Warning: this application contains mention of love potion roofies and animal death
__________________QUICK STATSName: Joshua Colbrande, nee Gallows
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Species: Like most Serenians, he was born a Fae-blooded human
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 5'8
Occupation: Mageknight
Residence: The Colbrande family has a mansion in Atlas Verde, but he spends most time in the field
__________________IN-DEPTH STUFFPhysical Description: His chosen profession is clear to everyone around him through his behaviour. Joshua walks with a confident step of a fighter; watches his surroundings with critical, analyzing gaze; even when standing he defaults to the at-ease position. Most of the time, the army uniform emphasizes this impression - few people have ever seen him in casual clothing
and lived to tell.
His skin is a few shades darker than what one might expect from a Serenian, though he rarely shows more of it than is absolutely necessary. There are few marks or scars marring his complexion - a sign of either impressive abilities, to avoid serious injuries on the battlefield; or an indication of availability of magical healing at his disposal. He considers himself lucky to have a completely unremarkable face - a pair of boring grey eyes, a rather average nose, thin lips. A vain man would take a page out of Thanati playbook and have a specialist give him a more eye-catching appearance, but Joshua prefers to let something more substantial than looks fuel his narcissism.
Spoiler
Source: Last Exile game
The impression people would get from him is one of a professional. To the members of the squad under his command, his superiors he reports to and any civilians he encounters in the line of duty; he's appropriately polite, while focused on the mission. In a way, he appears to be a model soldier: always composed, efficient, clever enough to find the best way to achieve his objective but not enough of a smartass to question his orders.
Beneath the comfortable shell of professional focus lies a sharp mind armed with practically scholarly curiosity. As it is not a part of the soldier stereotype, some people tend to underestimate his intelligence - but it's not a mistake anyone makes twice. Another trait that distinguishes him from the veneer of a model soldier would be the verbal wit. While he's never turned his tongue against the undeserving, he does not suffer fools or frustrating foes gladly; and has no problem mocking them for the amusement of whatever audience he happens to have.
Spoiler
People who know him as a researcher rather than a soldier would paint quite a different picture: one of a frighteningly inquisitive and capable scientist. They would speak with appreciation about his diligence, insight and efficiency; quite frequently expressing willingness to work with him again and regretting his departure. His few friends and family, on the other hand, would laugh and change the subject. If pressed, they would joke about him - he's quite a
project person and requires privacy.
- Knowledge and skills connected to his occupation as a soldier: combat both alone and in a squad, familiarity with Serenian terrain, tactics etc
- He is most adept with a spear, having only gone through basic training with other weapons. His magical ability makes him a scarily accurate sniper, though he doesn't have the strength to pull the heaviest-draw bows
- His magic allows him to manipulate space and distances, dimensions to a lesser extent. He cannot affect sentient living beings with that
or so he claims - Excellent knowledge of magic theory
- Due to weird brain chemistry, he's resistant to attempts to influence him (mind control, drugs etc). He's not completely immune, however, and people who know how his brain works can completely circumvent it.
Relationships - Few close friends
- His fellow soldiers
- The only person counted among both: his superior, Captain Jarred Jevoran
- His family. He's only close with his sister Alisha
- His wife
- His old colleagues. For security reasons, he's no longer in contact with them.
History: Even though the heart of Serendipity is Kia's Court, its mind is Darken Vei - the province famed for its scholarship and the power of its magic. The stereotype associated with its people would be the one of a passionate scholar, master of the arcane arts, driven by curiosity rather than a specific code of honour or earthly desires. While the Colbrande family were simple craftsmen with only minor ability, the culture they were raised in led them to recognize their younger child's natural gift and allowed them to quickly find appropriate education for him.
The opinions Joshua's teachers formed about him were quite single-minded. The most significant was the sharp contrast between his study and his behaviour. They were all astonished by his learning speed and intelligence, covering in weeks material most students would take years to learn. His brain, however, was the only part that matured ahead of age, unfortunately.
The isolation that proceeded was the natural consequence of this situation. Lauded for his intellect, Joshua's pride grew and led him to consider himself superior to others - not just other children, but most of the adults around him; those poor fools who were content leading their ordinary routine lives and whose education stopped at the level of barest necessities. But even without his ego, he would have become isolated - few of his peers could understand what he was talking about, let alone provide a stimulating conversation.
Any attempts at forming a relation with adults would be coloured by his own age. Joshua ended up reaching for means of longer-distance communication in order to seek a connection. It was a simple matter, writing some distinguished professors a letter of appreciation for their books, asking a few polite questions. He was intelligent enough to understand etiquette and fit neatly into the social norms; and the written form hid his age preventing it from being dismissed on those grounds.
Soon, he was corresponding regularly with a variety of respected scholars. They expressed interest in him, and he carefully assessed the situation before divulging the truth. His calculations were proven to be correct - while the trusted ones were surprised by the reveal, their pragmatism overcame social convention. The professors wrote to his family and offered to sponsor his further education - an offer no sensible person would refuse.
Able to learn at his own pace and no longer restricted by a common child's limits, Joshua ravenously devoured every scrap of knowledge offered to him, progressing at blinding speed. Soon, he was more than just a child prodigy; he became a valuable asset his benefactors were more than willing to take advantage of. His understanding of ethics was purely theoretical and immature - he viewed the tasks he was given from an entirely academic perspective. He was wholly unconcerned with the question of right and wrong, only with whether it could be done and how. Of course, he was aware of the law and the option of simply reporting his colleagues to the authorities - he just chose not to exercise it. There would be little benefit to it and he would probably not be allowed to continue the research.
He carried on with his clandestine activities for years. Fortunately, interacting with people he actually respected, led him to develop some social skills. They definitely came in handy once he and his sister hit puberty and drew attention. One of his colleagues, an esteemed Verdan scholar, came from a province where opportunist nobles picked magically talented commoners to marry into their houses and enrich the bloodline. Joshua's space manipulation and Elisha's uncanny sense for timing were enough to spark some interest, and her recommendation solidified them as worthy prospects.
While Joshua didn't particularly care for marriage, he loved his sister and wanted to make sure that she was happy. He carefully observed her interactions with the candidates, measured them against what he knew of her expectations and spent a surprisingly long time trying to select the best one. His hidden work was then thrown into the gutter when she announced her engagement to a man known to him only by name.
It was surprising, forcing him to put together a quick investigation into his background. He found nothing objectionable, and they seemed genuinely happy. It was a relief, and now that she was wed, most of the Verdan nobles interested in the wonder children of north focused on him. He was as interested in it as he was in anything else outside his research. He approached all proposals from this angle, and would probably end up choosing to marry into the family that had the best resources or access, had someone not forced his hand.
The woman who would become his wife was Adaline Colbrande. During Joshua's research trip to Atlas Verde, she decided to tip the scales in her favour and attempt some in-person seduction. She augmented her efforts with a love potion she added to his cup. While for some reason it didn't work on him, she was already one of his preferred choices. He found out when doing routine chemical tests (a habit he's gotten into since the group lost two researchers to food contaminated with samples), but it didn't really change his mind. Neither did he choose to confront her about it. He still wasn't sure why the potion failed to work, and preferred not to reveal his cards.
He married Adeline shortly thereafter, but the only major change in his life was moving to the Verdan branch of his research group. When he began to have doubts, he blamed the change of environment, but luckily for the entire Le'raana, he didn't lie to himself for long. It took time, but he gradually realized that ethics have a purpose other than an intellectual game, and that perhaps he shouldn't spend his life working on immoral research. His transformation didn't affect his intelligence; he knew that his colleagues were very unlikely to change the way he did, and even less likely to let him resign in peace. He needed a plan.
The lynchpin of his plan was Baroness Nolanni - an old, scarred veteran who could no longer lift a sword. Her military obsession led her to fund a massive reward for any healer who could restore her lost youth so that she could return to her former position in the army. In the meantime, she supported the Serenian forces by sponsoring the career of promising talents. Joshua discreetly arranged for a group of bandits to waylay her carriage as she was returning home after visiting her family. He swooped in at the right moment, rescued the danger in distress and made quite an impression. Naturally, Baroness Nolanni insisted on his joining the army, and since the cover he received as a part of the research effort was some petty drudgery, there was no excuse for him to get out of it. They understood, appreciated his faith in their ability to carry their mission through, and carefully cut ties.
Joshua threw himself wholeheartedly into his new life. While the training wasn't enough of an intellectual challenge to actually satiate him the way his research did, but being too exhausted to think got around that need. Once he improved to the point that he still had energy left to think, he began to set challenges for himself. While the logistics formation wanted him for his magic, but he ended up entering the ranks of the mageknights. The main problem he had to deal with was the cavalry aspect - the horses were unanimous in their dislike of him. He had to trade some favours to get a teammate with a compulsion ability to calm the assigned mounts - in plural. They had a tendency to end up killed or lamed; the other soldiers were quite amused by this 'Colbrande Curse'. "It's like they can sense that their fate is sealed the moment you climb into the saddle!", "Good thing you married into a family that can cover all those costs, huh...", "I bet three shils that this poor beast won't live to see next week" etc
Character Limitations: Do not describe his actions or reactions (unless you're referring to my previous post from your character's point of view). Physical actions and spells will be handled on a case by case basis.
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