[hider=Rider] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a9/dd/06/a9dd06484015ce8cf5f40b2d1bbee5f8.jpg[/img] Name: Rostam Class: Rider Gender: Male Appearance: An immense man, muscular but balanced, Rostam stands ten and a half feet tall, towering over all around him with the stature of a giant. His face is thickset and handsome, with dark eyes, olive skin and a thick black oiled beard that falls to his chest. He is clad in a silver suit of heavy scale armor, rows upon rows of interlocking steel that cover him from shoulder to knee. Most striking of all however is the dark reddish orange fur pelt he wears over this armor, covering his back, chest, thighs and upper arms before trailing behind him as a cloak. His arms however, are largely bare, and his lower legs, while covered by grieves, have many visible chinks. On his head he wears an immense horned skull fashioned into a helmet, its teeth resting on his brow, it's pale horns adding a further two feet to his already immense height. Alignment: Lawful Good Personality: Proud and noble, Rostam is slow to anger and courteous in his words and deeds, being the shining example of a righteous Paladin of Ohrmazd. He is deeply sentimental, and thinks primarily of the reputation of his nation, his king and his god. In general, he is a ponderous easy going man who prefers to rely on simple actions and then react to the situation as it unfolds. Having lived for hundreds of years very little surprises him anymore. Despite his exemplary qualities Rostam is also lacking in many regards. He is accustomed to victory by virtue of his exceeding natural gifts and does not take well to being bested, especially by means he considers underhanded or treacherous. When faced with frustration by these methods his usual solid composure is broken and he becomes angry and unreasoning. Underneath all this Rostam suffers from a deep melancholy due to actions he regrets during his lifetime, and because of this his judgement can be questionable. History: The great hero of Sakastan, Rostam was born the son of Zal and Ruduba, great nobles and Heroes in the ancient Kingdom. Raised by his parents, Rostam grew with supernatural speed, and by the age of eight was already larger than most of the warriors in his household. One day the great white war elephant kept by his father went mad, and broke loose of his chain, rampaging around the grounds of Rostam's home. Rostam went forth to fight with the beast, easily pushing aside all the guards who attempted to restrain him for his own safety. Though only ten, he took his father's mace and killed the elephant with a single strike. Blessed with a pre naturally long lifespan, Rostam would live for over a hundred years and would become the greatest hero of the Shahnameh. A giant of a man he grew too large for any horse to bear him, until he met with the giant steed Rakhsh, a stallion who possessed similar size, strength, and long life to his own. They became inseparable, and, when the King of Sakastan was captured by the Servants of Angra Mainyu they rode out into the desert to rescue him, making war upon the demons who had kidnaped him. In the course of seven trials on this quest, Rostam and Rakhsh did battle with a monstrous lion, crossed a vast desert, slew and skinned a river dragon gaining its hide as invulnerable armor, defeated an evil sorceress, slew the demon king Arzang Div and his champion Olad, rescued the King Kay Kavus, and finally slew the demon sorcerer Div-e Sepid before takeing his skull as a helmet. Rostam would dwell in peace after these trials for many years, but always a new war would spring up again, and he would be called away to fight. Every time he would lay waste to the invading army. Though facing countless champions and heroes over the years, only two would ever come close to matching him; the great hero Esfandyar and his own son, the warrior Sohrab. Though he overcome both of these heroes in the end, their deaths would cause him only grief as he recognized Esfandyar's great virtue, and Sohrab's identity as his own child only to late. In the end Rostam's extended lifespan would come to an end by treachery at the hands of his envious half brother Shaghad. Lured into a trap, robbed of his invulnerable dragon skin, he was trapped in a pit and pierced with countless poisoned spears together with Rakhsh. Even this death by treachery and planning was not empty of glory however, for Rostam took far to long to die, and in that time was able to demand a dying wish of Shaghad. Bound by honor to obey, and thinking Rostam now helpless Shaghad granted him his last request of his bow and arrows. Seeing that Rostam still had strength left, and was stringing the bow to slay him, Shaghad took shelter behind a thick oak tree, but it made no difference. Rostam's arrow penetrated the heart of the tree and slew Shaghad on the other side, allowing Rostam to outlive his own killer. Weapon: Rostam wields an immense mace of oak and iron. Long and heavy it is nearly the size of an ordinary man. The handle is gnarled wood, as hard as the iron that it is capped with. The head is roughly the size of a beach ball. War Horse Rakhsh. Scaled armor. Babr-e Bayan & the skull of Div-e Sepid. Parameters: STR: A+ CON: A AGI: C MGI: C LCK: C Class Skills: Magic Resistance: C Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals Riding: A+ A skilled rider, he is capable of mastering a horse that no other hero could tame, and was even able to ride the divine Simorgh for a day. Due to his size however, it would be highly improbable that Rostam would be able to make use of any modern vehicles, even though he would be able to understand their function easily. Personal Skills: Battle Continuation: C At this rank the Servant is capable of impressive feats of uncanny endurance, able to fight on with wounds that would ordinarily be considered crippling. It is even possible to remain alive with deadly injuries, though he cannot fight. Blessed of Ohrmazd: A The divine blessing of Ohrmazd. Ones lifespan is massively extended, and Strength is permanently ranked up. (accounted for in baseline stats) Dragon Slayer: C The slayer of a river Dragon, weaker by nature than the great Dragons slain by the likes of Sigurd and Beowulf. He receives an additional rank down for and having done it with the aid of Rakhsh. Nevertheless, his damage output is increased by 25% against dragonkind, and he gains 25% resistance to dragon breath. Noble Phantasm(s): Name: Babr-e Bayan Title: Imperishable Skin of the River Dragon Rank: B NP Type: Barrier Range: - Maximum Number of Targets: - Description: The hide of a Persian river dragon, a mighty beast which was slain by Rostam with the aid of Rakhsh. The hide is the resistant to fire, water and weapons. All attacks of these types of C rank or below are unable to penetrate the suite at all and attacks of B rank and above will be reduced by the difference between the ranks (B rank attacks becoming E rank, A rank attacks becoming D rank. This is not conceptual effect, but rather a form of conventional armor. As such attacks which penetrate the pelt will leave holes through which subsequent attacks can be made. Armor repair takes several minutes, and as such is not largely possible in the middle of battle. In addition, areas not directly covered by the pelt have no special protection, and hence Rostam's dragonhide is full of chinks. The neck, armpits, forearms, back of the calves, inner thighs, feet, hands and face are all unprotected by this Noble Phantasm. In addition to the pelt, Rostam possesses a magical skull helmet which has been assimilated into the noble Phantasm, the two artifacts becoming simply part of "the marvelous armor of Rostam." It possesses identical properties to the dragon pelt, allowing its protection to extend to his head, though his face remains largely uncovered. The pelt grants Rostam B rank resistance to fire, negating all but the most hellish of fire attacks, and reducing those of A rank or over to mere E rank singes. Areas not directly covered by the pelt may still be burned however. Despite his immense weight which should make the activity impossible, the resistance to water granted by the pelt allows Rostam to float freely in any body of liquid. Babr-e Bayan is vulnerable to Hero's and Noble Phantasms which possess the attribute of Dragon Slayers, and suffers a two-rank degradation against such entities. Name: Rakhsh Title: Shining Lion Steed Rank: B+ NP Type: Anti-Unit Range: 1-25 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 Description: The peerless stallion of Rostam, Rakhsh is the mightiest of all horses in the Shahnameh. Immense in body and strength, Rakhsh stands over ten feet tall at the head, matching Rostam's stature and being the only steed able to carry him. A fierce hero in his own right Rakhsh has slain a monstrous lion on his own while his master was sleeping, and is a fearsome foe even when Rostam is not mounted on top of him. Immensely swift, able to gallop at speeds which only the swiftest hero's can match on foot, and able to sustain these speeds over long periods. When galloping into battle Rakhsh is comparable to an oncoming tank which crushes all in its path. As an Phantasmal Beast Rakhsh possesses strength and speed far above most ordinary heroes. Rakhsh possesses refined senses of smell and hearing which exceed Rostam's own. Four times while the hero was sleeping unaware Rakhsh noticed the approach of a creeping monster and roused his master to wakefulness to defend himself. When it comes to vigilance against things such as traps, incoming missiles, or assassins using presence concealment, Rakhsh possesses abilities comparable to Arturia or Cuchulain, far exceeding Rostam's own. Finally, Rakhsh possesses a highly gifted intelligence for a horse, approaching human reasoning. Though he cannot speak, he can understand most of what is said between parties, and is able to formulate battle plans and complex decisions of his own. [/hider] [hider=Master] [b]Name:[/b] Alex Bradan [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Age:[/b] 43 [b]Personality:[/b] Alex is a generally calm detached individual who enjoys solitude, though he is prone to occasional explosions of anger. A man of considerable worldly experience he is adaptable and opportunistic, seeking to gain the advantage as decisively as possible before abandoning the situation, leaving others to deal with the fallout. While it could be said that he is heartless, it is more accurate to say that he conceptualizes the world as something he is an unwanted outsider to, and hence has no stake in. In the event of an opportunity to do good without potential danger to himself, he will take it, but, as is the sad way of the world, such things are rare. [b]Appearance:[/b] Alex is an unremarkable man with the distinctly unkempt appearance of one who does not have to interact with society often. Stocky, standing around 5.8, his clothes are simple, graying jeans and a brown shirt over which he wears a dark green vest, faded and full of pockets. On his head is perched a sun bleached baseball cap. His face seems sunken and melancholy, with splotchy skin and a nine o'clock shadow that makes him look far more like any number of ageing sailors or fishermen rather than a magi. He smells strongly of diesel and fish, and seems to be wreathed in cigarette smoke quite often. Tiny signs of the zodiac are tattooed on the backs of his fingers in blue ink, one on each finger following their dates from right pinky to left pinky accordingly, with Cancer on the back of his right hand, and Capricorn on the left. [b]Biography:[/b] Alex Bradan is a drifting freelance magi who sails from port to port, plying his various trades across the waters. An assassin, a smuggler and, quite frequently a simple odd job man, he is a member of a small number of freelancers who use the sea as a means to mask their activities and stay ahead of the influence of the various political factions in the magi world. A reasonably talented son of a minor magi family based in New York, Alex grew up near the sea, his family preferring coastlines as a place to regenerate their Od with especial speed. Not being in line for inheriting the family Crest, and not wishing to be used as a political piece, Alex left one day, preferring to wander aimlessly over the world and quietly study his magecraft alone rather than become Enmeshed in the Magi political scene. Having already undergone substantial training, he was able to use hypnotism to gain acceptance virtually anywhere, and eager to set out on his own, he left on a stolen ship one night and never returned. Alex has lived most of his life on the move ever since, eventually putting together what amounts to a floating magi workshop over the past 30 odd years. The owner of a serviceably seaworthy ship, he operates off the books and away from official channels, hypnotizing his way out of questions from ordinary authorities. Leaving no record among maritime authorities, and with few Magi operating at sea to stop him, he sails the world virtually unopposed, conducting his Astrology research in the isolation of his floating workshop under the stars on the open ocean. When supplies run scarce or he desires to obtain something specific for his studies he goes looking for freelance work, popping up where his tarot card readings tell him, and where he is generally sure that work will present itself. Smuggling and various other forms of petty mundane crime are easy and lucrative, especially for a criminal who can hypnotize the necessary authorities into looking the other way in the event he is caught. Far more lucrative however are the shipments of magical reagents and artifacts that make their way over the sea as the cogs of the Clock Tower demand. Even in this day and age some magi don't trust planes, and because erecting magical defenses over simple cargo is troublesome, there will always be some who decide that high magical security is more trouble than it's worth. For a freelancer with the time on his hands to track the movements of such special supplies then, it is quite possible to stock a private workshop in this way, as well as make a profit on the side provided one is careful, and not to greedy. Though he has survived however, Alex Bradan has not exactly thrived. With age beginning to creep up on him he is tormented by the knowledge that he had wandered aimlessly for most of his life, coming no closer to the Root or to any substantial legacy to leave behind for anyone. Having read his tarot cards over and over in the past months, seeking to exercise the curse of his Origin he has, by seeming chance, pulled into the Harbor of Fuyuki city, whereupon he received a Command Spell. While not the best of Magi, the appearance of such a mark on his own flesh without explanation could only lead to an investigation, and eventually the drawing of a summoning circle... [b]Family History:[/b] A fairly average Magus family that moved to America around the turn of the century. Having lost contact with most of their connections, they became detached from their roots eventually becoming absorbed into various other bloodlines. Among it surviving disciplines is an affinity for Astrology. They have possessed an affinity for coastlines for almost their entire history, regenerating their Od faster in such places. [b]Origin:[/b] Departure (He has all but unlocked it, and strongly suspects it is something like this, even if he has never exactly pinpointed it.) [b]Elemental Affinity:[/b] Water [b]Number of Magic Circuits:[/b] C [b]Quality of Magic Circuits:[/b] B [b]Od:[/b] C [b]Magecraft[/b]: [i]Familiar Creation Aria Count:[/i] Ritual The creation of familiars, is able to convert typical small animals such as birds and insects, but is also capable of making Familiars out of more complex forms of life such as snakes and various amphibians. [i]Thaumaturgical Healing Aria Count:[/i] Five Line Basic Thaumaturgical Healing techniques, regeneration via stimulation of natural healing capacities. Developed out of necessity from living for long periods in relative isolation on the dangerous environment of the open seas. Sufficient to mend medium lacerations and contusions in a short period of time. More serious injuries such as broken bones or major blood loss will take around a day to repair via his techniques. [i]Curse of Brine Aria Count:[/i] Single Line A curse which attacks the senses of its victim, afflicting them with the sensations of drowning, while attacking their eyes and nostrils. The Curse is invisible, though it can be sensed by magi and dodged accordingly. It moves at roughly the same speed of a Gandr, and upon hitting its target, causes them to experience the sensation of their lungs filling with salt water. At the same their sinuses and tear ducts react as if having been suddenly doused with salt, usually causing a reaction of extreme revulsion accompanied with choking. The sensation lasts only a second or so, but depending on the constitution of the victim, recovery can take significantly longer. Multiple stikes from this curse will worsen the effect causing potential serious injury as the body begins to presume it is drowning. If hit sufficient times (4 or 5 in swift succession) the target can suffer a heart attack or fatal stroke. [i]Astrology[/i] A highly skilled Astrologer, it is the one link to his family that he has cultivated over the years, and, the one vague impossible hope of reaching the root that he still maintains. Having spent absurd amounts of time studying the stars from the deck of his ship at night, he developed an instinctive grasp of the art and can enact some truly first rate magecraft in this area. Though he has never possessed a seeing stone, he is able to read his Tarot Cards with such accuracy that he can replicate a considerable amount of their function with them, the images shifting on the card faces, changing and twisting to become the figures that are under his arcane scrutiny. This works only for him, and to an outside observer he seems to merely be staring at the cards vacantly. General fortune telling and reading of potential fates is possible as well, with a great degree of accuracy, though genuine observation of the future is not possible for him. By performing tarot readings he is able to uncover broad details of the events he is trying to uncover. For example, should someone have singled him out for killing, pulling a Death card along with a Fool (representing oneself) Card becomes very likely, while other major events pertaining to the situation he bears in mind may be read in similar ways. [i]Tarots Fortune Curse Aria Count: [/i]Five Line The use of Astrology to grant either good or bad luck, preferably good luck to himself and bad to his enemys. Though vague, the effect is real, and any number of things can suddenly happen to intervene in his favor, or against that of the one he has cursed. From a pistol jamming to a well rehearsed spell somehow failing, things tend to fall in his favor, though he cannot form actual barriers or attacks with this. Causing an advancing foe to suddenly trip over their own feet, or accidentally slur part of an incantation would be a very common example of its effect when other nearby moving objects were not present. [i]Invocation of Scorpio Aria Count:[/i] Five Line A Fate manipulation, usually targeting oneself, it greatly boosts the likelihood of the target to succeed beyond expectations in a healing attempt, either by mundane or magical means. When targeting himself with this he effectively goes from a mediocre, to a fairly accomplished healer. [i]Invocation of Sagittarius Aria Count:[/i] Five Line A Fate manipulation, usually targeting oneself, it greatly boosts the likelihood of the target to accurately hit what they are aiming for, seemingly by pure chance. Its effect is similar to reinforcment, though the mechanics are completely difrent. Lasts 10 minutes. Under its effects, he goes from a poor marksman, to a somewhat reliable shooter. [i]Bounded Field[/i] [i]Aria Count:[/i] Ritual A bounded field of concealment, directing attention away from that which lies within it. While the physical object is itself still visible, one finds their attention directed away from it. This is not hypnosis, as most attention diverting Bounded Fields are, but a complex form of Astrology, which reduces the chances that the contents are deemed worth paying attention to. The field sends Alex a telepathic alert if another magi or high prana concentrated being enters it. [b]Equipment: [/b] [b]Mystic Codes[/b] [i]Smugglers Candle[/i] A large greasy looking black candle. When flooded with prana, the wick ignites with a dingy flame and the holder begins to exude large quantities of thick fog that almost instantly obscure the caster and his immediate surroundings. This Fog blanket can extend for hundreds of feet as is capable of shrouding his entire ship in gloom, along with enough of the surrounding area to make its position ambiguous. He is also capable of directing these clouds after creation, choosing to condense or expand them, or have them move in a specific direction. Even larger banks of fog can be generated by feeding additional Od into the mystic code, but such enormous banks take several minutes to build up and can be expensive to maintain. The candle is created with formalcraft, and is fueled by the blood and fat of bottom feeding fish. [i]Major Arcana Tarot Deck[/i] A deck of Major Arcana Tarot Cards used to perform Astrological rituals. Technically a Mystic Code, it is more along the lines of a perminatly reusable reagent, having no specific function beyond the boosting of Astrology Magecraft. Each Card contains a minor trace of Prana within it. [i]Familiars[/i]: Alex possesses above average familiar control ability, and maintains something of a floating menagerie. Five gulls follow the ship on a near permanent basis, forming the flying arm of his familiar force. Below decks in his ship bottom workshop Alex keeps a large number (9) of snakes behind glass cases. They are Black-banded sea kraits (Laticauda semifasciata), extreamly venomous sea snakes that he has turned into familiars for the purpose of inflicting death. Via transferal of consciousness he is able to possess the mind and senses of these snakes, piloting them as one would a drone to a position where they can bite his intended targets. Nearly 9 times as venomous as a cobra, they carry a lethal paralyzing poison that shuts down the body's functions until death. [i]The Scuttle[/i]: A small run down fishing trawler that has been converted into a mobile Magi workshop and home. Around 80 feet in length it is a stocky, high-prowed ship. Dull grey and streaked with rust it would appear perfectly in place in any low rent waterfront environment. Despite its run down appearance the ship is fully seaworthy and quite capable of making its way inland. The Scuttle has had Alex's Bounded field engraved into the inward sides of its hull, perminatly shrouding it in his concealment field. [i]Glock 38.[/i] A second 12 round clip stored in a hidden holster under his vest. More ammunition (around 100 rounds) is available on board the Scuttle. [i]Knife[/i]: A five inch hook bladed hunting knife stored in a similarly concealed sheathe on the other side of his vest. [i]Finances:[/i] Liquid assets worth around $20,000. This money is in cash and is considered non laundered. [b]Skills: [/b] [i]Ship piloting & Navigation[/i] Having spent most of his life at sea he is fully familiar with the Scuttles operation as well as long distance navigation. [i]Marksmanship[/i] An average to middling shot with his sidearm. While not particularly slow, he is no gunslinger. [i]Brawling & Knife Fighting[/i] Skill in knife fighting and brawling. Though having no formal martial arts training, he has been in many fights over his life and understands the basics of combat. [i]Card Tricks[/i] A skilled shuffler and slight of hand, able to move cards faster than many eyes can follow [/hider]