Asher Malacath

**Epithet** | N/A

## Description

Asher has short ivy league brown hair and slightly  pale skin, coupled with light blue eyes, he often wears a variation of the Mal'Vasta Blade colors of red and black, his entire back is covered in scars from the torture he underwent as a kid.

## Background

Asher was damned the day he was born. Born into the cult of Mal'Vasta, the god of Domination and Deception. Asher did not choose anything for himself, his path was chosen by his parents and Narotha, the champion of Mal'Vasta. He was victim to all types of abuse under Mal'Vasta's Blade. Whether it was by senior members of the cult, or even his own parents. When Asher turned to the age of 6 his eldest brother, Alistair, approached him in his chambers in the middle of the night. Alistair grabbed Asher's mouth and whispered into his ear, "We're getting out of here. I won't let them harm you any longer." So that night, Alistair had taken Asher away to the Republic of Cindervale's capital, Aerahagen. Alistair had saved up a good amount of coin and purchased a decent home for the two in the Verdam District.

Asher was very close with his brother and was much happier. However, this happiness would soon turn to ash in his mouth. Four years passed, Asher was attending school in the capital and even made a couple of really good friends. Alistair was working every day, as a factory worker. Asher was invited to stay at one of his friend's houses for the night.. a manor in the Grandhaven district. Asher being a young boy, was very excited to stay at his friend's house, even more excited that his friend's house was so big. Asher said goodbye to Alistair that night.. and little did he know that it would be the last time he ever saw his older brother. Asher had stayed up with his friends all night and they were all drifting off to sleep. As Asher awoke.. he was not in his friend's room but felt himself moving on rough ground. He went to shoot up, but hit his head on a hard metallic surface, falling unconscious.

As Asher awoke he began to sob, loudly. He knew exactly where he was. He was in the very room he grew up in."Are those tears coming from my baby boy's eyes?" A feminine voice spoke softly. His mother walked out from the shadows, with a thin wooden club in her hand. "Stop crying now dear.. it's alright.." She wiped the tears from his face, with the club. The club felt rough and even left a splinter in Asher's cheek. Asher shot back, as his mother touched him with the club, but she charged at him. Hitting him across the face with it. "You do not run away from your mother." Asher lays on the floor, his nose trickling blood as he still sobs loudly. His mother begins to beat his back viciously with the club, a sick smile on her face. Blood stained Asher's shirt, as he still sobbed. The beating went on for several minutes until it finally stopped. Asher heard the metal doors shut and the sound of a lock locking. He laid there covered in his own tears, mucus, and blood.

It felt like days to him as he still quietly sobbed in agonizing pain. Then, he heard the door open behind him but refused to look back. "Come now child.. it is alright.. you will soon be healed under the tutelage of Mal'Vasta." He felt a hand grab his back, and a liquid being poured into the gaping wounds. He screamed in pain and tried to rid himself of the woman. Horror struck his face.. as he seen the face of Narotha behind him. She carried a chalice in her other hand, as she finished pouring the liquid onto his back. She held the chalice downwards towards Asher, and said "Drink this, boy. It is water." Asher was unable to control himself and grabbed the chalice from her hands, gulping it down. "I could sense from the moment you were born.. you were something special. There was just something about you that I feel as if Mal'Vasta himself gifted you with. Your Vis, I can sense the great power it holds."Narotha would take Asher under her wing, teaching him the ways of assassination and espionage. He quickly picked up the tactics Narotha showed him and was proven to be a promising student. Through the years of his training, he began to accept Narotha and Mal'Vasta as his lord and lady. Now a devout follower of Mal'Vasta and his ways.

At the age of 14, he was a deadly assassin for the Mal'Vasta. Using his young age and still-boyish appearance to assassinate targets. By the age of 15, he could utilize his Vis greatly for someone his age. Now at the age of 17, he takes on contract after contract for his lady, Narotha, and lord Mal'Vasta being one of the top assassins in Mal'Vasta's Blade. However, Asher would never forget the cruel punishments he received as a child under Mal'Vasta's Blade and would often blame the senior members of the Guild for his hardships.

## Powers & Abilities

**Adaptive Magic**: Under the instruction of Narotha, Asher was able to learn a rare magic. Only one in every one hundred thousand possessed the capability to utilize it, Asher being among one of the chosen few. He is able to adapt to any situation and mimic the supernatural abilities of his opponents. That said, he is still a novice. He is only able to store up to three variations of abilities before his index resets itself, and even then his spells are only half the strength of the original techniques used.

**Acrobatics**: Proficient in gymnastics and acrobatics. Very handy in his line of work allowing him to perform graceful movements and being able to scale large buildings, walls, fences, etc.

**Anatomy Expert**: Due to Asher's line of work he personally chose to study anatomy. Knowing the places of all vital organs and arteries in most major species. This gives him an edge in combat and assassination because he knows exactly where to strike and is quite precise with his blows. He knows where to pierce the ribs in order to strike the heart , which arteries to knick to create extreme blood loss, how much pressure a bone needs in order to fracture, anything you can think of that could disable a humanoid.

**Enhanced Pain Tolerance**: Due to Asher's past he has gained an incredible pain tolerance over time. Of course, he still feels pain but not as much as a normal person would. With this enhanced pain tolerance Asher is able to push himself beyond average limits.

**Stealth**: As an elite assassin of Mal'Vasta's Blade, Asher is a master of the art of stealth. Quoted by many members of the order to be one of the best. Mostly due to his young age and how light he is on his feet he is able to go around undetected by most.

## Inventory

**Broadsword**: W.I.P

**Daggers**: W.I.P