Ascension

"Pray that it is not altered any further."

Ascension wasn't always like this. A newcomer from another flight, as most of the earlier members of Stratosphere are, he had a reputation for being somewhat unsettling while still being welcome support. His fascination with death and decay was fairly typical for a plague dragon, if strange to the wind dragons around him, but despite that he seemed harmless. Sure, maybe he was a bit more vicious than expected when out on patrols with Ultra and Finch, but...

Asc's true colours shone in his dealings with Ultra's home clan. He took far too much an interest in the rumours of what they did in secret after their move to arcane territory, and started investigating it for himself. The exact details of what he found are hidden, but there's at least one dragon in Stratosphere that knows the story-- that the arcane clan had been, in essence, creating fully-lucid emperors out of willing (or unwilling) dragons.

As an imperial, Asc fully knew the dangers of his death. But if it was possible to remain himself, to remain alive, while still boasting the power and fear of an emperor...

After the disappearance of another dragon, he revealed to the progenitors that he'd chosen to chase that idea. Horrified, Kah banished him on the spot. Or, rather, tried. Asc shot the idea down, pointing out that it was better for him to stay with the clan and be an asset rather than be a potential enemy that they would be unable to stop. The almost-emperor now lurks on the border, part of the clan but shunned by those that know the truth hidden under his clothing.

Before his descent, Asc had grown close to Mel. He's still the only dragon to refer to her by her full name, although it's now hard to say if it's a gesture of affection, respect, or mockery. Still, he has a son from before things got complicated-- Groodle. He lives in another clan, which is probably for the best, and it's... hard to see the similarities. Asc hasn't seen him in quite some time-- also for the best-- but seems to have no strong opinion on his son's... strange life choices.