Don't think I can manage 2 (especially with the dodgy internet here), but I've had fun creating characters so I'm going to pitch two and maybe decide on one. The rowdy fisticuffs and the quiet bookworm. "Mana runs out. Spells get dispelled. Pacts expire. But a fist never fails to deliver...was that a cool line?" [hider=Callum Amaranth Perenias] Age: 16 Appearance: Short, amber hair, always messy (he makes sure of it) with black eyes. A couple of scratches here and there with a bandage stuck to his chin (thinks it looks cool. actually doesn't know how to remove it). Quite tall and lanky, but has a few toned muscles. Wears loose, baggy clothing and often is seen wearing uniform improperly (doesn't mean it though. maybe.) Often seen sneaking off somewhere he's not supposed to be. [hider=Stats] Strength: C Speed: C Precision: E Endurance: B Mana Reserve: D Control: D [/hider] Spellcasting Class: Mage Specialization: Alteration, Dispelling [hider=Notable Spells/Techniques] Physical Empowerment Unlike many practices of magic, Callum tends to get a lot more physical. Using internalised magic, Callum can enhance his physical endurance, strength and speed for various durations. Using it frequently in bursts throughout the day, Callum has become especially attuned with this type of alteration, though he still struggles to perform for longer durations for a more continuous effect. Nonetheless, in the times that he is able to perform, he performs very well. Dispel Shield Callum can project a phantom shield from his lead bracelet that dispels incoming arcane attacks. The shield shimmers blue and has a resistance upon touch, though it does not defend against physical strikes. Though its main strength is against projectile and elemental attacks, it also has a field that weakens the effects of all hostile magic in Callums vicinity. Fighting Techniques Callum has a style of fighting that is akin to kickboxing, but less aggressive and more focused on neutralisation. Not an actual style, as Callum never got a chance to learn proper techniques, but something Callum made up and modified as he picked up knowledge from books here and there. He can take on most untrained opponents, but loses against those who had proper training. Callum also likes to punctuate his blows with sound effects from his mouth. Mental Fortress Callum can be easily mistaken for a happy-go-lucky type who never focuses. Actually, that's not a mistake - it's true. But when he sets his mind on something, he sure as hell don't give up on it. As a combinaton of both dispelling and his own determination, Callum can shrug off most attacks on his mental state (aka strong against mind control), as well as having a stronger ability to see through illusions. [/hider] [hider=Magical Items/Equipment] "Super Juice" Flask A flask of "super juice" that Callum claims is the source of all his power. When pressed, Callum will confess that he just bought a mana potion from the store. In reality, it's just water mixed with honey as Callum does not have a sufficient enough stipend to afford mana potions to simply use off-handedly. Whatever 'boost' that Callum gets from the flask is more or less a placebo effect along with a sugar rush. Lead Bracelet A bracelet to act as foci for dispelling shield, gifted to him by Judge Markus. A budget quality bracelet that has a projection rune inscribed on it to help with the creation of the shield. Although it's a little worn and scratched over the course of Callum's tussles, Callum keeps it on his person "for the sake of the memories". Improvised Lockpicking Kit Made out of a couple of hairpins and various other stationary. Although Callum desperately wants to use it on something, he sadly does not have neither the patience or the dexterity to use it properly and instead likes to use the "authorization via kinetic trauma" method. He still keeps it, as he is proud to have made it in the first place. [/hider] [hider=Short History] Callum's parents wanted nothing more than just a quiet, disciplined child who could carry on the family tradition of prestigious elementalists. Unfortunately, Callum turned out to be the exact opposite: rowdy, undisciplined, mischevious. Callum constantly escaped his life shut in the study to get into a tussle with...well, anything. Animals, siblings, sometimes even the janitor who was tired of the loud anklebiter. The only "proper magic" he seemed to be able to grasp (or willing to grasp) was dispelling from his uncle serving at Verholt, and even this was not sufficient to compensate for his apparent "feral" nature. This family difference between Callum and the rest of the family desperately attempting to keep Callum in line grew and grew until at the age of 14, Callum was given an ultimatum. Win the next town wizard tourney or get kicked out. So Callum trained up the only way he knew. Punching. Punching things really, really hard. Using his physical empowerment and the one spell he learned, he focused on the tactic of dispelling his opponents while closing gaps to disarm through physical combat. In the end, he didn't quite win, only placing 3rd overall when his magical capability was too lacking to dispel his competitors adequately enough. True to their word, his family kicked him out of his home (though Callum did not miss the claustrophobic environment). However, one of the judges of the tourney, Judge Markus, was impressed by his unique tactics and saw untapped potential for Callum to become a great mage. Markus reccomended Arkus to Callum, which the now homeless mage took up with half-reluctance and half-excitement. [/hider] [/hider] "Fear will never go away, but it can be kept at bay." [hider=Mox Altair Tenebrin] Age: 15 Appearance: Medium length bleach-white hair that is neatly swept to the side. Sleepy, pale gray eyes that make people mistake him for being blind. Short and thin, with most of his body recovering from muscle atrophy. His clothes are neatly made with a slight fragrance of mint. Often seen creating runes or sleeping. [hider=Stats] Strength: D Speed: D Precision: C Endurance: E Mana Reserve: A (Effective: D) Control: C [/hider] Spellcasting Class: Mage Specialization: Elementalist, Runecraft [hider=Notable Spells/Techniques] Oversoul A difficult skill that creates an external mana pool that appears behind Mox as a floating orb of light-blue gaseous liquid. Attacks can utilize this "oversoul" and draw mana from it without affecting the user. Although Mox still has to focus on maintaining the oversoul and the attacks from it, he receives less damage from utilizing mana compared to directly using it from his own reserves. Currently, it's quite small but through training and meditation, it has the potential to grow. Draining Runes Runes that, when activated, will quickly drain enemy mana and leave them vunerable against further attacks. Often used in conjuction with arcane explosives so the drained mana can be immediately used to power the counterattack. Sometimes, Mox will use this to keep himself in check. Chaos Storm The most powerful, destructive spell that Mox knows. By simply unleashing control over his large mana pool, Mox pours forth as a chaotic torrent of powerful mana bolts. Although it's powerful even by skilled magi standards, it's nearly impossible to control and has a huge blowback against Mox. It's really a last-minute resort that Mox is aware he can do, but never actually does for obvious reasons. [/hider] [hider=Magical Items/Equipment] Sedatives Puffer When he is too fatigued to keep his magic under control, Mox needs to use this (think asthma puffer) to quickly keep it from going out of control. It's not cheap, but Mox goes through many canisters of these during his training as he tends to try and push himself far too often. He always keeps one in his pocket. Mana Stabilizers A box with several complex runes and crystals protruding out of it. A cumulative product of different members of the family contributing to this strange artificer's gizmo, when activated it projects a field that stabilizes and drains Mox's oversized mana pool. As it is rather bulky and unwieldy to carry around, Mox keeps it in his room and activates it when he is sleeping. "Help" Rune Pendant A small stone pendant that has a communications rune inscribed upon it. When powered, it gives a direct signal to its paired receiver channel at the Infirmary so send an emergency signal. doesn't like to carry it around, as it feels as if "the sickness is always watching", but nonetheless, it's a safety requirement. Will Just in case. [/hider] [hider=Short History] Whether or not Mox wishes to be defined as such, the easiest way to describe his childhood is a continuous struggle against his chronic illness at birth. Whether it be a stroke of bad luck or act of a deity, Mox was cursed with an abnormally large mana resouvir. It would be fine for a trained mage to handle it - but for an infant with underdeveloped systems, his body's magic immune systems were overloaded and mistook his own mana for hostile magic, attacking his own body and causing his constitution to be stunted and prone to physical harms (think auto-immune diseases, but in magic form). Excessively drawing from this mana pool would be tantamount to a slow suicide, as his body would reject it and slowly gnaw at Mox's body. As a result, he lived out most of his life as a bedridden boy, treated by various different practitioners who only found ways to stabilize him, and never to fully cure it. But Mox refused to be defined by his own illnesses. He decided to conquer and take back control of his own life, at least for the short time he would be given. Defying his family's pleadings, he decided to gamble upon his life - either he would get his own manapool under control and conquer his sickness, or his sickness will burn his lifespan away before he could beat it. He intentionally chose mana-intensive school of elementalism to practice it, as well as runecraft when he had to slow down on burning mana. With the grudging support of his family, he managed to get into Arkus Academy for further studies. [/hider] [/hider] Edit: I might have put very little spells compared to others...might sneak in a few more later on.