[@Zeroth] Sorry for the small delay, I don't have a lot of time on the weekends for rp. Here is what I've got going for my app. I went with the concept I mentioned to you before. He was a talentless spellcaster, given a magical rod only capable of strange novelty effects. I had fun making spells that fit thematically, and I tried to stick with your vision for magic. I gave each spell a clear, fixed use and tried not to make anything too powerful. Let me know if you want me to make changes to anything!


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[h3][b][i]Allan Horace Kaides[/i][/b][/h3]
[b]Age:[/b] 18 [28] | [b]Height:[/b] 5'8" | [b]Voice: Gentle and clear[/b] 
[h3][i]First Life[/i][/h3]
Allan was a noble, yet physically unimposing member of House Kaides. He had always been weak, and aura control seemed totally beyond him. But Allan was noticed for his intelligence, and it was hoped that he would become a respectable wizard. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to master any spells either. 

"Yet." That's what he always had to tell them, the expectant ones - his father and the tutors who pressed him so hard. The young man lived his life under intense scrutiny and pressure, and because of that he struggled to find any confidence. He was smart, but the spell requirements were exacting, and something just wasn't clicking for him.

He pushed through classes at the academy with excellent test scores. Finally the time of his graduation drew near, and it was decided that something would have to be done with him. In the end, he was assigned to the research core. The most powerful teachers and relics were reserved for those with real promise, of course. Allan was given a riddle: a mysterious artifact known for its frivolous spells - the [i]rod of playful delights[/i]. The magic formulae it made use of were very old indeed, and hard even to understand for a modern mage due to how greatly they differed from contemporary incantations.

But that was just it - throwing away everything he'd worked with before and starting with a fresh, admittedly arcane, foundation was incredibly relieving. After half a year, he could already cast [i]The Green Round[/i] - it was his first spell. Not long after, he managed the second. This was infinitely valuable to Allan's self-esteem, although the effect was moreso deleterious for his reputation. He was essentially becoming more and more of a "conjurer of cheap tricks". But there were some who could appreciate his accomplishments. In particular, there was a woman named Minerva who vouched for him and became something of a mentor to him. She was only five years his elder, but a much more accomplished magician. Allan's fledgeling abilities were mostly a historical interest for her at first. Her own more traditional spells were formiddable in battle, and because of this she was one of the House's greatest assets. The two became closer over the years, and often shared meals together wherein they would bandy learned conversation and witticisms in a friendly way. 

A lot of things changed when the war started. Allan's research continued, but he also had to make himself useful to the armed forces in the meantime. He acheived [i]Gem Spray[/i] early in the war. It was the last known spell contained in the rod, and unlike the others it had a tenable use case in battle. Though its attack power wasn't incredible, the spell became his bread and butter during those years. He would join the ranged core, and support the powerful aura users from affar with his multicolored gemstone bullets.

The fall of Ylliastrum was a drawn out affair. Allan and several other wizards took part in the defense of a fortress in the midlands. It was thought that they could hold there until reinforcements arrived, and that would prevent the demons from being able to march directly on the capital. Unfortunately, the enemy forces were far greater than expected. The fortress was rocked by siege equipment, and most decisively, their most powerful combatant, Minerva the wizard, was cut down in battle by a demon with powerful aura. Allan saw this happen with his own eyes, and was powerless to stop it. The demon was practically unaffected by his gem spray - all Allan could do in the end was run like a coward. The fortress was lost. The capital would be lost. And the awful images of Minerva's death would haunt Allan for the rest of his life.

He forgot his research for a time and threw himself purely into the war. He was full of desperate and fruitless rage. He wanted more than anything to avenge his closest friend, but the situation only grew worse by the day. Several months later, he joined a scouting party which aimed to track the movements of one of the demon legions. Following in the army's wake, they discovered some ancient ruins which had been unearthed and partially destroyed by a recent battle. It was there that Allan discovered inscriptions that looked very similar to the Rod of Playful Delights. Much written there in an ancient language, including evidence of several more spells contained within the relic. The stone tablets were broken to pieces, but Allan made detailed notes of everything relevant he could find. He ended up abandoning his contract with the scouting party to follow up on these new revelations.

The inscriptions gave him the foundation he needed to understand the ancient magics at a deeper level. He learned of the item's likely true name, and there were even partial instructions for the next spells. It took time, but in 1016 Allan achieved [i]Crackling Counter[/i]. The other spells he knew weren't worth much compared to modern magic, but this one proved to be a top tier defensive arcana. He didn't have to stand far back with the archers anymore - he could go toe to toe with powerful fighters - at least for a critical few seconds. That was often enough to decide an engagement. But it wasn't enough. Allan knew he needed to dig deeper and unlock more of the rod's power, but humanity's situation had become incredibly dire in those days, and there was no time.

Allan did manage to master the spell of fourth circle, [i]Diamond Cutter[/i]. But that was in 1017, and it was far too late for anyone to turn the tide. He burned through swathes of demons in the final days, but finally met his end at Kaidysium with so many of his allies and relatives.  


[h3][i]Equipment[/i][/h3]
[list][*][u]The Rod of Playful Delights[/u] - A short wooden rod with a sphere of amber at the head. It is an ancient relic of mysterious origin, and the subject of Allan's research after an official assignment from the academy. It received its lighthearted name because the only spells it was known to contain were dazzling but practically useless trifles. In his first life, however, Allan made breakthroughs in working with its archaic magic formulas, and he discovered that there was much more to the relic than that. A broken tablet from an old ruin clued him in that the relic's true name might be something like [i]the Rod of Land and Lightning[/i].[/list]
[h3][i]Abilities[/i][/h3]
[list][*]Physical Strength: 3rd Rate
[*]Aura: 3rd Rate 
[*]Magic: 4th Circle [4 EXP]
[*]Spells:
[list][*][u]The Green Round[/u] [0th Circle] - For flavor, remove if necessary. Causes grass to grow in a 15ft radius around Allan. Naturally occuring grass instead grows to several times its current size.
[*][u]Blue Kaleidoscope[/u] [1st Circle] - Allan conjures a swarm of very large blue butterflies that briefly flutter about and spread sparkling wingscales. This temporarily dazzles and obscures the vision of everyone nearby, including the caster.
[*][u]Gem Spray[/u] [2nd Circle] - Fires many conjured gemstones from the rod at high speeds. These serve as damaging projectiles at close to medium range. The conjured gems are permanent once created, but they are usually common unworked jewels that are only worth a few coins each.
[*][u]Crackling Counter[/u] [3rd Circle] - A lightning spell that can only be used defensively and at close range. The spell quickly produces a powerful amber lightning bolt, which strikes an incoming attack with enough force to neutralize it. Multiple projectiles can be crackled out of the air at once. Though it is a purely defensive spell, the attacker may be inadvertently damaged by the counter; for example, the thunderbolt may break an opponent's sword, or it might strike their body if they were going for an unarmed punch or kick. If a very powerful attack is countered by this spell, it may cause the rod's amber orb to go dim until enough mana can be regained, leaving Allan without access to its abilities.
[*][u]Diamond Cutter[/u] [4th Circle] - The rod emits a concentrated beam of amber light, which is capable of burning through even the hardest materials. If Allan holds the rod still, it burns a large mysterious symbol into the ground before him. The usual use case is to instead aim the cutting beam at enemies, making this a deadly ranged spell. It is quite mana intensive.[/list][/list]

[h3][i]Plot Hooks[/i][/h3]
[list][*]Allan wants to save Minerva this time. She was his senior wizard, mentor, and closest friend.
[*]Might it be possible to kill the demon captain responsible for her death? Allan could never forget his appearance after such a trauma.
[*]If Allan can make it to the ruined temple before it's destroyed by the demon army this time, he might be able to learn the origins of his magic rod and the full extent of its power.[/list]


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