Iceborn warmother of the Avarosan tribe, commands the most populous horde in the north. Stoic, intelligent, and idealistic, yet uncomfortable with her role as leader, she taps into the ancestral magics of her lineage to wield a bow of True Ice. With her people's belief that she is the mythological hero Avarosa reincarnated, Ashe hopes to unify the Freljord once more by retaking their ancient, tribal lands.
"One tribe, one people, one Freljord." — Ashe | |
Background[]
Early life[]
The only child of Iceborn: a member of the warrior caste, gifted with an ancestral connection to the magic of her lands, and the rare ability to wield the power of True Ice. Everyone assumed that Ashe would follow her mother as the tribe's next leader. However, this was never a glory Ashe desired. The grim responsibility of her warlike lineage and extraordinary gifts instead left Ashe feeling isolated, burdened, and alone.
, the matriarchal chieftain of the tiny Avarosan tribe, Ashe isHer only respite was when Ornnkaal Rocks. The girls' friendship defined their childhoods, but was cut short just as they reached their teens. Somehow, Grena had offended Sejuani's grandmother, and the fellowship between their tribes ended suddenly.
, an Iceborn girl from a sister tribe, would stay with them for the summer hunts around theSoon after, with her youth fading, Ashe's mother began her lifelong quest for the “Throne of Avarosa”, a supposed hoard of treasures and magical items that she hoped would return her people to greatness.
But Grena’s belief in prophecies and legends led her to take risks, which often left her tribe enfeebled. Finally, during a dangerous and unnecessary raid in another tribe's lands, Grena was killed. Her sudden death left young Ashe on the run, while most of her tribe was wiped out.
Alone, pursued, Ashe followed her mother's last map to a deserted glacier where she found the supposed grave of Avarosa, and her magical bow of True Ice. Ashe used the weapon to avenge her mother's death, then turned west.
Whether it was out of duty or loneliness, Ashe gained a reputation by protecting the many scattered hearthbound tribes she encountered. She spurned the custom of taking thralls, and instead chose to adopt these desperate people as full members of her new tribe, and her fame grew quickly. Soon many began to believe that she did not just carry the weapon of Avarosa—Ashe was the legend herself, reborn and destined to reunite the Freljord.
But tall tales would not feed her followers, and their long march south left the tribe on the verge of starvation. So, Ashe leveraged the myths surrounding her, using them to form alliances with the powerful and land-rich southern tribes, promising to unite them into a nation capable of challenging neighboring kingdoms.
These new alliances brought new dangers, and Ashe quickly found herself at the center of a political feud. A Warmother, as Freljordian tribal leaders are known, was expected to wed, and taking a husband from one of the major tribes would anger the others. Ashe could take several husbands, but this would only bring the conflict to a boil within her own household, and the ensuing bloodshed would shatter the alliances she had fought to build.
Her answer was an impoverished vagabond from a mountain clan that had been nearly wiped out—the warrior
. He was neither a spirit-walker nor blessed with any elemental powers, but upon his arrival in Ashe’s new capital, Tryndamere had thrown himself into every dueling ring he could find. He fought with abandon, desperate to prove the destitute survivors of his clan were worthy of adoption by one of the stronger tribes. But even for the Freljord, his brutal fighting style and extraordinary vitality were unsettling, and many suspected he was touched by dark magic. Ignoring this, Ashe offered to adopt his people as her own, if he became her first and only bloodsworn.Tryndamere accepted reluctantly. Though a political marriage, the attraction they felt for each other was palpable, and slowly a true affection blossomed.
Saving Tryndamere[]
Appearance[]
Ashe is a slender, pale-skinned woman with blue eyes and long white hair. She wears light, elegant robes with a distinct palette of black, dark blue, and gold. She also wields a Avarosa's True Ice Bow.
Personality[]
Ashe is smart, stoic, serene and has a calm disposition. She is idealistic as well, believing that by retaking their ancient, tribal lands once more will unite the Freljord.
However, Ashe is implied to have a heated temper as well, especially when one of her allies betrays her and joins the opposition. She also holds a strong compassion to those who side with her, getting enraged should something bad happen to them. She deeply resents the Ice Trolls, likely due to their allegiance to Lissandra, and thinks that they should be wiped off the face of the Freljord.
Abilities[]
- Iceborn Physiology: Ashe is one of the Iceborn, individuals with a magical alteration to their bodies that makes them inherently resistant to the cold. Because of these resistances, Ashe is capable of wielding True Ice, a magical material that constantly freezes and never melts.
- Freljordian goddess Avarosa. Using this bow, Ashe can summon as ammunition, capable of completely her enemies in an instant. Ashe is extremely talented in the art of archery since childhood, capable of firing arrows with extreme precision at far distances. She currently wields a magical bow made of True Ice, believed to have been previously wielded by the revered
- Leadership: As the current Warmother of the Avarosans, Ashe is a formidable leader and successfully leads the Avarosans on their mission for a newly united and modernized Freljord.
- Diplomacy Mastery: Unlike the rest of the Freljord, Ashe focuses primarily on diplomatic relationships and has become well versed in all manners of negotiation and modern politics. With this, she has successfully made the Avarosans one of the largest tribes in the Freljord thanks to the many alliances made on Ashe's behalf.
Relations[]
[]
Ashe and
were childhood friends but were separated when Ashe's mother offended Sejuani's grandmother about how she was raising Sejuani. They were eventually reunited as teenagers after Ashe's tribe was decimated by frost priests, but the two had a falling out during a raid against a neighbor of the Winter's Claw. These neighbors, whom Ashe did not want to kill, would later become the first members of the new Avarosans. The two once saw each other as sisters.[]
Legends of Runeterra cards suggest Ashe's Avarosan and trolls are in direct conflict which has resulted in a number of loss for the tribe. For that reason, Ashe wants the race to be exterminated.
[]
[2] Rumors say a recently hatched Anivia has met Ashe, and perhaps Anivia sees one who may be able to finally reunite the Freljord.
is the demigod that Ashe prays to the most and the one she has the deepest connection to. This is because she speaks the most to Ashe's hopes and beliefs.and []
It is unknown if
and support Ashe, but their deeds around the Freljord lead towards the same goal.[]
Bloodsworn, a political marriage, but the two eventually developed genuine affection for each other. Ashe originally married Tryndamere in order to avoid having to marry multiple suitors from neighboring tribes. All of this is, in turn, an inside reference at Riot. The name of Riot's co-founder Marc 'Tryndamere' Merrill's wife is Ashley.
and are[]
Unbeknownst to all,
is the Ice Witch of Freljordian legend, who is actually waiting for the right moment to strike Ashe's and Sejuani's tribes and wipe out any potential incarnations of Avarosa and Serylda in order to take over the Freljord. As revealed by , she herself is one of the Three Sisters who led the Iceborn uprising against the Watchers. Whether or not she knows Ashe and are potentially direct descendants of her sisters (Avarosa and Serylda, respectively) making her their great-aunt-many-times-removed, is unknown.Read More
Biography
Starring Champion
Mentioned Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia[]
- Ashe's True Ice bow is said to have belonged to her supposed ancestor Avarosa, the ancient Iceborn queen of unified Freljord.
- However, dialogue from Warmother, showed her unearthing it from an ancient battlefield; its true origins and original wielder are unknown. suggests Ashe has possibly lied about unearthing the bow from Avarosa's tomb. Ashe's comic series,
- Dialogue from Targon infused with True Ice by one of her ancestors who were "of the stars". suggests the bow is actually a celestial weapon of
- According to Sejuani's ancestor, which ultimately suggests the bow might actually have been Serylda's. In one of their Legends of Runeterra interactions, Lissandra calls Ashe "pretender", suggesting the bow may not have belonged to Avarosa. 's biography, the only ancestor stated to have ever had any interaction with Targon was Serylda,
- Ashe is around 23 years old.
- Ashe's hair was originally blonde, but turned white since she picked up the bow.
- [2] is derived from the power of .
- Yrael is likely Ashe's biological father but to emphasize or call that out would be disrespectful to the other Oathfathers and presume greater importance.[4]
- In the old lore:
- Ashe directly took the bow from Avarosa's grave.
- evidence to support Ashe's heritage stemmed from
- Multiple Legends of Runeterra artworks suggest the Avarosan and Frostguard may enter direct conflicts at some point in the future.
uncle Lyte stating her 'striking resemblance' to Avarosa herself, as well as the fact Ashe was supposedly led to Avarosa's grave by a great hawk, where she found her ancestor's True Ice bow. Warmother shows us the real story of how she got her bow, though, and her new voiceover makes it clear that Ashe's image as a descendant of Avarosa is an act.
- The Avarosan (led by Ashe) are engaged in a civil war with the [ Winter's Claw (led by ) over sovereignty of the Freljord. The Frostguard (led by ) appears to be political allies of the Avarosan, but in truth they are waiting to strike both tribes in order to make way for the Watcher's return and rule the Freljord.
- , , and are allies of the Avarosan.
- During the events of "Journey Into The Freljord", Ashe met and when they visited her territory on a scouting mission at behest. Valor has come to like Ashe, a rare display towards anyone other than Quinn herself.
- There was one scandal involving Ashe and due to them being found meeting in the middle of the night, raising concerns of Ashe's infidelity.
- Ashe married for purely political reasons; however, according to dating service, they are a perfect match.
Change log[]
Character blurb | |
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8 Jan 2019 (During V9.1) | Current version. |