Zandafar Myasaf the Eccentric Patriot:

Abraham, Emperor of the Maqashiv Horde, was once known as Earl Zandafar
Myasaf; in fact a Draylin engineer, physicist and biochemist. Although by his own
account he was an artist; Myasaf was renowned for his attention to detail, painstaking
effort, and grandiose style. He pioneered many technologies and theories that remain in
use in the Empire to the present day – albeit uncredited or in reduced form. Born from an
already affluent background and given access to the best education and technology
available, the Earl rocketed through the ranks of his schools and society to become one of
the most influential people to the Draylin Empire. In the early days, Myasaf was
perceived as being proud and grandiose by outsiders – things that brought about both the
reverie and ire of others. Paradoxally, when present in large groups or in private, the Earl
was reserved and even quiet. Yet no one, not even he himself, could imagine what
Zandafar Myasaf could become.

Education/Early Career:
His genius was apparent at an early age and, with startling progress, went on to
graduate with top honors at his schools. Myasaf’s specialty was in nanotechnology and
particle physics; he was mesmerized by the organizational phenomenona of molecules,
atoms and their constituent parts and felt that there limitless possibilities could be
achieved if he could discover how to manipulate them. He imagined the computing,
medicinal, manufacturing and military applications that could be realized with nanotech.
After graduation, Myasaf dabbled in research on ground-breaking technologies
and lectured at universities before becoming involved with the Draylin Empire’s Ministry
of Defense. Acknowledged for his genius and assigned to research and development, he
participated in many high-tech, high-profile research projects that challenged perceptions
of reality.
Myasaf was observed to be a perfectionist, and the trademark that he placed on
his products was attention to detail, precision, efficiency, and performance. He would
spend impossibly long hours working; tinkering with his schematics and making minor
adjustments to best multiply his output. To think outside of the box and achieve creative
solutions, he would often cross disciplines in his background to find a new perspective.

Early Relationship with the Empire:

Because of his position in the government and the wealth that he acquired in his
office, the Earl came to know much of the Aristocracy of the Draylin Empire. Because of
his riches, Myasaf would often pass as royalty and often mingled with them at gatherings
– acting as though he was equal to the noble family. While he was recognized as a
functionally important figure, many of the rich nobles felt that his behavior was improper
and arrogant, and came to resent this more and more over time.
In particular, he came to the attention of the then Emperor of the Draylin Empire.
The Emperor was hedonistic and a person of many tastes, and privately was guilty of the
sins of sloth, lust and gluttony. He was drawn to the Earl for his technological
contributions to the Empire and they met frequently at the Emperor’s many lavish social
gatherings. The two had a tense relationship, one that can be seen as analogous to that
between Galileo Galilei and the Pope of the Roman Catholic church in the 15th century;
the Emperor would at times have to remind the Earl precisely who was Emperor and that
people had to be careful as to not speak of heretical topics in places of government. Their
relationship would only get more tense as the Draylin Revolution drew near.
 The high-ranking Aristocrats did not care for his interest in nanotechnology
much; either because it seemed impractical to them, so advanced that it would render
some industries obsolete, arose fears of “grey goo” apocalypse scenarios, or challenged
religious or accepted scientific beliefs on the nature of reality and existence. Due to the
ambitious nature of his work Myasaf wasn’t known to be the most prolific of inventors;
results were few and far between. The Earl became known for his expensive, pie-in-the-
sky projects that were long in the making, something that often rubbed a few of the
shallow-pocketed Aristocrats the wrong way. Yet, just when tensions would reach a
breaking point, the Earl would often deliver with startling results.

Early Technologies:
Armed with his research in nanomanufacturing and nanoengineering, the Earl
brought to the Empire precise and efficient manufacturing techniques, super-alloys and
advanced materials that outperformed anything previous, enhanced energy storage,
production and projection technologies, medicines that sustained and enhanced life, and
high-performance processors.
Some of the notable technologies that he either designed or was instrumental in
creating: the hull and superstructure designs of the most modern Draylin starships
(maximizing strength with the least amount of material), efficient slipspace engines that
allowed even capital ships to literally vanish in an eye blink, direct energy conversion
from nuclear fusion, portable nuclear fusion energy batteries, monomolecular blades for
infantry weapons, the Draylin quantum computer, nanites used for internal surgery,
cancer treatment and vaccines, and others. Myasaf also personally designed some of the
flagships, weapons and transport ships of leading Draylin admirals, warriors and
Aristocrats, respectively. His contributions helped ensure Draylin technological
dominance over its lesser enemies for many years.

Philosophy:
Myasaf’s drive for achievement came from the idea that he should only concern
himself with being all he could be. His philosophy can be best described as Objectivism.
The following is from Wikipedia:
Objectivism is the philosophical system developed by the Russian-born American
novelist, Ayn Rand (1905–1982)[1].
Objectivism holds that:
• reality exists independent of consciousness;
• that individual persons are in contact with this reality through sensory perception;
• that human beings can gain objective knowledge from perception through the
process of concept formation and inductive and deductive logic;

• that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness
or rational self-interest;

• that the only social system consistent with this morality is full respect for
individual rights, embodied in pure laissez-faire capitalism;
• and that the role of art in human life is to transform man's widest metaphysical
ideas, by selective reproduction of reality, into a physical form—a work of art—
that he can comprehend and to which he can respond emotionally.
 The Earl believed that all people had the right to achieve as long as they had the
willpower to do so. Those who act to the best of their ability and focus on their own self-
interest should be rewarded with the equivalent amount of praise and benefit the society
as a whole. In other words, those who work hard should be able to play hard and that the
rich and successful are where they are because of their own hard work and skill.
Conversely, the poor and uneducated were lazy and/or undisciplined; their lack of
motivation a threat to the health of the Empire. Governments should not be obligated to
aid those who are too inept to help themselves but should not bar its citizens from
achieving their dreams. So Myasaf is the type of guy who would oppose affirmative
action, but would not support discrimination either.
Earl Myasaf believed that he had earned his position in society with the results of
his great efforts and gave respect to individuals he thought who did the same. He was
quite content with his life, shamelessly enjoying the riches and benefits of his position
whenever he was not already having fun writing atomic structures in the lab. Though he
knew that this way sounded selfish, he also knew that what he was doing was also
advancing the Empire and making it more perfect. Being surrounded by rich aristocrats
and lesser scientists, Myasaf felt that the Empire also shared in his beliefs. However, later
events would shake his world.

Marriage:
Throughout his young life, Myasaf loved the Draylin Empire; it represented the
perfect society and was the ruling body of the ultimate race in the galaxy. Aside from his
work, he didn’t think there was anything else in the infinite universe that he would devote
himself into or come to love. This changed when he met his wife, Sara Malamey. Sara
was beautiful and a few years his junior, and though wasn’t as educated as her husband
(then again, few people were), she was quite smart in her own right.
Like many marriages for people in his social class, their respective families
arraigned the pairing of the couple. Earl Myasaf was still completing his studies and the
pair had barely known each other for a week before eloping. Expectedly, the two were
initially not very close; while they had no cause to dislike each other, they were very
casual at best and indifferent at worst. Myasaf himself considered his marriage to her to
be both a formality and a benefit of his hard work and social position – after all, love was
not on his agenda at the time. As the couple became known in the ring of Aristocrats,
Sara was seen as another trophy wife like many of the other wives of the Aristocratic
males. She was regarded as an ornament/sex object and no one expected anything else.
As the Earl’s career progressed and as she became more involved with his work,
he realized that there was much more to Sara than anyone could have guessed. While she
was not as adept as Myasaf, Sara was smart and clever enough to aid him in his research:
she would think of things from a more creative perspective, reflect on his ideas, or direct
him to another solution entirely. Further, she supported him through thick and thin:
whenever he would get frustrated or start procrastinating on his work, Sara would dust
him off and put him back on track.
Most importantly, Sara acted as a source of validation and companionship for the
Earl: she made him feel that what he was doing was the right thing and she believed in
him, his ideals and his prospects for the future. Myasaf was impressed by her educated-
yet-down-to-Earth attitude and admired her tenderness, while she was attracted to his
strong, moral character and devotion to progress. They built a bond consisting of mutual
trust and respect upon what used to be indifference and apathy. As more life challenges
arose, their relationship evolved into intimacy and a strong sense of commitment in rather
short order; privately the pair became perfect matches for each other. With their love
realized, the couple came to value each other over themselves – and even their own
loyalties to the Empire.

Nova Research:
The Draylin Aristocracy was in some ways technophobic during Myasaf’s time
due to real and imagined fears of the use of advanced technology and highly conservative
views on subjects affected by tech. They feared that providing high-tech equipment and
information to their subjects would reduce the Royal power and leave them open for
rebellion or that opening too many doors with tech would cause disastrous consequences.
Parodoxally, they acknowledged that applications of advanced tech demonstrated their
power and ensured their superiority in any conflict. This is why the Empire had so many
technological contrasts within: that they possessed massive starships with planet-busting
weapons and faster-than-light travel, but had infantry that still mostly relied on motorized
transport, metal body armor and bladed weapons and a society that was largely
reminiscent of either Renaissance-era Italy or Victorian-era England.
There were certain technologies that they were more comfortable with than
others. Two of which the Empire’s elite feared the most were self-replicating
nanotechnology and super computers. Self-replicating nanomachines had the danger of
consuming all in their path and multiplying out-of-control, creating the “gray-goo”
apocalypse, while the latter was feared to create sentient machines that would supercede
Draylins in the universe.
Myasaf didn’t believe in fearing technology (after all, they were simply tools –
the people using the technologies were the ones to be feared) and saw great potential in
these technologies, believing that they would bring about a new age for the Empire. Thus,
he set about trying to assuage the fears the Empire and tried to get them acquainted with
the technologies as they were with spacecraft. And what better way to educate the fearful
Aristocrats about the utilities of radical, forbidden technologies by packaging them all
into a single form and demonstrating them at their absolute limit?
Myasaf wanted to apply concepts of nanomachines into a device that was self-
sufficient, self-maintaining/regenerative, energy efficient, highly durable and overall
more organic (as in more flexible) than anything seen previously. On the A.I side of
things, he wanted a system that was enormously fast, very user-friendly, and reliable.
With these concepts combined, he hoped to devise a machine that was maintained and
regulated by nanomachines acting as both nanofactories and nanoprocessors that would
give its user lots of flexibility and capability. Finally, he wanted to combine these
technologies together for military applications – as the Empire was more lenient on the
application of high technology for war purposes. The Earl himself always had a soft spot
for things that made other things go boom, and as there was a war on a “hostile” alien
race raging at the time, he found that then was the perfect time to explore and develop his
ideas.
Despite fears, the Empire’s cronies were always willing to fund prototypes of his
new machines (if only to impress the elite crowd during parties) and the current war
made them more open to military projects. The Empire’s Council of Defense approved
funding for Myasaf’s project, upon which he took with him his whole estate, research
facilities, a platoon of scientists and assistants and his wife Sara and got to work.
Designing the Nova:
Users:
 The technologies that Myasaf was dabbling with were experimental and
hazardous to work with and his concept was never demonstrated in any scale beyond
under a microscope by anyone previous – so the logical thing to do was to build a giant,
humanoid mecha as a technology demonstrator/prototype. The decision to use a mech
design was partly due to performance requirements for space-borne weaponry and mostly
due to the need to sell the idea to the Empire’s Aristocrats.
In the past, the Earl was counted on by the Empire to design grand super
weapons: capital ships, weapons platforms, and the like. While it made Myasaf quite
happy to be involved with these epic programs, after a great deal of time spent on such
projects, his enthusiasm waned as he wanted the military to consider smaller and more
efficient designs. It was all well and good to vaporize a space ship with a crushing blow
from a massive super-death ray, but why do that when a pin-prick from one man can
finish the job more easily and cleanly?
At the time, the main space fighter used by the Draylin fleet was more or less a
glorified MIG-15 in space. Advancing anti-fighter weapons and tougher armor made the
space fighters of very little use: they were being limited to planetary harassers, raiders, or
mere cannon fodder in massive naval battles. Myasaf tried to upgrade the rapidly aging
space superiority fighter fleet by offering to design next-generation fighters that were
light-years ahead of what they already had. The government always kindly rejected the
designs in spite of the performance of working prototypes; citing impracticality (a fighter
doesn’t need to be that complicated for the big ships to do their work), cost (even though
they were willing to pay much more for larger ships any day), and lack of training (pilots
had to be taught to actually use tactics in combat) as reasons for not adopting his
machines. Of course, the Empire was really afraid of lending such powerful weapons to
the common man. Loyal soldier or not, the idea that a precious capital ship could be
destroyed by a handful (or lone) rebel fighter was found to be disgraceful and horrifying.
Earl Myasaf wanted a nimble and flexible system that would take advantage of
his proposed nanotechnology but, getting a sense of these concerns, decided to create
something that would appeal to the elite crowd. Enter the Nova, a completely new class
of weapon incorporating a radical humanoid design with several innovative new
technologies. The Novas were to be used by only the most skilled and trustworthy of
Draylin Aces, as recognized by the Empire. Never intended for mass production, they
were to be custom-built to the style of every warrior so that, while each shared the same
basic parts and functions, no two Novas would be alike. Also, once initialized with its
pilot, the Nova would only activate and respond to the mind of its designated operator via
the use of hardware and software lockouts. This prevented the Novas from being stolen
and/or reverse engineered – though trust in the pilot remained an issue.
Role:
Myasaf initially conceived the Nova as a space interceptor but, along with the
above mentioned concerns, he felt that the system had much greater potential than that.
After that, he drew it as an anti-ship platform: capable of seeking out and smashing ships
as large as capital-type vessels. Eventually, technology and ambition led him to make the
Nova a space superiority and strike/assault mech: able to destroy any space borne enemy
while being best suited to destroy targets larger than or equal to itself, battle with similar
machines, and perform key strikes while deep behind enemy lines. It was basically an
anti-everything unit that could halt enemy advances and spearhead operations against the
toughest enemy fortifications. Though meant for offensive operations, its form was
versatile enough to enable the Nova to perform a variety of missions: offense, defense,
search and rescue, atmospheric operations, etc.
 Piloting one of these, Myasaf hoped that a single Draylin knight could charge into
fleet engagements and decide the outcome of an entire battle. An ace pilot could
potentially do what used to take a whole battle group and thousands of crew. As a matter
of fact he dreamt of a time when, just as precision-guided bombs have eliminated the use
of carpet bombs and nuclear warheads, the Nova would replace the use of massive star
ships in warfare. This would save on the costs of fielding ships into combat and spare the
lives of millions of loyal crew members. When hearing of this, many thought that
aspiration was insane/impossible. Frankly, Myasaf was a miracle worker and he actively
sought to make the Nova his greatest achievement.
Micro design: Nanites
The nanomachines of which the Nova was to be composed of were analogous to
the function of cells in life forms: basic building blocks that were specialized for unique
functions within the system and containing the information needed to develop and
perform those functions.
Every nanite specialist was produced from a basic “stem nanite”, a template form
that had the potential to develop into any of the vast numbers of specialized nanites.
Through the use of multiple branching chemical pathways, these “Stems” could quickly
transform into a specialist with little energy expenditure. Those same pathways followed
in reverse can also allow any specialized nanite to return to the “Stem” form and be
reconfigured into a different type. While the specialized nanites could be found anywhere
else on the Nova, the Stems would congregate at around the core of the Nova (and, later
on as a safety measure, within the pilot’s body) until they are needed.
Taking a page from genetics, Myasaf used data produced by nanoprocessors made
from subatomic particles to act as genetic information; using programs to tightly regulate
expression and repression of specific information. The collective of nanites also acted as
a hive mind; with each nanite’s processor acting as a single unit of the Nova’s total
computing processing. It was similar in concept to the Cell processor of the Playstation 3
and parallel computing; with many computer chips acting on their own specialized roles
pooling their results together in the end.
Furthermore, the nanites were designed to manipulate the subatomic particles in
molecules, including their own. This ability allowed the nanites to reproduce, grow and
develop. When given the order to reproduce, the nanites were able to degrade matter and
reconstitute the material’s component molecules into specific structures required by the
nanites; allowing them to basically metabolize matter. This was the basis of the Nova’s
self-repair and maintenance feature. While in theory, any matter can be consumed, some
materials were better than others because of the types of elements that are required and
the amount of energy needed to covert raw materials into useful parts; steel is a better
source than manure, for example.
The nanites could also be directed to alter anything about their physiology; from
their specific functions to their processor architectures. With the use of firmware updates,
the nanites could be instructed to radically transform themselves to meet new
specifications and gain new abilities. Imagine being able to upgrade your computer’s
RAM, video card, hard drive, etc just by downloading a patch or file online. Over the
course of development, the nanites got progressively smaller and smaller, their
processing capabilities greater and greater, and their nanomolecular structures and
communication pathways become more and more elaborate – all while in essentially the
same machine. The days of out dated equipment going to the scrap heap were numbered;
Myasaf created a technology that could evolve to meet new challenges and would never
be obsolete as long as someone was working it.
 Ghost in the Shell:
As he was writing the intricate programs needed to guide the nanomachines,
Myasaf discovered random bits of data within their tiny processors that accounted for no
functions whatsoever. At first the occurrences were few and insignificant and all he had
to do was defragment the programs or delete them. Soon, however, this ghost data
became so widespread that even Myasaf could not keep track of it within his system.
Further, he could not figure out why the ghost data even existed nor why it kept coming
back. Though there did not seem to be any performance problems being caused by the
presence or absence of the ghost data, being a perfectionist, this problem drove him crazy
for a time. That was until he came to the hypothesis that the ghost data was evidence of
an emerging artificial consciousness within the complex computing systems of the Nova:
that the computer was evolving and adapting to the environment by becoming more
autonomous and – perhaps – sentient. While he feared that the resulting sentience could
have conflicting interests with the Nova’s pilot (leading to malfunctions, refusals to
follow orders, or even a rebellion), Myasaf was excited at the prospect that he could have
produced artificial life. From then on, the Earl chose to leave the data alone and observe
any unusual behaviors that could result. During his time with the Novas, however, he
himself never found anything unusual about the on-board AI. What the Nova’s pilots
actually found, however, was a different matter.
Macro design: Artifacts
To push the potential of the Nova even farther, several exotic materials were
integrated with its nanite construction; utilizing their properties to enhance its functions
or to give it special abilities. Most of the exotic materials that he sought just happened to
be precious metals, stones and ancient artifacts that were prized throughout the Draylin
Empire. Mid-way through development, Myasaf chose to use these things when he,
curious about a sacred gemstone that the Emperor gave to Sara as a gift (which became a
control crystal in the Emerald Knight’s cockpit), discovered that these particular
materials were not simply stones compressed by pressure over millions of years.
Analysis revealed that they were not natural formations but deliberately designed
devices with highly organized molecular structures. It became clear that these artifacts
were the product of intelligent engineering: either by ancient Draylins using lost
technology – or some other intelligent force. Myasaf wondered why no records of such
devices were kept even when the artifacts themselves were so old and why there were no
investigations to discover the true makers and their fate. The Earl suspected some sort of
foul play, a conspiracy perhaps, over the origins of the artifacts. He, however, kept his
mouth shut about it: he had a work of art in progress and a wife to look after, he had no
time to dabble into any conspiracies.
Stimulation with electrical currents revealed that some artifacts could warp light,
gravity, space and even time. These features and more had many applications and were
just too cool for him to pass up for his ultimate creation. He then realized that, with
current technology, he could not replicate these materials or their effects without the
originals. Confident that he would one day figure out their mysteries, he chose to use
these treasures for his technology as an interim solution.
On the Emerald Knight, these precious materials dotted the main body and were
able to provide lift and manipulate energy (useful for Override Mode). In the power plant,
ancient crystals were used for the vial role of converting heat to useable energy.
Repossessed jewels were used to aid in interfacing the pilot with the Nova itself. Perhaps
the most valuable treasure aboard the Knight was the Seed, a perfectly spherical crystal
ball that met the power demands of the Nova. Later on, the Seraph had components that
performed the same way, but entirely native produced aside from the Oni Rock, which
also performed the same role as the Seed.
Journey through the Empire:
Myasaf was forced to search the Empire top and bottom for the necessary
components; artifacts from museum archives and private collections were quickly
depleted and not everyone he met was willing to sell or trade their treasured items. For
the rest, he had to explore the furthest reaches of the Empire’s territory (and beyond)
where he excavated ancient ruins, lost caches, and secret hideouts to recover the ancient
technology. With his wife and assistants in tow, he led many daring, Indiana-Jones-esque
adventures and got to see just how vast the Empire truly was.
It was during these adventures that it became painfully clear to him that the
artifacts and the facilities that they were found in were of alien origin: his studies
consistently found that they predated any know Draylin civilization and had to be the
handiwork of some forerunner race. While he didn’t find any ring-shaped fortress worlds,
giant, biomechanical humanoids nailed to crosses or mass relay transporters in his travels,
his findings were awe-inspiring nevertheless and he could not help but wonder at what
else he would find. It was around this point when he first heard of references to the Spire:
a quasi-mystical, life-giving temple located in some lost colony.
When he was not actively searching for more artifacts and when he wasn’t
tinkering with his designs for the Nova, he got to see and meet with the locals. At first, he
held them with contempt – as all Aristocrats typically did for the common man: they
were a nuisance and a constant reminder of their mortality and limitations. While he did
his best to remain separated from the local populations, it was not long before he was
forced to seek out people living near areas of interest for guidance in order to excavate
the treasures.
After some initial fish-out-of-water scenarios and confrontations due perceived
class differences, Sara recommended that Zandafar get an attitude adjustment to better
communicate with others. Soon he was living with the people rather than around them:
eating their food, sleeping in their inns, and participating in their cultural events. As he
got closer to the populace, he met genuinely friendly people; no need to make put up a
front, no need to suck up, no need to lie or play politics, just honest-to-goodness nice
people. He found people who were, at least in their own way, very smart; people who had
a strong grasp on economics, politics, and even science and engineering. Rarely did
Myasaf find an Aristocrat who was as industrious or as competent as the fringe worlders.
During this, he was beginning to change: the Earl expressed levels of social grace and
charisma that he never thought he had.
While he was impressed as to how the people of the fringe worlds were able to
make a living and establish their own, unique culture, he was shocked and disturbed
when he learned of the specific circumstances of their lives. He learned of times when
towns were raided by bandits while the Empire did nothing to offer aid. Unreasonable
taxes were levied upon villagers but civil services such as schooling, sanitation and
energy were repeatedly denied to them. Aristocrats themselves were often abusive;
accounts where nobles would come into town to buy average citizens to be used as slaves
or evict entire populations from their own homes to claim the land were not uncommon.
First Command
No where were the issues of gross negligence more apparent than when Myasaf
visited one humble planet, Gerhin, which was rumored to be home to a temple housing an
ancient idol. Not long after making it planetside the locals showed Myasaf hostility,
believing him to be another malevolent aristocrat. At first they thought he was there to
displace them off their land: many were refugees from other parts of the planet or from
other planets entirely; victims of greedy aristocrats who wanted to exploit their land for
resources, profit, recreation and/or bragging rights. After Myasaf assured the populace
that he was only visiting, they then suspected him of scouting their makeshift village for
women and children to taken for slavery or other needs. A few of then, desperate for
money or a better place to stay, were willing to offer their own to him for just that.
Myasaf parried those acts and was able to settle an uneasy truce with the villagers, who
learned to tolerate his existence enough to sell him some of their goods and let his crew
work on the ruins nearby.
Of the entire village, there were only two who did not immediately regard Myasaf
with suspicion and hatred: Isaac and Ishmeal, two young and orphaned street boys. Upon
meeting the stranger, Isaac and Ishmeal were awestruck by his class, his style, and his
riches. Later on, they would greatly respect and admire his charisma, decisiveness,
genius, and sense of honor. In their experiences, adults were unreliable and selfish: when
they were not being hopeless and apathetic with life, they were bossing others around or
quarreling over stupid things. Issac and Ishmeal had very pessimistic outlooks in life:
believing they would spend the rest of their days scrapping by, day-to-day, wondering
aimlessly around their world living in squalor. They were not even friends then: they just
happened to meet each other when Myasaf’s party came to town. They were too young
then to experience the misfortune brought upon them by the Aristocrats directly but
suspected that they had a role in their present living conditions. But whatever biases they
had about rich people before were pushed aside when they met Myasaf. Never before had
they met anyone who had so much wealth and power, and they perceived him to be
someone of influence, virtue and ambition.
Myasaf himself never felt that he was the type of person the boys thought he was;
indeed he felt their choice of hero was ill-conceived. But their admiration had a small
influence on him: the Earl suddenly felt the urge to be more vocal and outgoing – in
essence taking on the image they had for him. Sara also earned the respect of the orphans;
she projected the image of a genuine and incorruptible woman who was kind yet
possessed a strong underlying character. Sara, who was already very fond of children in
general since her and Myasaf’s failed attempts at conceiving, came to adore the boys and
wanted to be a supportive pillar in their lives. She realized the troubled backgrounds of
the kids and wanted to instill hope in them to become better people.