Homebrew Ashen One Species Details

Cemetary of Ash

At some point in time, the Ashen One attempted to link the fire. They were not powerful enough and were instead burnt to ash by the flames. Some time later, the Ashen One was awakened by the toll of the bells in the Cemetery of Ash, signifying that the link of fire was threatened. The Ashen One emerged from their grave and set out to leave their tomb. Finding the Coiled Sword lodged inside Iudex Gundyr, the Ashen One pulls it out, awakening Gundyr and beginning a fight. Halfway through, Gundyr is seemingly consumed by the Pus of Man, but the Ashen One defeats him and finds Firelink Shrine.

Firelink Shrine

Inside the shrine, they encounter the Fire Keeper, who tells the Ashen One that the Lords of Cinder; Aldrich, Devourer of Gods, Yhorm the Giant, the Abyss Watchers and Lothric, Younger Prince, have abandoned their thrones, and charges them with bringing the lords back. The Fire Keeper offers to channel souls in order to increase the Ashen One's strength. Also in the shrine are Blacksmith Andre, a smith from the Age of Gods, the Shrine Handmaid, who offers an expanding store of goods in exchange for souls, Hawkwood the Deserter, a crestfallen warrior, Ludleth of Courland, the last remaining Lord of Cinder who offers the Ashen One advice and the art of soul transposition, provided the Ashen One can provide him with a Transposing Kiln, and Nestling, a bird who offers to trade items. As time is progressed,  more inhabitants will reside in the shrine; Ringfinger Leonhard, a servant of the goddess Rosaria, who urges the Ashen One to invade the worlds of others to take their embers, Sirris of the Sunless Realms, on a quest to hunt down members of Rosaria's Fingers, and Yuria of Londor, a founder of the Sable Church who urges the Ashen One to usurp the first flame.

The Ashen One places the Coiled Sword in the center of the shrine, creating a bonfire, and proceeds to travel to the High Wall of Lothric.

High Wall of Lothric

The Ashen One then progresses through the High Wall of Lothric, now home to mindless hollow soldiers, knights, and a fire-breathing wyvern. Fighting their way to a church, they encounter High Priestess Emma, the high priestess of Lothric castle. Emma provides them with a banner that will allow them safe passage to the Undead Settlement, but warns them that their path is guarded by Vordt of the Boreal Valley. Emma also gives the opportunity to join the Way of Blue covenant. Also in the High Wall is Greirat of the Undead Settlement, a thief that will swear himself to the Ashen One after the Ashen One rescues him from his cell and promises to look for a woman named Loretta in the Undead Settlement.

After finding and defeating Vordt, the Ashen One raises the banner on a ledge, and is given transport to the Undead Settlement, a dilapidated town inhabited by hollows.

Undead Settlement

Once arriving in the Undead Settlement, the Ashen One finds Yoel of Londor praying for death at a ledge. Upon encountering the Ashen One, Yoel offers his services, providing rudimentary sorceries and offering to draw out the Ashen One's "true strength", not telling them that doing so will burden the Ashen One with the Dark Sigil which will make them hollow upon death.

Inside the Settlement, the Ashen One is accosted by the inhabitants of the town and pelted with massive arrows by a Giant atop a tower. After fighting and killing the Curse-rotted Greatwood, the Ashen One will find a Transposing Kiln that will allow Ludleth to provide great spells and weapons from the souls of powerful creatures.

The Ashen One also rescues Cornyx of the Great Swamp, a master of pyromancy that will share his arts with the Ashen One. Upon finding the church in the center of the settlement, the Ashen One encounters Eygon of Carim, a disdainful knight of Carim. If the Ashen One purchases a key from the handmaiden, they may free Eygon's ward, a blind nun by the name of Irina, who will offer to tell the Ashen One stories of miracles. After freeing her, Eygon will offer an alliance to the Ashen One, for as long as Irina's safety is guaranteed.

Inside the church, the Ashen One encounters Siegward of Catarina, a Catarina knight who is perplexed by a lift that will only take him down, rather than up where he wishes to speak to the Giant. The Ashen One solves the riddle of the lift, and they make peace with the Giant, who will offer his help.

Once through the settlement, the Ashen One makes it to the Road of Sacrifices, where offerings were once transported to Aldrich, Saint of the Deep.

Road of Sacrifices and Crucifixion Woods

Following the road leads the Ashen One to the Crucifixion Woods, where they encounter Anri of Astora and their companion Horace the Hushed. Anri seeks Aldrich, and thinks to find him in the Cathedral of the Deep. They offer their help to the Ashen One, should the Ashen One need it.

Making their way through the Crucifixion Woods leads the Ashen One to a crossroads. One path leads to Farron Keep, home of the Abyss Watchers, whereas the other one, guarded by one of the Crystal Sages leads to the Cathedral of the Deep, home of Aldrich. Here the Ashen One may also find Orbeck of Vinheim, a sorcerer who will offer to share his knowledge if the Ashen One brings him magic scrolls.

Cathedral of the Deep

After defeating the Crystal Sage, the Ashen One follows the road to the Cathedral of the Deep. Once there, the Ashen One may encounter Unbreakable Patches, a thief and con-artist that will attempt to kill the Ashen One by luring them onto a narrow path with the promises of treasure, only to lower them below where a giant waits. If the Ashen One survives the trap, Patches will attempt to feign innocence, but if the Ashen One presses him on the matter, he will admit his wrongdoings and offer a gift in recompense, as well as selling the Ashen One his goods.

Deep inside the Cathedral, the Ashen One finds the Deacons of the Deep guarding Aldrich's tomb. After defeating them, the Ashen One finds that Aldrich has left the cathedral, finding instead a doll that will allow the Ashen One to enter Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.

After returning to Firelink Shrine, the Ashen One again encounters Anri and Horace, who tell the Ashen One that Aldrich supposedly hails from Irithyll and that he may have returned home. They will also find Sirris of the Sunless Realms, who shows little interest in the Ashen One, unless they provide the Handmaiden with a certain ash, prompting Sirris to offer the Ashen One their friendship. If the Ashen One chooses to allow Yoel of Londor to draw out their true strength a sufficient number of times, Yoel will eventually die, only to be replaced by Yuria of Londor, who attempts to sway the Ashen One into usurping the fire and becoming the Dark Lord of Hollows.

Farron Keep

Returning to the Crucifixion Woods and progressing towards Farron Keep, the Ashen One finds a massive swamp. In order to make their way to the Abyss Watchers, the Ashen One must extinguish three flames. After doing so, the path to the Keep opens, allowing the Ashen One to face the Abyss Watchers.

The Abyss Watchers, reduced to fighting amongst themselves, are defeated by the Ashen One, who claims their ashes in order to restore them to their throne in Firelink Shrine. Killing the Watchers opens the way to the Catacombs of Carthus, an underground tomb filled with skeletal warriors.

Catacombs of Carthus

Progressing through the trap-ridden Catacombs, the Ashen One eventually finds a rickety drawbridge that will lead them to Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. If the Ashen One should choose to descend the fallen drawbridge, they may find the Smouldering Lake, ruled by the Old Demon King and home to various demons and a great slithering worm.

Across the bridge, the Ashen One finds a strange goblet that pulls them into the Abyss. Here they encounter High Lord Wolnir, who attacks the Ashen One. By destroying his enchanted bracelets, Wolnir will lose his grip and fall into the Abyss, allowing the Ashen One to return to the regular world, where the path to Irithyll, a frozen city guarded by an impenetrable barrier and ruled by Pontiff Sulyvahn in the name of Aldrich, is now open.

Irithyll of the Boreal Valley

The Ashen One is able to penetrate the barrier to Irithyll with the magic doll they found in the Cathedral of the Deep. Progressing through the frozen city, the Ashen One will again come to a crossroads. They may either descend through the dungeons of Irithyll to find the Profaned Capital, or progress further into the city, finding the ancient city of the gods, Anor Londo.

Profaned Capital

Descending through the dungeon of Irithyll brings the Ashen One to the Profaned Capital, home of the reclusive Yhorm the Giant, one of the missing lords. Fighting their way past the gargoyles and priestesses that guard the way to the giant, the Ashen One finds him atop his throne. The enormously strong and durable Yhorm initially seems insurmountable, but the Ashen One finds the magic blade Storm Ruler, a sword with the ability to fell giants, beside his throne. Using the power of the blade, the Ashen One is able to bring Yhorm to his knees and kill him, collecting his ashes.

Irithyll and Anor Londo

Returning to the surface, the Ashen One fights their way to the grand church in Irithyll where they find Pontiff Sulyvahn. Killing Sulyvahn opens the way to Anor Londo, fabled city of the gods, where Aldrich awaits. Aldrich, having lost interest in the flame and having instead turned towards the Dark, sought out Anor Londo to devour the gods themselves. He found and devoured Dark Sun Gwyndolin in Anor Londo, who sacrificed himself to save Company Captain Yorshka.

Fighting their way past the archers protecting the city, the Ashen One finds Aldrich using Gwyndolin as a puppet of sorts, and kills him. After slaying the penultimate lord of cinder, the Ashen One is transported back to Emma, High Priestess of Lothric Castle in the High Wall of Lothric. A dying Emma begs the Ashen One to find Lothric, Younger Prince and tell him that he must be a lord of cinder, giving the Ashen One the Basin of Vows that will allow them access into Lothric Castle.

Before the Ashen One can place the basin, they are confronted by the Dancer of the Boreal Valley, who attacks them. After killing the Dancer, the Ashen One can place the basin and gain access to the castle.

Lothric Castle detours

The Castle, home to various knights and soldiers of Lothric along with fire-breathing dragons, holds the final lord of cinder. By now, the very sun itself has become a Darksign, and Pilgrim Butterflies are seen flying towards the castle. Fighting their way through the castle, the Ashen One may choose to make a detour to the Consumed King's Garden, home to the king of Lothric, Oceiros, the Consumed King. The king, having gone mad long ago and deformed himself into a dragon-like being, ferociously attacks the Ashen One.

After killing him the Ashen One can acquire two secrets. One is a gesture that will allow passage to Archdragon Peak, and the other is a secret path to the Untended Graves, a dark version of Firelink Shrine. Here the Ashen One finds Champion Gundyr, and behind him, an abandoned Firelink Shrine home only to a Shrine Handmaiden. Here the Ashen One can find the Eyes of a Fire Keeper which if presented to the Firekeeper will allow her to see a dark vision of the future that the Ashen One may choose to fulfill.

In Archdragon Peak, the Ashen One can face the Ancient Wyvern and The Nameless King, once known as Lord Gwyn's Firstborn, the old God of War who aligned himself with the Ancient Dragons.

Grand Archives and Prince Lothric

Progressing through Lothric Castle will bring the Ashen One face to face with a Dragonslayer Armour controlled by the Pilgrim Butterfly. Defeating the armour opens the way to the Grand Archives, home to ancient knowledge.

The Ashen One fights their way through the Archives, and find themselves close to the location of Prince Lothric, who hides at the very top of the castle. Lothric has no intention of returning as a lord of cinder however, preferring to watch the world end from afar with his brother Lorian. The brothers attack the Ashen One, who slays them both, and claims Lothric's ashes.

The Painted World of Ariandel

Within the Cathedral of the Deep the Ashen One can encounter Slave Knight Gael, a Hollow Slave Knight who seeks unkindled ash to aid his mistress. Gael presents the Ashen One with a fragment of the Painted World of Ariandel, which sucks the Ashen One in. Within the painting, the Ashen One encounters Sister Friede and her loyal knight Sir Vilhelm. Friede is an advisor to Ariandel, the painting's creator, and convinced him to allow the painting to rot rather than allow it to be destroyed and replaced by a new one, despite the wishes of many of the painting's denizens. Friede bids the Ashen One to leave, telling them that they do not belong in the Painted World.

If the Ashen One chooses to ignore Friede and explores the Painted World, they may fight the Champion's Gravetender and Gravetender Greatwolf, which allows the Ashen One to participate in the Undead Match. Deeper inside the painting, the Ashen One finds the Painter, Slave Knight Gael's mistress, who has been imprisoned by Friede and Vilhelm in order to prevent her from painting the next world. If the Ashen One opens the way to the inner sanctum hiding Father Ariandel, Friede will confront them and fight to preserve the painting. After a long battle, the Ashen One defeats Friede and Ariandel, prompting the Painted World to begin burning and dooming it to destruction.

The Painter informs the Ashen One that she has sent Gael to find the Dark Soul, which she will use for her next painting.

The Ringed City

If the Ashen One follows Gael, they will find themselves in the Dreg Heap, an amalgamation of collapsed kingdoms and civilizations at the end of time. Within the Dreg Heap they may encounter Lapp, a hollow who seeks the Purging Monument in order to remember his past life. Fighting their way past the Dreg Heap they find two demons, the Demon in Pain & Demon Below who combine to form the Demon Prince. Defeating the Demon Prince allows the Ashen One to travel to the Ringed City (location), the first city of Man, inhabited by the Pygmy Lords. Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder, gifted the city to humanity after the end of the Age of Ancients, along with his daughter Filianore.

Within the city, the Ashen One may encounter Shira, Knight of Filianore, who asks the Ashen One to put down Midir, a mighty dragon who once served the Gods, but who has now been consumed by the Dark. Fighting their way through the city, the Ashen One finds Midir and sends him hurtling down a chasm. Chasing Midir to his lair, the Ashen One may fulfill Shira's request and fight him to the death. In the Church of Filianore, the Ashen One finds Judicator Argo who bars the way to Filianore. He will summon Halflight, Spear of the Church to fight the Ashen One.

After defeating Halflight, the path to Filianore is open. Filianore lies sleeping while clutching a broken egg-like ceramic. If the Ashen One touches the ceramic, it will shatter into pieces and Filianore will wake, upon which a blinding light emanates from the shards of the ceramic. The Ashen One suddenly finds that the Ringed City is now a lifeless desert, and Filianore an emaciated corpse. Leaving her room, the Ashen One comes upon a fleeing Pygmy. Investigating the scene closer, they find Gael consuming one the remains of a pygmy in order to gain their Dark Soul. He proceeds to attack the Ashen One in order to gain their piece of the Dark Soul.

The Ashen One defeats Gael, and gains the Blood of the Dark Soul. They may then return this to the Painter, who states that she will use the Blood of the Dark Soul to paint a Painted World that will never rot. She offers to name it after the Ashen One, and if the Ashen One gives no name, she states that she will name it the Painted World of Ash.

Soul of Cinder

After returning to the shrine, the Ashen One places the ashes of the lords on their thrones, and the Firekeeper channels their strength to the Ashen One. The Firekeeper bids the Ashen One travel to the First Flame. Accepting the strength of the lords, the Ashen One is transported to a copy of the Firelink shrine, standing amid the wreckage of kingdoms. From there, the Ashen One proceeds to the First Flame.

There they encounter the Soul of Cinder, a manifestation of the lords that had previously linked the flame. The Soul of Cinder takes on many forms and fighting styles, mimicking those who had linked the flames. Once the Ashen One weakens it, the Soul of Cinder assumes the style of Gwyn, Lord of Cinder and first one to link the flame. After defeating the Soul of Cinder, the Ashen One is presented with four options depending on the choices they made.

The End of Fire

the Ashen One gave the Eyes of a Fire Keeper to the Fire Keeper, and summon her upon defeating the Soul of Cinder. The Fire Keeper takes the First Flame into her hands. She states that the fire quickly fades and that dark will soon settle, but predicts that one day, tiny flames will dance across the darkness, like embers linked by lords past, suggesting that the light will return one day. As the absolute darkness settles upon the world, the Fire Keeper asks if the Ashen One can still hear her.

Ashen One Traits

The Ashen One stops at nothing to finish what they started.

Alignment

These beings barely feel emotion. Their whole point of existence it to kill the unkillable. They don't stress themselves with others problems and will leave nothing behind if those problems interject with their goals. Laws don't apply to these people because if someone was to attempt in trying to stop them, they would end up being nothing but blood on the end of a blade. While some try to care and help others they go away and never return. No one knows what happens to them but some speculate it is the god putting back in their place.

Religion

While some might pray to the sun god or fight in the blades of the darkmoon under Gwyn's army, others might fight other Ashen Ones under Rosaria's Finger or as mad spirits under the Mound Makers covenant. Or it could be nothing, some don't pledge to any gods and fight as if themselves are the only gods.

Ember

Ignite the flame that once was withing yourself and gain an extra 30% HP for 10 mins every long rest.

Estus Flask

You get an Estus Flask that can heal for 30% of your HP. This gets restored every short rest.

Ability Score Increase

Your ability scores each increase by 1.

Age

Since these people are basically undead they can live forever as long as they aren't struck down by a foe.

Size

About 6'2

Speed

Ashen Ones have a 30ft walking speed and climb at 20ft. They don' see much need in digging and swimming because if they see 2 ways in and one is swimming stealthily into a sewer underneath the stronghold, or cutting down guards on the way to the front door, they are going to cut down anyone in their path. 

Languages

While Ashen Ones don't tend to speak much at all they know Common, Draconic, and Abyssal.