Name: James Minassian
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Magecraft/Abilities:Circuit Quantity: C (31)
Circuit Quality: B-
Origin: Reparation
Elemental Affinity: Wind, Lightning
Sorcery Trait: N/A
Specializations: Counter Magic and Necromancy
James specializes in a rather uncommon type of magecraft that's really only good for combat scenarios, and an art that makes the saying 'a magus walks with death' exceedingly literal. The former could be called his branch of the family's 'specialization' of sorts, as it was understood that the greatest and most common enemies were magi with more powerful mysteries on hand. The latter is just a preference of James' as an individual.
The objective of Counter Magic is to disrupt the activity of Magic Circuits to prevent the casting of spells, something that could be likened to shooting an enemy's gun out of their hands. While the same effect could be replicated by hitting an enemy with a sufficiently powerful attack at a faster speed than they can cast to disrupt their self-hypnosis, James possesses spells in his arsenal revolving around increasing the duration of an enemy's inability to cast rather than just disrupting a single cast. His simplest spell and a mainstay of his repertoire is that of a close-quarters spell that prevents prana conversion, maintained so long as James can maintain touch triggered by an aria that I have yet to think of. Other spells include a trap in the form of a magic circle, triggered by the proximity of active Magic Circuits, and the pinnacle spell of his Counter Magic: a Bounded Field that prevents the active use of Magic Circuits from everyone within, including the caster. No more, no less. Unfortunately this has no effect on spells originating outside the field or preexisting spells, nor does it affect the connection between Familiars or Servants that enter. It does affect Masters that enter, however.
His choice application of necromancy is surprisingly lacking human zombies. Although he could do that if he wished, he prefers using bound spirits since they're a bit more subtle over all. He does, however, use dead people parts for ingredients in rituals and such, and will dig up graves if necessary. Generally though he prefers to use necromancy as a means to manufacture familiars and gather information by replaying the memories of the deceased. His familiars of choice are bound spirits and Frankensteinian, cobbled-together animal familiars, which he uses for reconnaissance, guards, or any other general assistance they are capable of providing.
Wind and Lightning Magecraft
Apart from his specializations and the basic magecraft all good combat magi are supposed to know (Reinforcement, healing, etc), James can also utilize spells relating to the elements Wind and Lightning. However, the extent of his knowledge regarding these fields of magecraft isn't too wide, and as such has been delegated more to a combat augmentation role than a direct damage dealer.
His Lightning magecraft is limited solely to the following three spells and the various ways he can apply them: the basic ability to shoot lightning, the ability to coat body parts in shaped Lightning-aligned prana, and stimulating his nerves and bio-electrical signals at the risk of ending up with a fried brain and/or frayed nerves. In theory he could fire off a railgun attack as well, but that carries the cost of blowing his eardrums and likely destroying his hand. On the other side, his use of Wind magecraft is pretty much limited to summoning bursts of winds, and pushing/pulling/moving objects using streams of wind, usually his Mystic Code.
Swordsmanship and Close-Quarters Combat
His Mystic Code is a sword, his most useful spell only works close up, and he hunts heretics for a living. It would be really strange if he hadn't learned how to use his assets to achieve maximum effect.
Appearance: "You're not like the spirits I'm used to summoning."Equipment:Mystic Code: Storm Sword
Could be and should be considered his primary source of offensive presence on the battlefield. It's a sword specialized for channeling prana aligned with James' affinities of Wind and Lightning into elemental melee attacks or to discharge enhanced spells with the blade as an amplifier. Using the properties of galvanism, this Mystic Code can absorb Wind and Lightning-based magical attacks and convert them into prana to fire off at a later time. It can also take in standard electricity, but in that case it still requires prana so it can be discharged in combat. Against spells of the two relevant affinities that target only a single individual, it serves as a very good defense. Less so for attacks that cover a wider area, as the surface area of the blade can only absorb so much at a time.
Chalk
Standard equipment for a necromancer. Chalk made from the dusted bones and the blood of magi, used to inscribe magic circles and wards for use in rituals and protection.
Entrenchment Shovel and Surgical Tools
Best if you don't ask what these are for.
Personality: Surprisingly lively for someone whose seems to be absolutely surrounded by death. James is a very casual person, definitely lacking in the usual discipline of a magus. He's a very reasonable person overall, however he can be very unscrupulous despite his pleasant-seeming demeanor. He's very much an opportunist willing to take advantage of anything that comes his way, and is often far more than he appears to be. It's a good idea not to take everything he does at face value.
History: The Minassian family is a fairly old one from Armenia, spanning back many generations with the goal of reaching the Root by using Lightning magecraft to manipulate electromagnetism and its properties as a fundamental force. It has only a single branch family, and an tradition in which any extra children from the main family are taken into the branch family and trained alongside their children to become retainers for the main branch.
James is just the most recent child from the main family passed off at a young age to receive training in magecraft and combat from his relatives. This training went on for a few years until a falling out occurred, resulting in his alienation from the family at large. All alone and with no options in sight, James became a freelancer, putting those years of training to actual use and picking up a few new tricks on the road.
Life went on, but eventually news reached James' ears that his family was utterly wiped out. The news stunned him, but it couldn't be said he mourned their deaths for too long. To him, they were like strangers. Nevertheless, he returned to the ashes of his former home to pay his respects, and maybe bury a few bodies. It was here that he came in contact with the wraith of his father. Consumed with thoughts of vengeance and feelings of anger, James' father ordered him to hunt down whoever had done the deed as some kind of 'redemption' for James.
Despite not needing what was being offered in exchange for his services, James decided he may as well fulfill a dead man's request and spent some time hunting down the perpetrators. His father's reaction surprised him. He'd expected more celebration and gloating, and less feelings of emptiness and depression from his vengeful father. Not that it mattered too much, as James' father soon faded away, and back to regularly scheduled programming it was for James.
Three years later, strange marks appear on his hand...
