Gawain Connelly

Gawain Connelly is an ally and member of the crew of the S.S. Carol. He is outwardly appears to be the drunken fool of the crew and most foes consider him to be no threat, however he is an integral part of the crew, being a former Naval recruit. He excels in swordplay, but has a strange aversion to firearms.

Gawain is portrayed by TikTok user, heartsleeveartsies.

Physical Appearance
Gawain is an attractive young man in his early twenties, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. He has pale skin that is littered with scars and freckles.

Clothing
Gawain is typically dressed in a loose fitting, lace-up shirt, high waist trousers, and brown leather boots. He wears a brown leather belt around his waist, over his shirt, where he keeps his rapier buckled. He carries several small pouches of gold and dice, and has several throwing daggers tucked into his boot.

Past appearance
As a teenager, Gawain was a member of the Lamares Royal Navy and wore said uniform. This consisted of a deep blue tailcoat, brown trousers, a high necked shirt, and soft leather boots. He wielded a saber, a musket, and a flintlock pistol.

Personality
Gawain is generally considered to be a friendly, extroverted individual, with a penchant for good drink and loud parties. To most, he presents himself as an incompetent but charming fool, whose uncanny way with words can get him out of almost any trouble. Beneath the surface, however, lies a complex and genuinely flawed man, whose facade is little more than a desperate attempt at being who he wishes he still was.

Behind everything, Gawain is an introspective young man who cares deeply for those around him. He is of the belief that all his friends deserve happiness, even at the cost of his own. He drinks to dull the guilt that looms over him night and day, threatening to suffocate him.

Gawain is more than willing to sacrifice his own life to save others, even if he doesn't know them, as shown during the Banquet, when he managed to escape the Lawmaker's dungeon in order to hold off the guards, so that the crew could escape.

Abilities
Gawain is a talented swordsman, both with the saber and the rapier. He is a sweet talker, and thanks to his fae heritage, very good at attracting others. Despite his aversion and disgust with firearms, he is a decent shot, usually hitting his target.

He has an unusually high tolerance for alcohol, often consuming more than a mere human could in one sitting.

Backstory
Gawain was the eldest child and only son born to Aoife and Cian Connelly, a Navy Captain, in the Kingdom of Lamares. He was a rambunctious boy with boundless energy who longed to follow in his father's footsteps. During a Navy dinner, he met Acantha, the King's second daughter, and the pair became fast friends.

The friendship between the two children eventually blossomed into young love, though they knew, even at their tender age, that it would never be allowed by the royal family.

At around fourteen, Gawain began his apprenticeship under Prince Commodore Deimos, the younger brother of the king of Lamares, who was a childhood friend of his father. The Commodore took romantic interest in the boy, although Gawain did not understand why. As Gawain grew older, the Commodore's advances became more overt, until it came to a head on Gawain's sixteenth birthday.

Commodore Deimos approached Gawain on the night of his birthday, promising him a life of wealth and comfort, if he were to become Deimos' consort. Gawain, repulsed by the thought, outright refused, which infuriated Deimos. The Commodore lashed out, beating Gawain and leaving a scr across his lips.

From that day on, the Commodore took every chance to cause Gawain harm, be it physical or emotional. He would corner Gawain after training to reiterate his previous offer, only to be scorned again and again. The abuse became more violent and frequent, to the point that Gawain thought of going to the king or admiral, but Deimos as quick to threaten him.

The Commodore threatened Gawain's entire family with a horrible death, should he tell anyone of what happened behind closed doors. Gawain, however, desperate for comfort, confided in his father. Cian confronted Deimos, leading to the Commodore to deny the allegations as the foolish ramblings of a boy who craved attention. Furious, Gawain visited Acantha and gifted her with an amulet that he had found in a nearby sea cave, as a promise of his love. She gave him a simple ring that he then wore on a chain around his neck. The two enjoyed the evening together, swearing to love each other forever, not knowing that Deimos had discovered them.

Soon after, the Navy was launched on a mission to slay a school of merfolk who had been terrorizing the shores. Deimos shoved Cian into the waiting claws of a raging merman, resulting in Cian's death. Gawain, having witnessed this, challenged Deimos to a pistol duel when they reached the shore.

The duel was evenly matched, however, Gawain - upon seeing Acantha appearing so distressed at the idea of either her lover or her uncle's death - could not bring himself to shoot. Deimos' bullet struck true, lodging itself in Gawain's shoulder. He was dishonorably discharged from the Navy and sent home to live with his mother and sisters.

The next months were hellish for the family, with Gawain fighting the infection from the bullet wound. He hovered on the brink between life and death for several months, before he could manage to get back into the workforce as a barkeep at the local tavern. He continued to visit Acantha, though it had become far more dangerous.

At seventeen, he ran into Deimos once more and again rejected his advances, this time violently, leaving the Commodore with a missing teeth and a black eye. This was the final straw for the Commodore, who went to the King, spinning a tale that Gawain had forced Acantha into a relationship and attacked Deimos when he had attempted to intervene. Gawain's defenses were ignored and he was banished without trial, on pain of death.

As he returned to his home to gather his things, Gawain discovered the cottage was little more than rubble, and that his mother and sisters had been murdered. Believing Acantha to have been the cause of all his misfortune, Gawain threw away the ring she had given him, leaving it in the rubble of his home, and fled, heartbroken.

In the following four years, Gawain flitted from kingdom to kingdom, city to city, usually between taverns. He became somewhat of a local legend in some places, known as a strange fae lad who could seduce even the most pious man with a wink and one of his nonchalant smiles. Eventually, he found himself in the Lawmaster's dungeon, having angered the man by insulting him. He witnessed the capture and forced betrothal of Isla Vitulia. When the crew of the S.S Carol crashed the wedding, he managed to escape his cell and hold off the guards, but was overtaken once the crew had made their escape.

After being convinced to return to port by Acantha, the crew discovered Gawain, bound in cold iron, bleeding and disoriented in pit, awaiting his execution.

Princess Acantha Sirwyn
Gawain's former childhood friend and lover. After his banishment, Gawain was convinced that Acantha was to blame for his family's death, and put it into his mind to despise her. This lead to much of his self-destructive habits, including gambling and alcoholism. Upon discovering that she was the one who convinced the crew to return and save him, he is still deepy troubled by her presence and treats her coldly.

Prince Deimos Sirwyn
Gawain's superior and nemesis. Mere mention of his name is enough to cause Gawain to fly into a rage or become hauntingly silent. Deimos was obsessed with Gawain, in a sexual and romantic way, and hated that Gawain rejected him.

Bernard "Bern" O'Leary
Gawain is friendly towards the boy, considering him almost to be a younger brother. He is very protective of Bern, though he often pulls good natured pranks on him.

Trivia
Gawain's appearance and personality is inspired by Gwaine from BBC's The Adventures of Merlin, Disney's Flynn Rider, and Grantaire from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.

Due to his fae ancestry, Gawain's body is easily weakened by cold iron. The metal corrodes his blood, much like a poison.

Gawain's mother was a baker, so he knows how to make various pastries, though the fact isn't something most of the crew know about him. At times, he even is embarrassed by others learning it.

Gawain's aversion to firearms is due to his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, specifically from the trauma brought on by Deimos.

Gawain has an Irish accent, despite technically not being from Ireland.

Gawain's father, Cian, was a gancanagh, an fairy from Irish legends known for seducing women.

Gawain often sings when alone and has a beautiful baritone voice. His favorite songs are Gaelic lullabies and Celtic folk songs. He knows how to play the piano and mandolin, but not very well.

His favorite drink is mulled ale and his favorite food is his mother's honey oat cakes.