...Can it wait for a bit?

OOC

Handle: Kalan
Contact: roflskate
Over 18? YUP
Characters Played: Revolver Ocelot, Stannis Baratheon

THE CHARACTER

Character Name: Garrus Vakarian
Series: Mass Effect
Canon Point: Mass Effect 3 - Post-Priority: Palaven
Character Age: Late twenties to early thirties (though never mentioned in-game, writers have indicated that he is slightly younger than the protagonist, Commander Shepard, who is in their early 30's during Mass Effect 3)
Background: Here!

In addition, as the plot can change with player choice, here are a few of the major decisions made by the player character that impact Garrus and the world at large:

Mass Effect 1
↪ Wrex survived Virmire
↪ Kaidan survived Virmire, Ashley sacrificed
↪ Saved the Citadel Council
↪ Saved the Rachni Queen
↪ Bring Down the Sky Competed - Hostages saved, Balak at large
↪ Anderson is selected for councillor
↪ Garrus is encouraged to place more value in regulations.

Mass Effect 2
↪ Everyone survived the suicide mission
↪ Destroyed the Collector Base
↪ Destroyed Geth Heretics
↪ Tali spared from exile
↪ Arrival, Overlord, & Lair of the Shadow Broker completed
↪ Shepard did not allow Garrus to shoot Sidonis
↪ Shepard romanced Garrus

As Garrus is from early Mass Effect 3, other than the recruitment of Javik, no major decisions (including the status of the romance, which Shepard can call off immediately after reuniting with no hard feelings) have been made.

Personality:

Garrus Vakarian is a self-described "bad turian". While he mentions that most of his people are satisfied with (and expected to) follow orders regardless of their personal feelings about them, Garrus has never been content to stay silent. This is best evidenced the very first time that Shepard (the player character) meets him, where he argues with the C-Sec Executor over being taken off an investigation into the illegal dealings of a Spectre (and fellow turian) named Saren Arterius. His sometimes argumentative and hot-headed nature (particularly in regards to rules and regulations he disagrees with) is also emphasized in Mass Effect Homeworlds, where he gets into an argument with his father over how the handling of justice within C-Sec. While this lessens over the course of the games, Garrus' stubborn nature still remains under the surface (such as when he takes Shepard to the top of the Citadel for a friendly day out and/or date, telling them that he's gotten to the point where he just doesn't care about the regulations forbidding him from being there).

Garrus is also an individual with a very strong sense of justice, no matter the cost. It is this sense that first leads him to Shepard's crew, feeling that he can get more accomplished working with someone who is "above the law". And, despite Shepard convincing him that there are some values to certain regulations, it is this same sense of justice that leads him to Omega after their apparent death to take down criminals. Garrus also has a very black-and-white worldview when it comes to justice, and during his time on Omega, he was fond of dealing out karmic punishments to fit the crime (such as when he killed a drug dealer with the very drug he was selling). Still, this is not to say he isn't always without conflict. This comes to the forefront during his personal mission in Mass Effect 2, where he decides to get revenge on Sidonis, the turian who betrayed his entire squad. When Shepard blocks his shot, he first tells them to move out of the way, but as he listens to both Shepard and Sidonis, he decides to spare him, later confessing to Shepard that he has no idea if he made the right decision. Regardless of his methods, Garrus is still a man (or turian) who strives to do the "right" thing, no matter the cost.

When it comes to how he interacts with others, one of Garrus' preferred methods of communication (particularly in later games as his character receives more focus) is sarcasm. In the first game, he will casually remark to Shepard "why do people always assume we enjoy putting ourselves in harm's way" when given a dangerous task to accomplish. His sarcasm and teasing nature is also evidenced in the second game, when he teases Tali about the conversations that the used to have on the elevators (though it is cut short when Tali offhandedly mentions her shotgun). Even in more dire situations, as a coping mechanism, he will occasionally inject some dry humour as well. However, unlike some of the other characters, he never goes too far with this, and knows when it's appropriate to be serious.

It is also important to note that romance-wise, he is completely clueless and awkward. He never realizes a doctor's crush on him despite being teased about it by at least one crew member. When Shepard tries to get him a date, he first seems more interested in talking firearms (declaring that what he really needs is a silencer for his sniper rifle), and then uses some truly horrible pick-up lines on the woman ("do you come here often? I imagine anyone who does is probably an alcoholic"), the situation only salvaged by the interference of his friend. And, if a female Shepard chooses to pursue a relationship with him, he becomes increasingly awkward and begins rambling about the ways it could go wrong, showcasing a level of vulnerability, as he counts her among one of his only friends left in the galaxy.

Despite not having many close friends, Garrus is intensely loyal to the ones that he has. While many of the crew members from the first game have massive reservations about working with the human supremacist terrorist organization Cerberus, Garrus agrees to come along with Shepard, no questions asked. This continues throughout the game, where if present, he defends Shepard from a former crew member that claims they betrayed everything they stood for. Finally, in the third game, despite being one of the highest ranking members of the turian military, Garrus leaves active combat to again serve with Shepard aboard the Normandy. Each of these events demonstrate that Garrus is one of Shepard's closest, and most loyal friends.

Throughout the series, Garrus also grows into a formidable leader in his own right (though is still somewhat overshadowed by the protagonist, Commander Shepard). This is first evidenced on Omega, where he led a team of mercenaries against the station's crime, and continues on to the suicide mission, where he is one of the three "right" choices to lead various fire teams. In Mass Effect 3, he is a top advisor to the Primarch (ruler) of Palaven, and is saluted by turian generals. During one scene, he has a candid conversation with Shepard about the pressures of leadership and the "ruthless calculus of war".

Ultimately, Garrus calls himself a "bad turian". And while that may be true in some cases, throughout the series, he proves to be a pretty good man.

Powers/Abilities:

↪ TURIAN: Physiologically, humans and turians are on similar ground (though turians are based on a different set of amino acids and as such, generally cannot consume human food). However, their semi-metallic carapace allows them to withstand greater levels of radiation than humans.
↪ SHARPSHOOTER: Thanks to his training in the turian military and C-Sec, Garrus is proficient with both sniper and assault rifles. He is particularly talented with the latter, having his aiming skills lauded by various characters throughout the series.
↪ TECH EXPERT: In addition to his weapons training, Garrus is also a formidable combat engineer. This includes the ability to overload various enemy systems with the use of a device called the omni-tool. His expertise also gives him the ability to decrypt encoded data, fix various bits of machinery, and (perhaps infamously) calibrate a ship's weapon system to the point that an AI was amazed by his work.

Power Nerfs (if applicable): Given the omni-tool's ability to hack various things, I'm completely fine with it not working on the Thesa Station for obvious reasons. Otherwise, I can't think of too much else that needs to be nerfed.

Inventory:

↪ modified turian kuwashii visor
↪ omni-tool
↪ turian armour
↪ kyrasae sniper rifle

Note: While Garrus would definitely have a sniper rifle on him, due to the omni-tool's versatility, I'm more than happy to have him not arrive without it if need be.


Incentives:

Garrus's biggest incentive is just making sure that his family, friends, and the whole turian race are safe. And probably the ability to eat non-dextro food without coming down with a case of death. That might be nice too.

SAMPLES

TDM Top Level!