#work with that on purposeddddddddd

[the-desert-beast]

so my elonian shapeshifter sylvari right. the siblings im always rotating the most are Maelgwyn/Rhosyn/Llacheu/Kynwyl.

i dont think ive talked about this here on tumblr actually

but maelgwyn was so fucking irritated by kynwyl intially, like. gwynnie is a reclusive/private quiet type, he had a really hard time accepting being a firstborn, actually. cause he thought his tree was dead this whole time. the entire past 2 decades. and then he's got Rhosyn being curious and bubbly (about everything not gwyn alone), this cynical prick that seems to hate everything. he just ignores the both of them. and then kynwyl.

kynwyl who is "born" the man maelgwyn spent the past 2 decades trying to become. pretending to be. maelgwyn isnt as earnestly kind or honest or charismatic as kynwyl. maelgwyn isnt able to dust himself off and get back up after a fuck up as seamlessly as kynwyl is. maelgwyn had depressive spirals often maelgwyn hides himself away he doesnt understand emotions he doesnt know how to cope in a healthy way he doesnt have the answers. he thinks of himself as two different aspects. Maelgwyn, and The Desert Beast

maelgwyn is pathetic and unlovable. maelgwyn is a failure who for some reason cant stop fighting despite it all. maelgwyn doesnt let himself hope anymore. He follows his path. he keeps going. for no reason. he wont accept that his real reason is that he hopes, deep down, knows. that it will get better. he'll make it better. no matter how much or how little support he has. whats the other option? lay down and die? neither maelgwyn or the the desert beast would do that.

the desert beast is a ruthless blood money mercenary. someone maelgwyn became to secure a reputation in harsh conditions, with no connections, for a future. any future. he chose becoming a bounty hunter because it made the humans around him who'd never seen a Sylvari (let alone a Twilight Sylvari) before more comfortable around him, to have a reference for his deeds. other bounty hunters revere or fear him for his ruthlessness and dedication. citizens are less frightened of him, more willing to give him a chance, when they've heard of the good deeds he's done for the poor, the weak, the frail, the children, and their pets. hes like a fucked up robin hood; robin hood is only an enemy of the royals hoarding gold. maelgwyn is a little unpredictable, since he's loyal to himself first and foremost.

he's not above betrayal, if thats what it comes to. he draws the line at what he considers innocents. people he can tell took an unfair deal just to have food to eat. his moral compass is, "dark grey." it's made of greys. basically, he asks "what decisions would I come to regret. what would make me see a monster in the mirror?" (and then he sees a monster in the mirror anyway but atleast he didnt make it "worse")

So when Kynwyl wakes up and seems to admire Maelgwyn for things he deems "deeds of the desert beast" he gets very very very irritated.

by this point maelgwyn doesnt look back on his history kindly. he's given up on taking blood money, he does caravan escorts for the refugees and traders, anyone who needs it and has some coin to offer. Hearing kynwyl so very enthused about the things he saw in his dream... the "noble" fights, the "chivalrous deeds." It bothers Maelgwyn. Kynwyl doesn't know about the blood staining all of it.

Yes, maelgwyn has helped people but to him, that was the persona not himself. And the desert beast is no one to aspire to. Thats the chasm between maelgwyn's perception of "Maelgwyn, Self" and "The Desert Beast" he's been struggling with self-hatred among other problems for decades. so "maelgwyn" is no one of note and "the desert beast" is someone to despise, to recoil at.

he snaps at kynwyl later when he won't drop the admiration "act." Kynwyl didn't know about the blood staining his big brother's hands, but does it change the good he did? You still helped someone. You've been helping more than harming these days. Why recoil at your brother's praise? Because Maelgwyn believes he doesn't understand. He's partially right, though Kynwyl feels like maelgwyn doesn't fully understand either.

after the fight they had about it (maelgwyn started it) rhosyn goes up to him a few days later like 'hey dude what the hell" rhosyn, the only one maelgwyn clicks with instantly. his little sister (affectionate.) anyway he's like "goddamnit. ur right."

since kynwyl has struggled with his guardian magics, firebrand doesn't fit him though he can manage it well enough, and dragonhunter is an absolute no-go. he SUCKS with bows. do not the kynwyl archery.

so gwynnie gets him a Willbender techniques book to study when he comes back from cantha.