[hider=Master: Ruben Walgrave][b][u]Name:[/u][/b] Ruben Walgrave [b][u]Age:[/u][/b] 147 [hider=Appearance][url=http://i.imgur.com/mtPNY7T.jpg]Like so[/url] Ruben is a tall Englishman with foggy gray eyes and a weathered mien. Out of hand he looks to be in his mid 60's, yet somehow gives the impression of being even older, to the point of infirmity. His face is framed with harsh frown lines and a scraggly brown beard framing his hollowing cheeks. His thinning hair is a dingy brown heavily streaked with grey and lies at shoulder length over a thick collared brown coat with tarnished silver buttons. He wears a faded top hat with a wide brim. He wears faded olive green pants and brown leather boots. Ruben seems to scrutinize the world around him with a permanent and vaguely melancholy frown. On his right ring finger he wears a heavy silver ring set with a large square garnet. To casual observation he seems frail, his arms and legs frequently trembling. [/hider] [b][u]Personality:[/u][/b] Ruben Walgrave is a singularly melancholy man who regards the world around him with a slow remote gaze that matches his mindset. Staunchly traditional in his thinking he views the world through the eyes of a magus; coldly, meticulously and with the sort of inhuman non passion that drives the Clocktower to value magical theory over human life. His years weigh very heavily on him and he often seems vacant, not noticing those around him unless they are of immediate importance. [b][u]Abilities:[/u][/b] Walgrave is highly infirm, lacking immensely in physical capabilities he struggles to perform simple tasks, move with speed or physicaly defend himself. Despite this he has not yet lost the ability to make the subtle hand gestures or body motions required to enact his Magecraft. Quantity of Magic Circuits: C Quality of Magic Circuits: B Od: B Due to his long experience and skill with manipulating Prana, Walgrave is able to enact Magecraft with highly efficient prana expenditure allowing him to function at a much greater capacity than his raw Circuit count would typically indicate. [i]Mystic Code:[/i] Walgraves clothing from his hat to his boots have been reinforced heavily and altered to function as armor. They are as hard as steel, yet still flexible as natural cloth while being altered to absorb impact as an object much heavier would. They are roughly equivalent of 20 lb of modern body armor and are sufficient to protect things such as small arms fire and minor spells that deliver impact damage. They are also heavily warded granting limited protection from electricity and spells that launch pure prana as their means of destruction, such as a Galdr curse. They are also highly fireproof. [i]Magecraft:[/i] Ruben Walgrave is an exceedingly powerful mage, having devoted huge amounts of time to magical study. He possesses an elemental affiliation for Fire, but has explored many other magic pathes in his long life. Familiar Creation, Alchemy and most simple Magecraft practices are known to him, though not specialized in. [u]Niter Fulminate Blast[/u] A burning spray of white hot sulfurous shrapnel and noxious gasses that streaks from the caster's fingers and hurtles towards its target like gunshot. It strikes with enough force to send its target flying head over heels while piercing it through with dozens of burning projectiles. An excellent but expensive heavy assault spell it was meant primarily to dispatch the undead, but works well against most other targets. It is wide range making it tricky to evade while still being strong enough to penetrate most defenses. The Prana Cost is high for this spell, and he can typically only cast it around three times a day. [u]Sulphuric Fog[/u] The conjuration of a cloud of choking sulfur. This generates an orange cloud that behaves like fog gradually choking and blinding those caught in it, irritating the eyes and throat. In addition to this visibility is halved while inside the fog. The cloud lingers for roughly 4 posts before it either disperses or the caster must renew it with additional prana. This cloud is naturally highly susceptible to wind, either ordinary or magical. Walgrave is immune to the effect of this spell and can remain inside the cloud for as long as he pleases, though his visibility is also reduced inside it. Size of the cloud depends on prann invested. [u]Flame Manipulation[/u] Creation and control exerted over flames. With a simple application of prana flames can be shaped, projected, increased or diminished and generally manipulated in whatever way the caster wishes, either as a barrier or an offensive blast or gout. This is effective only up to 60 yards away. [u]Flame Consciousness Projection[/u] By entering a trance and staring into a specially prepared fire Walgrave can project his mind's eye outward to view far distant events in a manner similar to a seeing stone. He is limited in this, in that he is unable to see through the bounded fields of other Magi. [u]Walgraves Bounded Field[/u] A powerful bounded field capable of covering a large mansion, it alerts the caster to trespassers and identifies their magical signature allowing him to differentiate between magi, familiars, undead, Servants or unenchanted humans/ animals. At this point the caster can trigger its inborn security spell unleashing flames onto the intruder. The barrier counts as an A rank shield to anyone incapable of simply shrugging off the flames and would require powerful magecraft to disrupt. For those versed in bypassing bounded fields undetected Walgraves Bounded Field represents a significant challenge. Assassin Servants with high Presence Concealment may bypass it with much greater ease through some time and effort would still be required. Construction of bounded field requires a full day of crafting, as well as significant Prana comparable to the cost of supporting a Servant for a full day. [u]Shared Perception[/u] A spell that allows a Magus to share the sensorial inputs (sight, hearing, etc.) of a creature that he has a pass of Magical Energy with (such as the one established in a contract between Master and Servant). Approval from the other party is a requirement. [u]Thaumaturgic Healing[/u] A simple healing spell refined and perfected over many years. Sufficient to heal major lacerations, restore blood, mend broken bones and resolve 3rd degree burns. Severe damage that has rendered a target close to death, unconscious or immobile will require the patient sleep overnight to regain their strength, possibly with repeated castings depending on the damage. It cannot cure fatal wounds or restore lost limbs, and it has a greatly reduced effect on wounds caused by curses. Ruben must have physical contact with his target unless a shared Perspective Spell is in place on his target, in which case he is capable of rendering aid from up to several blocks away. [u]Reinforcement[/u] Walgrave is capable of briefly reinforcing his own body, however due to his great physical fragility, he can only use this in small bursts, reinforcing to gain the physical competence comparable to an ordinary human for short bursts. Afterwards it often becomes necessary for him to use Magecraft to heal himself of internal damage caused by this exertion. [hider=History] Ruben Walgrave was born to the Walgrave mage line in 1868 during the height of the British Empire. Of minimal involvement in the Clock Tower and Magi politics they were a studious family and very slow to act, shunning the advancements of technology as many magi do. Brought up in the traditional manner of his peers Ruben was instructed in magecraft from a very young age but demonstrated no great genius in the arts and received no special tutoring. Third in line of succession he had little chance of inheriting the family crest and so set out on his own. He quickly attached himself as a vassal to a prominent Lord becoming a crony for the various greater powers that dominate the association. Plunged into a life of rivalry and suspicion Ruben quickly developed a deep sense of cautious cynicism that has defined his way of thinking ever since. After completing his education at the Clock Tower he moved from place to place within the organization's lower tiers taking what opportunities emerged until, inevitably, he found himself caught up in one of the Clock Towers many wars against the living dead. Over time his capacity for destruction grew and he became capable of quickly dispatching the lower forms of the living dead, and eventually Vampires and rival Church Agents as well. Hardened by the trials of combat over many years Ruben eventually emerged as a veteran in the Enforcers constant battle against the spawn of Type Moon. For 20 years Ruben served as a vassal at arms for the Tarleton Noble family, paying for his grant of independent research with military service. Eventually, having accrued decades of service Ruben established his own workshop and secluded himself, seeking immortality via alchemy and innumerable other mysteries, he joined the quiet ranks of the hermit magi who honeycomb the association. Watching and waiting he became sedimentary, reporting to his sponsors infrequently while pursuing his own agendas and keeping a suspicious eye on the comings and goings of the Association, ever wary for new assets that might be turned to his cause. As is only to common for magi in this state Ruben became insensitive to the passage of time and stagnate in nearly all his endeavors apart from his private research and the continued extension of his own lifespan. Slowly, without ever having lived or payed a thought to anything beyond the narrow view a magus takes of the world, Ruben's mortal life slipped away, given over to dark studies and dusty books. Content in his own way, Ruben was never able to fully throw off the growing sense of despair that loomed on him over the years. Though he had beaten the odds of the magi's world and achieved respectability and relative security the true goals that would bring distinction were out of his reach. Akasha was as far from him as could be. Ruben was woken from his slow decay when word reached him of the Grail War, and the rumored prize involved. At first highly skeptical, after deep investigation he found himself deeply torn. Having advanced his entire life through slowness and caution an all or nothing duel to the death revolted him to his core, yet, at the same time a part of him realized that he could not continue as he had done for any longer. All the life extending magecraft in the world would not be sufficient to grant him the insight to reach the Root of Existence. Against all reason and instinct, Ruben Walgrave found himself flipping through his old tomes of death and fire. He found himself dreaming up preparations to summon a hero. [/hider] [b][u]Other:[/u][/b] Walgrave extends his lifespan and keeps himself alive by drinking an alchemic mixture of Turpentine, Bitumen and Aqua Regia, along with other, less savory ingredients.[/hider]