Griffith

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□ Name: Erin
□ Age: 25
□ Contact: email – nekoandkitsune@gmail.com; plurk and AIM - neko142001
□ Journal: neko142001
□ Do you play anyone in Ariel?: Ryouta Kise | Kuroko no Basket | notthatmature

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□ Name: Griffith
□ Journal: http://hisownkingdom.dreamwidth.org
□ Series: Berserk
□ Canon point: Shortly after he learns that the assassination of Count Julius (along with the death of his son) was successful

□ History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserk_(manga) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Berserk_characters#Griffith
http://berserk.wikia.com/wiki/Griffith
http://berserk.wikia.com/wiki/Band_of_the_Hawk
http://www.twilightvisions.com/griffith.htm

Much of Griffith's history is covered in the above links. However, there are a couple of essential facts that are not mentioned above.

Before he was ever the leader of the Band of the Hawk, Griffith was someone who grew up in poverty. Given the state of things in Berserk, it is very likely he grew up as an orphan as well. He had friends that he used to play with but even from a young age he knew that he was better than the dirt he was playing in. For that reason, he decided he would make himself better and that he would have a kingdom all his own. It was such an impossible dream for anyone else but it was one that he decided he would achieve.

A fortune teller was the one who gave him the red egg-like pendant that he would always wear around his neck. This was part of his destiny and would only be unlocked later. It is called the Egg of the Conqueror and in exchange for flesh and blood, the person who holds it will be able to rule the world. Still, it was a treasure to him and he always kept it with him as he rose in power, becoming a soldier and forming his own band of mercenaries that he called the Band of the Hawk. This band was well known for their many victories, for being unstoppable. He was very young but he led them without flaw. Everyone who joined was drawn to his charismatic ways, his natural ability to lead. This was perfect for him since he could use this as a way to gain power.

Many times he sold his body to nobles and royalty in order to pay for his men to have what they needed. He knew he was tainting his body but he was willing to do anything in order to see to it that his dream was achieved. Selling his body to perverted people, murdering those that would attempt to get in his way or betray him, manipulating people into following him, all of these were things he was willing to do and he did them all at one time or another. Anything in order to achieve his dream of having his own kingdom.

The rest is history and part of the links above which cover everything during the arc in which he is introduced.

□ Personality: There is a well known quote about greatness that William Shakespeare put into his play Twelfth Night and it goes like this “be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” There are certainly some that fear greatness, the power, the looks it brings. However, Griffith is not one of them and never has been. From an early age, he knew he was not destined to be nothing more than an urchin of the streets, meant to starve and live in the dirt. In the streets where he played with the other children, he could see a castle and he knew that one day he would have his own kingdom, his own country.

He is a natural leader who easily inspires others to follow him. Without even trying to, people will drift toward him and he's put together a band of mercenaries who are helping him to achieve his dream as a result. This isn't just any band though. No, this is a group that is made up of mostly teenagers and young adults. Even Griffith is likely only around fifteen or sixteen when he's first introduced in the story. He's charismatic, easily loved by those around him. People look up to him and want to be like him or with him. There is no doubt that he can inspire love and loyalty in others without really doing much more than breathing.

To go with this gift, he is extremely beautiful with an angelic sort of quality. He's stunning to behold with a grace and calmness that causes people to look toward him. There is no one who can deny that he is breathtaking and that he has a fragile, even effeminate, sort of look to him. Even he is aware of these qualities about himself which leads to him using them as a powerful tool against others in order to achieve his goals. After all, he is vastly clever and when he wanders through the courts of nobles in the series, people are more than willing to comment on the fact that they find him very nice to look upon. More than that, they comment on the fact that it's like he belongs amongst them, another trick he's so very good at. Blending into a situation in order to achieve his goals.

Naturally there is a downside to being so beautiful. People want him. Nobles have desired his body on more than one occasion and have sought to take him to their beds. He is far from naïve and is aware of this fact, even willing to use it to his advantage rather than simply dwell on the negative aspect of it. Keeping this mostly to himself, he allows them to take him to their beds for the price of them funding his mercenaries. As filthy as it makes him feel, the evidence revealed when Casca sees him and finds him clawing at his own body in disgust over what he's done, he is still not above doing even this to ensure that he gets what he wants. He knows he needs that money so he will do whatever it takes.

There is no denying that he is very focused, very determined. When people learn about what his dream is, to have his own kingdom, they have no doubts that if anyone can accomplish that impossible task it would be Griffith who can do it. He is not accustomed to people refusing to help him too, so skilled in manipulation as he is. He will simply say to do something and it shall be done. It's not really in his nature to just ask for things when an order would see it done faster. Despite being willing to do anything, even selling his body, Griffith does still have his pride.

He does not see nobles as being above him at all. Though he can bow to a king, he will not allow himself to be treated poorly by a noble who thinks himself better than him. This can bring out his dangerous side and he is willing to stare at a person with terrifying eyes in order to test them and see what they will do. People who have seen this gaze fear it more than almost anything else. They feel as if his eyes are looking right into their souls, reading all their secrets, chewing them up and spitting them back out. That calm but smiling face fades away in these moments and he becomes more like a devil who will rip apart his enemies for crossing him.

This really isn't a lie either. A prime example is when the brother of the King of Midland found Griffith to be a threat. He tried to have him killed and had even slapped him across the face. Not allowing this, Griffith ordered him to be killed, removing him from getting in the way again. Though he might not do the act himself, he will cover his hands in blood to pave the way to his castle. Each and every body is just another stepping stone for him. This is actually something mentioned to him later during the eclipse, a time past where he will be pulled from in his timeline.

Now while he is someone who will fight to get what he wants, do anything to get what he wants, it's also important to note that he does believe in things like fate and destiny. When he was just a child, a fortune tell her gave him a necklace that is called the Egg of the High King or a Behelit. This is a red pendant that is egg shaped and had the different parts of a face scattered around it. At first it seems completely ordinary...until it opens its eyes. The story behind it is that when the person who bears it gives up flesh and blood then they will achieve a new level of being and fulfill a greater destiny. He wears this necklace all the time, even when he is bathing. Griffith truly believes in the tale of the story and believed he was destined for greatness before he even obtained it. But now he has this necklace as proof and when he's shot by an assassin's arrow, he knows that it's the necklace that saves him by taking the arrow for him. It's more than a passing fancy for him, he knows that things will come to be as he plans and that is why he works toward it. There is no doubt in his mind that he is destined to have a kingdom to call his own.

As mentioned previously, he has a talent for manipulation. Blending into a crowd is easy for him because he can twist someone's mind into believing he belongs there. As Charlotte observes, he has the grace of any nobleman but then he teaches her to whistle using a leaf. He was born common yet he knows how to conduct himself amongst those who would be considered better than him, even leading them to believe that he belongs there with them. He can easily go from conducting himself properly in a ball full of nobles to having a naked water fight with one of his men without a care that he's out in the open air. Not only this but he can twist them into doing what he wishes to ensure that he gets what he wants. Have the princess fall for him, for example. By getting closer to her, he gets closer to the king. By getting closer to the king, he gets closer to his kingdom. He can worm his way into hearts to live there as a constant reminder that he will have what he desires and nothing will stop him. He has friends in high and low places.

This brings up a very important point though. While he might call people his friends and people will call themselves his friends, he doesn't actually consider them to be this. In a conversation that he has with the princess, he states that friends don't share a dream. Instead they all have different dreams, even if a dream of theirs might oppose the dream of someone they love. Therefore he can't consider any of his men his friends because they are only there to support him, to help him live his dream. They consider their dream to be the same as his. So, Griffith doesn't really have friends in his own eyes because those he know will blindly follow him without question. He can go off for days, leaving them alone while he speaks to people of the court, and they will never question it because it's obviously what he needs to do.

Now, none of this means he's not capable of caring about others. True he will prioritize himself and his goals first but he can still care about what is going on with other people. It helps that he is good at reading other people to know how best to deal with them, again changing himself to suit a situation. Griffith is not entirely heartless despite some of his crueler methods. He will come over to offer someone comfort and will scold someone if they do something reckless when they should be more careful. Typically, he won't raise his voice, preferring to keep calm and cool through most of it but he will still make sure that he is listened to all the same. On top of that, he goes out of his way to make sure that his strategies do not sacrifice any of his men. He may not consider them friends but he does value their lives in his own way.

Part of this could also be due to his possessive side. Once he believes something or someone belongs to him, he will not let them go no matter what. They are his now and simply need to just accept this as their reality if they are people. If they truly are his though then he can be one to be gentle and kind, ready to smile and joke and laugh. He will even be willing to share in drinks, play games, help them feel at ease with a situation if they happen to be uncomfortable. More than that, he will get to know them better. The more he knows, the more he can use to bind them to him completely. He knows this helps to maintain loyalty and, if someone is fighting for him, it helps him to control them better so that they might be a more useful weapon to him.

He is a strategist. He can see movements long before an opponent does and create the most likely outcome to make himself successful. Now, this isn't to say that he can see everything that happens before it does but he can certainly see what a person is likely to be capable of. To play his part, he will allow things to happen, a slap to his face for example. It's humiliating but in the end he has his revenge even if it means sending another to do it so he might give himself an alibi to keep people from suspecting his involvement. People might try to kill him but he's ready for them. Then again, even if he isn't, it seems that necklace of his just isn't willing to allow him to perish before he can fulfill his role in life. This is something that he's aware of and he's willing to put his faith in that fact as he pushes limits, going so far as to assassinate nobles to remove them from his path when they dare to cross him or belittle him.

This is a lot of what makes him so deadly on the battlefield. That knowledge of just how his opponent will move. Griffith can predict what they will do as if he were merely playing a game of chess. It doesn't help that a look into those beautiful eyes make it seem as if one is viewing their own death. He is not beyond terrifying his opponents since it means getting into their heads and preventing them from reaching their full potential against him so that he might destroy them that much more efficiently.

Keeping all of this in mind, there is one important person who impacts Griffith in a way that no one else does or likely can. His name is Guts and from the moment he saw him, he wanted him. He knew that the other boy would belong to him and that it was just a matter of time before he had him. While everyone else he has known has naturally flocked to him, Guts is not like this at all. This is the first person he has ever gone out of his way to possess and bring to his side. The exact words he says to him are “You belong to me now” which Casca notes as being something that Griffith has never said to anyone before. He can be possessive of what is his but he never directly tells them this, simply expecting them to follow him blindly. Yes, of all the people he has ever known, Guts is truly special.

He confides him in a way he's never done with anyone else. While others might be sort of aware of his past, Griffith is willing to simply tell Guts, to discuss what his dreams are. He trusts him to be the one to help bring his dream to fruition, bringing him into his band of mercenaries when everyone else tells him that he should do otherwise. Though he has no friends at all, this is the closest he's ever had to having one. Enough so that he does the unthinkable and actually asks Guts to help him out with something rather than simply ordering him to do it.

These two share a bond that anyone can see. While he won't ask the rest of his band to truly dirty their hands, he is more than willing to ask Guts to do it. He knows that he can rely on him in a way he can't rely on others. More than that, he seems to care about him more than the others too. While he might have ordered people to fetch people in peril in the past, he personally goes in to save him from Zodd the Immortal. Though he knows he's likely to die in the encounter, he still rushes in to rescue him after telling all the rest of his men to retreat. In the process, he is actually injured, having been slammed into a pillar of stone when attacking the creature. It's in this encounter that an important fact about him is revealed in the form of what seems to be a prophecy.

If Guts considers Griffith a true friend then he is sure to meet his death along with everyone else. After all, when the time comes for his dreams to become reality then he will crush everyone. Naturally, this is beyond Griffith's canon point but it's important to note that he has the potential within him from the start to destroy all that which he claims to possibly hold dear in order to see that his dream becomes reality. Guts is no exception to this rule no matter how precious he might be to Griffith, no matter how he might distract him from what his dream really is.

And while Griffith has not come to realize this yet, Guts is a distraction for him. He becomes so wrapped up in him that he loses track of what he really wants to do. It's so easy for him to draw closer to him, to forget about his end goal. It seems their fates are forever tied no matter what happens and Guts is the true catalyst to decide just what will happen in the future, how Griffith will shape it. Again, neither of them have fully come to realize this yet and won't for some time to come.

Tied in with Guts is Casca. She is his ever reliable left hand. However, he did not pick her to become this unlike his right hand being Guts. No, she worked her way toward this position and he respects that about her. She's quite overshadowed by Guts but through her one can see that Griffith by no means underestimates the potential of women. He allows her to be a warrior, to be one of his second-in-commands. Yet, he sees her drawing closer to Guts as well. This isn't something he discourages but it's certainly something that he pays attention to so he can see what will become of it. For now it seems to work to his advantage. Besides, he knows her loyalties still rest with him so there is no way she will change things he has going on with Guts.

Yes, Griffith wants to keep Guts to himself. As a tool, as a confidant, as a partner. He likely sees within him the potential to actually have his first real friend in his life. Ultimately, this is his undoing since it keeps him from paying attention to what he should be doing, what he has dreamed of all his life. For the time being, it isn't too much of a problem because Guts is staying with him. Casca is staying with him. As far as he can see, he still has all the potential tools that he needs in order to accomplish his dreams and every little piece is currently falling into place as it should. To him it won't be long before he truly has that kingdom that he knows that he deserves.

Griffith is a megalomaniac who appears to have no weaknesses at all. Though he is just a normal human, it seems he can escape the terrible fates people keep trying to deliver upon him which just feeds the fact that he knows he is better than everyone and deserves better. His true downfall will be through Guts but he hasn't come to realize this yet as he twists the world around him to give him what he wants, including the king who has a young daughter who is very much single and very much in love with Griffith. Still, no one is that suspicious since how could anyone who smiles like an angle and plays like a little imp be that dangerous?

□ Age: 18-19
□ Gender: Male

□ Appearance: He is a beautiful man who stands at about 5'9”-5'10”. Despite his poor upbringing and less than noble background, he has an elegance and a grace about him that make him that much more stunning to behold. Griffith has a slender yet athletic build, every last bit of him muscular like that of a talented fencer. He is lithe and agile, something that seems to make him look almost angelic. His features are effeminate with pink lips and long lashes as well as elfin qualities. With blue eyes and long pale hair that falls in waves down to the middle of his back, it's no surprise really that people would find him attractive. Plus, he seems to have an easy smile and a natural aura that draws people to him. It's easy to underestimate him if one just goes based on these looks alone.

However, there is more to it than that. His face can twist into a frightening nature, his eyes becoming cruel. It's as if they can reach into a person's soul to see what their very nature is. There's intelligence and danger to be found there. He's beautiful, without a scar, and yet he can strike fear in a way that most with terrible scars can't hope to. He is very much like the hawk his band of mercenaries is based off of. Beautiful but deadly with a wicked intelligence.

He covers this gorgeous body behind simple clothes when he is away from a fancy party. However, he makes sure to dress up so that he can seem to be one of the nobles he may surround himself with. Always he wears a necklace with a pendant of a red egg attached to it. This egg seems to have a face with the features scattered all about and upon closer inspection will reveal that the egg is alive when an eye opens to look at the person gazing upon it. Though he may wear this under his clothes, he refuses to ever remove this no matter what he is doing because this item is important to him.

□ Abilities/Powers: Griffith has no superhuman abilities at all. However, he doesn't let that slow him down and he is a very talented swordsman who is fast on his feet, nimble, even able to turn attacks made on him into a disadvantage for his opponent. He is also highly observant, able to read a situation with just a glance. This includes people around him as well so he can know how to manipulate someone into doing exactly what he wants them to do. This makes him a very capable leader and a terrifying soldier. Another ability that is included in his personality is the fact that he can adjust his nature in order to blend in with certain crowds. For example, he can make himself more polite, more charismatic to make those with money want to find him more appealing, want to hire him and get to know him better. Or he can be playful and mischievous to hang out with peasants and the lower class mercenaries that he spends so much time with.

□ Personal Items: A couple changes of clothes, the necklace he always wears...Behelit, a pair of boots, a high quality coat, sword (this will be kept at his place and he won't go carrying it around or using it)

□ First Person Sample:

[The voice that speaks up is one of a soft tenor. It's beautiful in its own way, calm but quite. There's even a touch of innocence to it as Griffith begins speaking.]

I believe I have this done correctly. This technology is a little new to me so I must apologize if I use it poorly.

[He laughs softly before continuing. It has a charming sort of sound to it.]

It seems I'll have plenty of difficulty adjusting to all of the different objects I don't have in my world. So, I suppose my question is this: Would anyone be willing to teach me how to use some? I would be most grateful and would be willing to compensate you somehow.

[There's a pause while he lets that sink in just a little.]

My thanks in advance.

[And he ends the recording.]

□ Third Person Sample:

He could still remember what it looked like when he'd first glimpsed it. A castle. It had been stunning to behold up there, so high above the city that he lived in. He could actually recall the day he'd mentioned it to one of the other children he'd played with in the streets, how they'd said it was pretty but they were never going to do more than look at it so why not play knights in the alley over there. Naturally he had gone along with it but not before giving that castle one last look. It was on that day that he'd known something no other child with him could have ever hoped to know.

Griffith was going to have his own kingdom. There was no power in the world that would stop him.

It had taken some time to rise up to having a name for himself but he was the leader of the Band of the Hawk, the mercenary band that was legendary across the land. People knew of them, were shocked to find such a young leader guiding them. For him it was perfect because it meant he could have people with power hiring him for their wars. Nobles always felt they needed to bring mercenaries in, people they could toss money at so they could keep their hands clean. If mercenaries took care of their problems then they could remain wealthy in some measure since they would still have their lands and people to themselves. He supposed it could be an intelligent thought if he didn't find them cowards instead.

Still, he'd made sure that he had the perfect strategies to make his men undefeated. They didn't have to necessarily be stronger than the enemy if they used tactics that attacked their weaknesses. It was easy to obtain victories if he knew exactly when and where to strike someone where it would hurt the most. There were times when he even wondered if it was just too easy.

Still, battles weren't always enough. He could still remember numerous nights and days with filthy hands and mouths all over him just so he could earn more money. If he had that money then he could gain the power to never have to lower himself like that again. It was only a matter of time.

Guts had been the key to it all, the missing piece to his plan. He'd known it the moment he'd seen him and had needed him. Griffith had been so pleased fate had brought him back along his path so he could duel him and win him. Several years had passed since then but he was sure it was still one of his greatest achievements. With Guts, he knew he could do anything. Besides, it was nice to finally have someone to talk to. He'd spent so long keeping his desires to himself that having someone around he could speak to was like a breath of fresh air. Now he could keep things from seeming stale.

It also helped that Guts really could keep him on his toes. It made him interesting, fun even.

Pausing in some notes he was writing for supplies his men would need, Griffith smiled a little. He really had come so far. The news of Count Julius and his son being assassinated in such brutal fashions still rang like music in his hears. They'd been in his way, blocking his way in his efforts to get this kingdom through the princess. She was in love with him, he knew that well, Charlotte was too naïve a girl to be able to hide where her devotions rested. However, Adonis had blocked his path. The boy was years younger than her but he'd been the one betrothed to her despite them being first cousins. Nobles always were so eager to do a little bit of inbreeding to keep the bloodline pure.

Well, those were two problems out of his way. Now there were fewer things standing in his path. True he hadn't ordered Guts to slaughter the boy too but he'd known that it was likely to happen by accident. If anyone could handle staining themselves with innocent blood, he felt Guts would be the one. This was why he'd picked him to be his assassin.

Tapping his quill, he let his blue eyes slide over to where his armor was. The helmet was similar to that of a hawk. It was a beautiful design really, one that suited him. Griffith felt he was very much like the creature he'd named his band after. A stunning creature flying above it all, spying its target from miles above the earth, diving down to grab its prey to destroy it with grip of its talons. Yes, he'd modeled himself after that bird because he admired it.

Rising to his feet, he set the quill down and went over to the helmet, lifting up so it would catch the light from the candles he had lit behind him. He could his reflection so clearly in the metal, the blue of his eyes. The day that Julius had slapped him across the face, Griffith had looked at him with a gaze that said he was his next prey. Guts had been his talons and he's ripped through that prey without mercy, even getting a secondary prize along the way. In his own way, he was proud of what his talons had done for him.

Setting the helmet down again, he ran his finger from the top to the pointed tip that was meant to be the beak at the front. Yes, he was one step closer to his dream now. The castle he'd once seen in the distance as a child was going to be his for the taking. He could practically feel it in the way his heart was beating. Most would never understand that but it didn't matter to him. He was used to being alone in greatness since he was different from other people. Really, he always had been.

Lifting his hand up, Griffith pulled out his Behelit from under his shirt. Looking down at it, he watched the eyes open, looking around a moment before focusing directly on him. It should have scared him but he only stared back at the crimson egg with a calm expression that said he wasn't at all bothered by the way it stared at him. The one who wore this would gain their greatest desire through a sacrifice of blood and flesh. It was destiny that this should be his, a sign that he was always on the right path. He could still remember the bolt which had almost killed him. In fact, he still kept it here in this room, a memento of sorts.

Julius had tried to have one of his men kill him. An arrow coated in a very expensive poison to ensure that the one it hit would die. On the one hand, it would have worked on an ordinary person. However, he'd gone after the wrong man, he'd try to kill Griffith. This egg had protected him, stopping the arrow. In that instant, he'd known exactly who had done this and what to do next. Arranging to have him assassinated was easy and Guts had been more than willing to do the task. True the conversation had been an odd one, he hadn't realized that he was being so different by asking Guts to do it rather than ordering him. Still, that was in the past and not anything that he needed to be concerned about.

Looking at the egg one more time, he smiled again to see it was still staring at him. It was like it knew greatness when it saw it. “Flesh and blood,” he murmured before tucking it back into shirt.

Flesh and blood. He wasn't sure what that meant or how one activated this thing but he still kept it close to him. It was precious to him and now it had shown him that he was meant to live. Griffith had great faith that it was a symbol of how he was meant to have a better life. Things were currently falling into place to continue to prove that to him.

Sitting down again, he brushed his lips with the quill. There would be no more need to sleep with disgusting people who couldn't appreciate him, no need to sleep in the dirt, to never know when he would get food next. He wondered what the others would think when he was crowned in the end. He could make them his personal guards, Guts and Casca always there by his side. They belonged there really and he wouldn't want them anywhere else. Out of everyone, they had supported him the most and shown the most devotion to him even if things had been rocky at times. They considered him their precious friend.

Griffith wondered if it would hurt them if they found out he couldn't quite call them that in return. Precious comrades certainly but perhaps not quite on the level of friend. They were so eager to share his dream, boost him up. Yet, he couldn't say that had lives of their own or dreams of their own. Could he really call them his friends if they couldn't at least do that? It was unfortunate but he really couldn't.

A sigh and he got back to work. Food for the horses, that was next on the list. He would have to calculate how much it would cost to feed them all but he was sure that the king would provide him with his needs. It was perhaps a little tasteless that he was doing this on the very night such a horrific crime had taken place but he'd known all along that it would. Guts had been the one sent in so there had never been a doubt in his mind that the target would die. He felt no affection for the victims, no sadness for the child who had perished because he'd likely been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he had to cover himself in the blood of the innocent then he would do that.

For just a moment, his eyes looked fearsome, something that would have terrified anyone in the room. Since he was alone currently, there was no one to fear him. No one to feel the bone chilling fear that came from the look. Yes, he was willing to cover himself in blood and he was not going to hesitate for a moment in order to achieve that dream of having his own kingdom.

The gaze settled again to that calm little smile again.

“Soon. It will be soon.”