Ash is a female nekomimi, classed as a catgirl; as an escapee of the Battle Gate, she is currently located in the Deepwoods quite close to Earnwold.
Personality[]
Ash is intelligent, able to learn quickly and adapt to certain situations quickly (a skill she picked up fast in her Arena days). She is a rather calm one considering what she had gone through, tending to keep emotion hidden. She will tend to help those in need because she knows what it’s like to be helpless and without a good way out of their problems. She is also quiet and is a good problem solver. She will try to solve problems without fighting, but will fight if she must.
However, Ash does not like working with others, always preferring to operate alone. She can be somewhat stubborn on this and other aspects of herself. She will often withdraw from the rest of the group, and she's actually rather shy. She is rather formal to those she meets, keeping them at a distance emotionally and often physically. She trusts very few, and it is very difficult to get in to have her trust.
History[]
Youth[]
Ash was born in an area where animal mutations are only fairly uncommon, and it's most common to find them in city environments. Commonly when they do happen, they are abandoned and left either at an orphanage or left for dead. Ash was born in one such environment, where after only a year...
Ash was orphaned early, her parents never identified, and sent to an orphanage at a young age. On her 3rd birthday, a four year long regimen began in which she was forced to perform would-be fatal tasks, if not for her feline characteristics. For one, at one point she had to evade gunfire; it was only her sharp hearing and her quick evasion that allowed her to survive this. Practically everybody at the orphanage forced her into doing their bidding. It got bad enough that she ran away on her 7th birthday to fend for herself.
Arena[]
Two months later, she encountered a kindly person who, upon hearing her story, decided to teach her to fight. After giving her her now signature twin daggers, he taught her how to use them, and also soon became what would be her one trusted confidant. When she was 9, the man deemed her proficient enough to fight well. In time they grew to become the greatest of partners, but she was captured; sent to a Battle Gate where she was forced to fight for next to nothing, for the entertainment of those viewing. No-Holds Barred. It was here her daggers gained their runic aspect, starting with Tiwaz. Fighting hard, she eventually faced her greatest foe, a masked mage... using magics that she had rarely encountered before. One of these spells was a very high-powered cold spell that nearly froze her to death.
Escape and "Recovery"[]
Eventually, as she turned 12 after this battle, she took her chance and ran away with the help of her one trusted confidant, her trust shattered completely. Ever since, she has been fending for herself, only fighting as she willed, not against her own will... Until she came across the kingdoms. She steered clear of most of it, though she's been in the area since.
Powers and Abilities[]
Speed and Assassin Rush[]
Ash, being what she is, has always been naturally very quick and agile. This allows her to run at up to around 35 miles an hour unaugmented. She's able to turn quickly as well.
Assassin Rush is the augmentation to her natural speed, allowing her to travel at speeds that few have the ability to outmatch. Assassin Rush is marked as "Assassin Rush-(speed in mph)", up to around 400 mph.
When Ash travels faster with her Assassin Rush, her stamina and mana power are both drained at proportionally higher levels, which limits her speed and distance capability; she is only able to travel around a minute at 400, and longer at 100.
She has limited physical strength, forcing her to rely on her high speed. At around 200, she becomes unable to use her weapons and turn effectively.
Using Assassin Rush at all drains her "magical" stamina (mana) by varying amounts based on how fast she's traveling with it. When this mana is drained, she'd be unable to move completely for a moment while her mana and stamina recharge. It takes a good ten minutes for her mana to completely recharge if drained all the way, but less than three if it's not all the way drained, though she's still left panting if she travelled far enough.
Assassin Rush can be used in three other ways; Flash Step, which allows her to travel faster, almost instantly, to a point up to 20-30 meters away at the expense of an amount of her mana power, in a linear path.
Wall Running, which she can use as a spurt of speed directly up a little ways; about 10 meters, or along a wall up to 100 meters, at about 75 mph before losing speed.
Speed Combat, explained in the next section.
Dagger play[]
Ash is highly skilled with her daggers, using them as a concealed weapon pair. She uses two of them in combat, and the sheaths are custom made for her from her Arena days. The sheaths are concealed, leather wrapped around her forearms to prevent her from being cut upon unsheathing, and she is able to quickly unsheathe left with her right hand, and right with her left hand, in the space of three seconds.
She can deal a lot of damage with them, of course, but she can't do much if she's out of range! The fact that these daggers are concealed grants her a nice element of surprise.
Ash has a set of abilities she uses with them, three signature attacks.
Cross Cut is a basic double slash with her daggers, which can be used at lower speeds.
Cross Fury is a flurry of slashes with her daggers, used at moderate speeds, and used to slash more difficult foes if needed.
Cross Force is a high-speed rush of slashes with her daggers, used either at high speeds or as a combo triggered by Flash Stepping right at a target with her daggers in hand. This leaves the target shredded.
Other[]
Fears and Dislikes[]
She dislikes water somewhat, but her greatest fear is that she will once again be captured just to fight for people's entertainment once again. She’s also deathly afraid of ice-based attacks, as well as ice and cold in general, due to being struck pretty hard with a powerful one.
Runic Aspect[]
Both of Ash's daggers have two unique runes magically etched into the metal, one on either side of the blade. Each has, as stated before, a story behind it.
Tiwaz[]
Tiwaz is the Rune of the Warrior, of battle, protector of warriors. True, Ash is not a tough woman, but Tiwaz was the symbol of the Arena she had been forced to fight in. It was to be on at least one weapon of each warrior within the Arena. Unfortunately, given Ash's hybrid nature, it took effect on her. It didn't amplify anything of hers, but it began to represent her fears, her mistrust in others; the Reverse aspect of Tiwaz. This also initially helped to trigger her original Assassin Rush.
In battle, it causes the first dagger's primary color to shine red once Assassin Rush is triggered; bright red being the color of Tiwaz.
Dagaz[]
Dagaz is the Rune of Transformation, of day, of breakthrough. This is not physical transformation, but rather of a more mental nature. This was the rune applied when Ash was with her confidant, where she grew in skill, began to trust one other at least. It is of her own desire to keep it.
In battle, it causes the first dagger to have a sky blue after image once it is in motion at speeds. Sky Blue is the color of Dagaz.
Hagalaz[]
Hagalaz is the Rune of Disruption, of interference, of the storm. This was applied to Ash's second dagger after she learned to utilize Assassin Rush in its basic form, as it had given her the ability to move like a storm. It also, in a somewhat different manner, represented Ash's captive state, interfering with her ability to trust. This was requested to be applied by a separate warrior.
In battle, it causes the second dagger's primary color to shine a light blue color when Assassin Rush is active. Light Blue is the color of Hagalaz.
Isa[]
Isa is the Rune of Ice, of freezing, representing a coolness of emotion. This was applied as a cruel twist to her dislike of ice, but it also was very accurate; her emotions remained to herself for the most part. It always generated an icy cold if she was in fear.
In battle, it causes the second dagger to have a shadowed after image once it is in motion at speeds. Black is the color of Isa.
The primary magic of Ash's experiences is runic, and even then runic magic is not very well known at all. Runes are on occasion carved into weapons to give the wielder power, or to represent certain traits about them. Few give external power, although they can add certain traits that aid the user in battle, like Isa occasionally adds a resistance to magical attacks of all types. The magic is a force of its own if not tempered by the runes, although it can sometimes generate its own runes. In this way, the magic of Ash's experience is semi-sentient.
Runic magic, in this regard, is very exact; if not used properly, it can cause effects that are unintended. However, magic resides in many humans and partial humans, though very few can use it; it draws from "stamina", which is actually a magical reserve. This is the reason Ash's Assassin Rush drains her so quickly. Ash is unable to use runic magic (or most magic in general, especially not offensive) in and of herself, and her daggers' runes grant no additional power (save Tiwaz, which was the reason she could initially use her power).
The Brace[]
When Ash escaped from the Battle Gate, she was wearing a brace that identified her. There is a bright red Tiwaz on one side, and on the other, there are these words in blue: "Ash Fehleid, Warrior of the Wind". In smaller black, below... "Property of the Winterglade Battle Gate, Main Division".
She took it and retains it out of obligation to herself. Any tracking spell once applied to it has since worn off. This has been a constant reminder of the past echoes that follow her.