Ashveil/Story

Profile

Ashveil is a former Galaxy Ranger who bears the shadow of Voracity within his prosthetic arm. Once a renowned Ranger, he fell into self-exile after the disastrous Operation Zulo and now seeks redemption while protecting those affected by the schemes of Dr. Primitive.

Appearance

Ashveil is a tall, muscular man with gray eyes and hip-length, dark grey hair with a red streak in the back having a purple end and shorter strands around his shoulders fading to white. On his left side he has a lock of braided hair going back into his hair clip which has the design of two interlocked crimson and silver crescent moons.

His outfit consists of a black turtleneck shirt under a white tailcoat with split sleeves, black pants, and black knee-high boots. He also wears a white fedora with a black and silver triangle patterned hat band and a metal wolf accessory. On his left hand he wears a white glove with two metal rings representing wolf teeth, and a silver watch around his wrist. Around his neck he wears a fang necklace.

History

Origins

In the early legends surrounding the founding of the Galaxy Rangers, it is said that La Mancha, the hero, made friends far and wide, swearing brotherhood with the two mighty champions "Bear" and "Owl" and uniting the Galaxy Rangers from all corners of the cosmos.^[1]

At some point in the past, Ashveil met Isee, the former Navigator of the Astral Express, who guided him toward the shadow of Voracity, a fragment of Oroboros that was eventually sealed within him.^[2] Ashveil boarded the Xianzhou Zhuming and, with the help of Huaiyan, was able to seal the shadow of Voracity within his right prosthetic arm. There, he met a young Yingxing, who also created Ashveil's sword-staff, which he continues to use in combat to this day. Ashveil invited Yinxing to join the Galaxy Rangers, but the latter refused, instead wanting to stay at the Flamewheel Forge.^[3] Ashveil went to the Shackling Prison after the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, in which Yingxing was complicit and became mara-struck after fusing with Shuhu's flesh.^[4] Lamenting Yingxing's fate, Ashveil asked whether he should break him out of the Shackling Prison, as he was indebted to both Huaiyan and Yingxing for helping him seal the shadow of Voracity. Yingxing refused, stating that he must atone for his sins. Respecting his choice, Ashveil left him.^[5]

Operation Zulo

Soon after, led by Ashveil, the Galaxy Rangers launched a planned assault on Lord Ravager Zulo, who was using Kronstadt as a breeding ground for his forces. To gain an advantage, the Rangers manipulated the remnants of the Swarm, exploiting their lack of intelligence and herding them toward Zulo's fleet. Despite this tactic, the Galaxy Rangers were ultimately overwhelmed by Zulo's legion. As a final measure, Ashveil unleashed the shadow of Voracity within his right arm, which indiscriminately consumed Zulo, the Swarm remnants, and many Galaxy Rangers. In the aftermath, Ashveil incurred the ire of his fellow Rangers, most notably the other two Lead Hunters, "Heartless Bear" and "One-Eyed Owl," who accused him of dragging the Rangers into ruin for the sake of a personal vendetta. Following Operation Zulo, Ashveil quietly disappeared and kept a low profile to atone for his actions during the operation.

However, he resurfaced in Amber Era 2155 when Dr. Primitive attempted to conduct an atavistic experiment on the Thousand-Tree Greenwood on Vonwacq. Ashveil arrived on Vonwacq when the experiment had already entered its final stage, and the Galaxy Rangers fought off Dr. Primitive and successfully thwarted his experiments. Those affected by Dr. Primitive's Degeneration Flow became Slumbernana Monkeys, whom Ashveil has continued to care for.^[2][6] At some point, Rappa found Narrator, a veteran from Vonwacq and a victim of Degeneration Flow,^[2] and handed him over to Ashveil for care, after which he remained with him.^[7] Sometime before his arrival at Planarcadia, Ashveil's shadow of Voracity had devoured a piece of Shuhu.^[8]

Planarcadia

Phantasmoon Games

At an unknown point, Ashveil arrived on Planarcadia in self-exile and took up residence at Furbobo Weekly headquarters, where he slept in a freezer. As the Phantasmoon waxed full on Planarcadia in Amber Era 2158, Ashveil was contacted by Pearl, who asked for his help in keeping the Phantasmoon Games under control and preventing a repeat of the Bloodstained Games tragedy. Initially hesitant,^[9] he accepted her offer after investigating the murder scene of the Synwish Syndicate alongside IPC employee Skott.^[10]

After becoming a Supplicant, Ashveil joined forces with Kuchiba and began investigating the Research Society of Happy Smiles and its potential involvement in the Synwish Syndicate murder. However, when they arrived at one of the Society's gatherings in Duomension City, they found its members tight-lipped and suspected Fulwish of being involved before promptly leaving due to a lack of substantial evidence against them. They later followed Daybreak Squadron member Cinderborne, where they were confronted by other Research Society of Happy Smiles members. Ashveil and Kuchiba failed to extract any answers from Cinderborne. Despite being defeated and roughed up by Ashveil, the Research Society of Happy Smiles members continued to show no signs of pain, instead laughing manically. Seeing this, Cinderborne revealed the process that Smile Society members undergo after being inducted into the Society, known as "Happiness Surgery," which removes their ability to feel pain. Learning this, Ashveil deduced that the suspect, Fulwish, intended to use the Star Rail FEST to create further panic, encouraging more people to join the Research Society of Happy Smiles and undergo Happiness Surgery.^[11]

As Ashveil and Kuchiba made their way to the Star Rail FEST, they discovered that the Daybreak Squadron, with the aid of Fulwish TV, was falsely accusing members of the Astral Express of colluding with the IPC. Fusing with the King Pom-Pom mechatron, the Daybreak Squadron challenged the Astral Express alongside Ashveil.^[12] As the King Pom-Pom mechatron unleashed a barrage of missiles, Ashveil unsealed his right arm and completed his roll call as a Supplicant, allowing the shadow of Voracity to crush the mechatron while simultaneously dragging everyone into a "torn scroll," a special fissure within Planarcadia's space. Within the "torn scroll," Ashveil interrogated Blazeweaver, Dawnlance, and Azurewing.

Seeing that they had completely lost their sanity due to the surgery, Ashveil used his shadow to devour the three members. He then told Cinderborne to remember what he had witnessed, while also stating that Cinderborne could come after Ashveil whenever he wanted. Soon after, the torn scroll began shaking, attempting to drag everyone within it toward its depths. Its effects also began breaking reality on Planarcadia. However, Pearl used her Cornerstone ability to deconstruct the space, allowing everyone a passage out.^[13] After some deliberation, as everyone left, Pearl reaffirmed her end of the bargain: should she win the Phantasmoon Games, she would fulfill Ashveil's wish to let a Galaxy Ranger die peacefully in his bed.^[8]

Imagenae: Holy Grail War

Following the beginning of the Imagenae Holy Grail War (shortly after the events of Star Rail FEST), which emulated the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War, Ashveil was assigned as an Archer-class Servant to Wonweek. Initially posing as an ally to Rin Tohsaka and the Trailblazer in their efforts to obtain Gilgamesh's relics, he betrayed the group to gain Sparxie's favor, only to betray her again in order to obtain the relic himself. He also dissolved Wonweek's imagenated body due to his ill intentions regarding the elixir of immortality relic.^[14] After Ishtar was defeated, Ashveil invited the Trailblazer to a meeting with his old Master, Boothill at the "World's End" Tavern.^[15]

Return To Phantasmoon Games

Following Aha's declaration through the Phantasmoon, Fulwish invited all Supplicants to Seafeld TV and Seafeld TV Tower for a televised debate among the current Supplicants.^[16] As soon as the Express crew, along with Ashveil, made their way into the tower, Joy Ascendants began appearing throughout Planarcadia.^[17] Ashveil, Blade, Sunday, Dan Heng, and the Trailblazer made their way to the rooftop, where Fulwish challenged the group to a battle after donning her Supplicant mask and revealing her true purpose: to prolong the Phantasmoon Games forever and ensure that the Planarcadians suffered just as she once had when she was young. After the Trailblazer used their Stellaron to gather Wishpower and defeat Fulwish, the group waited as Sunday helped Silver Wolf seal the remains of Shuhu within Blade.^[18]

Following Fulwish's defeat, Ashveil intended to uncover the true culprit behind the second Herald of Death incident.^[19] He visited "World's End" Tavern with March 7th and learned of a legendary Masked Fool, "Enroute," who had left the Tavern during the Second Prosperity. Gathering multiple clues with the help of Ruan Mei and Tingyun, Ashveil was able to deduce that the Masked Fool Enroute, the legendary Astral Express navigator Isee, and the Lord Ravager Asat Pramad were one and the same person. Ashveil also revealed to the trio that it was Isee who had guided him to the shadow of Voracity sealed within his arm. Soon after, Asat Pramad isolated Ashveil, causing Ashveil's arms to begin growing restless, with Asat remarking that Ashveil was one of the few people capable of making him change his plans.^[2] However, Ashveil escaped unscathed alongside March 7th and regrouped with the Trailblazer outside in Duomension City.^[20]

Astropolis

After the Astral Express crew defeated Asat Pramad, Pearl deliberated with Ashveil and Kuchiba regarding intelligence she had gathered over the years since taking over as the CEO of Planarcadia. She then requested that the duo visit the Life Sciences Institute, headed by Yabuli.^[21][22]

Trivia

• Alongside Owl and Bear, Ashveil also bears an animalistic alias: Wolf. Like the "Heartless Bear" and "One-Eyed Owl," this alias is paired with a physical characteristic, with Wolf being associated with his broken leg.
  • Ashveil's Character Trailer, "The Wolf is Coming," is based on the social deduction party game Werewolf.
• Ashveil claims to be a "hard-boiled detective."^[23] Hardboiled is a literary genre whose typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence of organized crime while dealing with a legal system that has become as corrupt as the organized crime itself.
  • The Achievement Hardboiled Detective can be unlocked if the Trailblazer chooses Ashveil in Adventure Mission Millennium Killer.
• Ashveil's Faction is initially listed as "Planarcadia." Upon completing Trailblaze Mission Real Holy Laughter!, his Faction changes to "Galaxy Ranger."
• Ashveil has the following aliases:
  • Ashen Detective (Chinese: 不死神探 "Immortal Detective")
  • DetectivePassingBy (Furbobocom)
  • Lead Hunter (of the Galaxy Rangers)^[13][24]
  • First Fang (by the Galaxy Rangers)^[24]
  • Boss (by Boothill)^[25]
  • Solostar Wolfshade (by Rappa)^[26]
  • Old Wolf^[27]
  • True Aha^[28]
  • No. 1 "Legendary Reaper Constitution"^[29]
  • 1st Place for "There's Definitely Something Wrong With the Detective I Hired"^[29]

HoYoverse Shared VAs

• Ashveil shares the same English voice actor, Blythe Melin, with:
  • Lygus
  • Rerir, Skofnungr, Jialiang, Jiwani, and Angoulvant in Genshin Impact
  • Severian Lowell in Zenless Zone Zero
• Ashveil shares the same Chinese voice actor, Zhang Pei (张沛), with:
  • Thoma in Genshin Impact
  • Lighter in Zenless Zone Zero

Etymology

• 不死 bùsǐ means "undying" or "immortal." 途 tú means "path."
• One of Ashveil's names, "La Mancha," comes from the Spanish historical region La Mancha, thought to be named after the Arabic word Al-Mansha (Arabic: المنشا), which roughly translates to "land without water."
  • In the novel Don Quixote, set in La Mancha, the main character Alonso Quijano read so many chivalric romances that he loses his mind and decides to become a knight-errant under the name Don Quixote de (of) la Mancha.

References

Navigation

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