Name: Martin Hollowsland.

Age: 15.

Gender: Male

Race: Human.

Appearance:

With a body that makes most young girls seem masculine by comparison Martin is by far the least intimidating presence in any group. He stands at about 4'5" with platinum blonde hair, ice blue eyes and skin so pale that the hair and eyes are the only things on him with any semblance of pigmentation. He wears a blue travelers cloak with a high collar, hood and buttonable front folds. Underneath he's mostly sporting a silver-trim tunic with a semi-ornate belt. His boots though crafted of quality leather are of a thick build, meant more for longs hikes than other more courtly footwear.

Personality: On the surface he is a quiet, meek sort. He struggles to speak up for himself and largely tries to avoid overt attention overall. At most times he is relatively cautious, perhaps largely due to his nervous disposition. He stammers frequently and oft trips over his own words in times of trouble but in calmer circumstances around those he's comfortable with he still chooses his words carefully, often opting not to speak at all if it puts him at risk of upsetting others.

Below the surface his kindness and altruism has been colored with despair and pessimism. He genuinely wants to help others and believes that if he has the power to then he should use it to aid those in need. Living the life of a nobleman's fifth son however has given him much insight into the nature of people and has done well to discourage him from being ambitious. With his eldest brother constantly watching his back while waiting for their father to die so he can inherit the family's holdings before driving his kin off his property and his second and third oldest brothers both plotting the eldest's demise he's not very comfortable spending much time, if any, with his family. His father was very Machiavellian style of lord. He would spend countless hours either amidst court politics or plotting schemes on how to better expand his territory and undercut his rivals. His mother wasn't much better. He only really got along with his younger sister. He had a couple friends but for the most part he was simply happier being apart from everything, either studying or enjoying nature.

At his core he is bidden by strong ethical drive to help others however he can. His natural personality would have him blend in to the background as he is quite shy both by nature and as a result of being so far down in the food-chain when it comes to his family but he does enjoy spending time with those he considers friends. He is fairly smart and tends to think things through but is far from daring and folds quite quickly under direct confrontation, both in the figurative and literal sense. There is a part of him that seems somewhat secretive however. He is often evasive in dialogue and tries not to discuss himself more than necessary, keeping details to a minimum.

He fears what would happen should the public learn of his bond with The Advocate.

Brief Backstory: Martin is the fifth son in a long family lineage of lords, the youngest of his brothers and second youngest of his siblings, the youngest being his little sister Nina. He grew up largely picked on by his older brothers who were jaded by their wealth and position. They never respected him but also payed him little mind as he was no obstacle to them but he also kept well away from being included in any of their schemes, secluding himself to his studies and arts whenever possible.

He had few friends amidst his peers. His best friend was a noblewoman's daughter, Edre, a girl around his age who wanted to join the Iron Rose Knights. She was a sporty firebrand who practiced all sorts of martial skills but she detested the entitlement and fluid ethics of most other noble's children. They bonded when she stood up for him one day, driving off those who were bullying him.

One day however a terrible incident occurred. Bandits had attacked her one day when she was off for horse-riding practice, intent on kidnapping her for ransom. Even with only her instructor by her side she had no intention of surrendering and fought back, even managing to drive the bandits off. She was injured beyond repair in the process however. Her dominant arm was maimed and her leg nearly severed. After her instructor had brought her back, keeping her alive enough to survive the trip back to her estate, they took her in and stabilized her condition.

Unfortunately for her while she was recovering well enough she was rendered quite incapable of all but the least taxing physical activities. While it would not have been impossible to treat her with magical healing from the church those with the magical potential and means of healing were not immediately within their city and commissioning one to come over and conduct their magic would cost a hefty sum. Instead her parents, who had disliked her tomboyish nature and disapproved of her ambitions, used this as a means of educating her as to why she should focus on more courtly ambitions. This had crushed her spirit almost entirely.

_
The next time Martin saw her she was a miserable shell of her old self, bitter with disappointment and lacking all her former vigor and enthusiasm. He had never seen her so downcast and it wounded his heart to see his friend suffer so. He went and prayed at the church of Mayon, wishing to the goddess for a way to bring his friend back to how she used to be. That night however what he encountered however was something... Else.

In his bedroom mirror he saw in place of his ordinary reflection a version of himself in a most wretched state. His hair was disheveled, his clothes torn and frayed, his body coated in a litany of wounds and other ailments. The mirror image stood with a crutch, his arm in a sling. This version of himself spoke aloud, introducing himself as "The Advocate".

The Advocate offered a means of helping his friend. He fully accepted his help and in return was taught a spell of some sort. While it had described in clear detail how to perform it the actual spell's function was largely a mystery, only briefly explained as a spell of healing. The truth only became clear after he had rode out in the dead of night, sneaking upon her family's ground and casting this spell from the forest upon her. While he didn't see it's effect on her the spell's functionality was made immediately apparent as he suddenly found himself sporting all of her injuries.

He quickly realized the gravity of what he had done. Though she might now be in perfect health he was clearly in the state that she was not long ago. If the truth came out that it was him who had performed what was essentially a miracle then attract a lot of attention. Too much attention in fact.

He knew his family well and understood quite well that being discovered as capable of performing miraculous feats would make him a pawn for everyone else. His family, the other lords, the church, there was no way he could keep up with the machinations of those around him if he were to suddenly become that important. Instead he decided that he'd return to his home only long enough to gather his belongings before sneaking back out again and leave home for good. As he was packing his things however he made a shocking discovery.

The Advocate stood still within his mirror but now his dominant arm was free from it's sling and he no longer stood upon a crutch.

Not long after his recent departure he came upon the Knights of The Iron Rose, those who's own mission were also to help those in need. It was then he figured that by helping them he'd be helping others too. A risky endeavor but if he were able to spare at least a couple from an early death then it'd be worth it. His biggest concern remained The Advocate, the being who opposed everything he stood for, invisible to all but himself.

Equipment: Upon his person he carries a satchel with his belongings, mostly just the things one needs to travel the long and winding roads. He carries with him a lantern for lighting the way during the darker hours. He keeps some oil and a tinderbox in his satchel for this reason. Aside from all that his only other notable belonging is a journal along with some ink and a writing quill. It was something to express his thoughts and record his travels into should he one day perish and someone finds his belongings. As for weapons the closest thing he has to that is a small knife designed more for opening letters than for things like bloodshed.

Skills: Martin is fairly well educated, having a good understanding of many different subjects though little in the way of practical experience in any such fields. As far as combat is concerned one would be better off handing a blade to a rabbit before even considering him.

As far as magic is concerned while Martin might have the capacity to cast magic his knowledge of spellcraft is quite limited for his only tutor is The Advocate, a being who's purpose and nature he fails to understand. He can use a sort of healing spell to remove all wounds and ailments, both magical and otherwise, off of someone at the cost of taking them upon himself in their stead. It is a dangerous spell for he has to balance just how much damage he can absorb from others before the effects prove fatal. What's even deadlier is what else can be done with it, a secret known only to The Advocate itself. While it's evident the spell can move injuries and other such ailments only it knows that these effects can be moved off the caster onto another. What's more is that other variations of this spell can be used to shirk damage off of the caster onto those around them or even dilute injuries to any individual across a unified group. The Advocate knows much but shares only what is deemed necessary to further it's own mysterious ends.

Aside from all that Martin's true talent lies in his sensitivity towards spirits. He can see both ghosts and magical auras but at the cost of being highly vulnerable to them. While unknown to him he is, in truth, a natural medium who serves as a conduit for both magic and many varieties of spirits. Being so exposed to possession is a dangerous quality which is what made Martin such an ideal host for The Advocate. This does, however, make it relatively easy for him to channel magic when there comes a time for him to learn such spells.