Solven Sprockethooves [READY]

[Harv0kz]

"Why would I need to cast my own bolts of magic, when I can make something that does it for me?" ~Solven Sprockethooves, arguing to a magic-focused Unicorn whilst in Canterlot studying.

Name: Solven Sprockethooves

Gender: Male

Age: Late Young Stallion Years

Species: Unicorn

Eye colour: Crimson Red

Character colour: Rusty brown

Mane/Tail/Other: Metallic Grey matte for both Mane and Tail. A few not-so-visible scars from explosions while experimenting. Both Tail and Mane are kept in a rough, messy and short fashion that portrays a certain lack of attention to caring for them.

Physique: Average height and build for a Unicorn, although has a slightly longer horn (no more than ~1-2cm, usually unnoticeable). Possesses a better reaction and agility than most Unicorns of his build, as well as eagle eyes.

Residence: Prefers to say he "wanders around Equestria", but actually has a residence in Canterlot that includes a basement and ground-level workshop where he works his trade as a mechanic and a general third-party entrepreneur engineer.

Occupation: Arcane Mechanic/Technomagic inventor/Whichever term you prefer that specifies a pony who uses Magic and Machines together to further his ambitions. Also works his trade as a mechanic and a general third-party entrepreneur engineer.

Cutie Mark: 8-teeth gear cog with a small hole in the middle. Give a ~2cm gap between the edge of the gear (not counting wheel) and the beginning of an indent into the circle up until where the hole is. Cutie Mark represents his master-like level of mechanical engineering as well as an desire to invent and innovate to discover and create. He gained this as he discovered through many experimentations and reading up ancient texts (and long sleepless nights) that he could channel his magic in a specific way, into a specific composition of material, and that object would become a storage device that holds magic until it needs to be released, though unstable, it did cause his Cutie Mark to appear

Unique Traits: Has an equal knowledge and practical mastery of magic and mechanics when applied with each other (though the level of knowledge is equal, so his creations tend to not be fully mechanical/magical, rather a complex hybrid). When he was a child he was considered a genius, 'gifted', due to his unusually high understanding of magic and machines from a young age, as well as being able to grasp concepts easily, and adapt them for his purpose. Also has a keen and sharp eye, which he puts to use when shooting his Maglock.

History: Although he had known Canterlot as his home from young, make no mistake. Solven Sprockethooves was not pampered by rich parents, nor did he live life with whatever he desired. No, he lived in the lower rungs of Canterlot, the traders, merchants, and businessponies who called the less glamorous part of home. He was brought up by two parents, who both managed a general store for other ponies, making a living amongst the other competitors. It was expected from the start the Solven was to join his parents, and continue his parent's business when they were too old to manage the shop. But this was not the case with Solven. He detested working, selling, and being a merchant, finding it boorish and dull. Instead, he spent his time with whatever books he had, learning, reading, discovering. Some might say that he was closer to his school books than to his friends, who saw him as the "go-to" pony for help in science and mathematics.

Although his parents tried to set him on a condemned path with no freedom and a eternity of work, he knew that his mind was being wasted on such things. He would come back from school with library books numbering in fives and tens, reading them all somehow within a few nights, despite his workload. He discovered how many things working in tandem and begin to salvage scrap that he could use to invent and explore. Of course, his parents disapproved of these activities but nonetheless Solven disregarded their warnings, and kept on going. He would be left up on sleepless nights with endless fun, only to face the unwanted work in the morning. And the more he did it, the more he understood, curiosity being the fuel for the fire of creation.

Eventually, Solven was given permission to go to public libraries (his parents didn't like this development either, but he was showing progress despite the lack of personal motivation). He spent most of his free time outside of house now, reading books that others of his age wouldn't even understand. And during one day, he accidentally wandered into a restricted section of the library, getting lost while searching for a book. Not wanting to waste and opportunity, he went exploring inside the dust shelves, some untouched for years, but most are tomes so ancient, that Solven wondered if anything was still usable and applicable to today's context. He then stumbled onto a special book, titled "Applications of Arkanomechanics". He didn't know then, nor does he know now, but something about that book sparked a flame inside him.

And when he snuck out with the book, his entire night was spent reading on something that seemed so... weird, so, mysterious. The texts described a crystal that could store magical energies. And when forced, discharge those energies. His mind was set on proving it true. But finding a crystal as described in the book was hard for him, plus his magic wasn't strong enough to manipulate materials at a molecular level. So he went shopping. And after days of hunting the markets, he saw something that enticed him. It probably wasn't pure crystal, but it looked like one, shone like one, and when he touched it, felt like one. He bought it with whatever allowance he had, and ran back home. And after summoning his magic in the way described by the book, he managed, with great effort and energy, to pour magic into the crystal. And it glowed. And his Cutie mark appeared as he stared at the dancing lights inside the crystal. Before it exploded, or more accurately, imploded.

After that night, he knew his destiny. Working endless nights while still keeping up with real-life duties, Solven slowly refined his work. He made the crystals more stable, the magics more focused, and when he was old and powerful enough to, he manipulated basic elements of a crystal structure, resulting in different effects to the crystals. Several explosions and some scars were the drawbacks of his experiments, but that didn't keep him down. Eventually, his supremacy in his local school brought enough attention to him that he was sponsored for University. To which he gladly went to showcase his work and study more. To the much dismay of his parents trying to force him out though. It became annoying to the point where Solven decided to cut contact with them.

His work, however, was unappreciated. Scientists though that, even with the proof, the concept would never catch on, that it was foolish, inefficient, and couldn't stand to be anything more than a experimental night-light. Dismayed, his efforts were now to focus on applications for the device. Yet to no avail were the scientists convinced. And after must frustration and a little more research and money gathering here and there, Solven also left University before he graduated. In order to support himself, he lent his skills and talent to others, as a third-party engineer and a mechanic, fixing other's gear. He also knows that there is much left to pursue, and even technology to uncover, so he plays a part-time explorer, seeking archaeotech.

Character Summary: Solven's life has been marked with defiance. Going against his parents by pursuing different interest, Going against school because it was too simple for him and boring, and Going against higher-education because they were too thick-headed to consider an technological revolution. Going against the current Equestrian technology is now his greatest goal. To ignite the spark of revolution, and to bring forth a new era where machines and magic co-exist alongside each other, augmenting each other.

But that's just the long-term goal. For now, he focuses on recovering lost texts and technologies, adding to his personal collection of research and notes. He tends to be very "hands-on" in his work, going around ruins in which he suspects contain the knowledge he seeks. At time though, he is mainly in the library doing research through ancient texts. Some have called him zealously crazy, and others who believe him call him a revolutionist. But he rejects those terms. He just really wants to revolutionize the way Equestria sees it's magic and machinery, hoping that it will improve lives.

As for his Personality, Solven tends to appear erratic and organized in his work. His living space is a mess, his work is a mess, etc. But to those who know him, he is likely more dedicated in his work than anypony else. He tends to spend day and night solving the most complex of issues without break, as if fighting a never-ending battle. But he never sees it as that, but rather as a adventure, to explore the intricacies of the science he chooses. Because of scrutiny, he tends to think less of his pony friends than his artificial constructs, and also as a consequence, is usually Socially cautious and reserved. But when forced out of that normal attitude, he can be quite talkative and rapid in speech. He tends to have a logical structure to speech, and much less understanding of implied definitions and proverbs.

On the downside, this makes him much less sociable, even less so when others are trying to pry him out about the stuff he carries. He tends to avoid crowds, gathering places, and impromptu social events, citing various excuses. He places emphasis on his work, and his hubris extends from the power he believes to be the only one to harness. He tends to be cocky and hot-headed, sometimes obsessive when he is on exploration. Though he has enough logic remaining in his head to prevent himself from getting killed.

In a fight, he is often seen far from the front, using his Maglock to take down foes. Although he uses lethal-energy crystals in wilderness areas and uncivilized zones, and especially near areas where bandits roam, he usually switches to non-lethal magic when in crowded zones. As much as he'd like to silence the hoard of many, he simply can't. They did nothing wrong to him, and logically, he should do nothing to them. "Leave them alone and they'll ignore you." is what he says. An it works too.

Addendum:

- Crystals that Solven use are powered on a similar concept to the Crystal Heart, with two exceptions: Solven directly applies magic and doesn't use natural crystalline structures. The crystal itself is artificial, and to anyone without Solven's knowledge, it's nothing more than a night-light. Interfaced with a device capable of tapping into that power, and the magic inside discharges in a said fashion. (Or TLDR, Very crude magic-battery). However, it is volatile and limited in charge. The crystals can only be charged once, and it takes time to make them. He has also made many non-combat inventions with these crystals (but then it would seem that I'm spouting off newtech too much, so I excluded it, but nothing too modern and fancy)

- To defend himself on his travels, Solven has made a crossbow-like device that is capable of discharging the magic inside a crystal in a bolt-like fashion. It is capable of holding one type of crystal, but different crystals effect it's attributes. He calls it a Maglock, but tends to refrain from explaining it's function to those with questions and curious eyes. (TLDR Magic rifle. He calls it a "Maglock" even though it shoots like a modern gun [Overheat included of course]) It also folds.

- Carries a utility satchel with tools and gear for calibrating and storing his gear.

[Mojo]

Hi Harv0kz!

Excellent CC app! All of the required fields are filled, and it's very well written!

Well done!

[RarityDash]

Well written and well thought out CC character; happy to approve it.