Ashen

An Ashen, posing with a "Breaker" Blade.

The Ashen are a race directly descended from the **Ancient Ones**, adapting to meet the daunting conditions of **The Forge**, such as it's heat, dense smoke, and soot. They are well known for being capable in combat, and being extremely hardy people, alongside being deft in the fields of blacksmithing and forging of intricate tools. They have overtaken **Humans** in population by excess, and are the most common race in **The Chasms**.

## Early History

The Ashen were born during the worst times of the Post-Cataclysm world, with surviving texts describing a caravan of Ancient Ones attempting to survive in The Forge to escape the monsters that were beginning to slowly overtake The Chasm's many regions. Living in such a layer proved extremely challenging, with a lack of plants meaning the only way to eat was through hunting of the few volcanic beasts and monsters that inhabited the region.

Combined with a lifestyle consisting of having to hunt apex predators for survival, and the physically-straining tasks that entailed blacksmithing, The Ashen slowly became a race far different from their distant relatives of the upper layers, who are known as Humans.

## Organization, and the rekindling of the Ancient Forges.

After many centuries of a nomadic lifestyle across the many areas that dotted The Forge, Ashen were forced to adapt to the slowly evolving social conditions that were overtaking The Chasm's many layers, with settlements appearing and becoming the normal way of life; By this point, the Ashen still lived without truly permanent settlements. Monsters were slowly becoming more common and dangerous, forcing Many Ashen to come together in larger groups for survival.

The majority of Ashen, underneath the leadership of **Lord Raumor**, began to consolidate their population and resources towards the intact ruins known by that point, as the **Ancient Forges**; Long-forgotten smelters and machines from before **The Cataclysm**. After The Forges were reclaimed from **Automata** and other ancient defenses, the Smelters of The Forge were re-kindled, via help from Humans. This would prove the establishment of The Forges as a strong-standing settlement, built upon the safe remains of what once the pinnacle of innovation. That was over 500 years ago, and The Forge continues to stand strong as the center of the Ashen's culture.

## Psychology & Culture

The Ashen have established themselves as the dominant race over the entirety of The Chasms, although their cultural and social standing rarely reaches the uppermost regions. All known of the splendor that follows the history and tasks undertaken by The Ashen, making them a *very proud and arrogant race*. Heritage and Lineage are viewed as a sort of replacement for religious beliefs, as ancestors of high standing are revered greatly by not only the direct family, but also other Ashen, if their deeds and tasks truly outlived those who had accomplished them.

The Ashen are very secluded and hold their traditions and secrets closely, *often-times* not sharing them with the majority of other races. Ashen do view Humans as equals, although inferior physically; Sharing the same proud heritage with The Ancients is a major factor in how they view Humanity, although Humans are also seen hand-in-hand with Ashen history, mainly the involvement of dealing with Ancient technology.

## Physiology

Arguably the strongest of all races, The Ashen are a race that have adapted to the conditions presented to them, hence, their traits are usually required for the tasks they undertake. Their most iconic traits are their soot-colored skin, ranging from a dark gray, to a more blackish hue; They also have razor-sharp teeth, due to their Carnivorous diet, although nowadays, they are capable of accessing other sources of food via trade with other layers.

Standing proud at over 7 feet normally, they tower over normal races, and are usually built to be very muscular, and intimidating to other races. Due to their size and build, their calorie intake is triple that of a human, and constantly eat through food to stay active and energized.