I can’t stop thinking about Shane and Ilya and Dungeons and Dragons.
I’m thinking about Half-Elf Fighter!Shane
In my version Elves are a little more uncanny valley, ancient beings who usually stick to their own lands far away from the place where Shane grew up. Shane who’s raised by his human father and elven mother who met David the blacksmith while traveling the world and fell in love with him. Yuna who is very much Not Human with her immortal grace, pointed ears, sharp teeth and eyes that shine at night like a predator.
Half-Elf!Shane who grew up not quite human enough for the town he lived. His ears softly pointed and keen, teeth a little too sharp and unnerving every time he smiles too wide. His eyes still a pretty brown, but he tends to stare with such intense focus it makes whoever he’s looking at feel hunted.
Half-Elf!Shane who makes sure not to smile too wide at people, doesn’t look them in the eye, makes sure not to stand too still for too long. Shane who hides his pointed ears behind a hood or a helmet when he’s fighting. Shane who tries to make his inhumanness disappear.
Pair this with Fighter!Shane, because I think in any world Shane would be the upmost jock he could be. Fighter!Shane (battle master subclass) who learns fighting techniques from his mom. At first maybe it’s something to help him defend himself from the rude children who don’t understand that different doesn’t mean monstrous. Maybe he saw an adventurer get a hero’s welcome as they came back from fighting a monster and starts training as a way to get other people to accept him. Either way, the first time he picks up a practice sword, something clicks and nothing could stop him from becoming the best after that.
I’m thinking of Fighter!Shane with a Battle-master subclass. Shane would throw himself into mastering different weapons, learning about the history of fighting, maybe even attempting to make his own with the help of his dad. Shane spending hours learning precise techniques, not stopping until his form is perfect each time.
Shane who has a tactical mind, who can watch people move and predict where they will strike, who can what style an opponent is fighting in and change his own moves with textbook perfection into something that would easily counter them. Shane who doesn’t fight with flair or dramatics, but quickly forms the most efficient strategy to defeat his opponent.
Adventurer!Shane who after learning all he can, goes out into the world searching for challenges and knowledge. He takes mostly takes up bounty hunting jobs, seeking out skilled yet dangerous criminals, hoping to find someone who can keep up with him, make the victory a hard earned one. That’s not to say he would help out a town being plagued by a monster or two, but he doesn’t revel in killing and there’s no fighting technique learn from a creature who can’t hold a weapon.
He makes a name for himself as an honorable fighter, one of the best out in the world. Whispers follow him when he walks into town. People aren’t wary of him per se, he’s never anything but respectful, but there’s a certain distance people hold him at. His name is known yes, but he isn’t one to share stories of glory at the tavern like most adventurers. He’s quick to help but also quick to leave, never staying in one town long after learning what he can or getting paid for the bounty he hunted down.
…I’m just leaving it here for now, I have so much more and also stuff for Ilya and his D&D class and how they interact but this is long enough for now.
