Ash Williams

*Come Get Some*

* Overview
* Sheet
* Background
* 'Ships
* Logs

 Hail to the king, baby.

— Ash

Ashley J. "Ash" Williams. The Chosen One. "El Jefe," in the words of some. Ash is a hero, sculpted from a soft sensitive young man to a battle-hardened jerk. The sculptors were the demon-possessed minions of hell called "Deadites," who were created by passages read from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, the Sumerian Book of the Dead. Ash tries to claim that he's only looking out for *numero uno*, but like it or not he is the destined champion, chosen to oppose and combat the sinister forces who would use the Necronomicon for malevolent purposes.

(And since he's kind of an idiot, he doesn't always succeed in this goal.)

## Personality

Ash is a rude, crude dude with attitude. He's quick with a quip or an insult, and he's extremely self absorbed. His problems take priority in his little world, possibly a side effect with the burden of responsibility he carries with him 24/7. It's been told to him a million times, both here and in a whole other time period, that he is 'The Chosen One', he is the one that can stop the forces of evil brought forth by the evil book that's ruined his life. And underneath THAT is all the buried trauma and guilt left over from that one hellish night in the woods, the one that determined the entire rest of his life. Ash doesn't like to dream, for good reason.

## SIGNATURE ABILITY

### Groovy

Ash is in many ways just a regular guy, just some poor dumb schlub who got a bum deal and is trying to make the most of it. He wasn't training his entire life to do combat with the forces of evil, and it certainly shows in his technique. Still, whether by accident or by design he has become The Chosen One, and his close proximity with the Necronomicon and its world-bending chaos has affected him in various ways. it means that his chosen weapons are more effective than they should be, he can use chainsaws in ways a normal person couldn't, can load shotguns with one hand, can throw a pitchfork as if it were a javelin or even use his belt as a sort of makeshift grappling device. These things if thought about might be considered absurd, but in the moment when his back's to the wall, his solutions tend to work. Sometimes.

There is another aspect to this ability, however. In moments of extreme danger or impending doom, in moments where he's absolutely going to die no matter what, he instead manages to scrape by the skin of his teeth(Ignore them being dentures, please.). The trade-off is that he seems to be a gore and yuck-magnet in these situations. The falling gigantic kaiju demon is going to fall and smush him? It might land around him or fall slow enough to allow him to run and get out of the way, but its insides are going to end up outside, where Ash happens to be at the moment. This is just one example, but I'm sure more concrete examples will happen as time goes on...

## SKILLS

Ash, uhh...well, he can lift weights pretty good, and he's got an impressive benchpress. But he isn't gonna be parkouring it around any time soon, the extent of his exercise comes from running away from danger, rocking women's worlds(if you ask him), and lugging around big, impractically heavy weaponry around.

Ash can throw a punch, and hold his own in a scrap. But through a combination of holding back, being generally a bit out of shape, and not actually knowing any martial arts(even just boxing or wrestling), Ash isn't going to be winning any karate tournaments any time soon.

If Ash actually had a gun license and wasn't a creepy weirdo who lived in a trailer and who was arrested for butchering his friends in a cabin in the woods, he'd probably be a card carrying member of the NRA(until he did something to piss them off.). He knows his way around guns. Pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, the man really knows his stuff.

Ash is surprisingly good at loading a shotgun one-handed, and otherwise manipulating the world around him with only one meathook. Undoing his fly and fastening his...shotgun harness(girdle) can prove to be challenging, however.

Ash has been fighting the forces of darkness and the possessed minions of the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis since the '80s, and has learned every trick in the book when it comes to putting them down. Of course, in the grand scheme of things he's not as dangerous of a warrior as a Slayer, but what he lacks in fancy shmancy mystical mumbo jumbo, he makes up for with tenacity, experience, and a giant chainsaw where his hand should be. Deadites and Demons, watch out!

When his back is to the wall, Ash can come up with some truly ingenious DIY-style solutions to problems. Here, his natural inclination to take shortcuts and cut corners combined with his natural engineering instincts lead to outside-the-box solutions and quick fixes that may mean the difference between life and death. Whether it's flushing a tiny demon out of his system with boiling hot water, or modifying a chainsaw to be worn on his hand stump, to give some minor examples.

Ash has heard about vampires. He's heard about wolfmen. He's heard about fish monsters who live in lagoons, and psycho hillbillies who wear hockey masks out in the woods. Well ok, mainly he used to put on monster movies in his college dorm while making out with chicks (Sometimes. Once in a blue moon.), but he's still heard about 'em! And given his brutal experiences, he's paranoid enough to believe the 'crazy' stories he overhears from S-Mart customers.

During his time in the dimension of Kandar, Ash had to adapt and adopt the technology level of his new temporary home. This means he learned a little bit about the intricacies of archery and crossbow prowess, he learned how to use polearms and swords and spears, and even learned how horrific a suit of armor could be. Of course now he lives in a place where more modern and advanced tools are at his disposal, but he still remembers a few of his swordfighting lessons.

(He also learned that toilets are better than chamberpots, but that's neither here nor there.)

This 'skill' is basically a knowledge skill that extends specifically to the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, and the things it summons. He understands this special form of Demon better than most, he understands their tricks, and most of all, he understands the only real way to deal with a person who's been killed and possessed by the forces of hell: Total dismemberment. When it comes to dealing with the book, expect Ash's inner heroism to shine.

No matter where Ash goes, no matter what dive he decides to hole up in, he's very good at getting himself some sort of work and some small level of comfort. He's not swimming in money Scrooge McDuck style, but it's rare that he's ever actually hurting for money.

## POWERS

Ashley J. Williams is recognized by the Necronomicon as its enemy and nemesis. As such, forces that serve or seek to manipulate the book react differently to him than they'd react to a random Shemp off the street. Powerful figures challenge him directly, and skittering little, lesser minions might react to him with surprise or fear when he loads up his shotgun, or revs up his chainsaw.

Essentially, when it comes to glamours, or demonic attempts at trickery or subterfuge, Ash has a sixth sense for sussing them out. Whether or not he can actually prove what he knows is another thing entirely, but Ash's close, repeated contact with the Book Of The Dead has left him with a remarkable eye for the supernatural.

## ADVANTAGES

Most people have forgotten it by now, but there's always a select few who remembered the news reports back in the '80s. The man who lured his college friends to a cabin in the woods, and butchered them all like dogs. Who then, not finished, proceeded to murder a group of hikers with a chainsaw and a shotgun. They said he even cut his own hand off with that chainsaw, yelling about it being evil!

But the people closer to the real truth of life, they know the truth. Fellow 'hunters', men and women in the monster-cleansing game, they know that Crazy Old Ash wasn't killing people, but rather doing what they do. The fact that he's still hanging around when most hunters half his age become lunchmeat, that earns respect. The grisly way in which he dispatched the monsters assailing him...that draws nervousness. Possibly even fear. It's a fine line Ash walks, but it's one he's been walking nearly all of his adult life. (You know, when he's sober enough to walk.)

The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington, S-Mart's top of the line! It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that? (It's also a sawn-off, which makes it blatantly illegal. Even if Ash did have a license. Which he doesn't.)

This sweet baby has been with Ash ever since his days at the cabin, and can probably boast about seeing more action than Ash himself, if chainsaws could boast. Which they can't. Since then Ash has actually modified the chainsaw to run on a number of alternative fuels, which is useful in making sure he doesn't pass out from the exhaust fumes, and also good to make sure he doesn't need to keep stocked up on super expensive gasoline all the time. It's also much more durable and able to slice through things quickly, in a way that a normal chainsaw would never be able to do. Perhaps this is a side effect of longterm exposure to a reality-defying source of evil like the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis?

Ash has had his Oldsmobile Delta 88 since college, and it's been to hell and back with him, sometimes literally. Though its engine may be mostly kept together with duct tape and happy thoughts these days, and though it now has to lug around a portable trailer, and though it might be described as 'rust chic' these days, it's still useful to have a (mostly) reliable set of wheels when the shit goes down and the dead stand up.

Despite Ash being a general screwup in most areas of his life, he has quite a bit of seniority in the old, third rate big store brand called S-Mart. Because of this, not only can he not get fired due to a few loopholes in company policy, but he also gets a two percent discount on anything perchased at any chain he goes to. Not bad!

## WEAKNESSES

Ash was once a sweet, shy college boy who just wanted to hang out with his friends and do right by his girlfriend. Then they all went to a cabin in the woods together and one by one he watched them fall. His sister, his two best friends and what was then the love of his life. They died, they came back and then he needed to cut them apart with an axe. And the Necronomicon never let him rest after that, the minions of Hell have been taunting and tormenting him for decades. As a result, that sweet college boy has become a Grade A asshole. Rude, ungrateful, a lazy womanizing slob who's concerned primarily with himself. As you can imagine, this doesn't leave a great first impression on people. Or a great second. Or a great third. Or a great...

Ash's style is not very subtle, in any way, shape or form. Chainsaw and a sawed-off double barrel, his style is very aggressive, very forward, very in-your-face. Which is good for dealing with aggressive, brutal enemies, but unfortunately for Ash the forces of evil are filled with sneaky, subtle clever sorts, who no doubt know how to manipulate themselves away from such brute such as him.

He's not as young as he used to be. And even when he was a young man, he was never a professional athlete or any kind of mystical warrior. He's good with brute strength and he's as tough as a 2$ steak, but his stamina, his speed, his reflexes...really everything else leave something to be desired. Turns out a life of drinking, smoking weed and eating primarily crummy diner food takes its toll on you. Who woulda thunk it?!

Through events that Ash still doesn't fully understand, he is considered the nemesis of the forces of the Necronomicon. This means that no matter where he runs, no matter what he does, no matter what scummy life he tries to build for himself, he is recognized by the darkness and will be targeted and tormented as such. Friends, family, even one night stands met at trucker bars are in danger if they stick around Ash for too long. It also means that Ash himself is technically in danger 24/7.

Back in the cabin, Ash's hand went bad. So he had to cut it off at the wrist, with a chainsaw. He never managed to pin it down and kill it, unfortunately, so it's still out there. A little piece of him, infested and corrupted by evil itself. Be careful, it could be the last fist you ever bump.

Do you think Ash has a permit for his boomstick, or for the chainsaw on his arm? You think he doesn't continue to have a shocking police report, after they found him in the woods surrounded by his dismembered friends(as well as the bodies of others who came to the cabin later)? Ash does not have a great relationship with law enforcement, and probably never will. It doesn't take a genius to notice that he's always in the center of strange, mysterious, and brutally violent happenings, and cops tend not to like that.

In some ways, Ash has a brilliant mind, and showed a lot of promise back when he was a college student. Well that promise has turned out to be empty, because when it comes to the game of chess that is life, he's still playing 'duck duck goose'. He is not a Watcher, he is not a wizkid, he is not good at thinking in terms of long term consequences. His life has been all about coming up with quick fixes and fast solutions to immediate emergencies. As you might imagine, this is NOT a great quality for the 'chosen one' to have.

Ash has a Myspace, that he made for himself recently. It consists of pictures of him, pictures of his lizard Eli, with a weed background and Deep Purple playing on some shitty audioplayer he downloaded. That's just one example of how out of touch Ash is when it comes to technology. He's slowly starting to accept and enjoy DVDs, here in the age of the Blu-Ray Player. It's awful.

## "Early Life", or "Pink Wallpaper"

When Ashley J. Williams was born in 1958, his parents were expecting another girl, like the one they'd had three years prior. Ash knows this, because pa never let him forget that fact, ever. Never ever ever. But really, aside from that hiccup, Ashley's life was a fairly mundane, uneventful one. He grew up, got into fights with his sis, got middling grades in school, tried out for(and got rejected by) sports teams, smoked doobies with his friends out in the bleachers, and all in all lived his average life away from anything strange or supernatural.

## "The Trees Are Alive", or "Ash's Long Night Of Hell"

Fast forward a bit in time, to October, 1982. Ash is now a college student and a lowly stockboy at S-Mart. Him and four other friends from college all take a road trip to rural Tennessee for a vacation. Among the group is Linda(Ash's girlfriend, and then the love of his life), his older sister Cheryl, and his two best friends Scotty and Shelly, who are also dating each other. Although he doesn't know it yet, this night will be the beginning of Ash's hell.

That night, in the cellar of the cabin, they find an old creepy book, an old knife and an ancient tape recorder which belonged to the previous owner of this old cabin, Professor Raymond Knowby. They play the recorder out of curiosity, and hear the professor reciting old forgotten passages from the book. This terrifies the superstitious and easily frightened Cheryl, who runs off.

When the rest of the group decides to go to sleep after that uncomfortable incident, Cheryl is lured out into the woods by...something. There, she is savagely attacked by the trees, and the very nature of evil itself. The nature of the attack is too terrible to put into words, but she comes back screaming and sobbing. Nobody believes her.

Ash decides to drive her back into town just to calm her down, when he discovers that the bridge has been destroyed. There is no escape.

Back at the cabin. The group tries to comfort Cheryl, who is practically catotonic. Ash, by himself, starts listening to the rest of Professor Knowby's recording, learning that, according to the book, the only way to deal with a human possessed by a demon is total dismemberment. While the group continues trying to comfort Cheryl, Cheryl turns. She attacks the group. Cheryl gravely injures both Linda and Shelly before Scotty can manage to subdue Cheryl and lock her down in the cellar. Ash, during the entire encounter, was useless and could only watch the events transpire.

Shelly turns, attacking both Ash and Scotty. Ash provides no assistance beyond being beaten up and flung around the cabin, eventually forcing Scotty to kill and dismember his own girlfriend with an axe. Abandoning Ash who he sees as cowardly, he leaves and tries to find another way back into town. This is another member of the group who has wandered alone into the forest itself. And now Ash is left by himself.

Linda is beginning to turn, and Ash can't handle it. Adding to the list of problems, Scotty crawls in, covered in blood and half dead. He should have listened to Cheryl. Ash, powerless, can only try to make his friend comfortable before he finally dies. And now Ash is left by himself.

Forced to defend himself against his former girlfriend, his younger sister and now his former best friend, something snaps in Ash. He finds a double-barrel shotgun in the shed outside, and using it he is able to at least survive the night. He kills and buries Linda. He kills Cheryl and Scotty. He throws the Necronomicon into the fireplace, and for the first time, dawn breaks. The evil is gone. Ash is free. Or so he thinks.

It was a trick, the Necronomicon never died, and instead just continues to torment him for a whole other night. The evil gets into his hand, and in a moment of insanity Ash lops it off at the wrist with a chainsaw. Under this constant, nonstop barrage of madness, stuck in a situation where time and the physical laws of reality are being bent and distorted by an instrument of pure evil, Ash's mind starts to truly snap. Here, events are difficult to transcribe, all jumbled together like having an acid trip while locked in the electric chair.

Eventually, Ash is found by one of Professor Knowby's daughters, Annie. With her are a small team of individuals, who are horrified at the carnage that they assume Ash is responsible for. They subdue the crazy man with a shotgun, and lock him in the cellar.

This new group, just like Ash's friends and sister, also succumb to the evils of the Necronomicon. What's worse, Ash discovers that Knowby's wife Henrietta is still down in the cellar. And the old woman is...hungry.

Eventually, Ash is able to escape the cellar, and tries to help the remaining group survive, but they are picked off one by one by the possessed(now identified as 'Deadites'). Ash, with Annie's help, finally modify the chainsaw that was in the shed, to be worn over Ash's right stump. With this, Ash's mind changes again. But this time, instead of simply breaking, it seems to find a purpose and resolve that it didn't have before.

Annie and Ash, both working together, are able to deal with Henrietta and the remaining Deadites, before attempting to find a passage in the book itself that will undo the madness. Instead, Annie finds herself stabbed to death by Ash's possessed hand, while the rest of Ash is sucked into a portal...and finds himself in the year 1300, AD.

## "The Problem With Portals", or "The Chosen One"

Yeah you heard that right. Portal. It's here that you should know a little something about this book that ruined Ash's life.

In Ancient Sumeria, there existed a group of terrible beings called The Dark Ones. Somewhere between demon and man, they created a weapon to use against humankind, a book. Bound in human skin, inked in human blood, contained within the book were incantations and summoning rites, words and equations that went against the grain of reality itself.

The Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. The Book of the Dead.

As well as raising the dead and giving ways to possess the souls and bodies of the living, there are other passages, and other secrets. Namely, the book gives one the ability to travel between realities, opening portals to other realms and other dimensions.(Really, the Necronomicon behaves kind of like how a Hellmouth sometimes does, but on a smaller scale.) This only makes sense, as the Necronomicon was designed to allow demons easy passageway into the world, so that they may slaughter mankind and take over.

It is because of this that Ash found himself sucked through a portal, into a world that very much resembled the medieval 1300s of our own earth. As far as tourist spots go, Ash didn't think highly of it at all. Mistaken for a minion of evil, kidnapped by knights, Ash was sentenced to death by 'Lord Arthur', a man who was struggling to keep his kingdom under control while armies of the dead terrorized his people.

He sentenced Ash to death, but Ash, transformed and battle hardened by the events of the previous nights, proved to be made of tougher stuff. He fought his way out of the pit of Deadites, showed the locals why a sword doesn't compare to a boomstick, and all in all established himself as a man not to be fucked with.

Ash, now being treated like a god by the locals, discovers just how bad the problem is here and reluctantly agrees to help find them the Necronomicon, after being told that it's the only way to send him back to his own dimension. He rides out into the countryside, barely survives with his life, brings back the book...and unfortunately reveals that he did not say the very important incantation("Klaatu...Verata...Nikto!"), which means that the book is now useless. Even worse, the armies of darkness are enraged that their weapon has been stolen from them. This is a bad situation for a mostly empty castle full of terrified people to find themselves in.

At the last minute, Ash manages to help Lord Arthur protect his kingdom, and manages to vanquish the leader of the forces of darkness, and is sent back to his own time after a great big feast and ceremony. He leaps through a portal back to his own world, just to find himself landing face down in a puddle of gore and the remains of friends, with local Tennessee cops who were all too happy to beat the shit out of him, and arrest him.

## "Aftermath", or "Ashy Slashy"

Things got pretty bad, after that. Nobody believed him, of course. Not the police, not his public defender, not the judge not the jury, not even his folks. Mom was never the same after that, and dad, forget it. This was just another reason not to like his limp-wristed intellectual son with a girls' name.

Ash bounced around a few crazyfarms after that, or he would have if Reagan didn't shut a whole bunch of those places down(which was great news for Ash!). Ash tried going back home, but the open contempt of everyone in Elk Grove was too much. Calling him 'Ashy Slashy' to his face and starting a public protest any time he tried to get a job or move in to any neighborhood, that was also pretty lousy. So he got himself a trailer, stuck it to the back of his ride, and he got the hell out of there, started seeing the world. And due to a technical bit of wording in the S-Mart hiring contract(something about lunatics and not being allowed to outright fire them), he usually had a nice job any time he moved in any place new. Well, until the same things started happening(Dead people not staying dead, and Ash eventually having to put them down), then he'd have to rinse and repeat the whole relocation process all over again.

Now at the ripe young age of 58(It's the new 30!), Ash finds himself in the land of peace and legal weed, California. "Maybe this time," thinks Ash, "things will be different."

"Yeah. And maybe I'm a Chinese jet pilot."

Logs featuring Ash Williams:

*Coming soon!*