Fisticuffs

War of Unitatis

War of Unitatis

Edmund McCormac

---

Edmund felt like he was going to explode.

Not literally, of course. He hadn't been literally about to explode since the time that grenade (miraculously, a dud) landed in his lap, back in his mercenary days. No, Edmund was just restless. That, in it of itself, was hardly a rare occurrence. If Edmund were to tell a friend that he was feeling restless, the likely answer would be 'again, or still?'. He felt cooped up under normal circumstances, but knowing that the open road was just a little while away made every second until their departure all the more excruciating.

He'd woken up early. Or, more correctly, he'd stayed up late, took a forty minute nap, and woke up before dawn. With nothing better to do, he'd gone to the Guard's training grounds and sparred. He'd been using a training sword from the practice rack, since he didn't want to waste energy conjuring for partner-less training. He'd stayed out of the way, trying to conceal himself. If Jitka made her way to the sparring grounds, he'd have to spar her. She'd won their lat match, and he didn't want to fight her again until he was sure of his victory. A younger him may have called that cowardly, but he just called it practical.

So, he whacked away at a dummy with the practice sword. When he got bored, he took some practice shots with his revolver, much to the dismay of anyone unlucky enough to have a room near the training grounds. He became engrossed in his training finding relief from the restlessness. He became so engrossed that he lost track of time. The sun had risen, and he was late.

"Shit." He said to himself. "Glad I don't work a nine-to-five." He haphazardly stowed the practice blade, gathered his gear, and made haste for his room. Realistically speaking, all he had to do was grab his satchel, and he'd be ready to go, but he'd take a shower first. Say one thing for Edmund McCormac, say he likes to smell nice. So, he took a shower at record speed, and blow-dried his hair. He'd take the hairdryer on campaigns, when he was still a Captain, and his troops would often make fun of him for it. He got used to the insults, but he hoped that the troops never got used to him having fantastic-looking hair.

When Edmund decided he was presentable, he sprinted as fast as he could to the lobby. He stopped to catch his breath, and looked around. The others weren't here yet, maybe he wasn't late aft-

Oh.

Edmund sighed, and sat down next to Sigurd. He glanced at the bag in the servant's hands. He craned his neck to peek inside, hand poised to snatch some of the food, but he sat back down, defeated, when he realized it was caramel brittle. He hated caramel. He sat back, thinking.

"Yo, Sig." Edmund said, lightly poking him with his elbow. "Are you as excited as I am for this trip?" Edmund smiled, in spite of himself. He could not wait to be rid of the capital for a while. He liked the city skyline, but any picture got old if you stared at it every day. "Because, I, my friend, am elated."

@Rice Porridge

War of Unitatis

I'll see what I can't do about posting soon.

War of Unitatis

<Snipped quote by Rice Porridge>

Approved Go a head & throw it in the Character section.

@Shadow Daedalus@Jinxlynx@Fisticuffs

Alright! And with that, unless there's any questions or anything to discuss, I'd say we're all set to get started! ^_^ I can have a post up by tonight I think, maybe tomorrow if I'm really tired after work.

@SaberClass4242

Alright. Ready and waiting, friend.

War of Unitatis

@Shadow Daedalus I think #2 would fit the whole motif he has going, sci-fi supersoldier and all that.

War of Unitatis

@SaberClass4242 I've noticed a slight logistical issue with the car. There's five members of this group but only four seats.

Edit: I can give Daedalus a vehicle if need be, like a motorcycle or something.

@Shadow Daedalus

I vote that we duct tape a motorcycle side car to the side of the car. Or, better yet, have someone hold a rope out the window while someone else holds onto the rope and skateboards.

War of Unitatis

Edmund McCormac

Name: Edmund Mitchell McCormac

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Appearance:

Image

Likes: Exploration, music, feeling important

Dislikes: Staying in one spot, being underground, feeling unnecessary, “all-business” types

Personality: Edmund is a bit of a cynist. The way he sees it, a pessimist is either always right, or pleasantly surprised. He hopes, sure, but he understands that false hope can be unhealthy. “Expect the worst, hope for the best” is an old saying, but a true one.

That isn’t to say that he’s a grumpy old fatalist. Far from it, in fact. His sense of humor might be a tad too sardonic for some folks, but he’ll joke until he’s dead, the way he figures. Reverence and solemnity are boring too him. He loves joking around with friends. Speaking of friends, he cares deeply for those he calls his friends, even if he’d never admit it. Ever.

He’s also a bit of a wanderer. Staying in one place for too long unnerves him. If he had it his way, he’d be on the move his whole life.

Background: Edmund was born in Mutare, though to him, that means very little. His parents were mercenaries, and he was most definitely an accident. To their credit, they loved him as they would love a wanted child, but to say that he didn’t complicate their already-complicated lives would be a lie. As a child, he traveled with them, learning the ways of war as he grew. He could proficiently wield a sword by age ten, and fire a gun by age eleven.

He knew, from a somewhat early age, that he was magically inclined. With no teacher to help him understand the fundamentals of magic, Edmund directed his power towards what felt natural. As a mercenary, weapons and medicine were always needed, so he taught himself to conjure and to heal. He later found out this made him an Artillery Healer. He also found out that meant his magic was mostly of aether and light, but like “Artillery Healer”, they were meaningless words. Having already progressed as far as he has without proper application of magical training, he’s reached his limit.

At age sixteen, his parents met the end that typically befalls lifelong mercenaries, dying on the battlefield. Without their leadership, the mercenary band dissolved, and he was left with nothing but his mother’s pistol. Combat and healing were his only marketable songs, and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the employ of Untiatis’s greatest warmonger, Iustitia. He fought, and he killed, but he soon felt purposeless and bored. When he turned 18, he defected to Fortitudo and enlisted as an honest-to-god soldier. He hated it, but he couldn’t exactly leave. Desertion was a crime, after all. So he stuck with it, and he was good at it. Very good. He slowly, but surely rose through the ranks, and came to lead a unit in battle. That, he liked. Eventually, his prowess for physical combat came to the attention of King Leon, who was looking for someone to train his son in the ways of traditional combat. Initially, he resented it. Teaching, while being cooped up in the capital was practically his idea of hell, but he soon grew to care for the prince. Besides, it paid a helluva lot better than soldiering.

This newfound enthusiasm was short-lived, however. He had grown to see Adam as a sort of pseudo-younger-brother, but staying in the capital was killing him. He had been contemplating desertion, before this sojourn to meet Eliana came as a godsend.

Weapons/Tools:

• Inheritence: The pistol that belonged to his mother. Not magical in any fashion, but solid and dependable.
• Doctor’s Bag: A satchel full of all sorts of medical supplies, used for injuries to severe for his magic. Includes a field surgery kit, but no anesthesia. Patients are advised to not get hurt in the first place.

Magic:

• Artillery magic: Edmund is extremely skilled at conjuring weapons and tools, and, having dedicated most of his life to furthering the art, is capable of conjuring almost any weapon. Weapons that he’s more familiar with can be sustained for longer amounts of time. The weapons he’s most familiar with, and thus, the ones he summons most often are…
  -Lightbringer: Somewhat of a frankenstein blade, the Lightbringer has the hilt of a rapier, the blade length of a long sword, and the blade thickness of a hand-and-a-half sword, with a bit of leather wrapped around the base of the blade to allow for wielding with two hands. It’s light, sharp, and strong. The real Lightbringer belonged to his father, but it was lost when his father died. Fortunately, Edmund was quite familiar with the original blade, and his conjuration is as faithful a reproduction as there ever was. Being the weapon he is most familiar with, a conjured Lightbringer can usually last for a few hours, or one very intense duel, before dissipating.
  -Harmony and Discord: When Edmund was still commanding a unit in the Fortitudian Army, there was some contention among his men as to whether Harmony and Discord were long knives or short swords. Edmund doesn’t care, so long as the pair of blades gets the job done. They have thick, leather hilts and broad, short blades.
  -Verdict: Verdict, visually, isn’t all that impressive. It looks like a fairly basic throwing knife. In all actuality, that’s kind of the point. It’s simplicity makes it easy to summon. Edmund often throws one, and immediately lets it dissipate. This allows him to throw many in short succession. Unfortunately, throwing knives are challenging for Edmund to land when both he and the target are standing still, so these are less used as a deadly weapon and more as a method of creating chaos during a fight.
  -Edmund, as stated, can summon practically any weapon, but any weapon outside of those three will likely not maintain its form for very long, or will dissipate when put under much stress. This makes most weapons inefficient to conjure, as he’d be constantly switching weapons. Guns are especially impractical, as he’d only be able to fire two or three shots. However, there are circumstances in which it’s beneficial to rotate weapons every few moments, or in which he only needs to shoot a few bullets.
• Healing: Edmund is fairly-competent with healing magic, but “fairly competent” only goes so far. Given a few hours, he could heal a fractured bone. In a few minutes, he could heal a non-vital gash or a grazing gunshot wound. For grievous wounds, say, a rifle bullet to the chest, the best that Edmund can do is slow the bleeding to buy time. Luckily, he knows how to mend wounds in a more traditional, non-magical manner, but his expertise in that field, once again, only goes so far. Sometimes, it’s fair to say, there’s nothing he can really do.

Other Items: Edmund has a pocket watch with a bullet embedded in it. Edmund changes the story every time he tells it, and it usually grows more bombastic and exaggerated with retelling. What is known is that it stopped a bullet while he had it in his pocket. He owns a flip-phone, and refuses to upgrade. Hairdryer.

Other Info: N/A (might add a theme, if and when I think of one)

War of Unitatis

@SaberClass4242 Forgot to mention you, and I don't thing edited mentions work. Anywhoozers, my CS is up. Awaiting approval.

War of Unitatis

Edmund McCormac

Name: Edmund Mitchell McCormac

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Appearance:

Image

Likes: Exploration, music, feeling important

Dislikes: Staying in one spot, being underground, feeling unnecessary, “all-business” types

Personality: Edmund is a bit of a cynist. The way he sees it, a pessimist is either always right, or pleasantly surprised. He hopes, sure, but he understands that false hope can be unhealthy. “Expect the worst, hope for the best” is an old saying, but a true one.

That isn’t to say that he’s a grumpy old fatalist. Far from it, in fact. His sense of humor might be a tad too sardonic for some folks, but he’ll joke until he’s dead, the way he figures. Reverence and solemnity are boring too him. He loves joking around with friends. Speaking of friends, he cares deeply for those he calls his friends, even if he’d never admit it. Ever.

He’s also a bit of a wanderer. Staying in one place for too long unnerves him. If he had it his way, he’d be on the move his whole life.

Background: Edmund was born in Mutare, though to him, that means very little. His parents were mercenaries, and he was most definitely an accident. To their credit, they loved him as they would love a wanted child, but to say that he didn’t complicate their already-complicated lives would be a lie. As a child, he traveled with them, learning the ways of war as he grew. He could proficiently wield a sword by age ten, and fire a gun by age eleven.

He knew, from a somewhat early age, that he was magically inclined. With no teacher to help him understand the fundamentals of magic, Edmund directed his power towards what felt natural. As a mercenary, weapons and medicine were always needed, so he taught himself to conjure and to heal. He later found out this made him an Artillery Healer. He also found out that meant his magic was mostly of aether and light, but like “Artillery Healer”, they were meaningless words. Having already progressed as far as he has without proper application of magical training, he’s reached his limit.

At age sixteen, his parents met the end that typically befalls lifelong mercenaries, dying on the battlefield. Without their leadership, the mercenary band dissolved, and he was left with nothing but his mother’s pistol. Combat and healing were his only marketable songs, and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the employ of Untiatis’s greatest warmonger, Iustitia. He fought, and he killed, but he soon felt purposeless and bored. When he turned 18, he defected to Fortitudo and enlisted as an honest-to-god soldier. He hated it, but he couldn’t exactly leave. Desertion was a crime, after all. So he stuck with it, and he was good at it. Very good. He slowly, but surely rose through the ranks, and came to lead a unit in battle. That, he liked. Eventually, his prowess for physical combat came to the attention of King Leon, who was looking for someone to train his son in the ways of traditional combat. Initially, he resented it. Teaching, while being cooped up in the capital was practically his idea of hell, but he soon grew to care for the prince. Besides, it paid a helluva lot better than soldiering.

This newfound enthusiasm was short-lived, however. He had grown to see Adam as a sort of pseudo-younger-brother, but staying in the capital was killing him. He had been contemplating desertion, before this sojourn to meet Eliana came as a godsend.

Weapons/Tools:

• Inheritence: The pistol that belonged to his mother. Not magical in any fashion, but solid and dependable.
• Doctor’s Bag: A satchel full of all sorts of medical supplies, used for injuries to severe for his magic. Includes a field surgery kit, but no anesthesia. Patients are advised to not get hurt in the first place.

Magic:

• Artillery magic: Edmund is extremely skilled at conjuring weapons and tools, and, having dedicated most of his life to furthering the art, is capable of conjuring almost any weapon. Weapons that he’s more familiar with can be sustained for longer amounts of time. The weapons he’s most familiar with, and thus, the ones he summons most often are…
  -Lightbringer: Somewhat of a frankenstein blade, the Lightbringer has the hilt of a rapier, the blade length of a long sword, and the blade thickness of a hand-and-a-half sword, with a bit of leather wrapped around the base of the blade to allow for wielding with two hands. It’s light, sharp, and strong. The real Lightbringer belonged to his father, but it was lost when his father died. Fortunately, Edmund was quite familiar with the original blade, and his conjuration is as faithful a reproduction as there ever was. Being the weapon he is most familiar with, a conjured Lightbringer can usually last for a few hours, or one very intense duel, before dissipating.
  -Harmony and Discord: When Edmund was still commanding a unit in the Fortitudian Army, there was some contention among his men as to whether Harmony and Discord were long knives or short swords. Edmund doesn’t care, so long as the pair of blades gets the job done. They have thick, leather hilts and broad, short blades.
  -Verdict: Verdict, visually, isn’t all that impressive. It looks like a fairly basic throwing knife. In all actuality, that’s kind of the point. It’s simplicity makes it easy to summon. Edmund often throws one, and immediately lets it dissipate. This allows him to throw many in short succession. Unfortunately, throwing knives are challenging for Edmund to land when both he and the target are standing still, so these are less used as a deadly weapon and more as a method of creating chaos during a fight.
  -Edmund, as stated, can summon practically any weapon, but any weapon outside of those three will likely not maintain its form for very long, or will dissipate when put under much stress. This makes most weapons inefficient to conjure, as he’d be constantly switching weapons. Guns are especially impractical, as he’d only be able to fire two or three shots. However, there are circumstances in which it’s beneficial to rotate weapons every few moments, or in which he only needs to shoot a few bullets.
• Healing: Edmund is fairly-competent with healing magic, but “fairly competent” only goes so far. Given a few hours, he could heal a fractured bone. In a few minutes, he could heal a non-vital gash or a grazing gunshot wound. For grievous wounds, say, a rifle bullet to the chest, the best that Edmund can do is slow the bleeding to buy time. Luckily, he knows how to mend wounds in a more traditional, non-magical manner, but his expertise in that field, once again, only goes so far. Sometimes, it’s fair to say, there’s nothing he can really do.

Other Items: Edmund has a pocket watch with a bullet embedded in it. Edmund changes the story every time he tells it, and it usually grows more bombastic and exaggerated with retelling. What is known is that it stopped a bullet while he had it in his pocket.

Other Info: N/A (might add a theme, if and when I think of one)

War of Unitatis

@Shadow Daedalus Well, they're both former mercenaries, right? I'm thinkin' they've got a war-buddy, mutual respect kinda relationship.