[@Sho Minazuki]

Yeah, that was the feel I had as well.  I was thinking that it could function like a martial art and take a point off the weapon every time it triggered but that would still be too overpowered.

I'm still working on the character, of course, and there are far more important aspects to finish.  Still, there's an aspect to him that I was hoping to explore through an ability of some sort.  Here's what I have so far.  If you have any advice or input to offer, I will be quite pleased to receive it.


[hider=Trace Retloth]

[img]https://pin.it/lui4u4jxvdbb4e[/img]
[url]https://pin.it/lui4u4jxvdbb4e[/url]
[b]Name:[/b] Trace Retloth
[b]Age:[/b] 23
[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Personality:[/b] Generally taciturn and shy, he prefers to simply let unnecessary conversations pass by him like the breeze.  Patient and intense, he takes the words of others very seriously and holds hypocrites and liars in utter contempt.  Ironically, while he takes words very seriously from others, he prefers to express his own feelings with actions and has achieved some small recognition for his lack of fear and hesitation.

[b]Backstory:[/b]
Born the illegitimate son of a lesser Empire noble and a high class courtesan in the capital, he had a fairly comfortable childhood and even received some minor magical instruction.  But, a rivalry between courtesans resulted in his mother's face being disfigured.  She suffered a meteoric fall from grace and her son fell with her.  His limited magical ability was barely enough to frighten a neighborhood bully but it allowed him to provide some little protection for his mother from the numerous small cruelties of their harsh new life.

But, this only lasted for a few short years.  When he was 12, bandits raided the slum where Trace lived with his mother.  He was out looking for work and only returned in time to see their shack collapse, one of many that were engulfed in flames.  Soldiers had killed the bandits and were fighting the fire but their best efforts were barely enough to keep the flames from spreading to more wealthy parts of the city.  The survivors were forcibly evacuated and the victims were buried in mass graves, too badly burned to be identified.  

Trace never found his mother's body.

Trace felt that he had been running from the truth.  He had failed to grasp the kind of power he would have needed to save his mother. 
 But, instead of wallowing in guilt, he focused his pain into a nearly fanatical desire for improvement.  Rejecting the obtuse, abstract, expensive and time consuming study required for magic, he devoted himself to the path of the spear.  It was a readily available weapon, cheap to acquire, and those who used it were in regular demand in many places.  So, he sought out a small mercenary company that had recently suffered losses and used both his little savings and his determination to secure himself a position there.

Since then, his training was relentless.  Others practiced striking wooden poles to improve accuracy.  Trace practiced striking twigs, then leaves.  But, he found that precise strikes were far more difficult when it came time for real combat.

He was 21.  The job was simple, escort a low rank noble kid to an academy.  The Pierced Shield Mercenary Company had never been large so the whole company came on most missions.  This was no exception.  They met with the client, took up formations and set out in the morning at a measured pace.  When evening came, however, the young master in the carriage decided that he wanted to get to the academy early so that he could make a better impression on his teachers.  He ordered the group to continue on through the night.

They were ambushed.

The battle was chaotic and the enemy were no mere bandits.  They were trained assassins and soldiers, though their insignia were hidden.  The carriage was riddled with flaming arrows in moments.  Trace managed to bring one enemy down while his back was exposed.  But, his next breath allowed him to see the best of the Pierced Shield fall, including the leader.  He had no chance of winning that fight and the young master didn't make it out of the carriage before being struck down.  With the enemy distracted by those of his fellows who wore more flashy armor, Trace fled into the darkness.  Only a small handful of the Pierced Shield managed to escape that ambush and the group was dissolved with each going their own way.

Two years later, after odd jobs and occasional caravan guard contracts, Trace heard rumors of war.  It was time to see if he could do something more impressive than surviving.  He traveled to where the young prince was gathering troops and signed up.


[b][Combat][/b]
[b]Class:[/b] Recruit
[b]Affinity:[/b] Umbral
[b]Inventory:[/b]
Iron Spear
Vulnerary


[b]Abilities:[/b]


[b]Spell/Weapon Arts:[/b]
[Start] Heartstopper - A decisive jab that prevents counter-attack, but at lowered damage.

[b]Stats:[/b]
END: E
STR: D
MAG: D
DEX: C
SPD: C
DEF: D
RES: E
LCK: E

[b]Talents:[/b]
Spear

[b]Experience:[/b]

[b]Support:[/b]

[/hider]