Grace Ashclaw
Senior bracer, B Rank
Grace Ashclaw is one of the most prominent members of the Village of Leeves, as well as a colleague of Kali Thorne. Once an adventurer himself, he now acts as the local representative for the Bracer Guild in Leeves, overseeing completion of missions by adventurers and mercenaries. He has a reputation for being a rational and level-headed leader, as well as a competent fighter in his own right, though he does not go out on missions himself much these days. He appears to hold a deep resentment for the Order of Alabaster Knights, though he does not explain his reasons for it initially.
He assisted the group of adventurers with fighting the young green dragon Valimar, using abilities that the group correctly guessed to be supernatural in origin. However, using them after a prolonged period of disuse put a great strain on his body, putting him out of commission for a day. At the time of the party's departure from Leeves, Grace was still getting over the side-effects of his abilities.
Grace was revealed to be a 'former' member of the secret organization known as the Order of Polarus. At some point prior to returning to Leeves, Grace underwent the ceremony that turned him into a blood hunter, and he was later convinced to, together with Anastasia, perform a variation of that ritual on the recently deceased Midir. Grace's blood was used as a conduit for the ritual, which turned Midir into a blood hunter as well - a fate which, as Grace explained, might not be much better than death. Following the ritual, Grace took Midir aside and explained the basics of the powers that blood hunter possess. He also warned that Midir will need to choose a Keeper. Although unable to speak more on the secrets of Polarus, he gave Midir a reference to follow - a man by the name of Alexandros Nightgard.
The Bracer was last seen saying farewell to his friends as they departed with Vanessa and Stroth to Einhel. He remained in Leeves to assist Alistair in running the village, as well as heading its defenses.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Grace is broad-shouldered and generally fit, with bright red hair he typically brushes to the side and a little over his left eye. He is average height and slightly underweight for a man of his stature, though he makes up for it with the air of authority he carries himself with. He wears casual adventurer clothing, with leather straps across his chest and thighs, which he uses to carry various vials and potions during combat. His right arm is entirely covered with a metal gauntlet. Grace wears an eyepatch over his right eye, with prominent scarring evident underneath it. He also has two long scars running along the right side of his face and neck, starting just below his eyepatch and disappearing into the collar of his shirt. On most days, Grace looks tired, with light bags under his eyes (or the one visible eye, at least).
Special abilities
Grace is a capable and experienced combatant, skilled in hand-to-hand combat using shortswords. He is quick on his feet, but not very strong-built, so he specializes in backline support. He is known to be a good leader, a keen observer, and a level-headed strategist. He counts on blitzkrieg tactics to overwhelm, disorient, and overcome an opponent before they have the chance to counter-attack, ending the battle with the least amount of casualties possible.
Though he is reluctant to use them, Grace's blood hunter experience allows him to create a number of mutagenic concoctions that he can use to draw out the powers in his tainted blood. He typically has a number of such concoctions on hand at all times, carefully hidden as to not arouse suspicion, but he can also make them on the spot using his blood as a catalyst. These concoctions amplify his abilities for a short period of time, but also impose severe side-effects if used carelessly - which is part of the reason he favors ambush, blitzkrieg tactics. Due to the prolonged period of time that he has gone without using his blood hunter abilities, his body currently has a hard time dealing with the side-effects, making the concoctions dangerous to use.
Mental characteristics
Sexuality
Homosexual
Social
Contacts & Relations
Grace grew up with and continues to maintain close connections with Morgan D'Evon, Alistair Hyarms, Stroth Youngflame, and Lerissa Demoneye. He and Lerissa are especially close, with her serving as his Keeper, the person sworn to both keep his secret of being a blood hunter, and to end him should he become one of the things he is meant to hunt. Grace is also familiar with Vanessa Hyarms, mostly through her brother Alistair, but they are close enough to where she knows some parts of his backstory and supports him when her position allows.
As the local representative of the Bracer Guild, Grace has connections with Guild members all over Anduril. He also commands respect among his peers both for his position and for his skill in battle, serving as one of the core members that support the village when leadership is away or otherwise occupied.
It is unknown how much of a relationship Grace maintains with the Order of Polarus, as he states that he is a 'former' member of the organization. He is bound to secrecy about the Order through magical means, however he still has access to his full blood hunter abilities. Though they seem to take a great toll on his body when used (due to lack of recent use of them), he is none-the-less able to teach the basics to young blood hunter initiates.
Family Ties
Grace has a younger sister, Marianne Ashclaw. Unfortunately, it seems like something has happened to Marianne between the time when Kali last saw them and now. Though Grace will not speak on the subject, he has stated that Gael's powers "cannot help her now".
Relationships
History
Grace first met Lerissa during his stay in Testa-Rossa while on a family trip. She was a pickpocket then, and endeavored to try and steal from him, seeing the foreign visitor as an easy target. Then, the ground shook as the balor Barrimor attacked the city. With Grace's parents nowhere in sight, he and the young tiefling that had just tried to rob him were left to fend for themselves. When the smoke cleared and Grace found himself parentless, Lerissa followed, claiming that he had saved her life and thus she owed him. She continued to follow him from that point on, through his initiation into Polarus, through the fights with undead and the painful side-effects of his powers. She became his Keeper, swearing to end his life if he became a monster, and later returned to Leeves with him to settle down into the kind of life she had never known. They remain close to this day.
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Current Location
Species
Date of Birth
15th Krios, 1036 PA
Year of Birth
1036 PA
29 Years old
Birthplace
Leeves, Kingdom of Anduril
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Leeves, Kingdom of Anduril
Gender
Male
Eyes
Green
Hair
Red
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Peach
Height
5'10
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
