Sorry for posting in the character's section: I missed the "Post it Here First" clause, and I don't know if there's a way for me to delete my posts. My bad!

[b]Kevin

Male, Level 5 Villager
Weapon Mastery: Lances D
Allegiance: Grado[/b]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/OBitYTz.png[/img]

[b]Appearance:[/b] The first thing you’ll notice about Kevin is that he is tall: well over six feet, in fact. However, he is clumsy, and can't seem to manage his own long legs. He has grey eyes, a thin layer of stubble on his chin, and dark hair that he does his best to keep short. Even in non-combat environments, he can usually be seen wearing some sort of shabby armour and a light, wooden shield strapped to his off-hand. In truth, his “armor” is made of old, thick leather padding covered with small, salvaged bits from discarded or broken pieces from other suits. This makeshift plating covers his torso, knees and shoulders, but not much else. This, combined with his wrought-iron kettle hat [[Not an actual kettle, it is a type of helmet]] gives him the image of the stereotypical peasant militiaman, forced to fight to protect his home. Kevin doesn’t mind this, though: even if he is of higher birth, he would sooner not be associated with his family’s name for fear of shaming it.

[b]Apparent Age:[/b] Kevin looks to be a bit older than he actually is, around his mid-20s, particularly if he allows his stubble to grow out. (True Age: nineteen)

[b]Background:[/b]
To understand Kevin’s background, one must first learn of his father. Sir Wilhelm possessed immense tactical and combat prowess that was hard to find among average soldiers. According to songs sung by traveling bards, he wore armour made of dragon scales and carried with him a fabled greatspear tipped with a magical alloy said to have the power to puncture any metal as though it were made of paper. Kevin is fairly certain that these legends aren’t true. 

Both on and off horseback, he was a fearsome warrior, slaying every foe who dared to cross his path. From when he was anointed as “Sir” in his later teen years, he commanded battalions to victory in dozens of battles against the monster hordes, as well as defeating many foes himself. Sir Wilhelm, the Sword in the Darkness, along with many other elite knights, were shown off to symbolize a revival of the heroism and chivalry that initially made the Empire of Grado great. Though stories of his greatness are oft-exaggerated, his confirmed accomplishments are fairly impressive. He took a Grado noblewoman from a distant branch of the royal family to wife, who gave birth to three sons and two daughters: Clyde, Gordon, Gertrude, Layla, and of course his youngest, Kevin.

Kevin's childhood was not particularly different from that of any other squire, though people soon began to realize that he did not have the same caliber of grit that his older brothers Clyde and Gordon did. They were the heirs that Wilhelm wanted, whereas Kevin, though still liked, was largely ignored by his father and considered a disappointment. He learned courtly behaviour and manners, was able to grasp the basics of spear-fighting, had the same impressive stature as his brothers, and had more discipline than either one of them. However, he was unable to summon the same level of courage or raw skill that helped his father to greatness. Wilhelm sent Kevin to join the military once he realized that Kevin would need more training than the aging knight had time to give him. Here, Kevin improved upon the basic techniques his father had taught him, though he was slow to learn more advanced maneuvers. It was here that he met Caine, whom he considers to be a good (albeit rather bothersome) friend.

Sadly, no amount of greatness could prepare Wilhelm for his own betrayal. Exhausted after a major battle, Jehannan mercenaries under his own command turned against him. This is the last Kevin has heard of his father and brothers, who are presumed to be dead. Though he had only a small portion of his training left to go, many trainees were scattered or rushed to the front before he could complete it, and fears that he is mentally unprepared to fight in a war.

[b]Plot-Susceptive:[/b] Very yes.

[b]Items:[/b] Heavy Spear, Javelin, Vulnerary (3 uses)

[b]Personality:[/b] “Brave” would be a poor word to describe Kevin, though “craven” may not be entirely accurate either. Kevin will quake in his boots when a powerful enemy shows up, but he will never flee from a fight unless commanded to do so. A man of extraordinary perseverance, he will always remain staunchly on the field with his lance held... regardless of how completely terrified or outmatched he may be. Though he is not especially skilled in battle yet, Kevin is loyal and disciplined to a fault, and will do almost any task that is asked of him. He has difficulty disobeying his superiors and immense, almost excessive, respect for authority. This is a result of his noble upbringing, which always placed a great emphasis on ranks and titles. Expect him to show even greater respect to potential teachers. Kevin takes instructions well and is quite eager to learn, though he tends to be hard on himself and has difficulty acknowledging when he has done a good job.

The tales about Kevin's father and brothers have saddled him somewhat of an inferiority complex, whether said tales entirely true or not. He has a lot to live up to, and prefers not to reveal his lineage so he is not seen as a disappointment to people who are familiar with his family history. He has a bad habit of comparing his own worst qualities and skills to others' best.

[b]Ability Assessment:[/b] Slowly but surely, Kevin is turning his awkward stature and clumsiness into a unique combat strength. His unorthodox skills and maneuvers can confuse and trip up less experienced opponents, and his dedication to his training serves him quite well. In one-on-one battles, he emphasizes control over the fight instead of straight-forward attacking. He is quite strong, if only because of his sheer size, but he is simply too cautious and clumsiness to effectively use his full strength in battle. That said, his battlefield control and sheer tenacity make him very, very hard to kill. He can throw a javelin incredibly long distances, but has poor accuracy. (Decent skill, high HP, high defenses, but slow attacks and mediocre offenses.)

[b]Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:[/b]
[list]
[*]Kevin has two prized possessions. The first is a small wooden violin, though his playing isn’t anything special. The second is a tattered piece of white cloth from one of his father’s old cloaks that he has tied around his left arm. This serves as a reminder to himself that he has a legacy to uphold, and that cowardice is not an option.
[*]If a piece of Kevin’s armour breaks, he will repair it with whatever he can find. These quick fixes can range from resourceful to downright absurd, but they typically hold well. Though not a knight himself, the practice has earned Kevin the nickname the "Walking Junkyard", "Junkyard Knight" or "Knight of One Man's Trash" among some circles.
[*]Though Kevin doesn't [i]dislike[/i] bards, he believes most of them to be liars. "Fun liars, though," he says.
[*]Kevin hopes to be able to live up to one day live up to his father’s name, and to one day charge into battle screaming “I am Kevin, Son of Wilhelm!” without bringing shame to his noble line. Unfortunately, that day seems pretty far off. He also hopes to have a story or song written about him, but an entirely truthful one uncorrupted by bards' pleasant lies.
[*]Wilhelm often repeats anecdotes of supposedly "sagely" advice from one of his past instructors, regardless of whether the advice actually applies to the situation.
[*]Lastly, he's got a pretty big appetite. That's not [i]too[/i] surprising, given his size.[/list]

[b]R-button Summarization:[/b] The not-so-great son of a truly great knight. He has a lot to live up to.