Ascher
Jul 14, 2020 18:07:35 GMT -6
Post by Ascher on Jul 14, 2020 18:07:35 GMT -6
Name: Ascher
Class: Mage
Dragon Element: N/A
Age: 34 (Born 1260 AS)
Born In: Lucerne, Bern
Appearance: With his gentle eyes and strong jaw, Ascher was once considered rather attractive. Popular opinion shifted somewhat after an unfortunate run-in with a foe's wind-blade scarred his features, giving the man a distinct - and largely undeserved - roguish appearance. He attempted to mitigate this by growing out his hair and trying for a bit of a beard. His efforts have met with mixed results, moving from "roguish" to "rugged."
Average of height and lean of build, the man could easily have been mistaken for a townsman - perhaps a craftsman or other skilled laborer. It is his garments and personal grooming that usually give the lie to such thoughts, as both are kept to the exacting standards of the Imperial Academy.
Personality: Ascher is levelheaded and relatively easygoing. Unlike many of his fellow graduates, he does not see a need to stand on ceremony outside of exceptionally formal settings. The man prefers to resolve conflicts through means other than violence, but recognizes the necessity of such things when other avenues fail. He has a protective streak - especially for women and children. Despite his studies at the Imperial Academy, Ascher finds himself motivated by a duty to people rather than nebulous patriotism to a political state.
History: Born to a family of craftsfolk in Lucerne, Ascher's early years were spent watching - and occasionally imitating, in the way that toddlers do - his parents in the workshop. It seemed to be a gift beyond words when, at the tender age of eight, his father began to explain the fundamentals of their woodworking practice. The novelty quickly wore off as the boy grew into an unruly teenager, one that was bored with the sedate lifestyle espoused by his parents. Against his father's wishes - and much to his mother's dismay - Ascher submitted himself to be tested for magical aptitude. The results of these tests allowed his admittance to the Imperial Academy. His parents - loath though they were to see their son take his leave - found that they had little choice but to acquiesce, given the military's interest in trained mages. Ascher and his parents did not part on the best of terms.
At the Academy, the young man proved rather talented with wind-based magic. He struggled academically, given the hindrance of his commoner background, until he achieved a firm grasp of both reading and writing. Several years into his education, word reached the Academy of a military uprising within Bern. The faculty and student body found themselves philosophically split - some were sympathetic to the soldiers' complaints, whilst others firmly held the belief that their oaths took precedence. Ascher did his utmost to remain neutral in the debates, though he skewed more closely to the first group than the second. As the funding began to dry up, life at the Academy became much harsher. It became clear that, upon graduation, all mages would be expected to immediately serve their mandatory term of enlistment. Ascher was no exception. No sooner had he sworn faithful service to the Bernese military than did Hargus cement his position as the de facto leader of the country. During his tenure, the mage found himself assigned to one of the skirmishing units that made forays into Sacae - making full use of the subtlety and mobility offered by his wind magic.
The man, like many of the Bernese natives interspersed among the bandit forces, found himself aghast at the horrors they were seen to commit. As his four-year commitment was coming to an end, Ascher - along with a handful of others from his graduating class - was subjected to intense pressure to "voluntarily" extend his term of enlistment. Rather than submit, he led several of his fellows in a refusal to extend - one that was begrudgingly accepted, at least on the surface, by their commander. Despite an ambush by their former comrades, Ascher and his fellows successfully made it back to his hometown of Lucerne, in Bern. After many words and the expression of repressed feelings, he reconciled with his parents and hung his mage's cloak near the door - choosing to give up the practice in light of some of the atrocities he had seen and committed in Sacae.
Ascher spent the following years as a humble carpenter, until Ilian and Sacaen soldiers began to make their way into the heart of the country. It was only when Lucerne itself was under threat that he donned his cloak once more and sought to defend his home. They held out until word arrived that the capitol had fallen, at which point Ascher and his family fled into the southern forests. Before long, he fell into the company of the Bernese resistance - planning and leading strikes against Ilian supply lines. However, much to the consternation of his peers, Ascher deliberately avoided Sacaen forces - perhaps out of lingering guilt over his past actions.
Following the reclamation of Bern Castle, Ascher - having lost his parents during the Ilian occupation and watched his siblings flee for greener pastures - found his way back to the Imperial Academy, seeking to not only further his knowledge of the arcane... but to expose himself to the study of statecraft and governance. Whether it be during his lifetime, or in the lifetime of his children, the man is determined to ensure that Bern not fall prey to the same petty-minded corruption as the Senate and former royal line.
NPC Fight: A PC-NPC conflict should present as a realistic challenge for the PC, unless a clear skill discrepancy is otherwise specified. Violence in which one party emerges entirely unscathed is exceedingly rare and ought not be considered the norm. One ought to play the NPC intelligently - a melee opponent is unlikely to stay at range, whereas an archer or caster is unlikely to get in close - and remember that the player character is a person rather than the God of War and Magic incarnate.
PC Fight: Describe the actions of one's own character in qualitative (a brash, sweeping blow), proximal (toward her left elbow), and predictive (seeking to sever the limb) terms. Do not presume to dictate the actions or responses of another character. Acknowledge the actions and relative positioning of both characters when considering your next post. Violence in which one party emerges entirely unscathed is exceedingly rare and ought not be considered the norm - especially when another player character is involved, unless explicitly cleared with the other player ahead of time as a plot device.
Class: Mage
Dragon Element: N/A
Age: 34 (Born 1260 AS)
Born In: Lucerne, Bern
Appearance: With his gentle eyes and strong jaw, Ascher was once considered rather attractive. Popular opinion shifted somewhat after an unfortunate run-in with a foe's wind-blade scarred his features, giving the man a distinct - and largely undeserved - roguish appearance. He attempted to mitigate this by growing out his hair and trying for a bit of a beard. His efforts have met with mixed results, moving from "roguish" to "rugged."
Average of height and lean of build, the man could easily have been mistaken for a townsman - perhaps a craftsman or other skilled laborer. It is his garments and personal grooming that usually give the lie to such thoughts, as both are kept to the exacting standards of the Imperial Academy.
Personality: Ascher is levelheaded and relatively easygoing. Unlike many of his fellow graduates, he does not see a need to stand on ceremony outside of exceptionally formal settings. The man prefers to resolve conflicts through means other than violence, but recognizes the necessity of such things when other avenues fail. He has a protective streak - especially for women and children. Despite his studies at the Imperial Academy, Ascher finds himself motivated by a duty to people rather than nebulous patriotism to a political state.
History: Born to a family of craftsfolk in Lucerne, Ascher's early years were spent watching - and occasionally imitating, in the way that toddlers do - his parents in the workshop. It seemed to be a gift beyond words when, at the tender age of eight, his father began to explain the fundamentals of their woodworking practice. The novelty quickly wore off as the boy grew into an unruly teenager, one that was bored with the sedate lifestyle espoused by his parents. Against his father's wishes - and much to his mother's dismay - Ascher submitted himself to be tested for magical aptitude. The results of these tests allowed his admittance to the Imperial Academy. His parents - loath though they were to see their son take his leave - found that they had little choice but to acquiesce, given the military's interest in trained mages. Ascher and his parents did not part on the best of terms.
At the Academy, the young man proved rather talented with wind-based magic. He struggled academically, given the hindrance of his commoner background, until he achieved a firm grasp of both reading and writing. Several years into his education, word reached the Academy of a military uprising within Bern. The faculty and student body found themselves philosophically split - some were sympathetic to the soldiers' complaints, whilst others firmly held the belief that their oaths took precedence. Ascher did his utmost to remain neutral in the debates, though he skewed more closely to the first group than the second. As the funding began to dry up, life at the Academy became much harsher. It became clear that, upon graduation, all mages would be expected to immediately serve their mandatory term of enlistment. Ascher was no exception. No sooner had he sworn faithful service to the Bernese military than did Hargus cement his position as the de facto leader of the country. During his tenure, the mage found himself assigned to one of the skirmishing units that made forays into Sacae - making full use of the subtlety and mobility offered by his wind magic.
The man, like many of the Bernese natives interspersed among the bandit forces, found himself aghast at the horrors they were seen to commit. As his four-year commitment was coming to an end, Ascher - along with a handful of others from his graduating class - was subjected to intense pressure to "voluntarily" extend his term of enlistment. Rather than submit, he led several of his fellows in a refusal to extend - one that was begrudgingly accepted, at least on the surface, by their commander. Despite an ambush by their former comrades, Ascher and his fellows successfully made it back to his hometown of Lucerne, in Bern. After many words and the expression of repressed feelings, he reconciled with his parents and hung his mage's cloak near the door - choosing to give up the practice in light of some of the atrocities he had seen and committed in Sacae.
Ascher spent the following years as a humble carpenter, until Ilian and Sacaen soldiers began to make their way into the heart of the country. It was only when Lucerne itself was under threat that he donned his cloak once more and sought to defend his home. They held out until word arrived that the capitol had fallen, at which point Ascher and his family fled into the southern forests. Before long, he fell into the company of the Bernese resistance - planning and leading strikes against Ilian supply lines. However, much to the consternation of his peers, Ascher deliberately avoided Sacaen forces - perhaps out of lingering guilt over his past actions.
Following the reclamation of Bern Castle, Ascher - having lost his parents during the Ilian occupation and watched his siblings flee for greener pastures - found his way back to the Imperial Academy, seeking to not only further his knowledge of the arcane... but to expose himself to the study of statecraft and governance. Whether it be during his lifetime, or in the lifetime of his children, the man is determined to ensure that Bern not fall prey to the same petty-minded corruption as the Senate and former royal line.
NPC Fight: A PC-NPC conflict should present as a realistic challenge for the PC, unless a clear skill discrepancy is otherwise specified. Violence in which one party emerges entirely unscathed is exceedingly rare and ought not be considered the norm. One ought to play the NPC intelligently - a melee opponent is unlikely to stay at range, whereas an archer or caster is unlikely to get in close - and remember that the player character is a person rather than the God of War and Magic incarnate.
PC Fight: Describe the actions of one's own character in qualitative (a brash, sweeping blow), proximal (toward her left elbow), and predictive (seeking to sever the limb) terms. Do not presume to dictate the actions or responses of another character. Acknowledge the actions and relative positioning of both characters when considering your next post. Violence in which one party emerges entirely unscathed is exceedingly rare and ought not be considered the norm - especially when another player character is involved, unless explicitly cleared with the other player ahead of time as a plot device.