Early Life 

Asher Burns was born into an ancient family at the dawn of the new millennium. His Parents, Amadeus and Ava Burns held a home in the northern hills that looked down on the city of Knowles, the largest city in Korbrook. Asher was the youngest of three, his oldest brother, Bartram was eight and his older sister, Mona, was ten.  

Asher grew up in a family of powerful magic wielders, Amadeus and his father, Marcus, were the two most powerful magic wielders in Koringa. They had channeled much of their magic, and it began to take a toll on them, having used too much of their life force to use their magic. They began to search for a more feasible source, so they might continue their addiction. 

As a boy, Asher and his sister began to hone their skills with magic. He became highly skilled in difficult conjuring, especially in the act of projectiles. He did his best to not use Magic in excess, as he watched his father’s demise to the addiction that could be brought about it. Asher and Mona grew very close, as their fascinations and interests aligned so perfectly.  

Asher and his brother, however, were not as close, as Bartram saw his younger brother as a nuisance rather than a sibling, always abandoning his brother when he could. Asher’s attempts at kindling a relationship were always thwarted by Bartram. 

Aside from his father and grandfather’s addictions, Asher lived a joyful life. He was loved by his mother, and Knowles was a very quiet city that contained hundreds of people, all of who enjoyed the bounty and generosity given to them by their prayers to the goddess of creation, Zin. 

The Downfall of the Burns 

When Asher was fifteen, his sister had left home a few years before, his mother died unexpectedly. Amadeus, stricken with depression and grief, grew vengeful and neglected his son more as his obsession with bringing his wife back overtook him. Outside of Knowles Asher’s father and grandfather, with the help of two other magic wielders, Bernard Webb and Benedict Cotton sought out the great goddess of creation. They had captured Zin with their combined magical prowess, and, using a sword crafted by their hands, they imprisoned her and her power within the blade itself. Using Zin’s power, they channeled and used her ability to wreak havoc on the world.  

Amadeus, who had become overtaken with his greed for power and the desire to restore his lost wife, took the sword for himself, killing Bernard and Benedict before they had a chance to retreat. Amadeus then turned his attention to the city of Knowles, leveling it to a rocky wasteland. All citizens were lost in the attack.  

In the chaos, Marcus was able to escape his son’s tyranny, fleeing to the mountains to the north. Amadeus began to spread his power over the land of Korbrook and Borning, wiping out any who opposed him. 

A large force of soldiers and volunteers gathered in Renington as Amadeus’ rage took down Transtum, killing the majority of the population there. Their goal was to fight him and ultimately take him down. The force would be the largest concentrated army that Koringa would ever see.  

The army marched to Turner and met Amadeus there as he began wreaking havoc on the citizens. The army fought hard but was no match for the power that Amadeus wielded. Every soldier was killed in the battle of Turner, along with 90% of the town’s population. 

Asher’s Fight 

Asher had witnessed his father’s destructive nature for too long. Now four years since his father had gained this new power that the sword granted him, nineteen-year-old Asher took it upon himself to bring an end to his father’s rage.  

Confronting his father at the edge of Knowles, Asher pleaded for his father’s mercy and that he give up his power for the sake of his family. Amadeus attempted to kill Asher, telling him his family was gone. But Asher’s magical abilities were able to ward back several blows, quickly depleting his life force with the amount of magic he was forced to use, causing his body to weaken as though he had aged rapidly. 

As Amadeus channeled as much of Zin’s power he could, Asher reached out and clutched the hilt of the sword, preventing his father’s strike. The power built up was released into them and all their surroundings, causing Knowles to be completely wiped out as the city crumbled onto its few remaining people and collapsed to the ground.  

Asher and Amadeus however were not killed. Both weak and bruised were alive and laying in the rubble of their former home. Asher rose to see his family home gone, along with his brother, who lay dead upon the rubble.  

Devastated from their loss and weak from the struggle, Asher took the sword from his fallen father and fled. He traveled far east to the Calm Canal on the east coast of Borning, where he lived secluded from civilization for several months. 

Asher then traveled south to Renington to seek out his sister, Mona. When they met up, Mona barely recognized her brother, as the fight with his father had changed his appearance so dramatically. He explained the calamities that had happened and showed her the sword taken from their father. Mona suggested that he seal it in a magical cocoon to prevent it from harming anyone.  

It was then that Asher discovered his ability to use magic had vanished. He made several attempts, but Asher was unable to conjure a sliver of magic to seal the sword away. Mona decided to do it for him, and taking the sword into her hands, became rigid as she was suddenly overtaken by the power within it. As her body became torn as orbs erupted from the blade and pierced her body in a bright blue flame. Asher knew she was beyond his help. He ran from her, taking the sword with her.  

As Mona’s body began to vaporize by the magic the sword held, the earth began to quake and rip apart. Mona’s body, glowing a vivid blue, sunk into the earth and released the energy stored within it.  

From the ripped ground, shapes emerged, with scabbed pale skin as empty eye sockets. The shapes of empty, human bodies rose slightly above the ground and began to draw themselves towards him, following the power that resided in the sword. Taken over by fear Asher ran again, fleeing from the pursuing pale bodies to the north and away from their reach.  

2000 years of hiding 

Through the next two millennia, Asher tried to avoid staying anywhere for too long. Constantly being pursued by the pale threat that seemed to constantly be drawn to him, Asher found living a normal life near impossible. After several years, Asher discovered a startling fact: he no longer aged. Trapped in his current state, Asher took on new lives, never staying in a place for too long. 

After 1500 years of wandering, taking residence in Marblemere, Lochhollow and Crystalford, Asher returned to Borning, taking residents in Grant near the northern edge of the Falcam mountains. It was here that he was discovered again, having previously been discovered by the pale creatures in Oldpoint of Crystalford. In large numbers, the creatures surrounded him. Refusing to use the sword, which he carried in a sheath made of dragonhide, he fought them back using nothing but brute force.  

As he returned to Shaford, Asher learned his father too suffered from the same fate as he had, living eternally with no magic. Amadeus saw his son in a small market in Shafrod, and attempted to steal back the sword. Amadeus had become well known in underground crime and put out a contract on his son to be returned alive with the sword intact. Asher fled again, escaping to Burgton, where he met the founder of the town, Morton Burgman. Morton and his wife, Agatha, took Asher in. Asher explained his plight to Morton, who kindly agreed to help. With Morton’s suggestion, Asher changed his name to Ajax Burgman. He took up Residence in Burgton, taking work at the local apothecary. Over the next fifty years, Ajax lived a solitary life in the town, easily overlooked by those still hunting for the legendary bounty that was still out on Asher Burns. Ajax grew close with the Burgman family as well, known as their uncle Ajax. Morton, who was now in his eighties, knew something was special about Ajax, as he had not aged since their meeting. 

It was then that Ajax disclosed his story to the dying man and thanked him for his hospitality. At Morton’s funeral, Ajax sat with Morton’s son Thadius as well as his grandson, Peter.  

Ajax remained in Burgman for a short time longer, becoming closer to Thadius and Peter. His life, however, was wrecked again as he was discovered by the pale creatures while heading home one night. Seizing the hidden sword from his home, Ajax fled once again as the pale creatures pursued. He escaped south, to the city of Renington and soon chartered a ferry to the southern island of Kenwood to put the large body of water between the beasts and himself. 

While he traveled the rim of the small island, he found a small herd of rare animals that he had never seen in his centuries of travels. He decided to take the animals for his own and built a small ranch on the edge of the Tanner Woods. The herd he now raised, which he learned to progots, bore a valuable coat that could be sheered multiple times a month.  Ajax also decided to change his name again to begin his new life and was now known as Eric Evans. 

Marriage and Children 

Eric raised the progots for several years, selling and buying the animals as opportunities came up. On one of his trips to the city of Sunnyton, Eric found more than a progot vender. He met a woman whom he took an immediate liking towards. Her name was Martha Shaw. Eric plucked up the courage and introduced himself to Martha, and the two formed an instant connection with one another. Martha was from the city of Horrington, just north of Sunnyton, and was visiting the city with her friends.  

A year later, Eric proposed to Martha, who said yes immediately. He also knew, that he could not go into a marriage where he would not age with his new wife, and decided to tell Martha the truth about his life. Martha, shocked by this new revelation, took the information to heart, and still retained her answer to marry him. The two were wed on the coast of Horrington the following June.  

As the next year passed, Martha became pregnant with their first child. Eric still retained the small ranch life, and their son, Marty, was born that November. Marty was a quiet boy and had only a single friend while growing up. But he thrived as an older brother to Eric and Martha’s second child, Angie, whom was born when Marty was twelve. It wasn’t until Marty was sixteen did Eric’s past come full circle once again. 

While returning from a trip to Renington, Eric saw the pale creatures chasing after his son on the dark of the night, towards the barn where the sword was hidden. Feared for his son’s safety and that the creature would find the sword, he ran to his aide. He managed to wrestle down the first creature, immobilizing it, when a loud scream came from the barn. 

Running to the door, Eric saw his son holding the sword, which was glowing bright blue, in his hand and covered with dust. Eric, terrified of his son’s destruction that would soon come, had Marty wait in the house while he tried to figure out what to do. He led his family away, as he had done so many times in the past, and made their way to Martha’s family home. But he had not planned on Marty’s ambition, as his son had taken the sword and left in the night. 

It was not for another month of nervous waiting did he hear from his son again, learning is son had ended up in the hospital. But their conversation was cut dramatically short. And so, Eric, with no other choice left, bade his wife goodbye and went off in search of his son, determined to rid himself of the cursed sword once and for all.