Roll of Honor: Briar

Bramble and thorn unbraid at her will. Briar steps through, her feet crushing soft blades of grass, the ground thick and spongy beneath. She hesitates, looks behind her to witness the burr close tight, the glow of Candlehold dimming to the size of a seed.

She feels hot, her palms sweaty, the sensation as foreign as the fields before her. She calls out to Davnir; asks the Ancient for the courage to continue. In reply, flying insects rush and buzz. The soil throbs, connecting her body with the land. She kneels and places her hands upon the earth. Waits. Just ahead, the grass flattens into footprints. They move apace towards a distant hillock. Disappear into nothing. She thanks the Ancient for his encouragement and stands.

The further she ventures, the faster the transformation. Veridian stipules arranged like fingers burst out from the gaps in her breastplate. Her tattooed runes brighten, illuminating with newfound power. Tendrils of lightning wrap tightly around Rosetta Thorn, charging and pulsing. She calls out to Yvor; thanks the Ancient for these gifts. In reply, clouds rumble and flash, fusing her sword with the sky.

She relaxes, for now she knows. She will always be Warden of the Rosetta, but with thorns reformed. The Flow, her new guide. Greater Aria, the messenger.

Debuting in Tales of Aria on September 24, 2021, Briar embodied the power of Mount Heroic; strong, versatile, and stubborn. Briar carried the Runeblade mantle in Blitz after her class predecessors retired, a steadfast split damage deck capable of approaching each new metagame with a reinvigorated strategy. Her infamous signature weapon, Rosetta Thorn, also remained a staple tool in the Runeblade arsenal for years.

Briar's ability to pressure the opponent with several attacks in a turn, often pumped up by the notorious Channel Mount Heroic, while also defending efficiently, would see her embark on a steady climb to the top ranks. But Blitz is a less forgiving format, and Briar's raw power came with a price - if the forces of nature didn't line up, she could be sent tumbling on the back foot. This made for many memorable moments of highly dramatic tension in games.

Briar officially reached Living Legend status in Blitz on September 6, 2024. Congratulations to all the players who aided Briar on her grand adventure. Your names have been carved in the Roll of Honor!