Name: Raoul of Goldenlake
Canon: Tamora Pierce's Tortall Series
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Canon Point: Squire - 459 H.E.
Background Link: hereInventory: Clothes, chainmail armor, an empty scabbard and a beltpurse, also empty. An intelligent sparrow.
Personality:Big as he is, Raoul has roughly the personality of an oversized dog.
Raoul is described as "almost too easygoing". This is true, in the general sense. Raoul is easy to get along with, and reacts to criticism and anger with a calm demeanor and a smile. He always gives the impression of being comfortable where he is, a coping mechanism that will serve him well in the bitter cold of Norfinbury. He's been large since he was a squire and took his knight training seriously, such that he is one of the strongest fighters in the kingdom - no doubt it's easier to be comfortable when you know you have the upper hand. When he doesn't have the upper hand he doesn't like to show it, though worry does dampen his sense of humor. He has a good sense of when to be serious and when to make a joke.
It is also true that, when truly threatened or offended, he can be vicious. He is incredibly loyal, almost shaking with rage when someone speaks too cruelly to his squire. The easygoing commander who jokes with his subordinates threatens to kill the man, and Kel (the narrator) believes it. This same loyalty is afforded his friends and those under his command. He takes the laws of chivalry very seriously, though he doesn't follow them to the letter. He treats commoners just as well as he treats nobles, and gives women nothing but respect. This is lucky, because all of the women in his life could probably beat him in a real fight.
He's very accepting of other people and other ways of life. Even when it was forbidden by law for a woman to try to become a knight he had no issue with his year-mate Alanna coming out as a woman. He takes the new level of intelligence in animals of Tortall (a side-effect of the Wild Mage, Daine, living in the palace) in stride, and even gives his animal companions the same level of respect as the humans under his command. This will also be a useful skill in Norfinbury, as there will be much stranger changes he will have to come to grips with and understand in order to best help the people around him.
One thing Raoul hates is the forced formality that accompanies parties and balls in the royal palace. He and Kel hold their own smaller parties, where he's comfortable and well able to put other people at ease. But the big parties require bowing and making pleasant small talk, which Raoul finds unbearably tedious. He prefers the company of commoners, people who work as hard as he does and with whom he has more in common than spoiled noble ladies.
Though he never uses the phrase to describe himself, Raoul is what he calls a natural commander. He pays attention, is a quick thinker, and is good at sussing out people's talents and shortcomings. Joking appropriately often with his subordinates and making orders as though he expects them to be followed without argument are also qualities of a good leader and skills which Raoul seems to have mastered. Part of it is also just experience - he's been in charge of the King's Own for years now and learned most of what he knows on the job.
Suitability: As Knight Commander of the King's Own, Raoul is well versed in survival skills. He will begin by taking a command position, either as leader or adviser under the leader. He will try to set up a home base, gather supplies, and create plans for survival. He will find quickly that actually getting out is a little beyond his abilities, but he will communicate with his fellow prisoners and do everything within his power to ensure the maximum survival rate.
RP Samples:Test Drive Threads