Commander Cullen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
revocation) wrote2015-10-22 04:43 pm
revocation) wrote2015-10-22 04:43 pm
app: locust court
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Froda
Preferred method of contact: PM the character journal, or private plurk (![[plurk.com profile]](https://www.plurk.com/favicon.ico)
frodabaggins)
Current characters in TLC: n/a
TICKY BOXES
Are you over the age of eighteen? y
Are you aware that the mods will use dicerolls to determine the outcome of certain actions and comfortable with the fact that while your character cannot die without your express permission, they may get into some serious trouble? y
Are you ready to rumble? yyyyyyyyy
IN-CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Cullen Stanton Rutherford
Username:revocation
Fandom, Fandom AU, or OC: Fandom; Dragon Age
Played By: n/a he's a video game character imma use his video game face.
Physical Description: "Ridiculously handsome" is probably the best way to describe Cullen. He's about 30 years old (though depending on how little sleep he's had, he can look a little older than his age), fit, square-jawed, blonde-haired, brown-eyed, he's a dreamboat. He's got a scar above his lip, even. He keeps his hair neat and styled but in its natural state it's kind of curly. Hence, Varric's nickname for him: Curly. He's your standard handsome knight sort, with broad shoulders and strong arms for holding swooning ladies. Not that he expects any of the ladies in his life to swoon.
History: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Cullen_Rutherford
Powers: Cullen was trained as a templar, so he does have some semi-magical abilities (though no one in the hypocritical Chantry will admit they're magic) dedicated to nullifying magic and bringing magic-users to heel. He can "silence" a mage's magical power temporarily, as well as nullify all magic in a certain area (also temporarily).
Talents/Abilities: He's been trained in combat with a sword and shield since the age of thirteen, he's an experienced military commander and strategist, and he's a fantastic chess player.
Personality: The personality that Cullen presents to the world is the epitome of the duty-bound soldier. He serves a cause, he serves his men, he serves his Inquisitor, he serves the Maker, he serves. He is, in his own words, "married to his work" - he takes what he does very seriously - perhaps at times too seriously, depending on who you ask - but he is determined to be the very best he can be, to serve the greater good and what he believes to be right. He's a protector by nature - he tells the Inquisitor in dialogue that he wanted to join the Templar order from a very young age for this specific purpose, suggesting his high degree of naivete about them as a child. He's the guy who physically puts himself between others and danger - his boss, his loved ones, etc. He also cares for the soldiers under his command - in the prologue of the game, he's seen coming to the aid of his wounded troops, helping them away from the battlefield. Varric later quips that he must have portraits of all the soldiers tucked into his pockets - basically a father to his men.
Cullen has high ideals, but he's also incredibly practical. He's been a soldier most of his life, and he'd generally rather be out doing things than standing around having philosophical arguments that don't help anyone. He's generally civil, but also incredibly blunt and to the point - he's not good with witty repartee, and he can't really play the "Grand Game" of noble politics worth a damn. Nor would he care to. His words are straightforward and honest - he offers his opinion, and is perfectly willing to argue if he thinks he's in the right. And if he thinks something is stupid - he will tell you so, in no uncertain terms. There almost isn't a problem he doesn't think the addition of more soldiers couldn't fix, and in general he favors hands-on sorts of help - instead of paying a contractor to do it, why not build that bridge yourself? While his position with the Inquisition means he spends most of his time at the home base of Skyhold, coordinating rather than actually doing the fighting, there are several key points where he takes the field. In the attack on Haven, and the siege at Adamant fortress, as well as during the Samson questline in which he actually accompanies the Inquisitor - we see Cullen's willingness in these situations to lead from the front, so to speak. He clearly believes that he shouldn't ask his troops to do something he's not willing to do himself, and he has no trouble putting himself in danger if he thinks it's necessary.
Cullen is good at giving orders, and he's comfortable in a position of authority. However, he's not an ideal leader and he works best when he's got others to balance him out. He lacks the charm and charisma of a true leader and sometimes has trouble seeing the forest for the trees. And beyond all that, he just doesn't like being the center of attention. He's not good with it. When he's giving orders to his troops, he does fine, but in social and formal situations, he gets flustered easily and is generally very uncomfortable. He's not the Hero - he's a logistics man, one of the people who does the grunt work that makes it possible for the Hero to be Heroic, and that's the way he likes it. He wants to be part of something bigger than himself, and would not wear the mantle of glory for his own sake.
As a solider (and frankly, a religious man), he prefers discipline and order, is punctual, pragmatic and keeps to a strict schedule and training regimen.
Underneath the competent exterior, Cullen is a severely damaged man, suffering from PTSD for the past ten years or so. He was about twenty, and serving as a Templar in Ferelden's Circle of Magi, when one of the mages there, Uldred, effectively unleashed hell on them. Cullen bore the brunt of it - he spent days being tortured, physically and psychologically, by literal demons, who tried to break his mind. It very nearly worked, and it's implied that he was a pretty big mess for a while thereafter. To this day, he suffers from severe nightmares about the incident. He keeps that part of him buried deep, and only a very few people even know about his history.
In the ten years since, he was transferred to a new post, and his trauma, and the anger it caused against magic and mages, were manipulated and used against him by his commander, Meredith, to make sure he would never question her or investigate potential abuses she was committing. Cullen isn't proud of most of the things he did during his time with the Kirkwall Circle, and to a large extent, he is driven by a need to make up for his mistakes there. He takes full responsibility for what he did - he's not proud of it, but it largely motivates the man he is now - an attempt to remember what the greater good is, and to make sure he's doing right, rather than simply serving a dogma.
In addition to his past trauma, Cullen is a recovering addict of sorts. All Templars are made to take the magical substance lyrium - it enhances their abilities to dispel magic, but it's also both toxic and highly addictive. When he left the Templar order, he chose to stop taking lyrium altogether, in order to help further remove himself from that life. He hasn't taken lyrium for the better part of a year, and while he rarely shows it, it does cause him no small amount of pain - headaches, shakiness, nausea on occasion. The Inquisitor encouraged him to remain off the stuff, and he has - however, some days are harder than others.
One of the guiding pillars of Cullen's life is his faith. He grew up Andrastian - roughly analogous to Christianity - and in fact the Templar Order is (or was when he was a member) a branch of the Chantry (the church). His education and training were as much focused on things like memorizing scripture as they were on learning how to kill. And while he may no longer be a Templar, he is still a soldier and he is still a man of faith. His belief is a big part of what keeps him sane, even after everything he's been through. As a man who needs to find any way to feel in control of a situation, he realizes that there are some things he just can't control. For him, it's comforting to put those things in the hands of his god. He's far from a perfect model of Andrastian faith, and he is never preachy, nor would he try to convert anyone. For him, it's simply a personal thing that he keeps to himself.
Underneath the layers of tough soldier, the self-doubting, self-loathing, the trauma of torture, there lies a man with a sentimental streak a mile wide. He keeps a token of good luck that his brother gave him when he was thirteen. He likes sugar cookies. He has a gently sardonic sense of humor, and a lovely singing voice. He's shy around pretty girls he likes and blushes and stammers when he's flirted with. For the first time in a long time, he finds himself with the possibility of a future to look forward to, the ability to want things for himself. He's been through enough in his life to know not to take anything for granted.
SETTING SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Estate and descriptors: The Crossroads (a turning point, drastic change, far-reaching consequences)
Reason for this Estate: Cullen's life has taken multiple drastic turns over the years - he's only 30, but he's undergone a lot of trauma and extreme personality changes because of it. Now, he's at a point where he's got real, actual choices, and figuring out what to do with that - not to mention his new powers here - is a key question for him and his future development. The Crossroads is a good representation of that.
Imperator and Code: Light. Cullen is all about protection - it was the exact reason he became a templar in the first place. Protecting and preserving life - especially innocent life - is one of his strongest motivations. Though, I don't see him agreeing with his Imperator about everything - "victory at all costs" is something he's run into before and butted heads with.
Reason for playing: Cullen is a character who has been through a lot, while still somehow managing to retain (or at least regain) his humanity. But he still has a lot of unresolved issues, and a lot of uncertainty before him, as to what to do with his life next. He comes from a world where things like PTSD aren't recognized as genuine conditions, let alone treated properly, so exploring some of the darker aspects of that is something I'm always interested in. There's also the idea of him grappling with new powers, and how to use them, which I find intriguing, especially from someone who considers magic dangerous and largely suspect. Giving him powers, I think, will force him into facing some of those fears rather than shuffling them off to the side with excuses.
WRITING SAMPLES
- In character, have your character discuss one of their fears. How did your character acquire their fear(s)?
"What was that?"
The question isn't accusatory, which almost makes things worse. Cullen knows that Cassandra would probably understand, despite the way he'd balked earlier in the day at the mouth of the cave. It had been small, dark, enclosed - and he just couldn't do it. She knows enough of his past that she wouldn't judge him for this, but still he hesitates.
"I don't - like - tight spaces," he says, haltingly, avoiding her eyes. "Something happened to me, a long time ago, and I was kept -"
He pauses, remembering the magical barrier, the demons twisting claws into his mind, into his thoughts and desires, making them horrific. Watching his friends die, and the world closing in around him. His breath coming short. He grips the hilt of his sword tightly.
"I was held in - something. For days. And now, I don't like being in... places like that. That's all."
He finally meets Cassandra's eyes, and he doesn't see pity or disgust. Just understanding.
"All right," she says, simple, straightforward, accepting. He has a feeling the repairs to his roof will continue to be delayed, even without his help.
- Write a short scene in which your character is looking in the mirror or write a short scene in which another character first sees your character.
The skin of his jaw and neck is smooth to the touch again, after his shave. Cullen stands in front of the full-length mirror, torso bare in the morning sun. There's a smattering of hair down his chest, and a handful of scars. He has no particular feelings about the scars - they're simply part of him, neither good nor bad, attractive nor ugly. He knows some men find their scars to be points of pride, perhaps try to show them off to the ladies for attention, but Cullen isn't always proud of how he got his scars.
His hair, though. His hair is another story. This morning it's curling around his ears, and he scowls at himself, grabbing the bottle of pomade. It's his one vanity, something he likes to be in control of, that he can rub the oil into his hair, smooth out those damned boyish curls, so he looks neater. More professional. Less like the green boy he was ten years ago and more like the battle-hardened Commander of the Inquisition. He tames the curls, the way he controls his fears, his awkwardness, his pain from the withdrawal. And he'll only scowl the next time Varric calls him "Curly".
Name: Froda
Preferred method of contact: PM the character journal, or private plurk (
Current characters in TLC: n/a
TICKY BOXES
Are you over the age of eighteen? y
Are you aware that the mods will use dicerolls to determine the outcome of certain actions and comfortable with the fact that while your character cannot die without your express permission, they may get into some serious trouble? y
Are you ready to rumble? yyyyyyyyy
IN-CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Cullen Stanton Rutherford
Username:
revocationFandom, Fandom AU, or OC: Fandom; Dragon Age
Played By: n/a he's a video game character imma use his video game face.
Physical Description: "Ridiculously handsome" is probably the best way to describe Cullen. He's about 30 years old (though depending on how little sleep he's had, he can look a little older than his age), fit, square-jawed, blonde-haired, brown-eyed, he's a dreamboat. He's got a scar above his lip, even. He keeps his hair neat and styled but in its natural state it's kind of curly. Hence, Varric's nickname for him: Curly. He's your standard handsome knight sort, with broad shoulders and strong arms for holding swooning ladies. Not that he expects any of the ladies in his life to swoon.
History: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Cullen_Rutherford
Powers: Cullen was trained as a templar, so he does have some semi-magical abilities (though no one in the hypocritical Chantry will admit they're magic) dedicated to nullifying magic and bringing magic-users to heel. He can "silence" a mage's magical power temporarily, as well as nullify all magic in a certain area (also temporarily).
Talents/Abilities: He's been trained in combat with a sword and shield since the age of thirteen, he's an experienced military commander and strategist, and he's a fantastic chess player.
Personality: The personality that Cullen presents to the world is the epitome of the duty-bound soldier. He serves a cause, he serves his men, he serves his Inquisitor, he serves the Maker, he serves. He is, in his own words, "married to his work" - he takes what he does very seriously - perhaps at times too seriously, depending on who you ask - but he is determined to be the very best he can be, to serve the greater good and what he believes to be right. He's a protector by nature - he tells the Inquisitor in dialogue that he wanted to join the Templar order from a very young age for this specific purpose, suggesting his high degree of naivete about them as a child. He's the guy who physically puts himself between others and danger - his boss, his loved ones, etc. He also cares for the soldiers under his command - in the prologue of the game, he's seen coming to the aid of his wounded troops, helping them away from the battlefield. Varric later quips that he must have portraits of all the soldiers tucked into his pockets - basically a father to his men.
Cullen has high ideals, but he's also incredibly practical. He's been a soldier most of his life, and he'd generally rather be out doing things than standing around having philosophical arguments that don't help anyone. He's generally civil, but also incredibly blunt and to the point - he's not good with witty repartee, and he can't really play the "Grand Game" of noble politics worth a damn. Nor would he care to. His words are straightforward and honest - he offers his opinion, and is perfectly willing to argue if he thinks he's in the right. And if he thinks something is stupid - he will tell you so, in no uncertain terms. There almost isn't a problem he doesn't think the addition of more soldiers couldn't fix, and in general he favors hands-on sorts of help - instead of paying a contractor to do it, why not build that bridge yourself? While his position with the Inquisition means he spends most of his time at the home base of Skyhold, coordinating rather than actually doing the fighting, there are several key points where he takes the field. In the attack on Haven, and the siege at Adamant fortress, as well as during the Samson questline in which he actually accompanies the Inquisitor - we see Cullen's willingness in these situations to lead from the front, so to speak. He clearly believes that he shouldn't ask his troops to do something he's not willing to do himself, and he has no trouble putting himself in danger if he thinks it's necessary.
Cullen is good at giving orders, and he's comfortable in a position of authority. However, he's not an ideal leader and he works best when he's got others to balance him out. He lacks the charm and charisma of a true leader and sometimes has trouble seeing the forest for the trees. And beyond all that, he just doesn't like being the center of attention. He's not good with it. When he's giving orders to his troops, he does fine, but in social and formal situations, he gets flustered easily and is generally very uncomfortable. He's not the Hero - he's a logistics man, one of the people who does the grunt work that makes it possible for the Hero to be Heroic, and that's the way he likes it. He wants to be part of something bigger than himself, and would not wear the mantle of glory for his own sake.
As a solider (and frankly, a religious man), he prefers discipline and order, is punctual, pragmatic and keeps to a strict schedule and training regimen.
Underneath the competent exterior, Cullen is a severely damaged man, suffering from PTSD for the past ten years or so. He was about twenty, and serving as a Templar in Ferelden's Circle of Magi, when one of the mages there, Uldred, effectively unleashed hell on them. Cullen bore the brunt of it - he spent days being tortured, physically and psychologically, by literal demons, who tried to break his mind. It very nearly worked, and it's implied that he was a pretty big mess for a while thereafter. To this day, he suffers from severe nightmares about the incident. He keeps that part of him buried deep, and only a very few people even know about his history.
In the ten years since, he was transferred to a new post, and his trauma, and the anger it caused against magic and mages, were manipulated and used against him by his commander, Meredith, to make sure he would never question her or investigate potential abuses she was committing. Cullen isn't proud of most of the things he did during his time with the Kirkwall Circle, and to a large extent, he is driven by a need to make up for his mistakes there. He takes full responsibility for what he did - he's not proud of it, but it largely motivates the man he is now - an attempt to remember what the greater good is, and to make sure he's doing right, rather than simply serving a dogma.
In addition to his past trauma, Cullen is a recovering addict of sorts. All Templars are made to take the magical substance lyrium - it enhances their abilities to dispel magic, but it's also both toxic and highly addictive. When he left the Templar order, he chose to stop taking lyrium altogether, in order to help further remove himself from that life. He hasn't taken lyrium for the better part of a year, and while he rarely shows it, it does cause him no small amount of pain - headaches, shakiness, nausea on occasion. The Inquisitor encouraged him to remain off the stuff, and he has - however, some days are harder than others.
One of the guiding pillars of Cullen's life is his faith. He grew up Andrastian - roughly analogous to Christianity - and in fact the Templar Order is (or was when he was a member) a branch of the Chantry (the church). His education and training were as much focused on things like memorizing scripture as they were on learning how to kill. And while he may no longer be a Templar, he is still a soldier and he is still a man of faith. His belief is a big part of what keeps him sane, even after everything he's been through. As a man who needs to find any way to feel in control of a situation, he realizes that there are some things he just can't control. For him, it's comforting to put those things in the hands of his god. He's far from a perfect model of Andrastian faith, and he is never preachy, nor would he try to convert anyone. For him, it's simply a personal thing that he keeps to himself.
Underneath the layers of tough soldier, the self-doubting, self-loathing, the trauma of torture, there lies a man with a sentimental streak a mile wide. He keeps a token of good luck that his brother gave him when he was thirteen. He likes sugar cookies. He has a gently sardonic sense of humor, and a lovely singing voice. He's shy around pretty girls he likes and blushes and stammers when he's flirted with. For the first time in a long time, he finds himself with the possibility of a future to look forward to, the ability to want things for himself. He's been through enough in his life to know not to take anything for granted.
SETTING SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Estate and descriptors: The Crossroads (a turning point, drastic change, far-reaching consequences)
Reason for this Estate: Cullen's life has taken multiple drastic turns over the years - he's only 30, but he's undergone a lot of trauma and extreme personality changes because of it. Now, he's at a point where he's got real, actual choices, and figuring out what to do with that - not to mention his new powers here - is a key question for him and his future development. The Crossroads is a good representation of that.
Imperator and Code: Light. Cullen is all about protection - it was the exact reason he became a templar in the first place. Protecting and preserving life - especially innocent life - is one of his strongest motivations. Though, I don't see him agreeing with his Imperator about everything - "victory at all costs" is something he's run into before and butted heads with.
Reason for playing: Cullen is a character who has been through a lot, while still somehow managing to retain (or at least regain) his humanity. But he still has a lot of unresolved issues, and a lot of uncertainty before him, as to what to do with his life next. He comes from a world where things like PTSD aren't recognized as genuine conditions, let alone treated properly, so exploring some of the darker aspects of that is something I'm always interested in. There's also the idea of him grappling with new powers, and how to use them, which I find intriguing, especially from someone who considers magic dangerous and largely suspect. Giving him powers, I think, will force him into facing some of those fears rather than shuffling them off to the side with excuses.
WRITING SAMPLES
- In character, have your character discuss one of their fears. How did your character acquire their fear(s)?
"What was that?"
The question isn't accusatory, which almost makes things worse. Cullen knows that Cassandra would probably understand, despite the way he'd balked earlier in the day at the mouth of the cave. It had been small, dark, enclosed - and he just couldn't do it. She knows enough of his past that she wouldn't judge him for this, but still he hesitates.
"I don't - like - tight spaces," he says, haltingly, avoiding her eyes. "Something happened to me, a long time ago, and I was kept -"
He pauses, remembering the magical barrier, the demons twisting claws into his mind, into his thoughts and desires, making them horrific. Watching his friends die, and the world closing in around him. His breath coming short. He grips the hilt of his sword tightly.
"I was held in - something. For days. And now, I don't like being in... places like that. That's all."
He finally meets Cassandra's eyes, and he doesn't see pity or disgust. Just understanding.
"All right," she says, simple, straightforward, accepting. He has a feeling the repairs to his roof will continue to be delayed, even without his help.
- Write a short scene in which your character is looking in the mirror or write a short scene in which another character first sees your character.
The skin of his jaw and neck is smooth to the touch again, after his shave. Cullen stands in front of the full-length mirror, torso bare in the morning sun. There's a smattering of hair down his chest, and a handful of scars. He has no particular feelings about the scars - they're simply part of him, neither good nor bad, attractive nor ugly. He knows some men find their scars to be points of pride, perhaps try to show them off to the ladies for attention, but Cullen isn't always proud of how he got his scars.
His hair, though. His hair is another story. This morning it's curling around his ears, and he scowls at himself, grabbing the bottle of pomade. It's his one vanity, something he likes to be in control of, that he can rub the oil into his hair, smooth out those damned boyish curls, so he looks neater. More professional. Less like the green boy he was ten years ago and more like the battle-hardened Commander of the Inquisition. He tames the curls, the way he controls his fears, his awkwardness, his pain from the withdrawal. And he'll only scowl the next time Varric calls him "Curly".