Asino I "the Merciless"

Asino I "the Merciless" was the youngest son of Akirth I and the Elvish King of the Empire of Duracuire from 7559 ROE (Reckoning of the Elves) to 7606 ROE. He was also the creator of the Kingdom of Regarv, which he put under the rule of Hafer III in the Year 7599 ROE, with Asino I as its Protectorate. Upon his death in 7606 at the hands of Kirlian IV during the Quest for the Golden Sword, Hafer III inherited the Throne of the Empire, since Asino I had no sons or daughters and had made Hafer III his heir. During his reign, Asino I reignited the conflict between the Men of Maroozo and the Elves of the Empire, beginning the Third Maroozian War, which he fought with Arnorn II and, later, Kirlian IV. While fighting in one crucial battle of this War, the Battle of Monticule in 7578 ROE, Arnorn II's son, Kirlian IV, faced him on the field of battle and smote him across the brow, leaving a scar that would remain there for the rest of his life. However, Asino I defeated Kirlian IV, until Arnorn II came to his rescue and drove the Elvish King back into his ranks of soldiers. As he fled into the safety of his army, Kirlian IV cried out, "Craven! Craven of the House of Denkirth!", and Asino I realized he spoke the truth, for he was truly a coward. Ever after, the two, Asino I and Kirlian IV, were bitter enemies. Some years later, in 7586 ROE, the mother of Kirlian IV, Arguil, fled her home in the Tower of the Zebber in Maroozo and sought refuge with the Elvish King, for she had learnt of a plot by Arnorn II's Warlords and Generals to slay the entirety of the Maroozian Royal Family and seize the throne once Arnorn II died, for he was sickly and near death. She came with her youngest son, Hafer III, her daughter, Marinia, Marinia's husband, Trenian, and their son, Tithinus. Kirlian IV refused to take refuge with his enemy and stayed in the Tower of the Zebber to confront his father's enemies. Asino I feigned a warm welcome and invited them to stay at his stronghold of Dor Amarath. However, as soon as slumber overtook them, he slit all their throats, save for the two youngest, Hafer and Tithinus, whom he raised under his protection and care, training them in the art of Elvish Weapons, such as the longbow and the Lamaria, and preparing them to serve as his puppet rulers of Maroozo once Kirlian IV eventually died, for if Kirlian IV died childless, they would be the heirs to the throne. In 7604, Kirlian IV launched the unsuccessful Seige of Dor Amarath in retaliation for the death of the Lord of the Safino earlier in the year and the conquest of the Safino by Asino. During this Seige, Kirlian IV was captured by the Elvish Captain Unavek and brought before his conquerors, Asino I and Hafer III. After accusing Hafer III of being a traitor to his country and his family, Kirlian IV was taken down to the dungeons, where he was tortured. However, Hafer III freed him and Kirlian IV escaped back to his country. Having guessed what occurred, Asino I was furious and Hafer III had to flee back to his Kingdom of Regarv, which he armed against the Empire, formally renouncing any connection to the Elvish King or his Empire. Thus, Asino I laid siege upon Regarv, beginning the short-lived War of Regarvian Secession. This war was interrupted in 7605 when spies of Asino I brought him news of the location of the mythical Golden Sword, and informed him that Kirlian IV was preparing to embark on a quest to recover it. Asino recognized the need for as much strength as he could muster for this quest, should he happen to meet Kirlian IV on their path, and so meet with Hafer III, arranging a pact of alliance between them, albeit a shaky one. This was known as the Pact of the Two Kings. Thus, Asino I and Hafer III embarked on their quest for the Golden Sword. However, after clashing with Kirlian's forces at the Battle of the Western Unknown, Hafer broke his oath of alliance and sided with Kirlian IV, driving back Asino's forces. Asino remained calm, despite the ire boiling within, and proceeded to later wipe out Kirlian IV's entire army, when he and Hafer III separated. Once Asino I and his army reached the Northern Sea, they built mighty ships, and crossed the sea. However, a hurricane drove them back and they were forced to land on a craggy island. Here, they made camp, but later discovered that this island was the abode of an ancient evil from the time of Tyrius the Black - the Akairak. The Akairak was disturbed by the presence of the Elvish Army, and it awoke from its centuries of slumber to wreak havoc on the forces of Asino I. In an act of horrendous cowardice, Asino abandoned his army, leaving them to whatever fate the Akairak might bring them, and sailed off in the last remaining ship, with the cries of "Defend me, O Elvish Soldiers! Defend I, your King!" Thus, Asino I continued his journey and eventually reached the Isle of Epedor, where it was claimed the Golden Sword was lain. There, he found Kirlian IV, Hafer III, and Numeneor the Titan, who had all arrived at the same time as him. Thus began an epic duel among all four of them. At first, Asino I fought Hafer III, denouncing him as a traitor since he had broken his oath of allegiance. Hafer III apologized for abandoning him, but explained he felt his duty towards his own blood was greater than his duty towards an oath. After wounding Hafer III in shoulder and shoving him down a hill, Asino I found himself face to face with his greatest adversary and personal enemy - Kirlian IV. The two dueled intensely, each striking a fair number of blows upon each other, until both were bloody and weak. Kirlian IV pushed Asino I back, forcing him onto the precipice of a cliff, where Kirlian IV knocked Asino I's sword from his hand with a blow to the wrist. Kirlian IV forced Asino I to kneel, but Asino I refused to be beaten, and continued to taunt Kirlian IV. Eventually, these words passed his lips: "Craven!", echoing those same words spoken by Kirlian all those years ago. Enraged, Kirlian smote his sword across Asino's neck, ending his life.