Gareth Steelfist

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**Gareth Steelfist** is a member of the *Into the Shadow's Breach* campaign. A boisterous and eager man, Gareth is often the first into the fray, seeking glory in battle. Though stalwart and brave, Gareth nonetheless has devils to fight within as well as without. He is played by LobosJr.

## Description

### Appearance

Gareth is a tall well-built human male with sallow skin. His messy hair is dark brown in color and is kept short. He also has a full beard that he keeps in a precise fashion. Noticeable on his rugged features is a large scar that runs from his right temple to his cheekbone, crossing his right eye. Said eye is also a different color from its left counterpart, being a rusty brown in contrast to a sea green.

Gareth wears a full set of modernized version of plate armour, with alternating plates of black and grey. The grooves in the armor are accented with a light purple, which also features on the various circular bolts holding it together,

### Personality

Gareth is a boisterous and enthusiastic man who is fully committed to his cause. He often leaps before he looks, racing out of the Sentinel's hall to face a Trollblood before even knowing where to go. Gareth also displays an outgoing, friendly attitude to his new teammates, something that rather irks Vanya. He is also prone to immature antics, such as trying to hide like he had seen in a spy movie once or eagerly harassing Mikhail for a drop of Beastblood. However, when danger arises, Gareth is the first to put himself between it and his allies, bravely withstanding any assault without hesitation.

Despite this bravado, Gareth is also rather introspective. He is painfully aware of the human cost of the war for Asmodia, as seen with his solemn reaction to the death of Lord Kinhallow. He digs the man's grave out of respect, and expresses significant sorrow at the prospect of more death. Gareth also seems to have some degree of insecurity, as seen in his supposed envy for his comrades' new weapons. However, this doesn't seem to come from a place of malice, but rather a desire to be able to fulfill any role to best protect and support his allies.

## History

### Background

Gareth Steelfist's history is currently not well known. He was born in Asmodia, though not much more is known than that. His sympathy towards the destitute and reflections upon fighting the Restless infer that he was grew up wandering the Ark, struggling to survive. Gareth also appears to have been martially trained prior to joining the Sentinels. A large scar on the right side of his face, crossing directly over his eye, implies he has seen combat in one way or another,

### Joining the Sentinels

Gareth Steelfist eventually decided to join the ranks of the Sentinels, an organization devoted to protecting Io from the alien and the extraplanar. Gareth's reasons for this choice are yet unknown. Upon enlisting, Gareth travelled to the town of Colkirk in the Southern Gate Breach region of the ruined Ark, where he was to be trained as a Shadowhunter. He then spent the next four years training as an apprentice, learning how to combat the devils that skulked forth from the Shadow's Breach. Upon completing his training, Gareth and four other novices were tasked with hunting down a Gatekeeper, a powerful Shadow that would be found at the edge of Shadow's Breach itself. Only upon completing this mission could Gareth become a Shadowhunter in full and earn his commission.

## Mechanics

### Powers and Abilities

#### Fighter Abilities

* *Fighting Style* (Defense)
* *Second Wind*
* *Action Surge*
* *Extra Attack*
* *Indomitable*
* Battle Master Abilities
	+ *Student of War*
	+ *Combat Superiority*
		- *Bait and Switch*
		- *Distracting Strike*
		- *Pushing Attack*
		- *Trip Attack*
	+ *Know Your Enemy*

#### Spells

* *False Life*
* *Invisibility*
* *See Invisibility*

### Notable Items

* *Bloodied Tattoo* (Attunement)
	+ At half health, when you roll damage, you may choose to let the damage be maximized. You may do this a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest.
* *Cloak of Protection*
* *Rebellion* (+2 Longsword)
	+ You are able to cast the spell *Blight* (DC15) while wielding this weapon 3 times, regaining all uses on a long rest.

## Etymology

"Gareth" is a masculine name of uncertain origin. Its first known appearance was in *Le Morte d'Arthur*, a series of Arthurian legends complied by Thomas Mallory in the 15th century, in which Sir Gareth is featured as one of the knights of the Round Table and the brother of Sir Gawain. The name itself possibly relates to the Welsh names *Gwrhyd* meaning "valour" or *Gwairydd* meaning "hay lord".

"Steelfist" is a combination of the the words "steel" (a strong metal created by alloying iron and carbon) and "fist" (the shape a hand makes to strike or grasp something).

## Trivia

* Gareth's Maneuver Arm bears a striking similarity to the weapon used by Rorn in Arcane Academy. Rorn's weapon, which was gifted to him by his friend H4NS, is also a maul that can be transformed into a sword and shield.