Gharen Wolfsong

Gharen Wolfsong
The Wolf
"There is no honor without sacrifice, no courage without discipline, no peace without war."
Gender	Male
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	Ala Mhigan Refugee
Height	6 fulms 5 ilms
Weight	250 ponz
Age	25
Patron Deity	Halone, the fury
Namesday	8th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon,
Place of Birth	Ala Mhigo

One of the last remaining heirs to a nearly extinguished Ala Mhigan Noble bloodline, Gharen is at first glance a warrior who has seen more than his fair share of battles. He is a quiet and serious individual that smiles only very rarely, with a tall and powerful frame earned through years of hard labor and living off the land. He is prone to quiet isolation and as such is not very good at socializing with others, especially women. He is ever the consummate lone wolf, never quite fitting in and alone even when in the middle of a crowd.

Character

Aliases/Nicknames: During his time he's met many individuals a few even have even given him nicknames. None of which bother him as he has been called many things over the years, many significantly worse than the names he's received now.

"Wolf": A name used to refer to him by Qaeli Varily.

"Lobo": A name used to refer to him by Sila Neve.

Appearance

Face: His face is scarred, Most would assume that the scars are from combat, while true for one or two, they are due primarily to years of physical abuse at the hands of his guardian. His face is rough and rugged due to constant exposure to the elements. He bears the traditional dark blue facial tattoos of the Wolfsong clan given to him by his father at the age of five. He inherited his Dark Ginger hair from his Mother, which he keeps in what is known to his clan as the "Warrior's Wolf Knot". His face is regularly unshaven as he doesn't worry much about his looks living in the wilds.

Eyes: His eyes are a piercing hazel color; those with a high natural empathy will see a deep seated self hatred/sadness/Loneliness reflected in his eyes. Conversely, when angry or enraged which does not occur often they take on the feral look of his namesake animal and reflect a dark side lying within the young man that is kept under lock and key.

Body: Years of hard labor, living in the wilds, and training with any fighting style he can has earned him a well chiseled body of muscle and strength. Something that he makes sure to cover as much as possible, due to the fact that the majority of his back, chest, arms, legs, and abdomen are covered in deep scars and burns. Remnants of his abuse at the hands of his guardian Ortolf Frostheart, these are a source of intense shame and are one of the things that regularly fuel his bouts of depression. They are also something that few people, if any, have ever seen and one of the primary reasons he avoids living in towns or cities.

Behavior

Voice: Gharen speaks with an accent of the highlander clans that inhabited the mountains north of Ala Mhigo,(I.e. Scottish) His voice is generally friendly and non threatening, unless something has been done to earn his ire, in extreme cases it can become vicious and dark.

Demeanor: Gharen is quiet and somber, and generally doesn't deal well with others whether it just be simple etiquette or conversation, it is extremely rare for him to smile, even more so is the individual that can regularly coax one out of him. His stance and motion belie someone versed in multiple forms of combat.

Personality: (Social setting) Gharen is prone to self isolation, and when in a group of socializing individuals tends to sit off the side and just listen hoping to be ignored simply trying to blend in the background and disappear.

(Combat) In combat Gharen finds some measure of respite, while still quiet, he becomes focused and his mind does not wander down the dark paths that plague him and lead to him brooding.

Flaws: Above all else he believes that his life is of little to no worth and that no one will mourn or notice it's passing, he also sees himself as horribly disfigured by the scars that adorn much his body, and as a result, will be alone for the remainder of his days. These two conditions lead him to be more willing than most to put others before himself to his own detriment, or in an extreme case, to throw his own life away, as death in the defense of others in his mind, might in some small way add value to a life that has none.

Intelligence: Gharen is not stupid by any means, unfortunately after the age of five he did not receive a formal education, most of what he knows was self taught. Reading, writing, basic fighting forms. Etc.

Religious Views: Before the occupation of Ala Mhigo he belonged to a devout family that fervently believed in the twelve, and paid their respects Halone, the Fury and Azeyma, the Warden. Some time after, during his time in Little Ala Mhigo while in the hands of his abusive guardian he had lost his faith in the divine. Believing that any higher being that would not listen to the prayers of an abused child, or intervene in some way was not worth worshiping. After eight cycles of traveling Eorzea, he returned to Ul'Dah, Several events that have occurred over the past cycle have slowly rekindled his faith as he has openly admitted that perhaps Halone put him on his path, and Azeyma may have led him back to the place he was needed most.

Romance: Years of physical and mental abuse coupled with isolation have left Gharen with a deeply held belief that he is horribly disfigured and unworthy of any woman's interest, any romantic feelings he may have for someone will be locked away and not be openly expressed due to this. Things like physical touch have become psychologically associated with pain, doing so will cause him to jump slightly and become visibly uncomfortable, more intimate contact will only exacerbate this. When talking to a woman he will be Polite, professional and courteous but become uncomfortable should topics shift to him and his past, when hard pressed with intimate questions he will become extremely ashamed and embarrassed of himself.

Combat

Gharen aims to become a weapon master, an individual who can pick up any weapon and use it to great effect. When asked why Gharen will become evasive and give a generalized answer "Te prove a point te someone." While not a lie he intends to prove it to two people. First, To himself that it can be done, and second, to a dead man, Ortolf Frostheart, the Guardian that abused him for 13 years, or more to the point, the memory of a dead man.

Style: Gharen's preferred weapon is the Lance, which he can use both offensively and defensively to great effect. Keeping his enemies at bay, allowing him to control the flow of battle, and keeping his opponents guessing. He will from time to time employ techniques he has learned from studying other various forms of combat as a weapon master. He is also extremely proficient with a sword and shield having trained as a free paladin.

Strengths: Believing that the each known martial style of combat form a wheel, and every style is but a single spoke in that wheel, obtaining even a fundamental understanding of these various methods of combat offer insight and adaptability to whatever weapon focus is used and or faced. The weapon master is able given a wider range of options in order to think outside of the box in the heat of battle and enhancing overall survivability potential for victory by using unconventional tactics in order to keep opponents guessing, and off balance.

Weaknesses: The path of becoming a weapon master runs the danger being a Jack of all trades and master of none, leaving oneself open to defeat at the hands of a more specialized opponent. Garnering the fundamentals, then specific specialization, builds a stronger foundation that can be built upon as time goes by.

Pain Tolerance: Due to the years of physical abuse at the hands of his guardian Gharen has learned how to control pain he may feel. This is not to say he does not feel pain, he simply knows how to not acknowledge it, and fight through it.

The Wolf

"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." -Mark Twain

"The Wolf" is the psychological representation of Gharen's Id, it is also the darkness within him that characters with a high empathy will feel. This aspect of his psyche lies closer to the surface than it does for most due to years of physical and psychological trauma. It represents all of the locked away anger, hatred, and pain he has experienced in his life, it also represents his will to survive, It does not make its presence known often, but when it does it is savage and feral, it's only goal is to destroy potential threats that cause it harm, it originally appeared eight cycles ago to viciously kill Ortolf Frostheart.

This aspect of Gharen's personality when under control will influence his actions often in ways he does not even notice, a growl when angry or annoyed. When he is pushed to the brink physically and or mentally further influence is exerted, a dark uncharacteristic smile while issuing a threat of bodily harm or a willingness to bite when bound. When the Wolf takes control it perceives individuals on the basis of whether or not they pose a threat.

When Threats are perceived there is an attempt to dispatch them as quickly as possible going straight for the throat in an attempt to crush or tear it out. The Wolf has been known to use bladed and blunt objects to hamstring and bludgeon opponents but it does not have access to the martial prowess that Gharen's conscious self has attained, but it can remember and shares a dislike or hatred of individuals that have caused them harm.

Recent events have left Gharen with a severely diminished capability to keep the wolf in check due to severe physical and mental torture.

Family

Gregor Wolfsong: (Father) A blacksmith by trade, Gregor originated from one of the outlying villages in the mountainous northern regions of Ala Mhigan territory there was a warrior and hunter, On one of his trips into Ala Mhigo he met Aline, courted her, and eventually the two married. It was after this he took up blacksmithing in order to provide for his beginning family. He never lost his pride in his heritage though, and would tell the stories of the Wolfsong clan that he grew up with to his son. Gregor was killed when the Garlean empire took control Ala Mhigo 20 years ago. Gharen carries with him the vivid memory of killing his father, despite being told, and knowing the contrary that it did not actually occur, does little to remove the pain of an act he never committed.

Aline Wolfsong: (Mother) Born Aline Windmark to a noble family of Ala Mhigo, at the age of sixteen she was sent to live in hiding with relatives as one of their daughters in order to safeguard her when in his madness, King Theodorac began targeting many of the influential noble families for removal whom he believed conspired to depose him and lay claim his throne. It was during this time, while posing as a weaver in her relatives shop in merchants alley she met Gregor Wolfsong. Aline was killed when the Garlean empire took control Ala Mhigo 20 years ago her identity having been betrayed by Delial Grimsong. Gharen carries with him the vivid memory of killing his mother, despite being told, and knowing the contrary that it did not actually occur, does little to remove the pain of an act he never committed.

Kayle Wolfsong: (Sister) Slightly older than one year of age when the Garlean empire occupied Ala Mhigo, Until recently, she was presumed dead, when in reality she was taken, and raised by a Garlean family as their own daughter. The Siblings were re-united some moons ago when the truth of their blood line was revealed to them.

Eloisa Windmark: (Grandmother) A tall and proud woman, with fiery red hair and grey eyes, and gifted conjuror whose nobility seemed to exude from her every pore. Her somewhat lighter complexion spoke of mixed birth, her father a highlander and her mother a midlander. Due to Eloisa's active involvement with the Resistance and the overall outspoken and influential stance of the Windmark's, King Theodoric meant to eradicate her family, as he, in his madness, was targeting many of the influential noble families for removal. Eloisa had suspected this threat to her family years prior, and had sent Aline away to hide her from the mad king's suspicious eye with distant relatives, the Falcondales. There Aline worked as a weaver when she met a local blacksmith and hunter, Gregor Wolfsong and fell in love.

Silent Glacier: The local smith in a small village that lied on the border between Mor Dhona and Thanalan. A stubborn old Roe who refused to speak common, It was from him that Gharen learned smithing, mining, and to understand and speak some of the Hellsguard tongue, Glacier was the closest thing to a father figure Gharen had since his family was killed. It is unknown if Silent Glacier and his family still live as the village was razed during the calamity.

Journal

♥ Romantic Interest    ♥ Platonic Love     ● Good Standing    ● Neutral Standing    ● Poor Standing

[edit]

• Brynhilde Wulf
• Coatleque Crofte
• Delial Grimsong
• Evangeline Primrose
• Jajara Jara
• Natalie Mcbeef
• Obsidian Hornet
• Osric Melkire
• Qaeli Varily
• Rivienne Delacroux
• Roen Deneith
• U'roh Tia

"Miss Brynhilde, what could I say about the woman that her that her very presence does not already say for itself? Hers is a visage that I when I saw her when I was young was both striking and easy to remember, at the time, I simply thought it was because of her beauty. Cycles later, I believe I might truly understand why this was, she exudes an aura nobility, an inner strength perhaps, the kind that inspires common men to march into the hells themselves. I oft look forward to the times we speak or the few times we have met in training, for they are far too few and fleeting in nature."

"I have told her of the nightmares, things that I have kept even from Roen lest she worry, and in her way remained gracious of my admission. She has shared with me a further glimpse into her past, an act of trust, one that I understand and one that I intend to uphold. The more I know, the more feel as though I have only touched upon the full depth of her character."

"I feel that though Miss Crofte and I have walked very different paths in life, sections of the road have been all too similar, we all have scars, some are simply easier to see than others. She is honorable, and capable, I have no doubt she has reached her station if not out of sheer determination and commitment to crawl out of the pitfalls Nymeia has placed before her. Like many of those that reside within the walls of Ul'dah, I get the impression she is a woman accustomed to wearing masks, hiding who she is, or was, I cannot say which. But the strength that has gotten her to this point shows through, along with a sense of self doubt perhaps as if she second guesses herself when it matters most."

"Loyal to Ul'dah, and the Sultana, I have found her to be pragmatic almost to a fault, relying on what she sees before her rather than trusting her instincts when it matters most. I fear this may come back to bite her one day, and I simply hope the consequences are negligible if it does. Her current situation places her amidst the heart of a pit of vipers, a place I would not wish one such as herself to be in, I believe she has the fortitude to handle it, but I fear those in question would keep her squarely under their thumb long after this is done. Regardless, when Roen required help Miss Crofte did everything she could to ensure her freedom, it is because of this act should she require someone to march into that pit and pull her from it I will do it."

"It would seem that Delial Grimsong is set to be a continuing point of contention in my life, I have sworn to kill her, sworn that I would not, been accused of forgiving her, and been accused of harboring feelings for the woman. By all rights and purposes I should despise her and wish her dead as so many of my kin do, but I do not. Do I forgive her? No. She is the one responsible for the deaths of my father and mother, for taking my sister, she, when things are boiled down to the bare facts, is the core reason for the ills I have endured in this life, and for that I should want retribution. And for a time, I did. And then, two things occurred, I needed to recover from the beast that Raelisanne Banurein attempted to turn me into, and Roen had been taken, captured and tortured by a slaver, and Delial was able to help find her."

"I had to choose, to hate or to heal? To kill or to save family? To let something gain a foothold within me that I still have nightmares about because I still remember it killing everyone around me that I love. The choice was clear, and has not always been easy to reconcile, but many do not see it that way. Justice will come for her one day, and it will not be mine, this much I have told her, I have even said that I will not stand in it's way when it does, at the same time I do not wish to see her harmed. I fear that Delial Grimsong as a point contention, will remain, even within myself."

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Rumors

Common Rumors:

• "Yeah tha' Highlander fellow comes here inte th' smitty' an helps out fer a days wage. Good solid worker. Swings a mean hammer I tells ya!"
• "Boy blew into town a few days ago and left just as sudden, Never stayed at the Inn far as I'm aware. Think he'd be dumb enough to make camp in the wilds outside of town?"
• "He'd come in here and order something to eat. Never bought a drop of ale though, he treated the stuff like it was tainted."

Moderate Rumors:

• He comes in here from time to time for supplies, I'd swear those eyes of his look right through you, so much sadness in them...
• I watched him put himself between a bunch of syndicate thugs and their mark. He can take a hit for sure, he walked away from the fight but I don't think he ever bothered to see a healer.

Rare rumors:

• "I was outside of town and heard a commotion, when I went to see what it was that man training with a lance. Thank the twelve he didn't see me! I'd swear he'd been tortured in the dungeon with the amount of scars I could see."
• "Yeah I remember tha' one. ol' Frostheart beat th' boy almost te death, more'n once I tell ye'."
• "Ortolf Frostheart? Mean drunken bastard he was, tortured th' poor boy put inte his care. He was killed... oh.. some eight cycles ago now. Looked like a wolf got te 'im and ripped 'im te shreds it did, thinkin' it was tha' boy I tell ye. He disappeared tha same night."

PC rumors:

((Characters I've interacted with free to add))

• "Like a stone, that one. He's been kind enough an' he's put up with me prattlin' on without so much as a complaint, but I get the feelin'... Well, what matters is that he seems like a good man." - Jajara Jara
• "He is a good man, and a patient teacher. Aye, his formidable skills with various weapons are remarkable, but I find the strength and will of the man behind the armor even more admirable."- Roen Deneith
• "He forges the most amazing weapons without wasting materials. He's a merchant's dream, and if I could get away with chaining him to the forge, I would." -Erisande Marchand
• "He is... notoriously clumsy with women. I must wonder if these... what should we call them, flirtations? No, no... No, that could not be it... Could it? No. Pray forget I said anything. I said, forget it." - Delial Grimsong
• "If he were but ten cycles older..." - Brynhilde Wulf
• "Gharen is one of those people for whom life just has it out for them. He's a good man, through and through, no matter what he thinks of himself or his anger. There is light at the core of him, I see it in his eyes when he smiles. I'm a lucky woman to have his favor." - Obsidian Hornet
• "Wolfsong is a whirlwind. If he's comin' your way, get out o' his or else bolt y'self down, 'cause there's no stoppin' him." - Osric Melkire
• "Met him once with Delail, scared me, promised myself I would never meet him again. Now I can't get rid of this feeling I need to apologize to him face-to-face for my part in his and Roen's suffering. Hells, do I really have a death wish?" - Askier Mergrey
• "I hope he is finally convinced of my true motivations, of my loyalty. He is the family of a dear friend, and I will treat him as such." - Coatleque Crofte
• "A quiet one but he's just as capable of kicking yourrr arrrse with any weapon he chooses. Damn glad he's on my side." - U'roh Tia
• "Everyone acts like the man is some sort of Berserker, but he's always been quite reasonable to me. Twelve knows he has enough reasons to lash out at me, but he never has." - Natalie Mcbeef
• "I trust Master Wolfsong with my life, and would not hesitate to help him shoulder his burdens. If only he would allow others to do so." - Evangeline Primrose

History

1552-1557 Ala Mhigo

Born in Ala Mhigo, 1552, amidst the politcal upheaval of Ala Mhigo and the reign of King Theodorac, Gharen was raised by his working class family who despite the king’s decree continued to secretly worship Halone, and Azeyma. The family managed to survive this tumultuous time only to be torn apart when the Garlean Empire occupied the city. Though casualties of the occupation were few Gharen's father and mother were among them, his sister, at only a year and a half old at the time is also believed to have been killed.

Taken from the scene of his family’s death and escaping with refugees, it was during this time in the trek to Ul'dah that Gharen was put into the care of Ortolf Frostheart. Gharen's new guardian turned out to be both a drunk and viciously abusive.

1557-1569 Little Ala Mhigo

For twelve cycles Gharen lived a tortured existence under the "care" of his guardian. The scars he bears both physically and mentally are due to this period of time, broken bones due to vicious beatings, Burns from hot irons and lit torches, it was during this time that Gharen had forsaken the faith in the twelve instilled to him by his parents. At the age of 17 Gharen had reached his low point, he was prepared to die, several Sultansworn witnessed openly the physical abuse, and while one was prepared to stop it, the others argued to ignore it. It was that night that Gharen's Id awakened for the first time and he brutally killed Ortolf Frostheart.

1569-1572 The Wilds

After leaving Little Ala Mhigo, Gharen fled north, his distrust of people was so inherent he avoided villages and outposts all together. He had made camp on the outskirts of a small village on the Ishgardian border, living off the land as best as he could, he was barely surviving his first three months in the wilds and winter was nearing. Desperation eventually drove the young man to enter the village and find some way to get the supplies he would need to last the winter. It was during this time he met the local Blacksmith, an old Roegadyn Hellsguard by the name of Silent Mountain and his family, though it took some convincing, he had managed a job. He spent the next year learning the trades of smithing and mining under the gruff old Roegadyn and his sons, though he continued to live in several areas outside of town, never staying in the same camp for more than a couple of days at a time.

((work in progress))

1572-Present

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OOC notes

• Individuals that live(d) in Little Ala Mhigo during the timeline listed above may remember Gharen and his Guardian. Gharen will likely be hard to recognize as he covers what scars he can and he has put on significant muscle mass due to training and labor after having left the settlement Nine cycles (years) prior.

• Ala Mhigan's alive during the Rule of King Theodorac, and Ala Mhigo's subsequent Garlean occupation, may recall or recognize the Windmark family name as one of the Noble families of the City that fought against the King of Ruin's insanity and then helped against the Garleans in the early days of the resistance before being wiped out by traitors. Gharen's heritage link to the Windmark family may be a tough thing to discover since her mother was hidden away as a Falcondale. But not impossible to narrow down for someone who is actively looking. Those working for Garleans during the fall of Ala Mhigo may have come across both Windmark and Falcondale names as "persons of interest."

• Gharen's fighting skills and style is based on Geralt of Rivia

Annotations

Original Template was created by Deirdre Ta'ea Additions and Ideas from Brynhilde Wulf, Renaise Galwind, and Coatleque Crofte