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ABRAXAS APPLICATION
IC INFORMATION
Character Name: Ruaidrigh "Red" Mac Raith
Canon: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Canon Point: end of the game (ascension ending)
Age: mid-30s
Background: character info | plot/world info
Arrival Scenario: Solvunn
Suitability: This character is someone who at heart wants to help people and leave a positive impact on the world -- but he's also a bit nosy, and the type to want to get involved in others' business. I think he would be well suited to the world of Abraxas because of his ties to the mystical in his own world; he would be intrigued by Abraxas and its people, and has a natural curiosity and open-mindedness that would allow him to interact easily with the setting. Within Solvunn Commune specifically, I think Red would do well because of his penchant for wanting to help people and keep the peace in a community, even when things aren't black and white. Throughout his canon, he's constantly stiving to find the best ways to help the community of New Eden and its residents, putting value in strong leadership that can handle the responsibility of the town and understanding that sometimes hard choices must be made (e.g. there is a quest where he chooses to spare a town leader who's done some pretty horrible murders because without her survival skills, the townspeople would suffer). In Solvunn, he would readily take up the chance to give back to the commune. He will want to feel useful, that he is contributing... but also, his curiosity and nosiness could lead to some interesting opportunities where he'll want to investigate the shrines, gods, etc.
Powers: As a Banisher, Red has a sensitivity to spirits; he can see and communicate with ghosts, magic entities, the undead, etc. He can tell when a living human is haunted, as well. To deal with the undead (usually done by banishing them into the void, or helping lead them to a peaceful ascension), he uses tools and spells: magic circles, rings engraved with runes, specialized weapons. Besides that, he is a skilled marksman with a rifle and adept with a blade. He's used to being outdoors, and has strong survival skills such as those used for hunting and tracking.
PERSONALITY QUESTIONS
Describe an important event in your character's life and how it impacted them.
The most important event in Red's life was the killing of his mentor and lover, Antea Duarte -- and his part in it, before and after.
Summoned to assist their friend Charles with a particularly menacing haunting case, they arrived together in New Eden, ready to face the unprecedented thread called a Nightmare. But the vengeful ghost ends up tricking Red all too easily only a day into their investigation. When he falls for the bait, unwittingly putting himself in grave danger, Antea is forced to step in and draw the Nightmare's attention away from him. In the process, she is killed... and becomes a ghost tied to Red throughout the rest of the game.
This event drives the choices Red makes. It's his fault the love of his life was killed, and is now the very thing she hates and hunts, clinging onto the world in a painful, awful limbo until they can find her body, left behind in the Nightmare's clutches. He will get some time with the ghost of his beloved, but every day is as much an agony as it is a blessing. This is the point where he must decide between his vow as a Banisher and his need for Antea. She is the woman he loves, his mentor and teacher as a more experienced Banisher, someone he relies on and follows. This is his reckoning, a sharp turning point in his life. (At this point, the player can choose either to help Antea peacefully move on, or try to resurrect her; I will be playing from the Ascension route, where Red lets Antea go in the end.)
Red makes his choice and vows to Antea that he'll find her body and help her ascend peacefully, accepting that she is dead and must stay dead, and accepting also his part in bringing her to her current state. Ghosts linger because of something unresolved, anger and hatred; even though she still loves him, Antea admits she ended up a ghost because she also resents him for his actions too. Thus, Red's beloved haunts him, literally. And even after she is gone, her memory will stay with him for the rest of his life, as will the knowledge he not only caused her death, but in the end also let her go into it, forever.
Does your character have a moral code, or other set of standards they try to live by?
"Life to the living. Death to the dead." This is the code by which Banishers do their work, striving to keep the balance between the Incarnate and the Invisible.
After spending his youth as a mercenary and haunted by the ghosts of those he murdered, Red foreswore killing people and instead dedicated himself to learning the art of the Banishers and how to defend the Veil between worlds, how to help the living and the dead alike find peace in the ways they were meant to. He tries to find solutions that will free those who are haunted and those haunting them, coming from a place of kindness and empathy toward both parties in a way that only a Banisher can.
This moral code is deeply tested when Antea dies, and Red must choose whether to follow his Banisher's oath and let her go, or instead try to bring her back using a forbidden ritual. In the end, Red decides to follow his code and Antea's own teachings, releasing her and allowing her to Ascend, while promising to continue on as a Banisher and living in a way that would honor her memory. The final words he speaks to her: Life for the living.
What quality or qualities do they admire most?
Judging by the way Red views Antea and the qualities he seems to admire in notable figures around New Eden Town, Red seems to put value in confidence, strong leadership, and independence. He admires a person who can stand on their own and stand up for themselves (and others), someone who sticks to their guns. In a leader, he wants to see someone who understands their responsibility to their community and respects the hard choices it takes to be in that kind of position, even if sometimes he might not agree with them. While Red often tries to look at things with an empathetic eye and can get lost in his emotions, he also seems to admire someone who can actually take a step back and decide what must be done. Antea is usually the one in their relationship who takes decisive action; it's clear Red admires her as a leader, and he loves her for her independent, strong-willed and no-nonsense ways, which stand in contract to his more emotional, tentative approach in many instances. He admires a person who can do what they consider right, with confidence and courage.
Do they have a part of themselves they dislike?
There's a lot about himself that Red dislikes. He feels he is weak of character and carries a lot of regrets and insecurities. He killed a lot of people when he was younger, and felt their pain and blame of him when their ghosts lingered; he hates that part of himself and tries to make up for it now. He also blames himself for his lover Antea's death, knowing that his moment of weakness and naivete cost her her life. When he fell pray to the Nightmare's trickery, it was because he thought she'd left him behind, because he felt self-doubt about his own abilities and assumed she didn't trust him. He was wrong, and he hates that part of himself too, knowing his insecurities cause missteps but unable to shake them. Red calls Antea "the boss" and follows her, letting her often make decisions and take the lead; he doesn't see himself as someone who can lead others and struggles with his self-worth.
What is their sign, and why? The Hanged Man.
Little is known about Red's past, but he spent it as a soldier -- a mercenary, precisely, which makes it seem like he was never quite part of a larger cause or group, finding work for himself where he could. After he was done with soldiering and decided not to kill people anymore, dedicating himself to being a Banisher, that choice led to a life on the outskirts of society due to the nature of the job. People have need for Banishers but naturally distrust those who talk to the dead. On top of that, his relationship with Antea Duarte, a Banisher from Cuba, dark-skinned and sidelined in European society, led him to stick with her over anyone else. They were together, traveling Europe and coming to the Colonies, but never quite part of the places they went. Antea herself says that she was born the "wrong" gender and skin color, that she was always too outspoken and willful for those around her, never fitting in. Red chose to be with her anyway.
He feels his emotions strongly, but in the end, he's also resilient. He's willing to accept the hard truths of life and bear them, willing to survive even in his loneliness. I think the Hanged Man fits him both because of his life a step apart from regular society, and within the scope of his growth as a character learning how to live without the person he relied on most, surviving her and trying to carry on the memory and work of a woman who herself was "ahead" of her time.
SAMPLES
Samples: one | two
Character Name: Ruaidrigh "Red" Mac Raith
Canon: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Canon Point: end of the game (ascension ending)
Age: mid-30s
Background: character info | plot/world info
Arrival Scenario: Solvunn
Suitability: This character is someone who at heart wants to help people and leave a positive impact on the world -- but he's also a bit nosy, and the type to want to get involved in others' business. I think he would be well suited to the world of Abraxas because of his ties to the mystical in his own world; he would be intrigued by Abraxas and its people, and has a natural curiosity and open-mindedness that would allow him to interact easily with the setting. Within Solvunn Commune specifically, I think Red would do well because of his penchant for wanting to help people and keep the peace in a community, even when things aren't black and white. Throughout his canon, he's constantly stiving to find the best ways to help the community of New Eden and its residents, putting value in strong leadership that can handle the responsibility of the town and understanding that sometimes hard choices must be made (e.g. there is a quest where he chooses to spare a town leader who's done some pretty horrible murders because without her survival skills, the townspeople would suffer). In Solvunn, he would readily take up the chance to give back to the commune. He will want to feel useful, that he is contributing... but also, his curiosity and nosiness could lead to some interesting opportunities where he'll want to investigate the shrines, gods, etc.
Powers: As a Banisher, Red has a sensitivity to spirits; he can see and communicate with ghosts, magic entities, the undead, etc. He can tell when a living human is haunted, as well. To deal with the undead (usually done by banishing them into the void, or helping lead them to a peaceful ascension), he uses tools and spells: magic circles, rings engraved with runes, specialized weapons. Besides that, he is a skilled marksman with a rifle and adept with a blade. He's used to being outdoors, and has strong survival skills such as those used for hunting and tracking.
PERSONALITY QUESTIONS
Describe an important event in your character's life and how it impacted them.
The most important event in Red's life was the killing of his mentor and lover, Antea Duarte -- and his part in it, before and after.
Summoned to assist their friend Charles with a particularly menacing haunting case, they arrived together in New Eden, ready to face the unprecedented thread called a Nightmare. But the vengeful ghost ends up tricking Red all too easily only a day into their investigation. When he falls for the bait, unwittingly putting himself in grave danger, Antea is forced to step in and draw the Nightmare's attention away from him. In the process, she is killed... and becomes a ghost tied to Red throughout the rest of the game.
This event drives the choices Red makes. It's his fault the love of his life was killed, and is now the very thing she hates and hunts, clinging onto the world in a painful, awful limbo until they can find her body, left behind in the Nightmare's clutches. He will get some time with the ghost of his beloved, but every day is as much an agony as it is a blessing. This is the point where he must decide between his vow as a Banisher and his need for Antea. She is the woman he loves, his mentor and teacher as a more experienced Banisher, someone he relies on and follows. This is his reckoning, a sharp turning point in his life. (At this point, the player can choose either to help Antea peacefully move on, or try to resurrect her; I will be playing from the Ascension route, where Red lets Antea go in the end.)
Red makes his choice and vows to Antea that he'll find her body and help her ascend peacefully, accepting that she is dead and must stay dead, and accepting also his part in bringing her to her current state. Ghosts linger because of something unresolved, anger and hatred; even though she still loves him, Antea admits she ended up a ghost because she also resents him for his actions too. Thus, Red's beloved haunts him, literally. And even after she is gone, her memory will stay with him for the rest of his life, as will the knowledge he not only caused her death, but in the end also let her go into it, forever.
Does your character have a moral code, or other set of standards they try to live by?
"Life to the living. Death to the dead." This is the code by which Banishers do their work, striving to keep the balance between the Incarnate and the Invisible.
After spending his youth as a mercenary and haunted by the ghosts of those he murdered, Red foreswore killing people and instead dedicated himself to learning the art of the Banishers and how to defend the Veil between worlds, how to help the living and the dead alike find peace in the ways they were meant to. He tries to find solutions that will free those who are haunted and those haunting them, coming from a place of kindness and empathy toward both parties in a way that only a Banisher can.
This moral code is deeply tested when Antea dies, and Red must choose whether to follow his Banisher's oath and let her go, or instead try to bring her back using a forbidden ritual. In the end, Red decides to follow his code and Antea's own teachings, releasing her and allowing her to Ascend, while promising to continue on as a Banisher and living in a way that would honor her memory. The final words he speaks to her: Life for the living.
What quality or qualities do they admire most?
Judging by the way Red views Antea and the qualities he seems to admire in notable figures around New Eden Town, Red seems to put value in confidence, strong leadership, and independence. He admires a person who can stand on their own and stand up for themselves (and others), someone who sticks to their guns. In a leader, he wants to see someone who understands their responsibility to their community and respects the hard choices it takes to be in that kind of position, even if sometimes he might not agree with them. While Red often tries to look at things with an empathetic eye and can get lost in his emotions, he also seems to admire someone who can actually take a step back and decide what must be done. Antea is usually the one in their relationship who takes decisive action; it's clear Red admires her as a leader, and he loves her for her independent, strong-willed and no-nonsense ways, which stand in contract to his more emotional, tentative approach in many instances. He admires a person who can do what they consider right, with confidence and courage.
Do they have a part of themselves they dislike?
There's a lot about himself that Red dislikes. He feels he is weak of character and carries a lot of regrets and insecurities. He killed a lot of people when he was younger, and felt their pain and blame of him when their ghosts lingered; he hates that part of himself and tries to make up for it now. He also blames himself for his lover Antea's death, knowing that his moment of weakness and naivete cost her her life. When he fell pray to the Nightmare's trickery, it was because he thought she'd left him behind, because he felt self-doubt about his own abilities and assumed she didn't trust him. He was wrong, and he hates that part of himself too, knowing his insecurities cause missteps but unable to shake them. Red calls Antea "the boss" and follows her, letting her often make decisions and take the lead; he doesn't see himself as someone who can lead others and struggles with his self-worth.
What is their sign, and why? The Hanged Man.
Little is known about Red's past, but he spent it as a soldier -- a mercenary, precisely, which makes it seem like he was never quite part of a larger cause or group, finding work for himself where he could. After he was done with soldiering and decided not to kill people anymore, dedicating himself to being a Banisher, that choice led to a life on the outskirts of society due to the nature of the job. People have need for Banishers but naturally distrust those who talk to the dead. On top of that, his relationship with Antea Duarte, a Banisher from Cuba, dark-skinned and sidelined in European society, led him to stick with her over anyone else. They were together, traveling Europe and coming to the Colonies, but never quite part of the places they went. Antea herself says that she was born the "wrong" gender and skin color, that she was always too outspoken and willful for those around her, never fitting in. Red chose to be with her anyway.
He feels his emotions strongly, but in the end, he's also resilient. He's willing to accept the hard truths of life and bear them, willing to survive even in his loneliness. I think the Hanged Man fits him both because of his life a step apart from regular society, and within the scope of his growth as a character learning how to live without the person he relied on most, surviving her and trying to carry on the memory and work of a woman who herself was "ahead" of her time.
SAMPLES
Samples: one | two