This is a character I conceived myself and put quite a bit of time into making. Keits says that they aren’t allowed to use unsolicited fan content, so she will never truly be a real fighter. However, I thought I would post her outline here for all to see and comment upon. Even though she won’t see the light of day, I had an absolute blast creating her and I hope you all enjoy “Eagla” (fair warning, this sucker is lengthy)
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Eagla (KI concept)
Backstory (work in progress): Raised in Celtic Irish traditions, Ealga longed to be the greatest warrior of them all, so she traveled the world searching for a way to be the strongest. Eventually, she encountered the sorcerer Kan Ra, who gave her a magical talisman as a “gift”. Unfortunately, this was a trick, for the talisman would inflict unbearable pain upon the user (as Kan Ra knew from experience). Eagla did not know this until she put it to the test in battle, but by then it was too late. Each blast from the artifact made her flesh sear and pain shoot through her bones. However, the allure of power outweighed the agony and she continued to use it over the course of decades to the point where she could not bare to part with it, despite the grueling pain.
Overview: Eagla focuses on putting herself at a disadvantage in the hope of transferring her negative status over to the opponent. She does fairly poor damage without using these methods or shadow meter and has very costly wake up, so she needs to risk her own resources if she’s looking to keep up her offense or her defense. The numerous ways her debuffs play into one another is complicated and the sheer number of tools at her disposal is daunting. But if played right, Eagla can turn nearly any weakness into a strength and tip the scales in her favor in almost any situation.
Gameplay
Shadow Debt (Combat Trait)
Eagla has the ability to perform shadow moves without a full stock of meter. However, doing this will put her into “shadow debt” during which the shadow meter will fill with Black shadow meter representing how much debt must be erased before returning to meter neutral. Once at neutral, her meter behaves like that of any other cast member, but with some exceptions. For example, Spinal cannot drain meter if Eagla is in debt and if Omen locks out Eaglas shadow meter, she can still spend meter by going in debt but only if she is already in debt.
• Performing a shadow move without the 1st shadow stock full will put Eagla 1 bar into shadow debt, regardless of how close she was to reaching a full bar. It will also deal reduced damage (about 70% of the normal output).
• Similarly, performing a shadow move while in debt will put her at max debt (2 bars) at which point the shadow meter will turn Red and Eagla cannot perform another shadow move until she reaches meter neutral again. Any move putting Eagla into max debt will also deal decreased damage (about 50% of the normal output).
• Eagla can only perform shadow counters with actual shadow meter, meaning a shadow counter will never put her in debt.
There are several ways to erase debt, but the most straight-forward method is her command move “Mend” (PPP). This puts Eagla in a stationary stance in which she removes debt at a set pace (can be canceled into and dash cancelled out of). Mend cannot be performed if Eagla currently has any potential damage while in debt.
• At the cost of building potential damage (10%), Eagla can remove debt instantaneously with any K button, ending the Mend state (Mend cancel). This will bring her to the next meter level and will always cost 10% PD regardless of how close she is to reaching the next level. Mend wont effect shadow meter if Eagla is not in debt.
• The mend state will end upon reaching meter neutral.
• if Eagla performs Mend while not in debt, Mend will end instantly and double her current potential damage. This may seem seem unhelpful, but its true utility will be clear soon 
In addition to shadow debt, any attack utilizing the talismans energy will generate potential damage on Eagla on hit, whiff, or block.
Special Moves
Fracture (Quarter Circle Forward P): Eagla spins forward while swiping the talisman in a downward motion on her opponent (looks like an overhead, but hits mid) and follows with an energy blast from the talisman on hit or block, making the move easy to shadow counter. This move also functions as an opener/ carry linker.
• The light version sends her forward the least distance, but is safe on block.
• The medium version sends her forward about jumping distance and is slightly negative on block (-2 or -3).
• The heavy version has Eagla blast the ground for a boost in distance (this has a hit box) and travels just over half screen before the swipe. The heavy version has the least startup of the three and is low invulnerable, but is unsafe if blocked (about -8 or -9).
If the swipe portion of Fracture collides with a non shadow projectile, the projectile is absorbed. This will generate about a quarter of a stock of shadow meter (or erase that much debt) and Eagla will send out a slow moving projectile during the blast portion of Fracture, allowing for a safer approach.
Fracture functions as a battery ender, but will not effect the shadow meter if Eagla is currently in debt.
The Shadow version hits 5 times and omits the energy blast. It also has range akin to the heavy version, is projectile immune, Low invulnerable, and serves as an opener/ linker.
Iron Skull (Quarter Circle Backwards P): A powerful command grab in which Eagla grabs her opponent and follows with a swift head-butt, causing a hard knockdown (knockdown lasts long enough to use mend cancel without being punished). This move is her damage linker, but only the shadow version is an opener.
Different grab based on strength of button:
• The light version is a fast anti air grab that will grab jumping or juggled opponents.
• The medium version functions more or less like a standard grounded command grab, but with fairly short range. This version also has a decent amount of start up, making tick throws easier at the cost of speed.
• The heavy version has Eagla leap through the air towards her opponent, covering a lot of space. Although the range is fantastic, it is extremely punishable if whiffed.
The shadow version hits 5 times (grab, slam, punch, punch, head-butt), is throw invulnerable, and is essentially the heavy version (opponent can jump after shadow flash similar to Kan Ras shadow clutch). Functions as an opener/ linker. Iron Skull is also Eaglas damage ender.
Ward (Quarter Circle Backwards K): Eagla uses the talisman to conjure an explosion that surrounds her body and blasts the opponent away. This explosion is considered a projectile, is very unsafe if blocked, and builds potential damage on Eagla.
• The light version has the least range but only 1 frame of start up (is also a hard knockdown). This makes it her best reversal option and a fast anti air, even though it can be beat out by a proper meaty or a projectile invincible move.
• The medium version has more start up but better range and can juggle opponents.
• The heavy version has even more range and slightly more start up, but sends the opponent full screen.
The shadow version hits once and is invincible, though still a projectile. The shadow version also sends the opponent full screen and is a shadow cash out ender, but builds even more Potential damage. Ward also functions as a juggle ender.
By now, you’re probably thinking “Gee, is seems like most of these moves put an awful lot of potential damage on me. Why is that? All that will do is make life easier for my opponent. What possible utility could there be in building up my PD?”
This next special move should put everything into perspective.
Burden (Quarter Circle Forward K): Eagla slams her elbow into the opponents face and focuses energy from the talisman on her opponent on hit. This move is highly punishable on block, doesn’t lead to a knockdown (is -1 on hit), and doesn’t act as an opener. So what’s the big deal? Let’s take a look at how each strength changes things up.
• The light version puts about 5-7% potential damage on the opponent.
• The medium version travels slightly further and will remove all potential damage from both players and give Eagla a portion of her instinct gage based on how much damage each player had at the time.
• The heavy version travels the farthest and has the most start up, but will swap the potential damage of both players. This unfortunately also doubles the opponents current shadow meter reserve, regardless of how much damage either player had.
• Burden does not put these effects into play if it connects with an air born opponent.
If Eagla has the opportunity to perform this move, she must choose between playing it safe and not having to worry about potential damage at all, or putting it on the opponent while giving them the means to defend themselves. This is where Eagla truly stands out amongst the roster and turns her own suffering into fear.
The Shadow version is not an opener, linker, or ender, but will deal potential damage onto both players, even on block (hits 10 times and is safe enough to not be shadow countered). This leaves the opponent standing on hit, but is also -1 on hit and block.
When used as an ender, Burden will temporarily boost the rate at which Eagla recovers potential damage (higher ender levels make the boost last longer) but also gives her opponent quite a bit of meter.
Other noteworthy traits
• Eaglas throw will erase ¼ of a bar of debt and send the opponent full screen. If she isn’t in debt, throw does extra damage.
• HP normal utilize the talisman and have extra range. Standing HP hits mid, crouching HP is a sweep, and jumping HP is a ground bounce. These will build potential damage on hit, whiff, or block, just like all other talisman based moves.
• Eaglas dashes are fast, but cover very little ground.
• Performing a combo breaker as Eagla doesn’t heal potential damage. This is so the damage can be utilized through Burden (this might change as it will prove either really good or really bad).
Instinct Mode
Eaglas biggest weakness is that she must act as a middle man between her opponent and big damage. The 2 biggest ways of doing damage (spending shadow meter and transferring PD) almost always require her to damage herself sooner or later. This will likely lead to a general pattern of spend meter, erase debt, build PD, try to use it with burden, and repeat.
This is what instinct mode attempts to remedy.
The moment Eagla activates instinct, any debt she currently has will be turned into shadow meter, but she cannot go in debt while in instinct mode. While instinct is active, any move that would interact with Eaglas life bar will now effect her opponent’s life bar. This means that the blast portion of Fracture (including the boost blast from the heavy version), Ward, shadow Ward, and HP normals will all build the opponents potential damage on hit and block, but not on whiff. This also means Mend doubles the opponents potential damage.
Burden also looses a lot of its utility during instinct mode:
• The light version will now put potential damage on Eagla. Though this may be useful for post-instinct burden setups, it isn’t really her best option.
• The medium version acts the same and will still build instinct. This could be used to elongate instinct mode, but isn’t really worth it compared to simply comboing your opponent and cashing out the damage while its on them.
• The heavy version still swaps both players potential damage. This has almost no practical application while in instinct mode because if instinct is being used properly, most of the potential damage in play should be on the opponent.
Burden is meant to be unnecessary during instinct. In the neutral, burden lets Eagla put the potential damage she’s been building up to good use. While in instinct, there is no reason she should be building PD on herself if she can help it.
Conclusion
Eagla might be one of the most self destructive characters ever conceived in a fighting game and is built around risk. Her best tools all hinge around her being willing to spend vast quantities of resources and take risks with her health. If one is careless, Eagla will often find herself at max debt with no meter and a lot of PD that she can’t get rid of. But if properly utilized, ever decision Eagla makes with her own resources should prompt the opponent to think and learn to fear her “what goes around comes around” play style.
