Goran Darnell

Goran Darnell is a human Arcane Warrior and member of the ‘Wild Hallas’ adventurer's company.

Appearance
Goran is a man of extremes. Depending on the place and company he is in, a very different facet of his personality will show. His eccentric behaviour can make him hard to read for strangers.

The mages actions are governed by his feelings. Most are brought forward by a sense of duty towards the world the Maker created. He values his obligations towards the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order to a high degree as both serve as complementing pieces in the Makers creation. However, his passionate feelings can often get in the way of completing his duties with haste as he is easily sidetracked by other topics that catch his fancy. This constant shift of interests is interrupted by streaks of obsessive work during which Goran often ignores even basic other tasks up to forgetting to eat. This can be the task of translating an ancient text, the analysis of a piece of art or the hunt for a certain artefact - or another target.

Unlike many other mages, Goran considers both Circles and Templars to be necessary institutions to protect both the world and mages from the threat they pose to themselves and those around them. He looks down on those mages who cannot see such a simple truth - only the ignorance of youth allows for a limited leeway in this question. However, he is aware of the injustice that rules the system. It is one of his goals to convince more Templars and Chantry officials that these people deserve a better fate than being locked away, out of sight.

Among scholars, in a chantry or library, Goran is calm and collected. He moves carefully and without haste as he tries to respect the gravity of the place and occasion. The mage will immerse himself in a book he discovered or engage in an educated discussion. Being loud or disrupting and other ways to show disrespect to the places of knowledge and wisdom is sure to spark his ire. A different expression of this scholastic side of him is during the discovery of historic artefacts, ruins or even small trinkets. Goran gets excited about the find, only to turn depressed or violent if it turns out to be not as interesting as he hoped or gets damaged by his own or other people’s mistake.

When confronted with strangers, be it on the road or in a tavern, Goran is friendly if reserved person. He will speak his mind and engage in conversation if spoken to, yet rarely initiate anything himself. He often wordlessly shares if he has a surplus of food and drink and may even tell a story to those willing to listen. He is more open when he travels with strangers as he sees is as necessary to have at least some understanding with those who one travels with. Acts against himself and those capable to handle matters on their own rarely bothers him. Offences against those unable to help themselves though, are almost certain to provoke a reaction.

In combat, the middle-aged man turns into a madman, completely lost in the rush of battle. His fighting is governed by instinct. His Fade empowered reflexes and muscles execute movements with controlled strength in every blow, every aggressive or evasive movement with distinct precision while his conscious mind is stepping into the background. The man is no berserker who fights without regard for self-protection or allies yet his enjoyment of the battle can lead him to overexert himself, only retreating when called for by his allies.

Those close to him get to see the last side of the man’s personality. Among friends, Goran shows his humour and warmth to those around him. Sharing stories, drinks, fears and joys is something enjoyable to him. His companions are often the only ones capable of dragging Goran from his obsessions and sidetracks, leading him back to his actual goal. He knows how reliant he can be on them and how hard dealing with him can be and tries to use some of the time he has while being calm to make up to them.

In a sentence, Goran Darnell is an eccentric scholar with a passion for battle who needs friends to prevent him from getting lost to his emotions.

Armament

 * Forked Lightning : Forged by both tranquil and mages, this spear was one of the items that Goran received as he left the Circle to become a travelling Enchanter. The weapon is exactly two meters long, sixty centimetres of the length taken up by a serrated blade. Both the solid iron oak shaft and the silverite tip are covered in carvings and etched symbols. Most are purely decoration but the tranquil had made an art out of using the complex interlocking musters to hide the runes that set the weapon apart from lesser works. Albeit usually used on armour, the barrier and immunity runes allow the user to freely utilize the weapon to block incoming strikes. The spear got its name from being part of a failed experiment: The mages had tried to combine a proper metallic weapon with a mage's staff, resulting the intended lightning staff to fry several beards and in the end causing the project to be cancelled. In the end, the tranquil finished the weapon alone. Forked Lightning is Gorans weapon of choice in most engagements, valuing its long reach and defensive capabilities.


 * Travellers Plate : The freedom to wander Thedas was not given to Goran without requirements. He was to wear clothing that would make him easy to identify, always travel alongside a templar and answer any summons or call to arms issued by the order. The Travellers Plate is a means to follow the first requirement. Sharing a general shape with the Templar armour, it is easily recognizable while a surcoat and ornaments with the symbols of the Circle ensure that he would not be mistaken for a templar either. To the mage himself, the armour serves its purpose well enough. The armour carries several runes that templars can activate to paralyse the wearer.
 * The Thorns : A small pair of blades with their names etched in the blade. While being identical in their narrow, guardless shape, one of the thorns is a knife of but fifteen centimetres in length and the other a long dagger of double the length. Goran had them forged in Denerim after he left the Circle - both a testament to his relative freedom and as a reminder to his duty. Their hilts are forged in the shape of a rose and faint red shadow was worked into the steel. The shorter Thorn serves mostly as a knife in day-to-day endeavours while the longer one is a fall back weapon for the case space was insufficient to use the spear properly.