Isobel Shaw Buchanan

Isobel
Information
Affiliation	Arcanum Investigation Team, 57th Lords Battalion, Clan Buchanan
Known Associates	Kord Von Einzberg, Gwendoline Harding, Leon Elias Malachi
Title	Lieutennant
Alias	Isobel Shaw, Isobel Buchanan, Shaw Buchanan, Belle Shaw
Familiar
Type	Corvus corax/Northern Raven
Name	George
Magic & Affinity
Offensive and defensive magics; Alchemy
Played By	Amanda

Isobel Shaw Buchanan is a former battlemage on Earth-1834 assigned to the Arcanum investigation. She was injured four years ago, and lost her sight. Isobel's primary skills lie in the spells she learned during her training to be a battlemage. Her secondary skill set involves alchemy.

Personality and Appearance

Isobel has always been a happy child with an odd sense of humour. Even while she was recovering from her accident, tried to keep her attitude the same. Even now, she will make self-depreciating jokes about herself, and makes puns about her sight on purpose.

She inherited her family's reddish brown hair, and blue eyes. Before her blindness, she kept her hair long, priding herself in the elaborate hairstyles she could twist her hair into. Shortly after the accident, she cut her hair above her ears and has kept her hair like that ever since. With the band of scars across her eyes, she's also foregone wearing any makeup.

While she is comfortable with her scars, Isobel knows that not everyone around her will be, so she tends to wear either dark glasses or goggles that will hide her eyes and a majority of the scars or she will wear hoods that will obscure the upper part of her face. She has also adapted her wardrobe so that the clothing is simple and utilitarian. Since she strives to be as independent as possible, Isobel does not want to have to deal with elaborately designed clothing. The colours she wears also tend to run towards dark and neutral colours, so she doesn't have to worry about whether things match or not.

Family History

Isobel's branch of the Clan Buchanan was of middling importance. She is the third child of five, and the second daughter.

Many members of Clan Buchanan have been members in the battle magus corps.

Life and Career

Pre Injury

Growing up with three other brothers, and countless other cousins, she ended up becoming more adept with with magics that were traditionally affiliated with the male members of her family. Isobel was scouted at a young age to be recruited into the battle magus corps when she was old enough. Her family, though, was initially against it. She excelled at her studies, coming in first in all of her classes, earning her the right to unequivocally choose her continued studies herself, without having to go through the family rites. The family rites involve a secret series of tests going back generations, administered by the heads of Clan Buchanan.

Isobel excelled in the corps academy. She graduated in the top 2% of her class, earning her a commission with the 57th Lords Battalion. She fought. She killed. She defended.

Then, in a training accident with a group of students from the academy, she went blind.

Injury

Isobel doesn't remember much from the accident, or the following few days. All she knows about what happened was told to her after. She attempted to keep her spirits up, but did have times when she was in a foul mood.

Post Injury

She worked with trainers to learn braille, and was gifted with a raven familiar whom she named George. She learned to work with George to become more independent and to use his sight as her own.

Awards and Accolades

Once she had recovered from her injury, Isobel was presented the Blue Star medal, awarded to those who made a grand sacrifice in the line of duty.

Skillset and Casting Methods

Isobel uses her staff for the most of her casting when it comes to any of her battle spells. Her style when using her staff is very similar to bōjutsu. This also allows her to defend from physical attacks, as well as magical ones. For her alchemy spells, she usually needs to be in physical contact with the item, but doesn't necessarily have to verbalize the spells.

Most Battle Mages use non-verbal casting methods,instead using repeated patterns of movement. This is a strategic choice, and allows her to surprise her opponent(s) to some extent. She does, however, occasionally verbalize her casting, usually limited to simple spells and when she is unable to use her hands and/or staff.

The Investigation of Imminent Threat

Invitations sent by Heinrich Stratton were answered by Isobel, Gwendoline Harding, Kord Von Einzberg, and Leon Elias Malachi. After a brief test of their skill and ability, Heinrich explained that they were hand-selected by the Arcanum to investigate a threat detected within the Nexus. The Nexus forms a crucial axis point between other worlds and a threat detected within it has the potential to spread across the entire Multiverse. To that end, their group was selected to investigate and report back.

Departing from Zbraslav Chateau in the Czech Republic by way of Zeppelin, the group travelled to Warsaw, Poland for their entry into the Nexus.