Ashira was raised by foster parents, Sarashjur (her foster father) and Malintha (her foster mother) in the coastal city-state of Timashkurabad on the world of Eraslon. She was entirely unaware that Llewella is her mother. This was because as far as she was told by her foster parents, her biological parents were dead.
Timashkurabad was a multi-racial port city on a western coast ruled by a council of nobles, peaceful, clean and beautiful with many tall white spires, and fine houses and temples to the many gods of the city. In technology, Eraslon was at an 18th Century level, with an Arabian feel to it, and flintlock gunpowder weapons. There was no magic in Eraslon, but there were myths and occasional many-times-removed reports of shape changers, some good, some evil. Eralson was a peaceful land, and had not suffered a war in thousands of years.
Ashira was mute from birth, but this never really bothered her; from examination by doctors it seemed not to be a physical problem, and so not really curable; perhaps it was more not having anything to say. She was always good at listening though.
She knew she was a foster child from an early age - Sarashjur and Malintha had nothing from her babyhood, and anyway, they told her the truth when she was old enough to understand. Her real parents had arranged her care if anything should happen to them, so that when they died Sarashjur and Malintha came to look after her. However, strangely, Sarashjur and Malintha were never able to tell her anything about her real parents - they just didn't seem to remember. The only keepsake they had from her parents was a small spherical brass bell on a red silken cord.
As she grew up she was trained in all the things a noble lady should know - etiquette, reading and writing, dance, music, riding, and because of her disability, sign language too.
With her foster parents she attended many balls and receptions, where she met and mingled with the other nobility of Timashkurabad, along with people of importance from other cities - ambassadors, diplomats and travellers.
It was at these balls and suchlike that Ashira met Lady Llewella Ulantrinal, one of the nobles of the city, though one who travelled a lot, and was somewhat reclusive. She had green hair, which was unusual, but not unheard of in Eraslon.
She always treated Ashira with distant kindness, and paid her perhaps a little more attention than she did the other children at these events. She also knew sign language, and so Ashira could communicate with her much better than with most people. She often told Ashira and the other children tales of her travels, too, to strange and wonderful far-distant lands.
Very occasionally she would (as most other nobles did) visit Ashira's foster parents. When she did she would always bring some kind of small gift for Ashira, a book or a toy or a curio. But still, she was always distant.
But when Ashira was eight, everything changed.
From unknown lands in the western ocean came a vast invading armada of brutal invaders, calling themselves the Oricarian Empire. They swarmed into the relatively undefended city and smashed it, far more than they had to, leaving most of the cities spires blacked stumps, and the fine houses and temples mere shells. The city didn't even have a chance to surrender, and was sacked for three days. Perhaps this was a manifestation of the Black Road?
The majority of the cities population was killed during this time, and among them were Sarashjur and Malintha, when Oricarian stormed into the house. She saw Sarashjur killed out of hand, and Malintha raped to death. Her pet cat (named Simbi) was killed too. Only because she was small enough to hide did Ashira escape a similar fate. She still has nightmares about it.
Llewella was not seen during the Oricarian invasion and occupation and was assumed dead.
Ashira fled the house, lost, as the city was systematically brutalised and enslaved about her. The only thing she kept was the bell her real parents left for her.
Like many others she wandered the city, lost, alone and in shock. Before long, like so many others, she was rounded up and enslaved. As she was processed, like others, she gained a circular slave mark tattoo on her right cheek. Then she was sold off, to a factory the invaders set up in the city, run by an Oricarian named Carathas. The work was hard, dirty and unpleasant. She hated it, but what could she do. Every night she cried herself to sleep.
Then Carathas, the master of the factory visited, and saw that she was pretty desipte the effects of work and grime. He arranged for her to be cleaned up and taken back to his mansion in the city. Essentially he wanted her as a sex toy. But when he tried to rape her, something very strange happened. Ashira felt her conscious mind slipping away and could only watch distantly as she changed into a (rather small!) leopard [shapeshifting avatar form], and killed her master. As she regained her senses she knew she was dead if found, and so fled out of the window and away, still in shock.
She sneaked away, and lost herself in the area of the city most ruined by the Oricarians, what became known as the Ruined Quarter, where those who had to hide did so, and criminals and other scum lurked. She was wandering and hungry when she was found by Alakhan, a master of thieves who saw in her something he could use.
He treated Ashira well, and, along with others, trained her to survive as a beggar, then a thief, and how to fight (with fists, hand weapons and guns), survive on the street, drive carriages, and disguise herself to venture out of the Ruined Quarter. She adapted well, coming to like this life as well as her old. Somehow Alakhan found out about what happened in her old master's house and seeing the potential this held, had her trained in her abilities by one of the 'mythical' shapeshifters of Eraslon, so that she came to master them. She also came to enjoy a good game of cards, and other gambling games too.
The years rolled by. Ashira's physical abilities came to surpass those of her compatriots more and more, until she was the best Alakhan had ever seen. During this time she killed a few more people, to save her own life, but never became used to it.
The Oricarians used Timashkurabad as their base in Eraslon, from which their forces moved on to conquer a larger and larger area around the city. There was a local resistance to them (which Alakhan always kept his group away from), but they were never very powerful,always outmatched, and gone within four years.
Then, again, a year ago, everything changed. An Oricarian raid into the Ruined Quarter swept the place clean of most of its undesirable elements, including Alakhan and the others of his group. Only Ashira escaped. She saw all those she knew executed by the Oricarians.
Now she was better at surviving alone, but it was still not pleasant. She survived on her wits and skills, stealing and picking pockets, and slept where she could. Then she picked the pocket of an obvious outlander, a red headed man who was obviously looking for something, and he caught her. This was not the usual course of events. He was both stronger and faster than her. As he came to strike her, it seemed that he recognised something in her, and started to question Ashira. She was able to get some of what she knew across to him.
He stated that he was sure she was a Princess of Amber, and should come away with him, Prince Bleys of Amber. With nothing really to stay in Timashkurabad for, Ashira agreed (not that it had looked like she was going to get a choice in the matter), and so went with Bleys. On the way, Bleys told her a little about the Family, Amber and Chaos, recent events and the like, so she has a vague idea of what's going on...
As part of this Bleys showed her the family Trump deck. And of course the Trump of Llewella. Ashira reacted to this with surprise, leaning forward to examine the Trump closely (Bleys probably pulled it away to avoid her initiating a contact by accident), and reaching for it too. Bleys may well have drawn a conclusion or two from this...
So, strangely enough, she would like to meet this Amberite named Llewella if and when the chance arises.
For a more personal view of Ashira''s history, go to Ashira's Thoughts Part 16, On The Pattern.
Character-related questions:
The remainder of the questions deal with you not your character. This is to get a feel about you and your style of play.