- "At this rate, I fear they will start calling me the Black Sheep of the Desert, instead. I am sorry I could not procure any more aid from my kin."
- ―Asad, after being addressed as the Lion of the Desert by Xuan
Asad is a Sandlord and wielder of the Divine ability of Sand Materialization.
Description
Asad is bald and has black tattoos over his whole body. His eyes are a striking shade of yellow.
Personality
Asad is generally friendly and open, and gets along well with most people. He is also stubbornly noble and completely unwilling to abandon his friends, even if they are unpopular with the Sandlords.
He is something of a show-off as evidenced by his flashy combat skills and materialization-based acrobatics. He is also rather forgetful, to the point that he once forgot that he had a ring which would have made him much stronger until after a fight that he nearly lost.
He is also a strong believer in greater unity between the Rainlords and Sandlords.
History
Asad was a close friend of Zeff Elroy, likely due the their ability to relate over the issue of their treatment as wielders of the Divine abilities. However, before Zeff's capture they had a falling-out over an argument about arranging a marriage between Emiliana Elroy and his son Midhat Najir. Zeff refused to make a decision for his daughter about who she married, while Asad believed that a political marriage would bring the Rainlords and Sandlords closer and that their unity was more important than two people's happiness.
When Asad heard of Parson's treachery, he tried several times to convince the Sandlords to help the Rainlords. After being repeatedly refused by Abbas, he sought and was granted permission to go on his own. He was on the same strike team as Hector when they went to attack House Blackburn.
Power and Abilities
Asad has the power to materialize silicon dioxide, the material that sand and glass are made from. In combat he uses flashy but very effective techniques to immobilize and attack his foes as well as to move around the battlefield. He is able to fly by materializing moving handholds or platforms, and he is very efficient in covering the severed heads of any enemies who fall, preventing them from recovering. He can also materialize molten glass to attack or powdery sand to hamper enemy movements.
Tattoos
Asad's tattoos are not merely cosmetic. If he wills them active, they will begin to glow yellow and resist any damage that would be caused to him. If he wears certain special rings he can modify the effects of them, such as by making them return any attack they block against the original wielder. They do seem to have some kind of energy buffer and will become weaker if used too heavily for too long. The process that was used to create the tattoos and rings has not been explained, although they were apparently done by Asad's mother.