As'Han

Illustration by Jerome Jacinto

## Tl;dr

- male foxfolk, small

- dedicates his life to going around testing the strength of other people's wills and convictions

- mostly a huge asshole about it specifically to make the testing harder on the testee, but does give credit where credit's due

- his body is composed 60% of smug

## Personality

- smug and self-satisfied

- incapable of admitting fault in his actions or reasoning, will rationalize failures as part of some secret plan

- not very empathetic

- has a burning hatred for people exploiting the weak and will be extra cruel in his tortures for those people

- knows people don't appreciate his "help", but genuinely believes it's for their own good

- **Likes:** luxurious foods and clothing, the sounds of frustration in the air, doing (amateur) art

- **Dislikes:** people who don't react strongly, people who change their minds too quickly, root vegetables

## Driving goals

- torment people to test their strength and character

- reward people who he feels have passed his trials

## Inner conflicts

- repressed selfish sadism vs. genuine dedication to what he perceives as sacred duty

- memories of being degraded vs. self-image as a divinely chosen paragon

## Appearance

- light brown fur

- shorter than the average fox

## Abilities

- illusions

- magically manifesting fears and insecurities

- pyromancy

- law magic

- resonating with divine energy

## Weaknesses

- small stature

- weaker-than-average mana reserves

- flattery

## History

### Beginning:

- born in Mious to a religious community dedicated to Ni'ama, the local god of adversity and enemy of the other gods; divine punishment for personal failings, tests of character, becoming a better person through trials and tribulations, and such. as can be expected, constant self-improvement was practically a holy law

- this was especially hard on our boy As'han because of his physically small stature; he felt that he had to constantly prove his worth even more than the rest, which wasn't helped any by most people around him telling him as much. in their defence, many of them were trying to inspire As'han to overcome his limitations and become stronger out of genuine care for the lil fella, and he did develop a strong determination to constantly improve; in their offence, they were shitass at recognizing the psychological effects this was causing, and his earnest faith in redemption and improvement gave way to a strong sense of resentment that nothing he did was ever enough

- this, on top of some of his peers taking out their own frustrations with their own similar issues on him because he was small and seemingly harmless and available, slowly built up a terrible urge for revenge within As'han; one bully ambush too many, one misguided lack of support from the people he cared for too many, and he simply snapped, deciding that everyone was in some dire need of getting their egos knocked down a peg

- to that end, As'han played the long game; pretending to be the weak and servile thing everyone saw him as, he slowly gathered information on his community's weaknesses both physical and emotional, built up his magical power, and planned and planned and planned, all in preparation for his final masterstroke...

- finally, As'han's chance came; his efforts and skills were at last recognized by the leaders of his cult, and the award ceremony would be attended by everyone. he knew he'd get no better opportunity. the respect and pride on his people's faces almost gave him pause... but he was too far gone to think of it as anything other than false, as hypocrisy. it only stoked the fires of his resolve. when the time came for him to give a speech, As'han promised that in his new position, he would treat his people exactly as they deserved... and spoke the words that activated his trap.

- everyone present was magically frozen in place and, one by one, As'han began to break them; greatest fears, darkest secrets, most painful weaknesses, all ripped out into the open and ruthlessly exploited to the point of begging, screaming, or despaired silence. perhaps he was desperate for any of them to show something redeeming, something that would excuse his mistreatment... but nothing sated him. the moment was exquisite, As'han was lost in rapture... and his spark ignited.

### Change of ways

- As'han was only briefly surprised to wake up on an entirely different world; he'd heard tales of the most honored worshippers being hand-picked to follow their gods' will on entirely new worlds, and he had no reason to conclude his circumstances were anything but. he was vindicated! his true purpose was clear! to spread despair to the conceited, bring down the lofty, humble the proud! and so he went on, tormenting anyone who struck him as too prideful...

- until he arrived in Samang. at first, it seemed to be nothing but another fertile ground; its people were all dedicated to ascending to their own version of heaven, both to reach better lives and test their worth. As'han picked an expedition to follow/torture

- there, in secret, he would prepare magical trials to harrow his victims, testing their bodies and minds and expecting them to break like the rest of the wretches had. some faltered and exposed their weakness and selfishness, but many persevered, even becoming stronger for it. perplexed and enraged, As'han confronted them himself, but the strength he'd helped foster was his undoing. after the crushing defeat, the party's leader extended mercy to the fox, grateful for the lessons he'd given. this stirred As'han's heart and forced him to contemplate the true meaning of his faith and his purpose; in his fervor to punish the lacking, he had forgotten the full nature of his god. and as he wrestled with the revelation, lost in uncertainty over what he had even been searching for, he realized that he had found it in his companions; the other half of his purpose, the other reason for his torments. to find the strong and noble, and to reward them.

- enlightened, As'han left the expedition with a parting gift and set out into the Eternities once again; to test and torment, yes, but also to exalt those who proved themselves worthy.