Paul

Heroism

Paul is a swordsman from Dark Island with dreams of becoming a paladin, and the second in command of the 12 Heroes.

## Appearance

Paul is a young man of average height and build, with fair hair and bright blue eyes. Wears highly polished armour, initially ill-fitting, over light coloured peasant clothes, with emphasis on the colour white.

## Personality

Paul is aggressive and highly strung, with a fierce sense of justice, a desire to prove himself, and not a little vanity. A creature of order, Paul finds it important to stick to the rules, though preferably his rules. He lauds heroics of any kind, and goes out of his way to perform them.

Despite his black and white view of the world, Paul is not unintelligent, and he is quick to learn. He brings to the group incredible determination and perseverance, and is unshakably loyal and honorable. Over time, he is influenced by the more chaotic members of the group to become a more balanced individual, yet at the same time, his strength grows at such a speed that he becomes overconfident, and worse, merciless.

## Background

Raised in a small village alongside siblings; Terri and Tina and friends; Nicolas and Freida. His father taught him many skills and told them many stories, and he learned the sword alongside his friends with an Empire instructor. An accident while defending the village cost Nicolas his sight and Paul his touch, and Paul became the sole defender of the village.

## Equipment

**Sword:** This weapon was an old sword that used to belong to a Paladin named Gawain. Unearthed by Nicolas some time during the Old King's War, it was the weapon used to protect the village for years. Following the accident, it became Paul's weapon of choice, and remained so for the entirety of the story. It is nondescript, but has been kept in top condition, and is legendary simply due to the battles it has survived.

**Breastplate:** Unearthed at the same time as the sword, this was worn poorly by Paul at the start of the story. it was replaced once Paul joined the Paladins.

**Paladin Armour:** Paul acquired a suit of white plate when he was apprenticed to Lancelot.

**Lance:** As a paladin, Paul was trained to use a spear, and carried a nondescript lance for mounted combat.

**Griffin Whistle:** Summons Paul's trusty, though somewhat bitey, griffin for when taking to the sky becomes necessary.

**Countless Swords:** With trifling help from Damian, Paul amassed a huge collection of uniquely crafted blades. These are combined with his unparalleled grasp of stonebearer abilities to produce a uniquely pointy offense.

**Chain Sword:** A 30 metre long chain of swords made by Damian, nigh impossible to wield. Used in conjunction with Martyr, it is possible to wield, with truly terrifying consequences.

## Abilities

**Swordplay:** Trained in the sword since childhood, Paul gradually reaches a highly advanced level of skill whilst travelling with the 12 Heroes. His technique is often supplemented by his other abilities and doesn't quite reach the standards of those who specialise in fighting with the sword.

**Lance Proficiency:** Paul is trained to use a lance, both while mounted and while on foot. This is used as an occasional supplement to his swordplay, giving him extra versatility.

**Lore:** Paul is extremely knowledgeable about history, religious practices, legends, and most importantly, tales of heroics. This is to a surprising extent, and he sometimes comes up with things older characters miss!

**Flight:** Paul learned how to fly a griffin while training with the Paladins. He's not bad, but hardly the best. (But that's Paul all over.)

**Pain Tolerance:** Paul's childhood injury puts him in constant pain, such that

**Apex Stonebearer:** Paul has taken the abilities granted to him by his white godstone to their logical conclusions, coming up with fighting styles involving the summoning of many weapons. There may be no limitations to his abilities in this respect.

### Magic

**Magic Lore:** Paul's magical traits give him a very balanced set of superhuman abilities, lacking only those in the sphere of darkness. His acuity is notable. These skills grow gradually over the story.

**Martyr:** A bloodline trait he received from his Paladin mother. This increases his abilities exponentially based on the amount of blood he has lost. One of the most dangerous abilities in the world, to the user and to his foes.

**Light Magic:** Paul has been a competent light mage since his first appearance in the story. He picks up some more tricks as the journey progresses, but this is the only sphere he uses.

**Beam:** Paul's light beam is a long ranged and highly accurate attack, but since Paul prefers to engage in melee combat, it isn't his first choice unless he needs to heal a friend from afar.

**Imbue:** Paul's favourite spell is the light imbue which greatly increases the length of his sword, enabling him to engage foes in melee combat however far away they are.

**Empower:** Paul can do empowers, but he had a bad time once and would rather not.

**Healing:** Paul is very efficient at healing minor wounds and diseases with his magic.