Theon Greyjoy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
krakenoutofwater) wrote2015-03-09 12:51 am
krakenoutofwater) wrote2015-03-09 12:51 am
survey/character info [pre-ADWD]
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? Average height, and he's described as "lean".
2. How old is he? 19 (at the start)
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? Pretty good posture, definitely not slouchy but not overly stiff either.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? He's healthy overall, and physically fit since he regularly enjoys physical activities such as archery/hunting/horseback riding...
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? With a great deal of overconfidence.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? Relatively attractive, and he definitely, definitely sees himself as even moreso than that.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Described as "dark" in the books, consider this in comparison to the pale north, no scars or anything of the sort.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. Hair is dark, and he's always got it well-groomed.
9. What color are his eyes? Green
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? Nothing unusual, no.
11. What are his chief tension centers? Everythiiing. Probably mostly his head.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? Theon is very fashion-conscious, taking care to dress nicely at all times, making sure to have kraken symbols on his clothes often to remind people where he's from, etc. Despite the additions of his family sigil, he actually tends to dress very much like a noble of the north otherwise: furs, silks, velvet, gold necklaces. He takes lots of time and care with his appearance... and will literally dress to suit his mood, or the situation, whatever it should entail.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? They're very well fitting and he takes pleasure in his clothing choices, so he's comfortable overall.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? Theon dresses to suit his mood or the occasion. While his clothing obviously will differ depending on whether he's hunting or attending a feast, he takes the same amount of care with his clothing choices no matter what he's doing.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? Uhhhh... yes? Any respectable lord would wear smallclothes!
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? Average manly voice, nothing unusually deep.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? With a great deal of self-assurance, as if he knows what he's saying is so very clever and you should be amused, you should find his words highly important. Yeah. Like that. He definitely isn't one to hesitate, preferring to show confidence at all times if he can manage it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? His dialect would be some weird combination of northern and ironborn... not quite entirely one or the other.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? Just the Common Tongue.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? Nope.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? He's more of an impromptu type for sure.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? When he's feeling good about himself and in control of a situation he can be on the witty side. (Or he can go too far into overconfidence where only he thinks he's being clever...). Can be either way though, depending.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? Something of a mix. He's well-learned given his status, and he's been in some battles, but he's not yet capable of commanding much respect as a leader. He still has a lot to learn. He's sometimes a lot smarter than he acts... and sometimes a lot dumber than he thinks he is. He has a tendency to be arrogant, full of himself and his own smug "cleverness", for instance, he expects the ironborn to just follow him without proving himself.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? Theon tends to think on his feet and make poor decisions for that reason. ...And makes poor decisions often even after deliberation. Oops.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Very idealistic, he has this whole over-important view of himself that just isn't even close to reality, and for this reason his ambitious plans often fail. Hard. He's logical, even if that logic... also fails. For instance, he's capable of making tactical plans and enacting them: the Winterfell thing did work out, at least initially.
4. What kind of education has the character had? As someone of highborn status, Theon is well-educated by his world's standards: reading, writing, the people and politics of Westeros (memorizing alllll those house sigils and mottoes), war and combat, and so on. Think medieval-level knowledge in general. In typical Westerosi fashion, a maester would have given him personal lessons: on Pyke that was Maester Qalen, and at Winterfell, Maester Luwin. For combat training, it would have been Ser Rodrik at Winterfell. He would have been educated in the ways of the ironborn as a boy, so he knows some things that their kind would be expected to (their culture, seafaring etc)... to a point. Since he was brought to live in Winterfell at a young age, he also learned their ways and through their perspectives over the last ten years. Basically, his knowledge of northern cultural things is from experience, while the ironborn stuff is all from memory and what he thinks he knows.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert. He gets energized by company, whether friends or bedwarmers. That's why it was especially difficult for him to have everyone in Winterfell against him.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? Very smug and arrogant and full of wry smiles and jokes on an average day. He's described as smiling much of the time. He likes to brag and go on about things that amuse or please him, too. All of this constant smiling at all the wrong times is something of a defense mechanism for him, though. He definitely can show a moodier side sometimes too, especially when he's not being treated as he (thinks he) deserves. Or when things don't go his way in general.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? Generally enthusiastic, especially if there's a chance to banter or flirt... or to show himself as awesome somehow. He's not a timid sort, and while normally relaxed he might show suspicion if he doesn't know anything about someone's motives.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? He's more used to reacting, doing what's expected of him as a young lordling, behaving as he ought to while a ward at Winterfell, and so forth. He's been a hostage about half his life. So when it finally comes to acting on his own... he gets in over his head.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight? He definitely leans toward fighting, taking some form of action. When everything went to hell in Winterfell, he's very reluctant to leave, thinking that making a retreat was a coward's way out.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? Inappropriate. :| Theon is the sort to find a joke in anything, even a beheading. Though really, it's his way of dealing with things that bother him, a way to make light of an otherwise unpleasant situation.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? He's just deep down extremely insecure, and makes up for it by being very, very full of himself. To the point where he can be very arrogant and narcissistic. It can take a bit to get through this to the "real" Theon.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person? Being sent away to Winterfell has to be the single most defining moment that shaped Theon as a person. Because of this, he grew up in a land that was far away from his own, with northerners instead of ironborn... it pretty much is the whole reason for his identity crisis and the rest of the way he acts. It also has a role in shaping the huge decision that he makes between his father and Robb.
14. What does he fear? Not belonging anywhere, being alone...
15. What are his hopes or aspirations? To take his father's seat and rule the Iron Islands one day. He's also very desperate for approval from his father.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him? His massive insecurities FOR SURE. The fact that he's so damn insecure underneath that confidence that he shows all the time...it's something he hides well and hates anyone finding out. He doesn't want anyone to know just how displaced he feels, how desperate he is to earn some sort of approval from anyone. His whole homecoming was a total embarrassment and he'd hate anyone to find out how worthlessly his father treated him or the fact that he favors his sister above him. Oh and Esgred. He definitely doesn't want anyone to find out about the whole Esgred and fondling his sister thing, ewwww.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents. Hahahahaha. So, his relationship with his mother is pretty nonexistent at this moment: he hasn't seen her since a boy and never got to visit her when he returned home, and she's become weak and is sort of losing her mind after she lost her sons. His father on the other hand... Yeaaah. There's no respect there. His father sees him as a weak, soft northerner, a stranger almost, when he returns, in sharp contrast to Theon's expectations. Theon has been struggling to prove himself to his father ever since.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? Two older brothers who both died, Rodrik and Maron. Rodrik was a drunk, Maron a liar and cruel joker, and they would beat up Theon at times... so really, he didn't have such a great relationship with either. His older sister, Asha, is living and he has a complicated relationship with her. She's essentially taken the role of their father's eldest son with Theon away, and he holds a lot of resentment and jealousy toward her about that. There's a lot of sarcasm and banter between them, but deep down they're still blood.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand? There are his uncles: Aeron, Victarion, and Euron. Aeron is a priest of the Drowned God and while he used to be a jovial sort, he's turned more dour and serious than Theon can really stand. Victarion is like a bull and Theon pretty much doesn't think much of the man's intelligence, thinking he'd be a loyal subject of his should he take the Seastone Chair. But Theon is definitely intimidated by Euron, or what he knows of him, since he still follows the Old Ways and is known to be ruthless and clever.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them? Theon was raised as a ward of the Starks for ten years, making them all almost but not quite family. It's Complicated. Ned, for instance, was cold and distant, and yet he was a father figure in a sense all the same. A father figure who might have to take his head should his true father misbehave, but still. Theon was actually afraid of the man when he was a boy. Theon is respectful of Catelyn, though she's also distant, always having a great deal of suspicion toward him. As for the Stark kids... Robb is Theon's friend, like a brother to him, Jon thinks Theon an ass, and Bran never really warmed up to him (but interestingly, it's also mentioned much later that Theon was fond of Bran)... he thinks of Sansa as pretty and he'd once entertained thoughts of perhaps being married off to her one day (though even he knows that's just fanciful thinking)... Arya was like an annoying little sibling (he's not above calling her Arya Underfoot/Horseface)... and Rickon due to his young age just a little kid.
Yet... it's a weird thing. They're like family, but not quite. Theon was raised beside the Stark children, almost one of them, but never actually one of them.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? Robb, for sure. They do things like hunt together, and Theon is shown to confide in Robb and vice versa. Robb is the first person Theon would go boasting to about his bedroom conquests and the like. He's a best friend AND essentially a brother... Theon met him as a boy when he was brought to live with the Starks.
6. Does he have other close friends? Sometimes, it really doesn't feel that way to Theon, who feels like the Starks' people don't welcome him all that much among them. But he does generally get along with most people around the castle, to varying extents. Since Jon is close enough to his and Robb's age, he was often involved in things they did, such as practicing with swords. And of course, Theon has plenty of women friends around town... mostly for physical pleasure in those cases though!
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people? This is an interesting mix... Theon is quite polarizing as a person. He himself is given to smiling and laughing often, and extroverted enough to go out and meet people readily, qualities that should make him make friends easily. He wants to be liked, very badly. On the other hand, he's also an arrogant asshole, and some people catch this too.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends? Given his choices, he does seem to place family above all else. Part of his huge character struggle is understanding who his family really is: Greyjoys or Starks.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once? Single! And glad for it, because it means he can sleep with whoever he wants. Of course, he'll be expected to marry one day, but for now...
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? Define "romantic". At the moment, he's only interested in casual hook-ups.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest? First crush as a boy was a little girl who was also his first kiss, which happened by the Weirwood tree. His latest... well there are a couple of tavern wenches he's into... Not that he's ever had a crush who he's wanted to stay faithful to at this point in time. He gets crushes easily and often. Kyra, one of those tavern wenches, is the one who he's really been closest to and who seems to be a very regular partner for him overall. He'd probably never openly say so, but he cares for her in his way.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner? He's not picky when it comes to the ladies, though he definitely does like a pretty face. He does like to impress them with his highborn status, sometimes, usually for a fling where he knows it won't last. But he also surprisingly has a definite thing for witty, spirited women, and seems to even be intrigued at those who assert themselves (his reactions to Esgred).
...Oh, but not his sister. Nope, nope, most definitely not his sister. Who does he look like, Jaime Lannister? (Yeeeah, he will never live that Esgred thing down!)
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any? He knows he has to make heirs eventually (not to mention get married), since it's his obligation. But at the moment all of that is far off, not really an immediate concern.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies? Technically, he was raised by them. Though it's more complicated than that. The Greyjoys may have been the enemy that the Starks helped to defeat, but it's not as if Theon himself was part of that fight. His father hasn't forgiven the past, which Theon learns all too well when he talks with him. Otherwise, no real rivals unless you count the older Stark boys to an extent: it's not his house, after all. Robb is afforded more respect by nature of being Ned's son. Also, Theon even thinks at one point in the books about how Jon, even being a bastard, had more honor given him than himself.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale? He's a pretty strong 0. His internal thoughts in the books are very much focused on attraction to women and he exclusively sleeps with women in both books and show. (The show would most definitely have thrown in some guys if it were otherwise).
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him? Theon is the equivalent of a Westerosi frat boy. Sleeping around the town is basically one of his hobbies. He enjoys it, he feels good about himself when he does it, and it's the one place where he feels in control of his life. Unfortunately, all he really looks for are one-night stands and the like (the captain's daughter, whores like Ros in the show), with an occasional regular-ish partner (Kyra in the books). He's not out for any sort of emotional commitment or long-term "real" relationship by any means.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? Theon actually seems to be turned on by a woman who has a sharp tongue, who can match his banter: when his sister is pretending to be Esgred, they exchange a lot of witty suggestive commentary and he really enjoys it. But again, he's really not picky. Being exciting and lively in bed is awesome too (he talks all about Kyra and "squirming like a weasel"). He does seem to be turned off by clingy-ness, as he's not out for a lasting relationship for the most part (the ship captain's daughter). Theon has no weird habits really, he's basically up for anything that feels good. Threesomes with two women = yes please (Bessa and Kyra!)
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type? He's got a lot of typical Leo traits: self-important, arrogant, confident, humorous, cheerful (at least on the surface), ambitious, craves recognition, loyal (yes, he's confused about who to be loyal to, but when he gives that loyalty it's pretty strong), vain, melodramatic, pompous, outgoing, haughty... yeeeeeah. So much of this is so Theon.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life? Definitely not devoutly religious: he "seldom" prays as noted in the books. Yet he definitely believes in the gods, despite his lack of regular reverence. He's kind of torn between which ones to swear fealty to: the old gods of the north or the Drowned God of the ironborn.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? Ahahahaha. Ok, so. This is a very grey area (no pun intended). Theon is so Neutral it hurts. Probably swings more Lawful Neutral than anything. He follows the ways of Westeros, growing up as a hostage, and while he may not have always liked his position, he didn't try to run away or rebel or anything like that. He's respectful to his peers and those who outrank him. Even his conquering of Winterfell, however sneakily carried out, is technically just following ways of conquest in his world. He wants to be important within their society's hierarchy, so he's most definitely not for chaos for its own sake. He also attempts to keep things in order when taking Winterfell, immediately declaring himself their new prince. But he does blur the lines between good and evil. Theon may have done some terrible things: took over Winterfell and made enemies of former allies, agreed to kill the two miller's sons and claim them as the Stark boys (it was Ramsay's idea technically, and even in the show the idea originates from Dagmer; it's also implied in both that he didn't directly kill them). He has deservedly earned the name of Turncloak. And yet. And yet. He did these actions in order to gain favor from his father, to prove himself deserving of his family name. He chose blood family over the people who raised him (and technically as a political hostage, even if well-treated). It's complicated. Theon doesn't do these bad actions for a bad end in themselves, and he even wants to set himself up as a merciful ruler like Ned, when he's holding Winterfell. Unfortunately, the reality of that situation is nothing like that ideal outcome he had in his head. The main thing is, he doesn't betray the Starks just for the sake of betraying the Starks, he does it to support the Greyjoys. He doesn't really think through the implications of what that betrayal will really mean. He also shows extreme guilt and regret for what he does at Winterfell, later on. Theon is a very confused person, and gets in waaay over his head.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? Indifferent, undoubtedly would look down on some beliefs that are too different from what he knows. He probably would be tolerant as long as it didn't clash with his beliefs too much.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them? Massive classism and a dash of sexism as well, a lot of that to do with his upbringing and the culture he comes from. Theon is very much the sort to look down on people of a lower class... and to have it in his head that the lowborn ladies are so very "fortunate" to have someone like himself in their beds. He also holds traditional Westerosi/northern views toward women to an extent too, though that's been challenged by his sister in particular.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? Comfortable and well-off for sure: his father is lord of the Iron Islands, and he's raised by the Starks as ward. Despite technically being a hostage, he's treated well and has it pretty easy as far as getting things he wants. He's one to "pay the gold price" for nice items, especially clothes. (In contrast to the traditional ironborn "iron price" which involves stabbing people and taking things. :|)
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him? Son of Lord Balon, the lord of the Iron Islands, which makes him heir to the Seastone Chair. He grew up as a youngest son initially, until his brothers were killed... so up until that point he'd not been guaranteed to inherit anything. As a boy he became a ward, a hostage of war basically, to Ned Stark. While he was still treated as a highborn he also was treated as not quite part of the family at the same time. Obviously the move to Winterfell and being a ward has had a heavy impact on him.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others? Theon grew up for most of his life in Winterfell, living alongside the Starks in the castle there. Before that, as a very young child he lived in the castle at Pyke, on the Iron Islands (which, while still befitting a nobleperson, is a much gloomier and harsher place than even chilly Winterfell).
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on? Fine clothing and jewelry, women, wine. He's all for fun, frivolous things and activities.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else? He's heir to the Iron Islands, and he can't wait to take over, when his father kicks it. It's his right and he wants it more than anything. Otherwise, he's been ward of Ned Stark, acting for him as a squire of sorts... he does well with this too, and feels respected in this way. In fact, he likes doing things that make him seem important (handing Ned Ice to kill the traitor at the beginning for instance). He also fought alongside Robb and was his right hand man of sorts, something he also enjoyed and did willingly.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time? Sex, lots of sex. Otherwise enjoying himself at the alehouse, drinking and joking. He also likes other pursuits like hunting and hawking, horseback riding or practicing with swords. Usually those things are done in the company of others like Robb. But his huge hobby (and practical skill) is archery. Theon is a badass shot with a bow, and loves showing off his skills at any chance he gets.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? Never misses a meal, and there's always more than enough food to go around for the nobles in Winterfell. Feasts for special occasions get even more lavish. He's fond of wine in particular, and will go for it quite often.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Gold and black, the colors of his house.
2. Smell? The smell of the ocean/seashore.
3. Time of day? Noon. Bright and brash and just a good time for someone so full of himself. Also evening/night, because we all know what happens then. ;)
4. Season? Summer, it's the season he really knows, where he came of age too.
5. Book? Yawn who has time for books, does he look like a Maester? He did always enjoy reading about ironborn history/culture anytime he was forced to study though. (He'd probably actually get into parts of History of the Ironborn or The Iron Chronicle).
6. Music? Any bawdy or humorous tune, like The Bear and the Maiden Fair, Bessa the Barmaid, A Cask of Ale, Her Little Flower, etc...
7. Place? The Iron Islands AND Winterfell.
8. Substance? Water. Salt. Iron.
9. Plant? Pine trees, other flora of the North.
10. Animal? Kraken! It's his house sigil... and Theon's journal name says it all, really. He's very much a "fish out of water" in the sense that he's displaced and kind of lost due to growing up outside of the culture he was born in. Squids overall are very Theony.
11. Food/Drink? Food, any type of game animals. Drink, wine, usually, though he'll also go for ale at times too.
12. Pets? No wolves for you Theon, you're not a Stark! :| But he does have a black warhorse named Smiler (described as "smaller than a destrier, but larger than a courser").
13. Weapons? Bow and arrow as a primary, but he can also handle a sword.
14. Items? Kraken jewelry, gold necklaces, basically kraken-engraved or painted everything, eventually his ship the Sea Bitch.
15. Myers-Briggs type? ESFP
16. Element? Water
END
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