((OOC Note. Terribly sorry for the length. I had to condense this a bit before it got out of hand. Hope this isn't too terribly far fetched. I wanted to bring something new to the table. He might seem over powered but I sincerely do not intend to play it that way. Please enjoy!))
Name: Gabriel Winters
Age: 27
Affiliation: Assassin
Appearance: Gabriel stands at a solid 6 feet tall with dark blue eyes. He has loose, raven black hair that comes down to his shoulders, typically worn up in a splayed top knot, but adapts as the situations call, sometimes pulling it back into a pony tail or letting it hang loose to his shoulders. He has an athletic build typical of the members of his order, which tends to leave him looking deceptively slim. Through years of training however, Gabriel's misleadingly thin frame is lined with rock solid, toned muscle. He has a light skinned complexion regardless of his constant training under the sun, due to following a tight practice of keeping the majority of his skin unexposed. Regardless of his hidden features, underneath of it all, Gabe is a charmingly handsome man, that is... if you can get past the pale scar running from his left ear to the tip of his chin.
Gabe is usually seen wearing a black Japanese conical hat but swaps it often with the standard tri-pointed colonist hat of the same color common to the area. His garb consists of a black, buttoned jacket with the tapered coat tails and hood symbolic of most attire of the Assassin Brotherhood, under which is a loose white shirt. Wrapped diagonally around his left shoulder is a brown leather belt. He wears black trousers slightly more loose than what is typical of the time period, for ease of movement. Topping the ensemble off is a pair of dark brown knee high leather boots and simple brown leather gloves.
Personality: Stoic. Proud. Gabriel would rather stand his ground than flee, but will do what is necessary to preserve his talents. Due to strict training that left room for little love, Gabriel tends to think of himself as an expensive tool that was forced through the harshest environments to be useful to the world. He understands how rare it is for people who choose the life of an Assassin to survive long, and as such, he takes his time with each job, not wanting to slip up and be killed though not for a fear of death, but to avert the tragedy of the Order losing so much time to train a replacement for him. Outside of the life, Gabe is a kindhearted man with a ready smile. He is one of the few members of the Order who only take enough coin from his contracts to keep his gear in good condition, and to keep himself fed. He may be a man who was bred to take life, but while Gabriel Winters can be said to have a cold heart and gaze, from his skin to his soul, he is a good and honorable man, if not a bit socially awkward...
Favorite Weapons: Foreign Japanese Katana (swapped between being worn on his back and on his left hip), twin hidden blades, throwing knives
Strengths: (Swordsmanship, stealth, hand-to-hand combat) Gabriel is an Expert bladesman and all around combatant, proficient in nearly any type of sword or dagger he gets his practiced hands on. Unlike a Colonial brawler, he was drilled in grappling and martial arts uncommon to the western world at the time of his return. He was also trained in the way of stealth until the idea of remaining hidden became second nature to him. Among the many other skills with which he was gifted, Gabriel Winters has superb discipline, enabling him to act without rashness or haste. He thinks before he moves, typical to the Japanese lifestyle, he makes sure that he applies himself to everything he does 100%. There are no wasted movements.
Weaknesses: Socially deficient. Most of Gabriel's young life was training to become a weapon, which left him with very little time to learn how to interact with his peers outside of combat. This has left him a bit quirky and awkward when it comes to speaking to people who don't share his trade. Due to this inefficiency, Gabe oft finds himself to be lonely. He can occasionally be caught practicing social mannerisms by himself in an attempt to form later bonds, though it very rarely works and as a result, he finds that there are very few people whom he trusts explicitly. On the whole, Gabriel can occasionally be paranoid and suspicious of anyone who tries to get close to him.
Background/Biography: Gabriel Winters was born within the Colonies at Jamestown in 1748. Both parents were British colonists seeking a better life in the new world. Unfortunately, it wasn't a year after his birth that both of Gabe's parents were killed in an accidental crossfire from an out of control battle between the Assassins and the Templars out in the wilderness. Taking pity on the family, one of the Assassins tracked down where they'd lived to make sure that they weren't leaving any family unattended. It was lucky that he did because he found a young Gabriel unattended by a drunken babysitter. Making a spot call, the Assassin decided to steal Gabe away and see about getting him into the Order. It was a kind move and yet a selfish one all at once. The Assassins in the Colonies were losing their silent war with the Templars and they would need well trained recruits to aid in the battles to come later.
And so Gabriel was brought before the Assassins “Mentor”. While the man initially agreed that his disciple had done right, he disagreed that a single child was going to be enough of a measure to aid the Order in the long run, especially with their dwindling resources and sheer lack of time they could dedicate to education. So in a move uncharacteristic of the Assassin's Brotherhood, it was ordered that several children be stolen away from their homes and sent overseas with a single Chaperone in something resembling their very first “Outreach Program”. The idea was to send the children and their teacher to some of the remote parts of the world in search of their Assassin counterparts to send for aid. The teacher would be present for the initial training, but their primary mandate was to bring reinforcements for the dwindling fighters in the Colonial West within a year.
In a group of twelve children and their instructor, Gabriel was one of five that actually survived the crossing of the ocean. Many of the children were too young to handle the pressures of traveling the ocean. Most got sick and never recovered.
After months at sea, the surviving group finally made land and stepped out onto the dock of Osaka Harbor, Japan. It was here where Gabriels Journey truly began. Their instructor, named Orville Cunningham, met with a local Bureau Leader who immediately took them in. Training started for the group as soon as they'd regained their land legs. Orville left months later after he'd properly seen to it that his charges would be taken care of, leaving with only a handful of men to bolster the failing ranks of his brothers.
Years passed and Gabriel grew rapidly into his new life. Without the love of a parent, Gabe found solace in praise from his instructors. He quickly distanced himself from the rest of his group in how fast he progressed in skills and easily became the strongest of them all. On his 18th birthday, Gabriel underwent his initiation. Unlike the Western tradition of branding the ring finger, the Japanese initiation consisted of a heavier test of resolve. Initiates would recite the words shared by all, and then would lift a heated pot of boiling water with their forearms and brand the flesh of both arms with the Symbol of the Assassins Creed.
In 1757 Gabriel was sent on his first contract. He had grown head strong in his training and as most youth tended to do, thought himself invincible. It was this sense of invincibility that nearly ended his life before he became useful. His first mark was a sociopath killer. Gabriel found himself lacking in his preparation and nearly had his jaw removed by his enemies blade. Only through the timely intervention of his Mentor, did Gabe survive that night. Mentally, he grew that day. And since that night, he hasn't let himself slip up.
Many years later in 1774, the Bureau received word from Orville that the time was now to send more men. Turmoil was beginning in the West and the Templars were making a major push to wipe the Assassins out for good.
It is there, on a ship bound for Boston harbor, where Gabriel's story really begins.
Calendar
. I'll start my first story at once.
