Two in one day? Say it ain’t so! This one is Bard of Heart, for Silverphoenix2406.
Heart indicates personality and individuality along with romance and emotions.
Bards swing between extremes of embracing and rejecting their Aspect.
A Bard of Heart would alternate between suppressing his own identity and going into excitable manic phases.
Bards are always a little tricky to get a handle on because they are almost like two classes shoved together. I imagine the Bard of Heart to be severely bipolar, or at least sometimes seem that way to outsiders. Sometimes, he ruthlessly suppresses his emotions and individual interests - he acts in the most efficient manner he can, shadowing the Aspect of Mind. He may even be on a drug regimen - prescribed by a doctor to control his outbursts or self-administered - which puts him into a sort of fugue state. Or he may just get really quietly intense.
However, whenever a certain trigger is hit - and that trigger could honestly be anything Aspect-related - he surges with personality. Suddenly he wants to do everything, try everything, talk to everyone. He’d flirt with everyone he meets, and agree to ten dates at the same time without thinking about it. He’d show people up at their best skills, and be super proud of himself for it without questioning how they feel. He ambles along on his path of self-fulfilment and leaves chaos in his wake.
What exactly causes this divide, which is his ‘default’ state, and what triggers the switch can be highly variable. As I mentioned, the divide might be due to medication or drugs. Perhaps his overenthusiastic side is caused by severe ADHD, and the medication is meant to control it. He might have grown up in a situation where he was encouraged to “express himself”, but not given any healthy guidelines for how - I have an image of trying to live up to an older sibling or role model with incredible charisma or talent. Conversely, his life may have been very strict and regimented, teaching him to control himself for his parents' approval/the greater good/the will of the overlord/etc.
Full realization is always a healthy maturation, but in the case of the Bard and most especially the Bard of Heart, it’s a necessity to live a normal life. Once the Bard begins integrating the two halves of his personality, he’ll develop into a master manipulator - or, for the more well-intentioned, an incredible counselor. Instead of destroying people’s confidence or relationships willy-nilly, a kindly Bard can break unhealthy relationships and destroy toxic worldviews. They would also make incredible grief councilors, helping to naturally and painlessly end relationships with those who have passed on. A more sinister Bard can continue his chaotic ways, but with more control and selective targeting - with a few well-chosen words, he can aim people’s passions at that which he wishes destroyed, or snap entire networks of relationships with a single conversation.
As much fun as personality analysis is, let's take a look at powers, shall we?
Bards weaken their Aspect or use their aspect to weaken others.
Heart gives power over the soul.
Brrrrr. This is not a power I want to be on the wrong side of. In the mechanical state, the Bard’s mere presence could cause erosion of identity in those around him. People exposed to this aura would slowly lose their own goals and passions, and become more easily manipulated into doing the Bard’s bidding. Really hope there’s an off switch to this, huh?
When in their manic state, however, the Bard exhibits almost the opposite effect. People’s emotions get exaggerated. Passions erupt into obsession, anger into fury, happiness into mad revelry. The Bard barely has to lift a finger to have a person’s own uncontrollable passions send them hurtling over the edge.
Full realization only makes the Bard more terrifying an opponent. Their souls become unbreakable bastions of the self. Trying to rile up a fully-realized Bard is less than pointless. Trying to sway them from their path is utterly impossible unless they want to be convinced. Trying to hurt them emotionally is impossible; it all just washes over them. It doesn’t have a lot of practical use or flashy effects in combat, but any sort of effect meant to control the mind or subvert individuality will fail quite spectacularly. And should he ever face off against another Heart Player... well. Trying to use soul-based attacks against a Bard of Heart is rather akin to trying to drown an ocean.
