Ezra Hume

Ezra Hume is a half-Elf, half-Elpian man born in Andria. He has had many occupations related to various arts, masonry of houses, military tradition and studying of the arcane. He was an idealist, determined to build the world into a better place, hence he aligned himself with the Elves and Taimez Vetaa against the New Millennial Empire becoming an elven spy, thus meeting with the other members of the Wayward Mercenaries and joining them. He was later found to be working towards stopping Saego's plan by infiltrating the Friends of the West.

Appearance
Ezra has a relatively short stature as a result of his father's human genes, but also slim body with dark blonde hair, clear pale skin and hazel eyes. His hair, although long at the start, is later cut in a soldier-like manner. He seems to have not developed a full-grown beard, regardless of his age, and has a parted pencil moustache and a slight goatee. His attire is always elegant, wearing well-kept cotton waistcoats, shirts and trousers in an urban environment. He has a big leather bag for his possessions and usually carries on his back his magically-powered, portable piano.

Before he gained his Lorica - Aaron - his battle attire consisted of a breastplate, a sheath for his two swords and holster for his two pistols. After acquiring it though, he no longer needs a breastplate as the magical armor is able to completely surround his body in a crystal-like material. The Lorica has two big horns coming from its shoulders, that can extend and latch on to distant areas, serving as a grappling hook. Currently he carries his magically enhanced rapier along with a 9mm pistol concealed in his bag.

Personality
Ezra is an idealist, believing in the inherent beauty of the world and that a person should stay by his principles, no matter how large the cost may be if you continue to do what is right. He is usually driven by the principal that good creates good, combined with his rationality making him always driven to solve problems and help his comrades or foes. Throughout the story he changed sides multiple times, in order to acheive his goal and although a good-natured person, Ezra didn't keep his word on multiple occasions, exhibiting difficulty in dealing with people on a personal level, often coming in clash with them on moral matters. When he was presented with problems out of his reach and the deaths of people he knows, he was prone to breakdowns and guilt. Ezra had a journal with him where he could express his deepest feelings, doubts and regrets and often stayed reserved and focused on his aims at hand.

He shows great care for his friends by often giving them emotional support and help in their endeavours after he is assured that they get to make the right decision and discusses it with them. He is strictly opposed to killing, but imposes violence whenever absolutely necessary in the most knightly and ethical manner or through sword combat. Although he uses magic, he dislikes and refuses to learn magic that directly harms people, but just one that can enhance his or his allies' power in and out of combat. His rigid nature often made him come in conflict with his allies and sometimes blinded him when solving problems at hand. Although a team player his personal issues led him to being reserved and often go after his own path, making him feel alone.

The idealism he owns combined with his stubbornness indicate his strive to generally better the world he lives in He formerly believed that in order to do that, The Earth-Domain of Kadarys should win the war against the Nyarlish and impose a hegemony over the humanoid world. For him the elven morals were much purer in nature, able to stop humanity from the continuous fighting it was engulfed in and stop the violence altogether. In order to achieve his goals he found a use for his acting skills and was recruited as a spy. Although very skilled in completely changing his personality to become almost unidentifiable from what his true self was and being a skilled liar and manipulator he never overstepped his moral boundaries. This led him to fail his assignments given to him by Taimez Vetaa and later the Exorcists. After his career failure in the Domain and the events up until his enlisting in the Elpian army he reached the conclusion there are no good sides in the conflict and that there is no easy solution in order to create a just world.So he instead focused himself only to protect the people he knows and started to bond with them more, moving towards more consideration and brotherhood with his former comrade The Grey Ghost or other people like Yuliko and Jorga.

After his capture by The Friends of the West, his communication with the Wayward Mercenaries ended, but his last message was a plea for hep towards his only contact known by him to be alive - Zaree - by putting all his trust into her, despite the fact she was Ezra's former enemy.

Dancer on the battlefield
With no prior experience of how to handle weapons Ezra had to learn how to fight throughout the story from absolute zero. Due to his physique his weapon of choice was a rapier. His previous experiences as an acrobat and dancer helped him in properly controlling the sword, where his flexibility and speed helped in dealing precise blows. Thus he quickly advanced in fencing. The experience he slowly gained against all kinds of enemies contributed to him understanding the battlefield and gave him the ability to adapt. Ezra tries to use his skills in a manner that wouldn't kill his enemies as he is against violence or let alone murder. This mindset gives an edge to some of his opponents and is possible to endanger his allies.

Elven magical heredity
Due to Ezra's quite novice swordsmanship, he uses magic to aid him in battle and turn the odds in his favour. His Elven genes have him naturally predisposed to develop magical capabilities. Ezra studied to acquire complex spells from almost all types of magical types-empowering him, healing him, creating illusions; charming foes and using transdormations or limitations to the enemy. Due to his lack of interest in spells that directly harm people, he doesn't learn them. Regardless of the fact he studies the arcane for only 4 years, he can cast highly advanced spells which many old wizards can never dream to execute. He mainly uses them in battle like calling for warrior spirits to aid him while executing his blows or giving himself the possibly of swftly striking many enemies through teleportation. Along with this he developed a way to channel these inner magical powers by giving himself luck in his activities despite what fate has determined as an outcome. He mainly uses it in swordfighting like making people miss when they have surely hit, enhance his mobility, give harm to enemies adjacent to the one he strikes despite the fact the blade didn't pass through them or weakening enemy's concentration on the fight, pushing him back.

Aaron
Ezra is in a possesion of a Lorica Lucida-the most powerful type of Lorica armor, which due to it's sentient thought, he named Aaron. The armor when deactivated is compressed to a small amulet Ezra carries on his neck and when activated extends and covers the entire body other than his face. Aaron's expresses his thoughts only in Ezra's head. Its character is stern and gloomy, not very talkative and known to only experience pleasure when Ezra fights and sheds blood while wearing it. Its abilities are entirely focused for the offensive granting little protection, but great speed and mobility to it's owner. It's useful to him as it makes ordinary armor useless to wear, activating immediately when needed. The armor also has the ability to use the two horns coming out of its shoulders to attach to distant places and pull Ezra in the direction, but also pierce enemies and pull them towards him. Its most powerful ability is the considerable echancement of Ezra's speed when fighting. making him swing his sword or aim his gun much faster, so that he can land twice the attacks he normally can. Every time he uses the latter ability much of his spiritual energy gets drained and he needs rest. If overused it may lead to death.

Before the events of the story
Ezra Aaron Hume was born in Andria, one of the major cities of the Elpian state, to a stonemason father (Aaron) and unknown Elven mother of Earth-Domain descent, where he lived his youth in relative wealth. At around the age of 21 he left his home. He hopped between many troupes of actors and circus players, living without a place to stay for 5 years and moving back and forth between the Empire and the Earth-Domain. He was a suspect in conducting espionage for the elves in the Empire, but there was no official investigation on him. In the year of 1225, he started practising sword fighting and his colleague actors noticed he had also developed advanced magical capabilities while travelling with them. After one of his numerous travels to the Earth-Domain he returned with a magical piano, with which he amassed great fame among the human audiences of the Empire. He used his relative fame to write a book reflecting on his numerous journeys and a manual on magical instruments like his'. Ezra also wrote some propaganda pamphlets in the time frame before and after the start of the war between The Empire and The Domain advocating for it, but conducted in a lawful manner. In June 1226, he fled to the elves in Tannavet, where he offered them his services and his loyalty in an exchange for elven citizenship and a position in their army. Before his defection, he already had met Taimez Vetaa, the high priestess of the order of Seiraba, while performing one of his plays, where he grabbed her attention and had the chance to talk to her beforehand about his future alignment to the Domain in around 1225. His first mission was using him as a spy to counter Imperial agents who were tasked with stealing an information crystal from Tannavet. He took the job with great discomfort, due to its sly nature, but decided to do it nevertheless due to his resolve to help the Domain.

Grey Ghost
Ezra met John Doe as an enemy who had to be eliminated in order for his mission, given by Taimez Vetaa, to be succesfully executed. Ezra's lack of resolve to kill, combined with his positive outlook towards people and the favourable circumstances of them being led to partner up determined Ezra's decision to give the Grey Ghost a chance. Thus he helped him to get into Tannavet and even vouched for him and Yuliko in front of Taimez, effectively failing his first mission. Despite Ezra's efforts of trusting John and the chance for them to bond in many joint battles, his ruthlesness and shadiness made Ezra doubtful of his intentions. In the shock of George Jeffrey's death, the witnessing of eldritch horrors beyond his imagination and John's refusal to trust Ezra on a number of issues he thought of importance, he decided to go his own way along with Yuliko who he wanted to effectively help, without the Grey Ghost's bad influence.

As they met again in Mearor, Ezra was able to see that John had grown as a person. After witnessing him actively fighting one of his old friends, that was corrupted by evil, and doing other good deeds Ezra started to trust him more and eventually bonded with him. Thus he was deeply upset when he found out that Angelberth killed him.

Yuliko
Like with The Grey Ghost, he had a rocky start with her. She was a mercenary prone to do very brutal things with no remorse, due to her upbringing. He immediately saw it as his duty to guide her in a way that would give her a sense of hapinness and purpose. After their departure for Andria and them spending months together investigating and working for the elpian military, he became attached to her in a way that he never felt before. Ezra was very disappointed when he found out she followed him in Maeror and wanted to send her back to Elpia or anywhere safe as soon as possible.

Zaree
After meeting her as an enemy, like his other friends, he won her respect by begging his comrades to spare her life after she was beaten in combat. In return for this favour, he asked of her to take care of an imperial soldier they held hostage and keep Ezra in touch of her actions by sending him telepathic messages every other day. Their communication continued for more than two months, during which he started appreciating the messages and looked forward to them. When he was captured by the Friends of the West, he sent her a plea for help, in hope she would find him.

Kaus
Ezra viewed him as somewhat of a father figure and in the start of his journey against Saego Vetaa, Kaus was the only person he could talk with since he was previously affiliated with the Domain - like himself.

Jorga
Ezra met Jorga in Sen-Jari by accident as he was given the hospitality of his parents. Due to his Elven heritage he decided to hide his personality by an alias - an imperial soldier named Tanlys. As he saw the boy full of energy and curiosity of what war is like, he quickly took action by trying to disgust Jorga of himself and make him more inclined to hate war and what it does to people, by acting rude towards him and his family. After Jorga's parents were killed, the boy wanted to join the group and help them in order to take revenge for his loss, but Ezra abruptly insulted him and told him to scram after his request in an effort to save his life. After they met each other once more Ezra, although critical of him and his guardian Vellyt for letting him fight, saw his potential and capabilities and decided that Jorga deserves the freedom to decide his future, even if it means death. Ezra did his best to keep him alive often putting his life on the line in the process.

Adaleth
During Ezra's mission in Maeror, he met Adaleth by coincidence. She looked a bit distrustful after travelling together with a member of the Friends of the West and by telling him her absurd story. During the trip Ezra tried to trust her, because he saw her as similar to him. When she betrayed him and Grey Ghost, he was very disappointed of his own stupidity for doing so, putting guilt on himself for the deaths in the village they visited that went through a Consumption Event, thinking Adaleth caused it.

Seimora
When Ezra was appointed by Taimez to guard the information crystal in Tannavet and his subsequent failure of eliminating the Grey Ghost and Yuliko, bringing them in the city instead, he was approached by Seimora as his superior and publically humiliated by him for failing the mission. Although they started on a bad note Ezra respected Seimora for his devotion and loyalty to Taimez.

Taimez Vetaa
In their first encounter as an actor and audience Ezra had Taimez impressed by his talents and spirit. He found her enigmatic enough to follow her goal in order to fulfill his own one. Due to his suspicion that her intentions were not pure he made the decision to steal the information crystal from her and find out her plans. He thought of her as an enemy, until joining Saego's forces. He worked undercover with the Other Taimez who was nearly identical in behaviour and ideas to the real one, finding her a worthy ally.