Ash Nuada started off as a boy born into a family indentured into servitude. Years ago his grandfather made a deal with the Lady Vertia Pendragon who provided food, shelter, and a comfortable life in exchange for service. When Ash was born, his family served the current heads of the Pendragon house, Lord Noct Pendragon and Lady Selene Pendragon. When Ash was 8 they had a child, and one he would grow up with as a friend to, Gethin Pendragon.

The two boys grew quite fond of each other, Gethin viewing Ash as more family than servant and they spent most of their childhood together. Ash’s job became to serve the young Pendragon, even more so when Gethin received a sister at the age of 6. Her name was Azalea Pendragon and with her birth care of Gethin passed mostly to Ash and Noct. Gethin was the eldest child of the next generation of Pendragons, so he would by tradition become the next wielder of the legendary blade Excalibur. So he was trained by some of the family’s friends, as well as his father, who was the current wielder of Excalibur.

Watching his friend so excited to become a hunter, to fight and risk his life protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves left Ash a little worried. His duty was to protect and serve Lord Gethin, but if he was going to become a hunter then Ash would be unable to fulfill that duty. So he requested Noct and Selene to allow him to train at Vytal before Gethin, to become a hunter serving the Pendragon house. The two happily obliged, proud to allow their son’s best friend to become a role model, guide, and protector for him.

So Ash attended the academy, and even though he was two years late into enrollment the word of the Pendragons opened the door and gave him a chance. One he took and soared with, rocketing through the preliminary courses so fast he accelerated to Freshman in half the usual time, a mere two years. He was a natural martial artist, able to flow with his opponent’s attacks without ever giving ground, just like the tree that was his name sake. So when he was tasked with making a weapon, he designed something that allowed him to fight like that, the blades upon his arms and legs moving with his body.

When he graduated, Gethin was just getting ready to start and was excited to be following in Ash’s footsteps, as well as upholding the family tradition. He walked into Vytal on his first day holding the absurdly large Excalibur proudly, glowing eyes shining with barely contained joy. Through his time there Ash was a tutor, and flew regularly to the academy to assist him in his studies. Gethin was, as all the Pendragons are, a natural fighter. He excelled in the combat portions of his classes, scoring top marks on every combat and tactical exam. However his teachers saw him as reckless, childish, naive, and far too egotistical.

None of this was wrong of course, in fact he embraced these faults and incorporated them into his fighting style. His teachers begrudgingly left him be after a while, because none of their efforts were able to change his personality or fighting style. During one of his missions as a senior, Ash accompanied him as a guide and hunter assistant. However, they intended to hunt down merely a few Grayliches, but their numbers were off. One of them ended up behind Gethin without him realizing and as it swung Ash stood between it. His semblance awoke there, his arms becoming coated in bark and his feet stretching small roots into the ground. The Grimm’s claw slammed into Ash’s arm with no effect, the butler turning to regard his master with a smirk.

“Come now Geth, you can do better. I won’t always be here to save you.” They laughed and slew the rest of the Grimm, and upon returning Ash all but forced all the credit to Gethin. He graduated soon after, and when he did the both of them began hunting together. Azalea had enrolled in the academy as well, and was going through her own time as an Underclassmen. As they began growing older they got closer, Azalea graduated from the academy and Noct died while hunting Grimm. He died an honorable death and they were praised as wonderful hunters who did great things for Remnant.

Gethin found a sweet woman, who he coincidentally saved from a cluster of Grimm with Ash who had a sudden urgent appointment and left them alone. They hit it off, falling in love and going out for a few years. Unfortunately for them, shortly after they began planning their wedding Azalea died clearing out a group of Krahe. Gethin’s wedding was postponed so it wouldn’t come too close to the funeral, which was a large ceremony honoring her bravery and sacrifice, and showing that the life of a hunter is destined to end in an early grave.

So Gethin and Ash hung up their weapons, making them little more than decorative pieces of history. Gethin’s marriage went wonderfully, and he ended up having a beautiful son named Leo. Gethin and his wife tried to change the tradition of the Pendragons, to let Leo live an honest life without the stress of hunting. However, Selene told the boy stories, legends of their ancient ancestor and the power they wielded. So he ended up wanting to wield Excalibur, as is his birthright, and become a hunter. Gethin sighed and caved, realizing that a Pendragon was born to hunt, so it was useless trying to stop it.

Leo got into Vytal, made it to his Freshman year before he got a sister. Aisio Pendragon was born, the first child in three generations to inherit the legendary semblance of the Pendragon house. She was born with small fiery wings upon her back, quickly dissipating but still noticed. However her birth was not purely joyful, as Gethin’s wife perished in childbirth. Ash solemnly offered his services to the child, becoming her butler and serving her as he once served Gethin. However he now had far more experience and training as a hunter.

But this joy was not to last, as shorty after Aisio’s graduation from the academy tragedy struck the Pendragon house. Selene was gone, died of old age when Aisio was 17 happy with her full life. Leo and Gethin fell against the Grimm, Excalibur shattering and Aisio’s emotional state breaking with it. Ash cared for her, talked her through this time and made sure she made it out stronger than before. He was the one who encouraged her to use Excalibur in honor of Leo’s name, to take the broken blade and wield it as a symbol of pride.

After the Water's of Life incident, Ash began seeking a position as a teacher at the academy of Vytal. It took a few months to get all the paperwork approved, but eventually he was given the position of assistant headmaster. Of course, at this time Aisio was hellbent on a crusade to discover the meaning behind words she heard during the Siege of Rift. That the king had no part in the attack on Chairmen Barnett, which would make the entire invasion a horrible mistake on the part of Legion and the execution of King Sablier a murder instead. So Ash took some time to help her with her quest, and as Aisio had figured out the best person to know would be the missing Princess, she had made finding her the top priority Ash said he would begin work when they found her. Of course, when they did was the exact moment everything took a turn for the worse.

When Aisio was slain by Sir Finn Cullen outside the walls of Setek, just after accomplishing her goal, it was devastating. Her last words have been haunting his brain ever since. “Barnett...working with...AEthelwulf.” His goal became to discover who AEthelwulf was, something that was made easier by his discovery of what Aisio wrote in her will. It turned out, everything in the Pendragon family was to be left to her heir, and should she not have one it would be given to Ash himself. Now he had access to the money, manor, and armory of the now fallen Pendragon house. Along with that, on the airship ride back he received a message, that Eve Shay, acting headmaster, had fallen. Which promoted Ash to the position of Vytal Headmaster.