Asha Ebele's page

Kind-hearted and gentle, Asha is a firm believer in the goodness of humanoid nature. When faced with wickedness and villainy, she will always choose to attempt redemption rather than punishment. She will not use lethal force against intelligent creatures. Beyond healing their wounds and curing their illnesses, Asha is also concerned with her fellow humanoids' spiritual well-being - she is a good listener and will strive to give good advice when asked.

Dark skin, black hair, amber eyes, short and slight in build. She has scars on her wrists, ankles and throat from slave shackles.

Born in a nomadic Zenj tribe, for the first years of her life she was raised by dozens of mothers, grandmothers and aunts, as are the ways of her tribe. The men hunted and traded, the women dug for tubers and wove grass into mats, baskets and other useful items. At the age of 6 she started manifesting odd behaviour and strange powers. The women of the tribe took this as a blessing at first, but soon it was obvious that the girl hadn't been touched by the spirits that the tribe held sacred. For a few years they didn't know what to do with her, but when a slaver caravan passed crossed their path they took the opportunity to rid themselves of this odd demon-touched girl in exchange for a handsome price of metal tools and glass beads. Since nobody among her new masters could pronounce her original name (!gãĩ ≠gaob), she was given the new name of Asha. After a long string of owners, at the age of 14 she was given as a gift to a respected scholar and city official in Kintargo, who treats her kindly and even allows her to serve as his occasional assistant. She took the second name Ebele (meaning kindness, mercy) to mark her new status.

Her journey so far has marked her in innumerable ways. The life among her tribe is a distant memory now, but the lessons remain etched into her mind and soul. Every individual is the responsibility of the entire community. Care for the weak, the sick and the wounded, for life is precious in the harsh savannah. Listen to the wisdom of others and pass on your own. Do not kill. Do not steal. Share your bounty and your blessings, as others will share with you when you are in need. The wise women of her tribe discovered her special gifts and helped her master them.

She has lived in Kintargo for the past 6 years and has come to love the city and its inhabitants. In her spare time she visits the poor quarter, offering her skills to the people living and struggling there. She has made many friends like this, some of them rumoured to have ties with the Roses of Kintargo. It is one of these rebel friends who converted Asha to the worship of Milani. Although she had resigned herself to her life as a slave, Kirit has shown her just how precious freedom is and awakened a terrible thirst in her. And, well... the tiefling woman has awakened other things in Asha, who had never known a loving caress until now.

What Asha brings: Healing, buffs, diplomacy, non-violent solutions, a strong desire to achieve freedom and to help others do so, the voice of moderation and compromise.
What Kittenmancer brings: Good roleplay and writing skills, teamplay, frequent posting, out of the box thinking.
Reason for protesting: Tagging along - Asha is accompanying her friend and lover Kirit to the protest

The house nests close to the city wall, in an area that blurs the boundaries between the harbour district and the scholars' haunts. The sun has long crested the wall in its westerly journey and the streets are emptying, people hurrying home before the curfew. Seagulls laugh shrilly as they wheel over the city like birds of prey. In the house, the dark-skinned girl is making preparations. The ginger biscuits she bought from the market are set on a plate and nudged a bit until they sit just so. In the study, she closes the window, pulls the curtains closed and lights the candles. The next part is trickier. The years-long ritual demands tea, but... she glances outside at the darkening sky. Her master is late, so she'll have to improvise. Back in the kitchen, she takes out several small pouches, sniffing at them in turn; after a few moments of indecisions, she takes a pinch of dark serrated leaves from one of the pouches and drops it in a steaming mug. Solitary footsteps accompanied by the "tack-tack" of a walking cane can be heard on the street above and a few moments later the front door opens and closes with a thud. The footsteps pause briefly, then continue up the stairs. The girl counts into her head to fifty, then puts the steaming mug and the plate of biscuits on a tray and heads to the study.

When she enters, her master is leaning back in the armchair, his eyes closed, his neck scarf hanging loose. The girl puts the tray on the desk quietly, steps back and waits. Morvius Aulorian heaves a deep sigh and opens his eyes. "Thank you, Asha. That will be all." The girl moves to the door and is about to leave the study when her master's voice stops her in her tracks. "What is this? This is not my tea. Asha? What is this?" The girl turns around, her back to the door. "It is raspberry leaf, sir. I am told that the flavour and the taste are quite similar to tea." She glances at the intricate hourglass on the desk. Her master catches her glance and sighs again. "Yes, of course. The proclamation. I suppose you just saved me from breaking the law." He takes a sip from the mug, grimacing and shaking his head. "Damn silly business, if you ask me. Gods, I wish Jilia was still in charge. She was a woman you could reason with." The girl remains silent, although she wholeheartedly agrees with her master. Morvius stares thoughtfully into the distance, his brow furrowed; he snaps out of it after a few minutes and waves Asha away. "I will be working late tonight. You can take the evening off." She does a small curtsy in response, carefully shutting the door as she leaves.

Back in the kitchen, she places the makings of a late supper on a covered tray, for when her master will get hungry. Then she goes through a different set of herb pouches, sniffing at them and stuffing some in a small satchel. This one for miscarriages; that one to soothe coughing; this, for fever; that, for burns. In the satchel go clean linens, a small, sharp knife in its sheath, a few small boxes. Asha wraps a scarf around her head, taking care to partially cover her features, but not so much that it would look suspicious. Taking a battered cloak off a peg and a sturdy walking stick leaning in a corner, she heads out onto the now-dark streets. She has a fair bit to walk, and her hurried steps are punctuated by the clacking of the walking stick. She doesn't need the stick to walk, of course, but sometimes it serves to keep a pack of feral dogs at bay. First to the Devil's Nursery to visit Kirit, then to the old city. Perhaps she'd stop by the temple of Shelyn to see if they had need of her there.