Andreas Toral

Human

Theme Music:

Character Information

Name: Andreas Toral
Age: Early to mid 30s
True age: 87
Sex: Male
Personality: Andreas Toral is a number of things. He is a kind and loving father, a brilliant smith and inventor, and a daring explorer. He juggles all of these things with being Knight of Mondolin, and running a shop in Mith Silvanus. When asked how he manages such a hectic lifestyle, the question is met with a knowing smile and a simple reply, “Well, what’s the point in stopping?” Despite the frenetic pace of his life, Andreas maintains an easy-going and laid-back attitude, finding warm humour in everything he can and not worrying about things outside his control, though he still strives to expand his own boundaries and those of the world at large. His constant drive to try and achieve the impossible has allowed Andreas to garner a reputation in the Kingdom of Mondolin as one of the best and most outlandish inventors and smiths in the land. Outside of the Kingdom, he is known to the Heanta as a pestilent Human with guts bigger than his brain. The Eldari consider him to be a particularly curious and resourceful Human that could be dangerous, though they are satisfied that he does not desire conflict with anyone. A true statement, as Andreas believes that conflict is simply wasting time destroying when the time could be used to create.

In his heart, Andreas is a dreamer, pure and simple. He has spent most of his days dreaming of all kinds of crazy contraptions to build, even if half of them don’t work. His ideal day is one of two possibilities. Either a day spent in the workshop, building whatever pops into his head; or a day spent out in the field, exploring ruins from ancient times and examining how the folks from that era made things work when technology was less sophisticated. Andreas’ burning curiosity has got him into trouble at times, either from the authorities in Mondolin who think his experiments get out of hand, or the rulers of the lands he trespasses on to explore ruins he finds out about. Despite this, he is not a fool and will not do anything to jeopardize his career or his family.

Therein lies the other main driving force of his life. Andreas loves his family more than life itself. As the father of two children, Andreas has had to learn to mix a little caution in with his normal haphazard lifestyle. This was compounded when he lost his wife, Clara. Clara had passed away while serving the Knights of Mondolin, leaving Andreas to care for their two teenage offspring, daughter Lilian and son Lucas. Andreas spent the early part of their lives trying to teach the two everything he knew, even letting them make their own gizmos in the workshop, though Clara disapproved of the danger. After Clara passed, Andreas was heartbroken, and it is still a sore point to this day. However, he knows that in his kids his wife lives on, and he would do anything to protect.them.

Lilian and Lucas proved to be every bit as resourceful and quick-minded as their father, learning their way around the forge at a rapid pace. Andreas is immensely proud of his children, and though he is a little uncomfortable with Lilian being recruited by the Knights, he understands that his kids are destined to pick their own path, and he supports Lilian like any proud father would. Lucas, for his part, is determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, and Andreas is constantly kept on his toes by his son’s precocious talent and his burgeoning fire abilities. Lucas minds the shop while his father is away, either on Knight business or an expedition, and he takes the responsibility very seriously, something his father is amazed by. However, Lucas has also developed a propensity for sleeping in late, earning the nickname “Kip” from his father.

Andreas is a member of the Knights of Mondolin, forming a major component of their research and development crew. He is grateful for the opportunity to develop technology to help protect his home, but he despises war. This is the main reason why he focuses his brilliant mind on defensive measures, rather than ones that could be used to wage war. Andreas is not naive enough to think that war can be avoided forever, but he laments the cost of such an event, both in resources and life. This viewpoint is especially potent due to the circumstances of his wife’s death. War has cost him something dear to him, and he knows others have felt the same loss.

• Invention: Andreas’ main interest is making things. The process of taking raw resources and making something functional out of them is a thrill he finds irresistible.
  
• Family: The one thing that keeps Andreas going. Lilian and Lucas are the two bright lights in a dark and dangerous world. He will protect them, no matter the cost.
  
• Exploration: Andreas’ love of discovery has led him to all sorts of places across the map. He especially loves exploring old ruins and learning about civilization years ago.
  

• Conflict: While he will not hesitate to use force to defend himself or those he cares about, Andreas laments the prevalence of conflict in the world. Destruction is the opposite of construction, after all.
  
• Ceremony: Andreas is less than enthusiastic when he has to attend functions and conferences. The dress uniform supplied by the Knights of Mondolin is flashy but incredibly impractical. Also his laid-back disposition conflicts with the haughty air if the nobility.
  
• Broccoli: He doesn’t care what you say, it tastes bad.
  

Fears:

• Snakes: Andreas is a fearless explorer... almost. He is terrified of snakes. He hates everything about them, how they move, how they eat, how they look. Horrifying.
  
• Harm to his family: While Andreas hates conflict, he dreads anything happening to his children, or anybody else he cares about. In the event of that happening, he will do all the conflict he needs to.
  
• Open War: While Andreas has somewhat accepted that conflict is unavoidable, he truly fears the day when the conflict escalates to full on wartime. That will be a dark day indeed.
  

Appearance

Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 194 lbs
Appearance: Andreas appears as an unkempt and scruffy man whose youthful appearance and exuberance bely his years. He has a shaggy mess of light brown hair, only kept out of his eyes by the constant presence of his welder’s goggles on his head. He has light brown eyes that possess a warmth to them that convey his genuinely good-natured disposition. His face looks younger than his 87 years would suggest, and he constantly has a friendly but slightly mischievous smile across it when in the workshop or exploring ruins. His face is constantly marked with black marks from a mixture of ash from the forge he runs and oil from the mechanical contraptions he loves to tinker with. He maintains a beard in order to appear dignified and mature, though the rest of his appearance and jovial disposition tend to ruin that.

Clothing: Andreas main outfit when at home or in the workshop consists of a rugged set of blacksmith overalls, modified with extra pouches for tools and gizmos, as well as reinforced to withstand the abuse they take in Andreas’ line of work. When out in the field, Andreas favors the same sort of outfit, but with the addition of a winter coat for colder climates and a backpack full of climbing equipment and tools for examining artifacts. His trademark staple is his red-tinted welder’s goggles, that always sit either over his eyes or pushed up onto his forehead.

Fighting style

General Fighting Tactics: Andreas avoids directly fighting where he can. He will try and evade while he can, using diversionary tactics to try and get out of the situation. When he is forced to fight, either to protect someone or if there is simply no other choice, he will fight ferociously. His form and technique in melee combat is pretty poor, so he relies on his powers and his quick reflexes to try and control the battlefield. Andreas is not a natural tactician, but he possesses a quick mind and an eye for detail, and uses these to try and gain an advantage.

In melee combat, Andreas is clumsy and inexperienced, and the type and weight of his weapon does not help matters. However, if he does manage to connect with a blow, Andreas is capable of inflicting large amounts of damage with his hammer. If possible though, Andreas will try and utilize his repeating crossbow where possible, hoping to end the fight quickly. In the most desperate of times, Andreas will go all out and try and overpower his foe with his powers, using his decent amount of Magical Power.

Heroic Trait: Lightning Reflexes

Combat Stats-

Strength || Average (R-1 Good)
Speed || Fair (R-1 Average)
Agility || Very Good (R-1 Excellent)
Durability || Average
Stamina || Fair
Magical Power || Good (R-1 Very Good)

Strengths:

• Quick Thinking: Andreas lacks the pure tactical mind his peers possess, but he still has an extremely keen mind and an eye for detail, making him a dangerous foes at times.
  
• Skill with Hailstorm: Andreas is the creator of his repeating crossbow, Hailstorm. As such, he is supremely skilled with it, having had to test it meticulously during construction. This skill does not translate to other crossbows, he is just uniquely skill with his own one.
  
• Strong Mind: Andreas possesses a inherent resistance to mind-altering effects. This is not because a particularly strong defence, rather it is due to his mind being cluttered with so much stuff(calculations, ideas, thoughts of his kids, etc.) that it is very hard to get any foothold in it.
  

Weaknesses:

• Inadequate Weapon Training: Andreas has spent his life focused on invention and discovery. To this end, he has very little actual combat training, resulting in inferior skill with any weapon bar Hailstorm. He also lacks tactical nous of other combatants, meaning he is very much reactive in combat rather than proactive.
  
• Weakness to Cold: Years spent in front of a forge have slightly altered Andreas’ temperature thresholds. He is far more susceptible to cold temperatures and cold-based energy attacks than normal, with him taking 25% extra damage from them.
  
• No Hand-to-Hand Skill: Similarly to the first point, Andreas has had no reason or inclination to invest any time in hand-to-hand combat, meaning in a fist fight he is almost always the underdog.
  

Equipment

Primary Equipment I
Name: Castamir
Type: Large Hammer
Description: Castamir is the trusted companion that has served Andreas for many years. The hammer is made entirely from Aurilium to cut down on weight, and is half weapon and half utility tool for exploring ruins and the like. It possesses a couple of tricks in its arsenal, such as the end of the handle doubling as an effective pry-bar when the pommel is removed. Another trick is a hidden grappling hook launcher that uses a spring-loaded mechanism to fire a grappling hook from the top of the hammer’s head. The launcher can fire a hook up to 60ft, with each one attached to 60 ft of Aurilium cable. Once deployed, Andreas can either detach the cable and load another hook, or he can activate the retracting mechanism to wind it back in. He can use this to pull himself up to places, and mainly uses this function to explore ruins and caves.

Enchantments:

Name: Shock Burst Type: Offensive Damage Category: Average Description: Castamir is able to pick up electrical static in the air, and discharge it when needed. This comes in the form of an electrical burst that is triggered by Andreas smashing the hammer off a hard surface. The burst hits anyone within 15 ft radius, and if they are hit they may notice some involuntary twitching in their limbs or extremities for a post, though this is purely subjective. Duration/Cooldown: 3 post cooldown

Primary Equipment II
Name: Hailstorm
Type: Repeating Crossbow
Description: Hailstorm is one of Andreas’ crowning achievements. Repeating crossbows are rare across Asmir, and even the ones that exist generally don’t compare to Andreas’ weapon. Hailstorm uses 5-bolt cartridges that are smaller and less bulky than normal ones. Once fitted, the cartridge itself becomes part of the pump-action loading mechanism. Andreas “pumps” the crossbow which simultaneously resets the string and loads a bolt. The crossbow is also equipped with a sight with adjustable magnification using a pair of movable lenses. The crossbow has an effective range of 300 yards, with Andreas capable of being consistently accurate to half of that distance. His accuracy drops off gradually after that point.

Enchantments:

Name: Storage Enchantment Type: N/A Damage Category: N/A Description: In order to minimize the load he carries when exploring, Andreas had his daughter put an enchantment on Hailstorm that allows him to shrink the weapon to the size of a small screwdriver at will. This can be done any time, and only by Andreas or Lilian. The weight decreases appropriately, and although the weapon can be used at that size, it is completely pointless. The enchantment does not affect the cartridges though, so it must be loaded once restored to its normal size. Duration/Cooldown: None

Secondary Equipment
Name: Andreas’ Overalls
Type: Light Armor
Description: Andreas wears a set of blacksmith overalls. The overalls have been modified by Andreas to increase their durability both in the forge and in the field. The function as light armor to this end.

Goliath: Goliath is a magical construct which was designed by Andreas’ children to help their old man with various small tasks around the workshop. Designed by Lucas and enchanted by Lilian, Andreas has expanded his utility to include tasks out in the field, such as getting into small nooks and reaching places Andreas can’t. Goliath appears as a metal wireframe model of an Eldari jerboa, with the equivalent physical attributes. He lacks the teleportation ability of an actual jerboa, but it shares a telepathic link with Andreas, allowing him to take direct control of him and “see” through Goliath’s eyes. Goliath is a loyal companion to Andreas, always ready to aid his master.

Custom Powers

Name: Marble Trap
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Andreas creates a set of about twenty marble sized balls of metal that scatter across a 5 ft by 5ft area. The balls cannot be used offensively, but they simply serve as a trap that opponents can possibly slip on, and they are not comfortable to land on either. They last for 1 post before vanishing.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Name: Ricochet
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Andreas creates a trio of platform anywhere within a 50 ft radius of him. The platforms are made from spring steel, and are extremely bouncy. Andreas can use them for a variety of purposes, from jumping high to launching attacks from them for at an increased velocity. The platforms last for 2 posts before disintegrating into the ether. These cannot block attacks, disintegrating as soon as an attack hits them.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Name: Repulse
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: None
Description: An attack that delivers no actual damage itself, rather the damage comes from whatever happens to be around the area. Andreas expels a burst of pure force from his body, expanding out to a radius of 10 ft. Anything caught in the blast is violent knocked backwards a couple of feet, and left to the mercy of the environment. The distance knocked back depends on the mass and stance of the individual. Anybody heavier than 400 lbs is only staggered, while less than that is knocked back a foot or two. Less than 300 lbs is a few feet, less than 200 lbs is up to 5 ft, and under 100 lbs is up to 10 ft.
Cooldown: 2 posts

Name: Uncontrollable Speed
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Andreas channels his energy into his muscles, particularly his leg muscles, and greatly increases his Speed. The trade-off is that his muscles go into a state of hyperactivity that he can’t quite control, resulting in an equally severe loss of Agility. The result is his Agility and Speed stats switch. Lasts for a single post.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Name: Rampart
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: None
Description: Andreas forms a metallic barrier attached to his forearm. The barrier takes the form of a tower shield that he can use to block attacks. The shield can absorb a total of Strong damage before shattering.
Cooldown: 5 posts


Appearance: Andreas’ physical appearance is much the same as normal, with the only difference being his eyes glowing a bright red color.


Name: Emergency Gauntlets
Type: Defensive
Damage Category: None
Description: Andreas forms a metallic covering over his hands that extends up to the elbow. The metal is highly condensed, giving it improved durability over normal steel, but not quite to the level of Divinium. The secondary effect of this is that Andreas can actually manipulate the metal while it is in existence, allowing him increased grip strength. This can be utilized in a few ways, such as allowing a more secure grip when climbing, or keeping hold of something or somebody. The gauntlets exist for 3 posts, with a maintenance cost of 2 PP for each post.
Cooldown: 4 posts

Name: Tiny Mk. 1
Type: Support
Description: Andreas summons a metallic construct to aid him in various situations, ranging from combat to simply lifting heavy things. He concentrates and forms a silver circle on the ground in a spot within 10 ft of him.

Summon Name: Tiny Summon Description: Tiny is a construct made of steel and resembles a wireframe model of a humanoid golem, vaguely resembling those that are found in the Kri’Lak Badlands. He is not quite as big as the larger specimens, being 8ft tall and 800lbs, but he packs comparable strength. He does not have a personality of his own per se, but he will do what he is told and he is capable of limited problem-solving. Andreas can issue commands verbally, and Tiny will set about getting the job done. Combat Stats Strength: Excellent Speed: Poor Agility: Poor Durability: Average Number of Summons: 1 Duration: 3 posts Maintenance Cost: 2 power points Cooldown: 2, plus 1 per post of duration.

Name: Dropping the Ball
Type: Offensive
Damage Category: Strong
Description: Andreas creates a ball of solid metal roughly 10 feet in diameter that appears about 15 ft above a target spot. The ball then falls at the speed of a falling ball of metal, dealing severe damage to anyone underneath it. The ball weighs upwards of a ton, and it falls until it hits land and stops, then disappears immediately.
Cooldown: 4 posts

Name: Magical Blacksmith
Element: Metal
Description: Andreas channels energy into his core, and his hands and eyes glow with a silver light. Andreas mainly uses this for walls and other defensive purposes, conjuring the material he needs from the ether. He generally doesn’t like to use this ability offensively, but when forced to he favors blunt attacks, such as spheres or blocks, over piercing or cutting ones.
Effect: The user is skilled in the manipulation of a chosen element. They can manipulate their element in several ways. They can create walls, shoot projectiles and in general use the ability to attack or defend. They can create spikes or pillars, the maximum being 10ft long and 1ft wide, or create walls of their element 5 x 5 ft wide and tall. They can launch small, medium or large projectiles, which travel up to 100ft, 50ft or 25ft respectively, and deal more physical damage for their size.
Duration/Cooldown: 3 post duration with power points reduced by 2 for the duration, 4 post cooldown.

Name: Metallic Chrysalis
Type: Support
Damage Category: None
Description: Andreas creates a layer of metallic lining over his skin. The result is a dramatic increase in toughness, but a severe loss of mobility. This takes the form of a +1 boost to durability and his armor rating goes up by one. However, the trade off is both his Speed and Agility are reduced to Poor for the duration. This can last only for a post.
Cooldown: 3 posts

Boosts: Strength +1, Speed +1, Agility +2, Magical Power +1


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Background

History:
Born Andreas Dunstan Toral, Andreas was the youngest of three children, with a brother and a sister. His parents were not rich, but they had enough wealth that their children did not want for anything. Andreas’ mother, Alyssa, was a baker, while his father, Clint, was a mason. From an early age, Andreas’ elder siblings knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. Their younger brother’s aspirations were less clear. He loved reading about tales of the world beyond their home of Mith Silvanus, the capital city of the Kingdom of Mondolin. He especially loved reading about other realms and how they do things in their lands. This led to a lack of focus as time went on, and when his siblings began their schooling for their eventual professions, Andreas lagged behind, taking things in here and there but never really committing to a particular field. His sister, Isabelle, who was 5 years older than Andreas, had decided to try and become a mason like her father, and she was prodigiously talented at it. Meanwhile, his brother, Xander, who was the eldest of the three and 10 years older than Andreas, had decided to train to become a Knight of Mondolin.

Andreas didn’t know what he wanted to be. He wanted to explore other places, but he also wanted to make things like his father. He began to train in his father’s shop, but he found that he was far more interested in the shop next door where his father purchased his tools and equipment from. Clint’s friend was a blacksmith, and It was around the age of 11 that Andreas began to take a devoted interest in the art of shaping metal. He dreamed of all of the possibilities that he could explore if he had that skill. He asked permission from his father to apprentice in his friend’s shop and he agreed, just happy that his son had found something to focus on and nurture. Xander had excelled in the academy and was making a name for himself, while Isabelle was proving to be an extremely capable mason and was being given more and more responsibility in Clint’s shop. The three siblings were getting a foothold in the world, even from such an early age.

Upon coming of age, Andreas had become a fully-fledged blacksmith. His rapid progress had astonished many, including his own family. When his father’s friend passed away due to ill health, as he had no children of his own, Andreas was left to take over the shop. He lived up to the former owner’s name and then some, mastering his craft and becoming very successful. But still there was something missing. He still kept the books he read in his youth in his bedroom, and still he yearned to explore the world and increase his knowledge. When he made enough money, he hired some apprentices and taught them everything he knew. He then sold the shop to one of his apprentices, and he began to prepare.

Xander had become a full Knight of Mondolin at the age of 22, and had risen up the ranks quickly, so his contact with his family was becoming more limited. Isabelle had begun working as an apprentice mason for the Silver Citadel, the center of power in the Kingdom of Mondolin. Andreas’ siblings had tried to convince him to stay and focus on his smithing career, but his parents knew that his wanderlust had once again taken hold. He left just after his 25th birthday, heading out into the world to see what it had to offer. He travelled to Mith Verdanus first, using the library there to research every location he could possibly visit. He stocked up on supplies and equipment before heading into the Free Lands. He began by exploring abandoned mines and old shrines. He kept a journal of his travels, full of sketches and notes.

Before he knew it, over a year had passed while Andreas was out in the wilds. He had explored much of the Free Lands, and had begun moving further south. He had a couple of scrapes with some of the mercenary guilds that existed in the area. He had paid his fair share of “tariffs” and “travel taxes”, so he had managed to avoid trouble for the most part. The Vultani Jungle was the next hurdle, and though he made decent progress initially, the reason why the region beyond had not been explored soon became clear. Making his way deeper into the forest, Andreas was soon stalked by one of the jungle’s primary predators, a Vultani Basilisk. The creature attacked while he was trying to acquire some water from a small lake. He tried his best to fight it off, but his lack of fighting experience was his downfall, and he was grievously wounded by the creature. He only survived on pure luck, when a Vultani Liger attacked the Basilisk. Andreas surmised that it was a territorial dispute, and he managed to stagger off to safety. He collapsed on the edges of the jungle, where he was picked up by a passing band of Eldross. The Eldross nursed him back healthy enough to make his own way back to Mondolin. He had no money left, so he traded some of his equipment that wasn’t damaged to pay for the rescue and returned to Mith Silvanus.

Upon arriving back in Mith Silvanus, Andreas discovered that things had changed dramatically. His old shop had closed down, having fared poorly after he had left. His father’s shop had also undergone a change. He entered to find Isabelle working there, and his father was nowhere to be seen. His sister explained that their mother’s health had begun to fail not long after Andreas had left, so their father had retired to care for her. But despite the efforts of the physicians of the area, Alyssa had passed away six months prior to Andreas’ return. Not long after his wife’s death, Clint’s own health began to fail, and he could no longer work in the shop. Isabelle left her position in the Silver Citadel to take over the shop full-time, so that they didn’t lose it. Xander had become a Knight-Captain in the Knights of Mondolin, but he had taken temporary leave to help care for his father.

Andreas was crushed when he found all of this out. In exchange for being able to explore, he had forsaken his family. He expected his siblings to scorn him for his neglect, but they were just relieved that he was alright and that he was back now. He healed his niggling injuries he had picked up on his journey, though he still sported a grisly scar on his left arm from his encounter with the Basilisk. After making amends with his father and brother, Andreas set about fixing things. He got back into the smithing game, saving money and eventually buying back his old shop. He then used the profits from his shop to help his sister’s shop, refurbishing the building and updating the tools and equipment, and also hiring help for her. The two businesses saw a period of great success in the years after, their reputations stretching even as far as Mith Verdanus. He took over care of his father, allowing his brother to return to service. He used his accumulated wealth to trade with the Eldari, obtaining some of their advanced medicines to aid Clint’s health. He soon recovered, and he lived happy in retirement, occasionally helping out in his old masonry shop when he wanted to.

Andreas never gave up on his dreams, but he knew he had to learn from the events that had transpired in order to make sure that his dreams didn’t prevent him from helping his family when they needed him to. The next few years were all about Andreas maturing as a person, acquiring some much needed seasoning. Isabelle had been reinstated as a royal mason, and Xander had established a reputation as one of the finest captains the Knights of Mondolin had seen in years. Andreas’ own work was also beginning to attract the attention of the nobility. He received a correspondence from the grand marshal of the Kingdom’s armed forces. He asked for Andreas to become one of the official smiths of the military, and help supply their weapons and armor. Andreas accepted, excited by the prospect of his skill being so highly regarded by such powerful people. However, he now had a decision to make. His workshop was not big enough to sustain such a workload, so he would have to either move to a new location, or expand his own workshop. He didn’t want to move from his shop, but the only place that was suitable to expand in to was his father’s masonry shop. He didn’t want to lose the shop he and siblings grew up in, so he pondered long and hard about it.

Eventually though, his father caught wind of the decision his son faced, and insisted that his son buy the shop. His reasoning was simple. Since the shop was simply being used to expand Andreas’ blacksmith shop, then it would live on through that enterprise. Andreas thanked his father deeply, and Clint simply replied “Thank me by being successful.”. Thus the masonry shop was bought by Andreas and made into an extension of the forge, allowing him to hire more hands and manage the work of supplying the army. The shop still took on business from the rest of the city, and Clint was left in charge of keeping the books in order as well as managing the orders to make sure people were getting what they ordered on time. Though he had initially retired, Clint had become restless in retirement, and now that his health was back in shape he wanted to contribute in some way to his son’s venture.

Andreas was living up to his promise to his father, and his smith business was doing extremely well. He bought a new house for his father, as well as a property in Mith Verdanus for whenever the family was able to take time off together. It was around the age of 40 that Andreas had decided that he wanted to head out and explore again. He had kept his journal from the previous expedition, and he had learned a great deal since then, both professionally and personally. This time he took the time to prepare what he was leaving behind for his departure. Clint took charge of the shop while he was gone, and he prepared with better equipment and a better sense of what he was going to do. He also planned the duration of his trip, so he wasn’t gone for as long a time as before.

Andreas set out on a new journey, this time heading into the South Mondolin Mountains. He had heard rumours from some merchants about a new metal being discovered in the area, and he wanted to check it out for himself. He took with him as much winter supplies as he could realistically carry, and also brought his journal. It took a few weeks, but Andreas finally struck a vein of the metal, named Aurilium by the Eldari, who were the first to find it in their realm of Endaron. It was near enough as tough as steel, but was considerably lighter. It was still fairly uncommon by this stage, so Andreas was aware of the benefit of finding an ore vein to use. It turned out to be an extremely rich vein of ore, so Andreas extracted some of the ore, and then marked the location of the ore vein to come and use later. He also found the ruins of a small building that looked like it was used as a watchpost centuries ago. He made sketches of the ruins in his journal and marked the location of it too, so he could explore it in greater detail later.

Upon arriving home, Andrea immediately got to work on smelting the ore he had acquired into ingots. Before he could test them out though, he received a correspondence from the office of the leader of the Knights of Mondolin, Knight-Commander Marina Kaverra. The letter requested a new suit of armor for the commander, asher last one had been damaged beyond reasonable repair in a recent skirmish. While the order was for a suit of steel armor, Andreas decided that this would be an ideal test of the new metal, so he used up the ingots he had and made a suit of Aurilium plate mail. The process was difficult, as the metal had different properties to the steel ingots he was used to. He brought the suit to the Silver Citadel, where his work was tested by the Knight-Commander herself. She was impressed with the quality, noting that it provided the same level of protection as steel, but she was able to move far more freely due to the reduced weight. Andreas was paid well, but he was also offered an opportunity to join the Knights of Mondolin as a member of the Armory and Tech Corps. The quality of his work had impressed the Knight-Captain of the corps, Loris Rannick, and he wanted to add Andreas to the team.

Andreas decided not to make a decision straight away, but consulted with his family first in their Mth Verdanus getaway home. The decision was unanimous. Xander was overjoyed that his little brother would be joining him in the Knights. Isabelle too was simply happy that they would be working in the same building. Clint was immensely proud of all three of his children, and he was especially proud that his youngest son had found a way to translate his immense talent onto a larger stage. Andreas returned to the Citadel soon after, and accepted the offer on one condition. He would attend all of the meetings and gatherings he was expected to, but he would continue to work out of his shop. This was found to be acceptable, and so Andreas began his next story as a Knight of Mondolin.

It was around the age of 55 that he began to think about family more. Xander had married his partner, a Citadel chef called Marinta, and they were expecting their first child soon. Isabelle had also married, but they hadn’t had the chance to have a child due to her husband being a merchant, and thus being out of town at times. Andreas had not thought too much about that aspect of life, and though he had a few flings here and there when he was younger, he had dismissed that lifestyle as a waste of time. Two events changed his outlook on life quite quickly. One was the birth of his brother’s child, a son named Max. Andreas soon developed an appreciation for children, noting their ability to be taught and shaped in a certain image, while also being able to think and form opinions on their own. Max was energetic and curious, not unlike his uncle Andreas, his grandpa Clint liked to point out.

The other event which changed Andreas’ outlook for good, was meeting Clara Karstone. Andreas was immediately enamored with the lady with the blonde hair who made up part of Xander’s unit of Knights. She walked in one day to pick up a weapon she had requisitioned, and Andreas immediately knew he had to be with her. Xander officially introduced them, though she resisted his advances at first, thinking him a bit too immature and laid-back. However, Andreas’ boyish charm and easygoing charisma meant that he eventually grew on her. That went for a few dates before their relationship became serious. They were polar opposites, but it was possible that this was what made it work. Clara’s discipline and level-headedness added some stability to Andreas’ frenetic lifestyle, while Andreas’ goofiness and spontaneity brought Clara out of her shell and greatly eased the pressures of her job as a Knight.


Andreas was content with his work for the Knights, but he began to envision what crazy things he could do with the resources he now had. He began to draw up plans for contraptions that would truly challenge his skills as a smith. Clara found these inventions amusing, but she was happy that Andreas was enjoying himself. He hired a mining expedition to retrieve more of the Aurilium that he had found before, and his first creation was the weapon that became his signature implement for the expeditions and journeys that he still ventured out on, albeit a little more limited due to his work schedule. A normal person would be massively overwhelmed by the workload Andreas put on himself, but a love of the work he was doing, as well as the love he got from Clara pushed him through.

The new weapon, a hammer he called “Castamir”, was a supremely crafted hammer, but it had two extra uses. First, the end of the handle was used as a pry-bar for opening doors or moving blocks when exploring ruins, while there was also a spring-loaded grappling hook launcher inside the head. The whole hammer was made of Aurilium, except the wood and leather used for the handle, and he made several replacement grappling hooks with Aurilium wire for when he invariably lost some. He also began to explore the realms of upgrading the design of the crossbow used by the Mondolin army. The crossbow was a functional design, with ease of use in mind, but the repeating crossbow was where Andreas’ fascination lay. Repeating crossbows were quite rare, with the number of craftsmen able to correctly assemble the mechanisms necessary quite small indeed. The design used was effective, but Andreas knew he could do better if he put his mind to it. He called the new design “Hailstorm”, and it was immediately superior to the standard repeating crossbows of the time.

Hailstorm was a mechanical marvel, with a much faster rate of fire and no jamming. The cartridge was also smaller and less obtrusive, cutting down on the weight of the weapon overall. The original, and the one Andreas uses currently, was made of Twilight Wood, with the metal components made with the Aurilium left over from the construction of Castamir. He shelved Hailstorm however when a very special occasion arrived.

After being together for 10 years, Andreas and Clara decided to get married. The wedding was held in Mith Verdanus, and was attended by the entire Toral family, as well as Clara’s parents and friends of all parties. Andreas, as expected, smithed the ring for his bride himself, using a Divinium ingot that was colored a white marble color. Andreas was so excited for the wedding that he was still wearing his goggles on his head for the reception. Clint welcomed Clara into the family with open arms, and Andreas was congratulated by Xander and Isabelle, whose families had expanded too. Xander now had a second child, a daughter called Kira, named after the great Eldross hero who had stalled the dragon Onyxus long enough to allow her unit to escape after they had come to the aid of a Human unit during the dragon’s attack. Max was now in the military, and was trying to follow his father in becoming a Knight. Isabelle also now had two twin children, a girl named Olivia and a boy named Tyberius. The Toral family tree was expanding, and Clint found himself under pressure as the grandpa to all of the children. But it was a duty he wouldn’t exchange the world for. It would not be too long before Andreas welcomed his own additions to the family.


Andreas and Clara were not able to spend too much time together after the wedding, with work commitments limiting their free time. Andreas also still left periodically to explore, but Clara didn’t wish to begrudge him fulfilling one of his dreams. Soon though things began to finally fall into place. Clara had been serving in the Knights for around 45 years now, and she was beginning to want a family of her own. To this end, she requested an honorable discharge, which was granted by Xander. In 983, Andreas and Clara welcomed Lilian Alyssa Toral into the world. Lilian was every bit her mother’s daughter, while also inheriting her father’s quick mind and ability to learn new things at an incredible rate. Andreas was immediately consumed with the fatherly love that came with the birth of the first child, and he was excited to see how Lilian would grow and what person she would become. In 988, they then welcomed a son, Lucas. Lucas and Lilian were the lights of his life, and he wasted no time in showing them the world their father had created.

As soon as they could hold a hammer, Andreas brought them into the shop, showing them everything about what he did. They both expressed great interest, though Lucas was the one who would embrace it entirely. Lilian, for her part, became fascinated with the life Clara had left behind, dreaming of becoming a Knight. Both children took great strides towards their goals, with Lucas spending increasing amounts of time in the workshop, while Lilian practiced her swordsmanship with Clara. In their early years, Andreas would read to them from his journal, revisiting the adventures he had in his youth. Lilian found the journal especially fascinating, and she became an avid reader with her mother’s encouragement.

Clara sought a safe alternative to teaching the children smithing from an early age, so she began to show them her gift for enchanting. While she had neglected her gift when she became a Knight, opting to train with the sword instead, Clara still possessed enough natural talent that she could teach the children the basics. Lilian was enthralled at once, and though she still liked to go to her father’s shop a lot, she loved learning from her mother just as much. Lucas, however, was destined to follow his father. He had inherited his father’s natural gift for smithing, and he actually had the potential to surpass him if he kept at it.

As a gift to help her with her journey, Andreas made Lilian a present for her 13th birthday in the form of the latest variant of the Hailstorm repeating crossbow. Unbeknownst to her father, Lilian’s enchanting prowess had come on in leaps and bounds. She asked if she could put an enchantment on the crossbow, named “Oblivion Piercer”, in order to show Andreas how much she had learned. Andreas, suspecting nothing, happily agreed. Soon after, Lilian and Andreas gathered to see her work. Andreas’ gentle pride turned into pure astonishment as Lilian’s enchantment allowed her to empty the entire cartridge in a second. The recoil sent her flying, nearly knocking herself out. Clara walked out just as it happened and scolded Andreas for not being careful enough. He immediately “confiscated” the crossbow, but gave Lilian a sly wink when Clara turned her back. Lilian would later find Andreas trying it out himself, incredibly proud of his daughter’s work. He snuck the crossbow in her belongings when she left for training the next time, though he was unaware that Clara knew what he did, and she shook her head and smiled at her husband’s inner child showing again.

In the year 996, a conflict had begun to boil in the Free Lands. A new race emerged from beyond Vultani Jungle. The new race had been provoked by a force from Oleas, led by Rasmus Talir. The force had made it through the jungle and found the Floating Islands of Edia, and had taken prisoners from several of the villages at the base of them. The dominant race of the region, calling themselves Asentari, had reacted in kind and began attacking villages in the Free Lands. In response, the King of Mondolin decided to prepare to investigate the situation. As a result, Clara received a summons to rejoin the Knights to prepare for any potential conflict. Clara had no desire to leave her family, but the pull of duty was too much, and she set off with her husband’s blessings. It would be the last time they saw each other.

The conflict escalated to the point of a large-scale battle just north of the jungle borders, near the shores of the East Undine River. The battle was relatively short, but it extracted an incredibly heavy toll on both sides before the battle was stopped by forces from nearby Edaria, led by Aline Drexara. Andreas soon received a letter of condolence from the Knights of Mondolin. Clara had been killed on the battlefield. Andreas was crushed by the news. He was consoled by his family and friends as he broke the news to his children. The next few months felt like hell. He felt sad, not just for his own loss but the loss his children were experiencing too. He also felt angry, more angry than at any point in his life. He initially resented the Asentari, but when he read the report of the whole incident, he realized that the Asentari were not to blame. They just defended themselves against a perceived threat, like anyone would. The real culprit was Rasmus Talir and his men, and he was relieved when Talir was executed for his crimes.

Andreas’ resolve would be tested about three months after the death of Clara. He received a visitor to his home in the form of an Asentari named Darius Merciallus. He had a solemn look on his face when he explained the reason for his visit. He was the one who had struck Clara down on the battlefield. Upon finishing his confession, he simply bowed his head, waiting for the backlash. It came in the form of Lilian, who was eavesdropping on the conversation. She burst into the room and began shouting furiously at Darius. All of the emotion of the last few months came flooding out in a torrent of anguish. Darius, for his part, simply kept his head bowed until Lilian sank to her knees, spent and crying. Darius made one final, heartfelt apology, before excusing himself. Andreas stopped him on the way out, and offered a handshake. Darius accepted it, and for that one moment, the Asentari’s calm facade cracked, and Andreas saw nothing but remorse in the man’s eyes. A single tear fell as the man turned and left.

Upon returning to the room where Lilian was, only to be met with a tirade of abuse and anger. “How could you just let him leave?!” was the question that perforated angry cries as Lilian attempted to punch Andreas, only for her body to let her down and she collapsed. Andreas caught her before she hit the floor, and sat her on an armchair. He called Lucas in, who was now eavesdropping at the door. He sat down in front of them both and explained everything. How the conflict with the Asentari started and how it was a Human from Oleas that caused all of it. He explained that he knew the pain Lilian was feeling, he knew it all too well. But ultimately fate dances to the beat of its own drummer sometimes, and they had to accept that Clara was watching them from Novaris, and they would be strong enough to keep going. It was a vow made in the strongest way possible, from father to children.

The next few years gave him time to find the strength to move on with his life. The memory of Clara would be with him forever, but it would no longer weigh him down, instead it would give him strength. For the sake of his children, he could do no less. Lilian was focused more than ever on her training, and Andreas was glad that she too was using her mother’s memory to fuel her. While Lucas was too young to fully grasp what was going on, he did still experience the loss of his mother, something which caused him to grow even closer to his father and the work he did. Andreas constructed an elaborate picture stand, upon which a portrait of Clara stood, made by Andreas’ niece Kira, who had grown to become quite the artist indeed. The portrait stood in Andreas’ shop, so Clara could watch over her family.

In the years that followed, Andreas and his family grew stronger as a unit. When Lucas became a teenager, Andreas would leave him in charge of the shop while he was away, something that drew amusement from the smiths that worked for him. They all recognised the young man’s skill though, and he earned their respect, even at such a young age. Lilian had become a page in the Knights of Mondolin, eventually becoming a full squire. She was the youngest in the family to do so, at the age of 15. In a true sign of changing times, Xander announced his retirement from the Knights, in order to spend more time with his family. His son Max was a full Knight now, while Kira had decided to follow her mother’s footsteps and moved into cooking. Isabelle’s twins had also started forging careers for themselves, with Olivia moving with Isabelle and her husband to Mith Verdanus to pursue her career as an artist, while Tyberius had joined his cousin and uncle in working as a smith in Mith Silvanus. He didn’t quite possess the raw talent of Andreas or Lucas, but he had a peerless work ethic which allowed him to become a very good smith in his own right.

Andreas soon received more ill news. He was informed that his now 16-year-old daughter had been injured in combat and would be relieved of any further duty. Lilian had lost her left arm in the fight, and upon returning sank into a deep depression. Andreas didn’t even know how to approach helping her, so he asked his siblings for help. Isabelle told him to send Lilian to stay with her family in Mith Verdanus for a while, that it might do her some good to get away from the capital. Isabelle also saw something else forming in the mind of Andreas, a desire for revenge on the one who had inflicted such pain on his daughter, and she moved to put a stop to it immediately. Andreas agreed, realizing that Lilian and Lucas were more important to him than revenge, especially if trying to gain that revenge got him killed, which it most likely would have, and Lilian left for the Verdant City. She was gone for a week, and Andreas worried constantly about her. He remembered his own brush with death as he glanced at the grisly scar on his arm from that ill-fated trek into the jungle.

Something changed in his daughter while she was gone, however. When she came back, Lilian had a fire in her belly that Andreas hadn’t seen in a long time, and she set to work on... something, along with her brother. Although he was proud of his daughter for finding something to do and no longer moping around, he was curious to find out what she was doing. He didn’t get time to investigate as he was kept busy by his military commitments. They needed to replace the hardware that was lost in the battle with the Asentari, and the contract took up most of his free time. When Lilian finally revealed what she and Lucas had been working on, Andreas was gobsmacked.

Lilian and Lucas had constructed a new arm to replace the one Lilian had lost. Andreas couldn’t believe his eyes, and he wept tears of joy at the demonstration of his children’s skill. He marveled over it for a few moments before composing himself. As it happened, Lilian was still depressed when she arrived in Mith Verdanus, but she met a member of the Order of the Sun by chance, and they had a talk. Whatever this Kairi had said, it did the trick. Lilian enjoyed the remaining time with her cousin before returning home. Upon returning, she enlisted Lucas to help build her a new arm so she could return to duty as a Knight. Lucas happened to find an old blueprint Andreas had been working on for a metal gauntlet to replace a severed hand, and adapted it to create an arm. Then Lilian had enchanted the arm to respond to her control in the same way a normal arm would. The result was an incredible feat of smithing and enchanting.

Andreas was keen to see what other inventions they could come up with, and was ecstatic when Lilian offered to enchant his two weapons, Castamir and Hailstorm. She asked what he wanted, and she was incredulous when he stated that for Hailstorm he simply wanted to make it small enough to fit in his pocket when not using it. He just stated that “it would be cool.”. She did as she was asked, but mischievously made a slight alteration to the enchantment, that the shrinking and enlargement feature responded not only to his command, but hers as well. She laughed uncontrollably when she saw her father’s face when he was trying to fire the crossbow, only for it to shrink. He tried to fire it again, only for Lilian to enlarge it again, with the stock hitting him in the nose. He wasn’t even mad when he found out, in fact he also thought it was hilarious. As for the hammer, he let her choose, so she enchanted it to be able to strike everything around it with electricity by striking the ground or other hard surface.

Eventually, the Knights of Mondolin returned Lilian to active duty when they were satisfied that her new arm could perform at the same effectiveness as her other arm. Lucas enlisted his sister’s help, in payment for helping with her arm. He created a sword called Thunderbolt, and had Lilian imbue it with a powerful enchantment. Andreas caught them both in the act, but he simply marveled at the talent before him. Lucas began to accompany occasionally his father on his adventures, and they made quite the formidable team, father and son, though Andreas still went on the most dangerous ones alone. Andreas was the proudest father in the land, and all the while, he knew his wife looked down on them all with the same pride in her eye.

Side notes:
Rp example:

In my eye's everything looks to be all here and in hand. A-5 upon secondary approval.

Secundi! Dues Vult! Ave sole!

Moved Servo Companion to pet and replaced it with Tiny Mk 1

Changes approved.