Asha

Asha
Title	Sefirot's Gardener (formerly)
Hometown	Sefirot
Current Residence	Aboris
Gender	Female
Race	Human
Family	Monks of Life (adoptive family)
Affiliations	Gerand Darmoor Monks of Life
Enemies	Edvar Yuel Former God-King of the High Flora
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	아샤 (Asha; Asya)
Voice Actors
GlobalMS	Cat Protano
KoreaMS	Yeong Yu

Asha is the former gardener of Sefirot - the sanctum of Grandis' Transcendent of Life. Before the Flora Civil War, Asha was killed when Sefirot burned down during a failed mission by the Knights of the Einherjar to find the Transcendent of Life. However, Prince Gerand Darmoor - who had secretly been the Transcendent of Life all along - used his powers to bring Asha back from the dead, believing her to be a "noble life" - the ideal form of being whose existence he highly valued. Following her resurrection, Asha was brought by Darmoor back to the capital, later becoming the gardener of Aboris, the former Verdant Flora capital, which became the new High Flora capital at the end of the Flora Civil War.

Story

Childhood

Asha was an orphan whose family was killed amongst the countless wars that took place on Grandis. As a survivor of the senseless carnage, Asha believed her life to be worthless until the monks of Sefirot found her starving on the street and brought her to the Transcendent of Life's sanctum, where they named her and taught her how to survive. Having been saved, Asha would follow the monks around Sefirot and helped them wherever she could, even without the monks having asked her to, in order to repay them for their kindness in saving her life. Under the monks' tutelage, Asha began tending the magnificent garden, with the monks explaining that the absent Transcendent of Life would only return if the garden growed beautifully.

Despite the Transcendent's absence, Asha came to enjoy her life with the monks, learning much about Sefirot and its history. Asha learned that the four barrier stones around the sanctum kept Sefirot difficult to find, and that the restless spirits at the outskirts of the garden were the spirits of Sefirot's guardians, who had perished some time ago during a battle. Asha would watch as the monks held memorial ceremonies to keep the spirits at bay, with special scarecrows being made at the garden outskirts to protect the monks and the sanctum interior. Eventually, however, the absent Transcendent of Life vanished altogether, with the Monks of Life - created from the Transcendent's power - disappearing as well.

With the monks having vanished completely, Asha continued tending to the garden alone, coming to believe that the sole purpose of her existence was to fulfill the dreams of the ones who had saved her. By keeping the garden beautiful, Asha hoped that the Transcendent would return, just as the monks had hoped, and that the Transcendent's return would allow the monks to reappear as well. As the only one left to tend the garden, Asha downsized the size of the garden in order to manage what she could, utilizing the practice of pruning away the unhealthy parts of the garden in order to keep the beautiful flowers intact. Over the years, many people from Grandis would visit Sefirot in order to meet the Transcendent of Life, though Asha would continually turn them away, explaining that the Transcendent had vanished long ago.

Meeting the Legendary Knights

During one such occasion, two peddler women arrived and encountered Asha tending to the flowers in the garden. One of the peddlers confronted Asha and demanded to know why the door to the altar wouldn't open, adding that Asha herself had claimed earlier that they could meet the Transcendent of Life there. Asha patiently told the woman that her words were merely what had been written in the records, reminding the woman that she had already mentioned that the Transcendent of Life hadn't appeared in the sanctum for some time. The other peddler asked Asha where they could find the Transcendent, to which Asha replied that she didn't know. The first woman then chided Asha, demanding to know how the presiding monk of the sanctum didn't know where their own god resided. Just as Asha began explaining that she was only the gardener, the woman angrily slapped Asha across the face with her walking stick before asking whether Asha had any idea how difficult of a journey it had been to reach the sanctum, adding that she hadn't come all the way just to speak with the gardener. She claimed that it had taken her three months to reach Sefirot, and that her daughter was dying as they spoke, adding that it would be Asha's fault if her daughter were to die before the Transcendent of Life could grant her wish.

Despite wincing from the blow, Asha stood her ground and reminded the woman that she was the one who had ignored her words about the Transcendent not being in the sanctum. She added that the woman couldn't save her daughter by taking her anger out on her, and she asked her not to desecrate the sanctum with her violent actions. She then told the woman to go back home, adding that she could still spend her daughter's last moments together that way. Furious, the woman raised her walking stick to hit Asha again, but just as she did, she took a step back and accidentally stepped on the flowers in the garden. Suddenly, Asha's tone turned serious as she sternly ordered the woman not to touch the flowers. Surprised, the woman asked Asha why she was making such a fuss over such measly plants, but just as she continued stepping on them, Asha loudly warned her once again not to harm the flowers. Confused, but still angry, the woman asked Asha what was wrong with her, as she had been quiet and meek just a moment ago, adding that the flowers were worthless. Asha retorted that they were no ordinary flowers, as the monks had told her that if the flowers were able to grow beautifully, the Transcendent of Life would return.

Suddenly, four hooded High Flora – Prince Gerand Darmoor, the God-King of the High Flora, and two Knights of the Einherjar, Edvar and Yuel – arrived and overheard Asha's words, causing them to realize that the Transcendent of Life wasn't in Sefirot. Upon seeing the visitors, the two peddlers recognized them as Flora and decided to leave immediately out of fear. Asha watched the two women leave, noting to herself that the Flora certainly had a fearsome presence to make the peddlers leave right away. She then told the High Flora that just as they had overheard, the Transcendent of Life was indeed not in Sefirot, adding that they could check for themselves at the altar. However, she noted that the altar was closed, and that they would not be able to open it. Nevertheless, the High Flora decided to check the altar just to confirm, though Darmoor remained behind.

Just as Asha wondered to herself why Darmoor hadn't followed the others, Darmoor told Asha that he wanted to ask her something, noting that the flowers were quite beautiful. Asha asked Darmoor not to touch the flowers without her permission, explaining that the plants in the sanctum were fragile and could easily wilt. She also told him that it would be best if he gave up on meeting the Transcendent, reminding him once again that she was merely the gardener, and that she had no information about the Transcendent or their whereabouts. Upon hearing her words, however, Darmoor noted that it was all the better that he was speaking with the gardener, revealing that what he was interested in wasn't the Transcendent, but the garden itself. He noted that the garden was beautifully tended and asked Asha whether she took care of it all on her own. When Asha told him that she was indeed the sole caretaker, Darmoor noted that Asha was quite incredible. Asha replied that the garden was once in an even grander state when the monks had tended to the sanctum, with the entire place being full of life and breathtakingly beautiful. She then asked Darmoor who he was, as most visitors were so preoccupied with the altar that they paid no attention to the garden. She explained that it was her first time seeing someone take an interest in it, to which Darmoor pulled back his hood and told her that his name was Aaron.

Aaron then asked Asha what her name was, to which Asha merely told him that he could just call her the gardener, as he likely wouldn't be staying long without the Transcendent anyways. However, Aaron revealed that his goal wasn't to meet the Transcendent, though he remained coy when Asha asked him what he really wanted. Aaron asked Asha whether she was waiting for the Transcendent as well, and whether that was the reason why she tended to the garden so tirelessly. Asha told him that it wasn't the reason why she stayed, explaining that she wasn't even a monk, and that she had never met the Transcendent before, despite having lived in Sefirot all her life. Aaron told Asha that unlike himself, his companions strongly wished to meet the Transcendent, and that he wished to check on whether they had managed to summon them. Promising to speak with her again, Aaron set off towards the altar where the Transcendent was said to reside, where the altar door opened upon his arrival. Inside, the knights discovered a stone tablet, which contained a special cipher that they believed would allow them to summon the Transcendent. As it could take quite a long time to solve it by themselves, Edvar suggested that they enlist Asha's help, as she would be very familiar with all the hidden parts of the sanctum.

Solving the Cipher

Back in the garden, the knights showed Asha the stone tablet which they had found inside the altar. Asha was shocked to know that they had managed to open the door, though Edvar told her that the important part was that the tablet had the power to summon the Transcendent. Though Asha was hesitant to believe it, she noted that the knights seemed to be special if they had been able to open the door to the altar. She then agreed to help and asked them what she should do. Aaron told her that he had a great interest in ancient documents, and that he had a sizable knowledge about ciphers, which he believed would be useful on their mission. Noting that it wouldn't be particularly dangerous, Aaron suggested that they split up. After Edvar and Yuel headed off to investigate, Aaron asked Asha whether she was ready to go. Asha noted that she was surprised, as Aaron seemed to be of higher status than the knights, which meant that he could have simply left the task to his subordinates. Aaron explained that he was a very curious person, and that he wished to solve the cipher himself. He also added that what he was more interested in than the solution was the process of solving it. He then noted that Asha seemed to be quite interesting as well, as she was able to speak plainly with him, even after knowing of his higher status, which made him wonder what gave her such courage.

Asha explained that it wasn't courage, but rather, she believed that everyone – even the Flora or those with high statuses – had equal existences as living things. She added that it was meaningless for her to bother with who was ‘higher' or ‘lower', though she noted that her opinions might bother a Flora like himself. To her surprise, however, Aaron told her that he actually agreed with her, as status had no meaning to him, with even a king being nothing special at all. At Asha's confusion, Aaron merely suggested that they begin to head out in order to solve the cipher. Asha then told him that she had brought a map of the sanctum, explaining that Sefirot consisted of the garden at the center, as well as a forest surrounding it on all sides. Aaron asked her whether there was anything near the garden which might have something to do with the tablet, to which Asha replied that she couldn't think of anything, adding that since the garden was under her care, she would have noticed if there was something. Aaron noted that it meant that there was a high chance that the sanctum outskirts was where they'd find answers. Asha explained that the outskirts were practically in ruins, as no one had tended to them in a long time. She added that there were also monsters there, though there were also a few barrier stones which had been created not so long ago. Upon hearing that there were monsters, Aaron offered to go himself if it was too dangerous for her, though Asha told him that she would be able to handle the monsters herself.

Asha then led Aaron to the northern outskirts of Sefirot, which Aaron noted was a bleak and desolate place. He then noticed an owl-shaped statue, which Asha explained was one of the four barrier stones that kept the barrier around Sefirot in place. She added that according to the monks, the barrier stones were the reason why Sefirot was hard to detect from the outside. Upon examining the barrier stone, Aaron found a slot that appeared to be the same size as the stone tablet. After placing the tablet in the slot, writing appeared on the stone statue: “Come to me with cold warmth”. Asha was confused by what ‘cold warmth' meant, to which Aaron explained that it seemed to be a metaphor for something. Suddenly, Orange Lantern Nightghosts appeared and surrounded them both. After escaping to a safe place, Aaron asked whether the spirits always appeared in the area, noting how fascinating it was that there were monsters in the Transcendent's sanctum. Asha explained that the spirits weren't always monsters, but rather, they were the souls of those who had died protecting the sanctum from outsiders. She explained that when the monks were still around, they had kept the spirits at bay by holding memorial ceremonies for them, though without the monks to conduct the rituals, the spirits wandered around freely. However, she added that she had never seen so many appear at once, as it was usually just one or two of them.

Aaron noted that it seemed as if they had made a pledge to appear at a certain time, which he supposed was a response to the tablet. Realizing that the spirits themselves were a clue, Asha explained that the eastern outskirts housed spirits carrying orange lamps, while the spirits in the western outskirts held blue lamps. She then told Aaron that the ‘cold warmth' could refer to the Blue Lantern Nightghosts. Praising Asha for her excellent deduction, Aaron suggested that they gather the blue flames from the lanterns. After they gathered the flames, Asha noted that the lamps were essentially the cores of the spirits, which contained the emotion that they had felt most strongly when they had been alive. She explained that those who had died protecting the sanctum with fear had that fear turned into blue flames, while rage had become the orange flames. Aaron observed that the blue flames were not hot to the touch, which lined up with the description of ‘cold warmth'. Asha then placed the flames before the barrier stone statue, causing a portion of the tablet to light up with color. Aaron realized that they would soon be able to find the answer if they continued filling up the tablet. Asha noted that though it may be a coincidence, the carving of the Blue Lantern Nightghost was on the east side of the tablet, which may be helpful to keep in mind. Just then, the statue turned itself towards the west as the words on the tablet changed to say: “You who solved the first riddle, I shall guide you down the next path.” Asha then suggested that they head to the western outskirts, where she placed the stone tablet in the slot within the barrier stone statue.

Upon doing so, the words on the tablet changed to say: “Come to me with the augury hidden in earth warmed by the sunlight. That earth rests beneath your feet.” Aaron and Asha together realized that both ‘earth warmed by sunlight' and ‘that earth rests beneath your feet' referred to the south, and so they decided to head to the southern outskirts. There, Asha found several hidden amulets, which she brought back to Aaron, who noted that thought the tablet had described them as a hidden treasure, the amulets didn't appear to be anything special. Asha explained that the amulets had been created for those who had died protecting the sanctum in the hopes that such a tragedy would never happen again. Aaron noted that there seemed to have been a large number of casualties, to which Asha explained it was said that it was the very reason why Sefirot had been hidden behind a barrier. Aaron then wondered why, of all the possible ciphers, the ones who had created it had chosen on this one. Nevertheless, he suggested that they continue solving it. Asha placed the amulets at the foot of the barrier stone statue, causing another part of the tablet to immediately change color, while the statue turned itself north. Asha noted that the colored portion was the picture of the amulets on the west side of the tablet, while the words on the tablet had changed to say: “You who solved the second riddle, I shall guide you to the next path.”

After arriving at the northern outskirts, Aaron noticed several Hollow Scarecrows and wondered whether they had anything to do with those who had died protecting the sanctum. Asha explained that the scarecrows were guardians who had protected the sanctum from the outside. After the monks had disappeared, the scarecrows – upon losing the thing which they had been made to protect – had been turned into ordinary monsters. Asha then placed the tablet into the barrier stone statue, causing the words on the tablet to change into: “Come to me with the screams of one who has stood on empty ground.” Asha realized that the words likely referred to carrying the sound of screams in their memories, which meant that they would need to defeat the Hollow Scarecrows and hear their screams. After defeating the monsters, the scarecrow drawing on the tablet began glowing, while the statue remained facing south. Though Asha realized that they needed to head to the southern outskirts, she remained in place, deep in thought. When Aaron asked her what she was thinking about, Asha explained that she had been thinking about how he had been wondering why the ones who had created the tablet had chosen such a cipher.

Asha explained that after thinking about the actions which they had to do – gazing upon the emotions of the spirits, taking care of the amulets made to comfort them, and laying the guardians to rest after their purpose had been lost – she had realized that they were all actions that reflected upon those who had sacrificed their lives for the sanctum. She explained that the ones who had created the cipher had wished for the Transcendent of Life to remember those who had been sacrificed. Her words caused Aaron to note that everything had been done in service to those who had been sacrificed, adding that her theory indeed seemed to be the case. He also noted that the Transcendent of Life must know how selfish the living could be, and how living things would drag others down in order to protect their own worthless lives. However, he believed that those who had died for the sanctum must not have made a true sacrifice, as they had left malicious spirits behind when they had departed the world. He noted that it was difficult for one to lay down their life for something without regret, such that no part of them would remain after they were gone. He added that only a handful of people would be capable of making such a choice.

After a pause, he apologized for rambling and asked Asha to place the tablet into the statue. Upon doing so, the words on the statue changed to say: “You already know this answer. Carry out that which you know must be done, and return to me.” Realizing that the orange flames were the last uncollected things left, Asha and Aaron traveled to the northern outskirts, where they collected the orange flames and brought them before the barrier stone statue. Immediately, the final picture in the tablet was colored, though nothing else happened afterwards. Aaron was surprised, as he had expected something to happen after solving the cipher. Just then, the words on the tablet changed once again into, “This is not the end. Rely on your own strength to find the last key.” Aaron realized that there must be a fifth riddle to solve, and upon seeing that the statue had turned towards the garden, Asha realized that the final key had to be there, though she noted that there was no barrier stone statue in the garden.

Pruning the Garden

Nevertheless, the pair decided to return to the garden, where Aaron noted that Asha had once mentioned that there had once been Monks of Life in Sefirot in the past. Asha explained that there were once many monks who had taken care of the sanctum, which had been much more beautiful back in those days as a result, with the garden being much larger and more spacious as well. When Aaron asked how she alone remained, Asha told him that the monks had all suddenly disappeared one day, as though they had never existed at all. Aaron asked whether the monks had died, to which Asha explained that the monks were spirits which had been created from the Transcendent of Life's power, which meant that they weren't beings who could die like ordinary life forms. She added that in the past, she had thought that the Transcendent of Life may have disappeared as well if the monks created by them had vanished. However, she also noted that she had never seen the Transcendent of Life, even when the monks had been around, and so she couldn't be sure.

She explained that she had been left with no choice but to take care of the sanctum alone, and because of the impossibility of having to do it alone, she had been forced to make the garden smaller so that she could take care of it by herself. Aaron admitted that the remaining part of the garden seemed quite wonderful, and that it even seemed more beautiful because of its downsizing. Asha agreed, adding that she had done a bit of pruning, explaining that in order to raise a plant properly, one couldn't just treat it with kindness, as they needed to be able to ruthlessly cut away the useless parts, leaving only what was most important if the plants were to grow beautiful and strong. She explained that if one let the useless parts remain as they were, it could hinder the plant's growth, or even kill it. Aaron quietly pondered her words, thinking about what she had said about leaving only the things which had value, adding that her thoughts lined up with his. He explained that pruning was an important job to undertake, not only in the garden, but elsewhere as well. He then noted that the sun was about to set, and he suggested that they finish up for today.

The pair then returned and met with Yuel and Edvar, who asked them where they had been. Yuel explained that they had discovered another barrier stone statue near the altar, and that they believed that it may be helpful in solving the cipher. Asha immediately realized what they were referring to and explained that it likely had nothing to do with the cipher. After arriving at the altar, Aaron read the inscription on the statue, which said, “The beings on the outskirts have turned their heads in the right direction, and the gate to the outside has opened. The path below the gate shall lead you down the mountain.” Asha explained that the statue was an emergency exit, which could lead them down the mountain. Yuel apologized that the statue had nothing to do with the cipher, though Aaron told her not to be sorry, as it may be useful to have an emergency exit. He then suggested that they turn in for the night, believing that they may have better luck tomorrow.

Soon after, Asha returned to the garden, as she hadn't been able to water the flowers because she had been busy solving the cipher. As she began watering the flowers, the God-King silently entered the garden, leaking black smoke from his robes. From the gap within his robes, he began draining the mana from the flowers into himself, much to Asha's shock. As he did, his robes began tearing, revealing a monstrous head glowing with red and black energy, as well as dark tendrils peeking out from the foot of his robes. Asha immediately attempted to stop the God-King, though none of her attacks had any effect. Defeated, Asha collapsed on the floor as the God-King growled mindlessly. As he began approaching her, Asha expressed her relief that she had been able to get him to attack her and leave the flowers alone. Suddenly, Aaron arrived at the scene and used his powers to seal the God-King away. Just then, Yuel and Edvar rushed to the scene, where they were shocked to find the God-King being sealed away by Aaron, whom they called the prince. As Asha lost consciousness, she managed to overhear Yuel referring to the monster as the God-King and Aaron as their prince.

A Noble Life

The knights then brought Asha in the annex and placed her within a cage, with Asha awakening to the sight of Aaron, who greeted her and told her that he was glad that she was unharmed. Asha immediately asked him whether the flowers and the garden were alright, to which Aaron told her that though a few flowers had wilted, the rest were still unharmed. When Asha expressed her relief, Aaron noted that it was curious that the first thing that she thought about upon awakening was the safety of the garden, as well as the fact that she had confronted a monster far beyond her own strength, which led him to believe that she considered the garden's safety far more important than her own. Asha replied that thought it sounded strange, the garden was more precious to her than anything. She explained that she was an orphan from the countless wars that plagued Grandis, and that she had always considered herself to be just another worthless war orphan. She told Aaron that the monks of Sefirot had found her starving on the streets, and that they had named her and taught her how to survive. Following this, she had chosen to follow the monks and help them wherever they could, even though they hadn't asked her to do so.

She explained that the monks had told her that if the garden grew beautifully, the Transcendent of Life would return to the sanctum, which was why both she and they had put all their effort into tending the garden, eventually leading to her becoming Sefirot's gardener. Eventually, however, the monks had all vanished mysteriously, and with them being her entire world, she had been left completely alone. Nevertheless, she had continued doing what she had promised to do, as there was nothing else which she could do. Hanging onto the monks' words, she had continued tending to the garden in the hope that when the Transcendent of Life returned to the garden, the monks – who had been created from the Transcendent's power – may return as well, which would mean that her miserable life would finally have some meaning. After hearing her story, Aaron asked her whether she would continue to protect the garden, even if it led to her own death. Asha immediately told him that she would, without hesitation, to which Aaron paused for a moment before warning her that her life was in danger. Asha asked whether it was because she had learned about Aaron and the monster's identities as the prince and the God-King, which Aaron confirmed.

He explained that he and his comrades had come to Sefirot in order to return the deformed God-King back to his old self by borrowing the power of the Transcendent of Life, and that neither the Gods of the High Flora nor the Knights of the Einherjar knew the truth. He added that no one could know the truth, and that those who did must be killed immediately. When Asha noted that they still needed her to solve the cipher, Aaron revealed that he had already solved the final part himself. He noted the riddle – “This is not the end. Rely on your own strength to find the last key” – as well as the statue pointing towards the garden, and the monks' words about the Transcendent of Life only returning if the garden is well tended for, had made him realize that the statue was pointing towards the plants in the garden, whose mana was the key to solve the cipher. He then showed her the tablet, which had absorbed the mana of the flowers, and pointed out a new glowing sentence upon it: “Only the beautiful sacrifice of a noble life will draw his attention.” Asha told Aaron that she had no idea that the flowers were the answer, despite having tended to the garden for her entire life.

She realized that the flowers in the garden had been prepared for the sake of those who got sacrificed, and she was relieved to know that there had been a purpose in her tending to the garden. However, she then realized that with the cipher solved, Aaron had no use for her, and she asked whether he planned to kill her. To her surprise, however, Aaron revealed that he had no wish to kill her, as she was quite an interesting person to him. He suggested that she escape the sanctum while she could, forget everything that she had seen, and start a new life, adding that she should be able to escape unnoticed with her knowledge of the sanctum. He then unlocked Asha's shackles and told her to run away once the chaos outside would die down, bidding her farewell. As Asha began to escape, Aaron returned to Edvar and Yuel, showing them the message and claiming that the "noble life" referred to a Flora, and particularly a Flora Knight. Because of this, Edvar and Yuel began battling for survival, with each hoping to sacrifice the other. At the same time, several Verdant Flora arrived in Sefirot after following a message from an anonymous source, who claimed that the God-King would be there.

Upon learning that the Verdant Flora travelers wished to rejoin the High Flora and get their magic back, Edvar and Yuel attempted to slay the Verdant Flora, believing that the sacrifice of any Flora, not necessarily a knight, was enough of a "noble life" to summon the Transcendent. Meanwhile, Aaron secretly let the monstrous God-King loose, whose arrival created absolute chaos. Choosing to save himself, Edvar decided to flee and abandon the God-King, while Yuel attempted to calm the God-King down from his frenzy as he drained the magic of the Verdant Flora. As the God-King finished off Yuel and the Verdant Flora, Edvar returned back to the garden and noted to himself how foolish Yuel was, as she could have escaped with him when she had the chance. Nevertheless, he decided that he would burn down the garden to erase any evidence of his presence. He also resolved to kill Asha before he left, as well as Darmoor if he could.

Resurrection

Just as he began to set fire to the garden, however, Asha – who had escaped from her prison – discovered what Edvar was doing and attempted to stop him. However, Edvar merely struck Asha hard and caused her to fall to the ground. Though he wondered how Asha had managed to escape, he decided that it didn't matter, as she had simply saved him the effort of searching for her. He then opened his wings and prepared to unleash a flame spell to burn down the garden. Though injured from Edvar's blow, Asha begged him not to destroy the garden, as Sefirot was the sanctum for the Transcendent of Life. However, Edvar noted that there was no Transcendent in the sanctum, which made it completely meaningless. He then added how preposterous it was that the Transcendent of Life should demand a life to be sacrifice, believing that the entire place should just disappear. Though Asha begged him not to, Edvar used his magic to set the garden on fire, reducing all the plants to ashes. Asha then passed out, with Edvar leaving her to die in the fire.

As he attempted to escape, Edvar discovered that the altar to the Transcendent was glowing. Inside, he discovered Prince Darmoor, who revealed that he had arranged for everything that had happened in Sefirot to find an example of a life noble enough to be considered special by the Transcendent of Life. However, he revealed that in the end, there were no noble lives, as everyone – Edvar, Yuel, and the Verdant Flora – had valued their own lives over everything else when it had mattered most, with none of them having the necessary resolve to truly sacrifice their entire lives for something. A confused Edvar noted that it was natural for a living being to value their own life, to which Darmoor replied that though that was true, that was not the kind of being that he wanted. With his eyes glowing orange, he disdainfully noted that none of them had the right the summon the Transcendent of Life.

At his words, Edvar slowly realized the truth and asked Darmoor whether he was the Transcendent of Life. He then asked when Darmoor had become the Transcendent in the first place. Darmoor revealed that when the balance of life was broken, the Transcendent of Life would appear. He explained that he had already become the Transcendent of Life by the time that the war had started, though he then clarified that it was actually when the war had begun. Edvar realized that the war had begun because of the God-King's madness, which made him wonder whether Darmoor had inflicted the illness upon his father. Darmoor noted that he had hoped to see something different upon becoming the Transcendent of Life, though he was ultimately wrong. He revealed that the arrogant High Flora, and the Verdant Flora who claimed to be different, were all ultimately the same. He then unleashed his Transcendent powers in a golden glow, fatally wounding Edvar. As Edvar begged to be spared, Darmoor replied that most lives had no value, and that Edvar's life was amongst them. He then sardonically thanked Edvar for his hard work and wished him pleasant dreams before finishing him off.

The next morning, as the sun arose, a mortally wounded Asha awoke to the sight of the garden in ruins. Asha was shocked to see her life's work - which she considered to be her entire worth - had been reduced to ashes, noting that she had no purpose without the garden. Refusing to let it disappear, she recalled the words upon the stone tablet about how the beautiful sacrifice of a noble life could catch the Transcendent's eye. Though she believed that her life was worth little, she noted that the Transcendent of Life was a benevolent god who treasured all life, which gave her hope that they would restore the garden. She then forced herself to crawl to the empty altar, where she was distraught to find that the Transcendent of Life still hadn't returned in the end. In her last moments, she prayed to the Transcendent – whom she called the only god that she knew – and begged them to restore the sanctuary in exchange for her miserable life. As Asha passed away, she heard Darmoor's voice distantly calling her name. In the ruins of Sefirot, Darmoor strode through the garden with his magnificent golden wings spread open. As he walked through the garden, his mere presence caused the burned plants all throughout the garden to spring back to life. Declaring that he had finally found it, Darmoor entered the altar and used his Transcendent powers to bring Asha back to life. As Asha awoke, she opened her eyes to find Darmoor standing over her, holding his hand out to her. As she reached out to take his hand, Asha asked him why he had saved her, to which Darmoor told her that it was because she was the sole life in his sanctum with value.

Gardener of Aboris

Following her resurrection, Asha took Darmoor's hand and traveled with him back to the capital, with the Flora Civil War beginning soon after the Verdant Flora were framed for the God-King's murder. Centuries later, the High Flora defeated the Verdant Flora, with Darmoor revealing himself as the Transcendent of Life. With the High Flora's victory, the Verdant Flora capital of Aboris was seized, with Darmoor ruling as the new God-King of the High Flora. There, Asha served as the gardener of Aboris, with her value to Darmoor being recognized by the Apostles, who treated her with great respect. Under Darmoor, Asha gained magical power, allowing her to wield an unknown form of dark energy. During the Morning Star Banquet following the battle of Tallahart, Asha was responsible for growing a beautiful garden filled with the same golden magical flowers that grew in Sefirot. This garden was highly valued by Baldrix, with both him and Asha warning the attendees to refrain from damaging the garden amidst the infighting of the Apostles at the banquet.

Gallery

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  NPC Portrait of Asha
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  NPC Portrait of Asha
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  NPC Portrait of Asha
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  NPC Portrait of Asha
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  NPC Portrait of Asha
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  NPC Portrait of Asha