Have you ever seen that episode of Spongebob Squarepants where Spongebob tries very hard to get admitted to the local tough guy bar, but is denied and told to try the neighboring Weenie-Hut Jr’s instead? Askin wouldn’t bother asking—he is perfectly aware of his natural place at Weenie-Hut Jr’s. Topping out at 4’11” with a rather petite body and inoffensive thin shoulders, Askin La Askerore is a thoroughly nonthreatening person. A little upturned smile lingers around his face, and his blue soap-sud eyes are framed by heavy eyelids and thick black lashes. His messy blond bob catches lots of yellow light, and dangling gold earrings hang from either ear, three on the left and four on the right. When he moves, they make a fun little tinkling sound, which he appreciates.

Askin takes advantage of the difficulty opponents might have in understanding and adapting to his techniques, so he uses a large gold-and-indigo cloak to mask his hands, body, and the little bronze containers his powers rely on. Underneath, he wears very simple clothes, and largely prefers to go barefoot.

■ Sweet as a button
■ Is happy if you’re happy
■ Carefree, and it takes a lot of effort
■ Lots and lots of wanderlust
■ Vain
■ Really vain
■ Extremely vain
■ Too trusting
■ Falls in love very easily
■ Is manipulated very easily
■ Probably a bottom
■ Puts all his insecurities and fears in a little tiny box, then puts away the box and never ever ever looks at that box again

Askin La Askerore was born to the long lost kingdom of Genevieve, and on the day of his birth the planets aligned, the moon was at its peak, and—so they say—seventy ravens gathered from distant lands to witness baby Askin’s birth. This is because Askin La Askerore was the Chosen One. It was a Very Big Deal.

From an early age, he was raised with love and care, and it shows. If you look at him, even today, you can tell that this was a boy who was raised with love. And when he turned ten, his parents told him his spectacular destiny. They armed him with a magic shirt and magic sword and told him he had to find his own way, and prepare for the day he would fight the Seven Golems of the Sacred Night and the Wizard of the Sledgehammer. This was dictated by Prophecy, you see, and neither Askin nor his family, nor the city of Genevieve were one to argue with Prophecy.

So Askin set out. Because of his unique birth, Askin possessed an enormous amount of ki from an early age, and his childhood injuries healed easily, and if he needed to outrun danger, he could outrun danger. His parents had told him he had to train as a warrior, but Askin quickly found the people he ran into were much more fun and interesting and enjoyable to be around than any old training regiment So he put it off, and concerned himself with what amounted to a long string of many, many sidequests, pointless menial tasks like saving pets in trees, tracking down lost heirlooms, and once or twice filing someone’s taxes. He made decent money, as one often does on sidequests, but failed to significantly level up or advance the plot. So to speak. He would always make sure to write home, whenever he could, and if he decided to spend a night with his parents he could be sure a warm and happy meal would be waiting for him.

One day, of course, he bit off more than he could chew. A traveling sorcerer offered him a game of chess with a fabulous prize should he win. Askin, not suspecting anything amiss, agreed, and utilizing a surprising and unexpected talent for chess was able to successfully defeat the sorcerer. His prize: an eternity within an enchanted lamp. With five Words of Power, Askin was sucked away, he found himself falling through clouds and empty sky and rushing air until, finally, he struck the ground. He was trapped.

For a thousand years, Askin wandered a lonely sandbar in the middle of a beautiful, tropical ocean. In the sky above, he sometimes saw faces. That sky was very turquoise, and beautiful to look at. Askin spent years looking at it. The air of the island in the lamp was calming and sweet and smelled of sea salt. His mind drifted away from him in that lamp. It was like being caught in the half-second between deep sleep and stirring awake.

Then, one day, at a museum somewhere in London, someone pried open the lamp and Askin was free. It took him a month to understand what had happened. To catch up by just a tenth of a percentage on what this brave new world as like. And he realized, now, he was free, really free! Totally, wonderfully free! Askin could go wherever he wanted, see and be whoever he wanted, live any kind of life he chose, and Prophecy could go eat a dick!

It hasn’t totally hit him yet that everything he ever knew is gone. You might sometimes catch him make reference to introducing you to his parents, or a marketplace in Genevieve where he and his friends used to play. Askin is very good at brushing these aside though, and quickly stuffing them down that tiny and problematic box, the one where he puts annoying things like that. Askin has never once inquired to the ultimate destiny of Genevieve. He did, however, once scan a map, and notice that an enormous lake now lies where his city used to be. That was enough for him.

There is maybe some part of Askin that is hollowed out and disappointed, not just subconsciously, but consciously. He failed. He failed. He avoids at all costs thinking about the people who are probably dead because he wasn’t there, and has never subjected himself to learning the exact number. It is possible, if you were spying at him late at night, that you might see him awake, and if you stayed awake with him you would see it sometimes takes a very, very, very long time for Askin La Askerore to fall asleep. He is a person filled up by ‘if only’s, and maybe that’s why he made himself a Nomad, a hero, someone who will be thrust into situations of bravery and heroism and given a hundred chances to turn ‘if only’s into reality. He would never admit this, but maybe he’s not as free as he thinks he is, and maybe that was his own doing this time, not destiny, not Prophecy.

But at the same time, Askin is legitimately happy. He might feel a bit confused sometimes, occasionally struck be enormous feelings of disappointment and miseryat the same time he’s feeling joy and excitement and love, and all at once he just doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t try to probe deeper into this emotional and psychological quagmire though. When all is said and done, Askin is just happy to be alive (that’s what matters, right?) and would probably consider himself well adjusted and mentally healthy, if you asked.

There is a part of him that goes out to tournaments and Nomad gatherings because he knows there’s so much history to catch up on, and being in the middle of great crowds from all over the world is a great way to learn. There is another part of him that is excited at meeting new friends. There is yet another part that is deeply lonely and hopes maybe one of these random strangers will hold him in their arms and tell him everything that ever was and ever will be is going to be a-fucking-okay. And then, another part, this one telling him to go be a hero, go help people, act like a Chosen One for once in your life, Jesus Christ. Mostly, he only really listens to the first two.
Askin kept with him the magic lamp. From its strange design and powers, he learned a great many things.

Askin’s greatest weakness is that he isn’t a trained fighter. He does not understand technique, his ki manipulation is extremely simple, he is physically weak, and all in all doesn’t take fighting nearly as seriously as many nomad’s much, much stronger than him. His abilities are extraordinarily versatile, but they all rely on gaining abilities from friends outside of battle, or clever use of an opponent’s power within a battle—ultimately, Askin has no true power of his own. Askin doesn't have any good way to get around someone who just has significantly more speed and power than him, and if a person can avoid all his attacks and act to quickly for his Imprisoner, there's not much he can do.

He is on a weird sort of position where if matched up against someone attractive he might try extra hard to show off, or they might be able to just convince him to give up--either is completely likely.

Askin has a rather doll-like appearance, barely topping 4’10” with a petite body and thin, inoffensive shoulders. Most of him is covered up by a large cloak of yellow and indigo, like he was toy made by a child only really interested in sculpting the head, and it was decided a pretty-looking napkin mounted on a dowel rod would be sufficient for the body.

No one looks at Askin and thinks that guy there, that is definitely a nomad. And they may have a bit of a point. He’s never pretended to be a committed fighter, and it shows in his words, actions, and appearance. The upturned, gentle expression of someone who’s avoided suffering most his life lingers around Askin’s face and smile, and his blue soap-sud eyes are framed by heavy eyelids and thick black lashes, giving him the look of someone who just woke up, or is about to fall asleep.

Askin’s hair falls in a messy blond bob, and dangling gold earrings hang from either ear, three on the left and four on the right. When he moves, they make a fun little tinkling sound, which he enjoys.

■ Sweet as a button
■ Vain as a cockatoo
■ Carefree, and it takes a lot of effort
■ Wanderlust
■ Too trusting
■ Falls in love very easily
■ Is manipulated very easily
■ Probably a bottom
■ Puts all his insecurities and fears in a little tiny box, then puts away the box and never ever ever looks at that box again

Askin La Askerorre was born in the long lost Kingdom of Genevieve over one thousand years ago. On the day of his birth, the heavens were aligned—each star was in the right position, each planet was in perfect harmony, and there was probably an eclipse or something going on somewhere in the immediate vicinity. It was a Very Big Deal. He was, after all, according to all rational interpretation of prophecy, the Chosen One.

People expected great things from young Askin, and they all believed in him. Maybe he never showed much prowess as a warrior, but the people of Genevieve saw that he was happy and kind, and that had to count for something, right? If you look at him, even today, you can tell that this was a boy who was surrounded with love from the moment he was born. On his tenth birthday, when he parents told him his destiny as the Chosen One, he accepted it with a bright and maybe simple-minded smile.

About a week later, Askin left his home in the city, ready to face the big bad world. One day, his father had told him, in the middle of giving his son a piggy-back ride, you are going to be the greatest warrior anyone’s ever seen. Whatever man you grow up to be, I know you’ll make us so, so proud. But Askin quickly found he didn’t have much interest in warrioring. He enjoyed more than anything the sidequest side of life, talking with lots of strange people and running off on silly errands for them. His trust in strangers backfired terribly one day, however, when a traveling wizard offered to show Askin his magic lamp. Askin agreed, and suddenly, with five Words of Power from the wizard, he found himself falling through clouds and empty sky and rushing air. Eventually, he struck the ground. He was trapped.

For a thousand years, Askin wandered a lonely sandbar in the middle of a beautiful, tropical ocean. In the sky above, beautiful and turquoise, he sometimes saw faces. Askin let years go by, staring up at that sky. The air of the island was calming and sweet and smelled of sea salt. His mind drifted away from him during those centuries alone in the lamp. It was like a long and restful dream.

Then, one day, at a museum somewhere in London, someone pried open the lamp and Askin was free. It was a bizarre next few months, catching up on the new and alien world of the future. And it was fun. There were interviews, and he was a minor celebrity for a short time. The boy out of time. After checking the date, Askin soon realized that the Promised Day, the Day he was Chosen for—the day he would duel the Wizard of Truth and the Seven Zombies and the First of the Dragons—had long since passed. And Askin was left with the sudden strange knowledge that no one needed him anymore, nothing was required of him, nothing was expected of him, and, wow, I guess that means I’m free to do whatever I want.

It hasn’t totally hit him yet that everything he ever knew is gone. You might sometimes catch him make reference to introducing you to his parents, or a marketplace in Genevieve where he and his friends used to play. Askin is very good at brushing these aside though, and quickly stuffing them down that tiny and problematic box, the one in the back of his head where he puts all sorts of annoying and ugly-looking thoughts. Askin has never once inquired to the ultimate destiny of Genevieve. He did, however, once scan a map, and notice that an enormous lake now lies where his city used to be. That was enough for him.

Askin avoids at all costs thinking about the people who probably died because he wasn’t there, and has never subjected himself to learning the exact number. It is possible, if you were spying at him late at night, that you might see him awake, and if you stayed awake with him you would see it sometimes takes a very, very, very long time for Askin La Askerorre to fall asleep. Maybe that’s why he became a nomad. Despite his overall carefree demeanor, something in the back of Askin’s brain is troubled at the thought of not making a difference in the world.

But at the same time, Askin is legitimately happy. He might feel a bit confused about this, and a bit guilty, but he’s happy. He’s happy with is new life as a hero, and he’s happy with the people he meets on his journey. That’s what counts, right?

There is a part of him that goes out to tournaments and Nomad gatherings to learn more about this new and wonderful time. There is another part of him that is excited at meeting new friends. And maybe there is yet another part that is deeply lonely, and hopes maybe one of these random strangers will take him on a candlelit dinner, and hold him in their arms and tell him everything that ever was and ever will be is going to be a-fucking-okay. Mostly, he only really acknowledges the first two. Askin is a very carefree person, and it takes a lot of effort and a lot emotions bottled up and stuffed away to stay that way.

Throughout the last two years in this strange new future, Askin kept with him the magic lamp. From its strange design and powers, he has learned a great many things.

Askin’s greatest weakness is that he isn’t a trained fighter. He does not understand technique, his ki manipulation is extremely simple, he is physically weak, and all in all doesn’t take fighting nearly as seriously as many nomad’s much, much stronger than him. His abilities are extraordinarily versatile, but they all rely on gaining abilities from friends outside of battle, or clever use of an opponent’s power within the flurry of combat—ultimately, Askin has no true power or fighting identity of his own.

Askin also has no good way to get around someone who can outspeed him, and if a person can avoid all his attacks and act too quickly for his Imprisoner to block, there's not much he can do. There is also the chance he uses up all his previously stockpiled powers, and ends up only capable of using attacks copied in the middle of battle, which spells bad news for Askin.