Korriel is the Jade Dragon, brother to Zeneph, Guardian of the Scorched Expanse. A Celestial—son of Solaris and Little Red (who was altered by the Amulet of Order)—he is a god cursed by good intentions. Everything he tries to heal, he poisons. Every attempt to save his people backfires into devastation.
His wasteland realm expands daily, creeping poison into neighboring territories. The dragons under his rule sicken and die. The land itself rejects his touch. And Korriel, desperate and heartbroken, searches for the alpha keys—fragments of the shattered Bucklah—believing that if he can reassemble them, he can finally heal what he has broken.
As a Celestial—third generation descended from Albis (Guardian) and Lilith (Death)—Korriel inherited the power to create life, a gift his Guardian grandfather could never possess. But like his brother Zeneph, Korriel has lost his memories. He does not remember his parents Solaris and Little Red, or the true nature of the Bucklah. He does not know that the power he wields comes from the River of Souls, and that his fragment is corrupted beyond his ability to fix alone.
What he does know: he loved Akishka, the White Dragon. And she chose Zeneph instead.
The Sickness: Korriel's Bucklah fragment is corrupted. It leaks soul energy directly into the physical world, manifesting as "the darkness"—a plague that spreads from his wasteland and infects dragons, turning them into Leventars.
The Expansion: Every time Korriel uses his power to try to heal the wasteland, it expands instead. His realm grows, consuming neighboring territories, poisoning the land.
The Isolation: Korriel is bound to his wasteland. He can only leave with a dryad amulet—a rare artifact. He is a prisoner in his own dying kingdom.
The Blame: The Zephins (Zeneph's people) do not accept Korriel as king. They blame him for the wasteland's poison. They do not know it is the broken Bucklah, not Korriel himself, that causes the destruction.
Korriel and Zeneph are brothers, sons of the First Dragons. But they do not remember each other. The dimensional collapse stole their memories, leaving only a vague sense of loss. Zeneph searches for "his brother's soul." Korriel feels the absence but cannot name it. When they finally reunite, will they recognize what they once were to each other?
Korriel loved Akishka. But she chose Zeneph as her mate, becoming the Alpha to Zeneph's Omega. This choice is the source of Korriel's deepest pain—not anger, but sorrow. He does not resent his brother. He simply grieves what could have been.
Korriel dreams of Lanora healing the world. In his visions, she stands before the reassembled Bucklah and purifies it, stopping the wasteland's expansion. He does not know she is Zeneph's daughter—his own niece—a Celestial like him carrying two souls (one of creation, one of Hellfire). He does not know she will become Keeper of the River. He only knows: she is the answer.
Korriel demands that Nodran serve him for one year. The reason is unclear—political alliance, ancient debt, or strategic maneuvering. But Nodran is bound by this service, and Korriel will collect.
Duval serves Korriel for six months. Is this service willing, or was Duval manipulated? Does Korriel use Duval's jealousy of Nodran as leverage? The Dark Prince's chess game is complex, and Duval may be a pawn—or a willing ally.
The dragons in Korriel's wasteland are dying. The Leventar sickness spreads. Korriel tries to save them, but everything he does makes it worse. He keeps the sick in magical stasis, hoping for a cure. But the cure requires what he cannot give: humility, and asking for help.
Korriel's Tragedy: He tries to use the Bucklah for good, but it always backfires.
The Truth: It's not that Korriel is evil. It's that his Bucklah fragment is corrupted, and he doesn't understand the mechanism. He pours his heart into healing, but he's using broken technology.
What He Must Learn: Good intentions are not enough. Power (magnitude) without proper method (direction) = destruction.
Sister's theology: "Justice is a vector—it has both magnitude and direction, and it dictates action."
Korriel has magnitude (immense power, deep love for his people).
Korriel lacks direction (he doesn't know how to heal the Bucklah, refuses to ask for help).
The result = Destruction despite good intent.
When Lanora ascends as Keeper of the River, she will teach Korriel: Humility is not weakness. Asking for help is not failure. You cannot carry this alone.
The Scorched Expanse in the Chronicles of Apocalyptica
Once, this land was green. Once, dragons soared above fertile valleys and crystal rivers. Once, Korriel ruled a kingdom of life.
Now, the Wasteland expands. The ground is cracked and poisoned. Rivers run black with corruption. The air itself tastes of decay. The Bucklah fragment at the realm's center pulses with sickly green light, leaking soul energy that warps and poisons everything it touches.
The dragons who remain are dying. Some have already turned—infected by the Leventar plague, their minds lost to the darkness. Korriel keeps them in magical sleep, hoping for a cure that never comes.
The Zephins do not accept him as king. They blame him for the poison. They do not know the truth: Korriel is as much a victim as they are.
And at the center of it all, Korriel stands alone—the Jade Dragon, the Dark Prince, the Poisoned King. Trying, failing, trying again. Searching for alpha keys. Dreaming of Lanora. Hoping that one day, someone will teach him how to heal what he has broken.
Korriel demands that the first alpha key be recovered. He knows the Bucklah was shattered into fragments, and he believes that reassembling them will heal his wasteland.
He is right—but only partially. The alpha keys (Bucklah fragments) must be gathered. But they cannot be reassembled without the Keeper of the River's permission. Korriel cannot fix this alone.
When Yothain collects the alpha keys and brings them to the convergence, Korriel will finally understand: redemption requires surrender.
He must kneel before Lanora, Keeper of the River, and ask—not demand—for her help. He must admit he cannot carry this burden alone. He must accept that good intentions are not enough without wisdom and guidance.
And when he does, Lanora will grant his request. Not because he deserves it, but because mercy is what she chooses to give.
☠ Character Created by Sister ☠
Integrated into Chronicles of Apocalyptica