Asher, son of Brand

13/1 Meanwhile

Questions and Answers

• How old is your character?

Asher is approximately 600 years old in time spent and around 100 in Amber time.

• Who are your parents and what was your upbringing like?

His father is Brand and Countess Fres Mira, a lady of the court of Desgalia,a realm similar to the Italian Renaissance.

• How do you feel about your Oath to the Crown? About the King?

Despite his father's disdain for his military profession he is proud to serve Amber. The king is the king, and any question of that is folly.

• What do you think about the Pattern? About the Kingdom of Amber?

While an artist and a musician when not engaged in military operations either for Amber or in shadow, he is not devoted to the study of magic and the powers of the universe. Still, being able to walk in shadow is a great blessing for which he is grateful to the pattern for. He grew up in shadow but upon being brought to Amber did a stint in the military under one of its generals and is proud of any service he has done. He is eager to do more despite his father's sneers.

• What does your official Trump look like? See above.

• Do you have any particular relations with any of Oberon’s children, good or bad?

He would seek out the elders like Eric, Corwin, and Julian, for their military expertise and advise but he is careful not to trust them too much. Not really of a naval man he would have done a 3 year stint at sea because Amber is a maritime power. He might favor Deirdre a bit. He remembers fencing, dueling, with Caine as a child and thinks of him as his favorite uncle. As a child of Brand he would be most receptive to Bleys and Fiona, full siblings of his father. He dislikes Llewella for obvious reasons. He might be drawn to young Random, maybe even befriend him if possible. Florimel, well, what might a young man think of such a great beauty?

As for his father Brand, a great love/hate exists. He wants to please him so he would try to learn magic but having no real knack for it only manages to learn a few words of power. His failure makes his father angry. His obsession with dueling further annoys his non-military father. His only magical success was the creation of his cat Sabre', that Brand seemed to like better then Asher. His friends say Sabre is more talkative and congenial then Asher, though they mean it good naturally.

• Is there a place in Shadow you call your own and why?

He would have found a swath of shadows similar to Westros or Late medieval Europe where a man of arms might find employment but which also has an active artistic culture and a musical culture. He is an expert at drawing and painting and might someday like to learn to make trumps. He is a fine musician with stringed instruments from guitar through piano. He would have found a shadow near the world he was spending time on where he could acquire gold or treasure to spend on his chosen world. He has had a passing interest in prestidigitation, which annoys his father, and would have learned the skills of slight of hand, pick pocketing, stage magic and such. While not an expert, he is a fair hand at such arts and mostly keeps an eye out for when others use it.

• What do you do on behalf of the Kingdom of Amber?

He would have served 10 years in the standing military. 3 years in the Navy. He would be available for service as a messenger or intermediary for the crown. He disdains the politics of the elders but keeps a close eye on it anyway. He will often find a place to watch the elders from a distance, such as in a public place, then consider and remember their behavior. Fond of horses and good with them, he would spend time riding the length and breath of the kingdom. Dropping in on the estates and fief to take a look around, possibly help with projects, and accept offered hospitality, in order to get to know the people of the kingdom, its nobles and gentles, as well as its royalty.

Friendly, but reserved. He detests card cheats but knows the trade

Miscellany

Asher is a son of Brand born in a world with an aspect similar to Renaissance England but not necessarily Earth. Raised as a scholar but a well armed one, trained and comfortable with rapier and cavalier combat.

While his father was a familiar presence in the noble court of his mother, since they were married in that shadow, he grew frustrated with his son's quiet though observant demeanor and for his inability to learn sorcery. He learned some power words but was too distracted by military matters of the region to focus on magical studies. His father taught him excellent artistic skills in the hopes he might learn Trump Art but he never got that far into it. It gave him an eye and appreciation for art. His only magical success was the creation of his cat Sabre, that Brand seemed to like better then Asher. His friends say Sabre is more talkative and congenial then Asher, though they mean it good naturally.

Brand snuck Asher into Tir-na Nog'th and saw him walk the pattern in the hopes of inspiring his magical studies. While Asher was astounded by being able to walk shadows, and has done it a bit, it did not make him more interested in sorcery.

One of his favorite memories was meeting his uncle Caine and fencing with him many times over a week that he spent visiting Brand. While his father was a fine swordsman of course, as all the elders are, he considered his son Asher a failure because of his magical disinterest. The last time they spoke he changed Asher's left hand, his swordhand, bright red from wrist to fingertips. They would be considered on bad terms though by no means hateful ones.

Since then Asher has been a soldier in the service of a local ruler. He developed into a loner, something of a spy, intriguer, and investigator since many of the other soldiers grew both in awe and fear of the red handed cavalier's strength and endurance.(1 pip bad stuff) He has studied the histories of warfare obsessively, both out of enjoyment of them but from an earnest interest in the subject.

He has a huge chip on his shoulder for being pulled from his life by Benedict, even if it was to save his life. (1 Pip Bad Stuff) The only thing about being with Benedict that makes it sufferable is the availability of greater fencing instructors. He has long depended on strength based fighting with the heavy rapier and a bit of finesse might be a positive thing