| Denotation | Axel del N’stl’d (Danish: from the Hebrew Absalom: my father is peace. Also a pun on the English axle, the axis of a wheel; all Yggdrasil emanations have the surname del N’stl’d, Skarsian: of Nightside.) |
| Numeration | 39th emanation of Ashtara; 1st branch of Yggdrasil; 70 in the correspondence chart. |
| Age | 35 |
| Hotness | 8/10 |
| Vital Statistics | 1.774 meters tall, cock size 16.51 cm when erect. |
| Description | Pale blond hair, spiked at the top, rugged good looks. Wears ZG rave style cargo-style jacket, a t-shirt and jeans with roomy leather boots. The fabric is a synthetic, and although it appears at first glance to be black, it interacts with the energy in the environment to produce a faint reddish glow, similar to a dying ember in a fireplace. The jacket has fine fibers of the glowing material twisted in with others of plain black in a denim-weave, so it appears that the highlights in the jacket are reddish. The trousers subtly pulse with a pattern of paisley flowers. |
| Skills | Project coordinator. What this entails is largely unknown. Has a little-known hobby of writing verse in archaic forms. |
| Sexual Prowess and Kinks | Handcuffs, cabbages, penguins in latex, the weirder the better. The kind of guy you could bang in a closet. |
| Average Duration of Play | 14 minutes, 48 seconds. |
| Totem Tree | Thuja plicata, the western redcedar or giant arborvitae. |
| Fixed Star | Polaris, the pole star, lodestar, cynosure (α UMi). |
| Color |  |
| Esoteric Symbol | The Minchiate trump La Ruota della Fortuna, The Wheel of Fortune (often called The Spinette Wheel in Skarsian decks). |
| Function | Establishing resistance. |
| Official Title | Margrave von und zu Nightside. |
| His Prophecy | Stability in motion. |
| Dessert | Nau’gsh strudel |
Biography:
Axel is the first of the Yggdrasil branches in The Perpetual Rose. Upon emanation, he realizes that the world doesn’t taste right, and that he is holding a note – on the front side, he is given a list of names and told that since he is first, he can choose one. He picks “Axel,” the first name on the list which reminds him of an axle, a good place to start. He realizes intuitively that the name is short for Absalom, and it indicates a relationship to Davy and Solomon – names which seem familiar but incomprehensible.
He turns the note over to find a letter from Malachi beginning, “Dear Axel.” He is given two instructions – make the world taste better, and dig underneath the largest root. He does so, and finds Tara’s locket. The note and the locket trigger memories – he finds that he has knowledge, but can only remember when prompted. He remembers that Dermot asked Tara for the locket on the premise that the emanations for the new colony could use it to orient themselves. Instead, it was brought to Nightside – Axel remembers his purpose. The Yggdrasil emanations exist to destroy the Great Dread, and their survival is not assured.
The picture of Tara reminds Axel of his loneliness. He also realizes that Yggdrasil has not connected to Atlas and Goliath – he is truly on his own, an uncomfortable position for a Cu’enashti. He descends into the station below Yggdrasil to encounter the Hreck. He also meets a team of Quicknode specialists who are to provide him with information and data analysis. He spends a good deal of time reviewing the historical records with a Quicknode designated Archivist 1294. He learns that the Quicknodes assume one of the four most common genders, which leads him to contemplate the complicated function of gender in the Cu’enashti.
Axel looks at himself in the mirror for the first time – highly unusual as he did not need to see his reflection to know his name. He realizes that his clothing mimics the style of the ZG ravers – again unusual as it references neither Earth nor the Domha’vei. He understands that in order to accomplish his mission, it is necessary to look beyond the Earth for inspiration.
At some point before the first Denolin attack, Lens emanates to assist the Quicknodes. However, in Rand’s narrative, he only remembers Beat being emanated to deal with the crisis. Beat is killed in the conflict, and Lorcan emanates. At this point, the roots of the trees have connected enough for the Atlas and Goliath emanations to come out of stasis. Axel, Lens and Beat cross the bridge from the Yggdrasil tower to the treedominium and meet the others for the first time.
When Lens is bedded by Tara, Patrick explains the fundamentals of pollination to Axel.
Axel first meets Tara when they return to Nightside to plant the orchard. He assists her with the seeds, and also is able to retrieve one of Lens’ apples from Yggdrasil. Tara tells Axel that he looks like the kind of guy she could bang in a closet. Unfortunately, they are distracted from this pleasant line of thought by the agitation of the Denolin – Tara is worried that they are impatient. Axel is also worried, recalling that Lens had an ominous vision he refuses to share.
Axel is on the platform with Tara when the newly planted seeds begin to sprout immediately. The Denolin respond by moving closer to the station. The trees spawn red dragonfly creatures – the Bhavashti – but most of the sprouts wither almost immediately. As this is happening, Axel suddenly feels an irresistible urge to transform into the mothman. Lorcan emanates.
When Tara enters the pleroma for the first time, she proclaims that no emanation is dispensable, no matter the circumstance of his birth. Axel responds with gratitude and relief, saying that he really wanted to live.