Ashalia Chaedris

## Appearances

The Shadow of What Was Lost
An Echo of Things to Come
The Light of All That Falls

**Ashalia Chaedris**, commonly called Asha, is a Gifted who went to the school at Caladel. There, she became inseparably close with her friends Davian and Wirr, though she was a year their junior. She was privy to the knowledge of Davian's Augur abilities, and kept his secret well.

## Description

### Appearance

Asha has blonde hair that goes around her shoulders and sea-green eyes. She is fair-skinned, with faint freckles on the top of her cheeks. Davian is especially enamoured with her beauty, and several potential suitors in Ilin Illan try to catch her attention as well.

After becoming a Shadow, her skin becomes a pale hue, and she sprouts black vein-like lines extending from her eyes. Notably, this change in appearance does not diminish her looks in the eyes of her admirers.

### Personality

Asha is kindhearted, sensitive and emotionally intelligent. She makes fast friends with others, and even those who initially begrudge her come to appreciate her presence in the long run. Her friends share their biggest secrets with her, naturally aware that her trustworthiness is second to none.

While she is quite capable, her intense emotions can sometimes get in her own way. When she feels betrayed or hurt, it is no small effort for her to stomach her indignation and return to business, and she does not forgive such incidents easily. Once her mind is set, however, her personal resentments no longer hold her back.

Asha's empathetic nature is her true defining characteristic. She tries her absolute best to find the good in others, even if they are commonly seen as irredeemable. The strength of her connection to her friends, Wirr and Davian especially, demonstrates how passionately she cares for those close to her and the extreme lengths she will go to in order to help them.

## History

### Early Life

Asha was born to two successful and busy Andarran merchants who never seemed to have time for her. As soon as she manifested her Gifted Mark, they dropped her off at Caladel and never made contact with her again. She harbours some resentment for their abandonment, but eventually decides to ignore their callous treatment and focus on making new connections in order to move past it.

At some point, unbeknownst to her, she was covertly marked by Aarkein Devaed — likely because he had foreknowledge of the role she would eventually play in Andarra's future. His symbol, visible only to his creatures, indicated that she should not be harmed lest they invoke his wrath.

### Life at Caladel

Asha was a generally talented student — not the top of her class, but promising nonetheless. As a particularly strong swimmer, she had a fondness for spending time in the nearby sea. She got along well with her schoolmates and stayed on good terms with the staff.

She quickly befriended two other boys from the school: The capable and popular Wirr, and the curious and bookish Davian. Though she was a year younger than the pair, the trio became very close, and the bond between her and Davian was especially strong. Davian even shared the knowledge of his Augur abilities with her as a measure of his trust — a secret that she kept well.

As they grew older, Davian began to harbour romantic feelings for Asha. She never said it outright, but her words and actions imply she was aware, and that the feelings were mutual. However, the looming threat of his exile due to his inability to use Essence prevented their relationship from progressing past friendship.

## Activities in *The Shadow of What Was Lost*

### Saying Goodbye

With the Gifted Trials fast approaching, Asha is all too aware that Davian is almost guaranteed to fail and face a life in exile as a Shadow. Though her tests won't occur until the next year, she frequently practices with Davian to help him learn how to use Essence. When the Gifted runaway Leehim is caught and transformed into a Shadow, she offers to take Davian's place and observe the punishment to keep this potential fate off his mind, but he politely declines.

The day before the Trials, she and Wirr offer once again to help Davian practice reaching for Essence, but he refuses. Having accepted his fate, he simply asks Asha and Wirr to join him for one last evening of companionship before he leaves. At the end of the night, Asha tearfully bids him farewell, swallowing her grief as she returns to her chambers.

### The Sole Survivor

During the night, an escherii enters the school grounds and methodically murders all of its residents. As it makes its way to Asha's room, it notices that she secretly bears symbol of Aarkein Devaed. Apprehensive of drawing the Venerate's ire, it decides not to harm her — though it still contemplates the possibility for a while.

When Asha wakes up the next morning, she notices that the school is suspiciously quiet. As she descends from her bed, she notices her roommate Quira has been brutally murdered, coating the room in blood. Horrified, she screams, but nobody comes to her aid. Panicking, she rushes through the school to discover that everyone else has met the same fate.

After checking that Davian's room is empty, she makes her way to Wirr's room. She notices that he is gone as well, but only after interrupting a group of Elders led by Ilseth Tenvar. Believing the escherii spared her for a reason, they do not harm her. However, because she now knows that Davian and Wirr are alive, they constrain her and forcibly turn her into a Shadow in order to wipe her memory.

### Prophecies and Propositions

Confused and heartbroken, Asha is escorted by the same group of Elders to Tol Athian. When asked by the Council to give a report, Tenvar lies and says Asha was so frenzied and grief-stricken by learning of Davian and Wirr's deaths that she demanded to be turned into a Shadow — even threatening to attack the Elders if they did not comply. Asha does not believe him but, lacking her memory, is unable to contradict his account.

As the only survivor of Caladel, the Council believes she is worth observing, and put her to work alongside the other Shadows. Fearing for her safety, she adopts the name Lissa to hide her true identity. She assists around the Library, and soon learns of the Shadraehin, the underground leader of the Shadows. Another shadow named Jin offers to take her to the Sanctuary beneath Tol Athian and she agrees, feeling curious.

The Sanctuary is home to a massive Cyrarium that powers the Tol. For some reason, Gifted cannot come close to it without dying but Shadows are protected from its effects. Asha sees a sha'teth lingering close to the power source, though she is told not to go near it. As the Shadraehin is busy, Jin invites her to have dinner at a friend's house and Asha joins them, discussing pleasantries with the hostess and her family.

Midway through dinner, the sha'teth, calling itself Aelrith, bursts in on the meal, causing most of the guests to flee in fear. Jin attempts a stand-off to protect Asha, but Aelrith easily kills him in order to speak with her alone. It reveals that it knows Asha's real name, and asks if she is there to kill him. Asha is confused, so it elaborates that her appearance indicates that all of the sha'teth will soon die. It asks her not to let Vhalire suffer when the time comes, then leaves the Sanctuary altogether.

Asha is arrested by the Shadows soon after, and taken to a man names Scyner, who reveals himself to be the Shadraehin. He asks why she is using a fake name and what the sha'teth wanted with her. She tells him about Caladel and shares some of what Aelrith told her, which is sufficient to lower his suspicions.

Sensing an opportunity, Scyner forms a plan to insert Asha as a spy into the Northwarden's ranks. He tells her that he will us his network to spread information about her true identity, which will cause Elocien to personally investigate her. Asha is uncertain about the plan, but sees no better way to learn more information about what happened at Caladel, and accepts.

### Double Agency

Scyner's plan works as promised, and the Duke soon finds Asha in her quarters to ask about what occurred in Caladel. Though she expects severe treatment due to his infamous Loyalist reputation, he is polite and respectful, and asks Asha to help him and his secret team of Augurs protect Andarra. Given an opportunity to learn more and spy for Scyner, she accepts the offer and joins his retinue.

Asha learns a great deal in Elocien's service, including that her good friend Wirr was actually his son. The young Augur Erran, posing as Elocien's manservant, introduces her to Fessi and Kol, the other palace Augurs. Elocien asks Asha to become a Scribe and determine the accuracy of their visions, and she accepts the position. To maintain her cover, Elocien also forcibly enters a Tol Athian Council meeting and demands that she be made the assistant to the Tol's court representative Michal. Rising quickly to such a position sparks endless rumours about her origins and identity, and she becomes the subject of much discussion and attention at court.

The various responsibilities leave her well-occupied inside the palace and, despite much prompting from the Shadraehin's agents, she does not send back an espionage report. With Erran's help, Elocien shares a memory in which Scyner retaliated against Administration's investigation of the Sanctuary in a bloodthirsty and merciless manner. Convinced, she admits to being sent as a spy and officially declares that she no longer intends to work for the leader of the Shadows.

### A Grim Future

Now fully committed to her work for the Northwarden, she quickly bonds with the palace Augurs. As the only person to whom they can confide their visions, they all grow to trust her and welcome her counsel. Even Kol, who regarded her with distrust and suspicion, grows to like her as much as the others. All of them, at some point or another, share a vision of their deaths and Asha sympathizes deeply with the pain that knowledge must bring. Curiously, Erran tells her of two different, equally vivid versions of his death.

Settling in to her role as an assistant Representative by day, she continues to decrypt the meaning of the Augurs' visions. With Elocien's help, she pieces together the knowledge of an impending attack on Andarra by the Blind army. He also reveals that Wirr has recently been seen alive in Thrindar, attempting to investigate the weakening of the Boundary, which is directly related with the invading force. Asha is heartened to learn that her friend is alive, but is still very concerned about the impending attack.

Returning to her chambers after an exhausting day, she is taken aback as a temporal rift opens in her room, revealing a projection of Davian who begins to speak to her. This version of Davian seems a fair bit older than the boy she last saw at Caladel, more muscular and scarred. Disbelievingly, she says she believed that he died at Caladel, but Davian corrects her and informs her of Ilseth Tenvar's deception. Obviously in pain, he seems to be bound by a set of chains at at the mercy of a jailer named Rethgar, who is forcing him to interrogate Asha.

He asks her if she knows the identity of the Shadreahin, to which she replies that it is Scyner. Once again, he corrects her, stating that Scyner is just the lieutenant of the real Shadreahin — a woman with whom Asha will soon make a deal. For the crime of helping her and the Shadows, he tells her that she is sentenced to death. Hurt and confused, she reminds him that she is a Shadow herself, but he tells her that won't always be the case.

Soon after, Davian uses his abilities to apparently freeze the chains in place. Given some privacy from his jailer, he takes the opportunity to speak with her earnestly. He first tells her to send a message to the true Shadraehin when they soon meet: That Tal'kamar is taking Licanius to the Wells — requesting that she specifically mention that the message is from him. He then warns her not to rescue him when she learns of his imprisonment in Ilshan Gathdel Teth, because the Venerate will be avidly searching for her by then. He also asks that she not tell the past version of him anything about this message because in the future nearly everyone will be Read by the Venerate, himself included. His warning complete, he bids her farewell and the projection disappears.

### Abduction and Rescue

Still trying to process the message from Davian, Asha remains in a daze for some time. To take her mind off the incident, she spends an evening chatting and bonding with Fessi. Upon returning to her room she is ambushed by Teran and Pyl, two Shadows working for Scyner. Fed up with her lack of spy reports, the pair abduct her and take her to a house on the outskirts of Ilin Illan in an attempt to extract information by force. She is injured in the kidnapping and bound with rope, but remains calm and considers how to survive in her new situation. Conversing with the men, she repeatedly insists that she has nothing to report, but they remain unconvinced.

Before she can fully form a plan of escape, she is contacted telepathically by Erran. He tells her that the palace Augurs, now aware of her location, will soon be arriving to help her escape. Shortly after, Fessi uses her time dilation abilities to sneak Asha out of the house without arousing suspicion. Kol, furious over her condition, breaks into the house to threaten and attack the kidnappers as punishment. He severely injures them, but the other Augurs stop him before he kills either one. With her captors taken care of, Asha is escorted back to the palace in order to recover.

Upon her return to the palace, her condition is noticed by many court members. Rumours spread, adding another layer of mystique to her public status, and she is sent several gifts and well-wishes as she recovers. Once she has healed enough to move around the palace, Elocien informs her that Scyner has sent a message of apology, along with the two severed heads of Teran and Pyl. This confirms her suspicions that the kidnapping was unauthorized, and shows that Scyner does not suspect she is hiding much. She is relieved that the threat has passed, but is still disturbed by the grisly sight.

### Shocking Discoveries

Returning to work, her focus turns to the impending invasion. Elocien invites her to investigate a storeroom where Administration has confiscated and held various Vessels that may prove useful in the city’s defence. Idly attempting to use one herself, she succeeds — proving that Shadows are actually still capable of wielding Vessels. This discovery implies that Shadows’ Reserves are only blocked, not destroyed, allowing them to use the Vessels without being bound by the Tenets. It also implies that the transformation into a Shadow may be reversible. Emboldened, Asha takes two Vessels with her for personal use: a Veil and a silver ring that can shoot a massive blast of wind.

Having mulled over the future Davian’s words, Asha begins to seriously doubt Tenvar’s account of what happened at Caladel. After leaving the storeroom, she meets with Erran and asks him to use his Augur abilities to restore her memory of the events at Caladel. The process confirms her suspicions and, with Erran’s help, she forms a plan to expose Tenvar’s lies.

Interrupting Tenvar as he works in his chambers, she bluntly accuses the man of orchestrating the attack on Caladel. He dismisses her claims, but eventually realizes that she must have remembered the truth of what occurred that day. He becomes increasingly hostile and unwittingly confesses to turning her into a Shadow, hiding Davian’s survival and lying to the Athian Council. Confident that his actions will never be proven, he is shocked to discover Elder Nashrel has been using Asha’s Veil to eavesdrop on the entire conversation. His guilt firmly established, Asha's plan is completed as Tenvar is taken to the Tol’s cells to await his judgement.

### Deals and Preparations

With time before the invasion running short, Asha once again considers how best to help in the city’s defence. When Wirr arrives at the palace, she takes the opportunity to catch up with him and celebrate his survival. As they share their stories, she corrects him on the subject of Davian’s death — insisting that unless Wirr actually saw their mutual friend die, he is still alive. Despite Wirr's skepticism, Asha heeds the future Davian's warning and does not reveal the source of her certainty.

Now fully convinced of the future Davian’s authenticity, she contacts the Shadraehin for a private meeting. Scyner originally greets her, awaiting her spy report, but she insists on meeting with the true Shadraehin, a woman, and he eventually complies. Meeting the woman, Asha starts by relaying Davian’s message about Tal’kamar. The woman is surprised, but grateful for the information, remarking that she owes a debt to both Davian and Asha. Collecting her due, Asha asks that the woman supply her with a group of Shadows who are willing to use Vessels to defend Ilin Illan. The Shadraehin agrees, on the condition that the Shadows can keep the Vessels when the fighting is done.

When Davian later returns to the palace, she excitedly rushes to greet him. They embrace and briefly recount the recent developments in their lives, but soon part in order to prepare for the imminent invasion. Promising to catch up properly when it is over, Asha tells Davian to stay safe for her sake.

### Defending Ilin Illan

The Shadraehin delivers her end of the bargain, and Asha dutifully equips the fighting Shadows with a variety of offensive Vessels. She leads them into battle where they have some impact on the invading force, but are soon overwhelmed and forced to retreat to the city’s upper walls. There, she witnesses the death of Elocien at the hands of officer Hael's Echo. Suddenly realizing why Erran had two visions of his own death, she rushes into the palace to find him incapacitated on the floor. As she helps him up, he confesses to Controlling Elocien for years in order to protect himself, Wirr and the other Augurs who were brought to the palace.

Asha brings Erran to join the other palace Augurs, where they discuss Elocien’s recent death. Before they can decide what to do next, they are interrupted by Scyner. Recognizing the man from the vision of his own death, Kol springs into action and attempts to kill the Shadraehin’s lieutenant with a sword — only to be quickly dispatched by Scyner, who impales him with his own blade. His plan to recruit the palace Augurs now permanently foiled, Scyner escapes, and Asha witnesses as Kol bleeds out while surrounded by his Augur companions.

Now lacking a protector and their dear friend, the embittered Fessi and Erran tell invite Asha to join them in escaping from the palace. Regretfully, she denies, unwilling to abandon the city’s defence. She bids them a remorseful farewell, promising to that she will give Kol a proper burial. Asha returns to the fighting and eventually survives the conflict, witnessing the Blind’s utter destruction at the hands of Caeden.

### Aftermath

With the fighting over, Asha has her promised reunion with Davian. He invites her to join him at Tol Shen, but she refuses, believing that she can do the most to help Andarra from her current place in Ilin Illan. She kindly greets Ishelle, as the other Augur stops by to escort Davian to the Tol, and gives Davian a parting gift: The silver ring Vessel. She asks him to keep it safe until they next see each other, and wishes him a safe journey, parting ways with him after a long embrace.

Asha visits Michal’s study, sadly aware that her mentor perished in the battle for Ilin Illan. Taeris Sarr and Laiman Kardai soon enter after her, midway through a private conversation. Panicking, she activates her Veil and hides in the room, eavesdropping on their discussion. As they speak, she learns about the origin of the Blind and of Taeris’ history with Davian. Additionally, she discovers that Kardai’s real name is Thell, and that at his request, Taeris’ crimes have been forgiven — making him the most likely candidate for Michal’s replacement. The men agree that Taeris’ first priority should be sending a research team to Deilannis, then depart the room, leaving Asha to process the discoveries in silence.

## Skills and Abilities

**This section re-write is in progress.**

* In the beginning of the series, Asha is reasonably talented Gifted
* As a Shadow, Asha can no longer draw from her own Essence. However, she learns that she can still manipulate Essence to a certain degree, as she can still use Vessels. A version of Davian from the future also suggests to her that she will not always be a Shadow.
* After she wounds Nethgalla, Ashalia gains access to the reserves of all the shadows as well as the Lyth. This suggests she can wield more essence than any living person, including the Venerate.