Asvin

Asvin (アシュヴィン, Ashuvuin) is one of the main characters in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4. He is technically the first Seiryu of Earth (地の青龍, Chi no Seiryuu) of the series.

His memories are used to bestow a human trait into the Seiryu of Earth dragon gem, thus influencing the Eight Guardians in later generations of the franchise. His particular trait is "Misery" (傷つき, kizutsuki).

In Otome Game of the Year 2008, he was third place in their favorite character category.

Background Story
Asvin is Surya's legitimate heir to the throne. His mother was previously the wife of the former Raja of Tokoyo no Kuni, and his status therefore outranks Surya's other children. For the early years of his childhood, Asvin had a luxurious upbringing within the palace. He didn't completely understand the importance of his position until Mudgala took him under his wing. His mentor exposed the prince to the grim realities of war and taught him everything he needed to survive.

When the prince was nine years old, Mudgala had gave him a hawk as a gift. Asvin had fought beside the hawk in battle and was proud of it. During one of their raids into an enemy encampment, however, the prince lost sight of it. He wanted to return and save it from harm, but his mentor stopped him. His mentor lectured him to protect himself at all costs, even if it means abandoning those dear to him. Yet the day after the hawk's death, he saw Mudgala create a grave for it. Asvin's childish naiveté faded; although his status required him to be cold, his mentor taught him that there is no shame in being humane. He took Mudgala's teachings to heart and, in spite of his age, soon matured to be one of the finest commanders of their war front.

The young prince's popularity and accomplishments sparked jealousy from his elder siblings, Levanta and Yami. Lamenting their loss to be sovereign, they both held a grudge against the young prince. Yami's displeasure drove her to poison Asvin with a deadly toxin a year later. Asvin would have easily perished if Tooya was not present to neutralize the threat. During their brief meeting, the prince began to appreciate the minds of the common folk. The incident was additionally his wake up call to his political enemies and detractors, causing him to develop a natural suspicion for the ministers and members of royalty.

Asvin continued to serve under his father and his reputation rose considerably as he aged. He was eventually donned the Black Lightning in ode to his lightning magics. The prince was unaware that his father had once fought the Black Dragon when it invaded his homeland. He would only become aware of the god's possession based on his father's mannerisms. Around the same time of his father's defeat, Asvin and Nasatya encountered the two Black Kirin in Tokoyo no Kuni. Both princes were able to best the beasts in battle, thus earning the sacred beasts' servitude. Nasatya rarely calls upon his guardian, but Asvin considers his Black Kirin to be one of his closest companions. He proudly rides it as his personal mount into battle.

After the fall of Nakatsu Kuni, Asvin was ordered to be stationed at Tokoyo no Kuni's grand palace, Ne-no-miya. The prince was ordered to continue subjugating those who supported his grandfather, acting as a tool in his country's civil war. About three years before the game's main story, he met Ribhu, one of Varaha's spies. When Ribhu was invited into Asvin's camp, the prince immediately saw through his veil of mediocrity and sought to kill the spy in private. Asvin is surprised when Ribhu lives due to the armored vest he wore underneath his clothing. Impressed by the spy's inventiveness, the prince decided to spare him.

Varaha, a minister of Tokoyo no Kuni who extorted money from the commoners and opposed the throne, happened to be Asvin's next target. Rather than sit idly by, the prince sought to punish him for his crimes with his personal squadron. During the campaign, Asvin earns Ribhu's undisputed loyalty by personally riding to his rescue. With his new vassal's help, the battle ended in his favor.

Before the main story begins, Asvin has been concerned with the state of both countries. He observes both of them whenever possible, sneaking away to Nakatsu Kuni in his spare time. During his various outings, he realized their wars have caused nothing but grief for the people and postulates a plan to save them from further harm. Upon hearing reports of Levanta's tyranny and the abnormal amount of malevolent entities in Takachiho, Asvin confers this information to Nasatya. Once he realizes his brother won't act without evidence, Asvin loses his patience and leaves his post to investigate. He believes it's his duty as future king to punish Levanta's villainy.

Story Events
As his small brigade enters Nakatsu Kuni territory, Asvin encounters Iwanagahime and the remnants of the Nakatsu Kuni army. He and his troops are in the midst of suppressing them until Kazahaya opposes them. Asvin's duel with the lone warrior is interrupted by Chihiro. Taking an immediate interest in the princess and her fabled role as a priestess, Asvin calls for his Black Kirin to spar with her. If her party wins, Asvin is pleased with her; otherwise, he is disappointed. During their fight, Asvin remembers his original purpose for being within Takachiho. Only then does he decide to pull back his troops to avoid rousing Levanta's attention. After Chihiro and company drive Levanta away from his manor, Asvin blocks his escape. He realizes his brother's soul had been corrupted long ago and immediately slays his brother to grant him respite.

Returning at once to Tokoyo no Kuni, Asvin holds council with his brother and father. They share their knowledge of Chihiro's existance, Asvin pretending ignorance before his father regarding Levanta's death. Nasatya suspects that Asvin had killed Levanta, but the younger prince claims innocence. After the Black Dragon fails to possess Chihiro within Chikushi, Asvin and Nasatya are given the order to march into battle against them. The brothers pose a threat to the Nakatsu Kuni army, as their numbers overwhelm them. Before they can deal the finishing blow to Chihiro and her companions, Michiomi uses his artifact to magically teleport the princes away. Their absence confuses their troops and causes their panicked retreat.

While Nasatya is content to faithfully return to their father's side, Asvin uses this opportunity to pay a visit to his younger brother, Shani. During his stay, he has a chance meeting with Chihiro. Wanting to keep the war a secret from Shani, Asvin quickly excuses himself. He takes Chihiro with him to an isolated valley filled with bamboo lilies, a place where the first White Dragon Priestess is said to have summoned the dragon god. Hoping to bridge the gap between them for the good of their respective homelands, he warmly confesses his aspirations of someday realizing a peaceful future for the people to her. Chihiro is unsure if she can immediately trust him, so he escorts her back to her army's flying ship. The princess witnesses a person with a corrupted soul for the first time, whom Asvin unflinchingly dispatches. His apparent callousness for the suffering person sours their otherwise enjoyable outing together.

Upon his return back to his homeland, Asvin is immediately called to his father's side. When Surya commands his sons to invade Shani's land, Izumo, Asvin protests. He proposes that the troops are exhausted and there is nothing to gain by raiding peaceful territory. Though his arguments would have compelled his peace-loving father to stop, the Black Dragon insists on obtaining his sacrifice and the order is finalized. During the first wave of the conflict, Asvin remains beside his family's main camp near the eastern mountains of Izumo. When their troops have been pushed back, he leads his own battalion to intercept Chihiro's army in the west.

The prince blocks Chihiro's path towards their mystical flying ship, both sides facing one another during nightfall. He laments drawing his blade against her, yet he is resolved to fight in the name of his father. In the midst of their conflict, the Black Dragon senses Chihiro's presence and unleashes its destructive wrath to remove obstacles in its path. Asvin and Chihiro's companions barely elude the attack, but their followers aren't as lucky; both the prince and princess are devastated by sight of their loyal soldiers dying beside them. Asvin is shocked to learn that the attack came directly from his father's camp.

Reaching his breaking point, the prince declares his independence and swears to slay the Black Dragon for those who have fallen. Chihiro echoes his sentiments as she is then aware that she is the only one who has the power to stop the dragon deity. She boldly offers an alliance with him, stating her hopes to save the people in both countries from the world's real threat. Touched by her speech, Asvin gladly accepts. After she cuts her hair to escape the Black Dragon's grasp, they retreat from the battlefield together using the flying ship. His recruitment will not occur if the player has triggered Futsuhiko or Nagi's stories.

Once the flying ship lands in Kumano, Asvin attempts to part ways with Chihiro. He insists returning to his homeland to begin preparations for his war against the Black Dragon. The dragon gem in Chihiro's possession, however, instinctively calls him back to her and prevents his departure. Hiiragi elaborates that Asvin has been chosen by fate to serve as the princess's guardian and half of Seiryu's blessings resides within him. With no other alternative, he then agrees to stay within her ranks until the war ends. The prince offers advice for her strategies for the rest of the story.

In the final and canon timeline, he is the only person who doesn't seem surprised by Kazahaya's true identity. He had assumed as much based on Kazahaya's miraculous retreat from the Izumo conflict in this timeline. He happily reunites with his brothers within the flying ship, and the trio busily research a method to save the mortal realm. If the player chooses to use him, he can assist the final battle against the White Dragon. Once the world is recreated, Asvin returns to Tokoyo no Kuni and rules as the land's new sovereign.

Personal Route
Prior to Chihiro's second attempt to take Levanta's mansion, Chihiro happens to spy Asvin chatting with the nearby townsfolk. He passes himself off as a friendly traveler to the locals. They chat about their hatred for Levanta's cruelty and their hopes with the princess's insurrection. Asvin thanks them for their time and leaves. To satisfy her curiousity, Chihiro follows him to a distant waterfall. He notices her presence and calls for her to reveal herself. They both agree that Levanta is a threat, so Chihiro asks him for his strategy to defeat him. Although Chihiro expected a sarcastic response, Asvin answers her with his honest opinion. He postulates that removing the fire barrier around the manor takes precedence and suggests staging Sazaki's defection. Asvin is content to watch over her progress rather than join her, not wanting to make his presence known to his brother.

His later alliance with Chihiro is criticized by friend and foe alike. The soldiers within Nakatsu Kuni remember the friends who were killed by Asvin's troops. The ministers within Kumano criticize Asvin for being useless to them, as he cannot predict Tokoyo no Kuni's further movements. Chihiro stands in the prince's defense, asking for her countrymen's trust. Asvin acts as though their reactions are completely natural and feigns impassiveness.

News of Mudgala's march causes Asvin to reminisce about his mentor to Chihiro during the battle. She worries over the possibility of hurting his feelings in their fight against someone dear to him, but Asvin insists he has no regrets. During their brief conversations, neither men appear to have any regrets in their standoffs. Although Chihiro and her party cause the general's defeat, she finds death meaningless and wishes to spare his life. She is heartbroken when the general chooses suicide by jumping off a cliff. Asvin acts unaffected by Mudgala's actions, coldly insisting for the general's end and uttering the traditional rites for his mentor's soul.

Several days after Mudgala's death, Sainokimi calls the prince and princess to her manor. She explains to them that Asvin's prestige can be used to cause the defection of several Tokoyo no Kuni troops and proposes joining both armies for a direct charge towards the Raja's main keep. To dissolve the negative criticism for Asvin, Sainokimi asks them to agree to a political marriage. She reasons that their mutual union would be a considerable moral boost and simultaneous prevention of future grudges between both countries. Asvin unceremoniously agrees to the benefits of the scheme. The princess hesitates and wonders if she even loves or trusts him, completely unsure of his personality. In spite of her personal anxiety, she accepts it as her duty as future Queen to protect her country. Thus, in a few day's time and with an emotionally torn bride, Chihiro and Asvin are wed.

The ceremony ends at nightfall and, before Chihiro can speak her thoughts with her new husband, he abruptly leaves her to gather the troops and ready their supplies for war. He returns to Tokoyo no Kuni without her and spends the next few days preparing the armies. Insisting on attending to his duties, he treats Chihiro as though she is an appointment in his hectic schedule. As she follows his instructions to become acquainted with his palace, Kakuri-no-Miya, she wonders if the compassion he had shown her within the valley of bamboo lilies was a lie. The more Asvin ignores her, the more Chihiro wonders if it was a mistake to have married him.

During one of his outings, Chihiro overhears the Tokoyo no Kuni soldiers stating that an insurgence of berserk deities have been spotted south of their castle. Worrying for his safety, she leaves with Tooya to investigate. The spirits dissipate upon their arrival, yet the Tsuchigumo urges her return to the castle when he senses the Black Dragon. The duo return to the castle by nightfall and Asvin teases Chihiro for what he thinks was a leisurely walk. When he derails her genuine concern for him as completely unnecessary, Chihiro loses her temper and runs into her room to pout. Her outburst makes him realize that he had hurt her feelings, and he awkwardly stands in front of her closed room. He offers her a sincere, heartfelt apology and confesses he doesn't want them to drift apart. Asvin is amazed when she forgives him and they reconcile. He happily promises to always consider her feelings.

Preparations for the siege of Ne-no-Miya are complete. Asvin plans to lead the first battalion towards the palace's gates while Chihiro circles through the west with another squadron. The Nakatsu Kuni army proceed as plan but their ranks are sorely overwhelmed by a Tokoyo no Kuni war machine. The device burns through the troops and scatters the army's formations. Asvin receives a report of the attack and worries for Chihiro. He entrusts Ribhu with his battalion and hurries towards the second battalion. Chihiro is isolated from her friends when the prince finds her and they fight for their survival. In his absence, Ribhu and company are ambushed by the Raja's army. An ally soldier reports to the couple that Ribhu was injured in the midst of their escape. With no foothold to sustain them, Asvin leads the remains of his army east to a nearby pavilion called Iwatotori.

The prince is shaken by Ribhu's condition and his nerves are wrecked. His battalion is heavily surrounded by four thousand enemy soldiers and their army dwindles as time passes. Lacking the man power and the resources, Asvin faces the grim reality of annihilation. On the second night of the siege, he invites Chihiro to a night ride with the Black Kirin. They instantly travel far north of the conflict along the borders of Nakatsu Kuni. He questions her reasons for wanting to fight and is relieved to hear her humanistic desires for peace. Asvin then ushers the confused princess to return to her homeland. He doesn't want to abandon his troops yet he can't stand the thought of her dying in the battlefield.

Chihiro refuses to leave Asvin behind, either by strongly defying him or by breaking into tears. Her devotion to him moves him; he realizes he failed to keep to his earlier promise to her and apologizes again. She suggests going back to his army together and inspires him to fight against the odds with her. The White Kirin manifests before her, giving the princess her own war mount beside her husband. Invigorated once more to fight and his spirits high, Asvin joins her as they ride through the night sky.

About midway through their flight, they overhear a song mentioning Nakatsu Kuni's capital and decide to land. The song was sung by Chihiro's companions and the two parties reunite. With Chihiro's companions by their side, Asvin forms a new strategy for an early morning raid. He orders the second battalion to attack the Raja's army from the rear, while he and his wife descend from their flying mounts to surprise their dumbstruck foes. The strength of the Nakatsu Kuni army overwhelms the Raja's army and Asvin's battalion is saved. During their victory celebrations, Asvin congratulates the efforts of both armies with a rousing speech. To finally end the war, he then orders the armies to press onwards towards their original objective, Ne-no-Miya.

The Raja's soldiers are torn with their loyalties due to their admiration for Asvin. Therefore, Chihiro and her party enter the palace unchallenged. The only one who opposes them is Nasatya, who guards the hallway leading towards their father. When the elder brother is bested, he praises their courage and entrusts the future to them. Depending on the story routes completed, he may join the couple as they fight against the Black Dragon.

Regardless of Nasatya's choice, Chihiro and company cross swords with the dragon deity. They injure it yet its powers still overwhelms them. As it threatens to obliterate everyone present to absorb Chihiro, Surya's spirit holds the dragon god back. Regaining his senses, the real Raja entrusts his son with their homeland and requests for his death. Surya's doom will break the mortal link the Black Dragon needs to remain in their realm and grant his spirit peace. The Raja tries to kill himself to demonstrate for his son that it has no effect. Noticing the prince's uncertainty, the dragon god offers a chance to save Surya by sacrificing Chihiro to him. As Asvin is presented with the choice of saving the life of his wife or father, Chihiro's vocal belief in him restores his logic. People who have fallen cannot never be restored to their normal state. He therefore strikes the fatal blow to Surya. The Black Dragon disappears and the land is restored to its rightful state. Honoring his father, he whispers a prayer for a peaceful afterlife as he fires an arrow from Chihiro's bow towards the sky.

Months have passed since the war's end and Asvin has been enthroned. Chihiro stays by his side and supports his homeland's revival. Shani, who recovers from the spell Nasatya cast on him, has returned home to the main palace. He keeps Ribhu from disturbing the couple's private renewal of their wedding vows. Asvin enjoys the sight of his blushing wife in her second wedding dress. He can't promise that the restoration will be easy, but he swears to always love her.

In his epilogue scenario, Chihiro reigns as Nakatsu Kuni's new queen and is taking a break from her duties. She happens to find Asvin near the entrance towards Tokoyo no Kuni. He invites her to the bamboo lily valley to redo their first meeting, which he feels doesn't fit with their current feelings for one another. Asvin excitingly instructs her to close her eyes as he paints a red bindi on her forehead. Chihiro is bashful and confused when he says they are now married to one another. In spite of his playfulness, Asvin states his vows seriously to convey his earnest dedication to her.

Development
Since the Eight Guardians are meant to share the same thread of fate, Ruby Party members wanted to keep certain aspects of their characters the same. It is supposed to reinforce the idea that, regardless of the time era, the priestesses and her guardians are all related to one another. The Seiryu of Earth, for instance, have a cherished form of transportation. Tenma is proud of his motorcycle in the modern world, and both Katsuzane and Kurou own prized horses. Asvin has his Black Kirin and Ryouma enjoys riding ships.

The developers wanted to create a political tryst between the two opposing factions. The previous title has a similar story motif with Masaomi, so it was difficult for them to conceptualize Asvin's version. Since Chihiro is a princess, they eventually decided to focus on an arranged marriage. It also helped them characterize the South Asian customs and inspirations for Tokoyo no Kuni.

His symbol in the Ba gua is known to represent active, excitable and talkative mannerisms. Developers believe that he embodies these traits more than his predecessors. His namesake is tied to the ancient belief of the sun representing royalty.

Fighting Style
As an enemy, Asvin is highly resilient and can only be hurt by the party's strongest attacks. His normal attacks alone can cripple the health of high leveled characters, even against Metal characters. His Black Lightning spell can severely punish a party that is too weak, and he is exceptionally deadly when he is paired with Nasatya. Unless the player hopes to unlock his personal story, however, there is no punishment for losing the battles against him. The only battle exempt from this pass is his final showdown with Chihiro's party in Chapter 5. Although weakening his health is mandatory, he offers a chance to retry if the player accidentally loses.

Since he joins late in the game, Asvin might be behind the main ally party. Once his abilities are leveled up, however, he can be one of the most self-sufficient members of the party. He keeps his decimating Black Lightning spell, which has the potential to dominate over most foes in the game. When the ability is maximized, the player can order Asvin to "Fight his hardest" to make him cast it repeatedly. Relying on the spell greatly diminishes the game's difficulty due to its minimal drawbacks, low cost, and high damage output. His stats are above average and ideal for fighting in long boss battles.

Asvin can boost his vitality, defense, magic power, speed, and will power to Level 5 within the menu screen. Here are his optimized stats:


 * Attack - 90
 * Defense - 88
 * Magic - 84
 * Speed - 81

Special Abilities
The following lists other abilities Asvin can learn by using the Five Elements the party gathers.

Magic
Here are the spells Asvin can cast in the game.


 * Shippuu Jin (疾風陣) - Moderate Wood magic.
 * Koufu Jinrai (吼風迅雷) - Stronger Wood magic. Requires Chihiro to be in the party.
 * Eijin Shourai (影刃招雷) - Stronger Wood magic. Build four star bonds with Chihiro.
 * Seiryuu Shoukan (青龍召喚) - Summons Seiryu to hit all enemies. Usable after Chapter 5. Chihiro must have Kazahaya and Asvin in the party with two stars of affection.
 * Shinen Zetsumu (深淵絶夢) - Water magic which hits all enemies. Must have Chihiro, Hiiragi, and Tooya in the party. Chihiro must talk to Asvin in any story path he is recruited and must have two stars of affection with these characters to unlock it.