"Why fight if not for fun?"
John Herald
Race: Human
Birthplace: Azura - Swiss - Small kingdom in the mountains
Personality: John is first and foremost a curious person. Nothing will sate his hunger for discovery and this is why he is so determined to explore the world beyond the "Rock Fortress". However, there is more to him than his dream. He grew up on morals; there is a good and there is an evil. He is strict about them too, he would prefer not to kill an enemy if he could beat them into submission, and he does not believe that violence solves anything despite being a capable fighter himself.
All the pacifist talk aside: John does not take threats. Even though his mind says its wrong he will be quick to grab his blade and defend himself. However, John never acts out of anger, there is always cause in his actions, otherwise he feels there is no need to act. This discipline is something he learned in the mountains, you get up, do what you have to, and respect your elders. Its meaning has obviously evolved to incorporate the opinions of "outsiders".
John himself is perceived as a happy guy, most of the time he is smiling, the exception being when he is utterly bored. He speaks comfortably around others and is confident enough to look someone in the eye when he speaks to them. If he can help those in need, he would gladly offer his services. Though he is not a naive person as his loving smile and warm greetings would lead others to believe. The Guardian's duties have taught him to be mindful of a person's behaviors.
John is young however and being human comes with flaws. One of his happen to be his curiosity. He is courageous enough to fear no situation and explore any land, but not wise enough to know when it is time to be afraid. Fear, despite its bad rep, keeps us alive. Men like John, aspiring heroes, die if they can't learn to fear. This goes without saying that he is reckless. John is quick on his feet, but not in his head.
He is decent at the skills he was taught. His strong suit lies in communication and combat, things key to acquiring information about the world, but spending most of his time brawling and standing around talking, he never spent time on skills that required one to "think and then do" rather than "do and think". So, he gets a C+ in the brains department, he's passing.
Bio: John is a man of old ways. Since a child he has been surrounded by men going to work and woman doing housework. Though, in a cave there weren't many flowers to attend to. Yes, John grew up in the safety of a mountain. His people utilized their knowledge over nature to carve a city out of the landscape, further fortifying themselves should invaders come. Here he learned the trades of metalwork, alchemy, and swordsmanship so that he could play his part in society. However, like many before him, John wanted to explore the world despite the warnings of his elders.
His early studies were actually dedicated to learning the sword as any person with a hand and a brain could swing one. It was later when his mind was more developed that he learned the harder things like how to make the blade, how sharp he could make it before it broke, how the metal had to be melted, the amount of blue liquid he had to poor into the other liquid and vice versa, and then on top of all that relearning how to swing a sword. It was not the work load meant for the type scared of some hard work and dedication. And believe it or not, John survived his school years and actually started apprenticing as a swordsman.
He trained under a guard and learned about the outside world and why his people were so scared of it. He learned about politics and negotiation, he was taught to pay attention to the subtle things, and discretion when using his blade. He was also taught how to fire a gun, that was the best lesson he was taught, but the point of this is: nothing ever happened. So, under the apprenticeship of the guard John learned a ton about the outside world and how to fight. It only egged on his wish to see it. He then set his mind to it and made sure to cherish every word the guard told him about the real world.
Of age and able to swing a sword, nothing could stop John on his journey to explore. Thanks to Magitek he didn't have to walk the perilous journey that adventurers in days past would have. Nope, instead John hightailed it through the forest on a "skipper" and made it to the next city, taking the title of Guardian with him, and continued hopping until he could see Azura's shores. That was when John felt his stomach grumble and realized he needed food. No money and not wanting to go back home he looked to his sword. He offered his services as a sword for hire, only to find, not many people wanted some novice kid swinging his sword around. Dissapointed with the outside world, but still with a thirst to move on, John hitched a ride on a small skiff crossing the water.
John entered a port town from there and was greeted with a piece of parchment offering something out of a fairy tale to him (or nightmare depending on how you perceived his grandfather's stories). His hope in discovering what the world truly had to offer had been renewed with the small piece of parchment. He felt the words on the page had been written just for him as they described him perfectly. He was determined to meet this crew.
Skills:
Swordsmanship, Boxing, and Marksmanship.
Talents:
Political Knowledge, Tracking, and Weapon Crafting/Repair
Magitek Items:
Swiss Guardian Amulet - The amulet can be used as a light source or to access a simple ranged fireball attack.
Notable Possessions:
Guardian's Blade - A broadsword, wielded with two hands. Its moderate weight makes it a sturdier blade and it has been made so that it has the potential to be enchanted, but even in your hometown you have to pay for things, so John never bothered with it. However, given the materials he could make something like his amulet.
