Welcome back Dabs!! Hope you're feeling better. It's been a pretty hot couple weeks here too but I think the heat wave that got you is only just getting here now so that will be interesting
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And you pointed out something that I never really went into much detail with as far as Marek goes. His 'code of honor', or morality I guess. I haven't had a chance to really explain much of his background in any RP's and I've pretty well dropped my fan-fic in favour of starting over, perhaps from the beginning this time. Anywho, I just thought I'd clarify his state of mind a bit while I'm thinking about it.
In short, my two quotes from my sig kind of sum up his take on things, along with a few hard learned lessons in his early years. I like to think of him as a rather moral man, even if his idea of "right" and "wrong" is a little harsh sometimes. He probably doesn't come off like this but he's actually not a cruel person. Or at least, he doesn't see himself as one. He just never takes chances if he can help it. If that means killing a defenseless enemy then so be it. If it means being extremely forward about his expectations, then its a done deal.
Marek isn't nearly immortal like Hale, who has had centuries to amass his knowledge and wisdom, and he isn't as experienced as Simus, or even Baroth in warfare or politics and the like. He's not even especially good with a sword and he refuses to use magic. However, he
was forced to grow up really fast, in a time when the likes of Simus was hacking elves to bits in his youth. Throw that in with the fact that he's never had anyone to help him or teach him anything really, and you end up with someone that is so withdrawn and closed off from others, that to everybody else he just seems like an asshole, when in reality he's actually more scared of being hurt himself.
Thats why he's so unfriendly to almost everybody. Not necessarily because he actually doesn't like them, but because he doesn't want to have a repeat of his childhood. If that makes any sense at all. I guess you could say that Marek is the kind of guy that you could follow around for years and never learn anything about.
---END RANT---
I don't even think this will all make much sense as its getting pretty late here and my mind is fried from playing Mass Effect 3 all afternoon but here it is anyway, for your consideration.