Application for Consignment
Apr. 27th, 2014 05:37 pmPLAYER INFO.
✖ Handle: Kerry
✖ Contact: Plurk:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
halfbloodly
✖ Are You Over 16: Y
✖ Other Characters Played in Consignment: None; I am also applying for Nikolai Lantsov![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sturmhond in this app round.
CHARACTER INFO.
✖ Character Name: D'Artagnan. [ Note: D'Artagnan is his last name. His first name has not been confirmed by the series, though it is most likely Charles since this is what it is in other Musketeers media. As it has not been confirmed in the series, I would prefer to simply call him d'Artagnan here, but if a first name is required, I will call him D'Artagnan, Charles. ]
✖ Canon: The Musketeers (BBC series). His canon point will be the end of Series 1, episode 10.
✖ Character Appearance:
⚜ On horseback
⚜ Full costume
⚜ Close up
✖ Character Age: 23 (approx)
✖ Pick A Number: First choice: 230. Alternate: 560.
✖ Canon Setting:
D'Artagnan is from France in the seventeenth century, a time when the monarchy was still very much in control of the country, and more than a century before the French Revolution would take place. He is from a time before people had either electricity or running water, when it was common to ride on horseback or use horse-driven wagons and carriages for transport. It is a time when the Catholic Church had a great deal of power and influence, and citizens were expected to subscribe - at least nominally - to the Roman Catholic faith.
However, it is also a time when social norms are beginning to be challenged - questions are being asked about social class, women are seeking education and greater choices in life, some people are defecting from the Catholic faith to the Protestant one. Those who are not royalty are seeking to influence political decisions and are seeking an influence they have never had before. It is a time when traditions are respected, but those who look for it can detect change in the air.
The country is ruled by King Louis XIII, supported by his wife Queen Anne of Austria. However, King Louis is has a tendency to leave the day to day running of the country to his First Minister, Cardinal Richelieu, a highly ambitious politician who is responsible for enacting most of France's policies, both at home and abroad. There are political tensions with France's surrounding countries, most notably with Spain. Though the country is not at war with Spain, they are a threat looming on the horizon, and the series shows Richelieu and King Louis working to make alliances for the good of France - most notably with Protestant Sweden, which causes tension with the Catholic Church in Rome, and with Savoy, which is seen as an important outpost for France.
Though raised on a farm in Gascony, d'Artagnan harbours ambitions as a soldier. Already a skilled swordsman and marksman in his own right, he seeks to join the King's Musketeers - a group of elite, highly trained soldiers whose sole purpose is to protect the King. They often act as bodyguards to the King and Queen, but will also undertake other missions and go into battle at the King's behest. They are one form of law enforcement in France, and are able to make arrests and take prisoners. There is some rivalry and tension between the Musketeers' regiment, and the Red Guards, the military regiment which reports directly to Cardinal Richelieu. Although the regiments are allies, and both act for the good of France, there is a lack of trust between them and they each have a desire to prove that one regiment is greater and more skilled than the other. D'Artagnan is drawn into this rivalry from the beginning; first when a member of the Red Guards - later believed, incorrectly, to have been a traitor - is responsible for killing his father, and later when he wins his commission to the Musketeers by defeating the Red Guards' chosen champion Labarge. He is therefore immediately drawn into the Musketeers' world of protecting the King, defending the interests of France, and behaving as a soldier.
✖ Character History:
⚜ The Musketeers
⚜ Character biography: d'Artagnan
✖ Character Personality:
"My name is d'Artagnan, of Lupiac in Gascony.
Prepare to fight, one of us dies here."
D'Artagnan is a young man, filled with notions of bravery, honour and justice. His introduction shows him fighting for his life and then, on witnessing his father's murder, swearing to avenge him. His courage and valour are two of his most notable traits. He is a confident swordsman with a brash and impetuous nature. He is the kind of person who jumps into every fight convinced he will win, and he's often right.
On an ordinary day, d'Artagnan has a quick, somewhat dry humour, and a frequently sarcastic wit that sits alongside a manner that appears calm and almost lazy when he's at peace. He will often be seen leaning against walls, looping his hands over his belt or leaning back in a seat as though he’s utterly calm and unflappable. He will stand to the side, leaning against a wall or sitting quietly while other people talk or argue. He is fond of other people and is quick to seek their friendship and trust - in particular the three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. He becomes fast friends with them and settles easily into their group, expressing curiosity about their pasts and acting in general as a supportive presence. Despite his youth, he's not afraid to challenge or backtalk others, and he'll generally have a dry comment to fit whatever situation he's in.
"Pastor Ferrand: Then you're outnumbered. I have God on my side.
d'Artagnan: Oh, I do hope he's good with a sword."
While this attitude is often displayed as a strength, and the reason why he succeeds where others fail, it is also a notable weakness. For all that he seeks justice, he is also vengeful. His need to avenge his father's death obsesses him, turning his mood darker than it would usually be and driving him through multiple duels, challenges and fights until at last he can face his father's murderer. This trait comes to the fore again when he discovers that the criminal Labarge has burned down his farm, and he exhibits the same obsessive, vengeful attitude all over again.
Even when his reaction is not so extreme that it leads him to seek vengeance, his bravery and confidence often lead to a lack of caution. His confidence slips very easily into arrogance, both when it comes to his skill as a fighter - especially when faced with an opponent of equal, or superior skill - and the strength of his opinions. He is often not as respectful as he should be, having a tendency to run his mouth off when he disagrees with someone, to demand answers from his superiors when he's upset, and to imagine that he will always be better than his opponent no matter how experienced they are.
The combination of his bravery and his arrogance means that d'Artagnan is prone to getting into trouble. His recklessness means that he is generally willing to take a course of action that others see as dangerous or inadvisable. He is far more likely to assume he will succeed than worry about what will happen if he fails. He is capable of both logical and strategic thinking, and despite his recklessness he's not stupid - but when his temper is hot, he tends to follow his heart rather than his head. His easy, lazy demeanor only lasts until he loses his temper, or rushes into a fight. An angry d’Artagnan tends to be something of a loose cannon, throwing himself into dangerous situations with very little care for his own safety.
"And that could have been your back!
Now, fight me, or you will die on your knees! I don't care which."
This is why Athos describes him as promising, but raw, and cautions him against his tendency to let his heart rule his head. His temper can be his undoing in a fight, since it leads him to act with reckless abandon instead of precision or control. In order to truly fulfill his potential, d’Artagnan needs to learn to control his emotions and fight with a clear head. This is something he clearly struggles with, and is something that the other Musketeers – and Athos in particular – are trying to direct him in. The importance of this is that d’Artagnan is not yet the complete soldier. For all his skill and natural ability, he’s still young and brash, lacking both the experience and the formal training of his friends. Yet just as his strengths are also his weaknesses, so is this weakness also a strength; despite his youth and relative inexperience, d’Artagnan is able to keep pace with (though not defeat) the other Musketeers, and he’s able to bring down the majority of enemies he must face. It is this potential that has made him a part of the already established and more experienced team of Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and he seems to fit as easily into their number as though he has always belonged there.
The reason for this is not solely to do with his abilities as a soldier. In common with his three friends, d’Artagnan possesses a very strong sense of personal loyalty and duty. His word is his bond, and he takes very seriously any promise that he makes and any debt that he owes. He seeks always to behave with honour, which to him means that he will defend those who cannot defend themselves, he will protect those who need it even when they do not ask for it, and he will stand by his friends when they need him. In part this is because his meeting with them coincides with the death of his father, and for d'Artagnan this represents a crossroads in his life. Having grown up as a farm boy, he now aspires to join the regiment of Musketeers as a soldier, and in place of his father are three older Musketeers who both inspire him, and earn his respect. He finds with them the sense of belonging that he loses with the death of his father, and once his initial need for revenge abates, he's able to find something or a surrogate family among their number. His response to this is that he treats them as though they are his blood. He will take on any amount of risk for them, seeking only that they should repay that loyalty by placing their trust in him.
"If this gets me hanged, I'm going to take it very personally."
Time and time again, he takes the harder road rather than let down one of his friends; he helps to conceal a known criminal when Aramis seeks his aid in doing so, he refuses to hear that same criminal’s accusations against Treville because he is loyal to his Captain, he seeks the life of his father’s killer no matter what the consequence may be for him. Even on the one occasion when he doubts one of his friends – when Porthos appears to have murdered someone in cold blood while drunk – d’Artagnan still works to exonerate him and later says that Porthos being guilty had never crossed his mind. He would both kill and die for his friends; he considers this a duty and a privilege, and to have any other attitude would seem dishonourable to him.
Yet this attitude is often what gets him into trouble, particularly when his loyalty for one person clashes with his loyalty for another. When Constance challenges him over not telling her that Aramis’ friend Marsac is a criminal, d’Artagnan angrily states that he had owed Aramis his loyalty – and then apologises, remembering that he owes loyalty to Constance as well. It’s not always easy for him to strike the right balance when it comes to the trust he places in others, and he’s been shown to make, regret, and apologise for, mistakes. His determination to be loyal means that he does not always make the 'right' choice, but so long as he considers that he behaved with honour, he will live with the consequences of that.
As the case with Marsac proves, he has also been shown to place his own idea of what it means to be a loyal friend and honourable person over what is strictly legal – despite the fact that he aspires to be one of the King’s Musketeers. However, this trait is also something he has in common with Athos, Aramis and Porthos, all of whom have a sense of natural justice which has been known to fly in the face of official law. This is most notably seen when all four of them conspire to hand the tax-evading slaver Bonnaire into the hands of the Spanish - despite the fact that relations between France and Spain are difficult, and despite the fact that Bonnaire has been commissioned by the King to establish colonies abroad in the name of France. It is acknowledged that to give Bonnaire up is technically treason, but the Musketeers do it anyway because of their sense that slavery is morally wrong (despite being legal) and their belief that Bonnaire should be punished for his crimes and not rewarded. This does not mean that the Musketeers (and d'Artagnan, by extension) are not loyal to their country. By contrast, they protect the life of the King at all costs, and as a general rule they act in the interests of France. However, they all abide by what could be termed as a shared sense of chivalry - a duty to serve one's Lord, to defend the weak, to defend one's honour, and to do so in a manner that is right and fair. When their duty comes into conflict with their honour, they will do what they believe is right - even if that means trying to find a way around their orders. D'Artagnan already displays this attitude when he meets Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and his association with them only serves to reinforce it. This means that as a soldier he will follow orders, but he will place his personal sense of justice above those orders if and when the two conflict.
The idea of chivalry also evokes the notion of romance. D'Artagnan is a particularly romantic character, with a capacity to love very deeply. This is not to say that he will not engage in a relationship unless he is in love; in fact he seems familiar enough with casual relationships, as shown when he sleeps with Milady in the first episode after having just met her. There is no sense that he loves her; at the time he is mourning the loss of his father, and he indicates both that he does not want to talk about what is wrong, and that he would like to just lose himself in her and forget for a while. Despite this, when he discovers that her neck is marked from where (as she explains) a man she loved tried to kill her, d'Artagnan offers to kill the man in question without even knowing the full story. Even without being in love, he acts on the instinct of his feelings rather than with logic or discernment. It is only later, after Milady tries to frame him for murder, that he becomes more suspicious and wary of her, and even then she holds enough of a sway over him that he accepts her help when she offers to sponsor his entry to a competitive fight. He is not quite able to forget his association with her, even when her duplicitous nature reveals itself to him. However, d'Artagnan's relationship with Milady is something that the Musketeers are later able to use to their advantage, since they are able to trick her into believing that he would side with her over the man who tried to kill her - revealed to be his friend, Athos. In this case, d'Artagnan's loyalty to Athos proves far stronger than any hold Milady may believe she has over him. However, by this point in time, it was also clear that d'Artagnan's true romantic feelings lay not with Milady, but with Constance instead.
His tendency to put romance over reason becomes even more evident when he meets Constance, and begins to become her friend. It's soon very clear that he has a growing affection for her, far greater than any form of lust he shows for Milady. Constance is a person who challenges his ideals, who tells him that she wants to be seen as his equal and not just someone he protects, who becomes a trusted confidante and who has helped him and the other Musketeers on more than one occasion. D'Artagnan reacts badly (and violently) towards anyone who threatens Constance, and he is impressed both by her humility and by her capacity for kindness, eventually telling her that she is the finest woman he has ever met.
"You shine so brightly in my eyes,
it puts every other woman in the shade."
He also tells her that he loves her, quite by accident, in spite of the fact that she is married. Eventually this results in him having an affair with her, even though both of them know that it's wrong. D'Artagnan cares far more about how they feel for each other than anything else, meaning that his attitude towards love is another example of his tendency to let his heart rule his head. His illicit relationship with Constance is one that cannot last, and this is something he should logically know - but he acts according to his feelings instead, and this sets his heart up to be broken. In spite of this, d'Artagnan remains in love with Constance and shows no interest in anyone else, even three months after Constance has ended their affair.
This is a very clear example of how d'Artagnan's passionate nature gets him into trouble. Whether the context is his blossoming career as a soldier, or his personal life, he is a man very much ruled by his passions. He may seem calm, witty and dry at first glance, but he is driven by ambition, by honour and duty, and by love. He has the potential to be a great Musketeer, but he is still young, and lacks both the experience and control of his Musketeer friends. In addition his desire for justice can sometimes be twisted by his own passions. He can be vengeful when he has been wronged, a trait that particularly presents itself when he is emotionally compromised. The death of his father causes him to seek the murderer without prejudice, first attempting to kill Athos and then, on realising that Athos was not the killer, helping to clear his name by going after the true murderer. Although this seems to sate his desire for vengeance, his passion for it comes back in full force when he discovers that Labarge has burned down his father's farm. D'Artagnan's rash nature sends him into an ill-advised confrontation with Labarge which, if not for Athos' intervention, may well have seen him dead. Only the influence of his new friends encourages d'Artagnan to think with his head rather than his heart, and he is forced to defeat his own desire for vengeance and control himself in order to finally overcome the test of Labarge.
However, the fact that he is able to do so shows the positive impact the Musketeers are having on him. He is maturing through his friendship with them, learning to control his impulsive spirit and establish himself as one of their number. His drive to become one of them is what pushes him on, and his attachment to them has meant that they have become something of a surrogate family to him after the death of his father. When he finally achieves his goal of becoming a Musketeer, it is at the end of a powerful test of character for him; he has controlled his anger, defeated Labarge in a controlled duel, and attained justice rather than giving into revenge. His new role as a Musketeer is one that he is growing into. He has found a sense of belonging and community with his new friends, and it is ultimately this attachment and ambition which always drives him forward regardless of how much trouble he finds himself in.
✖ Character Powers:
D'Artagnan is an ordinary human, with no abnormal powers or abilities. However, he is in excellent physical condition and is regularly shown to be fit, agile and athletic. He has a great deal of natural ability in hand to hand combat, despite having grown up on a farm and not having received formal military training until he falls in with the established Musketeers. He is proficient in the use of firearms (particularly pistols and muskets), though he is not as accurate with them as his friend Aramis. However his most notable skill is with the sword, with which he is extremely versatile and can use it either by itself, or with a second blade (such as his main gauche) in his other hand. He is an instinctive fighter with a quick, agile style which involves him employing multiple turns, pivots, changes of position and movement while fighting. He rarely fights with just one weapon, and his quick style allows him to easily switch between his sword, his knife and his pistols - as well as using each of them in combination with the others, while taking on groups of enemies.
D'Artagnan's personal level of skill is shown to be very high, and is regularly remarked upon by others. He is good enough that he has been shown teaching others (notably, Constance) the basics of shooting and swordfighting. He is generally able to defeat any enemy that he takes on, with the notable exception of the three Musketeers whom he befriends - Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Where they are concerned, he is able to keep pace with them and fight alongside them without looking out of place; however, he cannot defeat them. His proficiency develops further under their (particularly Athos') guidance. Athos initially describes him as 'promising, but raw', indicating a high degree of natural talent which needs to be refined through formal training. He has a tendency to let his temper get the better of him when it is raised, and so when a fight is particularly personal, he loses some of his focus and his fighting ability suffers as a result. It is this aspect that Athos has begun to work with him on. At this canon point, he has shown enough improvement in that area to be able to win his greatest personal test to date by defeating Labarge in episode 8. However, it remains his most notable weakness in battle and is the area that requires the most work for him.
CHARACTER SAMPLES.
✖ First Person POV:
Here is d'Artagnan on the Test Drive Meme. However as he doesn't have all that many comments here, I also wanted to link is recent network post in Exit Void (dated 2 April 2014), as an example of his voice and interaction in a game.
✖ Third Person POV:
The day had been a long one. D'Artagnan stabled his horse at the garrison, waved away the stable hands, and started to unbridle the horse himself. He had come a long way since his days as a Gascon farm boy, but sometimes it still felt good to do this by hand.
"Shh, shh," he murmured, rubbing the horse's neck. He lifted off the saddle and moved to hang it up. He tried not to dwell on Constance, and what had passed between them. Three months ago, she'd broken his heart and he'd thought himself lost. A fool for love. He'd tried to forget her, and found it impossible. He'd stood with his arms around Milady, knowing that for their plan to work he had to pretend to be attracted to her, and even then he hadn't been able to kiss her like he meant it. His mind was still on Constance, on a married woman. Then, for the barest, briefest of moments he had let himself believe there was a chance for them again. A chance that disappeared almost as soon as it arrived, when she told him she could not leave her husband. And he couldn't truly ask it of her. She had made her vows, and it was right that she abide by them. All the was left was for him to do the thing that for three full months, he had failed to do.
He had to put her behind him.
It would help if he could stop thinking about her. Sighing, he brushed down his horse, brought down fresh hay and water, and locked the stable for the night. When he came out into the Garrison proper, it was empty, save for a few people sweeping the place out. The other Musketeers had gone their separate ways; Porthos to play cards, Aramis to find lighter company, and Athos to an alehouse most likely. Now that he was alone, he regretted not having tagged along with one of them. D'Artagnan's life had changed greatly in the last five months, and sometimes it was still hard for him to believe he'd come so far. He glanced down at his uniform - at the leather guard on his shoulder, stitched with the symbol of the Musketeers. The sight of it made him smile. That symbol represented d'Artagnan's vows. Athos had said it, only a few hours ago. They had no love, and no money, but they had honour at the end of the day. D'Artagnan could live with that, even if it made the nights a little long.
"Monsieur, Monsieur! You have to help!"
The voice broke d'Artagnan out of his reverie, and he looked up to see a young boy running into the garrison. The child could not be older than twelve years, and he wore the patchwork of clothing that would be associated with urchins and beggars. What was a poor boy like that doing here, alone?
"What's the matter?" he asked, concern etching itself over his features. Head tilted, he strode forward to meet the boy, and he held his hand out for calm. "It's all right. What's happened?"
"Please, Monsieur!" The boy seemed panicked, his focus confused and wild. "I need the Musketeers! Will you come? They need your help!"
"Slow down," D'Artagnan said. He glanced out towards the street. He couldn't hear any disturbance, at least not close by, but the boy seemed genuinely worried. He couldn't simply ignore that, whether the others were here or not. "Tell me what happened, has someone been hurt?"
The boy was breathing hard, his eyes huge and blue and wide, and his cheeks flushed with exertion. Where on earth had he run from?
"Not yet! Not yet, but they will be, they're going to be. It's the CDC, Monsieur! They need you, and they sent me to get you! Will you come?"
"The who?" D'Artagnan didn't recognise that name at all, but even as he asked the question, he was pulling his cape back around his shoulders. He was still wearing his weapons. If someone was genuinely in trouble, it didn't truly matter who they were. The Musketeers had a duty to help anyone who was in need, whether they knew them or not. "I've never heard of them."
"But they have heard of you, Monsieur," the boy said, looking urgently at him. "You are d'Artagnan, of the Musketeers. You are an honourable man. You will help, won't you? If a reward is what you want-"
"I'm not looking for a reward!" d'Artagnan said sharply, stepping forward. He wouldn't sully himself with that; it was shameful enough that it had even been suggested. "That isn't what I meant. Take me to them, then, I'll deal with this trouble."
The boy nodded, brightly, and took off running again. This time d'Artagnan followed him, and wished briefly that he'd been less keen to get his horse down for the night. He didn't know what this trouble was, but he wouldn't be slow in finding out. Perhaps it was a good thing that he hadn't gone with his friends. Clearly, the day's work was not over yet. Even as he ran, he felt himself smiling. This was where he was meant to be - helping people who were in trouble, doing his duty. Athos had been right. What need had they of love or money, when they still had honour? With his lonelier thoughts banished for the time being, d'Artagnan let duty carry him forward. He'd have a fresh story for his friends in the morning, and another citizen would be safe. D'Artagnan sped up, catching up to the boy and following him through the backstreets of Paris.
CHARACTER ITEMS.
✖ Pick a Team: Green
✖ Mission Freebie: Could his father please be brought back to life?
✖ Personal Item or Weapon: His sword!
✖ Character Inventory:
⚜ 1 belted, studded brown leather jacket with detachable sleeves
⚜ 1 pair dark brown leather trousers
⚜ 1 pair leather boots
⚜ Undergarments
⚜ 1 greying undershirt
⚜ 1 pair brown leather gloves
⚜ 1 dark brown woolen cape
⚜ 1 brown leather belt
⚜ 1 Musketeer uniform (a brown leather pauldron, embroidered with the fleur de lis symbol, and a pale blue cape)
✖ Handle: Kerry
✖ Contact: Plurk:
✖ Are You Over 16: Y
✖ Other Characters Played in Consignment: None; I am also applying for Nikolai Lantsov
sturmhond in this app round.CHARACTER INFO.
✖ Character Name: D'Artagnan. [ Note: D'Artagnan is his last name. His first name has not been confirmed by the series, though it is most likely Charles since this is what it is in other Musketeers media. As it has not been confirmed in the series, I would prefer to simply call him d'Artagnan here, but if a first name is required, I will call him D'Artagnan, Charles. ]
✖ Canon: The Musketeers (BBC series). His canon point will be the end of Series 1, episode 10.
✖ Character Appearance:
⚜ On horseback
⚜ Full costume
⚜ Close up
✖ Character Age: 23 (approx)
✖ Pick A Number: First choice: 230. Alternate: 560.
✖ Canon Setting:
D'Artagnan is from France in the seventeenth century, a time when the monarchy was still very much in control of the country, and more than a century before the French Revolution would take place. He is from a time before people had either electricity or running water, when it was common to ride on horseback or use horse-driven wagons and carriages for transport. It is a time when the Catholic Church had a great deal of power and influence, and citizens were expected to subscribe - at least nominally - to the Roman Catholic faith.
However, it is also a time when social norms are beginning to be challenged - questions are being asked about social class, women are seeking education and greater choices in life, some people are defecting from the Catholic faith to the Protestant one. Those who are not royalty are seeking to influence political decisions and are seeking an influence they have never had before. It is a time when traditions are respected, but those who look for it can detect change in the air.
The country is ruled by King Louis XIII, supported by his wife Queen Anne of Austria. However, King Louis is has a tendency to leave the day to day running of the country to his First Minister, Cardinal Richelieu, a highly ambitious politician who is responsible for enacting most of France's policies, both at home and abroad. There are political tensions with France's surrounding countries, most notably with Spain. Though the country is not at war with Spain, they are a threat looming on the horizon, and the series shows Richelieu and King Louis working to make alliances for the good of France - most notably with Protestant Sweden, which causes tension with the Catholic Church in Rome, and with Savoy, which is seen as an important outpost for France.
Though raised on a farm in Gascony, d'Artagnan harbours ambitions as a soldier. Already a skilled swordsman and marksman in his own right, he seeks to join the King's Musketeers - a group of elite, highly trained soldiers whose sole purpose is to protect the King. They often act as bodyguards to the King and Queen, but will also undertake other missions and go into battle at the King's behest. They are one form of law enforcement in France, and are able to make arrests and take prisoners. There is some rivalry and tension between the Musketeers' regiment, and the Red Guards, the military regiment which reports directly to Cardinal Richelieu. Although the regiments are allies, and both act for the good of France, there is a lack of trust between them and they each have a desire to prove that one regiment is greater and more skilled than the other. D'Artagnan is drawn into this rivalry from the beginning; first when a member of the Red Guards - later believed, incorrectly, to have been a traitor - is responsible for killing his father, and later when he wins his commission to the Musketeers by defeating the Red Guards' chosen champion Labarge. He is therefore immediately drawn into the Musketeers' world of protecting the King, defending the interests of France, and behaving as a soldier.
✖ Character History:
⚜ The Musketeers
⚜ Character biography: d'Artagnan
✖ Character Personality:
Prepare to fight, one of us dies here."
D'Artagnan is a young man, filled with notions of bravery, honour and justice. His introduction shows him fighting for his life and then, on witnessing his father's murder, swearing to avenge him. His courage and valour are two of his most notable traits. He is a confident swordsman with a brash and impetuous nature. He is the kind of person who jumps into every fight convinced he will win, and he's often right.
On an ordinary day, d'Artagnan has a quick, somewhat dry humour, and a frequently sarcastic wit that sits alongside a manner that appears calm and almost lazy when he's at peace. He will often be seen leaning against walls, looping his hands over his belt or leaning back in a seat as though he’s utterly calm and unflappable. He will stand to the side, leaning against a wall or sitting quietly while other people talk or argue. He is fond of other people and is quick to seek their friendship and trust - in particular the three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. He becomes fast friends with them and settles easily into their group, expressing curiosity about their pasts and acting in general as a supportive presence. Despite his youth, he's not afraid to challenge or backtalk others, and he'll generally have a dry comment to fit whatever situation he's in.
d'Artagnan: Oh, I do hope he's good with a sword."
While this attitude is often displayed as a strength, and the reason why he succeeds where others fail, it is also a notable weakness. For all that he seeks justice, he is also vengeful. His need to avenge his father's death obsesses him, turning his mood darker than it would usually be and driving him through multiple duels, challenges and fights until at last he can face his father's murderer. This trait comes to the fore again when he discovers that the criminal Labarge has burned down his farm, and he exhibits the same obsessive, vengeful attitude all over again.
Even when his reaction is not so extreme that it leads him to seek vengeance, his bravery and confidence often lead to a lack of caution. His confidence slips very easily into arrogance, both when it comes to his skill as a fighter - especially when faced with an opponent of equal, or superior skill - and the strength of his opinions. He is often not as respectful as he should be, having a tendency to run his mouth off when he disagrees with someone, to demand answers from his superiors when he's upset, and to imagine that he will always be better than his opponent no matter how experienced they are.
The combination of his bravery and his arrogance means that d'Artagnan is prone to getting into trouble. His recklessness means that he is generally willing to take a course of action that others see as dangerous or inadvisable. He is far more likely to assume he will succeed than worry about what will happen if he fails. He is capable of both logical and strategic thinking, and despite his recklessness he's not stupid - but when his temper is hot, he tends to follow his heart rather than his head. His easy, lazy demeanor only lasts until he loses his temper, or rushes into a fight. An angry d’Artagnan tends to be something of a loose cannon, throwing himself into dangerous situations with very little care for his own safety.
Now, fight me, or you will die on your knees! I don't care which."
This is why Athos describes him as promising, but raw, and cautions him against his tendency to let his heart rule his head. His temper can be his undoing in a fight, since it leads him to act with reckless abandon instead of precision or control. In order to truly fulfill his potential, d’Artagnan needs to learn to control his emotions and fight with a clear head. This is something he clearly struggles with, and is something that the other Musketeers – and Athos in particular – are trying to direct him in. The importance of this is that d’Artagnan is not yet the complete soldier. For all his skill and natural ability, he’s still young and brash, lacking both the experience and the formal training of his friends. Yet just as his strengths are also his weaknesses, so is this weakness also a strength; despite his youth and relative inexperience, d’Artagnan is able to keep pace with (though not defeat) the other Musketeers, and he’s able to bring down the majority of enemies he must face. It is this potential that has made him a part of the already established and more experienced team of Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and he seems to fit as easily into their number as though he has always belonged there.
The reason for this is not solely to do with his abilities as a soldier. In common with his three friends, d’Artagnan possesses a very strong sense of personal loyalty and duty. His word is his bond, and he takes very seriously any promise that he makes and any debt that he owes. He seeks always to behave with honour, which to him means that he will defend those who cannot defend themselves, he will protect those who need it even when they do not ask for it, and he will stand by his friends when they need him. In part this is because his meeting with them coincides with the death of his father, and for d'Artagnan this represents a crossroads in his life. Having grown up as a farm boy, he now aspires to join the regiment of Musketeers as a soldier, and in place of his father are three older Musketeers who both inspire him, and earn his respect. He finds with them the sense of belonging that he loses with the death of his father, and once his initial need for revenge abates, he's able to find something or a surrogate family among their number. His response to this is that he treats them as though they are his blood. He will take on any amount of risk for them, seeking only that they should repay that loyalty by placing their trust in him.
Time and time again, he takes the harder road rather than let down one of his friends; he helps to conceal a known criminal when Aramis seeks his aid in doing so, he refuses to hear that same criminal’s accusations against Treville because he is loyal to his Captain, he seeks the life of his father’s killer no matter what the consequence may be for him. Even on the one occasion when he doubts one of his friends – when Porthos appears to have murdered someone in cold blood while drunk – d’Artagnan still works to exonerate him and later says that Porthos being guilty had never crossed his mind. He would both kill and die for his friends; he considers this a duty and a privilege, and to have any other attitude would seem dishonourable to him.
Yet this attitude is often what gets him into trouble, particularly when his loyalty for one person clashes with his loyalty for another. When Constance challenges him over not telling her that Aramis’ friend Marsac is a criminal, d’Artagnan angrily states that he had owed Aramis his loyalty – and then apologises, remembering that he owes loyalty to Constance as well. It’s not always easy for him to strike the right balance when it comes to the trust he places in others, and he’s been shown to make, regret, and apologise for, mistakes. His determination to be loyal means that he does not always make the 'right' choice, but so long as he considers that he behaved with honour, he will live with the consequences of that.
As the case with Marsac proves, he has also been shown to place his own idea of what it means to be a loyal friend and honourable person over what is strictly legal – despite the fact that he aspires to be one of the King’s Musketeers. However, this trait is also something he has in common with Athos, Aramis and Porthos, all of whom have a sense of natural justice which has been known to fly in the face of official law. This is most notably seen when all four of them conspire to hand the tax-evading slaver Bonnaire into the hands of the Spanish - despite the fact that relations between France and Spain are difficult, and despite the fact that Bonnaire has been commissioned by the King to establish colonies abroad in the name of France. It is acknowledged that to give Bonnaire up is technically treason, but the Musketeers do it anyway because of their sense that slavery is morally wrong (despite being legal) and their belief that Bonnaire should be punished for his crimes and not rewarded. This does not mean that the Musketeers (and d'Artagnan, by extension) are not loyal to their country. By contrast, they protect the life of the King at all costs, and as a general rule they act in the interests of France. However, they all abide by what could be termed as a shared sense of chivalry - a duty to serve one's Lord, to defend the weak, to defend one's honour, and to do so in a manner that is right and fair. When their duty comes into conflict with their honour, they will do what they believe is right - even if that means trying to find a way around their orders. D'Artagnan already displays this attitude when he meets Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and his association with them only serves to reinforce it. This means that as a soldier he will follow orders, but he will place his personal sense of justice above those orders if and when the two conflict.
The idea of chivalry also evokes the notion of romance. D'Artagnan is a particularly romantic character, with a capacity to love very deeply. This is not to say that he will not engage in a relationship unless he is in love; in fact he seems familiar enough with casual relationships, as shown when he sleeps with Milady in the first episode after having just met her. There is no sense that he loves her; at the time he is mourning the loss of his father, and he indicates both that he does not want to talk about what is wrong, and that he would like to just lose himself in her and forget for a while. Despite this, when he discovers that her neck is marked from where (as she explains) a man she loved tried to kill her, d'Artagnan offers to kill the man in question without even knowing the full story. Even without being in love, he acts on the instinct of his feelings rather than with logic or discernment. It is only later, after Milady tries to frame him for murder, that he becomes more suspicious and wary of her, and even then she holds enough of a sway over him that he accepts her help when she offers to sponsor his entry to a competitive fight. He is not quite able to forget his association with her, even when her duplicitous nature reveals itself to him. However, d'Artagnan's relationship with Milady is something that the Musketeers are later able to use to their advantage, since they are able to trick her into believing that he would side with her over the man who tried to kill her - revealed to be his friend, Athos. In this case, d'Artagnan's loyalty to Athos proves far stronger than any hold Milady may believe she has over him. However, by this point in time, it was also clear that d'Artagnan's true romantic feelings lay not with Milady, but with Constance instead.
His tendency to put romance over reason becomes even more evident when he meets Constance, and begins to become her friend. It's soon very clear that he has a growing affection for her, far greater than any form of lust he shows for Milady. Constance is a person who challenges his ideals, who tells him that she wants to be seen as his equal and not just someone he protects, who becomes a trusted confidante and who has helped him and the other Musketeers on more than one occasion. D'Artagnan reacts badly (and violently) towards anyone who threatens Constance, and he is impressed both by her humility and by her capacity for kindness, eventually telling her that she is the finest woman he has ever met.
it puts every other woman in the shade."
He also tells her that he loves her, quite by accident, in spite of the fact that she is married. Eventually this results in him having an affair with her, even though both of them know that it's wrong. D'Artagnan cares far more about how they feel for each other than anything else, meaning that his attitude towards love is another example of his tendency to let his heart rule his head. His illicit relationship with Constance is one that cannot last, and this is something he should logically know - but he acts according to his feelings instead, and this sets his heart up to be broken. In spite of this, d'Artagnan remains in love with Constance and shows no interest in anyone else, even three months after Constance has ended their affair.
This is a very clear example of how d'Artagnan's passionate nature gets him into trouble. Whether the context is his blossoming career as a soldier, or his personal life, he is a man very much ruled by his passions. He may seem calm, witty and dry at first glance, but he is driven by ambition, by honour and duty, and by love. He has the potential to be a great Musketeer, but he is still young, and lacks both the experience and control of his Musketeer friends. In addition his desire for justice can sometimes be twisted by his own passions. He can be vengeful when he has been wronged, a trait that particularly presents itself when he is emotionally compromised. The death of his father causes him to seek the murderer without prejudice, first attempting to kill Athos and then, on realising that Athos was not the killer, helping to clear his name by going after the true murderer. Although this seems to sate his desire for vengeance, his passion for it comes back in full force when he discovers that Labarge has burned down his father's farm. D'Artagnan's rash nature sends him into an ill-advised confrontation with Labarge which, if not for Athos' intervention, may well have seen him dead. Only the influence of his new friends encourages d'Artagnan to think with his head rather than his heart, and he is forced to defeat his own desire for vengeance and control himself in order to finally overcome the test of Labarge.
However, the fact that he is able to do so shows the positive impact the Musketeers are having on him. He is maturing through his friendship with them, learning to control his impulsive spirit and establish himself as one of their number. His drive to become one of them is what pushes him on, and his attachment to them has meant that they have become something of a surrogate family to him after the death of his father. When he finally achieves his goal of becoming a Musketeer, it is at the end of a powerful test of character for him; he has controlled his anger, defeated Labarge in a controlled duel, and attained justice rather than giving into revenge. His new role as a Musketeer is one that he is growing into. He has found a sense of belonging and community with his new friends, and it is ultimately this attachment and ambition which always drives him forward regardless of how much trouble he finds himself in.
✖ Character Powers:
D'Artagnan is an ordinary human, with no abnormal powers or abilities. However, he is in excellent physical condition and is regularly shown to be fit, agile and athletic. He has a great deal of natural ability in hand to hand combat, despite having grown up on a farm and not having received formal military training until he falls in with the established Musketeers. He is proficient in the use of firearms (particularly pistols and muskets), though he is not as accurate with them as his friend Aramis. However his most notable skill is with the sword, with which he is extremely versatile and can use it either by itself, or with a second blade (such as his main gauche) in his other hand. He is an instinctive fighter with a quick, agile style which involves him employing multiple turns, pivots, changes of position and movement while fighting. He rarely fights with just one weapon, and his quick style allows him to easily switch between his sword, his knife and his pistols - as well as using each of them in combination with the others, while taking on groups of enemies.
D'Artagnan's personal level of skill is shown to be very high, and is regularly remarked upon by others. He is good enough that he has been shown teaching others (notably, Constance) the basics of shooting and swordfighting. He is generally able to defeat any enemy that he takes on, with the notable exception of the three Musketeers whom he befriends - Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Where they are concerned, he is able to keep pace with them and fight alongside them without looking out of place; however, he cannot defeat them. His proficiency develops further under their (particularly Athos') guidance. Athos initially describes him as 'promising, but raw', indicating a high degree of natural talent which needs to be refined through formal training. He has a tendency to let his temper get the better of him when it is raised, and so when a fight is particularly personal, he loses some of his focus and his fighting ability suffers as a result. It is this aspect that Athos has begun to work with him on. At this canon point, he has shown enough improvement in that area to be able to win his greatest personal test to date by defeating Labarge in episode 8. However, it remains his most notable weakness in battle and is the area that requires the most work for him.
CHARACTER SAMPLES.
✖ First Person POV:
Here is d'Artagnan on the Test Drive Meme. However as he doesn't have all that many comments here, I also wanted to link is recent network post in Exit Void (dated 2 April 2014), as an example of his voice and interaction in a game.
✖ Third Person POV:
The day had been a long one. D'Artagnan stabled his horse at the garrison, waved away the stable hands, and started to unbridle the horse himself. He had come a long way since his days as a Gascon farm boy, but sometimes it still felt good to do this by hand.
"Shh, shh," he murmured, rubbing the horse's neck. He lifted off the saddle and moved to hang it up. He tried not to dwell on Constance, and what had passed between them. Three months ago, she'd broken his heart and he'd thought himself lost. A fool for love. He'd tried to forget her, and found it impossible. He'd stood with his arms around Milady, knowing that for their plan to work he had to pretend to be attracted to her, and even then he hadn't been able to kiss her like he meant it. His mind was still on Constance, on a married woman. Then, for the barest, briefest of moments he had let himself believe there was a chance for them again. A chance that disappeared almost as soon as it arrived, when she told him she could not leave her husband. And he couldn't truly ask it of her. She had made her vows, and it was right that she abide by them. All the was left was for him to do the thing that for three full months, he had failed to do.
He had to put her behind him.
It would help if he could stop thinking about her. Sighing, he brushed down his horse, brought down fresh hay and water, and locked the stable for the night. When he came out into the Garrison proper, it was empty, save for a few people sweeping the place out. The other Musketeers had gone their separate ways; Porthos to play cards, Aramis to find lighter company, and Athos to an alehouse most likely. Now that he was alone, he regretted not having tagged along with one of them. D'Artagnan's life had changed greatly in the last five months, and sometimes it was still hard for him to believe he'd come so far. He glanced down at his uniform - at the leather guard on his shoulder, stitched with the symbol of the Musketeers. The sight of it made him smile. That symbol represented d'Artagnan's vows. Athos had said it, only a few hours ago. They had no love, and no money, but they had honour at the end of the day. D'Artagnan could live with that, even if it made the nights a little long.
"Monsieur, Monsieur! You have to help!"
The voice broke d'Artagnan out of his reverie, and he looked up to see a young boy running into the garrison. The child could not be older than twelve years, and he wore the patchwork of clothing that would be associated with urchins and beggars. What was a poor boy like that doing here, alone?
"What's the matter?" he asked, concern etching itself over his features. Head tilted, he strode forward to meet the boy, and he held his hand out for calm. "It's all right. What's happened?"
"Please, Monsieur!" The boy seemed panicked, his focus confused and wild. "I need the Musketeers! Will you come? They need your help!"
"Slow down," D'Artagnan said. He glanced out towards the street. He couldn't hear any disturbance, at least not close by, but the boy seemed genuinely worried. He couldn't simply ignore that, whether the others were here or not. "Tell me what happened, has someone been hurt?"
The boy was breathing hard, his eyes huge and blue and wide, and his cheeks flushed with exertion. Where on earth had he run from?
"Not yet! Not yet, but they will be, they're going to be. It's the CDC, Monsieur! They need you, and they sent me to get you! Will you come?"
"The who?" D'Artagnan didn't recognise that name at all, but even as he asked the question, he was pulling his cape back around his shoulders. He was still wearing his weapons. If someone was genuinely in trouble, it didn't truly matter who they were. The Musketeers had a duty to help anyone who was in need, whether they knew them or not. "I've never heard of them."
"But they have heard of you, Monsieur," the boy said, looking urgently at him. "You are d'Artagnan, of the Musketeers. You are an honourable man. You will help, won't you? If a reward is what you want-"
"I'm not looking for a reward!" d'Artagnan said sharply, stepping forward. He wouldn't sully himself with that; it was shameful enough that it had even been suggested. "That isn't what I meant. Take me to them, then, I'll deal with this trouble."
The boy nodded, brightly, and took off running again. This time d'Artagnan followed him, and wished briefly that he'd been less keen to get his horse down for the night. He didn't know what this trouble was, but he wouldn't be slow in finding out. Perhaps it was a good thing that he hadn't gone with his friends. Clearly, the day's work was not over yet. Even as he ran, he felt himself smiling. This was where he was meant to be - helping people who were in trouble, doing his duty. Athos had been right. What need had they of love or money, when they still had honour? With his lonelier thoughts banished for the time being, d'Artagnan let duty carry him forward. He'd have a fresh story for his friends in the morning, and another citizen would be safe. D'Artagnan sped up, catching up to the boy and following him through the backstreets of Paris.
CHARACTER ITEMS.
✖ Pick a Team: Green
✖ Mission Freebie: Could his father please be brought back to life?
✖ Personal Item or Weapon: His sword!
✖ Character Inventory:
⚜ 1 belted, studded brown leather jacket with detachable sleeves
⚜ 1 pair dark brown leather trousers
⚜ 1 pair leather boots
⚜ Undergarments
⚜ 1 greying undershirt
⚜ 1 pair brown leather gloves
⚜ 1 dark brown woolen cape
⚜ 1 brown leather belt
⚜ 1 Musketeer uniform (a brown leather pauldron, embroidered with the fleur de lis symbol, and a pale blue cape)