awkwardtrees - info

[bruxisms]

- ★ NAME: Kalan
- ★ AGE: 23
- ★ TIMEZONE: MST (GMT-7)
- ★ CONTACT: plurk @ roflskate or kalan_kaiba@hotmail.com
- ★ LATEST AC: N/A

( CHARACTER INFORMATION )
- ★ NAME: Stannis Baratheon
- ★ AGE: 34
- ★ CANON POINT: A Game of Thrones, shortly after returning to Dragonstone.
- ★ CANON INFORMATION: Geroge RR Matrin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" Novel series. See both world specific information and character specific information.

- ★ PERSONALITY:

Although Stannis is not a POV character, he has significant interactions with various characters. Furthermore, certain key characters in his storyline (such as his wife, Selyse) have had their personalities altered or are otherwise omitted from the adaption. As such, I am primarily drawing on book canon.

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 deadpan comments), stern and certainly not the sort of man that easily inspires love. With the exception of Davos Seaworth and the Red Priestess Melisandre, there are few who feel any deep sense of loyalty towards him. At times, it seems that even Stannis himself doesn't want the crown. But, he still pursues it with all the passion in the world for one reason alone: because he is the rightful heir, and it is his duty to fight for it. His belief in his own righteousness leads him to some strange bedfellows, and a strange new religion.

Unlike his wife or Melisandre however, Stannis doesn't seem to have a deep connection to his new faith. In fact, he confides in his advisor, Davos that he doesn't worship any gods. All the same, he follows her counsel because she has proven herself to have some manner of power that will be able to deliver him to the throne that is his by rights. While she also proclaims him to the the Prince Who Was Promised, a legendary figure destined to save the world from the Long Night, Stannis doesn't particularly seem to buy into that either, growing visibly uncomfortable whenever she brings it up (a particularly obvious example is near the end of Book 3, where Samwell Tarly notes this and observes Stannis rapidly change the subject). However, he still goes north to the Wall to fight off the Wildlings (and eventually the Others), because as rightful king, it is his duty to do so. Yes, more than any god, Stannis "worships" duty.

Above even his belief in duty, Stannis's greatest defining trait is his unyielding sense of justice. While someone like Melisandre views men as being either entirely good or entirely evil, Stannis takes a different approach. For him, a man is the sum of his actions. As he discusses with his friend and advisor Davos in A Clash of Kings: "A good act does not wash out the bad, nor the bad act the good." According to Stannis, even a virtuous man should be punished accordingly if he has committed a crime, and a charlatan rewarded should he act heroic. Furthermore, he also does not particularly judge men solely based based on their birth (as evidenced by his counsel with Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth alike, whose opinions he listens to because they have proven themselves knowledgable on certain situations) something many other lords would find inconceivable. Such an attitude contributes to the reasons why he is not particularly well-liked among the highborn lords of Westeros; to him his allies should be judged for their crimes the same way as his enemies. Ultimately however, this makes little difference to Stannis. No matter what it takes, he is a man that will have justice for the realm.

It is also important to note that Stannis is incredibly stoic when it comes to his relationships, particularly when they are of the female persuasion. Although he is married, Stannis shows little to no interest in women. His brother remarks that he "goes to his marriage bed like he goes to battle: with a grim look in his eyes and a determination to do his duty". 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, with her remarking to herself (when comparing Stannis to Jon Snow) "he does not love her... but he will make use of her". No matter what, "duty" once again comes before his personal relationships.

However, despite his stubbornness and rigidity, Stannis not a man without any scruples, and though he is not provided a "point of view" in the novels, he often shares his doubts with Davos, one of his closest advisors and (arguably) his only true friend. As he tells Davos, one of the hardest decisions of his life was choosing to side with his elder brother, rather than his rightful king. Also, when his younger (and usurping) brother Renly is killed (by Melisandre's shadow magic, with the very heavy implication that Stannis was somehow involved), he expresses nothing short of regret for the way things turned out, again confiding in Davos how much he truly loved the young man, despite their differences. 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 (after all, Edric is his own blood and more importantly, his daughter's friend, but is one life worth the lives of millions?). Like any other man, he is faced with difficult decisions, and is conflicted when what is dutiful conflicts with his own personal morals.

To sum it up, Stannis is not the sort of man that's easy to like. After all he's the king that no one particularly wanted. But in the end, he is someone who ultimately tries to do the "right" thing, no matter the cost.

- ★ COURT ALLIANCE: The Seelie court. While Stannis has done a some unsavoury things in the name of "justice", he ultimately is highly devoted to order and duty. Furthermore, the Unseelie idea of "passion before duty" would be so foreign to him, he would outright refuse to fight for them. While not fully agreeing with all the values represented by the Seelie court, it is ultimately the better fit for him.

- ★ ABILITIES: Other than the occasional vague visions via flames, Stannis is a perfectly normal human (albeit one skilled at both strategy and combat)
- ★ INVENTORY: His sword, his clothing, considered rather simple for a lord of his standing, and a small pouch of silver stags and gold dragons (the currency of the Seven Kingdoms).

( SAMPLES )

- ★ NETWORK SAMPLE:

[ Lord Stannis Baratheon is not one who is particularly fond of surprises (although, one might be hard-pressed to say that he is particularly fond of anything). So, to say that he does not take kindly to finding himself in a queer new realm, despite initially taking the strange creatures at their word, is something of an understatement.

His jaw is clenched as his teeth move from side to side. ]

There are some men who will accept what they are told, never questioning the intention behind others' actions. These men, who trust too freely, ofttimes finding themselves against the blade of a traitor that masqueraded as a "friend".

[ His frown deepens. ]

I had not thought myself to be such a man until this very moment. [ A pause as he clenches his jaw more tightly. ] Truth be told, I am not entirely sure that this is not all some manner of dream.

[ Although that raises the all-too unsettling question as to what brought about this dream. Perhaps Maester Cressen was correct in saying that he had listened far too much to talk of a "Lord of Light" from his lady wife. ]

Be that as it may, I will not make the same mistake again. To those that have been brought here (should this device speak truly), I bid you to show your faces so that I may pass my own judgement on you.

[ Yes, he will not make the same mistake again.

And with yet another frown, he shuts off the "feed". ]

- ★ LOG SAMPLE:
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