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App for Exsilium
May. 2nd, 2012 09:13 pm» PLAYER INFORMATION
Player NAME: Jen
Current AGE: Way over 21.
Personal JOURNAL: hernes_son
IM & SERVICE: YIM; redheadedgamine
Player PLURK: redheadedjenius
Current CHARACTERS: None.
» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Robin of Loxley
Canon & MEDIUM: Robin of Sherwood, 80’s tv series
Canon PULL-POINT: Sometime after his death. Robin was trapped by the Sheriff’s men and the choice was to give himself up or lose his wife and brother: no contest. Ultimately he was replaced by another Robin Hood, Robert of Huntingdon, both in Sherwood and in Marian’s life. In my headcanon, he is aware of this. More details in the history below.
Character AGE: Mid 20’s
Character ABILITIES: Nigh-mythical archery skills; an excellent swordsman; pretty good with a quarterstaff. Robin was also educated by a druid called Herne, servant and high priest of a forest god also called Herne. In my headcanon, some of Herne’s teachings of magical lore and ritual rubbed off, giving Robin a close spiritual bond with growing things, and the ability to help them grow. Nothing big or showy, just causing seeds to send up shoots or flowers to bloom, that sort of thing: like time-lapse photography, but not anything the plants wouldn’t already be doing.
Character HISTORY: The folk of the village of Loxley in Sherwood Forest were gifted by their forest god, Herne the Hunter, with a silver arrow which brought them prosperity and safety as long as the arrow remained in their keeping. Robin’s father was appointed the arrow’s guardian by the local high druid, also known as Herne. When Robin was five, the assistant to the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robert de Reinault, found out about the mystical arrow and in his pursuit of it razed the village of Loxley. Robin’s father managed to smuggle Robin safely to the local miller, but was killed in the raid, and the silver arrow passed into de Reinault’s possession.
In time de Reinault became the Sheriff, and he taxed the people mercilessly with the help of his knight, Guy of Gisbourne. Robin was raised as foster-son to the miller Matthew and his wife, and his foster-brother was a boy of his own age named Much. Robin’s education was seen to by the druid Herne, gifting him with insight and a little ritual magic as well as his legendary hunting skills.
The people of Loxley suffered under the Sheriff’s reign, facing poverty and starvation. One day a desperate Much stole Robin’s bow and shot a deer. The penalty for killing one of the king’s deer was stiff - the loss of a hand, an arm, perhaps of one's life. Robin tried to get Much away before the Sheriff’s men found him, but failed, and the two were imprisoned. There were others in the prison, all doomed to hang, and together the men determined to escape and hide in Sherwood Forest as Wolf's Heads – outlaws. They fought their way out with the unexpected assistance of Lady Marian of Leaford, with whom Robin fell in love at first sight.
After Robin’s escape the druid Herne came to him, saying he was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Hooded Man. 'They are all waiting,' Herne said. 'The blinded, the maimed, the men locked in the stinking dark, all wait for you. Children with swollen bellies hiding in ditches wait. The poor, the dispossessed, they all wait. You are their hope. You cannot escape. So must it be. Robin i' the Hood!'
Character PERSONALITY: Robin can be both gentle and fierce, depending on the situation. He is the son of a minor lord who was raised by a village miller after his father’s murder, and can be quite mannerly but isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He puts great stock in freedom, righting wrongs, caring for those less fortunate, protecting the innocent, that sort of thing. He is quite willing to steal from the rich to give to the poor; however much he wishes this sort of redistribution of wealth – or more to the point, the human rights that money affords - could be accomplished without bloodshed, he accepts that there will often be collateral damage in these kinds of situations, though it saddens him. He is generally good-humored but can have a quick and hot temper, especially when he perceives injustice or the endangerment of innocents.
Good humor aside, there is something indefinably sad about Robin. His role was something thrust upon him, not sought, and he did his best with it, though he never really believed he would succeed. He sacrificed everything to give a few people freedom from persecution for a brief time, in the hope that somehow things would right themselves, if only he could hold back the tide. Disillusionment followed upon tragedy for him, and in the end he died young, leaving only a legend behind – and he knows this. It was not what he would have chosen; it is still not what he would choose, but he will do what is right, even if it isn’t what is easy.
More than anything else, Robin is a lover of people. His friends were everything to him, and he gave all he had to keep them safe – in particular his handfasted wife, Marian. In canon, after Robin’s death she fell in love with his successor and actually raised his ghost to ask him to release her from their bond (harsh!). A heartbroken Robin agreed and Marian moved on – but the memory of that love, and the knowledge that such a love is possible, is really what drives him.
Robin regards his role as an almost religious calling, a duty he must fulfill no matter the sacrifice, even beyond death. Robin’s canon life ended when he sacrificed himself to save Marian and his brother Much; another man was called to be the Hooded Man in his stead, and so things have gone on in that world. Others have borne and will bear the name Robin Hood, others will take up the mantle and fight the same fight; but Robin of Loxley was the first to be called, and he will carry his duty and his burden forever if need be.
» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON: Robin would like a new bow, please. The one he has is fairly primitive, as he made it himself. His ideal bow would be wooden (yew, preferably), beautifully carved and magnificently balanced to his personal style and quirks. At the very least the bow would need to be of natural materials; something completely artificial or composite would be anathema to him.
Chosen SKILLSET: Robin is an archer of extreme skill and would like to be involved in missions. He is quick and silent, as befits an outlaw, and also has some skill as a thief, although his knowledge of locks and the like is medieval at best. He’s been known to pick the occasional wealthy pocket, though his preferred style is more of the ‘stand-and-deliver’ method of highway robbery.
» SAMPLES
First PERSON: [video]
[The feed flickers to life. A man appears, looking more *at* the laptop than *into* it. His hair is shaggy, long and dark, his face youthful; but there is something more to the expression in his eyes, something old, ancient even. He seems weary.]This is… unusual. Magic, is it? [He pushes his fingers through his hair and mutters, to himself more than anyone who might be listening.] Beyond my ken, any road. Not so unusual, that. [His head drops forward as he rubs his eyes.] Gods. Is there nothing alive anywhere? I feel so… ah, bloody hell. [He clears his throat and speaks a little louder.] Forgive me – where might I find something to eat?
Third PERSON:
You cannot escape. So must it be. Robin i’ th’ Hood!
Returning to life was both more and less painful than Robin would have predicted. His memories of his life were blunted, soft-edged, and the release of death had given him the blessing of freedom from the sorrows of love gained and lost, of friends slain, of a life left too soon, battles left unfought. Too, there was the odd and murky mirror of something else – not memory, precisely, but consciousness of events beyond his mortal reach, and with them the sense that a book had fallen closed.
And yet here he was.
You cannot escape.
The old hermit’s voice echoed in Robin’s aching head. He thrust his fingers into his hair, pacing. Two thousand years… and even death had not brought him peace. Had he not earned it? The others must all be dust by now, disintegrating bones lost somewhere in the earth, their souls at the right hand of God (or happily ensconced in Hell. Robin’s mouth lifted slightly as an image of Will Scarlet, surely the horseman of Chaos, came to mind).
His own body, that to which he had been born, was likely moldering in a ditch, in a forest that no longer existed. His head would have decorated a pike at Nottingham castle until it too disappeared in the morass of time. And now his breath burned in new-made lungs, his heart beat heavily in his chest. His eyes protested at the light.
You cannot escape.
He shook his head. Others had answered Herne’s call, others had borne the mantle of the Hood. Why had he, above all others, been pulled to this place? Had he not given enough, lost enough, sacrificed enough?
So must it be.
Robin sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. He had been the first. And now, it appeared, he might well be the last. His land and his King called him again, and the Hooded Man was bound to answer.
He straightened his shoulders. Curse or blessing, the burden was – had always been – his to bear.
Robin i’ th’ Hood…
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
As regards meta: Robin Hood is an iconic character in a lot of (Earth) cultures, and although this version is very specific as to background and personal history, it would not be in any way unusual for other characters to have heard of him, or some version of him – especially since even in his own canon there was more than one Robin Hood. Whether the stories they’ve heard are true or not is an entirely separate matter – I would be sticking to the Robin of Sherwood canon to determine whether they were events in this Robin’s life. For example, the well-known quarterstaff fight between Robin and Little John was enacted in the series, although with some twists; so someone referencing it might learn that yes, it happened, but maybe not the way history (or Errol Flynn) records.
tl;dr: It’s fine with me if someone wants to have heard of, read about, or seen a movie of Robin Hood in some form and wants to ask him about it.
Also: I know my prose is a bit purple, and that’s sort of on purpose. I’m trying to sound like the show, which means a Clannad soundtrack and lots of mystical portent. :)
Player NAME: Jen
Current AGE: Way over 21.
Personal JOURNAL: hernes_son
IM & SERVICE: YIM; redheadedgamine
Player PLURK: redheadedjenius
Current CHARACTERS: None.
» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Robin of Loxley
Canon & MEDIUM: Robin of Sherwood, 80’s tv series
Canon PULL-POINT: Sometime after his death. Robin was trapped by the Sheriff’s men and the choice was to give himself up or lose his wife and brother: no contest. Ultimately he was replaced by another Robin Hood, Robert of Huntingdon, both in Sherwood and in Marian’s life. In my headcanon, he is aware of this. More details in the history below.
Character AGE: Mid 20’s
Character ABILITIES: Nigh-mythical archery skills; an excellent swordsman; pretty good with a quarterstaff. Robin was also educated by a druid called Herne, servant and high priest of a forest god also called Herne. In my headcanon, some of Herne’s teachings of magical lore and ritual rubbed off, giving Robin a close spiritual bond with growing things, and the ability to help them grow. Nothing big or showy, just causing seeds to send up shoots or flowers to bloom, that sort of thing: like time-lapse photography, but not anything the plants wouldn’t already be doing.
Character HISTORY: The folk of the village of Loxley in Sherwood Forest were gifted by their forest god, Herne the Hunter, with a silver arrow which brought them prosperity and safety as long as the arrow remained in their keeping. Robin’s father was appointed the arrow’s guardian by the local high druid, also known as Herne. When Robin was five, the assistant to the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robert de Reinault, found out about the mystical arrow and in his pursuit of it razed the village of Loxley. Robin’s father managed to smuggle Robin safely to the local miller, but was killed in the raid, and the silver arrow passed into de Reinault’s possession.
In time de Reinault became the Sheriff, and he taxed the people mercilessly with the help of his knight, Guy of Gisbourne. Robin was raised as foster-son to the miller Matthew and his wife, and his foster-brother was a boy of his own age named Much. Robin’s education was seen to by the druid Herne, gifting him with insight and a little ritual magic as well as his legendary hunting skills.
The people of Loxley suffered under the Sheriff’s reign, facing poverty and starvation. One day a desperate Much stole Robin’s bow and shot a deer. The penalty for killing one of the king’s deer was stiff - the loss of a hand, an arm, perhaps of one's life. Robin tried to get Much away before the Sheriff’s men found him, but failed, and the two were imprisoned. There were others in the prison, all doomed to hang, and together the men determined to escape and hide in Sherwood Forest as Wolf's Heads – outlaws. They fought their way out with the unexpected assistance of Lady Marian of Leaford, with whom Robin fell in love at first sight.
After Robin’s escape the druid Herne came to him, saying he was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Hooded Man. 'They are all waiting,' Herne said. 'The blinded, the maimed, the men locked in the stinking dark, all wait for you. Children with swollen bellies hiding in ditches wait. The poor, the dispossessed, they all wait. You are their hope. You cannot escape. So must it be. Robin i' the Hood!'
Character PERSONALITY: Robin can be both gentle and fierce, depending on the situation. He is the son of a minor lord who was raised by a village miller after his father’s murder, and can be quite mannerly but isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He puts great stock in freedom, righting wrongs, caring for those less fortunate, protecting the innocent, that sort of thing. He is quite willing to steal from the rich to give to the poor; however much he wishes this sort of redistribution of wealth – or more to the point, the human rights that money affords - could be accomplished without bloodshed, he accepts that there will often be collateral damage in these kinds of situations, though it saddens him. He is generally good-humored but can have a quick and hot temper, especially when he perceives injustice or the endangerment of innocents.
Good humor aside, there is something indefinably sad about Robin. His role was something thrust upon him, not sought, and he did his best with it, though he never really believed he would succeed. He sacrificed everything to give a few people freedom from persecution for a brief time, in the hope that somehow things would right themselves, if only he could hold back the tide. Disillusionment followed upon tragedy for him, and in the end he died young, leaving only a legend behind – and he knows this. It was not what he would have chosen; it is still not what he would choose, but he will do what is right, even if it isn’t what is easy.
More than anything else, Robin is a lover of people. His friends were everything to him, and he gave all he had to keep them safe – in particular his handfasted wife, Marian. In canon, after Robin’s death she fell in love with his successor and actually raised his ghost to ask him to release her from their bond (harsh!). A heartbroken Robin agreed and Marian moved on – but the memory of that love, and the knowledge that such a love is possible, is really what drives him.
Robin regards his role as an almost religious calling, a duty he must fulfill no matter the sacrifice, even beyond death. Robin’s canon life ended when he sacrificed himself to save Marian and his brother Much; another man was called to be the Hooded Man in his stead, and so things have gone on in that world. Others have borne and will bear the name Robin Hood, others will take up the mantle and fight the same fight; but Robin of Loxley was the first to be called, and he will carry his duty and his burden forever if need be.
» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON: Robin would like a new bow, please. The one he has is fairly primitive, as he made it himself. His ideal bow would be wooden (yew, preferably), beautifully carved and magnificently balanced to his personal style and quirks. At the very least the bow would need to be of natural materials; something completely artificial or composite would be anathema to him.
Chosen SKILLSET: Robin is an archer of extreme skill and would like to be involved in missions. He is quick and silent, as befits an outlaw, and also has some skill as a thief, although his knowledge of locks and the like is medieval at best. He’s been known to pick the occasional wealthy pocket, though his preferred style is more of the ‘stand-and-deliver’ method of highway robbery.
» SAMPLES
First PERSON: [video]
[The feed flickers to life. A man appears, looking more *at* the laptop than *into* it. His hair is shaggy, long and dark, his face youthful; but there is something more to the expression in his eyes, something old, ancient even. He seems weary.]This is… unusual. Magic, is it? [He pushes his fingers through his hair and mutters, to himself more than anyone who might be listening.] Beyond my ken, any road. Not so unusual, that. [His head drops forward as he rubs his eyes.] Gods. Is there nothing alive anywhere? I feel so… ah, bloody hell. [He clears his throat and speaks a little louder.] Forgive me – where might I find something to eat?
Third PERSON:
You cannot escape. So must it be. Robin i’ th’ Hood!
Returning to life was both more and less painful than Robin would have predicted. His memories of his life were blunted, soft-edged, and the release of death had given him the blessing of freedom from the sorrows of love gained and lost, of friends slain, of a life left too soon, battles left unfought. Too, there was the odd and murky mirror of something else – not memory, precisely, but consciousness of events beyond his mortal reach, and with them the sense that a book had fallen closed.
And yet here he was.
You cannot escape.
The old hermit’s voice echoed in Robin’s aching head. He thrust his fingers into his hair, pacing. Two thousand years… and even death had not brought him peace. Had he not earned it? The others must all be dust by now, disintegrating bones lost somewhere in the earth, their souls at the right hand of God (or happily ensconced in Hell. Robin’s mouth lifted slightly as an image of Will Scarlet, surely the horseman of Chaos, came to mind).
His own body, that to which he had been born, was likely moldering in a ditch, in a forest that no longer existed. His head would have decorated a pike at Nottingham castle until it too disappeared in the morass of time. And now his breath burned in new-made lungs, his heart beat heavily in his chest. His eyes protested at the light.
You cannot escape.
He shook his head. Others had answered Herne’s call, others had borne the mantle of the Hood. Why had he, above all others, been pulled to this place? Had he not given enough, lost enough, sacrificed enough?
So must it be.
Robin sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. He had been the first. And now, it appeared, he might well be the last. His land and his King called him again, and the Hooded Man was bound to answer.
He straightened his shoulders. Curse or blessing, the burden was – had always been – his to bear.
Robin i’ th’ Hood…
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
As regards meta: Robin Hood is an iconic character in a lot of (Earth) cultures, and although this version is very specific as to background and personal history, it would not be in any way unusual for other characters to have heard of him, or some version of him – especially since even in his own canon there was more than one Robin Hood. Whether the stories they’ve heard are true or not is an entirely separate matter – I would be sticking to the Robin of Sherwood canon to determine whether they were events in this Robin’s life. For example, the well-known quarterstaff fight between Robin and Little John was enacted in the series, although with some twists; so someone referencing it might learn that yes, it happened, but maybe not the way history (or Errol Flynn) records.
tl;dr: It’s fine with me if someone wants to have heard of, read about, or seen a movie of Robin Hood in some form and wants to ask him about it.
Also: I know my prose is a bit purple, and that’s sort of on purpose. I’m trying to sound like the show, which means a Clannad soundtrack and lots of mystical portent. :)
