Hope you're still happy to take new people! I'm not really familiar with Fairy Tail, but I had a look around the wiki for a bit so I hope this checks out. apologies for the TLDR history.
Name: John Magebane
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Magic: Space Compression, or the creation and manipulation of “false” pockets of space. Example uses include making a room bigger on the inside, hiding things by effectively removing them from the world, or sucking in magical and physical projectiles mid-flight then releasing them so they may be re-directed. Living things contained in false space will usually find it easy to break out of with violent movement or spell casting from the inside, as it is usually relatively unstable; however it is very difficult to break into from the outside.
Magic Level: B
History:John grew up in relative isolation, living in a large house in the wilderness with his parents, who were frequently away, as they were both Anti-Mage bounty hunters of moderate success, a family tradition that dated back on his father’s side. The Magebanes, a family once famous for its relentless persecution of mages of all kinds, were reluctantly forced to stop their crusade once the practice of magic started to return to Fiore, constraining the later generations to taking contracts to hunt down and capture or kill mages who operate outside of the law, and although not like when magic was more dominantly feared, the Magebane name still carries a certain weight in the magic-hunting community.
John was all set to become the next Mage hunter in his bloodline, and was in fact eager to follow in his parents’ footsteps, who trained him from an early age, however when odd things started to happen around him, he slowly began to realize that he himself could use magic, a thought which terrified him, and for the better part of a year he lived in fear of his parents finding out, until an accident that happened shortly after his ninth birthday.
Since his parents were often away, John loved to explore, and although the wilderness that surrounded the house was mostly forest, he had long since discovered a nearby old ruin of a fort, half sunken into the earth. It was his favourite spot, and he often went amongst the ancient structure to play or if he needed to think. It was only a matter of time then, before one day when he lost his balance and fell into the swamp the ruin was partially submerged in.
He probably would have drowned that day, had he not been saved by the appearance of an old man. He had close cropped white hair and beard, and his wrinkled face stared down at John kindly, but as he lay gasping for breath, John felt scared, because the man had saved him using magic; Something he’d only ever been taught disdain and fear for, but knowing this was the only mage he had ever met, and possibly his only chance for answers, he confessed the terrible secret he was so afraid his parents would discover, hoping to hear of a way out.
His savior pitied him and explained he would need to learn to control his powers to avoid discovery. He revealed that he was a hermit who lived in the woods, and when John asked why he wasn’t afraid to live so close to a pair of Mage Hunters, he smiled and led him to a clearing that John thought he knew well, only now there was an old large thatched hut sitting in the middle of it. The Hermit explained that he was able to hide his home using a magic known as space compression, a dying discipline it was his life’s goal to pass on. He’d been aware of John’s wanderings in the woods but had hidden, only revealing himself because of his cries for help. It was at this point that John begged the stranger to help him hide his magic, who agreed only on condition that John would actually study his art, and that he would one day pass it on to someone else.
John was afraid of magic and reluctant, but it was a price he was willing to pay to hide the truth from his parents, and so over the next few weeks, he returned to the clearing. He didn’t always find the hut present when he went, but the old man was never away for long. He was a stern but patient teacher, but most of all as the familiarity between them grew, he seemed to want to teach John that magic and mages in general weren’t bad. John expected him to try and brainwash him, but his suprisingly balanced view threw him off guard.
In this way, John gradually became more open minded and moved away from his parents’ old fashioned way of thinking, as well as gradually becoming the Hermit’s apprentice without really paying attention to it, until he found himself going to the clearing whenever he could, taking advantage of his parents’ every absence. The mentoring completed his sense of identity, and filled the long hours of solitude. Although he didn’t know the Hermit’s name, and he never asked, the man began to become a second father for John.
This happy way of life, balancing Mage Hunter and Mage Training, carried on until his mid teens, and ceased the inevitable day the Hunters discovered him practicing. Their horror, disgust and above all their shame overwhelmed and rejected all of his explanations. After much shouting and threatening, they gave him an ultimatum: leave, be disowned and never return, or take a drug to suppress his magic and never practice it so long as he lived. Ashamed of what he was and scared of the wider world, he elected to stay. From that day on, he was treated with cold hostility. He miserably carried on with the façade of his Mage Hunter training, but from that day on, he wasn’t really their son; he was their dishonor, their disgrace. The drug he took regularly. He had no idea what it was called, as they never spoke about it, but they always made sure he took it, even though most of the time John found he couldn’t go without it. Privately he called it Magebane, after his family, since like them it was a part of him even if he hated it, and it was killing the magic inside of him. A few times he attempted to return to the clearing, but the hut was never there.
The next few years he spent in a pit of misery and self-pity, which he only snapped out of when he heard the Hunters arriving with their latest prisoner, only for him to see that it was his old mentor they were dragging across the hearth, bleeding, bound and gagged. How he’d been captured John didn’t know, but the Hermit gave no sign of recognition, and the Hunters made no comment, so he could only assume that they had no idea they held John’s corruptor. His own slavery he could endure, but he couldn’t tolerate seeing the man who had risked so much to teach and help him, suffer whilst he stood idle. That night, they escaped, but whether the Hunters suspected John would help liberate their captive or just expected an escape attempt anyway, they were pursued. They fled to the ancient stone fort where the two of them first met, hoping to find shelter, but their trackers were hard on their heels. When they burst into the room the pair were resting in, and saw their son, they hesitated briefly before opening fire. It wasn’t much, but it was enough time for the Hermit to cast a spell.
The space around them seemed to distort and when it had returned to normal, they seemed to lying in a glade somewhere far away that John didn’t recognize, next to an old thatched hut that he definitely did. His own wounds were superficial, but he couldn’t ignore the great crossbow bolt sticking out of the old man’s rapidly rising and falling chest. He took John’s hand in his own, and told him that his name was Zepet. He warned that when he died, John would need to find a guild to take him in. He apologized for his role in tearing John’s family apart, saying that this had not been his intention, and that all he had wanted was to teach him the truth about magic, and pass on his knowledge. The reason John had been unable to find him was because he had moved away in order to prevent causing further harm, but since he didn’t belong to any guild recognized by the government, he’d been wanted by the law for some time. As a final request, he asked that John carry on his legacy, but most of all that he follow his heart and find his own purpose. Then Zepet the Hermit died, leaving John alone in the world.
Personality: John’s past and struggle with substance addiction have left him with relatively low self esteem and some insecurites. He is also rather cautious, defensive and not particularly trusting of others, especially other mages, though externally he tries to be friendly and engaging, even if he might not appear particularly enthusiastic about it. Despite this he genuinely tries to do the best he can for other people, though his relative isolation means his sense of empathy isn’t stellar. John is also not the most determined of people and can easily wavered by doubt, though he will never give up on anything he is sure about in his heart.
Team Members: n/a
Three Strengths:
1. Inquisitive and attentive to his surroundings.
2. trained in hunting/ambushing mages without magic.
3. good at problem solving.
Three Weaknesses:
1. latent substance addiction.
2. poor offensive spell repertoire.
3. Not very strong willed. He’s quite easy to deceive.
Greatest Love: Exploration. Both of the physical world and in knowledge.
Motivation: Finally being free to experience the world. Also to carry on Zepet’s work and re-discover the magical knowledge that died with him.
Appearance: John stands at about 6’ and is of an athletic and wiry build. His medium length, slightly untamed hair and imposing eyebrows are jet black, and his facial features tend to have a slightly tired and malnourished appearance, with slightly hollow cheeks, dark bags under his green eyes, and usually the slight stubble of an unshaven beard. John usually dresses for the wilderness, regardless of where he is, and so favors close fitting garments of browns and greens.
Additional Details: Since his escape John has found it harder than expected to stop taking Magebane. Although he has gradually weaned himself off the stuff and it no longer continuously hinders his magic, he still keeps it around and has the occasional relapse, especially when stressed.
