Greetings,
As always, I am Xermillion Glass, and I have another accursed soul to talk about today.
Today, we will be talking about Leir Kel'berren, a knight by any other name from the distant Golden Blossoms.
I've never visited the Golden Blossoms myself, but it is said to be a beautiful land, filled with more species of flowering plants than the rest of the world combined. Leir spins the same tale, calling the Iron Kingdoms, Goldwrath, and Xerenia cold, dull, lifeless places.
Leir's family, the Kel'berrens, have been unlanded knights, Viirävkairar, Flower's Shields, for as long as he can remember. I've no records from Golden Blossoms, but unlanded knights seem to be the same here as they are there - barely better than sellswords.
Leir was born into the work, so he mastered his weapon of choice from an early age - his shield is far too large for him, though you would never know that, watching him fight.
He has told me that his first death was brutal - slow, bloody, maliciously done. He keeps the details to himself, but it is clear that it changed the young knight. His second, third, and fourth were much cleaner. It seems that he has died more than any other here, making his way across the Balmel Ocean, and all the subsequent landmasses and waterways that lead him here. I believe that he is the relative that has travelled the farthest to land here in Riilavkava.
Main
Leir's primary way to fight is to slam his shield, and his whole body, into anything in his path. This seems to embolden him, whenever he does, granting him some extra defense, whichever is most lacking, in return.
From the shroomery, he can learn to: knock those struck back, cause a delayed explosion of mana (not his own, as he is a null), or return both armor and shield values when striking a foe.
Secondary
He is also capable of charging at his foes, striking them hard with his shield and covering vast distances in the process.
From the monkey, he can learn to: knock those struck into the air, launch himself further and with more fury, or launch himself anew every time that he collides with an enemy.
Dodge
One of the queerer abilities he has is to shield himself entirely from harm, raising his guard, but not keeping himself from attacking.
The shroomery can teach him to: increase the number of blocked strikes, sure up his defenses when he blocks a strike, or to cause a mana explosion around himself when he blocks a strike.
Ultimate
He is also like to slam his shield to the ground, returning his defenses to him quickly.
From the monkey, he can learn to: harm enemies near him as he regains his footing, increase the amount by which his defenses are returned, or greatly reduce the time between slamming his shield.
And that, my dear readers, is our resident hummingbird, Leir. He boasts much more than one would expect from a man who has died half a hundred times, but he always seems genuine.
Another enigma, as far as my blood goes, however. He himself doesn't have any idea either. Most likely, it passed from some sailor to a lady in red and ended up in the Kel'berren that way.
Next week, we will be talking of Rowan Black, an Iron Sentinel from some tribe or another near the north of the Iron Sands - he's none too keen to talk about himself, but I recognize his sigil - the blazing bonfire of house Stoir. We'll get into all that next week, but he is one of the less fortunate of us, if I do say so myself.
Until next time,
Xermillion Glass