Gabriel

Mun info;

Player: Sophs
Age: Over 21
Contact: PM this account or add me on Plurk @ThatGirlinBarcelona

Character info;

Name: Gabriel Starling
Age: 29
Birthday: December 31st
Hair: Black
Eyes: Before the turn; light brown - After; bright amber
Birthplace: The Kingdom of Estus, South of the Midland border.
Race: Lycan
Height: 6'2
Remarkable features?: Other than his eyes, the only immediately remarkable parts of him are the plethora of scars raking across his chest and torso, the length of his back and his upper arms. While he does heal from injuries incredibly quickly, scars are still left behind as they would be on a regular human. If he's injured with something made of or infused with silver, the scarring will have a strange white tinge, which unfortunately is the colour of most of the ones he has. 

When he turns, he's an enormous, pure black wolf. When turned, he retains his sense of self but cannot talk.

Quick info on Lycans of Estus:

- Enhanced strength, agility and endurance.
- Accelerated healing 
- Enhanced sense of sight, smell and hearing.

While they can shift between their wolf and their human forms at any time, Lycans are at their strongest during the full moon phase. This is also the only time in which their bite will turn a human. They are easily distinguishable by their eyes, ranging from bright gold to amber in colour, even when in human form.


Brief personal history: 

Gabriel was born into poverty to strict but loving parents, and lived a fairly average childhood until the age of thirteen. One evening he wandered too far from his village and was attacked by a Lycan. Had it not been for the full moon he would have died from his wounds, but due to the timing, he was turned, and as a result exiled from the village and from his family.

Left with nowhere to go, he headed into the North, spending weeks on the road before one day coming across an unconscious young man deep in the forest. Helping him to the closest town to find him medical help, it was soon revealed that the nameless teenager was the King's youngest son, Christian. The King's men come to bring him home & arrest Gabriel, assuming he was the one responsible for the Prince's injuries. Having no way hide his tell-tale eye colour, Gabriel found his attempts at self defence fell on deaf ears. Lycans, seen as dangerous and unpredictable, were viewed as nothing more than violent pests and as such, Gabriel came very close to being executed.

However, one the morning he was due to be killed, he was granted amnesty by the King and given a chance to show his gratitude by training with the royal guard and becoming Christian's personal guard at the Prince's request. With his enhanced strength, endurance and ability to heal it would be an ideal role, and combined with his immediate lack of options, Gabriel accepted the offer, and has been in the Prince's service ever since.

Over the years the two grew very close, though as they've gotten older, it's gradually become clear to Gabriel that the line between them as master and servant, and indeed as friends, has become slightly blurred. 

Personality:

- Pacifistic; Gabriel hates fighting and violence. However, if the situation calls for it, he's a skilled fighter, both with weapons and without, and won't hesitate to use said skills if Christian is at risk. He also loves animals, and enjoys being outdoors when he has the chance.

- Introverted; While he was an outgoing child and enjoyed attention, after he was turned Gabriel quickly learned that drawing attention to himself was a bad idea. Despite his position in the royal household, he's still seen as lesser, subject to harassment and cruel nicknames from the other guards who know he can do nothing about it. Should he try to defend himself physically, it would only end badly for him. Instead he takes his frustrations out on the training ground, though it doesn't take long for him to calm down. For the most part, he can rise above pettiness. It's something he's learned to grin and bear, and something that Christian's company helps him to push to the back of his mind.

Bordering on timid some of the time, Gabriel has gotten so used to keeping his head down and not speaking up that it's become natural for him to be quiet in how he acts. He rarely reacts to things explosively or impulsively. Contrary to many myths about Lycans, he's very gentle and wary, especially around young children and animals. While he's in control of his physical strength, there's always a nagging voice in the back of his mind reminding him to be careful.

- Intelligent; Gabriel learns very quickly, whether it's training with a new weapon or a new language. And thanks to Christian helping him learn to read and write, he's also cultivated a love of books and literature. His quiet nature can be misleading, making most assume he's antisocial, but when he's not talking he's observing, and talking isn't something he does at lot of when in the presence of the court.

- Loyal; Despite having little choice in taking a role in the royal household and being young when he did so, Gabriel remains - somewhat begrudgingly - grateful to the King, knowing that despite his attitudes towards Lycans, without him Christian's request to spare Gabriel's life would have been ignored and he wouldn't have lived to see fourteen.

Having grown very close to Christian over the years he's spent in his service, Gabriel is undyingly loyal to the young Prince. The two share a love of peace and quiet, and are rarely seen apart.

- Affable; After spending a good portion of his life at court, Gabriel is well mannered and generally a kind person, and will always try to help someone in need if he can at all. If you can manage to make him laugh, it'll also become apparent that he has a good sense of humour, though it's not a side that the public and the court see very often.

However, he has a long memory, and struggles to let go of grudges if someone wrongs him or those close to him. While he used to hate no longer being human, he's since found peace with what he is, and has grown tired and angry at the prejudices Lycans are subject to.

Weaknesses?

- Emotionally, easily his biggest weakness is Christian, and likely vice versa.

- Physically, silver and Wolfsbane are the biggest contenders. The two affect Lycans differently but severely in both cases;

Exposure  to silver inhibits the afflicted Lycan's ability to heal from anywhere between several hours to a day, as well as causing sharp, persistent pains and muscle spasms to the effected area, and is well known to be cripplingly painful.

Exposure to the Wolfsbane plant will cause a nasty, itchy rash similar to that of stinging nettles.
If contact is made with powdered Wolfsbane, this causes an immediate and incredibly nasty reaction in the form of burning and blistering of the skin. While this does heal, it has been known to take far longer to do so than other burns or injuries.
If contact is made with the eyes, temporary blindness can be expected lasting anywhere from a couple of hours to several days - prolonged exposure will cause permanent blindness.
If inhaled for long enough, the lungs will seize and the trachea will close within minutes.
If ingested in a small dose, violent abdominal cramping can be expected until it eventually passes through the body. If the dose is larger, perforation of the stomach and internal bleeding can be expected.
If injected, multiple organ failure and massive internal bleeding will occur within minutes. 0/10 would not recommend.

In Estus. the most common antidote and treatment for Wolfsbane exposure comes in the form of a plant called Saving Grace. It's flowers, leaves and roots can all be used in various forms to counteract the effects of Wolfsbane in both humans and Lycans alike.

For wounds inflicted by silver, the common herb rosemary has proven the most effective form of relief, helping scars to fade over time and nullifying the effects in the victim's bloodstream and at the wound site.
 

Brief world history:

Based loosely on Tudor-era England, Estus is a kingdom with magic deep in it's roots, though it hasn't been studied or practised in many centuries. It's apparent that for a long time the only connection it still has to it's supernatural history are the creatures that roam the night; Lycans driven to desperate measures to keep what remains of their territory.

Despite Lycans having existed in Estus for as long as humans, within the last hundred years or so there's not been a period of peace that lasted longer than a few months. By the time Gabriel was turned, things hadn't improved much. South of the border, Lycans were feared and kept at bay with silver and Wolfsbane, while in the North they were hunted until none remained in the region. There were horror stories of what happened to the Lycans that survived capture, but Gabriel made a point long ago not to seek the tales out.