Overview
Thray "Rune" Walsh is one of the few true Magician in a world of sword skills, super-science, and esper abilities. A sardonic, sassy, smug, smart-mouthed smart-ass psychic spellcaster, Rune is an infuriatingly clever young man well aware that he possesses a width of knowledge about artifacts, enchantments, and arcana far beyond his age. His quick wit and sharp words hide a youth facing down a monumental destiny: the mantle of the ancient and legendary wizard Lutz, from whom all modern Techniques are derived. It is from Lutz's soul that Rune draws his True Magic, from Lutz's spirit that Rune draws his mastery of Techniques, and from Lutz's purpose that he draws his willingness to face down evil in all its forms. Yet Thray is a divided young man, for whom the mantle of Lutz weighs heavily. He knows that there will come a day when Algol will need him to cast off his own identity, to take the memories and knowledge and personality of the ancient Lutz into himself. Despite his dependable nature, this deep-rooted fear of the future has left him divided and temperamental, compounded by a bad habit of vanishing without warning on some other errand or task known only to him. Fiercely private with his true thoughts but all too happy to lash his tongue at those around him, Rune is doing the best he can to enjoy youth while he's able, before the truly overwhelming responsibilities of his life very literally crush his spirit out of existence.
Perks
Reincarnation of Lutz: Rune is Space Merlin 5.0.
Rune's soul is that of the master wizard of Parma, Lutz. He is the fifth to bear this duty in the fight against evil over a thousand years. As such, Rune possesses a powerful and dense soul, giving him strong resistance to spiritual corruption or possession. Additionally, Rune can generally grasp the basics of new forms of magic without much trouble, though this does not necessarily imply that he can cast them - only that he can understand the underlying principles much quicker than most people. Rune may also simply understand, know, or remember things about various wizardly artifacts, magical puzzles, mystical locations, or arcane creatures thanks to the compilation of wizard souls that he bears. In effect, Rune can be used by a GM to deliver hints and plot drops. Rune has no control over this himself.
Excellent Esper: Rune is a space wizard who can cast various spells.
Only the Espers, the hidden inheritors of Lutz's wisdom, are able to use True Magic in the Algol System. At present, Rune knows only one spell - FLAELI, a blast of four bolts of fire that strike a single target.
Technique Talent: Rune knows a more limited and scientific form of pseudo-magic.
As the original Lutz created the Technique system of scientific magic that any Parmanian can use, Rune is naturally talented with these pseudo-magical abilities as well. At present, Rune knows only one Technique - HEWN, an attack that buffets a small area with a tornado.
Creative Combiner: Rune can combine spells with other people's attacks.
The one trick of Rune's that belongs solely to Rune and not to Lutz is his ingenuity. Rune is extremely good at using his spells and Techniques in creative ways in conjunction with other people's attacks and weapons. For example, Rune can use his FLAELI when somebody swings their sword to give their sword a trailing lash of fire, or cast his HEWN into an ally's fireball to create a tornado of flame. Effectively, Rune can use his attack spells to buff other people's attacks instead of attacking directly.
Complications
Don't Call Me Thray: Rune has identity issues.
Thray has severe issues about his own identity, thanks to his existence as the fifth reincarnation of Lutz. He heavily dislikes his own name, preferring to go by 'Rune' in all cases; Thray, he sees, is the name of Lutz's successor, while Rune is the name he picked for himself. Calling Rune by the name of Thray (or Lutz) is a pretty sure way to make him angry - doing it repeatedly is a sure way to get him to lash out without thinking.
Smug Sorceror: Rune is kind of a jerk.
Rune is kind of a jerk. He's not exactly prickly, but he is extremely smug, and kind of a know-it-all. He has little patience for people he views as less intelligent than he is. This can drive him to act impatiently or foolishly if he believes he knows better than others, which can easily put him in danger. It also drives him to try and deal with problems on his own, even when he's clearly outmatched - his pride won't allow him to admit he can't.
JRPG Spellcaster Constitution: Rune is kind of a weakling.
Rune cannot wear armor more complex than a robe and circlet, cannot wear helmets, and cannot use many weapons with any real effect. Rune swinging a sword is about as effective as a rank amateur with weak arms; Rune using a shield might save his life, but even a moderately powerful blow can knock him around with little trouble. Physical opponents usually have an advantage against Rune, and Rune will never succeed at physical challenges and action threads.
Soul Of Light: Rune's soul is pure and just, and that's a pain.
Rune's soul, that of the four prior reincarnations of Lutz, is a powerful force of good. This means that Rune, while not necessarily forced to act like a saint, generally HAS to put himself in harm's way where spiritual, literal forces of evil exist, even if it's to his detriment or danger, or puts friends or loved ones in danger, too. This isn't so much a magical compulsion as it is his own nature - a nature he struggles to fight, for both self-preservation and personal identity. Rune will always target obviously powerful magical or spiritual evils first and will pick fights with powerful magical or spiritual evils even if they are far beyond his ability to deal with.
Unpleasantly Mysterious: Rune never tells people where he's going.
Rune doesn't often talk about his plans, schemes, or goals. It's relatively easy to isolate him when he goes off on his own, which he does frequently and without telling his allies, just by waiting. Rune is extremely vulnerable to ambushes or traps constructed specifically to capture him.
World: Phantasy Star IV: Decade of Dissonance-1