Lance "Lan" Garfield

"I try to live a simple life. Sure, these modern conveniences make day-to-day stuff easy, but it's always so loud and stifling. Folks need to remember how they used to live before all this technology: quietly, simply, and happily."

Lance Garfield, a.k.a. "Lan", is a brawler/tank-class Huntsman-in-training attending Beacon, not yet assigned to a specific team. He wields a spiked chain-flail in combat and tends to trample his foes with his brute strength, bolstered by his sheer size and weight.

Appearance
Lan towers over most kids his age, standing six feet and two inches (6' 2") in height. His weight is primarily muscle, although he tends to put on a few pounds every summer because, as he claims, "it's just too dang hot to do much in this heat". His brown hair naturally bunches into small, stiff clusters and runs several inches down his neck and spine in a comb-like formation; this gives the illusion that his hair is all waist-length, although it's actually quite a bit shorter. His skin is unusually clear and smooth, and the color of his eyes tends to catch and reflect sunlight, making its hue seem lighter than it really is.

Lan tends to wear light-weight clothing, mostly short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts and shorts. Because of his comb of hair, he needs to either wear a specially-designed shirt with a parted back or simply tear open the back of a normal shirt to negotiate. He often complements this look with slip-on sneakers or sandals, although he prefers to go barefoot (and topless, where allowed) in the summertime. When gearing up for combat, Lan clads himself in chain-link armor, plate gauntlets, and a half-helm with protective visor.

Personality
Lan may seem intimidating at first, but he's really quite laid-back in most situations. He's been quoted as claiming that he tries to stay relaxed because "that way, I can let loose with lots of energy if I get into a fight", but that's little more than an excuse. His habits could be considered somewhat shameless or even hedonistic at times, but he's at least conscious enough of the implications to know when to rein himself in. He maintains a different air of calm about him when engaged in combat; rather than detached or careless, he acts more stoic in battle, unfazed by fear or uncertainty, which emphasize his role as a tank.

Human-Faunus Relations
Lan does tend to align more quickly with other Faunus than with humans, but he's not too keen on taking either side. Rather, he tries not to let racism bother him unless it interferes with his work or unless the racist in question refuses to leave well enough alone. He doesn't often react violently in those cases, but his attitude will probably take a turn for the worse.

Personal History
Lan grew up in Vale, raised on stories of the heroics of Huntsmen and Huntresses the world over. His parents, Shawn and Melanie, own and operate a restaurant in Vale named "the Quill and Ink". The two of them used to be pro-Faunus activists, and a few wild rumors once suggested that they had ties to the White Fang, but they have led a very simple life since the birth of their son. These days, most people who know them claim them to be "the most honest, easy-going folks you could ever meet in a place like Vale".

Lan grew up a large and strong child, always a bit taller and heavier than others his age. He used to be targeted by bullies for this reason, among others, but he quickly learned to ignore their harsh words and focus on building a future for himself. He worked at his parents' restaurant for a while in his pre-teen years, bussing tables and handling other simple duties when things got busy. One day, a criminal with a gun made the mistake of trying to hold up the eatery. Lan, who was outside at the time, snuck in and caught the would-be robber by surprise, dispatching him in a short but frantic melee. A Signal instructor happened to be present at the time of the incident; after seeing what he was capable of, the teacher recommended him to the academy, where his journey to the title of Huntsman began.

During his time in Signal, Lan was quick to adopt the role of class clown, often shrugging off his homework to fraternize with his peers or practice playing his bass. This didn't last too long, though, as his parents threatened to stop paying his tuition if he didn't improve his grades. Over time, his performance did pick up somewhat, and after saving up some extra cash, he personally financed the creation of his own weapon, which he crafted to match both his raw strength and his undisciplined fighting style. He eventually graduated from Signal with honors as a heavy-arms fighter and applied to Beacon to continue his training.

Family
Shawn Garfield: father, age 45

Melanie Garfield: mother, age 44, maiden name Paprika

Friends and Allies

 * Garreth du Lor: close friend, age 17. Lan has known Garreth since they attended the same classes at Signal. Garreth is very intelligent but dropped out of Signal after the emergence of a congenital defect rendered him legally blind, preventing him from fighting effectively. He has quite the versatile singing voice and hopes to eventually start up a jazz band; Lan has been quoted as saying that he'd "love to be a part of that act one day".

Rivals and Enemies
None established

Strengths
As previously stated, Lan is very strong and hardy, able to both deal and endure more than his fair share of pain. His thick skin is supported by both his battle armor and a powerful Aura, and his bristly hair could be considered a natural defensive mechanism in the right situation. Lastly, despite not being the most intelligent person on the planet, he's quite creative and has no trouble switching up his combat style in the middle of a bout.

Weaknesses
Lan's greatest vulnerability lies in his poor mobility; he lacks the celerity of most other trainees and needs some momentum to get himself moving at any respectable pace. The reach of his weapon compensates somewhat for his diminished reach, but fast foes can still run rings around him if they're careful. Also worth mentioning is that he doesn't possess much prowess in strategic combat, so he wouldn't fit a leadership role very well in combat.

Weapon of Choice: "Devil on a Leash"
Lan crafted this flail during his time at Signal and continues to use and improve it. The solid-metal head of the weapon is about 20 inches in diameter and, though appearing smooth at first, is dotted with a number of small slots. These slots each conceal a short, stubby spike designed to weaken or outright destroy armor on impact. A fifteen-foot-long string of chain links connects the head to its three-foot-long tether. Lan commonly holds some slack in his free hand to exert greater control at the cost of slightly limiting his attack range, and when not in combat, he can coil the chain around his shoulder like a makeshift sling to carry the Devil more easily. The tether itself is unusually thick and actually requires the use of a protruding handle to be wielded with one hand; this uncommon feature is owed to the scatter gun apparatus housed within, but it also acts as a lever that activates or deactivates said apparatus.

The barrel of the Devil's scatter gun are exposed at the bottom of the tether by operating its handle's lever action. This action also locks the handle into place and reveals a hidden trigger, allowing it to be held and fired like a conventional firearm. An ammo chamber near the top of the tether stores up to six shrapnel-filled shot cups at one time, feeding them into the firing mechanism one after another as they are expended. As with most weapons used by Beacon trainees, Dust serves as the propellant for each shot cup. Pulling the trigger causes the firing mechanism to ignite the Dust in the back of the cup, firing the payload in a wide cone of dispersal. As one might expect, this firearm is only effective at short range, but anything caught in its field of fire will experience a powerful percussive blast, not to mention get riddled with tiny bits of metal that can easily shred soft, weak materials.

Dust
Lan carries a few small vials of powdered Dust with him for special occasions. If his attacks require an extra bit of effect, crushing one of these vials against the head of his flail can give him the elemental edge he needs. His supplies used to be limited, but as a trainee at Beacon, his student discount affords him the opportunity to expand his supplies without emptying his pockets of Lien.

Aura
Lan's Aura glows a vivid blue and radiates a sense of calm when he exhibits it. The protection it provides may not be absolute, him being a first-year, but it's definitely above-average for his level.

Semblance
Lan's Semblance will likely end up being one of the following two options (regulations willing):

Semblance of Thorns
Lan has the ability to spawn grids of spikes from composites of solid matter in his surroundings; this ability comes more easily for flat, smooth surfaces (like a paved road, for example) but can be used on uneven surfaces as well. The spikes do not extend to any great length but can provide an effective deterrence for threat of perforation, making them useful in setting traps. It should be noted that this ability can be used to make his hair-spikes more lethal as well, although the hair also ends up falling out and having to be regrown over the next few days.

Semblance of the Steadfast
This passive ability gives Lan a boost in strength and defense while immobile, essentially turning him into the epitome of the Meat Shield meme. Since he's not very mobile in the first place, this is highly useful when defending a specific location or providing a diversion, and the reach of his flail compensates slightly for being forced to stand still.

Trivia

 * Lance's name (or, more accurately, his nickname "Lan") is derived from "lan" or "lan se", the simplified form of the Chinese term for the color blue.


 * Lan's toughness, his laid-back personality, and the brutal nature of his weapon are all inspired to some degree by tales of the oni of Japanese lore.