Axel Hagen
From Storing Don
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[edit] Vital Statistics
Name:Axel Hagen
Nation: Ainor
Rank: Colaen
Age: 33
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 162 lbs.
[edit] Appearance
Among the church, Axel is what is known as an unknown. Most priests, when they first see him, jump in shock, and a few have even tried to banish him, thinking him a demon. He has shoulder length red hair that he keeps mostly back in a somewhat ponytail and burnished golden eyes. He has numerous piercings in his left ear and one in his right, and even a few tattoos, mostly on his chest, but one on his face, just under his left eye. His loose-fitting pants are made up of black, white, and blue material, and he is usually seen without a shirt. At his neck, he wears a tight necklace made of beads of varying shades of blues. His lithe, muscular body has been known to drive women wild, and, in fact, Axel has become known as a bit of a womanizer.
[edit] Biography
The son of a violent rape, Axel has endured no end of prejudice from his adopted people, the Ainori, for his heritage. His mother was an Illyrian woman living on the borders. He never knew his father, but he learned from his mother that she had been raped by a corrupt Ainori soldier that had been "separated" from his troop. After the rape occurred, Axel's mother's husband, enraged, engaged the soldier in a fight that ended in both of their deaths.
When he was 12, the territory they lived in changed hands, making them official citizens of Ainor, despite the fact that they were still despised. Numerous raids were made by angry people, razing the simple farm the two lived on multiple times. These raids continued on for years, until, when Axel was 15, one final raid resulted in his mother's death.
With nothing left to anchor him in the farm and more Ainori on the way to finish the job, Axel fled, taking with him some provisions, various changes of clothes, and a short sword that his mother had taken off the body of the dead soldier. Since then, he lived most of his life on the road, traveling from city to city, town to town, foraging for what he needed and stealing what he could not find. Everyday, he would stop, and practice his sword fighting for hours, starting out with simple and clumsy swings and gradually becoming more skillful.
When he was 16, he spotted a unique item at a fair in a small town. It was a sword without a bladed edge. Admiring it, he ran his thumb up the side and found it to be chipped and dented from numerous blows taken. Immediately surmising its use, he knew one thing. He had to have it. As he tried to make off with it, the owner of the shop saw him leaving the store and immediately gave chase. After a long time of running, Axel nearly collapsed in an alleyway, exhausted. When confronted by the shop owner, Axel refused to give up the dull sword. The owner pulled out a knife and began to assault Axel with it. Axel just barely managed to fend off the attack, sustaining multiple injuries; some near fatal, though Axel killed the man attacking him. After crawling his way out of the alley with his prize, he fainted from blood loss.
The next time he came into consciousness, it was to find a strange boy around his own age looking over him intently. When his eyes opened, the boy shouted out "Mother! Mother! He's awake!" and ran off to fetch who Axel could only assume was the mother. As it turned out, the small family had found Axel collapsed in the street and had carried him home and nursed him back to consciousness. Though still weak, Axel could talk, and he spent many a night talking with the boy, whose name was Ehren. After the two year recovery, Ehren's mother invited Axel to live with her and Ehren. Axel accepted, glad for the chance to get off the street. However, after three years, the mother died of an illness Axel had never seen before. With one less person to help pay the already high expenses, both Ehren and Axel had to find better paying jobs. Both found something they were suited to, Ehren entering into the military branch of the Church, and Axel finding an underground arena where gladiator type fights took place. He immediately joined, eager for a chance to put his unique style of swordsmanship into play, having been developing it since he was 12 and incorporating the blunt sword in it for the past three years, using it for defensive maneuvers, and the shorter, sharper sword to deliver the sometimes fatal blows that won his matches.
The two men, who had become close as brothers, lived that way for quite sometime, until one night, the word slipped out to the townsfolk that Axel was of Illyrian origins. In their rage, they attacked the two, burning down the house. With nothing else left to do, the two ventured off, wandering until they find the next thing worth doing.
After wandering for a few months, Axel discovered another ring of underground fighters and immediately signed up to fight. He breezed through the first few matches of a simple tournament, earning a somewhat paltry sum in prize money. Unsatisfied, he pushed onward into the higher tiers of the tourney, facing older and stronger men with more experience. Just barely holding his own, he managed to make it to the third rank before he fought a man who wielded a weapon even odder than Axel's own dull blade.
He introduced himself as Seint, though at the time, Axel didn't really care. He immediately delved into the fight, and managed to land a few decent blows, none of which seemed to affect the man. The fight ended in defeat for Axel, and third place in the contest. Discouraged, he turned to go back to Ehren so they could leave. However, he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Turning, Axel saw Seint, the man who had defeated him and eventually wound up winning the tournament. Seint asked Axel about his unique sword technique, and when he learned that Axel had developed it entirely himself, inquired as to whether Axel would be interested in joining a group Seint was the leader of. Axel agreed, swearing that one day, he would be stronger than Seint was, and when that day came, a rematch would be called for. Seint simply laughed and said he looked forward to that day.
Axel quickly gained acceptance into the group, which was lacking in sword users. Many were interested in learning his style of fighting, but few had the necessary finesse it required. Through his combination of charm, panache, and skill, Axel quickly rose through the ranks till he became second in command.
Throughout many years, Axel continued to train, both himself, and others. He never lost sight of his goal of defeating Seint, and continued to get better and better, while Seint spent most of his time training the younger members and the newer Bolens. Eventually, Axel deemed himself ready, and, with all the support of his best friend Ehren, challenged Seint to one last showdown.
Seint accepted, and their battle commenced. For half an hour, they fought, and both warriors were nearing exhaustion, when finally, Axel, who was both younger and faster, managed to land a blow that would have been fatal, had not the man held back to save his friend's life. With a smile, Seint merely swayed on his exhausted feet, and said but one thing before leaving the Syndicate forever. "Well done, kid," where the last words Axel heard from his friend before Seint walked off into the distance, leaving the Syndicate in the younger man's care.
A year passed, and the Syndicate prospered under Axel's care and guidance. He continued to train, usually with his like-brother Ehren, until eventually, Ehren took sick with the same disease that had killed his mother. After a few months of doctoring and care, Ehren died of the disease, taking away the only family Axel had left. Axel, devastated by the loss, buried himself in his work as the leader of the Syndicate.
[edit] Combat Statistics
Rogue Lvl. 15
Weapon Levels: Swords S
Weapons:
Sword A: Short Sword + Steel (1) + Fatal Curve (3) + Double Fuller (1) + Perfect Balance (1) + Armorslayer (1) + Thin Blade (1) + Pomel Blade {9}
Sword B: Handsword + Mithril (2) + Double Fuller (1) + Enhancing (Defense) (3) + Perfect Balance (1) + Thin Blade (1) + Flamberge {9}
(Both these weapons are going to change)
Note: Sword B is the defensive sword.
[edit] Attack Styles
Sobek Strike:
Axel quickly lunges forward with his offensive sword in an attempt to stab his opponent in a vital place. Once contact is made, a brutal twist of the sword often tears off chunks of skin, muscles, and ligaments
Talons of Horus:
Several lunges, stabs, and slashes are made with the offensive sword, aiming for vital spots and going straight for the kill.
Trickery of Osiris:
Axel often feigns fatal injury, tricking his opponents into a false sense of security, at which point Axel lunges out with a quick slash.
Bastet Rakes Her Claws:
Two furious swipes with the offensive sword are made, combining both Axel's power and his speed into a duet of bloody attacks.
Horns of Khnum:
A quick jab with the hilt of the offensive sword is followed by a powerful punch from Axel's muscular arm.
[edit] Defensive Styles
Agility of Anuket:
Much like a gazelle, Axel will leap away quite nimbly from attacks, planting his defensive sword and pushing off with it to gain moment.
Amon's Whilrwind:
In a pinch, Axel will twirl the defensive sword around rapidly, deflecting most, if not all attacks delivered during the spin.
Jackal in the Desert:
Much like a jackal, Axel's sheer will to survive has carried him through most of life. In a tough situation, he relies on the strategy to do whatever it takes to win, no matter how dirty it may seem in an honorable fight.
Khonsu's Crescent:
Most attacks can be deflected using a simple swing that takes the shape of a crescent moon. Axel takes advantage of the simple physics behind such a concept.
Thoth's Blessing:
Axel has sharp eyes and a quick mind. By observing his opponent's movements, he can often anticipate what they are going to do and move to oppose that, either with a block or a dodge
