Mage Apprentice Errant
Ashen Fell was a student at the Wrosthorne school from a young age. Considered something of a prodigy and coming from an aristocratic background, he was a star student who was afforded every privilege. Unfortunately for Ash, this also came with a goodly measure of entitlement and, in turn, fostered a certain arrogance concerning his own talents.
After a series of incidents with bending or outright breaking rules, culminating with a midnight laboratory explosion from an unauthorized summoning ritual, he was expelled from school. He swore that he would show them, he'd show them all! That is how Ash Fell set out to become an adventurer and discover magic on his own terms.
Background
Lady Fell for Embers in the Fall
Lady Olina Fell is an elven noblewoman of Altur, quite prominent in the city's high society, known for her gift for natural magics and her dedication to the city's farms and orchards. Not only wealthy and powerful, she is an expert treesinger who uses her gifts to ensure bountiful harvests for all the city's farmers. One harvest, she had a torrid affair with the thoroughly Tibbet Embers, a scholarly elf of mild manners and bookish habits. The next season, she had a child, whim she named Ashen for his dark gray hair, just like his father's.
A Classical Education Spirited Away
There was some surprise when, some years later, the child first tapped into magic, and his green eyes flared with gold, runs appeared on his skin, and his hair turned the color of flames. With a powerful wild talent, young Ash was enrolled at the Wrosthorne school. Treated as a gifted prodigy, he received a fine education for several decades, maturing slowly in the way of some elves, and he became rather cocky and overconfident in his own abilities. One night, he tried to conjure up a powerful spirit and, instead, blew up a laboratory. No one was hurt, but the school decided to expel him.
The Greatest Adventure Lies Ahead
Undaunted, Ash set out on his own and became an adventurer. If he couldn't learn magic at school, he'd learn about it in the "real" world, delving into ancient dungeons and uncovering mysterious secrets. Thus far in his travels, he has learned a few things -- most notably how to live the life of an adventurer -- but it has yet to teach him how to master the arts of his own magical powers. Perhaps it yet shall, however, for the adventure continues!
SIGNATURE ABILITY
Ardoris
Ardoris is a volatile gift of conjured, living fire that Ash can shape into a blaze, spark, or inferno. Though it can scorch enemies into ash and shatter defenses, its flames are also steeped in vital energies, carrying the breath of restoration within them; by channeling the same blazing force, Ardoris can cauterize wounds, warm the dying, and summon phoenix-like renewal from even the most serious injuries or ailments. Yet the power is never truly tame: it drinks from Ash's inner energies heavily, and its temperamental nature makes every spell a negotiation with wild ignition. When drawn on too heavily, Ardoris leaves the practitioner hollowed and drained, their vitality scattered like embers in the wake of the fire they could not fully master. At such a point, Ash will be taxed to even retain consciousness. He will be restricted to the most basic, limited physical or magical exertions until he has had extensive time to recuperate.
SKILLS
Alchemy - Competent Level
As a classically trained wizard's apprentice, Ash is a capable alchemist. He won't be brewing up any rare, epic potions without a bit of guidance, but he's very good at brewing up most of the standards, from smoke or fire bombs to healing potions and remedies.
Athletics - Expert Level
Naturally agile and limber, Ash has done little to explicitly develop this skill.
Larceny - Novice Level
Ash has some limited experience in the areas of traditional thief as a pickpocket, burglar, trapfinder, and lockpicker. Some of this comes from formal training, some comes from just being a bit of a scamp.
Magic Lore - Competent Level
Ash is a talented spellcaster and practitioner of the arcane arts. He has yet to develop focused expertise and is still learning.
Medicine - Novice Level
Ash is a capable practitioner of first aid and basic remedies.
Melee Combat - Competent Level
Formally trained, Ash knows how to handle himself well in unarmed combat. He is also reasonably adept at wielding a wizard's staff as a weapon, just as much as a spellcasting implement.
Perception - Competent Level
Very alert and attentive, Ash is fairly good at focused attention to detail.
Rapport - Competent Level
Ash is a charismatic and charming, even capable of guile and deception when needed. He reads others well when making an effort, but he can sometimes neglect to pay sufficient attention.
Riding - Novice Level
Ash is basically a capable rider, though he has limited experience beyond the basics. He is not likely to be doing much trick riding or galloping through the tangled woods.
Scholarship - Expert Level
Ash is a gifted student, highly literate, good with maps, and has a solid theoretical understanding of the world, if limited practical experience in some areas. He is comfortably multi-lingual.
Stealth - Competent Level
Ash is naturally extremely graceful, and he has a fair amount of practical experience with being sneaky, so he's generally capable of moving quietly and staying out of sight.
Survival - Competent Level
Ash is a capable enough to survive in the wilderness for extended periods, especially with access to supplies.
ABILITIES
Innate: Awareness - Enhanced Level
Ash's senses are all of Enhanced level, and he is generally quite alert and usually attentive to his surroundings. He is also well-attuned to magical energies, spells, and enchantments. Sensing magic does not mean understanding it, though; for that, he must also draw on his skills.
Innate: Dexterity - Enhanced Level
As one of elven blood, Ash's natural dexterity and agility are fairly strong. While he has not made refining these natural gifts his top priority, neither has he neglected them. He has built up his innate nimbleness with some skill, making him swift, sure of his footing, and graceful.
Elf Heritage
Ash's elven blood ensures that he does not age past physical maturity, that he is immune to disease, and that he is highly resistant to supernatural forms of darkness and corruption. He enjoys the various benefits of an elven bloodline. Some of the other benefits of this bloodline are listed separately as Innate abilities.
Innate: Mind - Enhanced Level
Born with an exceptionally keen intellect and a naturally strong will, Ash is in many ways a magical prodigy in terms of potential. His current power levels and capabilities are defined by his Skills and other Abilities, but apart from them he learns quickly and is quite adept at problem-solving and creative thinking.
Magic: Spellcasting - Enhanced Level
Ash is a naturally gifted magical practitioner who has spent years as an apprentice training his skill in this area. He has yet to achieve great expertise in any one area, but his education has made him well-rounded in most branches of magic. He can readily cast a wide array of utility, evocation, and defensive spells. With a bit of extra focus or more preparation, he can also cast conjuration, divination, transmutation, illusion, and other varieties of spells. Notably, he has no particular talent for necromancy.
Innate: Vitality - Enhanced Level
Ash is quite vital and his health quite robust due to his elvish heritage, making him more resistant to toxins, harsh conditions, and so forth. He has also built up his stamina through physical activity, so he also has considerable endurance for physical and magical activities.
ADVANTAGES
Equipment
Ash usually carries a reasonable supply of gear, from a finely crafted wizard's staff to an enchanted flying spellbook to various survival and alchemical supplies. He keeps a collection of minor magic trinkets, mainly designed to make the life of a magical adventurer easier and more comfortable. He even has a small "bag of holding," which allows him to carry quite an expansive inventory without taking up much room or being overburdened by heavy weight.
Resources
Ash has a very wealthy family. In particular, his mother is a noblewoman from Altur, and between that and what he's acquired as an adventurer, he can live a modestly comfortable life if he so chooses. As yet, he has not been inclined to settle down and consolidate his resources, but he does always seem to have spending money when he needs it.
Wrosthorne
Ash was formally trained at the Wrosthorne school of magic; however, he was also expelled from it. Given this, he no longer has the access he once did, but he does still have contacts there and could, potentially, reach out to them in times of need.
WEAKNESSES
Cocky
Ash generally means well and tries to be a level-headed, thoughtful person. However, he can be a bit impulsive and rather cocky, which has a tendency to get him into trouble at times. Overestimating his abilities at a summoning ritual, for instance, once got him expelled from Wrosthorne.
Curious
Ash has an active, curious mind and an inclination to want to solve puzzles, explore problems, and learn secrets. He'll open the box he's not supposed to open, explore the dark and clearly cursed ruin, or otherwise march boldly into trouble in the interest of satisfying himself.
Wrosthorne
Ash was a student at the magical academy at Wrosthorne, but after a string of difficulties -- culminating in an unfortunate incident involving a summoning ritual at midnight in one of the school's laboratories -- Ash was expelled. This is a bit of a black mark against his reputation, as well as a personal embarrassment, that forced him into a more adventuresome life.
