Haeo

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Recruit>Soldier>Halberdier>Warmage> UNKNOWN at present. Looking to become a true lance master with some secondary options and possibly a mount later. It depends on what happens as we go along.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth

Trace Retloth had just signed up as an unaffiliated mercenary. Since he didn't belong to a company he could be assigned anywhere. He was quiet and only said what was needed. There was no point attracting undue attention from a new employer so he kept his skill to himself. Besides, there were many in the world who were better than him. Of that, he was still certain. If notoriety and fortune were to come his way, they would come on the battlefield.

The town was glutted with people and vibrant with noise. Trace had known battles quieter than these pre-battle markets. He longed to return to his tent outside the walls. It was at least a little quieter there, though the other mercenaries were fairly rowdy. Even though the money was good in war, mercenaries had to consider their odds of living to collect. Looking around, Trace had seen a lot of mercenaries who didn’t seem likely to. In fact, most of the bigger name companies didn’t seem to be here. At least, he hadn’t seen their markings or names in the camps outside just yet.

He hoped that they weren’t trying to join the Lyonesse. It would be tough going without having to face veteran mercenaries from the same lands. The numbers here weren’t very great. They weren’t as bad as they could be, but the people weren’t leaping forward to defend the Emperor and the Empire. Then again, if his mother wasn’t buried near Edinburgh… maybe Trace would have sought other sources of fortune a long time ago.

But, for now, there was only one reason why he was still suffering with the crowded streets of Garleton. His whetstone was getting pretty worn and he didn’t want to go off to battle without one. He still had a few coins from his last job, enough to last a few weeks or so if he camped in the wild and only bought food that he couldn’t hunt or trap. But, the way prices go in places like this, he would be lucky to find a used whetstone that he could afford. He was forced to check the small merchant stalls that were hidden and out of sight. These places often charged less in an effort to attract customers to their less suitable locations. However, they also frequently offered lower quality.

It took over an hour before he finally found a tiny shop run by a poorly dressed teenager who had an assortment of poor quality daggers, knives, and a few serviceable tools that had likely been stolen from craftsmen and soldiers as they walked through the crowds. Among the motley assortment was a chipped whetstone. Aside from the chipped corner, it seemed to be in good shape but the boy was offering a fairly low price for it. It could have been one of his highest value items. After all, most of the stolen tools and weapons had some kind of small markings that would allow the owner to identify it later. The whetstone did not have any and could be purchased more safely.

Trace showed interest in a dagger as well as the whetstone and began to haggle over the price. He favored lowering the price of the dagger at first but eventually, with apparent reluctance, gave up on getting it and took the whetstone for about three-fourths of its listed price. Then he moved back into the crowds before allowing his disappointed expression to fade back into stoic neutrality. He had what he came for. The quiet called to him.

Then he heard the raucous noise of a bustling tavern by the road and remembered that he hadn’t eaten or drunk much for the past couple days. More than that, he hadn’t heard many rumors worth hearing. As much as he longed for a quiet moment at his camp, dying because you don’t like the noise of the places where information flows… would be embarrassing.

He headed into the tavern, paying no heed to the sign above the door, and found one of the very few empty seats. It wasn’t as remote as he would like but it was at a table midway between the wall and the center of the room. It would do.

Trace didn’t stand out much. Most of his gear was leather and his lance was simple iron and unadorned. So, it took a few moments before a hustling serving girl to notice him and take his order. He only ordered a little food and an ale. But, he kept his ears open. He wanted to gather rumors of the Lyonesse army, if there were any, as well as any news of the bigger mercenary companies. He hoped that it wouldn’t take him long to get some information worth hearing.

The ale… wasn’t very good… even for the price.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@Sho Minazuki Is that "tavern just down the road" inside the walls or is it a roadside tavern closer to the mercenary camps?

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby@Zeroth

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.
You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I (1.0)!
You may now analyze magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magical characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.

System:Femus

Femus failed to properly duplicate the shield spell, perhaps his lack of understanding was hindering his progress. However, it felt like he might be practicing something too advanced for his current level. With a new set of words flashing in his awareness to remind him of the past few level up experiences, he found it fairly easy to understand that the words said exactly what they meant. He was developing a skill quickly. His methods were bearing fruit, whether or not it was the fruit he aimed to get. In any case his newly acquired analysis skill would definitely come in handy.

In fact, Femus began using it immediately. His first target was the nearest blue flower. It wasn’t magic but it was closely related and he knew that its mana restorative properties were something that he needed to better understand if he was going to cultivate them in the future. The next target was the tree in which he sat.

After using these uses to gain a practical understanding of the function of the skill, and hopefully some useful information, Femus began reforming that mana orb and trying to alter its attributes to reflect the memories, feelings, and knowledge he used before. This time, he repeated a simpler series of images and concepts in his mind like a chant to crystallize the concept into a more cohesive idea. He closely observed the orb’s changes in behavior as well as how it made him feel, seeking to strengthen the previous effects and continue the skill’s ‘rapid progress’. He also turned his Magic analysis on this developing skill, seeking to push the skill as far as he could and gain specific information about the component parts of the spell.

After this test, regardless of outcome, he meditated back to full mana and turned his attention outward. He heard chittering. It was fairly faint, likely due to some distance, but it was definitely Pixie chatter. Either that pixie was gathering help closer than he remembered pixies gathering or else… it had disturbed Nira. In that case… who could possibly know what was going on out there. At least, he didn’t hear any sounds of fighting yet. Maybe, just maybe.. he could use this time to try another approach… or store extra mana for a possible fight.

Survival first.

He meditated, concentrating as much mana as he could and trying to compress it in an effort to improve its quality within his body. He also thought about the tree around him. It was old and lived slowly. A great deal of power flowed through it but it must flow slowly and be closely guarded. He tried to open himself to the tree, not seeking to pull mana from it but seeking to draw mana that felt similar to the tree from the surrounding air into himself. If he could, he would seek to keep it distinct from the regular mana but circulate it through his body in tandem.

However, if any loud noise or violent change became audible outside he would immediately stop his activities. Femus would also grab two of the blue flowers, letting them orbit himself as he headed outside to see what was going on.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth

https://pin.it/lui4u4jxvdbb4e
Name: Trace Retloth
Age: 23
Gender: Male

Personality: 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.

Backstory:
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. The formation was simple since the vast majority of the members of Pierced Shield wielded swords or bows. 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 majority of the attack's force struck at the front and the flank of the formation Several were archers while most wielded spears or swords. The archers began the attack with flaming arrows and the carriage was aflame in moments. The young master scrambled out the door only to be swiftly speared by the lances of the assassins who had charged in headlong.

Trace was positioned toward the rear and saw this clearly. The assassins seemed to be well prepared for much of what the Pierced Shield could bring to bear and the best of the Pierced Shield warriors were only able to bring down a few of the enemy before falling. The leader too, fell under attacks from two lance warriors. As the battle continued, it became obvious that the mercenaries were going to lose. The assassins divided their forces then, focusing their swordsmen and remaining archers on finishing off the veteran mercenaries who remained in the core of the formation. The rookies at the back were targeted by the remaining assassins who used lances.

All the rookies, except for Trace, wielded swords. Trace knew that they had no chance. He told them to run before taking a stand between the fleeing rookie recruits and the approaching lance assassins. There were six of them, cocky and bold with blood dulling the shine of their lances. Trace stayed on the move. Maintaining smooth footwork and keeping his balance as he moved let them engage him, but only one at a time. For the first time in his life, he fought with all his skill and he discovered something.

He was really, really good.

It was only a few moments before those six lances lay on the ground beside their fallen wielders. In that moment of quiet that followed, Trace looked around and found that none of the other enemies were looking his way. They were all focused on bringing down the last of the Pierced Shield veterans. Trace knew that he was good, very good, but there were more than two dozen swords and four bows over there. He didn't have a chance and neither did the veterans of the company.

He turned and fled, following the other rookies into the night.

Only a small handful of rookies from the Pierced Shield managed to escape that ambush and the group was dissolved with each going their own way, mostly to other mercenary companies that liked having recruits who had already had some training and experience but wouldn't command a high wage. Trace, however, knew that he might have attracted dangerous attention with his performance in that battle. He avoided mercenary companies and became a solo hired lance instead.

Two years later, after many poorly paid 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.

[Combat]
Class: Recruit
Affinity: Umbral
Inventory:
Iron Lance
Vulnerary

Abilities:
Spear Insight - +1 to STR, DEX, and SPD vs Spear wielders

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

Stats:
END: E
STR: D
MAG: D
DEX: C
SPD: C
DEF: D
RES: E
LCK: E

Talents:
Spear

Experience: 85/85

Support:

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@Sho Minazuki

How's this? I reworked the battle portion of his backstory.

Trace Retloth

https://pin.it/lui4u4jxvdbb4e
Name: Trace Retloth
Age: 23
Gender: Male

Personality: 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.

Backstory:
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. The formation was simple since the vast majority of the members of Pierced Shield wielded swords or bows. 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 majority of the attack's force struck at the front and the flank of the formation Several were archers while most wielded spears or swords. The archers began the attack with flaming arrows and the carriage was aflame in moments. The young master scrambled out the door only to be swiftly speared by the lances of the assassins who had charged in headlong.

Trace was positioned toward the rear and saw this clearly. The assassins seemed to be well prepared for much of what the Pierced Shield could bring to bear and the best of the Pierced Shield warriors were only able to bring down a few of the enemy before falling. The leader too, fell under attacks from two lance warriors. As the battle continued, it became obvious that the mercenaries were going to lose. The assassins divided their forces then, focusing their swordsmen and remaining archers on finishing off the veteran mercenaries who remained in the core of the formation. The rookies at the back were targeted by the remaining assassins who used lances.

All the rookies, except for Trace, wielded swords. Trace knew that they had no chance. He told them to run before taking a stand between the fleeing rookie recruits and the approaching lance assassins. There were six of them, cocky and bold with blood dulling the shine of their lances. Trace stayed on the move. Maintaining smooth footwork and keeping his balance as he moved let them engage him, but only one at a time. For the first time in his life, he fought with all his skill and he discovered something.

He was really, really good.

It was only a few moments before those six lances lay on the ground beside their fallen wielders. In that moment of quiet that followed, Trace looked around and found that none of the other enemies were looking his way. They were all focused on bringing down the last of the Pierced Shield veterans. Trace knew that he was good, very good, but there were more than two dozen swords and four bows over there. He didn't have a chance and neither did the veterans of the company.

He turned and fled, following the other rookies into the night.

Only a small handful of rookies from the Pierced Shield managed to escape that ambush and the group was dissolved with each going their own way, mostly to other mercenary companies that liked having recruits who had already had some training and experience but wouldn't command a high wage. Trace, however, knew that he might have attracted dangerous attention with his performance in that battle. He avoided mercenary companies and became a solo hired lance instead.

Two years later, after many poorly paid 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.

[Combat]
Class: Recruit
Affinity: Umbral
Inventory:
Iron Lance
Vulnerary

Abilities:
Spear Insight - +1 to STR, DEX, and SPD vs Spear wielders

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

Stats:
END: E
STR: D
MAG: D
DEX: C
SPD: C
DEF: D
RES: E
LCK: E

Talents:
Spear

Experience:

Support:

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@Sho Minazuki So, to clarify, you want me to be more explicit about his level of skill with the lance. Or perhaps you're thinking of having him start with a great lance? I was heavily implying his expertise with the training references but I can tweak the ambush scene to showcase his abilities a little more obviously if you wish.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@Sho Minazuki

The backstory is complete. What do you think?

Trace Retloth

https://pin.it/lui4u4jxvdbb4e
Name: Trace Retloth
Age: 23
Gender: Male

Personality: 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.

Backstory:
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. The formation was simple since the vast majority of the members of Pierced Shield wielded swords or bows. 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 majority of the attack's force struck at the front and the flank of the formation Several were archers while most wielded spears or swords. The archers began the attack with flaming arrows and the carriage was aflame in moments. The young master scrambled out the door only to be swiftly speared by the lances of the assassins who had charged in headlong.

Trace was positioned toward the rear and saw this clearly. The assassins seemed to be well prepared for much of what the Pierced Shield could bring to bear and the best of the Pierced Shield warriors were only able to bring down a few of the enemy before falling. The leader too, fell under attacks from two lance warriors. As the battle continued, it became obvious that the mercenaries were going to lose. The assassins divided their forces then, focusing their swordsmen and remaining archers on finishing off the veteran mercenaries who remained in the core of the formation. The rookies at the back were targeted by the remaining assassins who used lances.

All the rookies, except for Trace, wielded swords. Trace knew that they had no chance. He told them to run before taking a stand between the fleeing rookie recruits and the approaching lance assassins. There were six of them, cocky and bold with blood dulling the shine of their lances. Trace stayed on the move. Maintaining smooth footwork and keeping his balance as he moved let them engage him, but only one at a time. For the first time in his life, he fought with all his skill and he discovered something.

He was really, really good.

It was only a few moments before those six lances lay on the ground beside their fallen wielders. In that moment of quiet that followed, Trace looked around and found that none of the other enemies were looking his way. They were all focused on bringing down the last of the Pierced Shield veterans. Trace knew that he was good, very good, but there were more than two dozen swords and four bows over there. He didn't have a chance and neither did the veterans of the company.

He turned and fled, following the other rookies into the night.

Only a small handful of rookies from the Pierced Shield managed to escape that ambush and the group was dissolved with each going their own way, mostly to other mercenary companies that liked having recruits who had already had some training and experience but wouldn't command a high wage. Trace, however, knew that he might have attracted dangerous attention with his performance in that battle. He avoided mercenary companies and became a solo hired lance instead.

Two years later, after many poorly paid 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.

[Combat]
Class: Recruit
Affinity: Umbral
Inventory:
Iron Lance
Vulnerary

Abilities:
Spear Insight - +1 to STR, DEX, and SPD vs Spear wielders

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

Stats:
END: E
STR: D
MAG: D
DEX: C
SPD: C
DEF: D
RES: E
LCK: E

Talents:
Spear

Experience:

Support:

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

@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.

Trace Retloth

https://pin.it/lui4u4jxvdbb4e
Name: Trace Retloth
Age: 23
Gender: Male

Personality: 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.

Backstory:
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.

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

Abilities:

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

Stats:
END: E
STR: D
MAG: D
DEX: C
SPD: C
DEF: D
RES: E
LCK: E

Talents:
Spear

Experience:

Support:

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

What is your opinion of this concept for a unique ability.

[%50 chance of countering any ranged or magical attack with instinctive chaotic magic that strikes with ½ MAG. Ignores range. Inflicts “Disruption” for 2 rounds causing any spell cast by the target to cause %50 reduced damage and any projectile attack to suffer %50 reduced accuracy.]