Something that kept me busy... (spoilers)
Ashelin could be Jak's mother! I mean, think about it. She knows Damas, Jak/Mar's father, for reasons she won't tell; she's 25-30 or so and the little Jak was only 5 years old. Plus, she was never in the same room as the little Mar in Jak II, so it could be that's why she never noticed him. That would also explain why she won't give Jak any explanation about her connection to him - maybe it's a topic too sensitive for her to talk about. Perhaps Damas lost her son at a young age?
I love my Gibson Épiphone!