Alright Aza, remember he's wearing a fucking
eyepatch this time.
"This world is not as it should be."[/hr]
Name: Elthrad Raske
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Race: Half-Elf
Physical Characteristics:
- Heterochromia
- 6'2" tall
- 175 lbs.
- Manually shortened ears.
Personality: Courageous, loyal and kind, but unforgiving. The tutelage of his noble father has inspired Elthrad to adopt many of the good-natured facets of an Astopolian, but even so he cannot forgive the deplorable state of the elves. Holding onto that one grudge against the humans has made it easier for him to cling to others when slights against him arise, but if you do not cross him and your cause is just you have found yourself a staunch ally.
Biography:
Elthrad's mother was an elf, and his father was one of the famous Knights of Astopol. Given what his father expected of him, he spent most of his youth isolated from other youths. Before the war with the Empire reached them, he spent most of his time in the company of tutors, retainers and his mother, learning the ways of the knights and, more discreetly, the elves.
When the war finally reached the coalition, the Raske estates on the fringes of Astopol sufferred under the initial onslaught. Elthrad was too young to remember what happened clearly as his home burned, but he remembers the heat, being carried to safety, and never seeing his mother again. He didn't understand where she had gone, at least not yet. Although most men would have been devestated, the survival of his child was enough to carry Ardan through the worst of his emotions. Rather than turn his heart to despair, he turned his sword to the enemy. During this time, without a home, Elthrad traveled with the army's noncombatants and began to learn the reality of warfare.
It wasn't until the Rift-Beasts first appeared and the Empire retreated that Ardan gained notoriety. When the coalition turned on Talze Utera, Ardan was on the front lines of the extermination. His anger at the Empire had not been sated after the death of his wife, and it was no stretch for him to take it out on them for being behind whatever conspiracy brought forth the Rift-Beasts. However, although he distinguished himself in battle, the realization of what he was responsible for weighed heavily on him, so he never sought to wield the Allis Blades, forged from slaughtered allies.
Fortunately, wielding Talentium did not carry the same compunction, and he accepted one of those blades along with the responsibility of fighting the dangerous Rift-Beasts. The Talentium changed the landscape of the war against the beasts, and with their own flesh turned against them they were quick to be quelled.
With the rising levels of peace, Ardan was able to take enough time off to settle his remaing family far away from the front, near the heart of Astopol. Here, he continued Elthrad's instruction on the principles of knighthood, and manhood. The first thing he drilled into his son's head was "Glory to the Knights and Death to the Monster," the motto of the Astopolian Military. From that, the rest followed. As he began to progress in his knowledge and swordsmanship, Ardan was called away on a long mission involving vampires and Elthrad was left alone.
Unlike the days of his youth, there were far fewer retainers and no mother to keep him company, so he decided he was ready to join the military. He squired himself to a knight in the Blue Lances, where he was trained by Knight Captain Mariwen Keep, the younger sister of the Knight-Commander, Mirelle. This was also where he met Ellenil Esprit, one of Keep's officers and the subject of his misguided, young love, which developed into nothing more than awkward desires and confusion.
During his training with Mariwen Keep, Elthrad had been developing a style that favored his natural abilities, and when he received his first Talentium weapon it all fell into place. The Gaea Arts were born, although to date they only contain one art and one sword skill of his own creation, he has begun experimenting to advance his skills and hopes to create a wide array of different forms to rival the legendary arts crafted by blademasters. Recently, he was knighted, and has begun his three year journey as an errant knight, to travel the world, help those in need, and shed the light of the Goddess upon unholy places.
Fears: (1) Discovery of his heritage and the loss of everything he's worked for. (2) His eyepatch being his undoing. (3) Memories beyond his reach, from his early childhood, have given Elthrad what some would consider a very reasonable fear of fire. However, everything from torches to campfires make him keep his distance, and you'll never catch him staring into one. Encountering fire magic on the battlefield can make him extremely hesitant to close with an enemy
Weaknesses: (1) Narrowed field of view due to his eyepatch. (2) Low mobility in his tactics. (3) Little defense against ranged weapons, couple with his low mobility, makes him a vulnerable target.
Skills:
Equipment:
- Plate armor which hides his lithe figure (much less ornate than the above).
- A long-handled talentium falchion.
- An eyepatch worn on the left, which disguises his heterochromia but limits his field of view.
Magic:
Burgeoning Life: Elthrad can cause organic life to flourish for a variety of purposes, although he only uses this magic discreetly.
Elven Heritage: Due to his elven descent, Elthrad can use most of the abilities of an elf, but none are as effective for him.
Healer: It is not his primary magical talent, but Elthrad can still help the wounded.
Sword Arts:
Gaea – Take Root: A basic style of the
Gaea Arts that requires little more than good footing. In this style the warrior draws his power from the earth below him and channels it through his body. The longer he maintains his stance the greater his strength and fortitude become, making him capable of taking harder hits as his skin takes on a wooden texture and resilience, but it is a
slow building power meant for long battles where ground cannot be lost. When the stance is broken, all the built up energy is diffused to deal damage in an area around him, this move is called "uprooting."
The primary offense of this stance when coupled with his weapon are heavy downward chops, and it defends with parries meant to knock the enemy's weapon out wide and open them to a counter attack. When the warrior's back is against a wall it is useful for defending against multiple foes, but otherwise it is easy to flank users of this stance.
Sword Skills:
Falling Oak: The warrior leaps into the air and descends with the force of a falling tree. When Elthrad has to break his stance, this is his preferred way of doing it.
Relationships:
Theme Song:
Beware the Volume
[/hr]
