Aske Chales

Aske Chales is a half-elf with seafaring experience. He aided Reides during his escape from Laverathia and took him to Port Valor.

Appearance
Aske is a half-elf with freckled brown skin and green eyes. He has a long scar on his left cheek. His hair is brown and wavy, and is long enough to rest on his shoulders. He wears clothes fit for working on a ship - namely, a flowy white shirt, a maroon sash, black pants, and dark brown leather boots. Two silver earrings are on his right ear. After Reides gifted it to him, he also wears a silver pendant. The pendant has a custom engraving on it that Reides designed - namely, a detailed feather surrounded by the words "hold fast" in Primordial.

Personality

 * Strengths: Clever, free-spirited, tenacious
 * Weaknesses: Pessimistic, self-critical, stubborn

Aske is very quick-witted, to the point of being a bit snarky at times. He is knowledgeable about the world due to his love of books and his time working as a sailor. Though he is prone to bragging in an exaggerated manner, this is likely done as a means of entertaining others rather than being grounded in actual self-confidence. He is strong-willed and, judging by his initial willingness to aid Reides without question, willing to take risks for the greater good.

Background
Aske's father was born in Malino're, though he relocated to Davenport at some point. He worked as a carpenter and became a shipwright as time went on. Aske attributes his father's profession as his first major connection to the maritime lifestyle. Aske's mother was from Davenport and she managed a general store there. She was murdered when Aske was 8 years old. Aske was present during the attack, as it was when he got the scar on his cheek. He understandably maintains a degree of trauma over her death and is not forthcoming with the events surrounding his scar.

Aske found employment on various ships, working as a fisher. In 595, he joined the crew of the Desperado, captained by The Kraken.

Two years into his time on the Desperado, he accidentally fished Reides up from the ocean whilst on a voyage in illegal waters. At the time, he didn't know why Reides wanted to escape to the surface, nor did he find out where Reides came from to begin with, as the triton was unwilling to share anything about his past. However, Aske was still able to successfully aid him in stowing away and took him to Port Valor.

Quadroad Arc
Aske was vaguely mentioned by Reides to the party when the group discussed what should be done in the event of someone in the group meeting an untimely fate. Reides described him as his only friend but, at the time, also admitted that he didn't even know his name, so it would be hard to tell him anything.

The Fall of Port Valor
Shortly after the fall of Port Valor, Aske received a worried Sending message from Reides - during which he learnt Reides' name. After confirming that he was safe and in Atemcester, Aske attempted to introduce himself to Reides. Due to Sending's word limit, however, Reides did not actually learn Aske's name.

Demons of Port Valor
Upon being asked about any romantic interests by Kilwin and while under the influence of deepcoral wine, Reides admitted that he maintained a slight romantic inclination towards Aske. He also stated that he didn't expect this to lead to anything, as he didn't think that the two of them would ever meet again. Kilwin was more optimistic about their possible reunion, however.

When the party left the Exeter, Reides contacted Aske via Sending, informing him that he was heading to Atemcester despite still being a ways off and asking if the two of them could meet again. Aske replied saying that he would love to see Reides, but also said that he was only staying in Atemcester for the next month and a half.

Raven's Fall
The party zealously supported Reides and Aske's reunion, often asking for Reides' input on whether or not they should spend time in the towns leading up to Atemcester. Unwilling to bypass people who needed the Pog Champions' help, Reides contacted Aske via Sending for any updates regarding his situation. Fortunately, Aske reported that, due to a sudden storm in the Eadrenan Sea, the Kraken's vessel was facing a lengthy delay. This delay allowed Aske and Reides to reunite when the Pog Champions arrived in Atemcester.

Atemcester Arc
After spending some time with the party at the Fish and Spell tavern in Atemcester, Aske took Reides aside and asked if he would like to accompany him around the city. Reides accepted, and the two proceeded to explore Atemcester together. While there was something that Aske specifically wanted to show Reides later on in the evening, he opted to keep it as a surprise and, instead, offered to take Reides to a few other places. Their first destination was a resturant on the docks called the Atemcester Fishery, where they caught up with each other and shared a meal. Secondly, they visited the library of Atemcester, where Aske helped Reides look for books pertaining to tritons. While Reides was only able to find book about a sailor who met a mermaid, Aske found a dusty book entitled The People of the Sea, written by P. Valencia. Unfortunately, the book was full of lies about triton society, which got Reides rather heated. Aske pointed out that Reides could definitely write a far better book about tritons. Despite being flattered, Reides dismissed this, saying that his brother would kill him if he did due to the secretive nature of triton society. Aske said that his brother would have to leave the sea in order to do so, though, which Reides deemed highly unlikely. Reides also pointed out that Aske could write a book about meeting a mermaid, referring to himself as one. Aske said that Reides doesn't wear shell bras like most mermaids, and Reides confirmed that a shell bra would be too uncomfortable to wear. On the subject of fashion, Reides also added that most surface clothes tend to overheat him.

Upon leaving the library, the two of them went for a swim in the Portside lake as per Aske's suggestion. Reides offered to use magic to make their time at the lake more eventful, presenting Dimension Door and Featherfall as options. Despite admitting his fear of teleporting, Reides took Aske's hand and casted Dimension Door, pulling him along so that they could dive into the lake rather than wade into it from its shoreline. After successfully executing the spell, Aske had the idea of them dropping into the lake together from a far higher distance, then using Featherfall so as to slow their fall. Reides was greatly enthused by this and agreed to try it out. When Aske grabbed Reides' hand again, assuming that he needed to do so in order for Dimension Door to work, Reides blatantly lied and said that it was, indeed, necessary. Again, Reides successfully casted the necessary spells, and the two enjoyed a long fall into the lake.

After their swim, Aske realized that it was almost time to show Reides the mysterious spectacle that he mentioned earlier. He brought Reides back to the bridge, finding a promenade where the two of them watched the sunset. Right as it began to get dark, lights around Atemcester began flickering on, bit by bit - spreading through the city and creating a halo of light all around it. All of the lights created a reflection of Atemcester in the lake, which Aske compared to a whole other underwater city. He revealed that the sight reminded him of Reides before, hence why he wished to show it to Reides. After teasing each other a bit, the two reminisiced about the past. Aske remarked that the storm was what got them to meet up like this, and Reides revealed that storms have an odd tendency to work out in his favor. Aske wondered if Reides was favored by the goddess of storms, Zasarra, which prompted Reides to reveal that he was born during a storm. He also told Aske that people said he didn't cry at all when he was born, likely in an attempt to make him some sort of symbol. Aske agreed that it was unlikely, as Reides seemed like a crybaby. He reminded Reides of when he cried tears of joy for the first time on the surface. It was happy memory for both of them, though Reides grew quite embarrassed upon being reminded of it. Aske said that it was a nice moment, and that at standing there on the bridge with Reides was another nice moment. He then reached out and held on to Reides' hand.

After spending the night with Reides, Aske woke up to a letter from him. In this letter, Reides apologized for running off and said that he had a wonderful night with Aske. The letter also mentioned wanting to talk to him about something, though Reides promised it was "nothing bad." Later on in the day, Reides returned, and revealed to Aske that he did not want whatever was happening between them to be a one-off fling and wished to pursue a committed relationship with him. During this conversation, Reides also revealed his true status as triton royalty to Aske and said that he was sorry for withholding that information from him. While the revelation was quite the shock for Aske, he accepted Reides for who he was and wondered what Reides could possibly see in him, describing himself as "just a guy who happened to be on a boat" who was lucky enough to fish Reides up. This briefly angered Reides, as he didn't like hearing Aske talk about himself like that, but his anger was short-lived as he explained that Aske was a hilarious, smart and amazing person, and that their meeting was not luck to him but something more akin to destiny. The two agreed to become lovers.

In addition to talking about his background, Reides told Aske about the important nature of his journey with the Pog Champions. He said that his home city, Aquos, was in danger, and that he had a duty to it regardless of his heavy history with it. He asked if Aske would be able to direct them to a ship that would be willing to get him and his companions there, or if the Desperado would be willing to ferry them there for a price. Aske admitted that the storm that loomed over the region looked like it would be a long-lasting one, but also said that the Kraken is the type of captain who rises the challenges like that. He directed the Pog Champions to the Kraken's quarters and witnessed them make a deal with her to undertake the voyage. Afterwards, he headed back to the Fish and Spell with them.

Goals
Aske currently wishes to help the Pog Champions arrive safely in Aquos so that Reides can aid his home city.

Abilities
Due to his travels as well as his tendency to read many books, Aske is very knowledgeable about Alethustria.

Aske and Reides
After accidentally fishing Reides up from waters close to Laverathia, Aske willingly risked his position on the Desperado in order to help the triton stowaway on the vessel. He taught Reides about the surface world, introducing him to some of its food and drink (including salt water taffy and firewhiskey, both of which would go on to become Reides' favorite food and drink respectively), as well as warning him of its dangers. They formed a very close bond during this time. Aske seemed let down when Reides opted against joining the crew of the Desperado and later admitted that he thought of Reides as "the one that got away" after they parted in Port Valor. He was relieved to hear from Reides via his Sending message after the fall of Port Valor and responded enthusiastically to the other messages that Reides sent, though he was unaware of the word limit to the spell until Reides pointed it out to him.

Upon reuniting with Reides in Atemcester (and finally getting the chance to properly introduce himself), Aske invited Reides out on a date. During this date, Aske enjoyed playfully teasing Reides, often reminding him of things that happened during their time together at sea. He also showed Reides a great deal of kindness, reminding him that he was no longer alone and showing him a multitude of beautiful spots around the city. Their relationship became a romantic one during this date, with the two of them kissing and sharing an inn room later that night.

Aske was taken aback when Reides revealed his status as a prince to him, though he was quick to accept it. He shared his own past with Reides, as well, and agreed to get involved with him in a long-term relationship, as he also wanted something more than a one-time fling. Furthermore, when Reides asked for Aske's help in securing passage to Aquos, Aske was quick to connect the Pog Champions with the Kraken.

Quotes

 * (To Reides, via Sending) "Eadro's bloody beard, I wasn't expecting to hear from you. All's fine in Atemcester. We just sailed here from Davenport. By the way, my name -"
 * (To Reides) "Well, well... Looks like my prince needs my help again."

Trivia

 * Aske and Reides' first encounter is mentioned in the first Reides short story (your beginning), and elaborated upon in the second Reides short story (your friend).
 * Despite Aske being a character in Reides' backstory, Jamie did not name him, since Reides didn't exchange names with him during their initial time together. Between the first short story, written in 2019, and Aske's reveal in 2022, Aske was referred to as "the Surfacer."
 * Since Reides is a triton and Aske is a half-elf, players have drawn similarities between them and the main relationship explored in the Shape of Water (2017).
 * A while after Aske agreed to aid Reides in stowing away on the Desperado, he helped Reides with changing out of his Laverathian regalia. He did this in part by stealing a pair of pants belonging to one of his crewmates (Clive). When this crewmate met Reides formally a year later, he complimented his pants and said that he once had a pair like that, but did not seem suspicious over this "coincidence." It can therefore be assumed that Aske faced no repercussions for the theft.