The most eccentric and mystical of Eleanor's students, Ascia was named for her revelation, during her gauntlet in 219, that all human consciousness consists of aggregate slowly accrued over time like the excess mortar on a mason's trowel. Not even Eleanor claimed to understand this metaphor, and those not on friendly terms with Ascia were to use it as the basis of some rather cruel jokes about her obesity, for Ascia was very fat.
In the last years of her apprenticeship, Ascia struck up an unlikely friendship with Touccio's third student Licinius, a rather sickly and anemic young man with whom she seemed to have absolutely nothing in common. Nonetheless, by the end of 220, Ascia had begun spending enormous amounts of time in Licinius' private laboratory, and many on the Order began to talk. Aegidius in particular thought that the young woman ought be more careful of her reputation, and he chastised Eleanor for allowing her student to behave in such a fashion.
Eleanor, however, staunchly defended her filia's right to keep whatever hours in whatever company she wished, and over time, the Order's prurient interest in the young mages' personal relationship began to wane, replaced by an interest in their professional relationship. It soon became apparent that Licinius and Ascia were working on some sort of magical project together, but neither of them would discuss the nature of their work, and their right to privacy was defended by both Eleanor and Touccio.
In 223, a massive explosion destroyed not only Licinius' laboratory, but also a number of the adjoining buildings. Both Ascia and Licinius were killed in the blast. Horrified by the extent of the damage, the Council immediately ordered an investigation into the nature of the research which had proven so very dangerous, but the Order was never to learn what their secret project had been. Even interrogation of the mages' apprentices—all of whom, miraculously, had survived the disaster—was to no avail, and to this day, the mystery of the explosion in which Ascia was killed has never been solved.
Ascia had only given her young apprentice one year of training before her death in 223. Her student was thereafter adopted by Eleanor herself:
- Xyris (E9), from 222 to 223
