Askei Neute

Askei Neute

### Affiliation

Balvinsegarui of Paluki, Ibh mbalbhín Oirfa of Cavianity and Lícoiatdal of Faltírvars

### Occupation

Palui scribe, builder, politician, priest

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

PerhapsFabi

Askei is a 27 year old man, originally born in the city of Varshaad. As a member of the Palui ethnicity he is a human, with both of his parents also being Palui. Through his studies he learnt to read an older version of the Palui script which eventually allowed him to rediscover the ancient home of the Palokeu, Paluker. Leading Paluker as a protectorate of Faltírvars he additionally first became a priest of Cavianity, later even a Lícoiatdal and would oversee the creation of the first independent Paluis state since 300 years.

## Biography

### Early Life

Askei was born to a family with questionable economic standing. His father, Ceifa Neute, had lost a leg in an hunting accident, which meant he could no longer fulfil his occupation to hunt alongside the Varsic tribespeople. Though at first he had wished to educate his only child to also become a hunter, of which Askei never was really fond of, he noticed his son's talent for linguistics. Because of this and a good friend his father, Askei was sent to learn **Varshí** and Palui in private tutoring.

While he did well in his studies, the monetary situation of his family was dire. His father had sadly passed away due to an infection related to his injury and he would now have to somehow provide enough to feed himself and his mother Kamau-Tira Neute. This motivated the young Palui boy into petty thievery. It was by no means something he had wished to do and he would later keep it secret to even his closest friends.

Because of a very close call in which he would have almost been killed by a foreigner he was accused of robbing as well as his mother's passing on, he eventually decided to stop the honorless acts of thievery. Somehow he managed to find a profession as the Vars settled Varshaad and became a dedicated farmhand, eventually helping to flatten the land where the city's square is now located. This helped him gain some friends in the leader, Eldron Eratéan, a mysterious man named Viktor and his neighbour Amator. Indeed, he was one of the first people to receive a house in the developing town.

### Cavianity

As he settled down in his new home, a celebration was held in the newly established Cathedral of Varshaad. Interested in the background of the religious service, Askei took a place in the first row before the altar and listened to the leader preaching. The story of repentance, which was performed by the Villager in the first chapter of the Cavicúlín spoke to him, as his troubled past though unbeknownst to others still had left a burden on him.

When Eldron, who had finished preaching, asked whether anybody wished to join the faith and follow Cavi ibh mbalbhín, Askei along with a few others agreed and performed the Déc. Waking back up in his bed as the story had promised, he hurried back to the Cathedral which he would visit almost every day from then on.

### Paluker

Finally not having to worry about making ends meet, Askei could focus a bit on his linguistic studies. Due to his proficiency in Palui, his teacher had left him myriads of old documents which were written in a script that had fallen out of fashion. Studying the scriptures, he quickly learnt his way around the symbols. They were written right-to-left and seemed to encode a system similar to the common alphabet. However, some sounds were missing and then there were some letters he only figured out after attempting to pronounce the encoded messages. It was all written in Palui, though with an archaic way of speaking and letters which could be combined at will.

Understanding the way the documents had been written, it didn't take Askei long to understand what their topics were. Some were undoubtedly boring - simple messages or notes left by ancestors, one however was a detailed scripture about the Old Kingdom of Paluki. More notably however between mountains and mountains of myths, there was a description of the location of the old home of the Palokeu, Paluker.

Bundling up some supplies, he'd travel west along the coast of the Klaskian sea and through the lands of Szchnow and Bullfrog, where he'd find confirmation that only a short distance further he'd find an archipelago in the mouth of a river. Sure enough, as he wandered across the plains Paluis now call the Plains of Bvadiki, Askei could see a glimpse of the islands on the horizon. He would swiftly make his way onto the smallest island within the mouth of the Kaleskau river, named for one of the kings from the story that had led him here. He was however not alone.

The run-down buildings were in fact still inhabited by that same people who had expelled the original inhabitants three centuries ago. Askei would not get a chance to talk to them, he knew it would do nothing good anyways, and so he went back to the leader of the Sentinels, Eldron. After some deliberation, which took about a month, Varsic soldiers helped take back the island, after which Askei signed a treaty with the neighbouring allies of Szchnow under which Paluker would be lead by him under the protectorate of both the Sentinels and Szchnow. Thus, Askei began a new chapter of his live, not only focused around Varshaad anymore but rather hoping to rekindle the flame of the dispersed Palui culture.

### Architect

While he had begun reconstructing the first houses and even found his first citizen, Bolty, Varshaad was growing at a rapid pace. Eldron Eratéan had requested that Viktor and Askei begin planning the palace of his royal family and the Parliament, after Viktor had finished the Arena of Varshaad. They would begin gathering resources with the help of the Pick & Axe company. Through Askei's influence in the planning, the layout and materials would have strong Palui influence. While Viktor masterfully decorated the outside, Askei then focused on the interior design, decorating the throne and storage rooms and the kitchen and rooms for the king and his family. The Parliament however would not see as much development, with only a blueprint being established by the two builders.

With Viktor and Askei often talking about how a city should be structured, the idea arose to build another district, North of Varshaad. This Paisgárica district would not be finished, as Askei again focused on his work in Paluker and Viktor went missing. The inner one of the two concentric half-circles the harbour district consists of was finished by Askei later.

### PF-7

During the outbreak of the PF-7 plague, Askei was not entirely aware of the situation, until Síorta, who had recently moved to Paluker, approached him telling him of the situation. Askei would become directly involved with the events surrounding the fungus three times.

Just a few days after the outbreak, Alan, an important Varsic politician who had become infected, brought a spore to the closest mainland to Paluker. As Alan claimed to only wish to talk, Askei attempted to respond but had to flee to avoid being infected. After returning to the protection of Paluker, he would witness as the spore spread only stopping after reaching a provisional trench he and Síorta would dig.

A few days later Síorta would bring her possibly infected son Dande to Paluker, which allowed for containment and study of his medical state. Only a few hours later, Askei would receive word from the allied nation of Vistula, claiming its leader had found a cure to the infectious fungus. Under guard from the Varsic military, Askei would help transport Dande to Vistula's capital where he then would be cured.

### Priest

After presenting a bilingual book he was writing about the Destruction of Abavachi to the Búrumhedal Eldron, he began telling Askei about the state of the religion in Faltírvars. While most residents followed Cavianity or at least accepted it, the faith's holy sites often were uncared for.

As Askei, though at that point not having much knowledge of the faith, offered to take on the role of a priest for the Cathedral of Varshaad, Eldron accepted. As priest, he would conduct various ceremonies and even marriages. With the organisation of the Énibal by Eldron, Askei was awarded the rank of Lícoiatdal, meaning he was now to care for the entire religious region of Faltírvars.

Meanwhile, the Cavian pantheon had been expanding. While still centered heavily around Cavi, the benevolent goddess of the below, gods and goddesses like the Siás Balbhín became prominent. Askei would, after returning to his bed at the end of a day of hard work on Paluker, receive a vision of a flourishing Paluker with hundreds of Paluis living there. All that promised Mórguíl, the husband of Cavi and god of nature. So, Askei constructed a shrine to him and requested Eldron accept the Paluis' new patron deity into Cavianity.

### End of a Kingdom

Politically, Faltírvars however soon faced its end as unbeknownst to Askei, Búrumhedal Eldron along with many others disappeared. Though Askei as provisional leader of Paluker wondered why no further inquiries or orders arrived from Varshaad, he was far too busy with construction it Paluker to travel there himself. Only when a traveller from the Qamari Sultanate claimed he had the right to settle nearby Paluker did he question what was happening. This question would be swiftly answered as Moss Ólid explained the situation to him and motivated him to seek independence from Qamari, who had been given ownership of the Varsic lands.

### Rise of a Devout State

So, Askei prayed for guidance from the city's patron deity, Mórguíl. He was troubled by the notion of his culture not allowing a non-royal to claim a royal title. Mórguíl informed him of the importance that he take his independence soon, for he foresaw that the Qamari would not treat the Palui as fairly as the Varshí. Askei agreed and would, after the signing of a few treaties take the necessary steps for independence.

With the support of Varshaad and Rinacólid, Paluki would declare itself an 'Etoraburui', which is Palui for 'Devout State' and Askei Neute would become it's first Balvinsegarui, which is a Paluisation of the Varshí 'Balbhínsiodgar'. With the main district of Paluker being finished, Askei's work would now become focused on mainly planning and paperwork.

## Name

### Forename

The name Askei is normally prevalent in Palui families of High or Middle Class standing and is related to the Palui adjective 'aska' meaning 'great/grand'. It can thus be stated that with the tradition of naming children with wishes for their life, the name might have the meaning of 'destined for greatness'. The reason for Askei being named such is not sure as his family was in fact neither of the Middle nor the Upper class.

### Surname

The surname Neute is cognate with the Palui word 'Neutui' which in itself can either reference the moon in poetic sense or a Shell. Why Askei's family name is Neute is not entirely clear, but it can be speculated that it originated from the age of the Kingdom of Paluki.