Post by Istvan Kovacs on Dec 19, 2012 15:10:23 GMT -5
Istvan Kovacs
“I yearn for the knowledge that the grail can bestow. Just the mere thought of using it to raise mankind up the evolutionary pedestal is enough to make me tremble in excitement.”
“I yearn for the knowledge that the grail can bestow. Just the mere thought of using it to raise mankind up the evolutionary pedestal is enough to make me tremble in excitement.”
NICKNAMES[/color]: // "The Librarian", "Magus-in-theory", "Dear brother" (exclusively used by Olivia Kovacs)
AGE[/color]: // 26
DATE OF BIRTH[/color]: // 15th March
GENDER[/color]: //M
ALIGNMENT[/color]: // Neutral Good
OCCUPATION[/color]: //Magus, Independent researcher, Occasional lecturer at the Clocktower
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Giving Lecture -avvesione.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/steinsgate-06-okabe-okarin.jpg
Research Time -avvesione.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/steinsgate-07-okabe-comedy.jpg
Handing back graded assignments -i.imgur.com/VnP9F.jpg
Bloody hell, what did I do wrong? (usually followed by some sort of explosion) - thecartdriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/vlcsnap-2011-06-29-20h22m57s117-460x258.jpg -
HEIGHT[/color]: //185cm
WEIGHT[/color]: // 72kg
EYE COLOR[/color]: //Black
HAIR COLOR[/color]: //Black
PIERCINGS[/color]: // None
TATTOOS[/color]: //None
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES[/color]: //Old lab coat that he wears to all occasions except those that requires him to deliver a more presentable image.
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- Scholarly
- Istvan’s life of researches had left him with a vast reserve of knowledge in his fields. Random trivia, quotes, and statistics are often incorporated into his everyday speech. Although deemed by many others as an indication of boastfulness, the effect was unintentional and Istvan himself was unaware of it.
- Obfuscating Stupidity
- His brief duration to stay in an unforgiving environment of the Clock Tower had taught Istvan’s to hide his inner thought. When the demanded by the situation, he is capable of pushing back the sarcastic and calculating part back into the recess of his mind and outwardly presenting himself as being obliviously affable.
- Single-minded
- As a true researcher, once Istvan’s interest is focused on particular subject, it’ll become exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to break his concentration without resorting to drastic physical means. More than once did he nearly starved himself while conducting researches before Olivia had to practically drag him away from his working table.
- Somnorexic
- Back when Istvan still held the position of a lecturer at the Clock Tower. The frequent teaching schedule forced him to maximize the efficiency of the meager free time he had left, which he did so by cutting down his sleeping hour. The practice left him fairly used to operating at his utmost with little to no sleep.
- Back when Istvan still held the position of a lecturer at the Clock Tower. The frequent teaching schedule forced him to maximize the efficiency of the meager free time he had left, which he did so by cutting down his sleeping hour. The practice left him fairly used to operating at his utmost with little to no sleep.
- Soft-hearted
- Although not quite as pious as the older generations, Istvan is still fairly influenced by the Kovacs religious inclination. As a member of a longstanding Christian family, he rejects all forms of excessive violence, especially those inflicted upon the innocent bystanders.
- Although not quite as pious as the older generations, Istvan is still fairly influenced by the Kovacs religious inclination. As a member of a longstanding Christian family, he rejects all forms of excessive violence, especially those inflicted upon the innocent bystanders.
- Paranoiac
- A worrywart by nature, Istvan is constantly plagued with countless concerns over trivial things, no matter how unlikely the possibility. Although it slow down his planning process, the extra effort used often ensures that every potential sources of problems, real or imaginary, are taken care of.
LIKES[/color]: //
Efficiency
Pursuit of knowledge
Black Coffee
His relative and caretaker, Olivia
Philosophy
DISLIKES[/color]: //
Deviations from plan
Needless and inefficient costs
Sleeps
Callow close-minded individuals
Needless violence
STRENGTHS[/color]: //
Istvan’s cunning and analytical mind is his greatest asset. He is adept in recognizing the nature of the situation at hand and formulate scheme to counter opponents’ maneuver even during the heat of battles. Years of relentless researches also gives him a keen eye in discerning opponent’s magic and considerable amount of knowledge in all three fields of magic, history, and mythology.
WEAKNESSES[/color]://
The lack of initiative is perhaps the most blatant cost of Istvan’s penchant for concocting elaborate plans. A risk averter by nature, it would be quite possible for him to abandon opportunities which are deemed as excessively risky. His ‘soft’ side also force him to go an extra mile to ensure that bystanders are unharmed as a result of his endeavor.
Much to Olivia’s chagrin, Istvan is totally inept at maintaining his health. Without her to prod him every now then, it is likely that he would become so engrossed in research and neglect the needs for nourishment and sleep altogether.
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MY FAMILY LINE[/color]: //
The origin of the Kovacs family could be traced back to the creation of the Duchy of Hungary in 896, where they were among the prominent families of magi who served the royal court. Although edging on the frontier of Christianity, their presence was welcomed by the pagan Grand Princes who considered their expertise a valuable asset.
Their first decline came with the rise of King Stephan I and establishment the staunchly Christian Kingdom of Hungary. His reign reinvigorated the slumbering effort to Christianized the country and rooting out pagan traditions. Soon afterward, the Kovacs were thrust with two options: baptism or death as heretics.
It was then that Andras, the patriarch of the Kovacs, took a different path from his peers who faded away under heavy persecution. His family willingly embraced Christianity to retain their land and titles within the newly formed kingdom. However, the conversion did prove to be more than effective disguise for them. Their knowledge of magic and catechism merged to direct the Kovacs to a new path of study.
“God and magic are one and the same. It is only through magic that he could be understood!” Declared Izsak, the next patriarch, as the family continued their magi tradition in secret. New generations were trained both as knight and magus within their estates. It was only through close relationship they’d maintained with the subsequent kings and extreme secrecy that the Kovacs could avoid being rooted out.
Although in itself a viable political move for self preservation, the Kovacs soon found themselves without an ally. Their open acceptance of Christianity caused the Magi Association, whose conflict with the church was only escalating, to view them with suspicion. Despite their faith, there was also significant friction between them and the church. The main causes being the Kovacs’s rejection of many Roman Catholic doctrines which they deemed as secular.
This resulting rift broke any of their ties with both organizations and led to a gradual development in their familial style of thaumaturgy. With nowhere else to place their allegiance, they came to more strongly identify themselves as a citizen of the kingdom rather than a magus.
The Kovacs temporarily regained their significance along with pending threat of the Mongol invasion in 1241. Desperate times called for desperate measure. Thus, King Bela IV hesitated for merely a moment before adopting the Kovacs’s magecraft as a valid war strategy with some degree of success. The Mongol invaders were stalled until their eventual retreat one year later and the Kovacs enjoyed a fleeting period of prestige and recognition.
Two hundred years later, faced with the overwhelming force of Sultan Murad II, the Kovacs found themselves drafted into war once again. However, unlike before, this war was the start of their path toward decline. Long wars and skirmishes that lasted from the early1400s to the 1500s left the family drained. Many of their prominent members fell in the battlefield and their wealth dwindled. It was only through series of hasty intra-family marriage that their bloodline could be conserved.
Despite the Hungarian’s best attempt to repel the invaders, the army of Suleiman the Magnificent achieved a decisive victory at the Battle Mohacs, marking the end of the kingdom’s sovereignty with the death of the young King Louis II.
Under the new Ottoman governor, the Kovacs’s prior privileges were all but gone and, already in their weakened state, they simply lost their place in history. Their remaining wealth was locked in a secret vault to keep safe from pillaging hands and the remaining members simply retreated to silent training. Restoring the family to its original glory now seemed like a distant wish. The Kovacs eventually made an effort to reestablish contact with the Magi Association after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the 20th century. However, with their distance and specialization in discriminated style of magic, they were unable to establish any form of influence within the Clock Tower.
That was not to say the Kovacs’s style of magic could be underestimated.
Their specialized form of thaumaturgy, known in the family as “inscription,” allows them to transfer mystical symbol onto solid surface that they touch. Although resembling Western “runic” magic in nature, their particular form utilize a mixture ancient Cyrillic and Arabic to achieve the mystery. Although initially created as a way to keep research record, years of turbulent warfare within Eastern Europe left the Kovacs to adapt their magic for combative purpose. The war also taught them to make the most use out of their magic circuit, leading up to the ability to store 32 prana per circuit. With 16 existing circuit, Istvan possessed a current maximum 512 prana to work with at a time.
MY HISTORY[/color]: //
A prodigy of his family, Istvan showed signs of brilliance even as a child. Concepts that normal magi have difficulty in comprehending could be digested and understood by the young Istvan at an astonishing rate. More than willing to accommodate this gift, the elders of Kovacs subjected him to training from the age of 4.
Istvan found no qualm with his rigorous daily regimen. In fact, the passion for knowledge and the single-minded bullishness he’d shown was so strong that even social relationships was perceived by his young mind as a hindrance to pursuit of knowledge. He lived with books and symbols as his only companion until the arrival of Olivia, a distant relative who were recruited to the main branch due to her innate talent for magic.
While training together, she seemed to be the only one who seemed to be capable of breaching his wall of aloofness and probably the most major source of human interaction he ever had. Her confronting personality resulted in number of verbal clashes and friendly banters that eventually established a sort of mutually respecting relationship between them.
By the age of 14, Istvan was sent off to continue his training at the Association in high hope that he would establish a strong influence within the Clock Tower for the Kovacs. However, the plan quickly ran awry when Istvan showed ineptness in putting all the new knowledge to practice beyond theoretical understanding. Aside from the traditional inscription of the Kovacs, he was incapable of effectively utilizing most of the Western styles magecraft.
This handicap and sole specialization in what seems like runic magic were valid reasons for the accusation of him being a second-rate magus to arise, one that he quickly beaten down after discovering an equivalent of the classroom spell in runic form.
Within five years, Istvan demonstrated an in-depth understanding of most concepts offered as academic courses in the Clock Tower. Although still being ridiculed as a ‘magus-in-theory’ for his lack of ability to make a practical use of the theoretical concepts, there was none who could deny his knack in teaching after he came to replace one of the retired lecturers.
Open-mindedness and an ability to communicate concepts with high abstractions and complexities were his strong suit. The arguably highest rate of success in imparting knowledge of magecraft soon made him a popular character for the students of the Clock Tower, especially the ones from younger families. However, his unorthodox teaching style and blatant disregard of old traditions attracted much disdain from the members of the prominent families, both his peers and superiors. Likewise, he was disgusted by their discriminating attitude and the stubbornness.
Roughly four years later, Istvan reached his breaking point.
“The Clock Tower is no place for a true researcher!” Unable to cope to pressure of having to watch his every step, he declared and promptly left his teaching position.
Now fashion himself as an independent researcher, Istvan turned deaf to the protests of the elders and purchased a modest apartment in the outskirt of London for himself and Olivia, who had enrolled as a student of the Association. Still, the needs to earn their living cost and additional research funds still compelled him to occasionally hold lecture classes within the Clock Tower.
The arrangement turned out to suit him well. With Olivia to look after of his physical well-being and the early retirement to him ample time to continue research, it seemed likely that he would continue this peaceful lifestyle until his final day. However, as a magus, one rarely has the luxury to make that choice.
Three years of researches passed by before a parcel arrived at their doorstep, containing the instruction of the elders and a piece of artifact. With the start of the sixth Holy Grail War, Istvan was to be the chosen representative of the Kovacs family. Having stumbled through a number of texts regarding its existence, he was thrilled to be taking part in the war as one of the Masters, albeit for his own purpose. Disregarding of the expectation that the elders had of him, Istvan had no interest in the age-old wish of the family to restore their honor or to solve the divine mystery.
As a scholar of magic, its declining state was one of his greatest lament. The feeling that the magi were simply dabbling in a dying art was always a great dilemma for him. On one end, he couldn’t deny potentially it holds the power to revolutionize all of mankind, but, in the other, the declining trend of magic make it seems apparent that the research field along with any of his finding was destined to eventually disappear. As such, reinvigorating this dying art had always been the focus of his research and the Holy Grail proved to be just the solution needed.
Although a risk averter by nature, Istvan quickly packed his modest belonging and headed off to war. Even at the prospect of death, the opportunity simply proved to be too valuable to pass by.
MY GOALS[/color]: //To regain all of the knowledge of magic that was lost to mankind, including the ability to utilize divine words, and possibly reversing the trend of declining magic from its rediscovery.
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Notebooks and pen: One of Istvan’s personal quirks is to jot down every sliver of thought deemed to have slightest relevance to his research. Realizing that these moments of inspiration seem to appear at random, he simply decides to carry a notebook with him at all times. Luckily, their inscription magic is an excellent aid to this otherwise time consuming process. Additionally, the blank pages could be use as an improvised projectile when augmented with his spells.
Turkish Kilij (Family heirloom): A curved saber, forged with finest steel and decorated with jewels in its hilt and pommel, commissioned for the Kovacs as a mark of their distinguished service during warfare. Although the blade is passed on as the Kovacs family heirloom, it is not a mystic code and doesn’t possess any magical property.
Blank tapestries: Knowing the weakness of his ‘inscription,’ Istvan always carries a few of these with him to ensure that he will be capable of inscribing even when forced into environment with no tangible surface.
Safehouse: Drawing on their remaining reserves, the elder of the Kovacs discretely purchased a small house in Lucca Vecchia through the use fake names and several realtors. As temporary dwelling, Istvan found the two bedrooms two bathrooms house with a kitchen and spacious living room to be rather excessive. However, its vast underground area was highly welcomed and was soon transformed into his workshop.
RANK[/color]: // 4th
ELEMENT[/color]: // Fire, Earth
EXPERTISE[/color]: //
Boundary Creation: For what talent Istvan lacked in western magic, he seemed to have made up for it with an uncanny gift in the usage of ‘inscription.’ His proficiency in this field is comparable with Imre, the very person to pave the way for inscription to become the Kovacs’s specialized field. Similar to ordinary rune magic, one of its preferred uses is in creating a bounded field by knitting the lines of mystic sigils together surrounding the designated area. Being interrupted during in the middle of his research is one thing that Istvan find to be intolerable. As such, his specialization in rune usages is an excellent complement in creating a magical workshop that minimizes all external disturbances while conducting his research. It was a practice which he generally adopted since his time as a lecturer. Within the Clock Tower, there was a well-known cautionary tale about a group of hapless students who’d entered his research area without permission and were soon treated to some minor explosions as they barge in.
Conceptual Understanding: Even if he is unable to make practical use of most spells to use without somehow translating them into runic form, Istvan has an uncanny knack in reaching an in-depth understanding of all concepts, abstract or physical. For him, reading from an ancient tome and analyzing opposing spells midfight provide an equally good learning opportunity. It is also this expertise that allows him to excel as a lecturer. With the level of understanding he normally reach, simplification of ideas and comparison could be made rather easily to accommodate his students.
Sword Fight: True to their old heritage, the Kovacs are trained in both the way of sword and spell. While Istvan showed clear inclination toward the latter, he couldn’t quite escape the lessons that were enforced upon him. Yet, his reluctance gave poor indication of his gift in the way of blade. Although outclassed in every way by the weakest of Servants, he is more than capable of holding his own against other magi.
MAGIC CIRCUITS[/color]: // 32Prana x 16Circuits = 512Prana total
SPELLS[/color]: //
SPELLS: Years of warring with the Ottomans had molded the Kovacs’s spell arsenal to complements the knights who fought alongside them. Most of their spells are thus either supportive in nature or encompass a wide area of effect to induce fear among the enemies’ rank. The process of inscription quicken the time the time require to prepare for a spell by eliminating the need for verbal chanting.
As a downside, their style of magic requires the magus to be in constant physical contact with the target which they’re inscribing on, although the actual location in which the sigil is inscribed doesn’t necessarily have to be the exact point of contact. As his current level, Istvan is capable of inscribing on the ground 8 meters around him, provided that part of his body remains aground. However, inscribing on the target with magic circuit can prove to be a challenge. Their innate resistance would require him to directly inscribe on the target and only on the area he can touch.
Upon successful inscription, the user can freely choose to either maintain or remove the connection between the symbols and his magic circuit. If the connection is maintained, he can supplement the inscribed magic circle with addition prana to strengthen the spell effect as long as he can still maintain physical connection with it. If the connection is severed, the inscribed symbols will continue to exist as a separate and slowly deteriorating magic circle.
However, within the area that had been claimed as his workshop, it is possible to push the spells to a whole new level of effectiveness. With the area being lined with his sigils, it is possible for Istvan to go beyond his original range limit of 8 meters to encompass the entire workshop. Within his workshop, the deterioration rate of the sigils will also become negligibly small, ensuring that unwelcomed guests will be treated to massive amount of traps.
[Inscription: Védelem] (Earth)
Rank: A
Cost: 10 prana per each layer of runes inscribed (80max), 1prana/minute to maintain each layer (8pr/min max), 10 prana to restore each layer of the armor chipped away from attacks
Range: Self, Ally
Effect: Within the chaos of the battlefield, it is next to impossible to be wary of all the potential threats. Artilleries, ambushes, and flanking enemies provided significant risks to the Kovacs magi, who developed the spell to protect themselves and several prominent commanders during the course of battle. A skilled practitioner is said to be capable of emerging unscathed from cannon fire and Istvan’s affinity for earth elemental takes its effectiveness one step further.
Védelem functions with the mystic symbols that are inscribed on the target. Each line of inscribed text requires half the casting time of single line chanting spell. Upon activation, the each line of the sigil inscribed will forms a layer of defense. A maximum of 8 layers could be reached at a time at the total cost of 80 prana.
Upon contact with hostile force, the prana in each layer with be expelled to neutralize its effect. The amount of prana lost will be equivalent to the magnitude of the attack. Bullets from sidearm might only succeed in chipping the first layer, while a hand grenade might wear down a few. With the current amount of total protection, even high caliber bullets and explosives are of incapable of breaking through its protection. By the same principle, hostile magic will be neutralized upon contact with the shield by an expending an equivalent amount of prana. Only the spells that directly target the user could be neutralized.
As a downside, the armor needs constant effort to be maintained aside from the bare minimum needed to keep its form. The process of restoration would require direct contact with the caster’s source of prana and, thus, is impractical to be doing so for anyone other than the caster in the middle of a fight. Spell of greater magnitude than the prana used in defense can also damage the user, albeit with proportionately less power.
The armor is generally ineffective against direct attack from Servants with rank C or above in their offensive stats, since it is not possible to rebuild the expended layers in time. A servant with rank A in their strength or magic stat can also penetrate all eight layers in one blow.
[Inscription: Robbanás] (Fire)
Rank: D
Cost: 10pr
Range: 50cm explosion radius
Effect: Although many Kovacs were also trained as knights, their divergence to learn the mystic art of ‘inscription’ had left them not quite as physically adept to handle the more well-trained janissaries and the cavalry charge of the sipahis.
Robbanás was their solution the challenges in close combat. For what they lacked in strength, the Kovacs augmented their offensive power with spell instead of blade. Upon activation, the spell will superheat the oxygen around the area in which it had been inscribed to cause a minor explosion. In this form, its power is more or less equivalent to a low rank fire spell, capable of creating 2nd or 3rd degree burn at best and is unlikely to be lethal unless applied directly to vital area such as the throat. The inscription can either be used as trap when laid on the ground or directly on the target’s body given that the caster must be directly in physical contact with the target.
[Inscription: Ördög Kemence] (Fire)
Rank: A
Cost: 90pr for a full-sized magic circle
Range: 2-15 meters radius from the epicenter depending on the size of magic circle drawn
Effect: The more advance form of flame inscription, requiring six lines of text to be arranged in a hexagonal shape and three connecting directly opposite angles. The setting up time is roughly equivalent to a three verses spell. Upon activation, the prana will travel from the rim toward the center of the magic circle, enclosing the target in a firestorm that can potentially raise the surrounding temperature up to 3000 degree Celsius.
Taking its destructive power of its full form into account, its name which could be roughly translated as ‘Devil’s Furnace’ is hardly an exaggeration. The spell was initially prized for their capability in destroying battle formations and for intimidation effect inflicted on horses of the Mongolian nomadic cavalry. Against the Ottoman, it proved to be an asset in disabling their artillery line.
However, its wide range and Istvan’s limited inscription range make it rather difficult to execute Ördög Kemence at its full power without being caught in the blast radius. The intricate structure of the magic circle also made it susceptible to natural deterioration and can only remain functioning for only an hour without the magus to restore the deteriorated portion.
[Inscription: Csapda] (Earth)
Rank: E
Cost: 5 prana per clause inscribed
Range: Single target
Effect: The spell allows an additional line to be added to an existing magic circle to produce more trap-like qualities. Being augmented with csapda will cause the magic circle to become dormant until its activating condition is fulfilled. Possible conditions include impact, footsteps, keywords, and contact with foreign prana source.
Once dormant, these magic circles will cease to exude prana, making ordinary means of detection exceedingly difficult. They can still be detected through specialized spells or mystic codes that can form an in-depth scan of the area, however.
[Inscription: Menekülés]
Rank: B
Cost: 40 prana to inscribe a portal, 40 prana to transport living target, 15 prana to transport an object
Range: Selective target within 1mx1m area of the inscribed symbols
Effect: Although it normally is the defensive side that has the advantage during a siege, being trapped in a fortress is a likely scenario for the entire company of the defenders to be routed when their defense is broken through. To avoid such scenario, the Kovacs intended to develop a spell to transport them out of the surrounding enemy forces. However, the spell itself couldn’t quite be completed during the war itself when Andrew, the lead researcher into the field, fell during the defense Belgrade.
Menekülés was later completed by Istvan during his long years of research. It functions by creating a portal between the inscribed magic circle in which the caster can instantaneously use to transport himself and a few others. Each portal requires a setup time equivalent to single verse spell and cannot be more than 25km apart per an instance of ‘teleportation’. When more than two portals are laid, the user can freely choose his desired exit.
Provided that they have magic circuit, the target can resist the ‘teleportation’ effect by fending off his prana with their own. Only targets that are willing to be enveloped in his prana could be transported through the portal and, thus, its sole usage is as emergency escape. Up to two targets could be transported at a time from either end of the portal. As long as Istvan can sense the energy of the target through the other end of the portal, visual confirmation of the target is not necessary, again provided that they are willing.
PLAYER'S NAME[/color]: //
FACE CLAIM[/color]: //Okabe Rintarou (Steins Gate)
OTHER CHARACTERS[/color]: //
MISC. INFORMATION[/color]: //
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