Asculith is King Aseron's older brother. He is a Unknown Queen King(?), also known as a Hamadryad, a tall creature with greenish skin and branches popping out from under his leaf-composed clothing. He enjoys sailing and hunting monsters, earning him two titles – the Rippling Leaf, and the Hunter of Hunters.
Rejected Crown
Feeling that his passions, desires and skills lie elsewhere, Asculith rejected his position as the King of the Fey, resulting in Lord Aseron taking the throne. Still, he is by birth the Prince of the Fey (a title that he never uses, and heavily insists that others should never use either), and thus the current heir to the throne, at least while Aseron has no children.
Regardless of his wishes, Asculith was made the Duke of the Rising Tide, and as his bonded domain, he was given the shores of the Millennium Forest, alongside the Garland (of which he is technically the Highlord), the archipelago south of the Fey capitol city, and many of the minor isles of the Ebissian Sea. He is more than content with letting Lady Sjel rule over the Wreath fully in his stead, though on occasion, he has to get involved anyway, such as during Unknown.
The Banyan Surfer
Asculith is at home when wandering high seas (earning him the moniker of "the Peregrine"), despite being a creature intrinsically tied to forests and plants.
To operate his ship – the Banyan Surfer – efficiently as its Captain, Asculith commands a crew, which includes the Navigator Sunward Kalen, the Purser Sciuro Shadowtail, the Surgeon Lady Malyson, the Artillerist Ophio, the Boatswain Seacoil, and others. While he might not treat them this way, other Fey courtiers consider his crew to be his ever-wandering, Wayward Court, and Asculith himself they call the Unbent Bough, for his determination and stubbornness, even in the face of his brother the King. The Hamadryad instead treats this title as a description of his winning streak, for he has never attempted a hunt that wasn't successful.
His ship, the Banyan Surfer, is not a traditional seafaring vessel. Instead, it looks like a tall central tree which seemingly grows from a bowl floating on the sea, and sends its branches down to the water; this results in an effect that has the appearance of a small, individual forest. Each branch or root, seeking the stability of the ground, cannot find it, but instead grows together in a dense cluster. The whole thing ends up being a singular, floating tree with entwined branches forming a solid floor. It is not a tall ship, nor does it appear particularly sea-worthy, but it seems to be doing well enough. Vines serve as ropes, and sails are attached to the stronger boughs in a seemingly haphazard and random manner. Hammocks and little wood-woven cabins can be seen through the branches, alongside lanterns, cargo and cages entwined within the greenery - the latter hold all manner of prey and hunting trophies that Asculith claimed. The front of the Banyan Surfer is decorated by a depiction of a Hydra carved from wood. This figurehead can occasionally be seen writhing and twitching in a jerky manner, as if alive. - Viktor |