EDIT: Finalized version until further critique. [hider=Ingar] [h2][b]Ingar Brolna[/b][/h2] [b]Race:[/b] Breton [b]Sex:[/b] Male [b]Age:[/b] 25 [b]Family Origins:[/b] Jehanna, High Rock [b]Birthsign:[/b] The Warrior [h3][b]Appearance[/b][/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/fxJA9zv.jpg[/img] [indent] Ingar is short (5'4 ft/163 cm) with moderately long, brushed back dark hair. His facial features are mostly plain, neither being handsome nor ugly, sporting a stubby but well maintained beard. His most striking feature would be his slightly crooked nose, as it was broken and healed multiple times. His physique is sturdy, with broad shoulders and thick arms usually hidden beneath his set of heavy Orcish armor. Despite his heavily armored appearance though, he wears no weapons.[/indent] [h3][b]Equipment:[/b][/h3] [list] [*] Set of Orcish Plate Armor (without the helm) [*] Thick Woolen Cloak [*] Leather Boots (pair) [*] Wool Tunic [*] Trousers [*] Leather Belt [/list] [h3][b]Misc. Possessions:[/b][/h3] [list] [*] A backpack made from leather [*] Some books on the study of Alteration [*] A set of blacksmith’s tools [*] A collection of curiously shaped and colored stones [/list] [h3][b]Family and Assosiactions[/b][/h3] [b][Father][/b] [indent][i]Occientric Brolna[/i] influenced Ingar quite a bit, as his father's opinion and respect is incredibly important to him. While Occientric was disappointed that his son would not carry on the family tradition, through the years he has come to terms with Ingar's unrelenting passion, and now supports him in his decision. Although Ingar seems to have been adamant, he was actually very insecure about his chosen path until his father gave in.[/indent] [b][Mother][/b] [indent][i]Auraele Brolna[/i] never took to it the way Ingar's father has, and she will speak of her disapproval every chance she gets to Ingar. This isn't out of malice though, as she just genuinely believes the whole idea to be absurd, and wishes for her son to do something that is actually productive. Ingar deeply cares for both of his parents, and he wishes to prove to her that what he is doing is valuable.[/indent] [b][Uncle][/b] [indent][i]Gilbard Brolna[/i] didn't have to inherit the family tradition, as his older brother and Ingar's father already received the forge, so instead he opted to delve into the nature of magic and the study of the arcane. Not studying any specific Spellschools, instead focusing on the intricacies of how magic works, and why. He was Ingar's gateway into the world of the arcane, and has managed to get Ingar to study under skilled tutors through his connections.[/indent] [b][Mentor and Associate][/b] [indent][i]Lurbkil Khagar[/i] is an Orsimer teacher at the College of Winterhold, specializing in the field of Alteration. He immediately saw the potential in Ingar's path of research and has helped mentor him as best he could. Lurbkil is the other significant influence in Ingar's life, and has nothing but gratitude towards his mentor. He stuck by him even while others scoffed or thought the idea to be a dead-end, thus not worth exploring. Lurbkil often served as an emotional bastion for Ingar, never openly consoling, but always with an open ear to his troubles and with an offer of sound advice.[/indent] [b][Friend and Rival][/b] [indent][i]Andaer Far-Hewer[/i] was a fellow student at the College of Winterhold, and proved to be a valuable friend. Being the converse to Ingar, he is tall where Ingar is short, and he is frail and skinny where Ingar is muscular. Specializing in Enchanting, the Spellschool Ingar initially craved to learn, his goals were similar enough to be able to sympathize and the two could find common ground. Their friendship came with a healthy sense of competition, as both tried to outdo the other in terms of results. The contest is still undecided to this day.[/indent] [h3][b]Favored Skills:[/b][/h3] [color=gold][b]Highly Proficient:[/b][/color] [b][Alteration][/b] [indent] Ingar’s fascination with armors made him delve into magical research in order to further enhance their qualities, without being enchanted. He came to the conclusion that the armor is actually just as effective when not passively enchanted, and provides more flexibility when the wearer applies the enchantment as needed.[/indent] [b][Heavy Armor][/b] [indent] Wearing heavy armor every chance he gets, the heavy weight of armors comes as a welcome presence instead of a burden to him, wearing them like a second skin. Because of this, he is able to move in the armor almost as if he had worn none, although the usual limitations of jointed plate doesn’t allow for dexterous movements, so he won’t be doing any backflips.[/indent] [color=lightgreen][b]Somewhat Proficient:[/b][/color] [b][Destruction][/b] [indent] Learned at a younger age when he was still unclear to the path he wanted to take, it was slightly neglected in Ingar's studies, later on. Still, this only means that he simply has no real desire to learn more complex spells from this Spellschool, and does not imply that he has not practiced with it.[/indent] [b][Illusion][/b] [indent] Ingar mainly scratched the surface of Illusion magic for one reason, and that was to see if he could negate the heavy clunking that is associated with the sound that the jointed plates make when scraping and colliding against each other during movement. Although Ingar has no plans to learn anything more, he still feels it is a good tool in his spell arsenal.[/indent] [b][Restoration][/b] [indent] When Ingar started looking at Restoration magic, his mother Auraele was overjoyed that her son finally started learning something useful. She had high hopes for him to become a healer, but was quickly disappointed when Ingar opted to only learn a defensive spell. Later on she’d insist that she knew this was going to happen all along.[/indent] [b][Blacksmithing][/b] [indent] Coming from a family of blacksmiths, it is not surprising that Ingar has some knowledge about working with metals, but as he later went to pursue a different goal in life, his knowledge is rather limited. He has kept up the practices he had learnt during this time however, as he is perfectly capable of caring for his armor, as long as it’s not a major problem that needs the attention of a practiced blacksmith.[/indent] [b][Athletics][/b] [indent] Though not making an effort for it, Ingar is still athletic, able to easily keep up with others in his armor, not hindering his horizontal traversal at all. The nature of armors makes his movements practical and almost mechanical, but not inconveniencing him further than that.[/indent] [h3][b]Spell List:[/b][/h3] [i][b][Alteration][/b][/i] [list] [*] [color=lightblue]Weight of the World[/color] - Able to change the weight of things to weigh much more than in their normal states, Ingar’s mastery and clever use of this spell has earned him many nods of approval. [*] [color=lightblue]Pack Mule[/color] - Much like its counterpart, it allows to change the weight of things, further lightening their loads. Ingar uses these two weight altering spells effectively both in and out of combat. [*] [color=lightblue]Ebonyflesh[/color] - Over the years, through his obsession about making armors stronger than naturally possible, he has been able to expand this spell’s influence over the protective equipment he wears. [*] [color=lightblue]Ash Rune[/color] - His current main area of research, he is attempting to limit the rune’s area in such a way that it only encases his armor, further providing protection. As such, he has not yet been able to perform this feat, but Ingar is confident he will find a way, however long it takes. He is still able to cast it to immobilize his opponents if the need arises. [/list] [i][b][Destruction][/b][/i] [list] [*] [color=lightblue]Ice Spike[/color] - Although it’s somewhat of a black sheep in terms of spells he has learned, which are all focused on armor, Ingar is glad to have learned it. It provides him with some much needed form of offensive capability, that he mainly used for testing armor durability thus far. Still, in theory it would work just as well on an opponent. [/list] [i][b][Illusion][/b][/i] [list] [*] [color=lightblue]Muffle[/color] - Mainly learned to try and offset the noise armors make while moving around, it was a side-project in his earlier years that can prove useful in certain situations. Mostly when trying to walk through a corridor at the College at night without waking everyone in the vicinity. [/list] [i][b][Restoration][/b][/i] [list] [*] [color=lightblue]Steadfast Ward[/color] - A spell that Ingar picked up in order to apply a further layer of protection over himself and his armor. It’s useful in blocking incoming spells, negating them completely or lessening their effect considerably, while still providing ample physical protection. Its only downsides are that it is a spell for which he needs to concentrate in order to keep it up, and that it is in the Spellschool of Restoration, which he has next to no interest in. Still, it is a very useful spell that he has kept practicing with, and reached a fair proficiency level with it. [/list] [h3][b]History:[/b][/h3] [indent] Ingar was born in Jehanna, High Rock, into a family of blacksmiths in 4E183. It was apparent at a young age that he carried the magical prowess that the Bretons are known for, that became coupled with a passionate interest in armors. He had seen his father put the armors he’d made under testing, and as he watched, he always imagined himself wearing them. He wondered what it would feel like to bear the weight, to know that something lethal had hit him but he was still alive due to the quality of the craftsmanship, but above all else, he imagined the envy and admiration that everyone looked at him while he was striding confidently along, his armor on full display. [/indent] [indent] As he grew older, his fascination with armors did not dampen, but it changed to a new direction. He wanted to know how good the best armor actually was. He very nearly pestered anyone he thought would be somewhat knowledgeable about these matters, his father bearing the brunt of it. Eventually he learned that even the best armor could only go so far in its raw form, and to truly excel, they needed to be powerfully enchanted first. Thus, his curiosity turned him toward the study of the arcane.[/indent] [indent] His younger years were spent learning about the different spell schools and the ways to cast magic. He’d occasionally help out in his father’s forge, as it was still their family business, but most of his time he had spent studying. It quickly became apparent that he'd need better tutelage than what he could glean from books covering the subjects. He had learned that there is a school of magic under the name of College of Winterhold in Skyrim, the same province from which the legendary Stalhrim armor forged by the Skaal comes from. From then on he knew what he needed to do.[/indent] [indent]As the years went by, Ingar had spent his time studying under countless tutors, all in preparation to make the long and arduous journey to Winterhold, and apply as a student. In the beginning, he had tried to grasp the concept of Enchanting, but he proved to be unable understand all but the very basics of it, much to his dismay. He did not lament for long though, as he decided to take a different approach. He’d make the armors stronger not passively, but by actively maintaining the enchantment on them. As such, he learned the theories and ways to cast spells from the schools of Alteration, Illusion, Destruction and Restoration, but his focus was mostly on Alteration. [/indent] [indent] When he finally took the journey to the College eight years ago, he had been readily admitted as a student due to his impressive mastery over Alteration magic, and his driven personality to learn more and apply it to his field of study. As such, he became entirely focused on Alteration magic, coupling it with his interest in armors. Any coin he made would go into his passion, buying and maintaining various armors and attempting to actively modify them. He utilized testing methods similar to that of his father, except he was now actually wearing the armors as they were put under these tests.[/indent] [indent] Through doing various work utilizing his control over altering weights, and possibly snipping off smaller amounts from his research funds provided by the College, he eventually saved up enough coin to buy a custom fitted set of Orcish Plate armor. He managed to get a better pricing due to not wanting a helm, something he never wore even during tests, the habit being the main culprit for his often broken nose. Although it requires little upkeep, it is his most prized possession, and keeps it well maintained through the skills he had learned while he helped out in his father’s forge.[/indent] [indent] Wearing armor since his younger years, then altering their mass and other properties for his research, has made Ingar physically strong and fit, as even the most menial task such as making tea was made harder by the weight bearing down on him. The constant pressure he was putting himself under from a younger age may have impeded his growth however, as he is below average in height compared to the rest of his race.[/indent] [h3][b]Personality:[/b][/h3] [indent] Ingar is driven, and very self-confident, but not arrogant. He knows his capabilities and his limits, and acts accordingly to them and to the situation at hand. His sometimes unorthodox ways can be offputting, but he is warm and kind to those he considers close, and will show loyalty and respect to those who offer the same to him. That said, he can be petty at times, and doesn’t take insults to his ways kindly, but never in a violent way. While he is not awkward in social situations, he is neither charismatic, and is happy to let others take the lead in most cases, with the exception being when he believes he is better suited to the task at hand.[/indent] [indent] His main reasons for wearing armor and altering their properties is out of fascination and curiosity, and not for battle. As such, while he can take blows, and is probably very good at it, he is not as good at dealing them. He prefers to take a more strategic approach to fighting, often supporting and protecting the people around him or disrupting the enemy at hand, and very rarely does he actually attempt to impale something with a spike of ice.[/indent] [/hider]