Forrest Waldstein

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest Waldstein

Name: Forrest Waldstein
Alias: N/A
Gender: Male
Nationality: Vale
Race: Human
Age: 18
Sexuality: Straight
Past Education: Homeschooled by his mother Hazel first and then educated/trained by Silvanus, his great-grandfather.
Current Endeavor: Graduate Beacon.

Appearance:

Height: 5’10” (178 cm)

Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)

Body Type: Forrest stands at an average height and has a slim physique. Though lacking in muscle mass, Forrest’s body is lean and toned, though the way he dresses tends to hide his toned body.

Eyes: Forrest has grassy green eyes that are soft and inviting, like puppy’s eyes. Unlike the rest of his features which have matured over the years, his eyes still appear big and somewhat childish.

Hair: Forrest has brown hair that he styles in a neat side part. The cowlick at the crown of his head stands up despite his best efforts. Forrest’s hair naturally photobleaches after prolonged sun exposure.

Skin: Forrest is fair skinned, but he does not burn easily in the sun. In fact, prolonged sun exposure can give Forrest a nice tan.

Distinguishing marks: Forrest has a scar on his right shoulder blade that he got after surviving a Razorwing attack in his youth. The scars from the Razorwing’s talons measure about 6 inches (15 cm) long, slightly arching down his shoulder blade.

Clothing: Forrest gravitates towards earthy colors, such as greens and browns. Forrest avoids dressing ostentatiously, and opts for a practical, rustic style of clothing.

Personality:

Temperament: Forrest is an introvert at heart, and needs his alone time after a long day of socialization. However, he can be talkative when he needs to be and gets along well with most people. When meeting someone for the first time, Forrest can appear to be polite, reserved and shy, and Forrest is slow to warm up to people. Acquaintances find it hard to keep him talking, whereas his best friends can’t get him to shut up. Forrest has a passionate determination hiding beneath his calm and collected demeanor. He is also adept at reading people like a book, easily sensing motives and emotions from those around him. Forrest is modest and usually displays a self-deprecating sense of humor, but around those who he is comfortable with, he also has a fondness for gallows humor. Forrest is prone to sudden mood swings at times, though he usually tries to keep it under wraps whenever possible. Additionally, Forrest possesses a fiery temper that he tries to hide even more than his mood swings.The state of his self-esteem is also less-than-stellar, which usually makes Forrest appear meek and timid at times.

Moral/Ethical Beliefs: Forrest tries his best to be a paragon of virtue and compassion. Forrest fights for what is right not because a higher authority told him to, but because he actively wants to do good and make the world a better place. Although he believes a legal system can benefit a society, he will take a stand against it should it begin to infringe upon people’s inalienable rights and freedoms.

Hobbies: Forrest has been an avid reader since he first learned how to read. Though he’d be happy to pick up any book, he has a penchant for science fiction and fantasy books. He also enjoys reading romance books, which he is more reluctant to share. Also, Forrest enjoys spending his time taking walks through nature. Walking through areas of natural greenery reminds him of home. Recently, Forrest has picked up gardening which he seems to have a knack for.

Likes:
- Animals: It’s no secret that Forrest enjoys the company of some fuzzy friends. Many times in his childhood, he has attempted to tame and care for wild animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, owls, and other woodland animals. Oftentimes, Forrest will drop whatever he is doing to nurse a wounded animal back to health.
- Nature: Forrest loves nature, sometimes to a fault. In particular, Forrest is (almost humorously) partial to forests which remind him of home.
- Authenticity: Forrest tries to be as genuine as possible, and likes it when others follow suit. He values authentic relationships with other people where mutual support is present.
- Writing: Forrest has tried his hand at writing many times throughout his life. He finds the process of writing down a deep, meaningful story to be very cathartic. Though he is reluctant to share his more personal stories, professors are often impressed at Forrest’s writing abilities for class assignments.

Dislikes:
- Animal abuse: Forrest vehemently despises those who would willingly bring harm to animals. His genuine compassion for nature means he will protect it and the animals who live in it with his life. Hurting animals with malicious intent is the quickest way to anger Forrest.
- Manipulation: Forrest finds the very idea of manipulating another person to be abhorrent. Manipulation goes against his values of honesty and integrity, and wants nothing to do with manipulative people.
- Unnecessary Violence: Forrest will try his best to avoid conflict, and cannot abide by wanton violence when a more peaceful approach can be taken. Only as a last resort or in self defense would Forrest be prone to violence.

Fears: Forrest’s fears are primarily associated with abandonment and rejection. As a result of the tragic events in his childhood and adolescence, Forrest developed poor self-esteem and a desire to be unconditionally loved. It’s a struggle to meet new people since he fears being rejected and disliked by others, but he needs a good support system that won’t leave him behind.

Strengths:
- Tenacity: Forrest’s tenacity in combat surprises everyone time and time again, whether he is maintaining an offensive or defensive position. He will not relent until the enemy is destroyed and his friends are safe. Outside of combat, Forrest will not stop easily when he puts his mind to something.
- Insightful: Forrest has a knack for reading people and situations. More often than not, his intuition is usually correct. People find it difficult to lie to Forrest’s face and get away with it.
- Clever: Forrest picks up new ideas and concepts faster than the average person. When paired with his knack for reading people, he can accurately assess certain aspects about a person and how to exploit them, though he will avoid doing this for selfish reasons.
- Compassionate: Those who know Forrest well would know that he would risk life and limb to ensure the safety of everyone he cares about. Time after time, Forrest always lends a helping hand to whoever needs it. Forrest will help anyone in need even if no reward for his work is promised.
- Open-minded: Forrest possesses an unprejudiced view of the world around him because he can view things without any bias. Forrest will always consider the opinions or ideas of other people before making any decisions.

Weaknesses:
- Self-Confidence: Forrest's somewhat troubled upbringing has given him a fatalistic view on things. Forrest has a tendency to stay in his comfort zone and isn’t willing to take risks. He often worries about what other people think of him and does his best to give himself a good reputation among his peers. Socially, this means that Forrest is reluctant to flirt with girls because he fears rejection.
- Tenacity: Forrest’s tenacity can also be a weakness for him. Forrest doesn’t pay attention to his physical limitations in combat situations and can end up getting seriously injured. He also needs to serve a cause greater than himself in order to tap into his tenacity.
- Reluctance to Open Up: Forrest is so keen on helping those around him that he will not open up about his own problems. He does this because he does not want to burden them with any more problems than what they may already have.
- Perfectionistic: Forrest can be a perfectionist at times, wanting to give others only the very best that he can offer. As a result, he can place unrealistic expectations upon himself that will leave him burned out and exhausted.

Hopes and desires: Forrest’s greatest desires would be to find love, get married and have a family. Becoming a Huntsman may make this difficult, but Forrest yearns to fill an empty void that was severely lacking from his childhood.

Occupation: Beacon Student

Semblance Name: Sylvan Anthem

Semblance Description: Sylvan Anthem is able to enhance life within its area, it is most notably used to call forth plants. The plants and trees grown via this Semblance seem to deter Grimm. Forrest has shown that he is able to grow wooden objects such as a shield, manipulate the terrain, and create defensive structures. Forrest can call plants up to 100 feet (30 meters) away, although they take longer to manifest the further away they go from him.

However, the plants and trees grown this way are equally susceptible to fire as normal plants and trees would be and seem to be equally durable. Plants created by Sylvan Anthem last a short amount of time under normal circumstances before they begin to wither away, unless Forrest gradually expends his Aura to extend the duration. Naturally, larger and more complex plants require more effort and Aura to grow and maintain.

Also, Sylvan Anthem dramatically loses effectiveness in extremely hot and cold climates such as deserts and tundras where plants struggle to grow. Additionally, a side effect of Sylvan Anthem's life enhancement causes Forrest to possess an increased lifespan, similar to his great grandfather Silvanus. The specifics of the increased lifespan remain mostly unknown. However, Silvanus is around 120 years of age yet maintains the appearance of a man roughly half as old as his actual age. Additionally, his mental faculties have yet to be hindered from aging so far.

Aura Color: Forrest’s aura is green, much like the color of his eyes. Although careful inspection reveals a subtle hint of gold outlining the predominantly green aura.

Gear:

Weapon: Grashalm is a shortsword that transforms into a repeater rifle. Its sword form has a green blade with golden filigree on both sides of the blade. There is a red gemstone embedded at the base of the blade, which can be replaced with various Dust crystals to provide various effects. The hilt appears to be wooden and also has a golden cross guard and pommel. When Grashalm transforms into the repeater rifle, it maintains its green color and the golden filigree appears on the barrel.

Other Gear:
- A locket with the Waldstein family crest engraved into it (the inside contains pictures of Rowan and Hazel Waldstein, his late parents)
- Bandages for wounds
- Medicinal herbs used to heal wounds or cure sicknesses or poisons
- A medical guidebook containing information on how to treat wounds, cure sicknesses, etc.
- A wilderness survival guidebook containing information on the various flora and fauna of Remnant as well as survival techniques to use in the wild
- A few books simply there for a good read
- Flint and steel
- Various seeds, used to help in the growth of plants via Sylvan Anthem

Events and History:

Backstory: Forrest Waldstein was born in Oakhearth, a remote village in the forests of Vale. His father, Rowan, was a renowned Huntsman, but tragically died on a mission before his son was born. As a result, this left Forrest’s mother, Hazel, to raise Forrest by herself. However, a degenerative disease developed in Hazel, rendering her physically weak and vulnerable. At the age of five, Forrest had to be taken into the care of the Patriarch of the Waldstein family, Silvanus, since Hazel had become bedridden due to her degenerative disease.

Silvanus was just over a century old at this point, but had the appearance of a middle aged man. His increased longevity seems to be an inherent side effect of his Semblance. Because of this, Silvanus fought in the last years of the Great War, which shaped him into a man who believed that strength was the most important aspect of a person. He would have no great grandchild of his remain a weakling. Silvanus told Forrest, “You will become a Huntsman, like your father before you.”

Many grueling years of training passed, with Silvanus taking up the mantle of teaching Forrest. He believed it was the best way to train the boy, since he was too prideful to send him to a combat school. However, Silvanus grew frustrated with his adolescent pupil, as he had yet to develop a Semblance. The training exercises became harsher and more strenuous as Silvanus’s frustrations grew. This sparked a heated argument one day between the two. Nasty, stinging words were spat at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until a servant stepped in with an urgent message…

Hazel was dying.

Both of them rushed to her with reckless abandon. They found Hazel, withered and frail. It hurt them both to see her in such a state. Hazel called over Forrest. They spoke for hours about anything and everything before she drew her last breath. Forrest was absolutely devastated at the loss of his mother. The sudden eruption of emotions awakened his Semblance, as a massive tree exploded into existence, surrounding the building they were in. Everyone was unharmed, but Forrest collapsed and passed out.

A couple days passed since the incident before Forrest woke up. Silvanus was by his side when he awakened. He spoke to Forrest, “I’m sorry… I was too harsh on you. I think it would be best if… you were trained at Beacon Academy.” Silvanus had to force the words of that last sentence out by swallowing his pride, for the wellbeing of his family superseded his pride and strength. Forrest agreed, some distance between them would be necessary. For now, at least…

Thoughts about Other Characters:

Castor Achromos: “Castor was the first friend I made here at Beacon. Although he’s a bit rough around the edges, he seems like a genuinely good person at heart. We had a bit of a situation one night that I had to bail us out of. I really care for the guy, but he’s definitely hiding something. I get the sense that hanging around him may lead to more danger in the future, but I’m in too deep to back out of this now, it wouldn’t be fair to Castor. I hope he understands that I only want the best for him.”

Serenity Sandstalker: “I met Sera in the library one day. She caught me reading a romance novel, which I was kinda embarrassed about. Fortunately, she didn’t make fun of me for it. In fact, she’s been really sweet and supportive of me, and we bonded over our shared interest in books. In all honesty… I might be crushing on her a little bit… It’s difficult to get the right words out in front of her, and I feel my heart racing when I’m around her. I think I made a mistake opening up to her though. What does she think of me now? I’ve been too scared and nervous to find out…”

Nova Starr: “Nova seems pretty cool. We met on the rooftops one night with Castor. She seems like a really fascinating person. I feel like we can definitely bond over stargazing, or somehow end up eating dinner in the city by pure chance. I gotta respect her confidence in herself though, it makes me wish I was like that. I hope she can put up with my inevitable awkwardness and mood swings… Maybe I earned some brownie points that one time I caught her from falling off a bridge…”

Citrine Locke: “I didn’t expect to get blasted in the face with spray paint the first time I met Citrine. She almost ruined my one good outfit! But I digress, she’s kind of a badass. I still need to know how her bike is able to practically defy gravity. Maybe we’ll get another chance to hang out.”

Professor W.B. Copperfield: “Seeing Professor Copperfield outside of class was a unique experience. His office is definitely in need of a deep cleaning, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s quite knowledgeable about Dust, which makes sense given his position on Beacon’s staff. I was honestly shocked to find out that he had met my great-grandfather roughly a decade ago. It didn’t surprise me that he disagreed with my great-grandfather on some fundamentals, Professor Copperfield does give off ‘cool uncle’ vibes. Anyway, I’m glad he took time out of his day to give me a more practical lesson on Dust. It makes me look forward to attending his class.”

Midnight White: “I briefly met Midnight during a ‘hazing’ with Castor. She certainly knows how to defuse a situation, props to her for that. I didn’t get to see more of her after that explosion. In fact, I haven’t seen her around Beacon for a while. I hope she’s okay…”

Bastion Sandstone: “I kinda expected to meet some new faces during the Tournament, and Bastion was one of them. What a guy! He certainly had me on the ropes for a minute. Not only that, but he was a good sport after the whole thing. I’m definitely looking forward to spending more time with him. For a guy that lived in the desert for most of his life, it was kinda funny that he got lost on a beach. I'm definitely looking forward to the next time we hang out.”

Kailyn Keison: "Kailyn is definitely the unpredictable type, not to say that it's a bad thing. Especially when paired with her intellect, she makes for quite the interesting person. Maybe a little too smart, she knows exactly what to say to get under my skin sometimes. Regardless, she's a good friend, and is going to accompany me on the trip to Oakhearth."

Al Ciendra: "Okay, hear me out. I should not have won against Al in the tournament. I sincerely believe that was a fluke, an extraordinary stroke of luck on my part. Anyway, there's an old adage that says that fire does more than just destroy, it also helps to spread life. To a degree, I can see that within Al. She's very lively and bubbly, I hope she's recovering well after the tournament..."

Ela Motley: "Ela is quite the nice person, and a good manager with people and activities. She kinda gives off chill big sister vibes. Ela was also kind enough to join on the Oakhearth expedition, though I can't help but think to myself why she's so altruistic. I hope it's just in her nature to do so."

Ethan Sagol: "I met Ethan on the beach, but seemed to be a rather unassuming person. He does have some nice tattoos though. I'll have to see if I can get to know more about him later."

Asterion Khryseos: "If you don't like Aster, something is fundamentally wrong with you. It's impossible to not like the gentle, friendly giant he is. Not to mention his strength can be useful in the right situations. I'd really like to spend some more time with him."

Vlithra Qing Long: "Vlithra is quite intimidating... I feel nervous around her. I'm tongue tied, and I get butterflies in my stomach... Okay, fine, I admit it. She's really attractive, just don't tell anyone, okay? I still can't get over how I literally choked on my drink when I saw her, I'm such a dork... Though the way she looks at me is... predacious. Does she do that to everyone?... Oh, and I'm gonna be fighting her in the finals round of the tournament... help..."

Pericles Herotodus Ozymandias: "Pericles is definitely a nice and interesting, albeit bombastic guy. He's like a man out of time from old Mistral. It helps that we can bond over history, which I think is pretty cool. He was even nice enough to help me on the Oakhearth expedition, though I could probably assume his reasoning. Nevertheless, he seems like someone I'd want to keep at my side should the... manure hit the air circulation device."

Chain Dupp: (WIP)