ooc ; magicdraft application ; spoilers for all of asoiaf
PLAYER INFORMATIONNAME: Kalan
AGE: 21
JOURNAL: roflskate
AIM/PLURK/EMAIL: AIM | kalanchan ; PLURK | roflskate ; E-MAIL | kalan_kaiba@hotmail.com
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER INFORMATIONSERIES: A Song of Ice and Fire
NAME: Stannis Baratheon
RACE: Human/ RIGHTFUL KING OF WESTEROS
AGE: Somewhere around 35-36, though he has the appearance of an older man, due in part to stress (among other things).
CANON POINT: Mid Book Five: A Dance With Dragons, right before he marches south from the Wall.
REFERENCES: Wiki page can be found here
GENDER: Male
APPEARANCE:
The Baratheon line has a long history of producing men and women with black hair and deep blue eyes. Stannis is no exception to this rule, though he has lost most of his hair. Like his brothers Robert and Renly, Stannis is also a tall and relatively sturdily-built man. However, that's where most of the similarities to his brothers end.
While Renly and Robert (in his youth) were described as being extremely good-looking, Stannis is described as being rather plain, if not harsh. He keeps his beard trimmed extremely short as well. By the time of A Dance With Dragons, he has also lost quite a bit weight, giving him a more gaunt appearance. Perhaps unusually for a king, he also prefers to dress in modest clothing.
NOTE: As Stannis has not appeared in the TV series at the moment, his icons currently consist of various roles his actor, Stephen Dillane has appeared in. As soon as any official material is released, I will completely switch them over. Should this be an issue, let me know.
PERSONALITY & HOUSE REQUESTS:
Stannis Baratheon is the king that no one wanted. After all, unlike his more popular brothers, he is mostly humorless (with the exception of some extremely dry jokes ), stern and certainly not the sort of man that inspires love. With the exception of Davos Seaworth and the Red Priestess Melisandre, his lords Bannermen feel little loyalty towards him. At times, it seems Stannis himself doesn't particularly want the crown. But, he pursues it with all the passion in the world for one reason alone: because he is the rightful heir, and it is only right that he take the crown. His belief in his own righteousness leads him to some strange bedfellows, and a strange new religion.
Unlike his wife or Melisandre, Stannis doesn't seem to have a deep connection to his new faith. In fact, he confides in Davos that he doesn't particularly worship any Gods. Yet, he follows R'Hllor, because Melisandre promises him a crown, and when she tells him that it is his destiny to save the realm from the Others, he grudginingly accepts it. Why? Because it is his duty and his realm. More than any God, he is bound to duty.
Another one of Stannis' defining traits is his sense of justice.Rather than viewing men entirely in black and white, he judges them based on their actions, equally weighing both the good and the bad. This is best exemplified with Davos Seaworth, a man who is perhaps the closest thing he has to a friend. Some years ago, Davos was a smuggler that brought a shipment of onions to a beseiged Storm's End likely saving the lives of all inside. For his reward as a hero, Stannis made him a knight. For his crimes as a smuggler, Stannis shortened five four fingers on his left hand. While he is forced to compromise his morals at times for the sake of his throne (such as when he pardons the lords that originally sided with his brother Renly), he remains a truly just man and ensures that in the end, every man will reap what they sow.
He is also a man who is deeply conflicted in what he has to do. When his brother Renly proclaims himself King as well, Stannis loathes him for a traitor. However, when Renly is killed (by Melisandre, with the implication that Stannis was somehow involved), he expresses nothing short of regret for the way things turned out, telling Davos how much he truly loved his brother. Later, when he is confronted with the possibility in burning his bastard nephew in exchange for what might be the salvation of Westeros, he shows similar reservations, concerned about what the "right" thing is to do. (though thankfully before he makes a decision either way, the choice is taken out of his hands). For better or worse, he believes that everything he is doing is for the greater good.
While a difficult choice, I feel that one of the houses that fits Stannis the best is GRYFFINDOR. While most people have few kind words to say about him, one thing that can never be doubted is his courage. From the Seige of Storm's End to the Battle of Castle Black, Stannis has led his forces without fear. Furthermore, while harsh, he is never traditionally self-serving, fighting for what he believes is both his duty and the good of the realm. Another house that closely matches his personality is HUFFLEPUFF. In his own way, Stannis demonstrates a considerable amount of loyalty. When his brother rebelled against the King, Stannis remained faithful to him. Also, it cannot be denied that Stannis is a hard-working man. Even before he became king, he was Master of Ships and served on his brother's Small Council (and it's geneally implied that he didn't believe others worked quite hard enough). While one could argue that he also posses some Ravenlaw (being the first person to pry into the parentage of Robert's children) or Slytherin (his apparent willingness to resort to black magic to gain his brother's forces) ultimately, it is Gryffindor and Hufflepuff that are nearly neck in neck.
COMMUTER DETAILS: Untapped.
POSITION: Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts: Defence Against Dark Creatures.
ORIENTATION:
Functionally asexual. Although he is married and has a daughter, Stannis shows little to no interest in women. His brother remarks that he "goes to his marriage bed like he goes to war". While this could perhaps be attributed to the fact that (in the eloquent words of Petyr Baelish) "you'd have to be a fool to want to bed Selyse Florent", Stannis treats other women in a similar detached manner. Asha Greyjoy remarks that "[the] king seemed to be one of those men to whom women are another race, as strange and unfathomable as giants." The only woman that seems to be exempt from this treatment is Melisandre, and even then he doesn't seem to treat her with any particular sort of traditional affection. While it is heavily implied (if not outright stated) that there is a sexual element to their relationship, any such relations are also implied to be, at best based around duty and obligation and at worst, vaguely consensual, and the only way for Melisandre to utilise a certain ability she posesses. Though the truth most likely lies somewhere in between, it is clear that neither party factors in lust or love.
Similarly, while he does not have this same discomfort around men, he has also never demonstrated any attraction to them. Ultimately, he is a man focused on his obligations who would deny any physical attraction to any individual, male or female. Sex is like everything else to him: a duty and never ever for personal gratification.
ABILITIES & POWERS: Despite having what appears to be a magic sword (although truthfully, it is one enchanted to resemble an actual flaming sword) and being proclaimed Azor Ahai Reborn (how much even Stannis believes this is left ambiguous), Stannis has no particularly remarkable magical abilities of note. Therefore, most of his powers are derived from various aspects of his personality.
♚ Defensive Magic/Counter-curses: Above all else, Stannis is a man who continues to fight, even when faced with insurmountable odds. He defended his home castle for a year of siege with nothing but a small garrison. It was under his command that the Iron Fleet was destroyed, effectively ending a rebellion against the “proper” rule. While he ultimately did not win the War of Five Kings, by the end of it, he was the last of the titular “Kings” remaining alive. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, he as endured. Taking this level of determination into consideration, it is only fitting that he have a degree of skill in defensive magic.
Also of note is the fact that he is the only king in the realm to answer the pleas of the Night’s Watch (albeit thanks to urging from Davos Seaworth) to aid them in their battle against an array of wildings and giants. In addition, Stannis is also readying himself and his forces for what promises to be a legendary battle against strange creatures called “The Others”. Therefore, it is only fitting that he should be the man to teach others about the proper ways of defending themselves against “dark” creatures. After all, the night is dark, and full of terrors.
♚ ”Practical” Charms: However, where Stannis succeeds with offensive and defensive spells, practical everyday sorts of charms, such as the Cheering Charm, Mending Charm or Pest removal spells are lost on him. He is not the type of man for small-talk, and any spell that doesn’t have what he perceives to be a “larger purpose” would be pushed to the side in favour of more “effective” spells. In essence: he will never be the sort of individual one wants to comfort children or help with housework.
♚ Divination: While not as accomplished of a fire-gazer as Melisandre and some of the more devout followers of R’hllor, Stannis has had his share of visions. Therefore, he most likely has some degree of ability when it comes to Divination, though as it is not his particular field of study, it will likely remain unrefined.
WAND: Ash, Unicorn Hair, 12 ½ ", Unyielding. Good for Charms.
WOOD: Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant. - Though few have anything good to say about Stannis, it is almost impossible to deny either his stubbornness or his courage. And while he is rather blunt, he is certainly never “crass” or “arrogant”.
CORE: It can easily be said that one of the traits Stannis values highly among his lords is loyalty. While he doesn’t always get this loyalty from his lords, he will be happy to know he can at least receive it from his wand.
FLEXIBILITY: Say what you will about Stannis Baratheon, but he is not a man easily moved from his goals. Others have said he is the sort of man who will “break before he bends”, which makes an unyielding wand an ideal match for his personality.
MISC.: Professors have no friends. Only students and enemies.
WRITING SAMPLESFIRST PERSON:
[ Q U I L L / V I D E O ]
[ A bold sort of cursive appears over the network. Its purpose is clear, and something about the wording suggests that the writer would be most displeased should his message be ignored. ]
Albus Dumbledore. A peculiar name, and also a man with a peculiar way of calling for aid. I find myself questioning his motives. For all his talk of "honour" and "righteous" heroes, he first steals us from our lands and then fails to indicate when we shall be be returned to our rightful homes.
Are we to abandon our true duties to fight for some unknown cause? Give up our posts to... educate young minds? Is that not the job of Maesters?
It would seem that this "Albus Dumbledore" leaves far more more questions than he provides answers.
[ However, the transmission does not end with the writing. Rather, it would appear that the writer in question is unfamiliar with his device. He looks directly at the feed, grinding his teeth as he attempts to figure out what exactly he did wrong.
He would not suffer this humiliation. ]
The Others take this infernal-
[ Though, what exactly the Others should take, Hogwarts will never know, because it would appear he figured out how to end the transmission. ]
THIRD PERSON:
King Stannis Baratheon ground his teeth. He had been awake in his modest quarters for hours, and he refused to sleep. Not until he succeeded. Tonight, there would be no failure.
Since arriving, Stannis had made it his priority to perfect the spells required in his field. Though he hated being trapped so far from where he was truly needed, the very least he could do was do his duty here. And while he would never admit it, he was somewhat pleased to discover how easily most of the spells seemed to come to him. Still, there was one that strangely eluded him. One that he had been working on for days to no avail.
"The Patronus Charm", the book had said, "is both one of the most difficult and one of the most effective spells against dark creatures. It requires concentration, diligence, and a powerful memory, such as a personal triumph, birth of a child or wedding..."
A powerful memory. Already, it seemed as though he'd exhausted them all. The lifting of the siege on Storm's End. The destruction of the Iron Fleet. Shireen's birth. The triumph on the Wall. All were memories that seemed to be perfectly adequate, yet not a single one of them produced anything more than the faintest silver shield.
No, he had to find a better one. Shireen's birth had been marred by both her sex and the greyscale she had been inflicted with soon after. Robert had never truly acknoledged how important his victories had been for the safety of the realm. And the battle against the Wildlings had been nothing but a small success in a long and brutal string of failures. Surely there was one. All he required was one. Or... did he not have a single joyous memory?
Such a thought was completely absurd. Clenching his jaw, he began to pace around the room. Honestly Stannis, it's not as if you will die from smiling. He could almost hear his younger brother mocking him. Even now, Renly would continue to vex him.
At that moment, something came to the forefront of his mind. It had been sometime before the rebellion, and he have been more than seventeen. Robert would still be fostered at the Eyrie and Renly... Renly would be but a lad of five, receiving his first sword from a brother who seemed to loathe nothing more than sentimentality . Still, as Stannis remembered the joy on his young brother's face, before the rebellion, before his betrayal, before everything, a faint smile came to his lips, That was the one. It had to be the once.
He tried once again, focusing all his energy on that one memory. This time, he would not allow himself to fail.
"Expecto Patronum."