Name: Palesean Ironsoul

Age: 37

Appearance: [hider=Palesean in and out of armor] 
[img] http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201008/r612550_4057580.jpg [/img]
[img] http://wiki.guildwars.com/images/2/20/User_Knighthonor_Paladin.jpg [/img] [/hider]
Palesean stands at about 65 inches (165 cm) and weighs in at 160 pounds (73 kg). His eyes are a calm hazel color, and his brown hair typically is close-cut to his head. He has a small scar on his left cheek from a minor training accident. When not armored, he typically wears collared, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, preferring earth tones. (tan, green, brown, etc)

Personality: Palesean is a kind, loving and protective man, which comes from his upbringing. He believes in judging people by their actions, and doesn't hesitate to judge people himself. He is quick to make friends, often lending a helping hand or sympathetic voice to those around him. At the same time, he is a bit of a jokester, though he knows when it's time to get serious and crack some skulls rather than spit out a one-liner. He's not prone to outbursts of anger, and he'll try to stop a fight before it happens, though he has no qualms about fighting. He just prefers not to get his sword and shield bloody. 

History: Palesean's family name, "Ironsoul," has to do with their long line of Earth-affinity children. They are generally a strong, hearty family, getting good exercise and natural talents in some form of martial art. Some were more inclined to hunt monsters, some were more meant to fight other men. Some were born, molded and taught to protect. Palesean is the latter. After his uncle was killed by a rather fearsome beast, Palesean's father reached his Despair Event Horizon. Watching his own brother get eaten by a damned monster? Anybody would be fucked up after that. Luckily, he was able to keep himself from crossing into total psychotic shutdown through bull-headed determination to make the future better through his son, who was glad to take up the mantle.

So Palesean and his father trained day in and day out with all sorts of fighting techniques. First he started with his fists, then practice swords came in. Palesean was never very skilled in magic, nor was his father. He showed a bit of promise with offensive combat magic, but he spent most of his time training with weapons. The sword was where he shone like a star, but his truest calling was with shields. He could fight off a pair of men with a shield alone if need be. All it took was keeping yourself alive. That was Palesean's policy: winning did not mean defeating your opponent. It just meant living to the next day. Thus, he was able to abandon any notion of pride or shame.

Upon reaching seventeen, Palesean enlisted in the adventurer's guild, being welcomed with open arms by his patriarchs and friends into the fold. He was fitted with the standard equipment, and did a good job for most of his life. He's spent more time as an adventurer than anything else. His life consisted of fighting protecting the people within, even from themselves. It was a good life, if not lonely. Palesean never married, but he nor his father never cared. He had other sons, and nephews aplenty. Palesean was happy and he was an adventurer. That was enough for them all. Their lives were calm and mostly peaceful. A few tough scrapes here and there, a comrade lost every few years to battle, but for the most part, it was smooth sailing. After a decade or so of work, Palesean pursued work in other nations. About three years ago, he came to Japan after learning the language (conversationally at least. He still has trouble reading past the level of a thirteen year-old.) Palesean became well-respected among the guild members despite the language and culture barrier, and spends his time on mainly in the barracks, guiding and training new recruits. However, his lack of recent experience means that he's admittedly rusty out on the field, and will take some time getting used to real fighting again.

Weapons: [url=https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/581668_485527118187004_1963341064_n.jpg] Bulwark [/url]
[url=http://vnfiles.ign.com/twoworldsvault.ign.com//fms/files/images/luciendard.png] Soulreaper [/url]

Bulwark is a four and a half foot tall (137cm) shield that his about 18 inches (46cm) across. Palesean can fully protect himself behind this shield by crouching, allowing him to hide behind it against many attacks, though sometimes he'll need to activate Grand Aegis to extend his area of protection. The shield is infused with an Aetherium crystal that brings its hardness somewhere between titanium carbides and diamonds. (about a 9.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, whereas hardened steel is between 7.5 and 8.0.)

Soulreaper is a three-foot (91cm) bastard sword that Palesean can wield in his right hand, or using both hands if he is without Bulwark. Soulreaper is infused with an Aetherium crystal that revitalizes him with every life it takes. The effect isn't significant, but it stacks exponentially the closer each kill is, making the sword better at preserving killing frenzies than starting them.

Abilities: Palesean's affinity is Earth, and his abilities follow suit with that affinity. In addition, Palesean is infused with an Aetherium crystal that makes his bones about 30% denser that normal, making him difficult to cripple or incapacitate. However, the infusion does nothing to actually protect him from attacks. 

[hider=Ability list]
[i] Grand Aegis [/i]: Palesean's shield projects a visible field of energy that effectively acts as though the shield is nearly five times its usual size, which is already great. This is most useful for protecting allies and shielding against arrows. Uses a fair amount of mana while the ability is active.

[i] Stonewall [/i]: By planting his shield into the ground, the hunk of steel gains the immovable aspect of the Earth itself, preventing even the greatest forces from budging it. Uses a very slight amount of mana for the duration of the ability.

[i] Radiant Defense [/i]: Palesean's shield projects a non-visible field of energy which attracts the attention of enemies. When used in tandem with other abilities, this ability can be used to draw heavy attacks away from other people. Mana consumption is slight, but constant.

[i] Tower Assault [/i]: Palesean swings his shield as if it were a bat or mace, clearing a wide area in front of him and causing serious pain. For most people, even Palesean without magical assistance, the severe weight of the shield would likely tear their arm off if they attempted such an attack. Mana consumption is relatively minimal.

[i] Iron Soul [/i]: By literally becoming one with his shield for a short time, Palesean is able to withstand attacks that could kill a normal man without breaking a sweat. However, he cannot move while using this ability. In addition, it drains a significant amount of mana, meaning that rapid use is more likely to kill him than the attacks he'd be using it to survive.

[i] Gale slash [/i]: By using this ability, Palesean channels the powers of the wind to launch him at his enemy like a rock from a trebuchet. As for mana use, it varies depending upon his weight, so it is typically rather high due to his armor and equipment. If he uses it while unarmored and without Bulwark, the mana use is much lighter.

[i] Earthen Heart [/i]: This ability is a simple one with no distinct use. Palesean exerts mana to call chunks of rock and stone to him that he can then freely manipulate. This ability drains more mana the longer it is used for and depending upon how much stone he controls. For this reason, he prefers to use it to launch quick attacks that imitate low-velocity, high-mass gunshots. 

[/hider]