[hider=Master: Ernest LaCreux] Name/Title: Lord Ernest LaCreux Gender: Male Age: 33 Personality: Ernest is a grim, reserved man that carries an air of coldness about him. He speaks very little, and is a man usually quietly consumed by his own thoughts. There is an aspect of culture and knowledge to him, no doubt a result of his aristocratic upbringing, but it is executed in a frigid, almost machine-like capacity. He attempts to hide any emotion, but the romantic soul of his youth still cries deep within him, as if he is in a state of perpetual mourning. He executes his plans with a measured, calculating methodology that inspires a certain level of intimidation and respect. There is little room for pity or hesitation left in his heart, though he takes no pleasure in causing pain. In fact, even his harshest judgments tend to carry a sense of absolute necessity to them. Appearance: Ernest is a tall, thin, funereal man who seems aged far beyond his years. His skin is pale to the point of near-translucence, with a thin, delicate appearance to it. His hair is coal-black, with numerous slivers of silver cutting through, and is usually slicked back away from his face. His eyes are a pale blue, bordering on grey and possess a certain air of emptiness. He is typically dressed in a ink-black suit and tie, with meticulously polished dress shoes. In spite of his distinguished, aristocratic trappings, he has poor posture and a crooked, curving spine that further accentuates his sickly appearance. The LaCreux family crest resides on his left forearm. Biography: Ernest, in his early years, was regarded as a bright boy with exceptional potential. He, along with his younger sister, were born to the head of the LaCreux family and were trained in the ways of magecraft from an early age. Ernest excelled in the family's peculiar studies, and showed great promise as a mage even as a child. As he grew older, he grew into an even more formidable mage, and cemented his place as the seventh family head, much to his sister's chagrin. Their father passed the LaCreux family crest down to Ernest when he reached adulthood, and began teaching him the more closely guarded secrets of the family's magecraft. At the age of twenty-five, Ernest married a young woman named Marie, the daughter of a notable American mage family. The two lived a happy life for many years. Poor fortune, however, often strikes at the moment of greatest bliss. Marie died in childbirth despite Ernest's best efforts to save her. The loss of his wife fundamentally destroyed the man Ernest had been, and the energetic young prodigy of the LaCreux family was no more. In his place was a sullen husk of a man, scarcely more alive than the corpses upon which he worked. Ernest became a recluse, and his behavior became more questionable by the day. He neglected his young daughter, leaving the girl in the care of his sister, and devoted himself wholly to magecraft. It was at this point that Ernest became aware of his origin: Loss, a fundamental loss of the irreplaceable. Rumors began to spread about the head of the family, with many claiming that he had lost his mind. Still, whenever the need arose, Ernest represented the family as its grave, though incredibly capable, patriarch. The prospect of gaining the Holy Grail drew his interest, officially as a means of venerating the LaCreux family name, though many have suggested ulterior motives. Family History (if applicable): The LaCreux family has a long, storied, and mildly notorious history stretching back to the early 1700s. Almost from their inception, the family devoted itself to magecraft involving the manipulation of the dead. While many mages view necromancy as distasteful and ultimately pointless, the LaCreux have pursued the art with characteristic vigor, and have distinguished themselves time and time again through their efforts. Seemingly unfazed by the popular view of their magecraft, the LaCreux treat necromancy as an entirely valid field of study, and have produced a massive volume of literature detailing the finer points of the subject. They carry themselves as a prestigious mage family, and though many still question the legitimacy of their studies, they have managed to garner some modicum of respect from the Mage's Association. The family originally hails from France, but at some point relocated to the American city of New Orleans. Origin: Loss Elemental Affinity: Earth Number of Magic Circuits: C Quality of Magic Circuits: A Od: D Magecraft: Necromancy The LaCreux's magecraft centers around the reanimation of corpses as familiars called Thralls. These familiars, while not on the level of golems or homunculi, are far from the typical rotting hulk of flesh used by many. They are somewhat 'intelligent', and can be programmed to follow a set of orders given by their master. In addition, the LaCreux often meld together pieces from multiple bodies to produce 'chimera' or amalgamate Thralls. Though Ernest is a respectable mage in his own right, he has never been able to reach the heights of some of his more gifted forebears. Healing Magecraft Ernest possesses a fairly robust knowledge of healing magecraft, which is primarily used in the maintenance of his Thralls, though he is more than capable of healing lesser wounds on himself or others. The magecraft functions through coursing magical energy through injured flesh to encourage and accelerate the growth of cells. While minor injuries are fairly simple, more serious damage can take quite a bit of time and energy to repair. Shared Perception Used by Ernest to employ his Thralls in reconnaissance operations, the effect is broken if Ernest himself is disturbed in any way. Command/Telepathic Suggestion A surprisingly weak magecraft employed by Ernest to command his Thralls. The use of telepathy makes long-range alteration of orders possible, though even the slightest interference can interrupt this connection. In case of such interference, a Thrall will follow the previous order parameters that were given to it. Rudimentary Magecraft Ernest has a decent knowledge of most basic magecraft, taught to him by his family to supplement his necromancy. Equipment: Mystic Code: La Fontaine A tiny basin made of pale green crystal. The basin was supposedly crafted in ancient times and was looted from an Egyptian tomb by one of the LaCreux ancestors. Whether the story of its origin is true or not, the relic is an incredibly useful tool for any mage, as it draws in and stores residual mana from its environment. The relic has been passed down through the family for generations, and has made possible some of the more daring efforts of Ernest's ancestors. In more recent times, La Fontaine has been used by LaCreux mages to supplement their own magical energy, particularly if their natural reservoir is lacking. The relic serves as a renewable mana source, though it takes a considerable amount of time for the vessel to 'fill'. This being the case, La Fontaine is typically used as a sort of magical battery, to provide an outside mana source should the need arise. When fully charged, the relic provides a reservoir of mana of about 50 units, requiring 3-7 days to refill, depending on leylines. The relic was at some point attached to a brass cane, which is now carried by Ernest at all times. Other Equipment: Various weaponry for the armament of his Thralls during the war. -x4 CZ 97 B Handguns -x1 Saiga 12 Shotgun -x2 Bizon Submachine guns -x4 Combat Knives, x2 Hatchets, x2 Machetes A fair amount of funding. A small supply of very expensive cigars. A gold-plated lighter. A limousine. Two Thralls, constructed just prior to Ernest's arrival in Fuyuki. A violin. A very detailed map of Fuyuki. A black umbrella. Skills: Semi-accomplished violinist. Moderately good cook. Above-average intelligence. [/hider]