[OOC] Character Sheet
This will become more organized later.
Name:Katana
Personal LJ: SexySanzo
Contact info: email: Kokuryuu.no.Tasogare[AT]gmail.com
AIM: EnsatsuKokuryuu
Character Name: Luke “Asch the Bloody” Fon Fabre (not to be confused with the other Luke fon Fabre)
Character Series: Tales of the Abyss
Age: 17, going on 18
Background:
{OOC: Note-Some of the events are slightly different from what took place in the game. The majority of the bio should follow the game, while supplemented with information from the anime and the Asch gaiden manga. However, the final segment is based on the drama CDs, with changes made due to differing orders of events as well as other inconsistencies. (eg: Asch and Luke fight Van alone in the Drama CD, which would conflict with the other bios.) Please let me know if I need to make changes to the AU or if I need to fill in some of the gaps in the bio.}
Luke (or Asch, as he later called himself) had everything going his way growing up: He was the “Light of the Sacred Flame,” the prophesied Scion of Lorelei, the son of a Duke, and the tertiary heir to the throne. He was in an arranged marriage, but it was not only to someone he loved dearly but also to the princess of his country, Kimlasca, making him the future king. It was only natural for his friends, family, and servants to tell him he was chosen or destined for greatness, and Luke took this fate seriously, promising to change his country for the better. Certainly, there was trouble, such as a certain servant, Guy, who had entered House Fabre with plans of murdering the future king and queen, but as far as the unaware Luke was concerned, life was great, especially when his master was around.
Unfortunately, fate was cruel to him: Little did he know that his prophecy also foretold his premature demise. Perhaps had he known, he would have understood his father’s emotional distance or his esteemed instructor’s betrayal. Early on, he had bonded with a man named Van Grants, who, in a sense, took over as Luke’s father figure. He not only praised the boy and reasserted his importance but also told stories of the world outside of the City of Light, Baticul. While Luke had left his home before, his importance as a successor to the throne limited his time spent outside of the manor. Naturally, Luke was eager to learn the Albert style of swordplay from Van, as with it, he often learned interesting facts about current events and alien places.
Then, at the age of ten, Luke was kidnapped by Van and was taken to the Fabre’s abandoned vacation home, Choral Castle, where he was imprisoned for a short while. During that time, he became the subject of countless excruciating experiments until finally he was replicated. However, Van refused to return him to his family, leaving the replica (a clone of sorts) to be found by the Fabres instead. Luke protested, convinced that his family was still searching for him, but Van denied him, claiming that the replica would suffice. Refusing to believe this, Luke escaped his imprisonment and, after dealing with vicious monsters and even more vicious adults blocking his way, Luke finally returned to Baticul and back to the Fabre manor. Unfortunately, when he arrived, he saw his family with the replica. The boy had no memories and behaved like an infant, yet they still blindly accepted him as their Luke. The original Luke, crestfallen, then encountered Van once again. Van pointed out that his family did not care about him-they were content with any replacement, really, and this time, Luke believed him. As a result, he lost faith in everyone but Van and decided to leave the country.
From there, the two went to an autonomous state known as Daath, home of the Oracle Knights of whom Van was the commandant. Luke, shedding his given name, joined the knights under a new name, Asch, the “charred remains of the Sacred Flame.” Given his talent, Asch quickly ascended in rank and at a young age, became one of the Six God-Generals who worked directly under Van’s control, earning him the title, “Asch the Bloody” and the rank of Locrian Colonel as well as Commander of Special Operations. Extremely antisocial, Asch spent most of his time in seclusion, making it all the easier for his leader to further brainwash him. Furthermore, knowing that the Kimlascan noble would object to his vision, Van ordered another God-General, Sync, to act as a spy to make sure that he (Asch) never found out.
Seven years after the kidnapping, Asch encountered his replica once again. This time, in order to intercept Daath’s head figure, Fon Master Ion, Asch and the other God-Generals invaded and commandeered the Tartarus, a Malkuth landship en route to its enemy, Kimlasca. Asch attacked the replica’s party, but before he could kill anyone, his peer, Legretta the Quick, ordered him to stop immediately. Perhaps that would have been his last encounter with the new Luke had he actually taken the replacement’s life. However, Luke’s party escaped and took back Ion, forcing the pursuit to continue.
Asch vanished for a short while as the Fon Master continued to travel around the Malkuth Empire with the replica Luke. Once the group reached the Kimlascan-Malkuth border at the Kaitzur Checkpoint, however, Asch made another attempt on Luke’s life. Luckily for the replica, Van was nearby and easily warded off the attack. However, shortly thereafter, Asch asked a fellow God-General, Arietta the Wild, to kidnap a mechanic as a hostage. If Luke and Ion did not agree to come to Choral Castle, she was to kill the hostage. With Ion’s persistence, the group traveled to the abandoned home, where Asch and Arietta set a trap for Luke. Once they captured him, they brought him to the fomicry machine that had created him seven years earlier. There, with the help of another God-General, Dist the Reaper, Asch was able to open Luke’s fonslots, allowing him to communicate with the replica at his own convenience. However, at the time, exactly what he planned on doing with that ability was a mystery.
Around this time, Asch finally discovered the vital information that Van had been keeping from him: Van planned to bring down the Outer Lands, starting with the mining town of Akzeriuth. Opting to work undercover, Asch said nothing and continued to go along with Van’s plans, using his rank to keep track of the Commandant. Meanwhile, he planned to leak minor information to Luke through the connection, though he was careful not to explain too much, for fear that the replica would consult Van.
Asch then hurried to Baticul, where he enlisted the help of a trio of bandits and circus performers known as the Dark Wings. Once Ion and the others arrived in port and spent a night in the Kimlascan capital, Asch’s subordinates lured the young Fon Master away, at which point Asch took him to the captured Tartarus. Just as they were boarding, Luke’s party chased after him, and for the first time, the replica saw his original’s face. Cold, wet, and frustrated, the two Fabres clashed blades before the original threw off the replica and retreated to the ship. From there, he took the Ion to a desert east of Baticul. He then opened his connection to Luke for the first time and informed the replica that he was taking Ion to a place known as the Zao Ruins. Once inside, he, Largo and Sync forced Ion to unlock a seal placed near the bottom of the ruins. Luke and company interrupted once again and demanded the return of Ion. Once the group defeated Largo and Sync, Asch clashed blades with Luke, and after a brief exchange of words, he and the other God-Generals returned Ion.
Now that Asch had successfully made contact, he made another attempt once the replica had crossed the desert to a border state known as Chesedonia. There, he not only opened the telepathic communication but also took control of Luke’s body, forcing the other Fabre to draw his sword on Tear, one of his traveling companions. The stress of the possession, however, caused the replica to lose consciousness. After that test, Asch left Luke alone for a while as the latter of the two made his way to Akzeriuth as a goodwill ambassador. After all, whether he liked Luke or not, he was counting on him to foil Van’s plot.
Unfortunately, Luke was playing into Van’s hands. Luke was ordered to evacuate the people of Akzeriuth, as the town had become enveloped in a thick miasma. Van, however, insisted that Luke should use his powers as the “chosen,” the “Scion of Lorelei” to neutralize the miasma instead. Asch, who had disobeyed orders to stay out of Akzeriuth, was suspicious of this and thus chose to stay close by in case something went awry. Luckily, he happened to be nearby when Van’s sister, Tear Grants, was deceived and nearly kidnapped by soldiers under her brother’s command. Helping her defeat the enemies, Asch informed her of the situation, and the two hurried to the mines of Akzeriuth into which Luke had ventured. Unfortunately, by the time they reached the bottom, Van had already used Ion’s powers to unlock the seal on a secret room containing a tree known as a sephiroth. The tree supported the lands, but when Luke unleashed his hyperresonance, he destroyed it, causing Akzeriuth and the surrounding areas to collapse. Van rescued an unwilling Asch, insisting that he needed the God-General.
Asch managed to escape Van and the sinking Akzeriuth, finding himself in the Qliphoth, a hellish ocean of miasma and raging stormclouds. Excluding the ruins of Akzeriuth, only a distant, ancient town and an even more distant tower could be found in the area. Asch followed the Tartarus, which had been reclaimed by Luke’s group, all the way to town, Yulia City. Once he arrived, he caught up to Luke and scolded him for being a defective replacement. Luke, still unaware of his relation to Asch, asked, who cruelly obliged by revealing his past: He was a young noble of Baticul and had been kidnapped by a villain named Van. Luke refused to believe the story and began to frantically attack. After a myriad of mirror-like attacks, Asch overpowered Luke with his superior skill and his knowledge of fonic artes (magic). Luke lost consciousness shortly thereafter. Asch had hoped he could end the replica’s life there, but Tear stopped him. Tear, a resident of Yulia City, decided to take Luke to her house until he woke up, and Asch followed. At that time, he felt a second consciousness waking in the back of his mind: Luke’s consciousness. The two bickered mentally, Asch expressing further disappointment not only in Luke but also his own mistake of trusting Luke.
Eager to leave the Qliphoth, Asch met with the mayor of Yulia City, who explained that he could return to the Outer Lands with the remaining strength of the decimated Sephiroth. Because his subordinates had died in the collapse, he required the assistance of Luke’s former traveling companions, Jade, Guy (his former servant), Natalia (his former fiancée), Anise, and Fon Master Ion. Once the group was pushed up into the Outer Lands, it then headed to a lab in Belkend-after Natalia convinced Asch to take a detour to Daath while she mastered a skill of the Lanvaldear-style archery. Asch knew that Van had frequented the facilities and hoped to find more information on his plans. Once there, the group found Spinoza, a man involved in Asch’s kidnapping. Spinoza revealed that Jade had pioneered fomicy, then, though loyal to Van, accidentally revealed information about a preservation project. Asch had never heard Van mention such a thing and questioned Spinoza, who fled the area. Then, after overhearing talk of Wyon (Ortion) Cavern, Asch and the others decided to investigate.
Before they could leave, Guy chose to sever ties with Asch, claiming that Luke needed him. Asch, while disappointed that someone he had deemed a childhood friend would abandon him in favour of his replica, understood and provided information to lead him to the replica. After all, after joining the Oracle Knights, Asch discovered his servant Guy’s true identity, another tactic used by Van to shatter his trust in his friends and family. As the son of Guy’s greatest enemy, he could not argue. Natalia, unaware of Guy’s past, protested, calling Asch by the name he had abandoned, and angered him. While he continued to periodically reminisce with her, he reminded her that he was not the same person she had known seven years ago.
The group traveled in the Tartarus, during which time Asch was plagued by nightmares of his past. Luke witnessed this experience through the connection and began to pity his original-much to the latter’s ire. Then, too shaken to sleep, Asch exchanged words with Jade, admitting that blaming the colonel for his undesired past would change nothing. Despite this, he showed no intention of becoming friendly with the man either.
Wyon Cavern contained a variety of odd monsters unique to the area, probably through mutations or experimentation. It was no surprise that a computer and a fomicry machine were found at the very back of the cavern. As Jade and Asch investigated the available data, they discovered that Van had gathered massive amounts of data-enough to replicate approximately one tenth of Auldrant. Meanwhile, Anise and Natalia found a pair of identical cheagles, an original and a replica. Like Asch and Luke, these particular cheagles were perfect isofons, rarities even among replicated beings. According to Jade, most replicas had weaker abilities compared to their originals, but this particular original’s strength had deteriorated compared to that of its original. Jade added that sometimes the replication process had negative-even fatal-effects on the original, but the symptoms always appeared within a few days. He assured Asch that, after seven years, he was in no danger. Asch questioned the answer but said nothing else on the matter. He had a lead or two, so he preferred to investigate on his own after dropping off the other crew members.
However, before he could leave, he defended Natalia twice, first when a monster planned an ambush, and later, when the princess lost her balance from an earthquake. Before she could bring up the past once again, he gave her the cold shoulder and informed the others that more of the land had just collapsed. Also, he informed them that St. Binah would be the next Akzeriuth if no one acted. Luke questioned him, but Asch angrily shoved the replica out of his mind, forcing Luke to wake up in his own body in Yulia City.
Meanwhile, Asch began to drop off his crew, starting with Ion at Daath. Once they reached the port, however, they discovered that the people of the Outer Lands, unaware of the cause of Akzeriuth’s collapse, had grown restless: Kimlasca and Malkuth were on the brink of war. Ion and Natalia hurried to Daath in order to issue a proclamation but were captured upon arrival. Asch, leaving the Tartarus with Jade in the port, disappeared.
With Luke awake again, Asch began to investigate on his own while his replica freed Natalia and Ion, replaced the Tartarus with a flying machine called the Albiore, and rescued the collapsing St. Binah. During this time, he discovered that Van had caused both Chesedonia and the Engeve areas to begin sinking. With war breaking out near the latter town and with Luke’s team heading toward the Zao Ruins’ Sephiroth to lower the former town at a safer rate, Asch quickly contacted Luke and demanded that they meet at a nearby oasis. He had something else to confirm too…
Asch confronted Spinoza once again, this time asking the researcher about perfect isofons. The cheagles of Wyon Cavern bothered him. Spinoza confirmed that Asch and Luke were undergoing an abnormal reaction. Spinoza called it the “Big Bang” effect. According to research, the original would slowly lose power, feel general discomfort until the time of his “big bang” with Luke came-but Asch, disturbed, had heard more than enough and left. Little did he know that he had heard only half of the explanation.
Once Luke arrived, Asch asked if the replica had begun feeling strange, to which the answer was no. Concerned, Asch tried to leave, but when confronted, added one more thing: the Engeve area was falling as well. If Luke focused on just Chesedonia without operating the Sephiroth at Shurrey Hill, the town-and the battlefield with it-would collapse, thus killing countless more people all the while worsening the already poor relations between Kimlasca and Malkuth. Not wanting to deal with that sort of death toll, Asch decided to help by adding that all of the Sephiroth holding up the lands were connected. Therefore, if Luke hurried to the Zao Ruins, he could lower the local lands while also ordering the Shurrey Hill Sephiroth to safely bring down Engeve and the battle field. Then, Asch hurried off, telling Luke and the others that he planned to spy on Van. However, he was also concerned about Luke’s response to his first question.
Unfortunately, while he was off on his own, Luke and Natalia were captured by Kimlasca soldiers of all people. Apparently Ingobert VI, King of Kimlasca, heard from Mohs that Luke fon Fabre was the mastermind behind the collapse of Akzeriuth, and that his daughter Natalia was an imposter. Natalia had already heard these accusations, but once imprisoned in Baticul, she wondered if even her father believed Mohs’ tale. Asch hurried from Daath, where he freed the Albiore’s pilot Noelle, to Baticul, where he even ventured into his uncle’s castle, to free Tear, Jade, Anise, and Guy. He left the rescue of Luke and Natalia to them but was forced to help them once again when Natalia confronted her father about the rumours. King Ingobert VI confirmed these rumours when he brought forth Natalia’s biological grandmother, who confessed that her daughter had given birth to a child around the same time as the late Queen. However, the real Princess Natalia, a stillborn was buried in the garden, and the infant Meryl Oakland was taken as a replacement. Mohs ordered Dist and Largo to attack the group just as Asch hurried inside and distracted the enemies while Natalia and the others escaped. He and the citizens of Baticul then fought off Goldberg and the White Knights when they threatened to capture the escapees in the town square. Because the eastern path to the Zao Desert had been destroyed, they instructed Natalia to hurry to Belkend through the Inista Marsh.
Asch followed, managing to catch both Luke’s party and Van in Belkend. Van asked Asch to help him once again, claiming that he needed the full powers of the original, not those of the replica, but the God-General refused. After the unpleasant encounter, Asch gave Jade a forbidden text about the Dawn Age on behalf of Ion. He spent the night at the local inn but was forced to hurry after Spinoza, who had overheard Luke telling the Belkend governor about a newly formed plan to stop the miasma in order to make the Qliphoth once again a safe environment as they lowered the outer lands. Luke, put off by Asch’s recent stunts, chased after Spinoza as well, hoping to outdo his original, but after crossing paths several times, Asch and his subordinates cornered the traitorous researcher. Asch’s victory was short-lived-Spinoza escaped almost immediately, forcing him to evacuate the Belkend researchers to a similar city called Sheridan.
Once Luke’s party arrived in Sheridan, Asch sought out Natalia. He spoke with her early in the morning, repeating his childhood promise to her as the sun rose, just as it had the last time: “Some day, when we’re grown up, let’s change this country. Change it so that no one has to be poor. Change it so that war never happens. Let's change this world. Together.” Having raised his fiancée’s spirits, the redheaded God-General disappeared again, leaving the others to the lowering of the Outer Lands.
It was only once Mt. Roneal, the Radiation Gate, and Absorption Gate’s respective Sephiroth remained unlinked that Asch made another appearance: He and Tear met in Belkend with the intentions of confronting Van. Tear was concerned that her brother may have become poisoned with miasma, whereas Asch hoped to battle his former master. After all, the Commandant hoped to use create a replica Auldrant, then use the original Luke’s hyperresonance to destroy Lorelei, an idea that the God-General vehemently opposed. However, when he tried, he was swatted away like a fly, taking a deep wound in the chest as a result. Tear’s companions arrived around that time, and among them, Natalia hurried to Asch’s side, reminding him why he opposed Van’s plans despite his own loathing of the Score: He still had people he wanted to protect. However, he had no intention of staying near those people, so, instead of letting Natalia heal his injury, he staggered off in pursuit of Van, who had fled. He was running out of time.
Asch’s wound, however, prevented him from making much progress, which forced Luke to hurry to Mt. Roneal’s Sephiroth, defeat three God-Generals, and operate the Mt. Roneal Sephiroth. Unfortunately, Van set a trap. With all of the Sephiroth linked, he channeled their power from the Absorption Gate. There, he would strengthen the core’s vibrations, worsening the miasma, and bring down all of the remaining Outer Lands save for the Absorption Gate itself. Asch traveled to a nearby town, Keterburg. Knowing his injuries were still too severe for him to face Van by himself-which, by the way, he claimed he would have already done, had that not been the case-he entrusted the slaying of Van to Luke, stressing that the replica had to kill, not stop the Commandant. While Luke’s team faced against Van, Asch hurried to the Radiation Gate. After all, the Sephiroth had never been connected to the others, meaning that Luke would be unable to lower the rest of the Outer Lands without it. He happened to make it just in time for Luke.
Just as the two Fabre boys lowered the Outer Lands, they received a cryptic message from an entity known as Lorelei: “One who would seize glory is trying to capture me.” Lorelei also said that it would send its key to its scions (Luke and Asch), with which the two were to free it. Asch received a weapon known as the Sword of Lorelei, and supposedly Luke received an accessory called the Jewel of Lorelei.
This message concerned Asch. The words “one who would seize glory” were pronounced “Vandestelca” in a language known as Ancient Ispanian. It seemed that Van planned on absorbing Lorelei and strengthening the vibrations of the core. While Luke relaxed for a month, Asch hurried to Sheridan, where he obtained his own Albiore and with it, a pilot named Ginji. The two hurried toward Yulia City, where Asch asked the mayor whether or not it was possible to travel to the Planet’s Core. Then, he warned officers of Daath to watch out for any activity from the other God-Generals. Meanwhile, he headed to St. Binah. After all, he had been demoted, so the Order itself would be of little help to him if it was punishing him for his actions.
Asch stopped at Shurrey Hill, where he was shot at by Legretta. She demanded him to return the Key of Lorelei. Asch, though injured by the initial assault, fought her off and was joined by Luke, who, he assumed, would have conveniently brought the Jewel of Lorelei with him. Of course, Luke had no idea what Asch was talking about, leaving him to hurry off in a sour mood once again. It seemed he would have to look for it at one of the Sephiroths-assuming one of the other God-Generals hadn’t taken it first.
Asch visited Spinoza and questioned the researcher about Mt. Roneal’s Sephiroth and Passage Rings. Asch then headed to the frigid mountains on his own. Meanwhile, an unprecedented advance in the Big Bang effect: The original cheagle of Wyon Cavern passed away as a result of the stress of having an isofonic replica. Then, the replica passed away, fusing with and reviving his original. Asch, however, never found out about this, and thus, his reckless actions continued.
At Mt. Roneal, Asch explained to Luke the importance of Lorelei’s warning: Van had fallen into the core after his battle with Luke and imprisoned Lorelei before it could escape. With Lorelei trapped, the Planet Core’s vibrations worsened, giving rise to more miasma. Then, he told Luke about the possible whereabouts of the Jewel of Lorelei, which was crucial in freeing the entity. Asch took charge of the search while Luke’s team dealt with a new, conservative Order of Lorelei causing trouble for Auldrant.
Both Fabres were sidetracked when their mother became ill and had run out of medicine. Apparently a rare mushroom called a Rugnican Death Cap was the missing ingredient, but it could only be found in a treacherous area called Mushroom Road. Asch sought the mushroom on his own but was forced to cooperate with Luke when the two happened upon the road at the same time. Given the powerful monsters roaming about, Luke decided to stay behind. That way, if something went wrong, Asch could contact him. Once Asch found the mushroom in question, he gave it to Luke and hurried away.
But the Jewel was nowhere to be found. Running out of ideas, Asch contacted Luke, who was stuck in Baticul at the time. Asch asked to meet at the port, but Luke insisted on meeting at Fabre Manor. Once Asch arrived, he reported his lack of leads and expressed a need to hurry due to the increasing miasma. Luke then offered a strange idea: It was possible to eliminate the miasma with the Sword of Lorelei, but it would cost the wielder his or her life. Asch asked Luke if he was willing to sacrifice his life. When Luke seemed to consider the idea, Asch made a snide comment and departed. However, before he could walk out the door, Luke latched onto Asch and asked for ten more minutes. Had he known what the replica had planned, he would have left anyway, but Guy had asked him to hear out the request.
Luke took Asch to their parents’ quarters, reuniting them with their original son. Luke left the trio alone, at which point, much to Asch’s surprise (and contentment) his parents treated him like a long lost son returning home for the first time in years. Asch had expected a less intense reaction: They already had the replica for a son, why would they need him? However, he was nonetheless relieved. His mother held him tightly, and his father, in that distant manner Asch had recalled, expressed his pride in son’s achievements. His father also expressed regret for keeping his son at such a distance-he had never wanted to get close to a son who was doomed to die young, a son for whom he could do nothing to help.
Of course, none other than the replica spoiled his family reunion. Luke had led him back to the manor, giving him back his old life for the sake of martyrdom. Luke would go to the Tower of Rem and dissipate the miasma. Furious, Asch vowed never to return to the manor and stormed off. He told Luke the idea of neutralizing the idea was lunacy, yet he hurried to Spinoza for information-apparently the task would also require the lives of ten thousand seventh fonists. Afterward, he took Ginji and the Dark Wings to a Dawn Age relic called the Tower of Rem. Once there, he found a solution to his problem: a myriad of replicas, all in despair at their rejection by the originals of Auldrant, had all gathered at the ancient tower. Replicas, created with the seventh fonon, would work just as well, regardless of whether or not they actually used the seventh fonon. In exchange for their sacrifice, however, the replicas demanded that those who had not made it to the Tower of Rem be granted shelter.
Asch, despite his hatred toward his own replica, agreed to the conditions and hurried to Daath, where he left a note describing his plan and requesting asylum for replicas should it succeed. Before he returned to the Tower of Rem, he decided to check one last time for the Jewel of Lorelei at the local Passage Ring. Once he returned, he ran into Luke and requested that, because he was about to disappear with the replicas, Luke search for the Jewel of Lorelei instead. The two then argued over who would die in the other’s place, despite their mutual desire to live. Asch tried to hit Luke, who parried. Jade demanded that they stop, for their combined forces triggered the beginnings of a hyperresonance. Asch exchanged words with Luke one more time before he left again for the Tower of Rem.
By the time he returned to the replicas, Luke was already there and explained that the weak, unneeded replica should perish instead. Asch became furious at the notion that his life was stolen from him by someone “unneeded” and tried to begin the neutralization of the miasma. Then Luke interfered. Asch tried to keep the sword but was thrown back. Before he could retrieve it from his replica, Jade held him back and watched the process.
Something thwarted Luke as he tried to eliminate the miasma. Realizing that it was the Jewel of Lorelei, Asch joined Luke and lent some of his power to Luke’s hyperresonance. Both Fabre boys collapsed, but miraculously, both survived. However, Asch still refused to join Luke’s group, but this time, instead of rejecting Luke, he said it was best to split forces until it was time to release Lorelei. Until that time, he would act on his own, thus keeping the God-Generals’ attention split between the two parties.
First, the groups had to stop the Planet Storm, a technology developed to increase fonic activity, thus strengthening fonic artes and fontech on Auldrant. The Planet Storm, however, had provoked the core’s vibrations to begin with. Luke used the Jewel of Lorelei to close the Absorption and Radiation Gates, which fueled the Planet Storm. Asch had followed the God-Generals to the Absorption gate, where he crossed paths with Luke. There, the two witnessed Van’s return. After asking both of them to join him once more, Van left, Asch hot in pursuit while Luke and company dealt with Largo. The chase led him outside, where he faced off against Sync. Luke hurried after him and sent Sync away. Once the enemies had fled, Asch announced he would meet Luke again after the latter closed the Radiation Gate.
Once Luke succeeded, Asch made contact again and followed his replica to Grand Cockmah. As Luke approached, Asch held out his hand and looked the other way: As promised he was about to join the team, so a handshake seemed customary. With that single gesture, he would have set aside his past and his ill feelings for his replica, finally viewing him as an ally, not a replacement. Luke, however, misinterpreted the gesture and, smiling, placed the Jewel of Lorelei into Asch’s hand. This made Asch equally as confused until Luke once again reasserted that Asch was the necessary force needed against Van. This shattered Asch’s recent fondness for Luke and undid the progress he had made toward accepting his replica. Furious, he demanded that they duel to settle their identities. The winner would be the real Luke Fon Fabre thus, Van’s true student. Luke refused, but Asch insisted that they fight once they reach Auldrant.
The next day, Asch dismissed the Dark Wings and flew with Ginji to the final battlefield, a flying replica of the fallen island of Hod. This new creation, dubbed the Glorious Land of Eldrant, was armed with anti-aircraft missiles, thus thwarting either of the Albiores’ attempts to draw closer. Finally, Ginji made a daring move by crashing his aircraft into the side of the island, thus eliminating some of the islands firepower. The plane was decimated and its pilot was injured, but Asch was relatively unscathed. Knowing that Noelle’s Albiore now had a place to land, he moved on ahead, taking out a variety of Oracle Knights as he traveled deeper into the enemy base. Unfortunately, Asch never checked for traps and thus tumbled into a pitfall only a short distance inside. There, he was trapped in a room with a pair of closed doors. He knew how to open one set. Unfortunately, it required a hyperresonance in order to keep them open: Asch would not be able to make it through the doors before they closed on him.
Luke happened to make the same mistake and crashed to the ground while Asch made futile attempts at breaking down the door. Asch took this opportunity to begin the duel. Luke, while reluctant, agreed. So the two fought and struggled with both the physical battle and the emotional turmoil. However, proclaiming, “I am me,” Luke disarmed Asch and pointed his blade at the original’s neck. Solemnly, Asch retrieved his Sword of Lorelei and imparted it to Luke. Luke protested some more, but Asch insisted that the winner should proceed, especially since their duel had just attracted enemies. Luke made him promise to survive, to which Asch agreed, though mostly as a form of dismissal. Luke escaped through the door that Asch opened and then promptly closed. Cornered, the original Fabre fought the oncoming attackers.
Initially unarmed, Asch used fonic artes to kill the first few enemies and stole a sword from one of the bodies. Then, he dealt with the remaining soldiers with a blade. The individuals provided little challenge, but their strength was in numbers. As Asch dealt with two, a third slashed at his side. He dispatched all of them, but there were more. With each injury, he tired more, and as he tired, he gained new wounds. Still, he continued to fight until there were no more enemies to kill.
Luckily for Asch, the Oracle Knights had left him a way out. It required some backtracking, but he managed to catch up to Luke just before he collapsed from exhaustion. Natalia rushed to his side and began healing him. Moments later, a glyph appeared beneath them: It was another trap. Natalia was busy casting healing artes and wouldn’t move. Luke asked Asch for help, and with their combined efforts, the two created a second-order hyperresonance. Sync attacked moments later, forcing the party to engage in an unexpected battle. Despite the setbacks, Luke and the others won, and with no more opponents standing in the way, they proceeded ahead to the final building in which Van resided. Asch insisted on joining, though he had a certain melancholy to his words and composure, but no one had time to dwell.
The final showdown with Van was brutal: Van continuously annihilated those within range. Still, the group began to wear him down. Finally, Luke and Asch devised a tactic. Luke was to engage Van directly while Asch jumped in to deliver a Mystic Arte (final and/or ultimate technique). Just before Asch could execute his half of the plan, he collapsed again from his injuries, or so it seemed. In addition to the wounds, Asch’s time for his big bang was drawing near. Luke stopped for a moment, but without Asch to help him, Van threw Luke to the ground. Unable reach his sword in time, Luke was defenseless. Asch noticed this and scrambled to his feet as Van prepared to land the fatal strike. Driven by instinct alone, Asch threw himself in front of Luke, and then everything faded to black.
When Asch woke up, ironically, he of all people had no memories: He had forgotten his past, his world, his comrades, his family, his replica, and most importantly, the one to whom he had made a series of promises, none of which he had been able to keep. He was left with nothing but a name in an alien place.
Personality: Asch has become extremely antisocial and unfriendly over the years. He prefers to keep others at a distance, even if he likes the people in question, and tries to maintain a reputation and a façade as a tough, unapproachable God-General. He usually prefers to work alone, and, hesitant to trust others, has no problem with relying on his own abilities. Many don’t mind leaving him alone, as his attitude and his volatile temper make him somewhat difficult to work with at times. While he is capable of remaining civil and usually snaps when provoked, he is hesitant to get to know those around him, and when wronged, he holds a persistent grudge.
Provoking him, however, is an easy task. Asch’s mood immediately sours whenever he is reminded of his past. Despite his claims that he has abandoned his past, he still dwells on the life that was taken from him. This results in his grudge against Luke festering with time. However, as he has gotten to know his replica and begrudgingly accept him-or at least reject him less-Asch has slowly begun to put his past behind him. The careless word or action easily undoes some of this fragile progress, but it seems that he has put his hate aside to recognize his replica and unburden himself with his past. With his final battle at Eldrant, Asch finally decides to travel with Luke. After rejecting several requests of that nature beforehand, this unexpected decision proves that, while he does not like his replica, he establishes the beginnings of a basic trust or respect for the other Fabre. It seems that finally, after using Luke as a replacement while he works in the shadows, Asch finally acknowledges his replica as a separate entity. His taking a fatal strike meant for Luke proves that this feeling have become even stronger, as he is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his supposedly inferior replica. As such, his loathing gradually evolves into something akin to brotherly rivalry and affection-not that Asch would ever admit to such a thing, even after losing his memories of his past.
Despite his apparent superiority complex in regards to Luke, Asch victimizes himself and has expressed his sentiments of being pushed into the shadows by an inferior or defective replacement. This statement masks his own insecurities about the value of his life to others. He made the greatest of efforts to return home to his family, yet they had already found another son to love and raise instead. As he stands alone and sees his replica with so many supporters-including his fiancée and his former servant-Asch, while angry, becomes depressed and criticizes himself for letting his replica outdo him.
Still a noble at heart, one of Asch’s most noticeable traits is his pride. It is the source of his headstrong nature, causing him to frequently act without thinking beforehand. This impulsiveness will often send him into unpleasant situations, even harm him, and it is the reason he rarely admits regret or mistakes. However, this quality, closely tied with his morals, encourages him to obey his own will and conscience rather than those of his superiors and peers. As such, while he has little trouble hiding information, he seldom tells blatant lies, though he has deliberately passed himself off as his replica or vice versa when need be. He also fails to keep most promises, but many of them have withered away with time anyway.
Along with this impulsiveness comes a lack of creativity. While Asch is well educated and not particularly unintelligent, he lets his stubbornness impede on rational thought. He has been known to come up with pitiful excuses. For example, when a man, mistaking him for his shorter-haired replica asked about his much longer hair, Asch claims that his hair grows quickly. He could have claimed to be using a wig, but he came up with something illogical instead. In worse situations, his stubbornness has caused him trouble. For example, Asch’s refusal to accept Luke at first causes the two to bicker and oppose one another, despite their common goal of defeating Van. His insistence on working separately sometimes helped, but it also slowed him down and resulted in avoidable injuries.
Despite his grumpy personality, Asch is capable of kindness. He will deny this with utmost recalcitrance but will unintentionally reveal this gentler side from time to time-one simply needs to exploit his soft spots. For example, while Asch may snap at his childhood friend and fiancée, Natalia, he also blindly defends he thinks others are criticizing her, and he will gladly run to her rescue if he thinks she is in danger. Some of his cohorts will confirm that she is on his mind more than anyone or anything else, including Luke. He also cares for his parents, even venturing into a treacherous and remote area to find ingredients needed for his mother’s medicine. Despite seven years of separation, he still cherishes his loved ones-of course, pointing this out to him will only irritate him, especially if he fails to rebut.
Item Lost: His memory of Natalia.
Name:Katana
Personal LJ: SexySanzo
Contact info: email: Kokuryuu.no.Tasogare[AT]gmail.com
AIM: EnsatsuKokuryuu
Character Name: Luke “Asch the Bloody” Fon Fabre (not to be confused with the other Luke fon Fabre)
Character Series: Tales of the Abyss
Age: 17, going on 18
Background:
{OOC: Note-Some of the events are slightly different from what took place in the game. The majority of the bio should follow the game, while supplemented with information from the anime and the Asch gaiden manga. However, the final segment is based on the drama CDs, with changes made due to differing orders of events as well as other inconsistencies. (eg: Asch and Luke fight Van alone in the Drama CD, which would conflict with the other bios.) Please let me know if I need to make changes to the AU or if I need to fill in some of the gaps in the bio.}
Luke (or Asch, as he later called himself) had everything going his way growing up: He was the “Light of the Sacred Flame,” the prophesied Scion of Lorelei, the son of a Duke, and the tertiary heir to the throne. He was in an arranged marriage, but it was not only to someone he loved dearly but also to the princess of his country, Kimlasca, making him the future king. It was only natural for his friends, family, and servants to tell him he was chosen or destined for greatness, and Luke took this fate seriously, promising to change his country for the better. Certainly, there was trouble, such as a certain servant, Guy, who had entered House Fabre with plans of murdering the future king and queen, but as far as the unaware Luke was concerned, life was great, especially when his master was around.
Unfortunately, fate was cruel to him: Little did he know that his prophecy also foretold his premature demise. Perhaps had he known, he would have understood his father’s emotional distance or his esteemed instructor’s betrayal. Early on, he had bonded with a man named Van Grants, who, in a sense, took over as Luke’s father figure. He not only praised the boy and reasserted his importance but also told stories of the world outside of the City of Light, Baticul. While Luke had left his home before, his importance as a successor to the throne limited his time spent outside of the manor. Naturally, Luke was eager to learn the Albert style of swordplay from Van, as with it, he often learned interesting facts about current events and alien places.
Then, at the age of ten, Luke was kidnapped by Van and was taken to the Fabre’s abandoned vacation home, Choral Castle, where he was imprisoned for a short while. During that time, he became the subject of countless excruciating experiments until finally he was replicated. However, Van refused to return him to his family, leaving the replica (a clone of sorts) to be found by the Fabres instead. Luke protested, convinced that his family was still searching for him, but Van denied him, claiming that the replica would suffice. Refusing to believe this, Luke escaped his imprisonment and, after dealing with vicious monsters and even more vicious adults blocking his way, Luke finally returned to Baticul and back to the Fabre manor. Unfortunately, when he arrived, he saw his family with the replica. The boy had no memories and behaved like an infant, yet they still blindly accepted him as their Luke. The original Luke, crestfallen, then encountered Van once again. Van pointed out that his family did not care about him-they were content with any replacement, really, and this time, Luke believed him. As a result, he lost faith in everyone but Van and decided to leave the country.
From there, the two went to an autonomous state known as Daath, home of the Oracle Knights of whom Van was the commandant. Luke, shedding his given name, joined the knights under a new name, Asch, the “charred remains of the Sacred Flame.” Given his talent, Asch quickly ascended in rank and at a young age, became one of the Six God-Generals who worked directly under Van’s control, earning him the title, “Asch the Bloody” and the rank of Locrian Colonel as well as Commander of Special Operations. Extremely antisocial, Asch spent most of his time in seclusion, making it all the easier for his leader to further brainwash him. Furthermore, knowing that the Kimlascan noble would object to his vision, Van ordered another God-General, Sync, to act as a spy to make sure that he (Asch) never found out.
Seven years after the kidnapping, Asch encountered his replica once again. This time, in order to intercept Daath’s head figure, Fon Master Ion, Asch and the other God-Generals invaded and commandeered the Tartarus, a Malkuth landship en route to its enemy, Kimlasca. Asch attacked the replica’s party, but before he could kill anyone, his peer, Legretta the Quick, ordered him to stop immediately. Perhaps that would have been his last encounter with the new Luke had he actually taken the replacement’s life. However, Luke’s party escaped and took back Ion, forcing the pursuit to continue.
Asch vanished for a short while as the Fon Master continued to travel around the Malkuth Empire with the replica Luke. Once the group reached the Kimlascan-Malkuth border at the Kaitzur Checkpoint, however, Asch made another attempt on Luke’s life. Luckily for the replica, Van was nearby and easily warded off the attack. However, shortly thereafter, Asch asked a fellow God-General, Arietta the Wild, to kidnap a mechanic as a hostage. If Luke and Ion did not agree to come to Choral Castle, she was to kill the hostage. With Ion’s persistence, the group traveled to the abandoned home, where Asch and Arietta set a trap for Luke. Once they captured him, they brought him to the fomicry machine that had created him seven years earlier. There, with the help of another God-General, Dist the Reaper, Asch was able to open Luke’s fonslots, allowing him to communicate with the replica at his own convenience. However, at the time, exactly what he planned on doing with that ability was a mystery.
Around this time, Asch finally discovered the vital information that Van had been keeping from him: Van planned to bring down the Outer Lands, starting with the mining town of Akzeriuth. Opting to work undercover, Asch said nothing and continued to go along with Van’s plans, using his rank to keep track of the Commandant. Meanwhile, he planned to leak minor information to Luke through the connection, though he was careful not to explain too much, for fear that the replica would consult Van.
Asch then hurried to Baticul, where he enlisted the help of a trio of bandits and circus performers known as the Dark Wings. Once Ion and the others arrived in port and spent a night in the Kimlascan capital, Asch’s subordinates lured the young Fon Master away, at which point Asch took him to the captured Tartarus. Just as they were boarding, Luke’s party chased after him, and for the first time, the replica saw his original’s face. Cold, wet, and frustrated, the two Fabres clashed blades before the original threw off the replica and retreated to the ship. From there, he took the Ion to a desert east of Baticul. He then opened his connection to Luke for the first time and informed the replica that he was taking Ion to a place known as the Zao Ruins. Once inside, he, Largo and Sync forced Ion to unlock a seal placed near the bottom of the ruins. Luke and company interrupted once again and demanded the return of Ion. Once the group defeated Largo and Sync, Asch clashed blades with Luke, and after a brief exchange of words, he and the other God-Generals returned Ion.
Now that Asch had successfully made contact, he made another attempt once the replica had crossed the desert to a border state known as Chesedonia. There, he not only opened the telepathic communication but also took control of Luke’s body, forcing the other Fabre to draw his sword on Tear, one of his traveling companions. The stress of the possession, however, caused the replica to lose consciousness. After that test, Asch left Luke alone for a while as the latter of the two made his way to Akzeriuth as a goodwill ambassador. After all, whether he liked Luke or not, he was counting on him to foil Van’s plot.
Unfortunately, Luke was playing into Van’s hands. Luke was ordered to evacuate the people of Akzeriuth, as the town had become enveloped in a thick miasma. Van, however, insisted that Luke should use his powers as the “chosen,” the “Scion of Lorelei” to neutralize the miasma instead. Asch, who had disobeyed orders to stay out of Akzeriuth, was suspicious of this and thus chose to stay close by in case something went awry. Luckily, he happened to be nearby when Van’s sister, Tear Grants, was deceived and nearly kidnapped by soldiers under her brother’s command. Helping her defeat the enemies, Asch informed her of the situation, and the two hurried to the mines of Akzeriuth into which Luke had ventured. Unfortunately, by the time they reached the bottom, Van had already used Ion’s powers to unlock the seal on a secret room containing a tree known as a sephiroth. The tree supported the lands, but when Luke unleashed his hyperresonance, he destroyed it, causing Akzeriuth and the surrounding areas to collapse. Van rescued an unwilling Asch, insisting that he needed the God-General.
Asch managed to escape Van and the sinking Akzeriuth, finding himself in the Qliphoth, a hellish ocean of miasma and raging stormclouds. Excluding the ruins of Akzeriuth, only a distant, ancient town and an even more distant tower could be found in the area. Asch followed the Tartarus, which had been reclaimed by Luke’s group, all the way to town, Yulia City. Once he arrived, he caught up to Luke and scolded him for being a defective replacement. Luke, still unaware of his relation to Asch, asked, who cruelly obliged by revealing his past: He was a young noble of Baticul and had been kidnapped by a villain named Van. Luke refused to believe the story and began to frantically attack. After a myriad of mirror-like attacks, Asch overpowered Luke with his superior skill and his knowledge of fonic artes (magic). Luke lost consciousness shortly thereafter. Asch had hoped he could end the replica’s life there, but Tear stopped him. Tear, a resident of Yulia City, decided to take Luke to her house until he woke up, and Asch followed. At that time, he felt a second consciousness waking in the back of his mind: Luke’s consciousness. The two bickered mentally, Asch expressing further disappointment not only in Luke but also his own mistake of trusting Luke.
Eager to leave the Qliphoth, Asch met with the mayor of Yulia City, who explained that he could return to the Outer Lands with the remaining strength of the decimated Sephiroth. Because his subordinates had died in the collapse, he required the assistance of Luke’s former traveling companions, Jade, Guy (his former servant), Natalia (his former fiancée), Anise, and Fon Master Ion. Once the group was pushed up into the Outer Lands, it then headed to a lab in Belkend-after Natalia convinced Asch to take a detour to Daath while she mastered a skill of the Lanvaldear-style archery. Asch knew that Van had frequented the facilities and hoped to find more information on his plans. Once there, the group found Spinoza, a man involved in Asch’s kidnapping. Spinoza revealed that Jade had pioneered fomicy, then, though loyal to Van, accidentally revealed information about a preservation project. Asch had never heard Van mention such a thing and questioned Spinoza, who fled the area. Then, after overhearing talk of Wyon (Ortion) Cavern, Asch and the others decided to investigate.
Before they could leave, Guy chose to sever ties with Asch, claiming that Luke needed him. Asch, while disappointed that someone he had deemed a childhood friend would abandon him in favour of his replica, understood and provided information to lead him to the replica. After all, after joining the Oracle Knights, Asch discovered his servant Guy’s true identity, another tactic used by Van to shatter his trust in his friends and family. As the son of Guy’s greatest enemy, he could not argue. Natalia, unaware of Guy’s past, protested, calling Asch by the name he had abandoned, and angered him. While he continued to periodically reminisce with her, he reminded her that he was not the same person she had known seven years ago.
The group traveled in the Tartarus, during which time Asch was plagued by nightmares of his past. Luke witnessed this experience through the connection and began to pity his original-much to the latter’s ire. Then, too shaken to sleep, Asch exchanged words with Jade, admitting that blaming the colonel for his undesired past would change nothing. Despite this, he showed no intention of becoming friendly with the man either.
Wyon Cavern contained a variety of odd monsters unique to the area, probably through mutations or experimentation. It was no surprise that a computer and a fomicry machine were found at the very back of the cavern. As Jade and Asch investigated the available data, they discovered that Van had gathered massive amounts of data-enough to replicate approximately one tenth of Auldrant. Meanwhile, Anise and Natalia found a pair of identical cheagles, an original and a replica. Like Asch and Luke, these particular cheagles were perfect isofons, rarities even among replicated beings. According to Jade, most replicas had weaker abilities compared to their originals, but this particular original’s strength had deteriorated compared to that of its original. Jade added that sometimes the replication process had negative-even fatal-effects on the original, but the symptoms always appeared within a few days. He assured Asch that, after seven years, he was in no danger. Asch questioned the answer but said nothing else on the matter. He had a lead or two, so he preferred to investigate on his own after dropping off the other crew members.
However, before he could leave, he defended Natalia twice, first when a monster planned an ambush, and later, when the princess lost her balance from an earthquake. Before she could bring up the past once again, he gave her the cold shoulder and informed the others that more of the land had just collapsed. Also, he informed them that St. Binah would be the next Akzeriuth if no one acted. Luke questioned him, but Asch angrily shoved the replica out of his mind, forcing Luke to wake up in his own body in Yulia City.
Meanwhile, Asch began to drop off his crew, starting with Ion at Daath. Once they reached the port, however, they discovered that the people of the Outer Lands, unaware of the cause of Akzeriuth’s collapse, had grown restless: Kimlasca and Malkuth were on the brink of war. Ion and Natalia hurried to Daath in order to issue a proclamation but were captured upon arrival. Asch, leaving the Tartarus with Jade in the port, disappeared.
With Luke awake again, Asch began to investigate on his own while his replica freed Natalia and Ion, replaced the Tartarus with a flying machine called the Albiore, and rescued the collapsing St. Binah. During this time, he discovered that Van had caused both Chesedonia and the Engeve areas to begin sinking. With war breaking out near the latter town and with Luke’s team heading toward the Zao Ruins’ Sephiroth to lower the former town at a safer rate, Asch quickly contacted Luke and demanded that they meet at a nearby oasis. He had something else to confirm too…
Asch confronted Spinoza once again, this time asking the researcher about perfect isofons. The cheagles of Wyon Cavern bothered him. Spinoza confirmed that Asch and Luke were undergoing an abnormal reaction. Spinoza called it the “Big Bang” effect. According to research, the original would slowly lose power, feel general discomfort until the time of his “big bang” with Luke came-but Asch, disturbed, had heard more than enough and left. Little did he know that he had heard only half of the explanation.
Once Luke arrived, Asch asked if the replica had begun feeling strange, to which the answer was no. Concerned, Asch tried to leave, but when confronted, added one more thing: the Engeve area was falling as well. If Luke focused on just Chesedonia without operating the Sephiroth at Shurrey Hill, the town-and the battlefield with it-would collapse, thus killing countless more people all the while worsening the already poor relations between Kimlasca and Malkuth. Not wanting to deal with that sort of death toll, Asch decided to help by adding that all of the Sephiroth holding up the lands were connected. Therefore, if Luke hurried to the Zao Ruins, he could lower the local lands while also ordering the Shurrey Hill Sephiroth to safely bring down Engeve and the battle field. Then, Asch hurried off, telling Luke and the others that he planned to spy on Van. However, he was also concerned about Luke’s response to his first question.
Unfortunately, while he was off on his own, Luke and Natalia were captured by Kimlasca soldiers of all people. Apparently Ingobert VI, King of Kimlasca, heard from Mohs that Luke fon Fabre was the mastermind behind the collapse of Akzeriuth, and that his daughter Natalia was an imposter. Natalia had already heard these accusations, but once imprisoned in Baticul, she wondered if even her father believed Mohs’ tale. Asch hurried from Daath, where he freed the Albiore’s pilot Noelle, to Baticul, where he even ventured into his uncle’s castle, to free Tear, Jade, Anise, and Guy. He left the rescue of Luke and Natalia to them but was forced to help them once again when Natalia confronted her father about the rumours. King Ingobert VI confirmed these rumours when he brought forth Natalia’s biological grandmother, who confessed that her daughter had given birth to a child around the same time as the late Queen. However, the real Princess Natalia, a stillborn was buried in the garden, and the infant Meryl Oakland was taken as a replacement. Mohs ordered Dist and Largo to attack the group just as Asch hurried inside and distracted the enemies while Natalia and the others escaped. He and the citizens of Baticul then fought off Goldberg and the White Knights when they threatened to capture the escapees in the town square. Because the eastern path to the Zao Desert had been destroyed, they instructed Natalia to hurry to Belkend through the Inista Marsh.
Asch followed, managing to catch both Luke’s party and Van in Belkend. Van asked Asch to help him once again, claiming that he needed the full powers of the original, not those of the replica, but the God-General refused. After the unpleasant encounter, Asch gave Jade a forbidden text about the Dawn Age on behalf of Ion. He spent the night at the local inn but was forced to hurry after Spinoza, who had overheard Luke telling the Belkend governor about a newly formed plan to stop the miasma in order to make the Qliphoth once again a safe environment as they lowered the outer lands. Luke, put off by Asch’s recent stunts, chased after Spinoza as well, hoping to outdo his original, but after crossing paths several times, Asch and his subordinates cornered the traitorous researcher. Asch’s victory was short-lived-Spinoza escaped almost immediately, forcing him to evacuate the Belkend researchers to a similar city called Sheridan.
Once Luke’s party arrived in Sheridan, Asch sought out Natalia. He spoke with her early in the morning, repeating his childhood promise to her as the sun rose, just as it had the last time: “Some day, when we’re grown up, let’s change this country. Change it so that no one has to be poor. Change it so that war never happens. Let's change this world. Together.” Having raised his fiancée’s spirits, the redheaded God-General disappeared again, leaving the others to the lowering of the Outer Lands.
It was only once Mt. Roneal, the Radiation Gate, and Absorption Gate’s respective Sephiroth remained unlinked that Asch made another appearance: He and Tear met in Belkend with the intentions of confronting Van. Tear was concerned that her brother may have become poisoned with miasma, whereas Asch hoped to battle his former master. After all, the Commandant hoped to use create a replica Auldrant, then use the original Luke’s hyperresonance to destroy Lorelei, an idea that the God-General vehemently opposed. However, when he tried, he was swatted away like a fly, taking a deep wound in the chest as a result. Tear’s companions arrived around that time, and among them, Natalia hurried to Asch’s side, reminding him why he opposed Van’s plans despite his own loathing of the Score: He still had people he wanted to protect. However, he had no intention of staying near those people, so, instead of letting Natalia heal his injury, he staggered off in pursuit of Van, who had fled. He was running out of time.
Asch’s wound, however, prevented him from making much progress, which forced Luke to hurry to Mt. Roneal’s Sephiroth, defeat three God-Generals, and operate the Mt. Roneal Sephiroth. Unfortunately, Van set a trap. With all of the Sephiroth linked, he channeled their power from the Absorption Gate. There, he would strengthen the core’s vibrations, worsening the miasma, and bring down all of the remaining Outer Lands save for the Absorption Gate itself. Asch traveled to a nearby town, Keterburg. Knowing his injuries were still too severe for him to face Van by himself-which, by the way, he claimed he would have already done, had that not been the case-he entrusted the slaying of Van to Luke, stressing that the replica had to kill, not stop the Commandant. While Luke’s team faced against Van, Asch hurried to the Radiation Gate. After all, the Sephiroth had never been connected to the others, meaning that Luke would be unable to lower the rest of the Outer Lands without it. He happened to make it just in time for Luke.
Just as the two Fabre boys lowered the Outer Lands, they received a cryptic message from an entity known as Lorelei: “One who would seize glory is trying to capture me.” Lorelei also said that it would send its key to its scions (Luke and Asch), with which the two were to free it. Asch received a weapon known as the Sword of Lorelei, and supposedly Luke received an accessory called the Jewel of Lorelei.
This message concerned Asch. The words “one who would seize glory” were pronounced “Vandestelca” in a language known as Ancient Ispanian. It seemed that Van planned on absorbing Lorelei and strengthening the vibrations of the core. While Luke relaxed for a month, Asch hurried to Sheridan, where he obtained his own Albiore and with it, a pilot named Ginji. The two hurried toward Yulia City, where Asch asked the mayor whether or not it was possible to travel to the Planet’s Core. Then, he warned officers of Daath to watch out for any activity from the other God-Generals. Meanwhile, he headed to St. Binah. After all, he had been demoted, so the Order itself would be of little help to him if it was punishing him for his actions.
Asch stopped at Shurrey Hill, where he was shot at by Legretta. She demanded him to return the Key of Lorelei. Asch, though injured by the initial assault, fought her off and was joined by Luke, who, he assumed, would have conveniently brought the Jewel of Lorelei with him. Of course, Luke had no idea what Asch was talking about, leaving him to hurry off in a sour mood once again. It seemed he would have to look for it at one of the Sephiroths-assuming one of the other God-Generals hadn’t taken it first.
Asch visited Spinoza and questioned the researcher about Mt. Roneal’s Sephiroth and Passage Rings. Asch then headed to the frigid mountains on his own. Meanwhile, an unprecedented advance in the Big Bang effect: The original cheagle of Wyon Cavern passed away as a result of the stress of having an isofonic replica. Then, the replica passed away, fusing with and reviving his original. Asch, however, never found out about this, and thus, his reckless actions continued.
At Mt. Roneal, Asch explained to Luke the importance of Lorelei’s warning: Van had fallen into the core after his battle with Luke and imprisoned Lorelei before it could escape. With Lorelei trapped, the Planet Core’s vibrations worsened, giving rise to more miasma. Then, he told Luke about the possible whereabouts of the Jewel of Lorelei, which was crucial in freeing the entity. Asch took charge of the search while Luke’s team dealt with a new, conservative Order of Lorelei causing trouble for Auldrant.
Both Fabres were sidetracked when their mother became ill and had run out of medicine. Apparently a rare mushroom called a Rugnican Death Cap was the missing ingredient, but it could only be found in a treacherous area called Mushroom Road. Asch sought the mushroom on his own but was forced to cooperate with Luke when the two happened upon the road at the same time. Given the powerful monsters roaming about, Luke decided to stay behind. That way, if something went wrong, Asch could contact him. Once Asch found the mushroom in question, he gave it to Luke and hurried away.
But the Jewel was nowhere to be found. Running out of ideas, Asch contacted Luke, who was stuck in Baticul at the time. Asch asked to meet at the port, but Luke insisted on meeting at Fabre Manor. Once Asch arrived, he reported his lack of leads and expressed a need to hurry due to the increasing miasma. Luke then offered a strange idea: It was possible to eliminate the miasma with the Sword of Lorelei, but it would cost the wielder his or her life. Asch asked Luke if he was willing to sacrifice his life. When Luke seemed to consider the idea, Asch made a snide comment and departed. However, before he could walk out the door, Luke latched onto Asch and asked for ten more minutes. Had he known what the replica had planned, he would have left anyway, but Guy had asked him to hear out the request.
Luke took Asch to their parents’ quarters, reuniting them with their original son. Luke left the trio alone, at which point, much to Asch’s surprise (and contentment) his parents treated him like a long lost son returning home for the first time in years. Asch had expected a less intense reaction: They already had the replica for a son, why would they need him? However, he was nonetheless relieved. His mother held him tightly, and his father, in that distant manner Asch had recalled, expressed his pride in son’s achievements. His father also expressed regret for keeping his son at such a distance-he had never wanted to get close to a son who was doomed to die young, a son for whom he could do nothing to help.
Of course, none other than the replica spoiled his family reunion. Luke had led him back to the manor, giving him back his old life for the sake of martyrdom. Luke would go to the Tower of Rem and dissipate the miasma. Furious, Asch vowed never to return to the manor and stormed off. He told Luke the idea of neutralizing the idea was lunacy, yet he hurried to Spinoza for information-apparently the task would also require the lives of ten thousand seventh fonists. Afterward, he took Ginji and the Dark Wings to a Dawn Age relic called the Tower of Rem. Once there, he found a solution to his problem: a myriad of replicas, all in despair at their rejection by the originals of Auldrant, had all gathered at the ancient tower. Replicas, created with the seventh fonon, would work just as well, regardless of whether or not they actually used the seventh fonon. In exchange for their sacrifice, however, the replicas demanded that those who had not made it to the Tower of Rem be granted shelter.
Asch, despite his hatred toward his own replica, agreed to the conditions and hurried to Daath, where he left a note describing his plan and requesting asylum for replicas should it succeed. Before he returned to the Tower of Rem, he decided to check one last time for the Jewel of Lorelei at the local Passage Ring. Once he returned, he ran into Luke and requested that, because he was about to disappear with the replicas, Luke search for the Jewel of Lorelei instead. The two then argued over who would die in the other’s place, despite their mutual desire to live. Asch tried to hit Luke, who parried. Jade demanded that they stop, for their combined forces triggered the beginnings of a hyperresonance. Asch exchanged words with Luke one more time before he left again for the Tower of Rem.
By the time he returned to the replicas, Luke was already there and explained that the weak, unneeded replica should perish instead. Asch became furious at the notion that his life was stolen from him by someone “unneeded” and tried to begin the neutralization of the miasma. Then Luke interfered. Asch tried to keep the sword but was thrown back. Before he could retrieve it from his replica, Jade held him back and watched the process.
Something thwarted Luke as he tried to eliminate the miasma. Realizing that it was the Jewel of Lorelei, Asch joined Luke and lent some of his power to Luke’s hyperresonance. Both Fabre boys collapsed, but miraculously, both survived. However, Asch still refused to join Luke’s group, but this time, instead of rejecting Luke, he said it was best to split forces until it was time to release Lorelei. Until that time, he would act on his own, thus keeping the God-Generals’ attention split between the two parties.
First, the groups had to stop the Planet Storm, a technology developed to increase fonic activity, thus strengthening fonic artes and fontech on Auldrant. The Planet Storm, however, had provoked the core’s vibrations to begin with. Luke used the Jewel of Lorelei to close the Absorption and Radiation Gates, which fueled the Planet Storm. Asch had followed the God-Generals to the Absorption gate, where he crossed paths with Luke. There, the two witnessed Van’s return. After asking both of them to join him once more, Van left, Asch hot in pursuit while Luke and company dealt with Largo. The chase led him outside, where he faced off against Sync. Luke hurried after him and sent Sync away. Once the enemies had fled, Asch announced he would meet Luke again after the latter closed the Radiation Gate.
Once Luke succeeded, Asch made contact again and followed his replica to Grand Cockmah. As Luke approached, Asch held out his hand and looked the other way: As promised he was about to join the team, so a handshake seemed customary. With that single gesture, he would have set aside his past and his ill feelings for his replica, finally viewing him as an ally, not a replacement. Luke, however, misinterpreted the gesture and, smiling, placed the Jewel of Lorelei into Asch’s hand. This made Asch equally as confused until Luke once again reasserted that Asch was the necessary force needed against Van. This shattered Asch’s recent fondness for Luke and undid the progress he had made toward accepting his replica. Furious, he demanded that they duel to settle their identities. The winner would be the real Luke Fon Fabre thus, Van’s true student. Luke refused, but Asch insisted that they fight once they reach Auldrant.
The next day, Asch dismissed the Dark Wings and flew with Ginji to the final battlefield, a flying replica of the fallen island of Hod. This new creation, dubbed the Glorious Land of Eldrant, was armed with anti-aircraft missiles, thus thwarting either of the Albiores’ attempts to draw closer. Finally, Ginji made a daring move by crashing his aircraft into the side of the island, thus eliminating some of the islands firepower. The plane was decimated and its pilot was injured, but Asch was relatively unscathed. Knowing that Noelle’s Albiore now had a place to land, he moved on ahead, taking out a variety of Oracle Knights as he traveled deeper into the enemy base. Unfortunately, Asch never checked for traps and thus tumbled into a pitfall only a short distance inside. There, he was trapped in a room with a pair of closed doors. He knew how to open one set. Unfortunately, it required a hyperresonance in order to keep them open: Asch would not be able to make it through the doors before they closed on him.
Luke happened to make the same mistake and crashed to the ground while Asch made futile attempts at breaking down the door. Asch took this opportunity to begin the duel. Luke, while reluctant, agreed. So the two fought and struggled with both the physical battle and the emotional turmoil. However, proclaiming, “I am me,” Luke disarmed Asch and pointed his blade at the original’s neck. Solemnly, Asch retrieved his Sword of Lorelei and imparted it to Luke. Luke protested some more, but Asch insisted that the winner should proceed, especially since their duel had just attracted enemies. Luke made him promise to survive, to which Asch agreed, though mostly as a form of dismissal. Luke escaped through the door that Asch opened and then promptly closed. Cornered, the original Fabre fought the oncoming attackers.
Initially unarmed, Asch used fonic artes to kill the first few enemies and stole a sword from one of the bodies. Then, he dealt with the remaining soldiers with a blade. The individuals provided little challenge, but their strength was in numbers. As Asch dealt with two, a third slashed at his side. He dispatched all of them, but there were more. With each injury, he tired more, and as he tired, he gained new wounds. Still, he continued to fight until there were no more enemies to kill.
Luckily for Asch, the Oracle Knights had left him a way out. It required some backtracking, but he managed to catch up to Luke just before he collapsed from exhaustion. Natalia rushed to his side and began healing him. Moments later, a glyph appeared beneath them: It was another trap. Natalia was busy casting healing artes and wouldn’t move. Luke asked Asch for help, and with their combined efforts, the two created a second-order hyperresonance. Sync attacked moments later, forcing the party to engage in an unexpected battle. Despite the setbacks, Luke and the others won, and with no more opponents standing in the way, they proceeded ahead to the final building in which Van resided. Asch insisted on joining, though he had a certain melancholy to his words and composure, but no one had time to dwell.
The final showdown with Van was brutal: Van continuously annihilated those within range. Still, the group began to wear him down. Finally, Luke and Asch devised a tactic. Luke was to engage Van directly while Asch jumped in to deliver a Mystic Arte (final and/or ultimate technique). Just before Asch could execute his half of the plan, he collapsed again from his injuries, or so it seemed. In addition to the wounds, Asch’s time for his big bang was drawing near. Luke stopped for a moment, but without Asch to help him, Van threw Luke to the ground. Unable reach his sword in time, Luke was defenseless. Asch noticed this and scrambled to his feet as Van prepared to land the fatal strike. Driven by instinct alone, Asch threw himself in front of Luke, and then everything faded to black.
When Asch woke up, ironically, he of all people had no memories: He had forgotten his past, his world, his comrades, his family, his replica, and most importantly, the one to whom he had made a series of promises, none of which he had been able to keep. He was left with nothing but a name in an alien place.
Personality: Asch has become extremely antisocial and unfriendly over the years. He prefers to keep others at a distance, even if he likes the people in question, and tries to maintain a reputation and a façade as a tough, unapproachable God-General. He usually prefers to work alone, and, hesitant to trust others, has no problem with relying on his own abilities. Many don’t mind leaving him alone, as his attitude and his volatile temper make him somewhat difficult to work with at times. While he is capable of remaining civil and usually snaps when provoked, he is hesitant to get to know those around him, and when wronged, he holds a persistent grudge.
Provoking him, however, is an easy task. Asch’s mood immediately sours whenever he is reminded of his past. Despite his claims that he has abandoned his past, he still dwells on the life that was taken from him. This results in his grudge against Luke festering with time. However, as he has gotten to know his replica and begrudgingly accept him-or at least reject him less-Asch has slowly begun to put his past behind him. The careless word or action easily undoes some of this fragile progress, but it seems that he has put his hate aside to recognize his replica and unburden himself with his past. With his final battle at Eldrant, Asch finally decides to travel with Luke. After rejecting several requests of that nature beforehand, this unexpected decision proves that, while he does not like his replica, he establishes the beginnings of a basic trust or respect for the other Fabre. It seems that finally, after using Luke as a replacement while he works in the shadows, Asch finally acknowledges his replica as a separate entity. His taking a fatal strike meant for Luke proves that this feeling have become even stronger, as he is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his supposedly inferior replica. As such, his loathing gradually evolves into something akin to brotherly rivalry and affection-not that Asch would ever admit to such a thing, even after losing his memories of his past.
Despite his apparent superiority complex in regards to Luke, Asch victimizes himself and has expressed his sentiments of being pushed into the shadows by an inferior or defective replacement. This statement masks his own insecurities about the value of his life to others. He made the greatest of efforts to return home to his family, yet they had already found another son to love and raise instead. As he stands alone and sees his replica with so many supporters-including his fiancée and his former servant-Asch, while angry, becomes depressed and criticizes himself for letting his replica outdo him.
Still a noble at heart, one of Asch’s most noticeable traits is his pride. It is the source of his headstrong nature, causing him to frequently act without thinking beforehand. This impulsiveness will often send him into unpleasant situations, even harm him, and it is the reason he rarely admits regret or mistakes. However, this quality, closely tied with his morals, encourages him to obey his own will and conscience rather than those of his superiors and peers. As such, while he has little trouble hiding information, he seldom tells blatant lies, though he has deliberately passed himself off as his replica or vice versa when need be. He also fails to keep most promises, but many of them have withered away with time anyway.
Along with this impulsiveness comes a lack of creativity. While Asch is well educated and not particularly unintelligent, he lets his stubbornness impede on rational thought. He has been known to come up with pitiful excuses. For example, when a man, mistaking him for his shorter-haired replica asked about his much longer hair, Asch claims that his hair grows quickly. He could have claimed to be using a wig, but he came up with something illogical instead. In worse situations, his stubbornness has caused him trouble. For example, Asch’s refusal to accept Luke at first causes the two to bicker and oppose one another, despite their common goal of defeating Van. His insistence on working separately sometimes helped, but it also slowed him down and resulted in avoidable injuries.
Despite his grumpy personality, Asch is capable of kindness. He will deny this with utmost recalcitrance but will unintentionally reveal this gentler side from time to time-one simply needs to exploit his soft spots. For example, while Asch may snap at his childhood friend and fiancée, Natalia, he also blindly defends he thinks others are criticizing her, and he will gladly run to her rescue if he thinks she is in danger. Some of his cohorts will confirm that she is on his mind more than anyone or anything else, including Luke. He also cares for his parents, even venturing into a treacherous and remote area to find ingredients needed for his mother’s medicine. Despite seven years of separation, he still cherishes his loved ones-of course, pointing this out to him will only irritate him, especially if he fails to rebut.
Item Lost: His memory of Natalia.