hears_both_gods | work in progress


CHARACTER NAME GOES HERE
CHARACTER NAME: Athelstan FANDOM Vikings AGE 25 SEX Male SEXUALITY Straight SPECIES Human CANON POINT Season 2, episode four PB (George Blagden) PLAYER NAME Robin PLAYER CONTACT Rschwartz84@gmail.com PLAYER AGE 29 PLAYER TIMEZONE EST AVAILABILITY Evenings, though am on on and off slowtime	CHARACTER HISTORY Wiki History page PERSONALITY At heart, Athelstan is a gentle soul, wanting to heal and take the more diplomatic path then the violent one. His sense of empathy and past as a slave means it's hard for him to see others mistreated, and the sight of a woman being abused will always make his stomach turn. He uses his knowledge of viking law to save a woman from being beaten to death, and when a bishop's tortured for amusement, he cuts the man's throat to keep him from suffering any more pain. Even when he gains his freedom, he retains a sense of empathy with those who have no power over their lives, knowing that it was only fate and luck that enabled him to earn his own freedom. Having been raised as a monk, Athelstan was educated in reading, writing and fluent in several languages. When taken on his first raid, it's not gold or jewels that attract him, but rather the unfinished manuscripts left by the monks. After his rescue by King Ecbert, Athelstan is offered the chance to translate Roman texts, a duty he takes with great pleasure. While the vikings offered a life of adventure and worldliness, he still enjoys the arts and skills that he picked up as a monk. Having no paper or books in the viking village, his creativity took on the form of listening to stories, the vikings having plenty of them with different gods and myths. If there's one thing he will always give to the Vikings, it's that they know how to tell a good story. Althelstan shows a pragmatism that could be read is stockholm syndrome during the first year or so of his captivity. Having no means of building or buying a boat, he never escapes from the vikings because he knows he won't survive, at one point even telling Ragnar he has no interest in leaving. His way of outwardly adopting viking garb and dress is seen as a cover up by some, but to the former monk, it's a means for his own survival in a harsh climate and even harsher people. For the longest time, he wished to be a free man, but he's practical enough to know that his lot is better with Ragnar than he is on his own. Five years into his living with Ragnar and his family,of experiencing viking and pagan life, Athelstan seems to walk the line between Norseman and English. While he sees signs of the viking gods on earth, he still prays to the christian god when he thinks he's alone. A decent enough warrior in the shield wall, it's less from experience and more of wanting to prove himself that helps him survive. Since his capture, crucifixion and near death, the conflict inside him has grown even deeper. Should he pay for sins against god, or is it a sign that he's no longer the christian man he believed himself to be. Such doubts translate into what could possibly be PTSD in the form of nightmares, both waking and a sleep, and religious hallucinations that never last more than a minute. SPECIAL ABILITIES Athelstan is an omniglot, able to speak Old Norse, german, latin, greek, along with English and some french. He also has the skills of an artist, able to draw and paint manuscripts from his time in the monastery. Having been a slave and eventual steward of Ragnar's household, he's able to manage and run a household maybe better than most of the warriors who are used to seeing battle. While not up to par with the other vikings, Athelstan also displays skills with an axe and shield, able to hold his own in the shield wall as well as handle two axes when King Horik orders his family to be killed. WRITING SAMPLES (In game)