Ash Forrest

Name: Ash Forrest
Seeming: Elemental 
Kith: Woodblood
Court: Winter (King)
Freehold: Fort Worth
Virtue: Faith 
Vice: Greed
Pronouns: He/him/himself
==Physical Description==
Apparent Age: 42
Height: 5'11"
Skin: Tan (Mask), Brown and lined like bark (Mien)
Hair/Eye Color: Gray/Brown
Clothing: Gore-Tex and outdoor wear. 
Detailed Appearance: 
Mantle: The soft seeping freeze of a Texas winter permeates those who speak with Ash, the cold spreading almost unnoticeably into their bones. It is only when they leave the Winter King's presence and feel warmth again that most people realize they were even cold. 
Noteworthy Merits: 
Pinterest: Ash Forrest 
==Commonly Known==
When asked about his name, Ash always smiles softly and says he had hippie parents--after that, pretty much everyone warms quickly to the kind man. In Freehold life, Ash would like nothing more than to be the universal dad to everyone: kind, ready to listen, and always there with a hug. If you have a sad story to share, Ash will listen for as long as you need to share it, and he'll hold you (if holding is wanted!) and always dispense a thoughtful word or two at the end--though his advice is often more earnest than it is legitimately wise.
As Winter King, Ash takes seriously the calling of Winter to concentrate on healing as the world is hidden under the cold winds and dark nights of the season--he would take every member's sorrow into himself if he could. Politically, Ash is an idealist and wants to be on everyone's side. In effect, this means that he can't be counted on by the Summer Queens to not side with the Winter Queen at a disastrous moment.
Autumn 2004: Ash comes out of Arcadia. 
Autumn 2005: Winter Queen Mingyu Jewell steps down from the throne in order to marry her girlfriend. 
Winter 2005: Ash is crowned, much to his alarm and surprise. 
Winter 2008: When Hunter Cloude raped Aisha Hayes, Ash convened a monarch council to try Hunter for his crimes. Hunter and Aisha were initially barred from voting, but when the jury hung (which would normally result in a declaration of innocence), Ash insisted on allowing Aisha a vote, and refused to give up the crown until the other monarchs agreed to allow her to do so. (A monarch refusing to give up the crown can greatly endanger the Freehold.) After a guilty verdict was rendered, Ash imprisoned Hunter secretly for his own protection so that he might not rape anyone again.
Spring 2011: Milada Heartstrong joins the Freehold; Ash begins his first romantic relationship as a Changeling.
Spring 2015: Ash is kidnapped by Ragnarok and briefly tortured before being rescued. 
==Uncommonly Known==
Ash came out of Arcadia to learn that while time had passed for him, it had not passed for his young wife and son. He had been replaced by a fetch, and the man steadfastly refused to allow Ash to see his family. This causes Ash a great deal of sorrow, not least because he believes his fetch to be as neglectful of his family as Ash himself once was. 
== Omen ==
When you cast Omen 1 on Ash, you receive a vision. 
You are standing in the top floor of the Freehold tower. You haven't been here often, but you recognize the stone walls, the ever-present scent of damp and a hint of mildew that the Chatelaines just can't quite drive away. 
The monarchs are here... or at least some of them. You recognize Ash and Imani, and the season must be Winter, for both courtiers are wyrd-crowned with stag antlers, each crown hovering over solemn faces and sad expressions on the brother and sister monarchs. 
Aisha is here, trembling and furious, and the young woman has clearly been crying--and is fighting not to show it. Undine, too, is uncharacteristically distraught, the white skin around her eyes puffy and swollen from sustained sorrow--or is it anger? And you recognize Liam, looking solemn and sour and profoundly unhappy to be here. 
There are two here you do not recognize. A pretty Polychromatic, his hair brightly colored and his thoughtful eyes shockingly bright brown. And beside him stands a large Polynesian man, beefy and strong, who seems to be some form of Elemental: ethereal blue-white fire crackles along his fingers and through the tips of his close-cropped hair.
In the vision, King Ash stands in quiet solemnity as Undine buffets him with furious words. "Ash! You *know* the law! Three in favor, three against, two abstaining: that's a hung jury and we err on the side of the wyrd! Which, and I can't believe I have to keep reminding everyone this, has judged him *not guilty*! This is *over*, and you're dragging it out, and how long do you think that's going to work? Do you want to be Miami, is that it?"
"We do not have two abstentions," he says quietly, picking his words with care. "Queen Aisha has not cast her ballot."
Undine glares furiously at him, even as Aisha glowers at the blue-haired woman in turn. "Oh, that's how we're doing things now?" Undine spits furiously at him. "We're just going to abandon all pretense of fairness or impartiality?"
"I am your king," he says slowly, feeling the words out. "And Imani agrees with me."
"You're king three days over your season, *your majesty*," Undine chokes in near-apoplexy. "And I know exactly what you're doing with that Dawn girl." She glares at him. "You know Autumn's position on all this! And you know you don't have solid support from Spring or Summer! But Winter says we must and Winter will make us all submit before they give up their crowns? Ash, this is coercion! It's tyranny, *and you know it*! You're really going to brush aside all rule of law over this?"
Ash looks slowly at Aisha, who still glowers angrily at Undine, the furious Shadowsoul woman as cold and intimidating and sharp as shadowed ice. "Yes," Ash says sadly, and you have only the briefest moment to hear a sound of inarticulate rage rip from Undine's throat as the vision fades.
Category:NPC
Category:Monarch
Category:Fort Worth
Category:Winter