The knight, Coraline Toph, has been added to the Dramatis Personae section.

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[h2][color=steelblue]Coraline Toph[/color][/h2]
[color=steelblue][b]Age[/b][/color]
31

[color=steelblue][b]Race[/b][/color]
Half-Elf

[color=steelblue][b]Personality[/b][/color]
Noble, righteous, and heroic, Coraline represents the core values expected from a Knight. She values her honor and integrity just as much as she values the lives of the common people. Coraline is a selfless warrior who will act for the sake of others rather than the sake of herself. She will often take time out of her schedule to take a detour if it means it will better the lives of others. Coraline is a patient fighter and will remain on the defensive until a decisive blow can be dealt. She places great faith in the House of Blades' advancement in armor and proves its effectiveness by running headlong into armed cohorts of her adversaries. Coraline attempts to offer new ways of lives for those she helps, whether it be an offer to join the House of Blades or a new opportunity in a distant land. She is motivated by purpose and quests throughout Yggdrasil to find more of it.
 
[color=steelblue][b]Backstory[/b][/color]
A member of Duke Gabriel Toph's family, Coraline never felt truly connected to them. She was a bastard child with Duke Toph as her father and an elven maid as her mother. She was raised as a member of the Toph family, but Gabriel always made a point to remind her of her mixed blood, that she wasn't truly a Toph nor an inheritor of the family fortune. Vincent Toph, her younger half-brother, always appealed to their father to allow Coraline the same opportunities within the family. Gabriel explained that his honor and integrity as a duke would be stained if he were to pass the family over to a bastard. No matter how hard Vincent tried to earn Coraline's status, nothing was ever gained. Coraline was content, however. She grew knowing her place and allowed room for Vincent to rise as the heir to the Toph Dukedom.

The half-siblings were great friends and the disparity in their blood didn't put them on unequal terms. Coraline attended swordsmanship training with Vincent, she reasoned that she could at least be his housecarl to protect his interests. Coraline was without a doubt the better sword fighter of the two, but Vincent had beaten her by far in marksmanship. Rifles never came as naturally to Coraline as swords did. The two grew to cover each others' weaknesses and they made a formidable team in tourneys. It was from one of those tourneys that Coraline was scouted by a knight representing the House of Blades.

The man's name was Arthur Beckett. He approached Coraline after a duel and offered her a place as a squire in the House of Blades. At first, she declined, saying that she was to protect Vincent Toph's interest as his housecarl. Vincent also disagreed as he was too close to his half-sister to have to watch her be taken away to the Uziel Dragon Mountains where the House of Blades headquarters was. Sir Beckett left without confrontation and the two continued the tourney. In the semi-finals, Coraline lost to the son of an Aesir in a duel. She had taken an injury that resulted in the scar above her right eye. Her defeat had damaged the reputation of the Toph dukedom, a land known for it's exceptional soldiers. Since then, Gabriel became resentful of his daughter and forbade her train with Vincent.

The sudden seclusion from her half-brother and companion made Coraline begin to consider Sir Beckett's offer. At the age of seventeen, Coraline finally reasoned that her life was wasted in the Toph estate; she would never rise to become better there. Coraline sent a messenger to the fortress of the House of Blades and two months later, she was visited by Arthur Beckett. She took up his offer and left the next day with, saying her goodbyes only to her mother. She wanted to see Vincent before she left, but he was training and she wasn't allowed in the training yard while he was there. When Vincent got the news of Coraline's departure two hours later, he was hurt and took out his anger on his father.

Coraline began her life as a squire. She was much older than the other new squires, but her life at the Toph estate had shown her much, putting her equal footing with many of the squires six and seven years into their training. When she arrived at the fortress, she discovered that Arthur Beckett was to be her primary mentor. Coraline was skeptical at first, but after a few lessons, she had realized that Arthur was more than just a scout for the house. Arthur Beckett was one of the most unorthodox knights in the house, but also one of the most talented ones. Where many knights of blades favored the heavy full plate armor and a tower shield, Arthur used light plate and no shield! He was quick and able to penetrate the defenses of nearly ever sparring partner. Coraline adopted his techniques.

Ten years later, Coraline completed her training as a squire and was knighted. As a full fledged knight of blades, Coraline was given liberties and resources not available to many. Arthur, well into his sixties by then, gave her his long sword, Tarkos, as a reward for her graduation. He said he was retiring now that he had finished training her, and that she had to build her own history with Tarkos now. She gratefully accepted the gift and lived comfortably in the fortress for a short while.

It was a month later when the chapter master gave Coraline her first assignment. She was told that the Toph Dukedom was raided by Ratoskr and that she was to join a party of knights to go and investigate the region. She left without delay, worried for her mother and Vincent. When the party arrived, they found that everything was razed to the ground. Scorched bodies lay on the ground everywhere she looked, completely indistinguishable from one another. She didn't need to process much to understand that her bloodline had been wiped out. The party had hunted down and killed several bands of ratoskr in neighboring dukedoms and eventually found the source of their raiding. A cave in the nearby mountains had been connected to a ratoskr tunnel. The party sealed the cave and returned to the fortress.

When she returned, Coraline was greeted by Arthur. He gave her condolences and spent time with her to console her while she mourned the loss of her family. The Knight Houses aren't apathetic toward the families of their knights, and Coraline was given ample time to come to terms with the loss. Eventually, Coraline did, and she resumed her duties as a knight. She was appointed a squire named Urien Glint, an elven boy who had last much from a similar ratoskr raid. She trained Urien for several months in the safety of the fortress, but Coraline felt he had potential for far more. She took up the position of a questing knight and brought Urien along, training him on the road while they travelled across Yggdrasil.

Fours years have passed, Coraline and Urien still journey across Yggdrasil. Their travels have taken them to the Great City of Tyberia, recently conquered by Asgard. She knew that the people of Tyberia would be chafing under the aggressive rule. By the Knights Act, she was granted passage through the Asgardian encampments surrounding the city and allowed inside the great city's walls. Coraline and Urien stay in one of the city's many Blades Chapterhouses while they assist the common people.
 
[color=steelblue][b]Skills[/b][/color]
Coraline is an exceptional swordsman even in the standards of the House of Blades. And her years away from the chapter's headquarters has taught her many tricks of the trade. During her journey, Coraline has learned how to maintain her equipment, her skill in smithing is impressive. To keep herself fed while on the road, Coraline has taken up hunting with the archaic bow and arrow; her marksmanship is uncanny for a knight of blades but is far from master level. People hold a great disposition for knights and Coraline is no exception, the people look up to her and treat her as well as she treats them.

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[*][color=steelblue]Accomplished Swordsmanship -[/color] As a knight of blades, Coraline is exceptionally skilled in sword techniques. Being in melee combat with Coraline is a surefire way to guarantee defeat at her hands. Coraline's light plate armor allows her to remain nimble while she fights, making her an agile opponent which isn't characteristic of the House of Blades.
[*][color=steelblue]Journeyman Smithing -[/color] Maintaining equipment whilst on the road is important, as such, Coraline has taken up the smithing trade to be able to keep her gear in top condition at all times. She isn't a master smith, but she is capable and that counts for a lot. As a result of smithing, Coraline has developed an eye for spotting weaknesses in armors; this secondary trait has made Coraline focus on more accurate strikes when dealing with armored opponents.
[*][color=steelblue]Journeyman Archer -[/color] Hunting is what keeps Coraline fed as she travels between communities. Archery is a dying art in lieu of firearms, but Coraline prefers the traditional method and its silent results. She doesn't need to worry about weight or ammunition as she can fletch her own arrows and always craft new bows if she needs to. Her accuracy could use some work, but for a knight of blades, she is leagues better than most.
[*][color=steelblue]Accomplished Knight -[/color] Coraline's reputation precedes her. As a knight, many people look up to her with admiration by default. Coraline has been questing across Yggdrasil for three years and word has spread to many regions of her deeds. While Coraline isn't held at the same level of esteem as the Aesir, living legends of Asgard, she is often met warm welcomes and a hearty meal. She is known among the Knight Houses because of her deeds and her skill. Often times, Coraline's reputation can allow her to be diplomatic with her enemies rather than aggressive; many a time has Coraline stopped a conflict by reminding them who they're dealing with.
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[color=steelblue][b]Equipment[/b][/color]
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[*][color=steelblue][url=http://api.ning.com/files/mvqHMMWdA4dMY7LfcSgDMsCAZ*FTGKp0O7xVCxkrJiFFaK3YgXxCAC*Xf7BzOOb0iDZ-Ryb8ZS9VHpV0gOvtr8*C0nh4n-h6/downsized_0811011549.jpg]Tarkos[/url] -[/color] Named after the ill-fated nation and homeland of the Ratoskr, Tarkos is Coraline's long sword. Since her days of a house squire, Tarkos has been present. The sword belonged to her mentor before it was passed down to her as a reward for her knighting. Tarkos is an impressive blade, forged with Uziel steel, a metal refined from the Uziel Dragon Mountains. A mana crystal is embedded in the pommel, discharged into the blade by elven mana smiths. The crystal fills the blade with mana, making it far deadlier than any normal long sword. Being a half-elf, Coraline isn't effected by the low amounts of mana that fills the blade. As a precaution, only she or other elves maintain the sword.
[*][color=steelblue]Short Sword -[/color] Coraline keeps a short sword for backup if she somehow ends up disarmed. There isn't any special about the sword. If she loses the short sword, she can easily acquire another or smith one herself.
[*][color=steelblue]Short Bow and arrows -[/color] Coraline also keeps a short bow handy, as well as a quiver of arrows, for when she needs to hunt for food. She can use the bow for combat as well, but she'd rather differ to her sword for fighting.
[*][color=steelblue]Light Plate Armor -[/color] Made for travelling and quick maneuvers in combat, Coraline's light plate armor protects her adequately while giving her full range of movement. All of her armor is mana resistant, like all knights of blades, and can shrug off a number of mana based attacks. Her light plate armor consists of a breast plate, pauldrons, greaves, bracers, and leggings. Coraline wears travel leathers underneath her armor and a cloak bearing the emblem of the House of Blades over top.
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EDIT: We are still waiting for more character sheets to be submitted before Vietmyke and I launch the OOC. If you have any questions regarding character creation, please feel free to work with myself or Vietmyke.