The Gunslinger (archetype)

[sp!ke]

the gunslinger is linked with the orphan -- i'm still working on that one. :) 
enjoy...

The gunslinger 

attributes: the gunslinger is the lone hero, wandering the land, defending
those unable to defend themselves. an enigmatic and laconic individual, the
gunslinger rose to its current archetypal power during the nineteenth century,
when tales of the old west and its unbreakable codes of survival and honor
sparked people's imaginations. the gunslinger's roots go far back in history,
from the ronin of feudal japan to the knight errants of medieval europe. some
say that the mythic heroes of ancient greece also embody the ideal of this
questing warrior. even in modern times, this romantic figure has not gone out
of fashion. indeed, tales of caped avengers protecting the city and its
citizens from harm reasonate with the gunslinger's undertones. 

the gunslinger need not wield a gun to carry out his duties. as mentioned
above, his mythic status was established long before the western expansion of
america. he embodies the warrior ideal: strong, proud, honorable and
compassionate. in fact, the gunslinger is often linked with another archetypal
figure; that of the orphan. as a role-model and authority figure, he often
becomes a father-figure to the orphan...eventually training him in the ways of
battle so that someday, he may have a successor. 

taboo: the gunslinger is a champion of the oppressed and may never, either
through action or inaction, allow an innocent to come to harm. also, he cannot
ever retire from his position as defender (the only exception is when he
passes
on his mantle to the orphan). 

symbols: the most potent symbol of the gunslinger is himself. the tall,
silent,
brooding man with the cold eyes and the gravelly whisper of his voice. the
other symbols of the gunslinger are whatever items he has adopted in his
pursuit of justice: a cape or mask, a revolver, silver bullets, a fedora, his
steed (anything from a white stallion to a harley-davidson motorcycle). 

suspected avatars in history: the noble gunfighter of dime store novels or the
masked crime-fighter of tabloid news. older avatars include the green knight,
the ronin of feudal japan and even mythic greek heroes like heracles or
perseus. batman, mad max and zorro are all fictional examples of the
gunslinger. 

channels: 

note: the three gifts described below will not magically come into the
character's possesion. he must either seek them out or have them granted to
him
by another person. acquiring these gifts is not without expense, hardship or
danger (his "steed of virtue" a vintage motorcycle, may currently be in the
collection of a powerful drug-trafficker) but he will eventually find out
where
they are and intuitively know that they are his ("can you loan me a few
hundred
bucks? i saw a biker jacket in the window of that store that i really got to
have..."). 

1%-50%: at this level, the gunslinger gains the first of the three mythic
gifts: the armor of truth. the armor may take any shape: a mask and cape, a
sherriff's badge, a leather jacket or even actual armor. in any case, it
embodies the gunslinger's status as a champion of justice. when wearing the
armor of truth, the gunslinger's social skills may be substituted with his
avatar: gunslinger skill. this ability can only be used to command admiration,
respect or fear and may not be used in a seduction-type situation. 

51%-70: the gunslinger is bequeathed the second gift: the sword of justice. in
these modern times, the sword typically manifests as a firearm (but 
a sword or some other weapon may be used if it fits with the gunslinger's
persona). when wielding the sword of justice, the gunslinger may flip-flip the
damage he receives when hit by gunfire. 

71%-90%: the gunslinger is granted the third and final gift: the steed of
virtue. while the original gunslinger avatars did ride horses (winged horses),
the modern avatar makes due with a tricked-out sports car or motorcycle. while
in control of his steed (ie: driving), the gunslinger gains strength and
confidence, allowing him to flip-flop any roll he makes. 

91%+: the gunslinger literally becomes the man with no name. all records, both
physical and electronic, of his existence vanish into thin air. everyone on
the
planet becomes aware of his presence, yet no one can remember any specific
details. from now until the day he dies, he is a man of legend. it is at this
level that the orphan will be drawn to the gunslinger's side. 

Jared A. Sorensen
http://www.memento-mori.com

"I don't think there's anything man wasn't meant to know. There are just some
stupid things that people shouldn't do. "
- David Cronenberg
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