhering neither to good or evil. He believes that wanton cruelty is counter-productive, and that you can most often achieve what you want through a kind word and a helping hand, rather than an iron fist. He does not perform good acts for their own sake, but rather because he sees that as being the most efficient way in the long run. He is not easily swayed in this point of view, but he lacks any sort of prolonged exposure to good; he is largely reacting against the evil and chaos that he experienced as a youth in Thay and Hillsfar.