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PLAYER
Name: Kite
Age: 25
Personal Journal:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wingshapes
E-mail: spitesized@gmail.com
AIM/MSN/etc: AIM: wingshapes
CHARACTER
Name: Enkidu
Canon: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Age: mid 20s? ish.
Timeline: End of tablet 5.
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: n/a!
Personality:
Enkidu is above all, strong. He's tough in body, mind and soul - the epic especially states this several times, and he's a powerful person with a powerful personality to match. This is a matter of necessity, and of the reason for his creation. As a being made to match someone who is two thirds god, he has to be able to keep up. However, this does not mean he forgets about those who are not as strong. Enkidu is very empathetic, a trait that takes root in his animal nature. He will not coddle anyone, but he percieves the suffering of those around him through their tone, their body language, because that's his first language - the language he first learned to communicate in when he ran with the animals - and he cares. Not only that, he helps, because he's too proactive and too straightforward to simply sit and emphasize and feel with someone.
Because he was made to not simply be strong, setting up yet another tyranical ruler upon the earth, but to oppose tyranny, he is wired to care about those who suffer, and it is in his nature to stand against those that would oppress those below them or abuse their power, which is precisely why he's such a grounding influence on Gilgamesh.
This isn't to say he isn't still horribly proud. Because he is. It's his self-awareness that makes it so - he knows himself and his power and he does what he does with confidence in his judgement. So if he percieves himself to be in the right, he will start a fight with the most powerful ruler in all the land. He will throw the threat of a Goddess back at her in pieces and call her out on her actions.
None of that is particularly wise. He can be very rash, especially once his temper is in motion, which is, very luckily, not a hair-trigger variety. He isn't as impulsive as he may appear, for all that he does act on his instincts and impulses, but in the end it takes quite a bit to set him off, because, despite all appearances, he has a lot of common sense. Which, honestly, this Epic needs truckloads of. His alone isn't enough - and lapses when his temper does hit, as we see.
Enkidu isn't merely street smart, either. (Woods smart? What is the equivalent even.) The point is, he's not merely operating on instinct, and though he's prone to getting stuck in a particular form, or place, or situation that seems comfortable to him, once he learns he's very fast to learn. Within a few days he progresses from being one among the animals to walking the streets of Uruk without standing out because of his previous circumstances. He's learned a language, and some of the walks of life. What has not changed much, though, is his mindset. Enkidu has a downright indomitable will. Even as he was made aware of convention, he defies them without missing a step once he is convinced that there is something simply wrong. He refuses to stand for it and refuses to back down.
Despite having become more human, Enkidu is a very physical person. He enjoys the simple things - good food, good drink, good company - and isn't difficult to please. Give him that, and the occasional something to do, and he will be happy. In that, again, he is straight-forward and honest. It's easy to mistake for simplemindedness, because there is never any artful deception at work here, but Enkidu simply never has any desire or need for those things. Clarity suits him best. It pleases him to untangle matters, not complicate them further - he reads people, but makes himself an open book. This also comes into play when he interprets Gilgamesh's dreams. Not only does it display a fair amount of knowledge of symbolism and interpretation, but it shows that he is calm, rational, logical, and smart. Of course it's entirely possible that he has some instinctive knowledge of the divine and thus an edge in understanding heaven sent prophetic dreams, but either way it's no small feat considering the sheer amount of things he's had to learn and catch up on. It also implies a great deal of curiosity: one with no desire to learn, after all, won't. Generally, he seems to have a penchant for sticking his nose at least outside of what's his business. (re: picking a fight with a king because he's not okay with a particular ruling, especially.)
Despite what he has learned, there are some human traits he simply hasn't. Greed and envy both are foreign to him. Though he may be possessive, he is not jealous. His honest and outspoken nature in combination with his sense of justice and his temper are what serve to be his downfall, ultimately.
There isn't much for Enkidu to fear. He is firmly rooted: in his strength, in his confidence, in his purpose, his origins, his beliefs, his loyalty. He's got his convictions about how the world works - and only when several of these things start to give out under him can he be sent reeling, which is of course precisely what the Epic does. When his purpose (to be Gilgamesh's equal) suddenly no longer matters and the gods themselves want him dead, when he faces an end he can not fight, this is what has him question everything, doubt everything. He rages, for suddenly he himself feels wronged and betrayed and it's unfamiliar and terrifying for someone who has always been so much more powerful than everyone surrounding him.
Luckily, this level of yanking the rug out from under him is very hard to reproduce. Normally, he is level-headed, kind, just a dash reckless-seeming, honest, and loyal to the ends of the earth. Gilgamesh is his most important person - even though he is a egotistical, prideful tyrant. He is a hero, and Enkidu sees the greatness in him, cares for him, comforts him, vows to protect him, and would. Also, and very importantly, he fights him. Both of them need someone to butt heads with who is on their level, and a lot of the time it's a way for them to come to some kind of agreement, or to vent, or to just have fun. Enkidu was an animal, and he certainly wasn't some herbivore. He was a predator - and continues to be. It's just that now he has some purpose to use his power for, whether that's protecting the people in and around Uruk by wrestling lions into submission or sparring with Gilgamesh for the pure and simple enjoyment of it. In all, while he has a lot more common sense than his king, he still doesn't have nearly enough of it.
Background: ...I couldn't decide, so here we are.
The wiki entry on the epic.
Entry on the man himself.
The actual epic, if you feel like reading the whole thing.
Or short and sweet at bettermyths, because I couldn't not.
Abilities: For one he's in peak physical condition. And he knows how to use it - he'll easily run around mountains and pull off a variety of athletic feats. Plus, he's a great fighter, though this is less about technique and more about being stupidly powerful and having stamina for literally days, I assume. Generally speaking, he's simply above humanly possible levels, as he was made directly by the gods to oppose and match a creature who was 2 /3 god, so he's stronger, faster, and more difficult to injure than your average human. Not (alas) unkillable.
He knows the wilds like nothing else and reads both animal and human tracks with ease. He knows how to survive out there on his own and can hunt, fish, certainly knows edible plants but those are of course restricted to species he would actually know from his time and area.
For someone as tenacious as he is he's got a lot of COMMON SENSE which seems worth noting as a skill.
Also he interprets dreams very well and likely knows to speak, read and write more than one ancient and dead language, as you do.
First Person:
[The video opens, and at first, Enkidu regards it curiously, frowning once, before sitting back to adress the people watching properly.]
Many of you, I understand, have lived in this city for some time. As one who has not, there are some things that concern me, and so I turn to you for answers.
First. Who rules this city, truly? And who rules you? I've yet to encounter any sign of them as I walked the streets.
Second, and speaking of the streets, this place appears so desolate and empty. How many live here, and why all spread apart? Is it this... means of seeing one another from a distance enough for you? Do you not desire the company?
Thirdly, and finally. Has this city always been as it is, with no fortifications, no defenses against the creatures roaming about outside? I saw some of them lope across the plains from the tower - are we otherwise protected from them, or are we supposed to simply hope we'll be spared? [At the last line, his brows knit together, the distasteful frown quick to spread over his whole face. A small shake of his head later, his expression remains serious, and he reaches over to end the post.]
Third Person: Far from home, in a strange city in a strange land, Enkidu stood on the platform at the station only for a few moments. Inertia, sitting and waiting was not a how he was going to get his bearings, and he needed to, even if this were a dream - no, especially if this was a dream. Little would be achieved were he to simply hope for revelations to come to him when all of the unfamiliar dared him to explore the things he could not yet know. And though he carried the watch, it did not occur to him to be more than a trinket or a token.
His steps carried him across unfamiliar, dull paving stones. As he went, his heart sunk ever so slightly with each unlit window and each dusty, dirty or boarded up shop. In places, small plants had taken root between the stones and next to the houses, bringing to him a sense of something deserted, forgotten, and desolate. With increasing urgency he walked, seeking some soul or sign of human life, when in the distance he noticed a building much larger than the rest. Not as a tower, but broader and grander, carved stone rich with decorations. This, he was certain, would have to serve an important purpose.
Even as dark as it was, Enkidu was certain it was a place of worship. As his bare feet fell quietly on the cool, polished wood, the air inside was unmistakably one of quiet reverence, of contemplation. For all that the somber note to it was foreign, it was warm, and far friendlier than the outside had let on. Enkidu found it worth exploring. Slowly but thoroughly he moved through the columns and past the patches of light falling in through the windows, hoping to find some manner of meaning, some sign or answer. Instead, the longer he lingered, the more unease he felt.
Tempel or not, it was not until he'd left the place behind that he found in himself the peace of mind to more closely examine the trinket he'd been given.
Name: Kite
Age: 25
Personal Journal:
wingshapesE-mail: spitesized@gmail.com
AIM/MSN/etc: AIM: wingshapes
CHARACTER
Name: Enkidu
Canon: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Age: mid 20s? ish.
Timeline: End of tablet 5.
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: n/a!
Personality:
Enkidu is above all, strong. He's tough in body, mind and soul - the epic especially states this several times, and he's a powerful person with a powerful personality to match. This is a matter of necessity, and of the reason for his creation. As a being made to match someone who is two thirds god, he has to be able to keep up. However, this does not mean he forgets about those who are not as strong. Enkidu is very empathetic, a trait that takes root in his animal nature. He will not coddle anyone, but he percieves the suffering of those around him through their tone, their body language, because that's his first language - the language he first learned to communicate in when he ran with the animals - and he cares. Not only that, he helps, because he's too proactive and too straightforward to simply sit and emphasize and feel with someone.
Because he was made to not simply be strong, setting up yet another tyranical ruler upon the earth, but to oppose tyranny, he is wired to care about those who suffer, and it is in his nature to stand against those that would oppress those below them or abuse their power, which is precisely why he's such a grounding influence on Gilgamesh.
This isn't to say he isn't still horribly proud. Because he is. It's his self-awareness that makes it so - he knows himself and his power and he does what he does with confidence in his judgement. So if he percieves himself to be in the right, he will start a fight with the most powerful ruler in all the land. He will throw the threat of a Goddess back at her in pieces and call her out on her actions.
None of that is particularly wise. He can be very rash, especially once his temper is in motion, which is, very luckily, not a hair-trigger variety. He isn't as impulsive as he may appear, for all that he does act on his instincts and impulses, but in the end it takes quite a bit to set him off, because, despite all appearances, he has a lot of common sense. Which, honestly, this Epic needs truckloads of. His alone isn't enough - and lapses when his temper does hit, as we see.
Enkidu isn't merely street smart, either. (Woods smart? What is the equivalent even.) The point is, he's not merely operating on instinct, and though he's prone to getting stuck in a particular form, or place, or situation that seems comfortable to him, once he learns he's very fast to learn. Within a few days he progresses from being one among the animals to walking the streets of Uruk without standing out because of his previous circumstances. He's learned a language, and some of the walks of life. What has not changed much, though, is his mindset. Enkidu has a downright indomitable will. Even as he was made aware of convention, he defies them without missing a step once he is convinced that there is something simply wrong. He refuses to stand for it and refuses to back down.
Despite having become more human, Enkidu is a very physical person. He enjoys the simple things - good food, good drink, good company - and isn't difficult to please. Give him that, and the occasional something to do, and he will be happy. In that, again, he is straight-forward and honest. It's easy to mistake for simplemindedness, because there is never any artful deception at work here, but Enkidu simply never has any desire or need for those things. Clarity suits him best. It pleases him to untangle matters, not complicate them further - he reads people, but makes himself an open book. This also comes into play when he interprets Gilgamesh's dreams. Not only does it display a fair amount of knowledge of symbolism and interpretation, but it shows that he is calm, rational, logical, and smart. Of course it's entirely possible that he has some instinctive knowledge of the divine and thus an edge in understanding heaven sent prophetic dreams, but either way it's no small feat considering the sheer amount of things he's had to learn and catch up on. It also implies a great deal of curiosity: one with no desire to learn, after all, won't. Generally, he seems to have a penchant for sticking his nose at least outside of what's his business. (re: picking a fight with a king because he's not okay with a particular ruling, especially.)
Despite what he has learned, there are some human traits he simply hasn't. Greed and envy both are foreign to him. Though he may be possessive, he is not jealous. His honest and outspoken nature in combination with his sense of justice and his temper are what serve to be his downfall, ultimately.
There isn't much for Enkidu to fear. He is firmly rooted: in his strength, in his confidence, in his purpose, his origins, his beliefs, his loyalty. He's got his convictions about how the world works - and only when several of these things start to give out under him can he be sent reeling, which is of course precisely what the Epic does. When his purpose (to be Gilgamesh's equal) suddenly no longer matters and the gods themselves want him dead, when he faces an end he can not fight, this is what has him question everything, doubt everything. He rages, for suddenly he himself feels wronged and betrayed and it's unfamiliar and terrifying for someone who has always been so much more powerful than everyone surrounding him.
Luckily, this level of yanking the rug out from under him is very hard to reproduce. Normally, he is level-headed, kind, just a dash reckless-seeming, honest, and loyal to the ends of the earth. Gilgamesh is his most important person - even though he is a egotistical, prideful tyrant. He is a hero, and Enkidu sees the greatness in him, cares for him, comforts him, vows to protect him, and would. Also, and very importantly, he fights him. Both of them need someone to butt heads with who is on their level, and a lot of the time it's a way for them to come to some kind of agreement, or to vent, or to just have fun. Enkidu was an animal, and he certainly wasn't some herbivore. He was a predator - and continues to be. It's just that now he has some purpose to use his power for, whether that's protecting the people in and around Uruk by wrestling lions into submission or sparring with Gilgamesh for the pure and simple enjoyment of it. In all, while he has a lot more common sense than his king, he still doesn't have nearly enough of it.
Background: ...I couldn't decide, so here we are.
The wiki entry on the epic.
Entry on the man himself.
The actual epic, if you feel like reading the whole thing.
Or short and sweet at bettermyths, because I couldn't not.
Abilities: For one he's in peak physical condition. And he knows how to use it - he'll easily run around mountains and pull off a variety of athletic feats. Plus, he's a great fighter, though this is less about technique and more about being stupidly powerful and having stamina for literally days, I assume. Generally speaking, he's simply above humanly possible levels, as he was made directly by the gods to oppose and match a creature who was 2 /3 god, so he's stronger, faster, and more difficult to injure than your average human. Not (alas) unkillable.
He knows the wilds like nothing else and reads both animal and human tracks with ease. He knows how to survive out there on his own and can hunt, fish, certainly knows edible plants but those are of course restricted to species he would actually know from his time and area.
For someone as tenacious as he is he's got a lot of COMMON SENSE which seems worth noting as a skill.
Also he interprets dreams very well and likely knows to speak, read and write more than one ancient and dead language, as you do.
First Person:
[The video opens, and at first, Enkidu regards it curiously, frowning once, before sitting back to adress the people watching properly.]
Many of you, I understand, have lived in this city for some time. As one who has not, there are some things that concern me, and so I turn to you for answers.
First. Who rules this city, truly? And who rules you? I've yet to encounter any sign of them as I walked the streets.
Second, and speaking of the streets, this place appears so desolate and empty. How many live here, and why all spread apart? Is it this... means of seeing one another from a distance enough for you? Do you not desire the company?
Thirdly, and finally. Has this city always been as it is, with no fortifications, no defenses against the creatures roaming about outside? I saw some of them lope across the plains from the tower - are we otherwise protected from them, or are we supposed to simply hope we'll be spared? [At the last line, his brows knit together, the distasteful frown quick to spread over his whole face. A small shake of his head later, his expression remains serious, and he reaches over to end the post.]
Third Person: Far from home, in a strange city in a strange land, Enkidu stood on the platform at the station only for a few moments. Inertia, sitting and waiting was not a how he was going to get his bearings, and he needed to, even if this were a dream - no, especially if this was a dream. Little would be achieved were he to simply hope for revelations to come to him when all of the unfamiliar dared him to explore the things he could not yet know. And though he carried the watch, it did not occur to him to be more than a trinket or a token.
His steps carried him across unfamiliar, dull paving stones. As he went, his heart sunk ever so slightly with each unlit window and each dusty, dirty or boarded up shop. In places, small plants had taken root between the stones and next to the houses, bringing to him a sense of something deserted, forgotten, and desolate. With increasing urgency he walked, seeking some soul or sign of human life, when in the distance he noticed a building much larger than the rest. Not as a tower, but broader and grander, carved stone rich with decorations. This, he was certain, would have to serve an important purpose.
Even as dark as it was, Enkidu was certain it was a place of worship. As his bare feet fell quietly on the cool, polished wood, the air inside was unmistakably one of quiet reverence, of contemplation. For all that the somber note to it was foreign, it was warm, and far friendlier than the outside had let on. Enkidu found it worth exploring. Slowly but thoroughly he moved through the columns and past the patches of light falling in through the windows, hoping to find some manner of meaning, some sign or answer. Instead, the longer he lingered, the more unease he felt.
Tempel or not, it was not until he'd left the place behind that he found in himself the peace of mind to more closely examine the trinket he'd been given.