[b]Name:[/b] Red, aka Jack

[b]Age:[/b] 24

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Species:[/b] [hider=Elrian Human]A product of experiments involving infusing humans with arcane energy conducted in the lost kingdom of Elrus, Elrians have enhanced physical capabilities compared to mundane humans. Taller, stronger, faster, and hardier, they were intended to serve as more efficient laborers in physical tasks, though a combination of escapes and an eventual revolt that led to the kingdom's demise resulted in the Elrians spreading across Akripola.

While pure-blooded Elrians are rare, all who carry their blood inherit some degree of their ancestor's physical characteristics, as well as side effects that hadn't become evident during their ancestors' time; most Elrians are 'aligned' with some element, which renders them resistant to its effects while leaving them weak against the opposite. In addition, while they are a product of magic, they are completely incapable of using it themselves.

The irises of Elrians tend to appear metallic, most often like silver or copper, and all Elrians have black hair. While Elrians grow and mature at the same rate as normal humans, the effects of aging after reaching adulthood are less evident in Elrians; an Elrian in his eighties, for example, might be comparable to a normal human that is at most in his late thirties or early forties.[/hider]

[b]Appearance:[/b] Jack stands at six and a half feet, a relatively normal height for an Elrian.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/MyzCil4.png[/img]

[b]Abilities:[/b] Due to his Elrian heritage Jack has a few inherent abilities. These include:

-Enhanced physical abilities: As described in the species section, Jack's physical characteristics are beyond that of a normal human.

-Fire Resistance: Jack is aligned with the element of fire, rendering fire and heat that would otherwise be dangerous less effective on him. In addition, he can handle hotter climates and weather conditions without ill effect.

He also has some abilities that he has achieved through other means, such as training.

-Unarmed Combatant: Jack has expertise in styles of hand-to-hand combat, both unarmed and making use of improvised weaponry, when available.

-Survivalist: Having spent most of his life traversing more uncivilized lands, Jack has the knowledge and skill required to survive in the wilds between the cities and towns of the various kingdoms of Akripola.

[b]Special Weaknesses:[/b] While his alignment with fire gives him a resistance to fire and heat, it also renders him susceptible to cold; cryomancy and other magic with chilling attacks are far more effective on him than normal, and colder climates and weather affect him more quickly than usual.

[b]Weapons:[/b] Jack carries with him two pieces of equipment to enhance his unarmed combat style.

-Arcane Redirection Gauntlets: A pair of steel gauntlets equipped with inert magic crystals which allow Jack to absorb incoming magic attacks, store the energy, and use it to boost the power of his punches. Whether powered or not, spikes on the knuckles of the gauntlets also serve to make his attacks more effective.

-Sabatons: Though designed more as armor than a weapon, steel plates attached to Jack's boots help make kicks more effective.

[b]Items:[/b] Jack carries little more than the clothes on his back- both armored and unarmored- and a pack slung on his back and hidden by his cloak, in which he stores survival equipment, maps, a journal, a pan flute made from bones, and however many coins he happens to have on him at the time. Occasionally he also stores potentially valuable objects he finds in it, though he has none at the moment.

[b]Backstory:[/b] 25 years ago, a mage by the name of Jacques Rezello decided that he was fed up with the variety of mundane tasks that came with being a mage of his caliber- setting up experiments, collecting materials and foci, sorting out equipment, and other such things that wasted time and effort he could devote to more important things. And, like any mage of his caliber, he studied historical magic events and discoveries, and thus knew of the Elrians. He concluded, therefore, that the most appropriate course of action would be to obtain an Elrian to work for him. A normal human would not suffice, after all; they would tire, demand breaks and respect, try to live their own life outside of working for him, and other such nonsense. Besides, Elrians were designed to perform mundane tasks. That's what they were meant for.

At first, he tried to obtain one as one would any other employee- tracking down qualified individuals, making an offer, and disposing of those who refused. Of course, Elrians weren't exactly the most common individuals, and tracking down good candidates was difficult. It certainly didn't help that those he did find never took the offer, and were not willing to be disposed of, leaving Jacques beaten, lost, and, more importantly, without an Elrian to work for him. Deciding that being reasonable clearly wasn't working, he set out to capture an Elrian to force them to work for him.

This turned out about as well as one might expect, leaving him with yet more injuries and time spent lost. Luckily, like any mage of his caliber, Jacques knew how to restore himself from the brink. But, unfortunately for him, a year had nearly passed and he had yet to obtain an Elrian of his own. And so, he concluded that perhaps attempting to capture an Elrian who was not yet an adult would be a better course of action. But where would he find one? Young Elrians were nearly indistinguishable from absurdly strong human children, after all. As luck would favor him, however, while mending his wounds in a local tavern he happened upon a rumor that a pure-blooded Elrian had been born in the village that he was currently in. And so, he set to seek out this child.

Long story short, the rumors turned out to be true- or at least true enough that the child was in fact an Elrian, and he could tell it was one- and Jaques managed to obtain it through methods he would insist were completely legitimate. Initially he was displeased with the prospect of having to devote time to raising such a young creature, since the Elrian wouldn't be useful to him for another few years, but he figured the end result would be worth it. And so, he raised the child to be a perfectly obedient and subservient individual who would do all manual work for him. Which more or less just meant making sure the child grew up without dying, since Elrians were designed to work for mages and therefore this one would be perfectly obedient and subservient by default, because they're meant to be like that. Surely, he figured, the great mages of old couldn't have possibly been wrong or made a mistake.

Jacques began assigning tasks for the child as soon as it had grown up, and soon determined that it would be easier to do so if he gave the child a quick, short name he could address- going to find the child and trying to get its attention otherwise would be inefficient, after all. He gave the child a brief look-over, deciding to name him Red after the spare crimson cloak that he had hastily wrapped him in to serve as makeshift clothing. Short, simple, easy to remember... it was perfect. And so began Red's life of work under the mage.

While Red served Jaques unquestioningly- it was the only thing he had ever known, after all- as he grew older he began to resent the mage for enslaving him. Servitude was the only thing he had ever known, after all. When Jaques figured Red was old enough, he decided it was time to teach Red how to read and write. Jaques needed scrolls and tomes transcribed, after all, and despite requiring some degree of knowledge it was still mundane work. After teaching Red enough that the child could reliably understand and transcribe written script, he assigned him to perfect it- poorly written scrolls and tomes wouldn't suit a mage of his caliber, after all- by practicing on the library of old books that the previous owner of Jaques's home had abandoned when he left. By being killed by Jaques.

This would prove to be not Jaques's greatest mistake, but simply one in a line of many, many equally great mistakes that only someone like him could manage to accomplish. As it turned out, in transcribing these books, Red not only copied them, but also read them, something that Jaques never would've anticipated despite the fact that one must read what a book says to transcribe it. He also had never bothered reading the books himself, so he also never could've anticipated their contents; contents that, as Red transcribed book after book, kindled and fueled a flame in him, a burning desire for freedom. Yet he knew that as he currently was, he would have no hope of defeating Jaques; he was only a child, after all. Freedom would have to wait until he was stronger.

But, as it turned out, freedom was rather impatient. One of Jacques's specialties, and thus services he provided, was in the analysis of magic artifacts, and a traveler had recently arrived with a large amount of them. Simultaneously overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of items one man could have on hand and anticipating the chance to display his expertise, he assigned Red to sort out the excess equipment for him while he analyzed the first batch of items. While Red was doing so, one of the artifacts, a pair of gauntlets, drew his attention. As he looked over them, he felt a force compelling him to put them on. Glancing back at Jacques, who was still busy with the items he was working on and the traveler, he couldn't help himself as he took the opportunity that had come to him.

He slipped the gauntlets on, which despite being a bit large for his hands, felt as if they were meant to be there. A sensation he had never felt before surged through him, invoking power, the opportunity to take control of his life- of freedom. He was snapped out of this sudden state as he heard Jacques's voice sharply address him, and as he turned to look back at his master he was greeted with two looks- one of anger from his master, and one of amusement from the traveler. Jacques demanded he remove the gauntlets and return to work, but as Red looked down at them, the feeling of power slowly built up again, his hands turning to fists as he looked back at his master, uttering a simple no.

Jacques's anger turned to fury- the traveler's smirk, unseen by Red's master, turning into a smile- as he lifted a hand, thin bolts of electricity arcing up his forearm before he jabbed the raised hand towards Red, lightning launching from his fingers. Red raised his open hands almost instinctively in what should have been a futile attempt to block such an attack, and yet block it did- or so it seemed. Crystals that had lined the bracers, thought by Red to be decorative, lit up as they absorbed the energy. Red looked down at his hands, balling them into fists once more, now glowing with power. He looked up at Jacques, whose fury had subsided into confusion and fear, something Red had never seen from his master. This- combined with a slight nod from the traveler- broke open the floodgates that had been holding back all of Red's resentment and hatred for his master.

In a moment that seemed a blur to Red, he leapt forwards towards his master, striking him down with a series of brutal punches. Standing over his now deceased captor, he stared down at the mage's tenderized carcass for a brief moment before turning and looking up to address the traveler. The man, however, had disappeared, along with all of the other artifacts, no traces that he or the other items had ever been there left behind. Looking once more at the pitiful remains of Jacques, Red took a moment to calm himself, walking out the door of his master's arcane shop and into his new life.

He took with him the gauntlets, the cloak that had been his namesake, and his master's name- altered to Jack- and money. His master wouldn't need either of them anymore, after all, but he could make use of them. Now, on what would happen to be Red's- Jack's- tenth birthday, he was finally free. He would spend the next fourteen years roaming the countryside, sustaining himself with hunting- both of animals and of individuals with bounties on their heads, preferring taking down mages in the latter case. Initially he resented entering civilized lands, only doing so when necessary or to take on or turn in a bounty, though in the past few years he has mostly gotten over this. He still prefers the wilds, however, and generally distrusts mages.
 
[b]Other:[/b] Jack likes spicy food.