Name: Jenga Polymer
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Nationality: Songdae
Heritage: Songdaenese

Personality:
For someone who is supposed to be an entertainer, Jenga can come off as sort of gloomy. He's generally quiet and soft when speaking, and that doesn't change much when singing, either. Talking with him makes it clear that he is a fairly simple person: He does what he does to spread joy across the land, wanting to be someone who can aid in taking some pain away, if only for a short while.

He performs rather than stressing others of the world; He sings instead of complaining. He tries to avoid the world's problems but sees them clearly everywhere he goes: When you speak with him he can often ramble on about how he feels on such subjects, and he doesn't exactly know when to stop. People often have to be direct when they are finished, or else he just continues on regardless of if they are listening.

When problems arise around him, his inspiration from the songs and melodies he sings drives him into assisting: He has a firm belief in the cliche idea of a hero, and tries to follow such morals as accurately as he can. While this does mean he has a good heart and intentions, it also means he has a slight lack of ability to see things outside of them being black and white; Though can reach different conclusions when people take a moment to reason and discuss with him... Sometimes.

While lacking enthusiasm for the most part, he still does his best for others; He likes jokes, mood-lightening tunes, and occasionally humor at his own expense. While it's easy to see the reasons people should frown, he wishes to be a reason others should smile: If everyone's miserable, what's the point of living, right?

Biography:
Jenga was raised on recalling the past and thinking of how it could be avoided or harnessed to improve the future. He was a surprisingly studious child; Gathering what he could from books, and the rest from word of mouth of the eldest around him to glance at aspects of the world's history. His interest was always planted in the 7th Era; the freedoms and legends from that period of time being an inspiration he wanted to spread in some way.

Which lead Jenga to his profession: He wasn't exactly a merchant, but he did trade something for money: Entertainment. He had a very keen sense of balance, and there were plenty of bards to take inspiration from, so he became one himself. His instrument of choice was the flute, and at first, he truly wasn't much good at it at all. His horrible playing would occasionally get him booed, or worse, thrown out of places.

One such event caught the attention of a man; A large, fat man by the name of Pelago. He had his own small travelling trope; Gracious Songbird Circus. A group of people gathered to entertain wherever they went, and to be friends and family to eachother. This sort of companionship wasn't something Jenga was used to, but when Pegalo offered him a place and an opportunity to learn from what he called 'Da Bes' In Da Bidness', how could Jenga of ever said no?

He packed, left his small family of four behind in order to strive towards this line of work. He was only seventeen when he left, but the years slowly passed. He became eighteen, nineteen, then twenty, travelling and becoming a wonderful performer both in acrobats and music: Spreading joy and the word of heroes, raising the morale of the many he came across.

Unfortunately, all good things eventually end.

They were sailing the sea towards their next destination before tragedy struck: A ship, fast approaching from an angle that was awkward for them to counteract before it was too late. The boarding party was quick, and brutal: Their dreadful flag was high in the air, and many of the people Jenga had come to know were now falling before him. He fought, of course; But despite holding his own with some of his shipmates, the pirates eventually took what they came for, and retreated to their own boat.

Pegalo was furious, but Jenga urged him not to try and board as it'd be suicide. He thought if they didn't do anything, they'd leave the ship alone, but he was wrong: Once they made a short distance between the ships, the pirates fired upon the trope, blowing the ship to smithereens. All Jenga could do was scream as he eventually took a plank of wood to the head, causing him to black out.

The next thing he recalled was waking up in a bed: Head pounding, horrid memories of what had happened flooding his mind. Attempting to find someone in the home had lead him to the owner of the homestead; Edlin Poet. He wasn't by any stretch an overly important man, but he was a competent trader and obviously had wealth.

He made it clear that Jenga had been found drifted up on the shore, badly injured. He was brought back to heal, and had been out for at least a few days. Unfortunately, Edlin hadn't seen anyone else, leading Jenga to be worried he was the only one who had escaped alive.

Jenga had issues: He was stuck in Raelin with no way to get home, and this man seemed to have an idea that wasn't going home: Since he had saved Jenga's life, he was to serve as personal entertainment for his family and guests until Eldin deemed his dept repaid. Not one to disrespect a savior, Jenga accepted these conditions as it'd at least provide him with decent housing.

This servitude lasted three years.

In that time, Jenga had continued to perfect his crafts, and earn his keep in the home. He had befriended Eldin's daughter, Lynsia, over his years in the household but Eldin made it very clear that someone like him was never fated to be in relation to someone such as his daughter: If anything, Jenga saw it as Eldin trying to bring himself higher on the ladder by marrying her off.

One night, Jenga took a bold step. He met up with Lynsia in her quarters, and questioned if she'd ever want to leave: Her answer was along the lines of her feeling obligated to her father's wishes, despite understanding Jenga's feelings which she unfortunately did not return. She instead offered him an option to leave: Which shocked him, as it had been up to her father when he would be let go.

Her reasoning back was that if her father hated his guts enough, he wouldn't have to stay. She would keep her father in check as best she could, but if Jenga was restless and didn't desire to be here, he shouldn't have to.

She made a bit of a ruckus in the room; Enough for her father to investigate out of concern. With nothing much more than a muttered apology, she kissed him in front of her father; Sending him into a rage. They parted and Jenga fled; Crashing himself out of her bedroom window, fleeing into the night.

It's been a month since Jenga fled, and he's been making end's meet by entertaining in pubs and on the street: Spreading his word once again as a free man. Lynsia had promised to send letters to his family in his stead, so they'd know he was still alive. But until he could afford to get home, he'd keep venturing and spreading his joy among the populace of Raelin... Even if some of them really didn't like it.

-COMBAT-
Level: 25
Class: Juggler - Jugglers are entertainers that preform stunts to amuse others, or to throw off their foes. They are speedy and evasive, but also surprisingly high in the defense department. They rely on hindering their opponents and the quick movement of their hands: Along with the knives gripped in them, to survive enemy encounters.
* Multi-Talent - Can use Instruments and Songs.
* Quirky Movement - Gain chance to evade equal to +3 Speed against melee attackers.
* Quick Pockets - Quickly switch weapons.

STATS -
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 10
Mind: 0
Piety: 0
Speed: 8
Defense: 4
Soul: 1

Equipment:
Main Weapon: Jackal Knife - A simple knife with a slim, sharp blade. Even light swipes can leave open wounds.
Off-Hand: N/A
Armor:
* Light Clothing - Regular clothing. 0+Stats
* Jester Hat - A hat worn by members of the Gracious Songbird Circus. 0+Stats
* Scarf - A scarf to fight off the cold. +10% resistance to Cold
Additional:
* Flute - Simple Instrument: Can be used to play Bard Songs or whack someone in the head.
* Hoop Ring - Used during the 'Hoop' Stunt.
* Juggling Balls - Used during the 'Flash' Stunt and 'Party Panic' Limit Break.
* Throwing Knives - Used during the 'Knife Toss' Stunt.
* Bouncy Ball - Used during the 'Bop' Stunt and 'Chocohop' performance.

Skills:

Stunt:
* Hoop[D8] - Throws a Hoop Ring onto an opponent, tripping them up and making movement more difficult until it is removed.
* Knife Toss[D8] - Tosses a throwing knife at a distant or flying enemy to cause damage + potential bleed.
* Bop[D8] - Smacks an opponent in the head with a large bouncing ball to inflict confusion.
* Flash[D8] - Throws a juggling ball that pops like a firecracker to inflict Seizure and potentially blind.
* Toro Toro[D10] - Instigate a target into going berserk.
* Gil Toss[D10] - Throws Gil at the opponent, damaging them depending on how much is thrown.

Song: Effects only persist as long as Jenga continues to play and sing.
* Ballad of Bravado[D10] - A song that inspires others to fight for glory. 2+Strength
* Rhythms of the Mind[D10] - A calming song that aids in magical focus. 2+Mind
* Rushing Tempo[D10] - A frantic tune that makes others hustle. 3+Speed 1+Dex
* Song of Healing[D10] - An eerie tune that aids in channeling curative spells. 4+Piety
* Figaro Groove[D10] - A slow, waging song that helps keep the pain away. 2+Defense

(Legacy)Perform: Performances developed by Gracious Songbird Circus members. If Jenga could find his friends during the journey, they may just teach him their unique tricks to add to his arsenal and aid everyone on their quest.

* Chocohop[D10S5] - Jenga's Trick. Hops in the air atop a bouncing ball, stomping it down on an opponent's head before bouncing behind them to put enemies into a pincer attack.

Limit Break:
* Party Panic - Tosses a bundle of juggling balls into the air that rain down on enemies, exploding and inflicting damage + seizure

Opportunity:
* Ole! - When Jenga is melee attacked by an opponent inflicted with berserk or seizure, he has a much higher chance of evading the strike.
* Catch - When an item or weapon is thrown, Jenga has much better odds of catching it.
* Hell of a Show - When Jenga is in critical condition, he can perform two stunts at once and use songs while in full motion until his health rises above critical. This can only be done once per battle unless Jenga's health is completely restored.

Name: Malik Rayse
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Nationality: Raelin
Heritage: Raelininan

Personality: There once was an innocence to Malik- a faith in the good of others, a will to change the world for the better, a hope for the future. These qualities still remain, in one way or another, but scorched and tempered by the flames of betrayal. Blind faith has hardened into caution and temperance. His will to change the world is now a determination to destroy those who would threaten it. And his hope for the future is now corrupted into a desire- to see those who betrayed him and so many others punished for their misdeeds.

There once was an innocence, a brightness, to Malik Rayse. There is now a darkness, a black flame that will exact a price for snuffing that brightness out.

Biography: In Raelin, the process of becoming a Spirit Dragoon is no simple matter. One must already have mastered the Dragoon arts, before they are chosen and tested for the will to bind the gods’ power. If they have the spark, they then must train this potential with the same fervor with which they honed their martial abilities, while still keeping their physical prowess at its peak. For every hundred soldiers that are even considered for the honor, perhaps one will succeed.

Those who overcome these challenges are inducted into the ranks of the Bahamut Division, and are considered the cream of the crop, the elite of the elite. They are the champions of Raelin, highly prized and revered, many going on to be generals and heroes on the merits of their achievement. For one of these legendary soldiers to falter, to fall from grace, would be practically unheard of.

Malik, against all odds, is the one who fell, though not through any failure of his own.

Malik had a promising future ahead of him, even by the standards of the Bahamut Division- peerless in skill and potential, a hero known and loved by the Republic almost in totality, a paragon of virtue and might. For most, the qualities that made Malik exceptional were endearing. For some, however, those very same qualities were terrifying. A growing corrupt element in the Raelin government feared Malik’s growing powers and influence, feared what he might be able to bring to bear against them, should his attention ever find them.

They resolved to remove him as a threat by any means- whether by tightening his leash, or cutting him down entirely. He was given a relatively simple-seeming mission, to quell an uprising in of of Raelin’s outer territories. But when Malik arrived at the site of this so-called “rebellion,” he found, not armed rebels, but civilians- men, women, and children who had never so much as held a weapon with intent in their lives. Malik assumed there had to be some mistake, but such illusions were soon dispelled by those who had accompanied him- lay waste to the encampment, and all within. Malik was torn; if he followed through with his orders, he was a war criminal, with nothing standing between him and retribution except the goodwill of his superiors.

If he refused, he was a traitor.

In the end, it was no choice at all. Malik turned on the force he had led there, and defended the encampment until they could escape. By the time they had, and the enemy had retreated, Malik’s fate was sealed. Even if he had done what would be considered right, he had disobeyed a direct order, and fought against his own countrymen. He would never again be able to return to the life he once knew.

For weeks, as he went on the run with his wyvern, Stormeater, Malik seethed at the injustice, the indignity he’d suffered. Seethed that he’d been betrayed for no apparent reason. Raged that whoever had set him up would use the lives of innocents so callously. Wept that he was considered a traitor for upholding the very values he’d been raised to revere. And it was in this spiral of despair and wrath that the Dark Knights found him. They’d understood him, lauded him for doing what was necessary, what was right. They taught him to use that anger, that hate, and forge it into a weapon. They gave him purpose, direction, when he’d lost all hope.

Now, Malik and Stormeater have been reborn- darker and more driven than ever before. Though still considered a novice in the dark arts, Malik is eager to use what he has been given, to punish those who would so heartlessly use innocent lives in their games, and to rally those who would fight against them.

-COMBAT-

Level: 25
Class: Hellkite- The Spirit Dragoons of the Bahamut Division, a rare fusion of Dragoon and Summoner, are the most elite troops in all of the Raelin Republic. Able to channel the might of the gods through their wyvern mounts, Spirit Dragoons are masters of raining destruction down upon their foes.

Malik has taken this training and begun to merge it with the darkness he has received from his new order, to devastating effect. He will not rest until the name “Hellkite” is feared throughout the known world.

• Spear of the Gods- 10% bonus to Strength, Mind, and Soul. Also gives access to certain EX versions of skills, whose stats equal the combined total of half of Malik’s Str/Mind/Soul (ex: 6 in each stat equals EX 9, 8 in each stat equals EX 12, etc.) to a maximum of 20.
• Spear of the Damned- Adds 25% of Mind to Strength while using Dark skills
• Storm Dancer- At the end of posts, Malik can choose to jump back onto his wyvern Stormeater, or jump off. Jumping off like this cannot be used to strike with Jump.

STATS -
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 2
Mind: 8 (+1)
Piety: 0
Speed: 3
Defense: 3
Soul: 5

EQUIPMENT -
Main Weapon: Dragonslayer- At once magical catalyst and deadly weapon, the Dragonslayer is the favored arm of the Bahamut Division. The once-resplendent weapon now looks tarnished and worn, a portent of Malik’s newfound darkness.
Off-Hand: None
Armor: Bahamut Division Armor- The uniform of the Spirit Dragoons; bright gold and royal purple in color, a stark contrast to the man who wears it.
Additional: Stormeater- Malik’s faithful wyvern mount, sharing in his exile.

-SKILLS-

Techniques -
Jump [S4]- Standard Dragoon technique; Malik leaps into the sky, then strikes down at the target area, crushing and piercing the enemy.
Lancet [S4]- Malik pierces an enemy and steals their lifeforce, restoring a portion of his own health.
Dragon Thrust [S5]- Malik dashes toward an enemy with a spear thrust, closing to melee range in an instant and piercing the enemy.
Nightfall [S6]- Dark-aspected version of the Dragoon’s Jump. Shadows explode around where Malik impacts, dealing damage to all within the blast radius.
Fafnir Drive [S8]- A spear slash accompanied by a ravenous claw of shadows. Deals Dark damage to any in an arc in front of Malik, draining their lifeforce. ([EX] Fafnir Drive strikes twice instead of once.)
Gungnir [S8]- Malik unleashes a flurry of thrusts upon a single enemy, charged with dark power. Infects the wounds with darkness that cause damage over time. ([EX] Infected enemies explode when they die, passing on the dark infection to any nearby foes.)

Spellbook -
Wyrmflare [M4]- Stormeater breathes a blast of divine power at the enemy.
Shadowflare [M5]- A Dark-aspected version of Wyrmflare, taking the form of black flames that cling to their target. ([EX] Affected enemies receive only 50% healing from any source, for the duration.)
Huginn and Muninn [M5]- With a flap of his wings, Stormeater launches a volley of dark arrows onto the enemy below.
Dreadfall [M6]- Malik looses a bolt of dark lightning into the sky, which then crashes down on on his foes after a brief delay. Can only be used while Malik is mounted. ([EX] Dreadfall chains to other enemies near the impact point.)
Blood Eagle [M7]- Malik manifests massive wings of bloody darkness, doubling his attack range. Can only be used while Malik is dismounted.
Geostigma [M8]- Dark energy erupts from a magic circle formed underneath the enemy, ravaging them with black flames. ([EX] Desecrates the ground, causing damage over time to any enemies that remain in the affected area.)
Blackwyrm Trance [M8]- A shadowy reflection of the divine channeling of the Bahamut Division. One part divine might, one part Malik’s darkness. Malik adds half of his Soul stat (rounded down) to his Strength and Mind for the duration of the Trance. Can only be used while Malik is mounted, and ends when he dismounts or is defeated.

Legacy -
Geirskogul [SM10]- Malik fires a bolt of pure darkness from his spear, piercing all enemies in its path and leaving lingering shadows that shred the foe over time.

Limit Break -
Jormungandr- Stormeater fires a beam of twisted light, tearing through all in its path, then causing the affected ground to explode in the beam’s wake, dealing a second round of damage.
Ragnarok- Malik hurls himself heavensward, charged with dark energy, before crashing down on the opponent like a meteor, obliterating who or whatever he strikes.

Opportunity -
Pierce the Heavens- When Malik strikes the first blow in an engagement, the attack is automatically critical, even spells.
Adversity- When in critical health and outnumbered (3-to-1 or more), Malik adds his full Soul stat to his Strength and Mind, on top of any other bonuses he has active. This bonus ends if Malik is no longer in critical status.
Resolute- Malik can endure one attack per engagement that would have killed or incapacitated him and continue fighting.