Kortar is a broad shouldered man who looks more like a guard than a scholar. He has a square jaw, a military buzz cut, and thick, calloused hands. He wears a faded soldier's tunic under a patched, oversized wizard's robe that clearly does not fit his frame. He constantly squints at his spellbook as if the words are physically attacking him.

He is incredibly disciplined and treats every magical lesson like a combat drill. He is blunt, honest to a fault, and does not understand metaphors. He believes that if he just says the words loud enough and follows the diagrams exactly, the magic has no choice but to work.

Kortar was a career grunt in the local infantry until a magical mishap during a border skirmish killed his commanding officer. Finding the fallen enemy mage's spellbook, Kortar decided that the only way to prevent such a tragedy was to understand the enemy's tools. He left the army with an honorable discharge and a singular, stubborn focus to become a wizard despite having no natural aptitude for the arcane. He spent his meager pension on a scholar's pack and basic tuition, often being the oldest and least talented student in the academy. His professors tried to discourage him, but Kortar simply sat in the front row, shouting 'Present!' at the start of every lecture. Now, he travels the world, applying his military training to the study of spells, convinced that grit and push-ups can eventually replace a high intelligence score.