GW Character Concepts

[Hinbane]

Abelard Desmarais, Human Mesmer

"Perspective, my dear, that is the weakness we mortals bear. Though your mind brims with ambition, it remains quite defenseless to my machinations. You insist the truth is perceivable - know that I am, and will always be, your devoted antagonist in its attainment. Confusion is the weapon I wield and mirage is my craft! If you yet endeavor to defeat me with your crude instruments - despair with the knowledge that the ideas I will conflate within you will never leave, even if you manage to delay my plans here." - Abelard Desmarais

Abelard Desmarais, an aristocrat of Ascalonian descent, thinks of himself as a middlebrow philosopher and full-time sadist. Though devoted to the cause of humanity, Abelard is too far-gone in his narcissism to consider humanity's cause above his own, even if he considers himself a patriot in his own right. Indeed, his egocentric ambition is only bridled by the awareness that his own safety would be endangered were Kryta to fall.

Nonetheless, Abelard is almost always pursuing his own ends; few of them are virtuous and even fewer of them are legal. Were he to have his way, he would be left alone to explore the depths of his depraved craving for power and manipulation. These goals have isolated Abelard; in his most honest moments, he would confide that he is lonely. And yet, he lacks the ability to change; even his most virtuous motives are twinged with self-interest. This makes him an exceptionally untrustworthy companion, unless he is convinced that cooperation is needed to confront a threat to his own safety.

Despite his vices, Abelard is sure to maintain his posh image. He strains for correct grammar and annunciation in every circumstance he can. He is proud of his noble heritage, and though he wont draw too much attention to it if he deems it unwise, he harbors a subtle distaste for those born beneath his class.

[Centaur]

Nice background... but... Mercator? Market? That makes him sound like some cheap market merchant, trying to trick them into buying his sub par products. Any specific reason for that particular lastname?

[Hinbane]

Heh, I slapped it on haphazardly for a Latin surname. There are examples of well-to-do Mercators that are considered anything but cheap.

Still, your feedback makes me second-guess my choice.

EDIT: Decided on Desmarais.

[Centaur]

Yeah, I know, Mercator is also a family name, and there are plenty of merchants that do really well, but that latin link to merchants is just too strong in my mind.

Desmarais is nice, though!

[Brytwend]

These are always so much fun! I too use my characters as a sort of extension of myself, so when I rp (medium rp that is) it's not difficult for me to "be" my characters. I read through everyone's stories and they were really good! Better watch out for some of you...lol

Human Mesmer - Ainsoph Auran

Ainsoph's family is common but does not have a common history. Beginning as traders and farmers, the family of Auran has kept good relations with the other races of Tyria for quite a time. This has made it possible for Ainsoph to see many places, although he was too young and naive to really understand and remember all that was going on around him. A Charr might as well be the same as a Norn, or a fellow Human as far as he's concerned. His outlook on life is very different from that of his family, who tend to be less broad-minded.
Strong believers in the gods, Ainsoph's family might be commoners but they have some minor noble connections and very noble aspirations. Several distant relatives have aristocratic statuses, and some even make their money in direct service to the Queen and her immediate subordinates. This brought a lot of responsibility on Ainsoph from a young age as the eldest male child in his family, and he accepted the pressure to be educated, strong, and respectful of tradition with ease. However, once Ainsoph grew to understand the truth's of the world around him, he began to educate himself in ways that his family did not approve of. Against his mother's will, he learned the use of a sword by sparring with his friends and young Krytan knights. Against his father's wishes, Ainsoph studied philosophy and the art of magic from travelers. He became introverted, aloof, and somewhat jaded as a teenager due to his experimentation with magics and his strong desire for freedom over his soul and his future. It just didn't fit right with such an obligated reliance on the gods, and the values of his family. With an old soul, it soon became evident that Ainsoph was just very "different" from all the other kids his age.
Seeing life as one big challenge, Ainsoph became his naturally optimistic self again once he moved away from his parents' home, and though he shuns direct worship of the gods, his family is now proud of the independence and internal strength of their heir. They hope and believe that in his travels he will rediscover faith in the gods and become a fervent worshiper, but Ainsoph has little time for such things as he searches for his own truths in the outside world.

Greatest duty: To rectify many of the wrong's he sees in the world.
Greatest challenge: To prove that his own wisdom and prowess can be equal to that of the gods.
Greatest goal: To make friends with people who will fill the emptiness he feels from being so distant from his family, and other people.
Greatest setback: Ainsoph is young, but doesn't feel so young inside. He has trouble fitting in at times, and doesn't have as many connections because he prefers to stand on his own or with others who can prove themselves to be his equal.
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Norn Engineer - Brytwend Zealtyr

Brytwend is a Norn Engineer, a sort of clash all in itself. The Norn are known for their strength and courage, which Brytwend has plenty of, but he's not so flashy about it and isn't much of a braggart. This makes many of the Norn look down on him early in his life, although his performance at hunting, defending himself, and fighting for sport are all on par. Brytwend feels compelled to do more for the world than for himself, as he has such a fascination with how things work and with how people work. His choice to be an Engineer was an odd one, but when people hear him speak or see his work they are often taken aback at his manner and his attitude toward life as an adventurer. All Norn want to be heroes, Brytwend just wants to do his part against the elder-dragons.
Using his superior intelligence combined with his unassuming (for a Norn) build, this guy uses his Engineering skills to keep his peers in good health and frustrate his foes with precision sharpshooting and use of explosives. Although a powerful man, Brytwend knows that compared to other Norn he is not brutish enough to don a heavy suit of armor and wield a heavy sword, nor is he bloodthirsty enough to revel in killing and beating things for sport. He uses his empathic nature instead to derive the mechanics of the people around him, the mechanics of the battlefield where he must feel that he is fighting for a good cause, and the mechanics of the weapons he wishes to become proficient with.

Greatest duty: To protect others, especially the weak, from the elder dragons and anyone else who's sole purpose is to harm or corrupt.
Greatest goal: To understand the intricate designs and workings of Tyria and its people.
Greatest challenge: Norn are not known for being caring or intelligent, so he definitely stands out in a bad way. Some people would take advantage of him, and others simply don't trust him.
Greatest setback: Brytwend doesn't get a lot of support from others who are more interested in their own lives than in working toward a greater good. Brytwend hopes to find like-minded individuals so he won't be lonely in his travels, and though he can make friends easily he is afraid of being abandoned by those he cares for.

[Darke]

Alright, here goes! I'd post my Charr character, too, but I haven't finished his bio yet.

Aileen
It is known that Sylvari who are awakened during the cycle of dawn are typically naturals with conversing with others. Aileen is no exception. Or she could be, depending on how she’s viewed. Be them strangers or friends, Aileen will talk and talk without pause. Other Sylvari don’t seem to find her as annoying as other races do. Ever since awakening she’s been highly curious and has often led herself into danger, by exploring secluded areas and trying to engage with hostile beings. More often than not, other explorers have had to save her from certain death. One memorable explorer was a human female. She got Aileen out of possibly her most dire situation, killing the dozens of hostiles surrounding her, with her dagger and pistol. Before Aileen could open her mouth to voice her thanks, the human had vanished before her eyes.

As far as life goals go, Aileen’s aren’t exactly aspirational. Her most prominent one is to meet with that human and thank her for saving her. She’s trained herself hard to take care of herself when surrounded, and yet she can’t help but smile at the idea of teaming up with the human girl.

It would be difficult to talk about Aileen without mentioning Leena, her canine-like plant companion. Leena is a Thorn Mastiff, born from the pale tree at the same time as Aileen and, for an unknown reason, has followed her from that point on. They have a one in a million bond with each other, and go everywhere together. Leena is not merely a companion; Leena is Aileen’s best friend, and where one of them goes, the other one follows.

---

Teagan Darke
A master at killing since the age of nine. Being raised up on the streets, she needs to be skilled with a weapon to hunt for food with her twin sister. A shortbow is her choice of weapon for this task. Being parentless, an orphan for as long as she can remember, she feels as if she has to defend what little she has. She arms herself with daggers and pistols to ward people away from her alley. She knows little of a life of actually earning money; she pick pockets all that she needs, wearing a mask to keep her identity hidden, in the rare occasions of being caught in the act. Although, her swiftness and stealthy abilities have always kept her from arrest.

Unpredictable and temperamental, Teagan is not one you would want to meet out on the street, let alone in combat. She is far too easily irritated and will let her anger take a hold of her if things don’t go her way. This happens all the time, and some bystanders, who have the misfortune of being near her when she loses control, are likely to suffer deep gashes as a result. The way Teagan sees it, people fall into three categories’; there are her friends, who have no problem of her turning against them; there are useful people, and she’ll squeeze out everything she can from them, making them fall into her third category. Disposable.

There’s no denying that Teagan is cold in more ways than one, but just because she views people that way, doesn’t mean she’ll blindly stand by while someone is being attacked, or while bandits are causing havoc. Teagan may be a criminal, but she’s not heartless, and she will defend what she believes is right.

[Ship Happens]

Really? I thought it fit in perfectly here. Still, I'll move it.

[Centaur]

That looks like something that would be better at home in the Stories/Fan Fiction section instead of in Character Concepts...

[Mike Fang]

Alright, this one may change a bit over time, but it's a general idea I have.

Gavnel Sunderland
Human Thief

Adapt. If there was ever a word that described Gavnel, it's that. Another word that might describe him well is complicated; he's a vexing, walking puzzle, even to himself at times.

Abandoned as an infant, Gavnel grew up on the streets of Divinity's Reach, learning that even the jewel of the remaining human empire has its flaws. He'd been raised to boyhood in a cheap orphantage, where he learned some basic schooling (reading, writing and arithmetic) in between bullying sessions with the thuggish boys he had to share a room with. He got sick of the constant abuse and ran away from the orphantage, but only found himself living in the streets.

While some people born to such a life would chose to just lay down and die (Gavnel would know, he watched it happen more than once), this boy resolved not to let life and hardship beat him down. He started out by begging, swallowing his pride when necessary to survive. But after a time, he grew tired of the mix of condescending pity or self-righteous distain he was shown. And so, Gavnel took to thieving. Self-education is a difficult task, but the boy would sneak around the scout training barracks of the queen's army and listen in on the lessons, practicing them himself. In time he became an accomplished house-breaker.

Making enough of a name for himself in the back alleys and disreputable taverns of Divinity's Reach, Gavnel began taking on jobs for the more powerful of the city's less-than-noble. By observing the thieves with even more talent than himself, Gavnel saw that the best of them weren't knuckle-dragging thugs or prancing swashbucklers, but quiet, reserved and courteous professionals. Ambition had always been a part of Gavnel's personality; now he was he resolved to become such a professional himself.

After several years of increasing both his skill and his reputation, the thief began to believe he should do more than just simply survive. He had developed talents enough to do that without excessive difficulty; did he want his life to stagnate? No, he felt the need to do more. But he didn't know how he wanted: fame? wealth? authority? to be feared? Then, one day, while running from the Seraph for stealing a captain's sword, Gavnel had to find a place to lay low. He hid himself in a library closed for repairs. With nothing better to do, the thief spend most of his time reading books. The first book he picked up was a collection of testimonies from three adventurers: Dougal Keene, a charr warrior with the surname Doomforge, and a norn warrior whose name Gavnel didn't pay much attention (norn had always reminded him too much of the bullies of his youth). The three were the survivors of a mission to Ascalon to retrieve the Claw of Kahn-Ur, a quest that was what brought about the truce between the human and the charr nations.

Reading that book inspired Gavnel. He felt a connection to Dougal Keene, who became to Gavnel the closest thing he'd ever have to a role model. He'd heard plenty of tales in taverns from old war veterans about the bloodshed and pains of the war with the charr. And here, this thief, by letting go of personal animosity, became a pivotal figure in bringing about a truce between two races that had been at each others throats for decades.

Gavnel continued to read voraciously, remaining in the library for a full week. He read history books, treaties on the free races and their civilizations, and dispatches on recent events. He became well-acquainted with the state of affairs in the world today, and how tenuous relations between the humans, char, norn, sylvari and asura were. He read about the history of Destiny's Edge and the sad, sorry end that drove its now-legendary members apart. That tale gave Gavnel serious conflict within himself. The tale of Dougal Keene and his companions had lit a fire within him, seeing how people could let go of the past and of cultural differences to band together to make the world a better place. But the tale of Destiny's Edge showed him how having divided loyalties and those same differences could shatter even the greatest of comrades.

When Gavnel decided the heat had died down enough and left the library, it was with a new purpose for his life; to stop squandering his talents for his personal gain and to use his skills to stop the cruelty and terror that was threatening the world. He wanted to join a band like Destiny's Edge. No, GREATER than Destiny's Edge, one that would work to the betterment of the world for ALL the races, not just one. HIS band, HIS guild wouldn't let personal squabbles tear them apart and destroy the best hope the known world had to defeat the dragons. HIS guild would stay true to each other and work for all the races, coming to the aid of any kingdom, any empire, any individual person who needed it. The thief took a job guarding a caravan - using the surname Sunderland, a minor thief character in a fictional tale he read in the library - to travel the world and get a better first-hand look at the troubles facing it.

The caravan took Gavnel to Lion's Arch, where the thief fell in love with the melting pot of its population. However, the young man, filled with both ambition to rival a norn and naivete to rival a silvari, found his goal of becoming a world-changer and race-uniter much, MUCH harder than he expected. In Lion's Arch, he got a good, hard lesson in racial divisions. He found work enough as an adventurer to make ends meet - guarding shipments, acting as a bodyguard, investigating minor crimes and the like - but his attempts to strike up lasting companionship with people of other races was constantly met with frustration. The norn thought he was weak. The asura thought he was ignorant. The sylvaris' tendency to question everything made him second-guess the purpose of much of his own people's traditions, beliefs and habits. And the less said about how the charr received his gestures of camaraderie, the better.

Continual frustration led Gavnel to become moody and cynical. When he was on the job, he was a professional, through and through, maintaining his courtesy and temper as long as he had a task to focus on. But, once the job was done and he was relieved of the burden of anyone but himself relying on him, the thief began wearing his heart on his sleeve, both good feelings and ill.

Today, Gavnel tends to wander between Divinity's Reach and Lion's Arch. The boy, grown up in the streets, self-taught, and honed though various simple jobs has become a seasoned thief. Now in sound adulthood, only just beginning to approach middle-age, Gavnel has learned that learning truly is a life-long experience and he has much, much more to learn yet. He has not abandoned his ambitions; he still hopes someday to be a part of a group that will shape the course of history and unite the free races like Destiny's Edge. But he has begun to seriously doubt if he will ever succeed. His thoughts and feelings are often in turmoil as he is torn between his refusal to give up and the hard lessons he's learned. Will he ever achieve his dreams and find the companions he's longed for? Or will he abandon his hopes and resume a life of doing anything it takes to get by?

The answers will be in the tales to come.

[Annastriana]

My characters biography is here in the wiki: http://guildwars2roleplay.wikispaces.com/Annastriana

Still under development, but the basic concept and the beggining of the story is all there. Feel free to provide me feedback and constructive criticism. Also, remember that I am Brazilian and english is not my first language, hence the simple vocabulary and "objective" writing style, and forgive me for the grammar errors.