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Merlin Gwaine page
Source Material Gawain page
SIR GWAINE of Orkney
Knight of the Round Table
Theme Songs:
Whiskey Hangover, Godsmack
Topless, Breaking Benjamin (For Morgana)
Appearance:
About 5'11", just under 13 stone, Gwaine's eyes and hair are a warm brown. He usually sports a roguish beard, more because he dislikes shaving than any other reason, though he can be quite vain. Gwaine is not exceptionally tall, but he is exceptionally attractive. He knows he's good-looking, and wants everyone else to know it, too. Wearing clothes confuses him, and he is most comfortable in some state of undress (he will often train or spar shirtless until someone yells at him to put some armor on). He always wears a chain round his neck that holds a gold ring and a dragon scale pendant with his family crest on it. His accent is confused from having lived everywhere, and he is quite good at impressions of other regional dialects.
"But Sir Gawaine had a custom that he used daily at dinner and at supper that he loved well all manner of fruit and in especial apples and pears. And therefore whosoever dined or feasted Sir Gawaine would commonly purvey for good fruit for him and so did the queen for to please Sir Gawaine she let purvey for him of all manner of fruit for Sir Gawaine was a passing hot knight of nature."
(Le Morte D'Arthur)
Background:
Gwaine is the son of Loth, younger brother of King (then Prince) Lot. Loth was disowned for "running off and joining the pagans" when he entered the service of the King of Orkney. In Orkney, Loth fell in love with Anna, the King's sister, and they were forced to elope and flee. Loth then entered the service of Orkney's enemy, Caerleon, and he and Anna were married and had four children: Gwalchmai, Gwalhafed, Gaheris, and Gwaine.
When Gwaine was not even a year old, Loth and his two oldest brothers were killed in battle, and Caerleon denied Anna's request for compensation, and the family was left penniless. She married again, a brutish nobleman named Lamorak, by whom she had two more children: Gareth, and her only daughter, Gwarae. Gwaine doted on them, not caring that they were only half-siblings. When Gwaine was nine, he "accidentally" killed Lamorak while defending his mother from his abuses, but this left his family again destitute. Over the course of the next three years living in poverty, Anna and Gaheris fell ill and died, leaving twelve year old Gwaine to care for Gareth and Gwarae. They scraped together a meager living, but in despair at their situation Gwaine fell in with unsavory individuals and turned to drink; when he came back to the hovel they shared from the tavern one night, Gareth and Gwarae were gone. He regrets nothing more bitterly than this.
For at least ten years after that, Gwaine was a vagabond and a sword for hire, pursuing pleasures of the flesh and alternately making friends and enemies. He has traveled the world over and claims to have "seen it all" (and he has actually seen quite a lot). He was looking for a noble "worth dying for" and found him in King Arthur, becoming one of the Knights of the Round Table after the death of Uther Pendragon.
"Than Sir Gawayne was glade: agayne hym he rydez,
Wyth Galuth his gude swerde graythely hym hyttez;
The knyghte on þe coursere he cleuede in sondyre—
Clenlyche fro þe croune his corse he dyuysyde,
And þus he killez þe knyghte with his kydd wapen."
(Alliterative Morte)
Skills:
Fighting, especially brawling. Jousting and fencing both present something of a problem for him, as he is largely untrained in the sports, but he knows his way around a sword just as well as he knows his way around a tavern wench. He fights to win (though some might call it "dishonorably"), and as such could best any of the other knights of Camelot, including Arthur.
He is generally affable and makes friends easily, is mindful of remembering names and faces, especially of the the disenfranchised and commoners. He knows bartenders, tradesmen, and servants by name, and he never forgets a face.
Gwaine has been around--twice--and as such is pretty full of experiential, practical knowledge. It tends to come in the form of useless trivia, but while he was never formally educated (he can barely read) he has a lot of street-smarts and survival skills.
Is also a functioning alcoholic, which takes a lot more skill than you'd think it does.
"If but I hadna siclike waeful passions."
(The Once and Future King)
Personality:
Gwaine is a man of extremes and contradictions. He is a lover and a fighter. He either loves unconditionally or hates completely. He can be either laid-back and carefree, or neurotic and restless. He is a textbook hedonist and narcissist, but will also display extreme selflessness in defense of his friends. He shows his humility in denying his noble birth, yet insists on being respected for his noble behavior (which even he will admit is a stretch). While loosely moral at best, he is ultimately wholly dedicated to doing what he believes is right.
Gwaine respects honor, inherent nobility, and loyalty above all else, though he does not see these traits as being relevant to his own character. He sets low standards for himself and does not have high personal ambitions, probably so as not to disappoint himself more than he already has. His general dislike of those of noble blood, whom he sees as selfish, corrupt and power-hungry, is at least partially fueled by self-loathing. Named "Strength" by Grettir and the Druids, he also displays courage in battle. He has a greater than usual streak of defiance, and won't take crap from anyone. Because of his preoccupation with merit-based nobility, he is an astute judge of character, and does not trust anyone easily. He is content to be known as Camelot's party-boy and jokester, has a good sense of humor, and is ever-cheerful and optimistic. He is always hungry.
"Marcellus Mutius, who was hoping to avenge Gaius Quintillianus, tried to attack Gawain from behind and was just beginning to lay his hands on him. But Gawain spun around and struck him with his sword right through the helm, cleaving his head all the way down to his chest. He told Mutius that, when he saw Quintillianus in Hell, he should tell him that this was why the Britons’ boasting was not idle."
(History of the Kings of Britain)
Relationships:
Arthur: For having been a wandering hired sword for so much of his life, apparently, when Gwaine falls for a liege-lord, he falls hard. Whatever, Arthur inspires confidence in loads of people. He will still tease and name-call the young King ("Princess" is an old nickname, and he hasn't come up with a suitable replacement yet), but few would sooner die in his service than Gwaine.
Gwen: Gwaine wouldn't have believed he could be so devoted to one woman and not even be getting anything out of it, but this is exactly his relationship to Queen Guinevere. While he had a crush on her when he first met her, he quickly backed off when he saw her dedication to Arthur, and is now content to serve and protect her absolutely.
Merlin: Merlin was probably his first friend in a very long time. Merlin is also one of the few people Gwaine trusts, and he is the only one to know (albeit a little) of his history. Although Gwaine enjoys teasing Merlin to no end, he is also fiercely protective of the young warlock, in a kind of I'm-his-big-brother-so-no-one-else-is-allowed-to-abuse-him kind of way. Gwaine for some time guessed, and is now aware of Merlin's magic.
Leon: Gwaine pretends to have a grudging respect for Leon and be annoyed by his enormous nobility, but in fact he actually respects and admires Leon a great deal and even wishes that he could be more like him in nearly every way. If nothing else, they complete each other and make for a great team. Leon also knows some of Gwaine's history.
Kilhwch: At first meeting, Gwaine thought he had discovered a kindred spirit, though his suspicions grew exponentially the more time he spent with Arthur's cousin. Gwaine's insistence on noble behavior and honor clashed with Kilhwch's lack of either, and now Gwaine hates him absolutely: he embodies Gwaine's paradigm of a corrupt, selfish, noble-by-blood scum of the earth. If he gets even a whiff of Kilwhch being an asshole to one of his friends, he becomes immediately incensed and violent: but one can never tell if such actions are born more out of love for his friend or hatred for this man.
Lancelot: Gwaine and he have an informal rivalry going on, as their journey toward knighthood was somewhat in opposite directions: while Gwaine is jaded with the idea, Lance is an idealist and aspires to knightly virtues and stuff. Gwaine thinks Lance is a sissy, and Lancelot thinks Gwaine is a brute, but neither would complain to have the other at his back in a battle.
Percival: Gwaine can usually rope the gentle giant into anything, so he is usually his right hand in elaborate pranks and shenanigans he pulls. It also helps pulling chicks to have a strapping six-footer as your wingman, and Percy is the only one who can even come close to keeping up with Gwaine at the tavern.
Elyan: Gwaine mildly dislikes Elyan, because he sees in Elyan so much of the responsibility-shirking worthless-big-brother in himself at one time in his life. Still, he tends more to avoid Elyan than bicker with him, and the two of course respect one another as warriors.
Elaine: Gwaine sees her as his partner in crime against Leon's prudishness. She and Gwaine have similar personalities, which is why he thinks she would be good for Leon.
Morgana: He doesn't want to talk about her.
"That's SIR Gwaine to you!"
(Merlin)
Source Material Gawain page
SIR GWAINE of Orkney
Knight of the Round Table
Theme Songs:
Whiskey Hangover, Godsmack
Topless, Breaking Benjamin (For Morgana)
Appearance:
About 5'11", just under 13 stone, Gwaine's eyes and hair are a warm brown. He usually sports a roguish beard, more because he dislikes shaving than any other reason, though he can be quite vain. Gwaine is not exceptionally tall, but he is exceptionally attractive. He knows he's good-looking, and wants everyone else to know it, too. Wearing clothes confuses him, and he is most comfortable in some state of undress (he will often train or spar shirtless until someone yells at him to put some armor on). He always wears a chain round his neck that holds a gold ring and a dragon scale pendant with his family crest on it. His accent is confused from having lived everywhere, and he is quite good at impressions of other regional dialects.
"But Sir Gawaine had a custom that he used daily at dinner and at supper that he loved well all manner of fruit and in especial apples and pears. And therefore whosoever dined or feasted Sir Gawaine would commonly purvey for good fruit for him and so did the queen for to please Sir Gawaine she let purvey for him of all manner of fruit for Sir Gawaine was a passing hot knight of nature."
(Le Morte D'Arthur)
Background:
Gwaine is the son of Loth, younger brother of King (then Prince) Lot. Loth was disowned for "running off and joining the pagans" when he entered the service of the King of Orkney. In Orkney, Loth fell in love with Anna, the King's sister, and they were forced to elope and flee. Loth then entered the service of Orkney's enemy, Caerleon, and he and Anna were married and had four children: Gwalchmai, Gwalhafed, Gaheris, and Gwaine.
When Gwaine was not even a year old, Loth and his two oldest brothers were killed in battle, and Caerleon denied Anna's request for compensation, and the family was left penniless. She married again, a brutish nobleman named Lamorak, by whom she had two more children: Gareth, and her only daughter, Gwarae. Gwaine doted on them, not caring that they were only half-siblings. When Gwaine was nine, he "accidentally" killed Lamorak while defending his mother from his abuses, but this left his family again destitute. Over the course of the next three years living in poverty, Anna and Gaheris fell ill and died, leaving twelve year old Gwaine to care for Gareth and Gwarae. They scraped together a meager living, but in despair at their situation Gwaine fell in with unsavory individuals and turned to drink; when he came back to the hovel they shared from the tavern one night, Gareth and Gwarae were gone. He regrets nothing more bitterly than this.
For at least ten years after that, Gwaine was a vagabond and a sword for hire, pursuing pleasures of the flesh and alternately making friends and enemies. He has traveled the world over and claims to have "seen it all" (and he has actually seen quite a lot). He was looking for a noble "worth dying for" and found him in King Arthur, becoming one of the Knights of the Round Table after the death of Uther Pendragon.
"Than Sir Gawayne was glade: agayne hym he rydez,
Wyth Galuth his gude swerde graythely hym hyttez;
The knyghte on þe coursere he cleuede in sondyre—
Clenlyche fro þe croune his corse he dyuysyde,
And þus he killez þe knyghte with his kydd wapen."
(Alliterative Morte)
Skills:
Fighting, especially brawling. Jousting and fencing both present something of a problem for him, as he is largely untrained in the sports, but he knows his way around a sword just as well as he knows his way around a tavern wench. He fights to win (though some might call it "dishonorably"), and as such could best any of the other knights of Camelot, including Arthur.
He is generally affable and makes friends easily, is mindful of remembering names and faces, especially of the the disenfranchised and commoners. He knows bartenders, tradesmen, and servants by name, and he never forgets a face.
Gwaine has been around--twice--and as such is pretty full of experiential, practical knowledge. It tends to come in the form of useless trivia, but while he was never formally educated (he can barely read) he has a lot of street-smarts and survival skills.
Is also a functioning alcoholic, which takes a lot more skill than you'd think it does.
"If but I hadna siclike waeful passions."
(The Once and Future King)
Personality:
Gwaine is a man of extremes and contradictions. He is a lover and a fighter. He either loves unconditionally or hates completely. He can be either laid-back and carefree, or neurotic and restless. He is a textbook hedonist and narcissist, but will also display extreme selflessness in defense of his friends. He shows his humility in denying his noble birth, yet insists on being respected for his noble behavior (which even he will admit is a stretch). While loosely moral at best, he is ultimately wholly dedicated to doing what he believes is right.
Gwaine respects honor, inherent nobility, and loyalty above all else, though he does not see these traits as being relevant to his own character. He sets low standards for himself and does not have high personal ambitions, probably so as not to disappoint himself more than he already has. His general dislike of those of noble blood, whom he sees as selfish, corrupt and power-hungry, is at least partially fueled by self-loathing. Named "Strength" by Grettir and the Druids, he also displays courage in battle. He has a greater than usual streak of defiance, and won't take crap from anyone. Because of his preoccupation with merit-based nobility, he is an astute judge of character, and does not trust anyone easily. He is content to be known as Camelot's party-boy and jokester, has a good sense of humor, and is ever-cheerful and optimistic. He is always hungry.
"Marcellus Mutius, who was hoping to avenge Gaius Quintillianus, tried to attack Gawain from behind and was just beginning to lay his hands on him. But Gawain spun around and struck him with his sword right through the helm, cleaving his head all the way down to his chest. He told Mutius that, when he saw Quintillianus in Hell, he should tell him that this was why the Britons’ boasting was not idle."
(History of the Kings of Britain)
Relationships:
Arthur: For having been a wandering hired sword for so much of his life, apparently, when Gwaine falls for a liege-lord, he falls hard. Whatever, Arthur inspires confidence in loads of people. He will still tease and name-call the young King ("Princess" is an old nickname, and he hasn't come up with a suitable replacement yet), but few would sooner die in his service than Gwaine.
Gwen: Gwaine wouldn't have believed he could be so devoted to one woman and not even be getting anything out of it, but this is exactly his relationship to Queen Guinevere. While he had a crush on her when he first met her, he quickly backed off when he saw her dedication to Arthur, and is now content to serve and protect her absolutely.
Merlin: Merlin was probably his first friend in a very long time. Merlin is also one of the few people Gwaine trusts, and he is the only one to know (albeit a little) of his history. Although Gwaine enjoys teasing Merlin to no end, he is also fiercely protective of the young warlock, in a kind of I'm-his-big-brother-so-no-one-else-is-allowed-to-abuse-him kind of way. Gwaine for some time guessed, and is now aware of Merlin's magic.
Leon: Gwaine pretends to have a grudging respect for Leon and be annoyed by his enormous nobility, but in fact he actually respects and admires Leon a great deal and even wishes that he could be more like him in nearly every way. If nothing else, they complete each other and make for a great team. Leon also knows some of Gwaine's history.
Kilhwch: At first meeting, Gwaine thought he had discovered a kindred spirit, though his suspicions grew exponentially the more time he spent with Arthur's cousin. Gwaine's insistence on noble behavior and honor clashed with Kilhwch's lack of either, and now Gwaine hates him absolutely: he embodies Gwaine's paradigm of a corrupt, selfish, noble-by-blood scum of the earth. If he gets even a whiff of Kilwhch being an asshole to one of his friends, he becomes immediately incensed and violent: but one can never tell if such actions are born more out of love for his friend or hatred for this man.
Lancelot: Gwaine and he have an informal rivalry going on, as their journey toward knighthood was somewhat in opposite directions: while Gwaine is jaded with the idea, Lance is an idealist and aspires to knightly virtues and stuff. Gwaine thinks Lance is a sissy, and Lancelot thinks Gwaine is a brute, but neither would complain to have the other at his back in a battle.
Percival: Gwaine can usually rope the gentle giant into anything, so he is usually his right hand in elaborate pranks and shenanigans he pulls. It also helps pulling chicks to have a strapping six-footer as your wingman, and Percy is the only one who can even come close to keeping up with Gwaine at the tavern.
Elyan: Gwaine mildly dislikes Elyan, because he sees in Elyan so much of the responsibility-shirking worthless-big-brother in himself at one time in his life. Still, he tends more to avoid Elyan than bicker with him, and the two of course respect one another as warriors.
Elaine: Gwaine sees her as his partner in crime against Leon's prudishness. She and Gwaine have similar personalities, which is why he thinks she would be good for Leon.
Morgana: He doesn't want to talk about her.
"That's SIR Gwaine to you!"
(Merlin)
Last edited by Maeglin on 2nd August 2012, 03:16; edited 11 times in total
