Gilbert
06-29-06, 09:26 PM
(Not sure if I need to re-register, so I thought I would anyway. The original Gilbert was level two, but whatever works... anyhoo, glad to be back. :) )
Name: Gilbert of Orkney
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Race: Human
Height: 5’11
Weight: 240 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown, extends past shoulders to mid-back
Appearance: Gilbert has a stocky build – in some ways he looks like a dwarf grown to human size. He has a beard with two braids, roughly on either side of his mouth. He has the build of a power lifter rather than a body builder – he is quite strong, but does not have extreme muscular definition. His intimidating frame is offset by a kind face and a pair of green eyes that twinkle with intelligence and humour.
Gilbert dresses consistently in browns and greens, as appropriate to the wilderness in which he most often finds himself. His clothing is loose, layered, and comfortable. He most often wears a jerkin of studded leather armour, which extends downward past his waist into a many-leaved kilt of the same materials.
Weapons: Gilbert most commonly uses four weapons, as appropriate to the situation and whatever’s close to hand. His preferred weapon is a five-foot battle-axe, with a single blade. He also favours a single-headed bearded battle-axe, which he keeps in his belt. On the opposite side of his belt is a dagger. In addition, he carries (most often on a pack-horse) a six foot maplewood longbow and a quiver of arrows.
Abilities: Gilbert talks to trees. Sometimes they talk back. More on this below. He is also beginning a tentative relationship with small bodies of water.
History: Gilbert was born and raised in the Orkney Islands, which tend to breed rather rough-hewn, independent-minded folk. Gilbert’s father was a fisherman, Gilbert’s brother is a fisherman, and although Gilbert was raised and trained in this craft, he had no love for it. Nor did he wish to raise cattle or sheep, the other occupations common to the islands. From the time he was young, Gilbert has always felt the strong pull of wanderlust – he wants to see things for himself, and what he wants to see is everything.
He took the first opportunity that came his way – when he was nineteen, he volunteered for the levy of troops which the Orkneys’ nominal overlord, Prince Hakon, demanded. His strength, intelligence, and keen perceptiveness saw him quickly rise to become one of Prince Hakon’s heralds – the notorious Sons of the Raven, known unflatteringly amongst Hakon’s enemies as the “Carrion Crows.”
Gilbert grew quickly disenchanted with this life. He travelled greatly, and this was wonderful, but Hakon was a heavy-handed overlord. More often than not, Gilbert found himself venturing to a beautiful village on a far-off coast, only to supervise the burning of the headman’s house and the flogging of the village elders for their failure to gather taxes. Gilbert left Hakon’s service, which was no easy thing. In truth, it is a tale in its own right.
Gilbert could not really go home, given the fact that far too many now associated him with the unpopular Hakon. However, it must be said that Gilbert had no great desire to go home – the wanderlust was still with him, now more than ever. And so he travelled. This has become the staple of Gilbert’s life – he serves at various and sundry duties and occupations, but they are really only an excuse to see other places. He has been a guide and a tracker, a mercenary captain and a guard on night watch. He takes his opportunities as they come, and when there are none on offer, he steps into the wild, for there is always something more to see.
It was as a result of one of these wilderness treks that Gilbert became aware of an unusual ability – and one that he has never discussed with anyone else. Gilbert long ago formed the habit of speaking to animals, rocks, streams, rivers, and so on as he traveled. It was a way of passing the time on solitary journeys.
But when he talks to trees, they often talk back. Gilbert has no idea how he came to possess this ability (and it often surprises the hell out of the trees, too), but he has come to accept it with the same sort of stoic pragmatism with which he deals with life in general. He has become fascinated by the world of trees, and has made certain conclusions about this world as a result of his experiences (for example, he has decided that birch trees are real pricks).
So Gilbert makes his way through the world, filing away his experiences, climbing mountains to see what things look like from the top, quietly watching the secret lives of badgers, and learning more about life. He knows deep in his heart that he will never be able to fully and completely know the vast complexity of the world – all its places, peoples, and creations.
And this, more than anything else, is what fills Gilbert’s soul with deep contentment.
Gilbert's abilities in speaking to trees are becoming more refined. He no longer needs to be in physical contact with the tree, although he does need to be within eye contact. This still requires all of his concentration, and he can perform no other tasks while he is communicating. In addition to this, Gilbert is starting to feel his consciousness open up to other elements of nature. He is just beginning to find it possible to communicate with small bodies of water - streams, creeks, ponds, small waterfalls - in the same way he has learned to communicate with trees. He finds it harder to speak with them, especially running water, and he must be in physical contact with them. He can perform no physical task while he is doing this.
Name: Gilbert of Orkney
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Race: Human
Height: 5’11
Weight: 240 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown, extends past shoulders to mid-back
Appearance: Gilbert has a stocky build – in some ways he looks like a dwarf grown to human size. He has a beard with two braids, roughly on either side of his mouth. He has the build of a power lifter rather than a body builder – he is quite strong, but does not have extreme muscular definition. His intimidating frame is offset by a kind face and a pair of green eyes that twinkle with intelligence and humour.
Gilbert dresses consistently in browns and greens, as appropriate to the wilderness in which he most often finds himself. His clothing is loose, layered, and comfortable. He most often wears a jerkin of studded leather armour, which extends downward past his waist into a many-leaved kilt of the same materials.
Weapons: Gilbert most commonly uses four weapons, as appropriate to the situation and whatever’s close to hand. His preferred weapon is a five-foot battle-axe, with a single blade. He also favours a single-headed bearded battle-axe, which he keeps in his belt. On the opposite side of his belt is a dagger. In addition, he carries (most often on a pack-horse) a six foot maplewood longbow and a quiver of arrows.
Abilities: Gilbert talks to trees. Sometimes they talk back. More on this below. He is also beginning a tentative relationship with small bodies of water.
History: Gilbert was born and raised in the Orkney Islands, which tend to breed rather rough-hewn, independent-minded folk. Gilbert’s father was a fisherman, Gilbert’s brother is a fisherman, and although Gilbert was raised and trained in this craft, he had no love for it. Nor did he wish to raise cattle or sheep, the other occupations common to the islands. From the time he was young, Gilbert has always felt the strong pull of wanderlust – he wants to see things for himself, and what he wants to see is everything.
He took the first opportunity that came his way – when he was nineteen, he volunteered for the levy of troops which the Orkneys’ nominal overlord, Prince Hakon, demanded. His strength, intelligence, and keen perceptiveness saw him quickly rise to become one of Prince Hakon’s heralds – the notorious Sons of the Raven, known unflatteringly amongst Hakon’s enemies as the “Carrion Crows.”
Gilbert grew quickly disenchanted with this life. He travelled greatly, and this was wonderful, but Hakon was a heavy-handed overlord. More often than not, Gilbert found himself venturing to a beautiful village on a far-off coast, only to supervise the burning of the headman’s house and the flogging of the village elders for their failure to gather taxes. Gilbert left Hakon’s service, which was no easy thing. In truth, it is a tale in its own right.
Gilbert could not really go home, given the fact that far too many now associated him with the unpopular Hakon. However, it must be said that Gilbert had no great desire to go home – the wanderlust was still with him, now more than ever. And so he travelled. This has become the staple of Gilbert’s life – he serves at various and sundry duties and occupations, but they are really only an excuse to see other places. He has been a guide and a tracker, a mercenary captain and a guard on night watch. He takes his opportunities as they come, and when there are none on offer, he steps into the wild, for there is always something more to see.
It was as a result of one of these wilderness treks that Gilbert became aware of an unusual ability – and one that he has never discussed with anyone else. Gilbert long ago formed the habit of speaking to animals, rocks, streams, rivers, and so on as he traveled. It was a way of passing the time on solitary journeys.
But when he talks to trees, they often talk back. Gilbert has no idea how he came to possess this ability (and it often surprises the hell out of the trees, too), but he has come to accept it with the same sort of stoic pragmatism with which he deals with life in general. He has become fascinated by the world of trees, and has made certain conclusions about this world as a result of his experiences (for example, he has decided that birch trees are real pricks).
So Gilbert makes his way through the world, filing away his experiences, climbing mountains to see what things look like from the top, quietly watching the secret lives of badgers, and learning more about life. He knows deep in his heart that he will never be able to fully and completely know the vast complexity of the world – all its places, peoples, and creations.
And this, more than anything else, is what fills Gilbert’s soul with deep contentment.
Gilbert's abilities in speaking to trees are becoming more refined. He no longer needs to be in physical contact with the tree, although he does need to be within eye contact. This still requires all of his concentration, and he can perform no other tasks while he is communicating. In addition to this, Gilbert is starting to feel his consciousness open up to other elements of nature. He is just beginning to find it possible to communicate with small bodies of water - streams, creeks, ponds, small waterfalls - in the same way he has learned to communicate with trees. He finds it harder to speak with them, especially running water, and he must be in physical contact with them. He can perform no physical task while he is doing this.