Olik Family/Gauihu

Gauihu

Overview

The second oldest son of the Oliks, Gauihu is often underestimated by his unfavourable appearance. He has changed careers several times between soldier and trader, and seems to have too little patience for the latter. Although some have considered him cowardly, he has fought in several battles in service of Abington, and it is rumored he has a penchant for depraved killings and other crimes involving enemy prisoners or peasants. Of course, these are only rumors, and likely to prove as false as those about his cowardice...

Of all the Oliks, he has taken part in the largest and often times the most frequent battles, though unlike his brother Oleg he has never been seen at the front of a line fighting alongside the common men. However, unlike many nobles he disdains the use of a horse, and doesn't strain his troops to fly the family crest. Some see this as a sign of shame or disrespect for his family, but in fact Gauihu is a fairly practical fellow and prefers to have every man capable of fighting doing so. Although he has never waded into the midst of melee combat, on occasion he's been seen drawing a bow and firing, in the command of an archer unit. Like many nobles he has excellent skill with the bow, but it is not his strong suit. When it comes to riding upon a horse, Gauihu is clearly uncomfortable.

A quiet man by nature, he was once egregarious when it comes to drinking and engaged in festivities alongside his fellow nobles, especially after a victorious battle. When on occasion he has spoken out, it has usually been with caustic criticism or abrupt cynicism. He seems to possess an embittered streak ever since being wounded in a battle of Chasnoff when the Northern Alliance attacked, and believes he never received orders or notification and that the army had in fact, abandoned him deliberately. Still, as time goes by, he does mention this less and less.

Career

Gauihu is by far the most politically successful of the family, being an outspoken supporter of "Abington's survival, success, and supremacy" and ascending the feudal hiearchy to become what Lady Doc's Biatch once referred to as the most powerful of positions, that of Judge.

In August he was appointed one of the three Ministers of the People of Abington, swearing to help guide the youthful nobility and realm's newcomers, and to report on the needs and wants of the people to the Royal Court and Council of the People. He was also appointed as Count of Wynford in September, but lost the title - temporarily, he is quick to assure those near to him - after being imprisoned by the Ash Sea Islands after a battle. He is also the founder of a Fencing Guild dedicated to developing and tutoring in an Abington National Style of swordfighting, a personal skill he has developed reasonably (though he is not a Master).

He first became the judge of Abington by a close election with many viable candidates. He stepped down as Minister of the People on that day as well, citing the reason that he would have more than his share of votes on the Court and Council of the People if he didn't.

Since the death of his friend, the hero Feldric, Gauihu has been noticeably cold-hearted - and that's saying a lot. Later, the death of his friend Deschain only further compounded this. During his tenure as Arch-Priest he is known to have spent a lot of time in "discussions" with the prisoners; his Abington_Common_Code is harsh-minded with regards to penalties (though not unusually so for the time); and he executed at least one noble (the traitor Vigilantius) and sentenced to death two more (though both, Fangdor and Doc's Biatch, managed to escape the punishment).

His legacy has since been variously referred to as "megalomaniacal" or "tyrannical," yet it should be noted that these terms largely originate from convicts. Politically, his is a growing voice, quick to speak out against the first sign of suspected treachery or criminality, and active among the councils of Abington. He has made many enemies, as many judges tend to do, being wounded once by an infiltrator and opposing the well-known Black Mambas. His reputation is mixed; all agree that he is generally without mercy, but his fairness is also noted by many. Of course, not all share the latter estimation.

During his stay in office he has signed Prisoner Agreements with the Judges of other realms.

Timeline

• Began his career in Abington 2004-10-04
• Appointed as Minister of the People (late August/early September 05)
• Nominated as Lord of Wynford (week of September 10)
• Appointed as Count of Wynford 2005-09-19
• Founded the Abington School of Swordfighting 2005-10-16
• Elected as Arch-Priest of Abington 2005-12-08
• "Appointed" as Count of Anchorinn 2006-02-02
• Founded the Abington First guild 2006-04-17
• Stepped down as Judge 2006-04-17
• Re-elected as Arch-Priest 2006-04-18

META Character Notes

(This information is not really available for public, in-character knowledge.)

Gauihu is a prime example of the old adage about powerful families: they produce two kinds of fruit, the sweet and the sour. Gauihu tends toward the sour. His depravity is restrained only by his rational political ambition and respect for organized hiearchical power structures, together which necessitates him to conform (at least in public appearance) to standard values.

His ambition tends to prevent him from acts of pointless cruelty, as long as he is not in a position of kingly power. But if/when he could, he indulges in acts of sadism, torture, rape, vampirism, cannabalism and murder. His underlying aggression becomes clear in battles, which tend to excite him and induce a dissociative state in which he "loses himself" in the carnage. This last trait runs in the family; at times his younger brother Maltheo has experienced such a state (though in the latter case he is by far less cruel/beastly during it).

If Gauihu was a D&D character, his alignment would be Lawful Evil: he believes strongly in law and order, albeit a harsh and merciless execution thereof. However, if things were to change (badly) for him, he might easily shift to a Neutral Evil, since in the end his prime concern is his own ambition and need for cruelty.

Gauihu Olik's character is largely based on another roleplaying game I play, set in an alternate-history Eastern Europe, played at www.nationstates.net. This other Gauihu is, though modern, generally the same brutal politician: a totalitarian aristocrat who committed mass murders, ordered his armies to use chemical weaponry, and got his nation involved in a destructive war with an entire alliance. What is perhaps unique about this character (compared to real-life dictators) is the almost super-villain-esque ability to escape capture and death, continuing to govern behind the scenes, controlling superficially democratic states like a comic book puppetmaster.