Aster Weitherm, the Hunter King
Aster Weitherm, also known as The Hunter King or Taor in life, is an Ego in Ego Breakers. Husband of Malukha and great friend of the Strongholds, he travelled alongside them for a time and crossed paths with them multiple times after that. He wields the sword Loyalty, and is bound to a spectral unicorn named Equinox.
He originally met the party in the city of Naleen, posing as Taor, an unassuming pilgrim from the city of Myr Tapor, just here to help people and spread the word about his home: he aided them in routing out some First Cult stragglers who had made their way into the city's sewers, and came to know Malukha because of that gig. When the Strongholds departed from Naleen he stayed behind with her, promising to aid her in her quest to find her sister Naar Abida.
During their travels together, she managed to sneak her way into his heart and get him to reveal to her his true identity as Aster, the last king of Myr Tapor, and the true meaning behind his pilgrimage: the fountain that had given his kingdom life was running dry, and he was afraid his fellows would revert to their old savage selves if a replacement or cure wasn't found.
Their search brought them South, near Siberillion, where they found out that Naar Abida had made a career for herself, joining the Conclave as the Master of Dance: she was away, and thus the pair decided to wait for her there.
Siberllion seemed safe, and thus the Hunter King lowered his guard: one morning, while they were out shopping, he lost sight of Malukha for but an istant... And she was gone. His only lead was her blindfold, delivered to him by a scaredy rascal who dared not to talk.
Before he could start the hunt, however, the Strongholds reached the city as well, and the joy of reunion quickly turned into anxiety and anger: after tracking her down to the Starry Cave, they took no pause and stormed the place, cutting through any who would oppose them.
However, this was all a ploy to drive Aster to the limit: a carefully sprung trap from Ribes and Betania paralyzed the Hunter King, and Jean's sheer brutality managed to subdue him just long enough to transfer him away via a portal: the Strongholds were forced to let them go, as the twins had let the Execratio loose, and letting it live would mean the loss of hundreds of innocents' lives.
Brought before the Will of Conquest, he was temporarily transformed into the Rex Sanguinis, a high-ranking mindless Incubus who stood alongside the Rex Demens against the Strongholds in Arborea; despite this, Aster was not yet truly lost, and the sight of his would-be wife managed to stall his hand just enough for them to flee and regroup.
At some point after that, Aster managed to break free from Conquest's control, and regain enough wits to still pretend to play his game, planning to betray him and help the Strongholds win the war that was breaking out.
This all fell through when he was deployed near his ancestral home of Myr Tapor.
It is unknown whether his subjects merely accepted their fate, were unable to fight back or had simply perished some time prior, perhaps sending their young and hopeful king away with their last supplies; the only certainty is that, in the middle of the town square, the Strongholds looked in the eyes of a beast covered in vampiric ash.
The fight that ensued was rough and savage, the darkness of the cave shaken by the King's thunder and the flesh of the Strongholds torn by his claws: but once more, within the beast there was yet a King.
Despite being heavily pregnant at this point, Malukha had insisted to tag along, and while the fight raged on she had made her way to the almost dry fountain and lunged herself into it. Before much, the cries of a child were resonating within the dead walls of Myr Tapor.
This brought the beast pause, and it lurched down towards the child, seemingly intrigued by it: without hesitation, a blade flashed from within Malukha's rags and blinded it, creating the single opening the Strongholds so desperately needed.
As they dove into the Hunter King's mind they were relieved to find their old friend, locked in combat with the very manifestation of his deepest and most savage desires: the Incubus Venatoria.
After its defeat Aster rushed to his wife's side, who held a quivering, beautiful child within her arms.
He is the Ego and ancestor of Miriam Weitherm.