Ashkalaar, Archon of Havoc

“	I embrace my purpose, I embrace my destiny. I eliminate all my enemies, those who deceive from behind. Fragile beings, lacking resolve. I am Havoc, I unleash Havoc upon every land, every people. (...) My will is sharp, unlike soft wills of my enemies. My will has ravaged countless realms, and there shall never be one to be an exception. They shall find no escape; I shall assail them relentlessly like a tempest of countless stingers. I shall transform their lofty peaks into craters, their expansive oceans into mere mists, their existence into lifeless husks, and unearth the truth buried beneath their falsehoods. They shall experience the meaning of my Havoc, and shall be engulfed with it entirely.	„
	~ Ashkalaar, Archon of Havoc

Summary

Ashkalaar, Archon of Havoc, is a character from Crestseal. She is an Acolyte of the Settler, the second Acolyte after Skal, and aids the Settler in her goal to defeat the Voyager.

Background

Ashkalaar was born on the planet of Gulbea. At the time of her birth, Gulbeans have been at war with Solbians, those of the planet Solbia, for thousands of years. The conflict reduced both of their civilizations to the brink of extinction and fueled their hatred of one another for generations. Both civilizations emerged and developed around the same time, and their ambitions to expand outward were threatened by the other one's existence. This would start the conflict that would last for thousands of years define these two peoples, and doom them in the end.

Ashkalaar was raised when the war between the two nearly made them extinct and turned both planets into hell. Less than a million Gulbeans were remaining by the time Ashkalaar was born and around the same number of Solbians. This did not stop the bitter hatred both peoples had and the desire to see the other cease existing. Both sacrificed so much for it, and both wished to see that end, their hatred could not be contained. Ashkalaar was a particularly hateful and determined Gulbean, she would join the army and rise through the ranks in rapid succession, her determination and competence would inspire her fellow Solbians, but her ruthlessness, even to her own people, did not go unnoticed.

As the conflict continued and the situation started to get worse and worse, Ashkalaar's position in the military continued to rise. She stood as the most capable field commander of Solbians, having never lost a battle with her Warband, a squad she gathered over the years. However, her ruthlessness and harsh behavior prevented her from getting too much support from the common people. She was capable, sure, but not kind, not even to her own people. She only held the loyalty of her small Warband whose numbers were less than two thousand, whose personalities were just like hers. Ashkalaar's capability in war wasn't about her being a better strategist or planner, but simply about her being vastly more powerful. Not only her, but her Warband was also so much more powerful than most others. They had a very simple battle plan, detect the enemy and attack as soon as they were able with overwhelming force, stomp on, and eliminate all that moves, including civilians, including allies. Her Warband was fully loyal to her and did not complain about her orders, no matter how rough. Ashkalaar was their commander, Havoc was their sole intent, and adversaries were their sole demand.

As the conflict with Solbia intensified in the following decades, she was eventually made the Commander-in-Chief of the Gulbean Army, and de-facto ruler of Gulbea as a whole, much to the population's dismay as her nature bothered them. She later decided to be a candidate for the President of Gulbea, a position with the five-year time limit and only one term in office. The folk welcomed this, as she would need to step down once her 5-year tenure ended, and would be rendered to a commander, so she won the election by a landslide. Ashkalaar implemented various administrative changes during her presidency, some of which could not have been fully implemented in her five-year tenure, but she started anyway. Folk tolerated this as they believed she was to be gone once her term ended, however, Ashkalaar had other plans.

Two weeks before the next election, Ashkalaar launched a sef-coup and imprisoned most of the opposition, establishing a dictatorship, and continuing her changes in government. People strongly opposed her, and some small revolts took place which she ordered to be suppressed. Most didn't revolt, as they were afraid, and some still believed she was the only hope against Solbia even if they did not like her methods. For the next decades, Ashkalaar transformed the remains of Gulbea into a war machine, with all production dedicated to war against Solbia. Gulbea started to gain the upper hand in the conflict. She became more harsh and strict as time went on, and also became paranoid. This oppression would eventually lead to a revolt, a brief civil war, and the overthrow of Ashkalaar.

Ashkalaar was arrested, her Warband was killed or arrested, and she alongside her Warband members was sentenced to death. Most Warband members were executed right away aside from two top-ranking ones, those who served Ashkalaar since the very beginning, were to be executed alongside Ashkalaar. She was thrown into the dungeon to wait for her execution date. There Ashkalaar contemplated her acts. Everything she did, she did for her people, for Gulbea, but this is how they responded. She believed them to be ungrateful, undeserving of her devotion and eventually regretted, regretted having served such ungrateful people.

She spent a week in the dungeon, where she got barely any food, she wondered if they were going to starve her to death as a method of execution, and sighed. One night, all would change, when something she described as a 'thinking shadow' arrived in her cell.

"Ashkalaar. Havoc Incarnate. Greetings." said the 'thinking shadow'

"What are you!", wished to ask Ashkalaar, with her usual confident, sharp tone, but she could not, she was being drowned by the shadows and could barely move her lips, she said "...What are you?" a very quiet voice. She also realized other Warband members in other cells could not see this 'thinking shadow'

"A would-be ally. Only ally. I have watched you for decades. I relish your acts. I am grateful. Just like your Warband. Unlike these people." replied the 'thinking shadow'

"...Why?-" said Ashkalaar, interrupted

"I was bestowed the name the Settler. I settle things. Did you understand the significance of something? Something you already know. What is it? I shall free you if you did." asked the Settler

Ashkaalar thought, she did not respond for a while, and eventually said ".... Indifference."

"Majestic. You understood the significance of indifference. None deserves your services. I shall free you. You shall work with me. Endless Havoc awaits you." said the Settler

Ashkalaar was excited, not only because she was to be freed, but also because of 'Endless Havoc'. She never thought about it, but she loved Havoc, destruction, and discord, she lived for it. She never imagined a life without it. She said "I shall work for you, my Settler." and from that moment she could feel the newfound power within herself. She was now Havoc incarnate like the Settler said. She freed herself and freed her remaining Warband, only two were imprisoned with her, the most loyal and powerful ones, the rest dead. The names of the two surviving Warband members were Spinas, Penchant of the Sharp and Daicas, Penchant of the Drench. She now named them her Penchants, empowered them by giving them a piece of herself, her Nails, and proceeded to unleash the significance of indifference upon both Gulbea and Solbia. Those two understood its meaning and became indifferent themselves, extinct.

She was subsequently made an Acolyte, and given the title 'Archon of Havoc'. She was now Havoc itself, and along with her 2 remaining members of the Warband, now renamed Tempest of Havoc, working as its leaders. She wished to unleash Havoc upon many others. She sent her Penchants to different planets and realms to "teach others Havoc and indifference". She would serve the Settler for millions of years. Over many years, she gained immense power, but never established a Crown Palace, for her nature as Havoc was more potent than being a Crownbearer.

Calamity

Millions of years later, one of her Penchants, Spinas, Penchant of the Sharp, discovered one of the Voyagers in a Solar System, located near a Moon, uplifting a people known as Palovans, who have colonized their own Solar System. There she tasked Daicas to lead the Crimson Fleet to bring Havoc upon these Palovans and destroy that one part of the Voyager. Daicas followed suit, laying waste to unsuspecting Palovans who were completely unprepared for a war like this as they have been in peace for thousands of years. Daicas would lay waste to Palovans, slaughtering them by the millions in just a few weeks, and decimating what he called "the deception and deliberate stalling methods these Palovans call a civilization". However, the Voyager managed to flee. This was expected, as the Voyager was hard to catch. His mission was complete, or so he thought.

Powers and Abilities

Tier: At least 5-B

Key: Within the Middlescape

Name: Ashkalaar, Archon of Havoc

Origin: Crestseal

Gender: Female

Age: Millions of years old

Classification: Gulbean, Archon of Havoc

Powers and Abilities:

• Abilities
• Resistances

• Phanon Control (Full)
• Superhuman Physical Characteristics
• Genius Intelligence
• Acausality (Type 2; Ashkalaar is Nonlogical due to being an Acolyte of the Settler. Nonlogical beings, at their most basic, are singularities and wholly detached from their past and future)
• Flight/Spaceflight (Can do battle in outer space and fly in it)
• Abstract Existence (Type 2; Ashkalaar represents the Kernel of Havoc, also called Destruction, Discord, and Disruption, and draws power from it)
• Self-Sustenance (Types 1, 2, and 3; Ashkalaar sustains herself only by Havoc, she does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe)
• Immortality (Types 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8; Ashkalaar can live and return as long as Havoc persists)
• Regeneration (High-Godly; As long as Essence of Havoc and Kernel of Havoc persist Ashkalaar will recover herself, able to return from the destruction of her Kernel and Essence instantaneously and being severed from the Kernel of Havoc)
• Cosmic Awareness (Ashkalaar is simultaneously aware of any and all acts of Havoc taking place in the entire Middlescape)
• Empowerment (Grows stronger and more capable the more Havoc exists, draws power from any and all acts of Havoc, Destruction, Discord, and Disruption anywhere within Middlescape)
• Chaos Manipulation (Has command over Havoc itself)
• Probability Manipulation (Her mere presence increases the possibility of Havoc occurring in her vicinity)
• Reactive Evolution (Ashkalaar can quickly grow immune to all methods of attempting to harm or defeat her that use Havoc)
• Power Bestowal (Empowered her three Penchants and made them far more powerful than before by giving them her nails)
• Martial Arts and Mastery of Melee and Ranged Weapons (Verseduelists exhibit exceptional expertise in various different combat arts including wrestling, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and sambo to the point of knowing and fully mastering every single application of these combat arts and knowing everything these arts can ever be used to achieve. They also are very proficient across various combat disciplines involving close-ranged weapons like swords and spears, as well as proficiency in marksmanship with firearms and rifles the same way)
• Afterimage Creation (Miragestriders can leave numerous afterimages that look identical to confuse and disorient)
• Enhanced Senses, Extrasensory Perception and Non-Physical Interaction (Sensethrusters have heightened senses allowing them to sense smallest details down the size of atoms, and can sense clearly from kilometers away, can interact with and harm unphysical phenomena such as emotions, smoke, shadows, as well as beings of Contour)
• Body Control and Natural Weaponry (Morphforgers have atomic control over their own physique, allowing them to manifest weapons out of it and mitigate blunt damage by readjusting)
• Sound Control, Instinctive Action, and Acrobatics (Hypermobility, All-Terrain Mobility, Self-Momentum, Surface Running; Mentalweavers can instinctively react to incoming attacks by dodging or blocking and launch a counter attack even when no longer alive, capable of performing hundreds of rapid jumps and flips both in-ground and in the air, move through any terrain and glide in the air with maximum efficiency, move in a way that is not affected by air friction to perform instant full-speed movement without acceleration, and move in a way that makes no sound)
• Analytical Prediction (Precogazers can attain a clear insight into the movements of their targets by simply looking at their present state)
• Information Analysis (Fullreaders can accurately glean information about individuals or objects, decipher their capabilities, combat methods, and their present intent with seemingly as little effort as a mere gaze, and prepare to counter what they were able to glean to the best of their abilities)
• Perception Manipulation (Knows Rapidaware, which massively enhances awareness of the user, allowing her to pay far greater attention and reach and respond to phenomena far faster than herself normally)
• Durability Negation, Curse Manipulation, Probability Manipulation Mind Manipulation, and Soul Manipulation (Havoc Blade curses anything it cuts with exceptionally bad luck, and redirects all Havoc in the vicinity upon them, it can also distort and gradually erode the minds and souls of all it cuts)
• Existence Erasure and Spatial Manipulation (Havoc Gun can pierce through space itself)
• Regeneration Negation (Up to High-Godly) and Immortality Negation (Types 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8; Ashkalaar can utilize Obliteract, which obliterates her targets down to their Kernels. Denying their immortality, Ashkalaar can permanently obliterate beings of Contour as well as certain high-ranked Yekks who can recover from such scale of destruction. Much weaker users of Obliteract among the Swarm can permanently annihilate high-ranking Sentinels and their Spurs)
• Dimensional Travel (Can use Pathfinder to move between different Tumults and Scapes)

Resistance to Analytical Prediction (Precogaze masters can resist Precogaze of those comparable to themselves), Information Analysis (Fullreaders can resist Fullread of those comparable to themselves), Subjective Reality, Precognition, Retrocognition, Causality Manipulation, Power Mimicry, Duplication (Yekks cannot emulate Nonlogical beings), Regeneration Negation (Up to High-Godly) and Immortality Negation (Types 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8; Nothing happens and can still heal herself when she is hit by Obliteract of others), Power Absorption (Ashkalaar can override Dagger Dogma's doctrine of losing powers to those that kills them), Causality Manipulation, Information Manipulation (Type 2), Power Bestowal, Healing, Corruption (Type 2), Possession, Body Puppetry, Mind Manipulation, Transmutation (Unaffected by Rive). Immunity to Soul Manipulation (Ashkalaar has no soul)

Attack Potency: At least Planet level (Ashkalaar has the assignment of Special Rank 1 and is one of the most physically imposing characters. Far stronger than her Penchants, the two of her most senior generals, Daicas and Spinas, who are also Special Rank 1 are strong enough to defeat Broatative Probe-rank Yekks even when outnumbered. As a direct servant of the Settler she is higher in the hierarchy than Evyren and thus should be more powerful than her Regicide form)

Speed: At least Subsonic movement speed with at least Relativistic reactions (Faster than her Penchants and other recruits, while even lesser ones can keep up with Yekks)

Lifting Strength: At least Pre-Steallar (Stronger than her Penchants, who are stronger than Yekks)

Striking Strength: At least Planet level (Ashkalaar has the assignment of Special Rank 1 and is one of the most physically imposing characters. Far stronger than her Penchants, the two of her most senior generals, Daicas and Spinas, who are also Special Rank 1 are strong enough to defeat Broatative Probe-rank Yekks even when outnumbered. As a direct servant of the Settler she is higher in the hierarchy than Evyren and thus should be more powerful than her Regicide form)

Durability: At least Planet level

Stamina: Infinite. Ashkalaar can remain active as long as the Kernel of Havoc exists as a phenomenon, she feeds off of the very existence of Havoc

Range: Standard Melee Range, Extended Melee Range with Havoc Blade, Interdimensional with Pathfinder

Standard Equipment:

• Havoc Blade: Havoc Blade was a regular blade, it was engulfed by her power and the very Kernel of Havoc itself to be a more proper conduit for Havoc itself. Ashkalaar uses this blade to redirect Havoc in the vicinity to a singular target. This blade causes exceptionally bad luck by anyone who is unfortunate enough to be cut by it, to the point any action they may take ends up with a catastrophic result for them. Such as the simple action of taking a single step leading to the breaking of their leg, despite the target being very durable. Continued presence near the blade will cause destruction of the minds and souls of those who were cut by it.

• Havoc Gun: Havoc Gun is a gun powered by her power and the very Kernel of Havoc itself. This gun serves as another conduit for Havoc itself in the form of concentrated bullets with a very dense presence of Havoc, this destructive potency of such dense Havoc can pierce through all things, including space itself

Intelligence: Extraordinary Genius. Ashkalaar is an exceptionally capable and one of the most powerful beings within Middlescape, wielding powers incomprehensible to even the most intelligent and capable beings such as Yekks.

Standard Tactics:

• Ashkalaar does what is the most effective as per her Precogaze, she is mostly a close-range combatant lacking long-range abilities, and her favorite move is to use Havoc Blade to curse her target with perpetual bad luck, to make them understand and be drowned in what she represents

Weaknesses: None notable

Notable Attacks/Techniques:

• • Havoc Incarnate: Ashkalaar represents the Kernel of Havoc itself. Also called Destruction, Discord, and Disruption, and draws power from it.
    • Havoc Command: Ashkalaar has command over Havoc. She is capable of increasing the possibility of Havoc within her vicinity, she uses this to power her Havoc Blade and Havoc Gun as conduits. She is also aware of all acts of Havoc taking place within the entire Middlescape at once.
    • Havoc Sustenance: Ashkalaar feeds off of Havoc alone does not need any other sustenance
    • Havoc Rise: Ashkalaar grows in power and might the more acts of Havoc exist, any and all acts of Havoc empower her. She is also able to heal from any wound via this power she gains from Havoc
    • Havoc Null: Ashkalaar, due to being THE representation of Havoc, cannot be harmed by any means that includes Havoc. She quickly grows immune to any and all methods of harming or defeating her, if those methods involve Havoc in any way. This makes combating her directly inherently disadvantageous as combat is generally Havoc
  • Proficiency: Ashkalaar is a highly proficient combatant and a master of several different Proficiency Paths.
  • Versaduelist: Verseduelists exhibit exceptional expertise in various combat arts to the point of knowing and fully mastering every single application of these combat arts and knowing everything these arts can ever be used to achieve. They also are very proficient across various combat disciplines involving close-range weapons, as well as extensive knowledge in marksmanship with various weapons/abilities
  • Sensethruster:Sensethrusters have exceptionally heightened senses. They can perceive their surroundings down to an atomic scale, and usually in a radius around them. They can perceive sounds and sights from kilometers away. They can see, interact with, and harm unphysical phenomena such as smoke, shadows, and beings of Contour as if they are solid or physical
  • Morphforger: Morphforgers have extensive control over their own physique down to an atomic level. These characters can alter their shape considerably, conjure weapons out of their body, and even partially counteract blunt force damage by readjusting their structure.
  • Mentalweaver: Mentalweavers can effectively control their bodies like puppets guided by their mind rather than conventional movement. For these individuals, the thought of moving is the same as moving itself, and there is no delay between the mind and the body. This allows them to perform hundreds of rapid jumps and flips both in-ground and in the air, move through any terrain and glide in the air with maximum efficiency, move in a way that is not affected by air friction to perform instant full-speed movement without acceleration, and move in a way that makes no sound. They can also innately react to any incoming attack by dodging and launching a counterattack, even when no longer alive or conscious
  • Miragestrider: Miragestriders can manifest numerous afterimages with their movement that perfectly replicate their own form, creating a perplexing and disorienting effect on opponents.
  • Precogazer: Precogazers have exceptional clarity and understanding of their surroundings, they can not only gain clear insight into the physical movements as well as incoming attacks that do not require physical movement on the fly but can also predict the possible intent of their targets before they even have that intent simply by looking at their present state once
  • Fullreader: Fullreaders can accurately glean information about individuals or objects, decipher their capabilities, combat methods, and their present intent with seemingly as little effort as a mere gaze, and prepare to counter what they were able to glean to the best of their abilities
  • Rapidaware: Ashkalaar can utilize Rapidaware, a technique that allows user to massively enhance their attention. With this Method she can react and respond to phenomena that are far faster than her normally. She used this to keep up with phenomena that previously saw her as an unmoving statue in the past
  • Pathfinder: Ashkalaar is capable of traveling through different Tumults within the Middlescape and to venture outside of Middlescape to other Scapes
  • Obliteract: Ashkalaar can utilize Obliteract via her strikes. This Method allows her to annihilate any and all targets she lands her attacks to, down to their Kernels. Those who utilize Obliteract on a much lower scale than herself can permanently annihilate high-ranking Yekks who can recover from Kernel-scale annihilation as well as high-ranking Sentinels and their Spurs