Keima Hasegawa

Keima Hasegawa is the character that controls the Dark Souls Online (DSO) Half-Elf Bard Ephraim. He is the son of Toshinari and Rumi Hasegawa, two small-time but well-appreciated and talented bakers. Growing up at the edge of Akibagahara in the Chiyoda ward, Tokyo, he was exposed to computers, video games and anime from a young age, and this would shape the bulk of his hobbies. When the widely anticipated and controversial Dark Souls Online VRMMO game released, he, like many others created an account with his friends and began playing.

## Appearance

Keima, being born to Japanese parents, also possesses a facial likeness attributed to his nation. What sets him slightly apart are his dark brown hair and eyes, the result of his grandmother marrying a foreigner. Because of his interests, it wasn't long before he began wearing glasses, and many of his mannerisms take them into account. He is fairly tall, with a slim, almost scrawny frame. His usual attire consists of formal shirts and jeans, arguing with himself that it is both just informal and formal enough for most situations. At home it's not odd to also see him wearing an apron, a result of his baking or cooking. Outside he usually has a black, unmarked backpack that contains a variety of items, ranging from his Rintendo SwitchX to his medicine and water.

In game, his avatar is an almost femininely handsome Half-elf, with sharp, emerald green eyes paired with an equally sharp and long pair of ears. Lengthy, faded blonde hair cascades down to his green tunic, fastened by a simple belt, followed by simple pants and dark boots. His attire is covered by a tough but flexible leather, reinforced with close-set rivets. A plain dagger-in-sheathe adorns his right hip, a last resort. Along his belt are several pouches filled with coins, spell components and other odds and ends. His back houses a backpack filled with everything he couldn't fit into his pouches.

## Personality

Keima is generally quite calm and rarely reveals negative emotions. With a personable attitude and cadence, he tends to avoid making enemies and defuses heated situations. He is generally sharp and practical, and is blessed with a natural aptitude in many things. This however, also means he is prone to overconfidence, and overthinking, born from needing to answer the many expectations he'd wrought on himself.

Thanks to a loving household with two parents and a stable income, Keima hasn't had a particularly painful childhood. However, from birth he has been afflicted by a chronic weakness that requires him to take medication often, and a periodic medical check-up. This in turn furthered his affinity to video games and other forms of media that didn't force him to exert much physically. Fantasy in general, appealed to him greatly, because in a fictional world he would posses no such sickness. So when the "greatest VRMMO-to-be" DSO was announced, he was secretly very excited to play.

Another prominent trait of Keima's is his book smarts, and specific knowledge. He believes that knowledge is the path to power and self-improvement, and is very prone to researching anything that interests him, aiming to do whatever activity 'in the most optimised way'. This reflects in him by making him more calculating and preferring preparedness than rushed decisions. However this is also the cause for his hesitation now and then, or conversely, overconfidence, leading him to get in over his head at times. He reflects his preparedness in the backpack he often carries.

He often helped his parents in their bakery growing up, and even more so following his graduation. Between his parents' general attitudes, and dealing with customers daily, Keima developed a calm, friendly attitude that makes him amicable, as well as a respect for those in the service industry. He enjoys baking and cooking, and tends to bring baked goods and food he's made to gatherings for friends.

Keima reflects this attitude in Ephraim, his in-game persona, although with a slightly more steeled and detached respect, something that became from his gaming life.

## Equipment

He carries a plain viol he bought early on to play his music and cast Bardic spells.

No other particularly noteworthy equipment.

## In-game Abilities and Proficiencies

**Proficiencies:** As the Bard class, Ephraim is capable of wielding simple weapons, hand crossbows, long swords, rapiers and short swords. He can wear light armours without penalties. He can also perform well with bagpipes, the flute and viol as instruments.

**Languages Known:** By choosing to be Half-elf at character creation, Ephraim is able to read, write and speak in Common, Elven and Giant. Due to his chosen background of Sage, he is also fluent in Primordial and Draconic.

### Racial Abilities

**Dark-vision:** Thanks to Ephraim's elven blood, he has superior vision in dark and dim conditions. However, he can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of Gray.

**Fey Ancestry:** Ephraim has a natural resistance to charm magic and effects, and magic can’t put him to sleep.

### Class Abilities

As a bard, Ephraim's words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalisations with power all their own. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain. They stick to the sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance.

**Bardic Inspiration:** This ability allows Ephraim to inspire others through stirring words or music. Though having limited uses, when granted it improves one pivotal instance of another creature's actions, usually giving them the edge necessary to succeed.

**Jack of All Trades:** The bard class is inherently capable at all of the game's available skills.

**Song of Rest:** Ephraim can use soothing music or oration to help revitalise wounded allies during rests. Any creature that hears this ability's performance recovers more hit points.

### Spell-casting

As a bardic spell-caster, Ephraim can untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with his wishes and music. His spells are part of his vast repertoire, magic that he can tune to different situations. The following are a list of his spells by level:

* Cantrips: Spells that can be cast without limit.
	+ Prestidigitation: This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. It creates harmless effects and can sustain multiple instances of itself.
	+ Vicious Mockery: Ephraim unleashes a string of insults laced with subtle enchantments at a creature, causing psychic pain and breaking their focus.

* Level 1:
	+ Comprehend Languages: With this spell, one understands the literal meaning of any spoken language that they hear. They also understand any written language they see, but must be touching the surface on which the words are written.
	+ Cure Wounds: A basic healing spell that requires touch to take effect.
	+ Faerie Fire: Each object and creature unable to avoid its effect is covered in a bright, fluorescent light that makes them easier to be attacked, and reveals the invisible.
	+ Healing Word: A basic healing spell that can take effect at range.
	+ Identify: It reveals the properties of a magical item or reveals any spells affecting an item of creature.