Character
Ash Vargold
Race: Beastfolk (Wolf)
Age: 29
Sex: Male
Sexuality: Asexual
Relationship: Single
Height: 6'3"
Build: Slim, Athletic
Reference: Here
Player
Aisling Lane
Nationality: American
Age: 39
Sex: Female
Sexuality: Asexual
Relationship: Single
Height: 5'5"
Build: Unassuming, out of shape
Reference: Here
Personality
With a polite demeanor and friendly attitude, Ash seems about as inoffensive as one can get. In fact, he can come off as aloof, though it doesn't seem to be intentional. He's happy to lend a helping hand or open ear, and he's actually fairly social when he puts his mind to it. He can be a social chameleon, able to find a way to fit in with any group that doesn't innately offend him.
His decorum is both a shield and sword, and Ash wields them well. Getting past his defenses seems to start with realizing that they're there - that he uses formality as a way to keep others from getting too close or personal. It's also something he can turn outwards to others - it's amazing how one can make a polite smile look deadly.
It's a well-kept mask, but not one he lets people look too closely at if he can help it. If they could they might see the ordinary person behind the facade, with all the anxiety and sarcasm and bad puns that Aisling has to offer. It only around those who have made their way past the surface that she lets that mask intentionally slip. Which they might regret, because some of those puns are really bad.
Positive: Calm, Resourceful, Trustworthy, Quick-thinking
Negative: Inexpressive, Anxious, Hesitant, Conflict-averse
Background
Aisling was never a person that stood out in life - in fact, she preferred it that way. For years she coasted from job to job until she found one that offered some degree of stability. An apartment near work, a roommate she didn't hate, and enough money to spend on the one thing that could pull her from the fog of mediocrity - games, where she could be someone other than quiet Ms. Lane.
But even in games she drifted - at least, once her MMO of choice shut down due to low population. Despite her best attempts, nothing quite filled the void that game left, until even gaming began to lose its joy. She wasn't even middle-aged, but Aisling already felt the weight of inexorable adulthood bearing down until there was nothing but the daily grind.
Then, she received an invite to Terrasphere.
Against her best interests she gave it a try, recreating her favorite character from the game she still missed dearly. She put on the mask of Ash Vargold and stepped into that world.
Her time in Terrasphere was brief - but that brief moment contained more excitement than she'd experienced for years. The threat of Titanius loomed across the land, and a day of idle exploration became a sudden fight for survival within the belly of the eldritch beast. That day Ash fought alongside other adventurers... and ultimately, died alongside those same adventurers.
But what a rush it was. Aisling could not remember the last time a game had made her feel like that, and in that moment she thought that breaking the law could be worth it.
...but then came the rumors. Of people trapped within the game, of sudden deaths in the world beyond. They were strange, and worrying, and she wondered if perhaps it was time to stop before she fell too deep. In the end, that choice was made for her when access to the game was abruptly shut down, and Aisling found herself back where she started - an ordinary person living an ordinary life.
Years passed. She continued along, and the memory of the game faded. It seemed more like a fever dream than anything else - had it truly been as immersive and alluring as she remembered? Surely not - perhaps it was just her memories of the game growing blurry with time and recollection, influenced by the stories that still lingered. As time went on, she nearly forgot the game.
And then, in an inbox for an email she hadn't used for years, an email appeared.
But even in games she drifted - at least, once her MMO of choice shut down due to low population. Despite her best attempts, nothing quite filled the void that game left, until even gaming began to lose its joy. She wasn't even middle-aged, but Aisling already felt the weight of inexorable adulthood bearing down until there was nothing but the daily grind.
Then, she received an invite to Terrasphere.
Against her best interests she gave it a try, recreating her favorite character from the game she still missed dearly. She put on the mask of Ash Vargold and stepped into that world.
Her time in Terrasphere was brief - but that brief moment contained more excitement than she'd experienced for years. The threat of Titanius loomed across the land, and a day of idle exploration became a sudden fight for survival within the belly of the eldritch beast. That day Ash fought alongside other adventurers... and ultimately, died alongside those same adventurers.
But what a rush it was. Aisling could not remember the last time a game had made her feel like that, and in that moment she thought that breaking the law could be worth it.
...but then came the rumors. Of people trapped within the game, of sudden deaths in the world beyond. They were strange, and worrying, and she wondered if perhaps it was time to stop before she fell too deep. In the end, that choice was made for her when access to the game was abruptly shut down, and Aisling found herself back where she started - an ordinary person living an ordinary life.
Years passed. She continued along, and the memory of the game faded. It seemed more like a fever dream than anything else - had it truly been as immersive and alluring as she remembered? Surely not - perhaps it was just her memories of the game growing blurry with time and recollection, influenced by the stories that still lingered. As time went on, she nearly forgot the game.
And then, in an inbox for an email she hadn't used for years, an email appeared.
Occupation: IT Help Desk
Special Skills: Writing, Search engine usage
Out of Character
Played by: @Tarkya
Player tag: @Ash Vargold
UI-locked? No
Year 8
IG (Sengoku Night Blood) Katakura Kojuro
RL (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint) Sookyung Lee
In company, you heart beats with camaraderie. In solitude, it beats louder and faster to the rhythm of dissonance, reminding you of your loneliness. When you are alone (or feeling alone), your heartbeats will torment you. If left unchecked, an Titanius' eye may appear on your chest to ward away your loneliness until you stop feeling that way.
