Ashram(, Ashuramu)Other names

The Black Knight

Ashram (, Ashuramu), known as the "Black Knight", is a highly skilled warrior and the former retainer and right-hand aide of Emperor Beld. He served Beld during the War of Heroes, and was sent in the front to deal with any possible resistance.

After the death of Emperor Beld, Ashram assumed ultimate leadership of the forces of Marmo.

Ashram is cold, ruthless, and extremely efficient in battle, often easily slaying his opponents, and has been shown to have a very wide skill gap with Parn. He is a strong-willed man who does not give up easily, as shown by his pursuit of Shooting Star and continuing to stand and fight while Wagnard was trying to kill him. Ashram is also very professional and serious about his job as Captain, as when a dark elf and a human were having a brawl in his army, he quickly intervened and scolded both of them.

Despite his ice cold exterior, Ashram is not heartless. He has a hidden soft spot for Pirotess, which became clear when he saved her and was clearly distressed by her death, hugging her close. This left an impression on Parn, who did not expect Ashram to have such emotions or feelings for anyone. Ashram is arguably one of the more complex villains in the series.

Born in Alania. Ashram's family extended from the royal Kadamos family. His father was a Captain in the Alanian army and possibly had multiple promotions awaiting him. Ashram himself was likely to follow in his fathers footsteps and eventually become a knight as well.

At age eight, however, his life took a turn for the worse. When his father learned of a colleague's dishonesty, he reported it. However, the colleague made sure to destroyed all evidence and managed to create a testimony unfavourable to Ashram's father. At the end of trial it was not the colleague, but Ashram's father who was shamed and convicted. He and his family were sentenced to exile to the dark island of Marmo. The guilt and punishment was extended to his family.

En route to Marmo, Ashram met a boy named Owen, who was about his age. Owen was a thief and had been apprenticed to a master thief. Owen had purposefully allowed himself to be captured by a knight, so he could help his master escape. It turned out, however, that his master had been the one to report Owen as a thief. As punishment, Owen was sent to Marmo as well, while his master got away. The young Owen became Ashram's closest friend.

Within a year after arriving at Marmo, Ashram's family started falling apart. First, his father was assassinated by thieves of the Thieves Guild. After the death of his father, his mother became involved with a rich and powerful man and left Ashram to his own. Ashram made a vow in order to survive; he would become wicked enough to swallow the whole island. With the death of his father, Ashram and Owenwhose own parents had succumbed to the darkness of Marmojoined together to destroy the Thieves Guild in vengeance. This was the beginning of a long-running feud between Ashram and the guild.

Ashram and Owen formed a gang of miscreants with other lost children on Marmo, who felt drawn to Ashram and Owen.

When Ashram was nineteen he was approached by Amber Eyes, a member of the Thieves Guild. Amber Eyes carried a message with him from the Guild's council. One of the former Six Heroes of Lodoss, the red-haired mercenary Beld, was residing in the forests of Marmo and called himself Marmo's emperor. Dark elves and barbarians had begun serving him. When Beld and his gang were threatening the city Persei, the council feared they would lose power. Hence, Ashram and Owen's gang was commissioned to defeat Beld. Ashram agreed, but in return he would become part of the council, secretly plotting to destroy it from within afterwards as a step towards becoming king of Marmo.

Ashram and his gang had the plan to lure Beld to Persei. In order to do so, they kidnapped Beld's lover, a girl who was given to him to form a political marriage. The girl was the sister of the chief of barbarians. Because of this, the barbarians served Beld, so if Beld were to lose the girl, he could lose ties with the barbarians. Aside from this his pride or maybe his love, if he felt any for her, could also compel him to rescue her. The next day notices were put up around Dark Town calling for Beld to come at the appointed time to rescue his girl and discuss the possibilities of an alliance.

At the end of the Chronicles of the Heroic Knight Ashram decides to leave the island of Lodoss and lead his people to a new land. Crystania is the northern half of a two small connected continents, of which the border between them, and the entire shore around Crystania, is protected by a magical barrier. Ashram gave his body to the ancient God Barbos so that his people could enter Crystania.

Crystania is where many surviving gods from the Ancient War of the Gods unknowingly fled to. There, they took the shape of animals.

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