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didney academy
Mun
Name: Malathyne
Contact Info:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
Malathyne
Other Characters: n/a
Character
Name: William Turner Jr.
Appearance: yoooooooo
Canon: Pirates of the Caribbean
History: canon wikia
Canon point: post-At World's End
Personality:
The first thing to understand about William Turner is that though he is initially quiet and respectful, and though there are people who could tell him to jump and he'd ask how high... He is not someone who is easily pushed around. He is an honorable man, adhering to his personal code at all times, even if it seems his actions are taken in contrary to his values. The reason why he is willing to take such actions is that he is a long-term planner; he is willing to make short-term sacrifices for the sake of the end goal. His end goals always adhere to his personal code.
For example, by the end of the second movie, Will had promised to his father to rescue him from his service on the Flying Dutchman, and he had come to the conclusion that Elizabeth no longer loved him, but instead loved Jack Sparrow. As a result, he began to make plans to where everyone else could have their happy endings: his father could be free, Davy Jones slain, and Elizabeth and Jack would be free to sail the seas together. The problem with this plan was that it would require him to take unsavory actions, such as committing mutiny after rescuing Jack and the Black Pearl, and striking deals with the East India Trading Company. However, because his end goal was in line with his personal code, and because those were the best ways he saw to reach that goal, he went ahead and set the plan into motion.
When it comes to his personal code, it in and of itself is fairly simple. However, his personal code represents each and every aspect of who he is. In turn, everything that has influenced him gets used as a foundation for his decision-making process. All of it can be broken down thus:
One:
When he makes promises, he keeps them, and he repays his debts when they are due. This was proven most prominently when he swore to his father that he would free him from his service to the Flying Dutchman after his father sacrificed his soul for Will in the game of Liar's Dice and was in the process of helping him escape from the ship. Even though he knew the actions he was taking was also taking him farther away from Elizabeth, he still persisted, and even refused to defend himself when his father attacked him. "I won't kill you. I made you a promise."
Another example of this is when Will rescued Jack from the gallows at the end of the first movie. While it's true that he made no promise to Jack to do so, he was still extremely conscious of everything that Jack did for Will, and, by extension, Elizabeth. And let's not forget the lessons that Will learned from Jack; if it weren't for Jack, then he never would have learned the truth about his father, nor come to terms with his status as a pirate. He wouldn't have learned that it is possible to be both a pirate and a good man. So, even though Will knew that he was committing a crime that would likely cost his life, he did it anyway, because he had a debt to repay to Jack. (This, of course, later came to bite him in the ass, because at the time Will hadn't considered the possibility that Elizabeth might come stand at his side during this stunt. This is what gave Beckett leverage over them at the beginning of the second movie.)
This part of his code is actually further proven during an unlikely event, shortly after Will leads a mutiny of all things to take the Black Pearl in the third movie. The reason why he immediately afterward lost the Pearl is because he didn't take into calculation the fact that he didn't actually hold any further value to Sao Feng and the East India Trading Company. He simply expected them to keep their promises, because he has the bad habit of forgetting that other people do not hold promises in nearly the same esteem he does.
He made a similar mistake in the first movie when he assumed that Barbossa would be respectable and let Elizabeth go free at a port, not maroon her. This incenses him to the point of even having an outburst: "Barbossa, you lying bastard!" These outbursts are very rare when it comes to Will, and only occurs when one of two hot-button topics are pressed: Elizabeth and his father. Dishonor them ("My father is NOT a pirate"), threaten their safety or their freedom ("That's not good enough!"; "Elizabeth goes free!")... Imply or directly suggest that he's not good enough for her ("Or! Perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found [a girl], and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet.")... And he's much more likely to fly off the handle.
Two:
He will not take action that will permanently take someone's freedom out of their hands. To Will, freedom is the opportunity to truly be yourself, and make decisions that are true to who you are and what you believe in, and pursue what you desire most. This is something that is harder to find examples for, because it is never outright stated. However, it becomes clear when you consider the society that Will grew up in and his character growth in the first movie.
Consider this: During the time period that the movies take place, England was a classist society. Will was raised by his mother, as his father was sailing the Caribbean as a pirate. This meant that she alone was responsible for putting food on the table, and the likelihood that they lived a high class lifestyle was very unlikely. Not to mention that in Port Royal, we see Will being treated as a part of the working class. Though blacksmiths played an important role, he was just an apprentice, and let's not forget his family background here -- or lack thereof. His mother died before Will sailed to the Caribbean, and his father had been entirely out of the picture for his entire life. All in all, Will may not be the bottom of the totem pole, but he's certainly not well-off by any means.
Consider the way we witness Will being treated not only in the first movie, but even the second. In the first, he is essentially treated as part of the help by Governor Swann, and his achievements and creations were always attributed to his master, because surely an apprentice wouldn't have crafted such beautiful swords. By that point, he had spent his life longing for Elizabeth, but despite how much he loved her, the large gap in their social classes kept them apart. In the second movie, even though Will had saved Elizabeth and Governor Swann even in the end approved of the methods he used, it is implied that the Governor still does not approve of his daughter's betrothal to him. Given the way Elizabeth was ready to jump on the argument to defend Will and the attitude with which she used to do so, it was not the first time the Governor's lack of faith and trust in Will was not a new problem.
Another important point here is the fact that when Will and Jack first met and their swords crossed, Will's tactics were initially measured and almost even cautious. He didn't start to get boastful or fighting to his full potential until Jack hit what was obviously a sore spot: "you already found [a girl], and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet." Will obviously knows what Jack is about to say before he even gets halfway through the sentence. When he realizes that, yes, Jack really is going to go there, that is when Will snaps off a threat and an insult ("so that if I met a pirate, I could kill it"), stops holding back, and starts actually fighting to win.
There is a marked, though subtle, difference in his personality between even just the end of the first movie and the rest of it. At first, he is obedient, and he keeps his head down, and obeys by society's norms. He believes in them strongly, that there is black and there is white, good and evil, proper and wrong. He does not try reaching for what he really wants, or try to make claim of his own achievements. But by the end of the movie, he is standing taller, and his posture suggests that he is more confident in his own decisions. He tells Elizabeth not only that he loves her now, but that he always has. He publicly defies the government -- society -- by rescuing Jack from the gallows. He stands his ground when challenged by both Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington, representatives and law-keepers of that very society. He does not hesitate to state what he believes is the right thing to do, and to throw the shades of grey that he learned from Jack into their faces.
So what does all of this come down to? Will grew up knowing that what he wanted was out of his reach. And why would that be? Because society had deemed him not good enough. By the end of the first movie, he had grown more into himself, and become more willing to stand by what he thinks is right. He isn't afraid to talk back. He is no longer afraid to show that this is who he was, this was who he wanted to be. And that is what defines freedom to Will. That is why freedom is, to him, the ability to be yourself and hold true to your values. And because it is important to him, that is what he wants for other people, especially the people he cares about.
Three:
"The only rules that matters are these: What a man can do, and what a man can't do." This is something else he takes into his decision making process, and it's something that he learned from Jack not long after they set out to rescue Elizabeth from Barbossa. Though Jack meant it in a more physical sense, proven by the example he uses of sailing the Pearl to Tortuga, Will ended up applying it to his morality in addition to what physically can be achieved. At the end of the day, he must always be willing to live with the decisions that he makes.
Will tries to drive this point home to Jack during their conversation after Will broke out of the brig in the third movie. When Jack suggested that Will let him stab the heart instead and become the next Ferryman, Will retorted that if Jack didn't stay true to the cause, then he would end up with a face like Davy Jones. Though Jack had his sights on immortality, at that point he wasn't taking into consideration the moral responsibility that comes along with being the Ferryman. Could Jack really live with it? The freedom Jack wanted would mean that he would turn his back on the souls lost at sea, just like Jones. Could Jack really live with it?
That was the point Will was trying to make, because he had considered it in his calculations, and already made up his mind that he was willing to make that sacrifice for his father's freedom. But this decision was first made when he still thought Elizabeth loved Jack, and her freedom would be best guaranteed if she was allowed to sail off into the sunset with him. When that was proven untrue, it made Will uncertain again. Here, his personal code came into conflict: As much as he intended to keep his promise to his father, he also did not want to lose Elizabeth. If the freedom she chose was with him, who was he to keep her from it? Could Will live with that? But, on the flip side, could he live knowing that he left his father to the Dutchman, never again to know peace?
Four:
He will not put the lives of those he cares about in danger where he cannot be there to protect them. The best example of this can be seen shortly after Will's mutiny to take the Pearl. Yes, the mutiny in and of itself posed a threat to Elizabeth. But the minute he had the opportunity, he stepped forward and tried to pull her into safety by getting her released. When this backfired and Sao Feng and Barbossa began to bargain Elizabeth for a truce, thus meaning that Elizabeth would be on Sao Feng's ship and entirely out of Will's protection, he protested loudly and then looked extremely concerned and guilty when he was shot down. His own actions, which were in part to keep Elizabeth safe, put her in a great deal of danger.
The reason why this gets mentioned as part of his personal code is the safety of his loved ones plays a huge role in his life. Again, threatening his loved ones is one of the surefire ways to get Will up in arms. He will do literally almost anything for his loved ones, as evidenced by the extremes Will went to save Elizabeth from Barbossa, Jack from the gallows, and his father from Davy Jones. Each and every time, Will risked life, livelihood, and limb with little to no care as to what the outcome for him turns out to be ("If this means the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it"). Let's not forget about the fact that Will was willing to become the Ferryman to free his father, even as he doubted whether or not it was the right path because it took him away from Elizabeth.
In the end, Jack had it quite right when he told Will that he was completely obsessed with treasure; after all, "not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
Powers/Special Abilities:
For most of his life, William Turner has been entirely a regular human. However, thanks to one Jack Sparrow, he is now Calypso's new psychopomp. He has been newly charged with the duty of guiding the souls who lost their lives at sea safely to the afterlife. Along with that duty comes with several perks.
Immortality: Will's mortality is connected to his physical heart, which was supernaturally removed from his chest and locked inside the Dead Man's Chest. The only way to kill him is to stab that heart, but there is a stipulation: yours must take it place, as the Dutchman must always have a captain. So this pretty much means that you can stab him, shoot him, whatever, and he'll still keep getting back up. (At one point, a part of Davy Jones' tentacle beard was cut off, and it continued to be animated... One assumes that if allowed, he would have either grown it back or it would have reunited with the original body. Which means that if something similar happened to Will... Creepy.)
To the Afterlife and Back: For mortals, traveling to the Land of the Dead requires precise knowledge of where to go, and leaving the Land of the Dead is even more difficult. However, going back and forth between the two is more like second nature for Will, and he can even sidestep into the Land of the Dead and re-emerge elsewhere, creating a teleportation-like effect. However, though this power is only used in canon to travel from one ship to another, it's hard to say if this is due to his inability to walk on land or if it's just a limitation of the power. The limitations of this can be determined by the mods.
Phasing: Will has inherited the ability of Jones and his crew to pass through walls and other solid objects without being hindered too badly, as evidenced when Jones passed through the bars of Tia Dalma's prison and approached Jack Sparrow menacingly through the capstan of the Dutchman. Pretty self-explanatory.
Davy Jones' Locker: A part of the Land of the Dead, but more of a purgatory than anything else. As Tia Dalma (Calypso herself) explains, it is a place of punishment, and it is entirely up to the Ferryman to determine who is sent there and when they are released. The likelihood of Will sending anyone to the Locker for any amount of time is extremely low. And considering the fact that the Kraken, which used to be the main way to send someone to the Locker, is now dead... Will would have to take them there himself.
Black Spot / the Kraken: The Kraken is dead, but since Davy Jones had the power to command it, one would assume that if it was still alive (or somehow became an undead zombie kraken, oh god), Will would, too. Will and his crew also have the power to mark people with the Black Spot, which is presumably a sort of magical tracking device. Will is the only one who can remove a Black Spot.
But for all of these powers, it's important to remember that there are also very large downsides to this job.
One Day per Ten Years: Will can only spend one day on land for every ten years at sea. He can't so much as set foot on dry soil. It isn't said what would happen if he ever did, but it's hinted that it's either incredibly unpleasant or actually physically impossible. Since Davy was able to stand in a bucket (clearly from the Dutchman, given its barnacle-encrusted state) of seawater during the parlay scene between Beckett and the Brethren, there are clearly loopholes, but they are very narrow ones.
Fishface Curse: If Will does not maintain his duties, he will succumb to the same curse that turned Jones into a tentacle-faced monster -- and this curse will apply to every soul that crews the Dutchman. It's questionable as to whether the curse was instated because Jones vehemently denied his duties, or if it's a built-in feature of the Ferryman's magic.
It is very important to remember that Will takes the power at his disposal very seriously. He is highly unlikely to just use his psychopomp powers left and right. He very much wants to be a proper Ferryman and restore the balance that Davy Jones upset.
In addition, he views the Locker as the incredibly terrible place that it is, and so will only fall back on sending someone there if he believes that there is no other way to make them see the error of their ways. He also will embrace someone who is willing to serve on his crew, but will only extend the offer if someone is wholly unprepared for their death, to give them the time they need to come to terms with it, or to give someone a chance to change their end destination (from, say, hell to heaven). As such, he's much more likely to have someone sail under him on the Dutchman to learn from their mistakes than to send them straight to the Locker.
If there comes a time when any of his more extreme powers may come into play, it will be discussed with all players involved and even the mods, depending on the situation.
On top of all of his supernatural powers, there are some of his ordinary skills that he is extraordinary at, enough so that they should be mentioned.
Blacksmithing: Will's incredible skills as a blacksmith are made quickly evident, as early as the second scene of CotBP we see him in. It's implied that Will's creations are frequently credited to his master, though, because he was just an apprentice at the time, so clearly he couldn't have made swords of such quality.
Swordfighting: Will is one of the best swordfighters of the main cast of the first three Pirates movies. This was revealed in the writers' commentary of CotBP, where they put Will at the top of the list of four characters. (The list goes: Will Turner, James Norrington and Hector Barbossa are at an even skill level, and Jack Sparrow is the last.) This list wasn't reshuffled for the sequels, but it's not hard to imagine that Davy Jones ranks higher than Will, due to sheer experience thanks to how long Jones has been 'alive.'
Inventory: Clothes on his back; a bag with the few changes of clothes he has; sword; pistol; key to the Dead Man's Chest; ring of keys to doors on the Flying Dutchman
Greatest Fear:
William is a man who is surprisingly emotionally prepared for all his fears to come to bear. He has already faced losing both his father and Elizabeth, the two most important people in his life, and he has already accidentally put Elizabeth in the line of danger as an unintended consequence of his plan to rescue his father. Though he still fears these things, they are not as sharp as they otherwise could be.
No, what Will fears is becoming Davy Jones. He is afraid of losing his humanity and his morality. Forgetting why he cares about the souls he's supposed to look after, about the world, about people in general... Becoming cold and bitter, and then letting that rule him until all he wants to do is make everyone around him suffer the pain that he feels inside, even the people he cares for the most. All of these things not only go against everything that Will wants to be, but everything he identifies as. To become someone like Jones would to lose everything that makes him him. And this isn't exactly a fear he's allowed himself to reflect on much.
How is your character appropriate for this game?
He has witnessed the release of the goddess Calypso, fought against zombie pirates and freed them from their curse, stared down Davy Jones face to face more than once, and traveled to the Locker and back... As a start. Will's life has not exactly been a happy one, and it's honed him to be a grounded, responsible person who faces life-threatening danger with a level head. This certainly isn't Will's first time looking into the depths of supernatural horror, and though he hasn't been emotionally or psychologically tested in the way that the Mist is going to push at him, he isn't exactly a stranger to facing his worst fears.
Rooming request section: Nothing specific. Open to a roommate if the opportunity arises
Year/Position: n/a, teacher -- swordfighting
AU Specific Section
AU history
Canon events proceeded as per usual, save for one thing: On the way to rescue Jack from the Locker, their ship passed through the Black Mist. However, Will has no memory of the Mist being there at that time. Otherwise, the only differences are geographical. The Davy Jones' Locker marked on the world map is (obviously) not the same location as the purgatory prison Jack was rescued from. The final maelstrom battle took place on the Triton Sea.
Due to being the Ferryman, Will has revisited the End of the World since that time, and as such has seen and dealt with the Mist firsthand. For a while, he used the End of the World to reach the afterlife, and so ferried souls through the Mist to the other side. The more he experienced of it, the less he liked it. When he finally -- mysteriously -- received his letter about the Academy, Will wanted to go. If there was something for him to do, a way for him to put an end to this new threat to his loved ones and the souls he is responsible to, a chance to prevent more to falling to it... He would do it, in a heartbeat. However, he was uncertain as to whether he would be allowed to even step foot on campus grounds, due to his new position as the Ferryman.
His travels through the Mist did not go well the first time, and as he continued to push through it, they went progressively worse, until finally there was one especially bad event. Will's memory of what happened is foggy at best, and he recalls the emotions of it all more than anything else, up until he found himself standing on a small floating island with no memory of how he got there, where exactly he was, how far the Dutchman was... and certainly no idea of how he was standing on dry land. For a time that felt longer than the couple of hours it really was, all Will knew was terror and hallucinations.
The next thing he knew, he was waking up on the deck of his ship, looking up at his father's face. Bill Turner had managed to rally the crew back together, find Will, and sail them out of the Mist. It was a very close call, as Bill himself almost succumbed to the Mist. This was what cemented Will's determination to attend the Academy; this, and the unsettling experience on the floating hunk of land. It was the only lucid memory Will has of the time, but if it hadn't been for Bill backing up that that was, in fact, where he was found, he'd believe that it was a part of the madness. But because of that experience, Will was more willing to leave the Dutchman in his father's hands, if only temporarily, and try setting foot on Academy grounds.
Luckily enough for him, it works. He's allowed to step there, allowed to be there, but Will isn't about to go pushing his luck and seeing if he could possibly go down to the mainland any time soon.
How has it affected them?
Having several run-ins with the Mist, in addition to ferrying souls who had found their deaths inside it, has served to sober him greatly towards the phenomenon. Will does not joke around about the Mist; Will does not tolerate joking around about the Mist; Will does not tolerate stupidity in regards to the Mist. He has learned just how dangerous it is and just what it can do to someone's mind. He understands the threat it poses on a very personal level -- and all this does is further motivate him to find a way to stop it. He does not want anyone else to suffer what he has or what he has heard. He especially does not want his father or Elizabeth to be subjected to it. He is not willing to accept the idea of losing either of them to it.
That said, Will is going to definitely struggle to adapt to... well, everything at the Academy. It's much more technologically advanced than he's used to dealing with, so it's going to be a good fumble for him to get used to it all.
Every now and then, Will is going to get restless and concerned about the Dutchman and his duties, and he won't be able to help the concern about the curse setting in if he puts off the job for too long. So, with mod permission, occasionally I'd like to have Will go down to his ship again and ferry some souls for a little while. This'll mostly happen if I need a hiatus or something similar.
Writing
First Person Sample
Good day. My name's William Turner, and I'll be serving as your swordfighting instructor, should you elect to take the course. I encourage it. [And here, he smiles, amused, because of course he'd suggest people take his class.] It could save your life some day, or the lives of others.
In addition to the regular classes, I also offer one-on-one training. Consider it tutoring, if you'd like, but please, do not hesitate to ask if it is something you are interested in. It doesn't matter if it's because you'd like the extra practice or if you feel you need a helping hand in order to succeed in the course. I am here to ensure that you are capable of defending yourselves and others when the time comes. [Another small, reassuring smile, but he's hesitating. This becomes clear when, after a moment, he doesn't end his broadcast.
His expression is quite somber when he starts talking again.] And... If there is anyone who is seeking first-hand information about the Black Mist, I would extend another offer. Meet with me in my office, and I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.
[There is a beat, and then Will nods, and tries again at a little smile.] Good luck to us all.
Third Person Sample
Sometimes, memory of what transpired in the Mist returns to him. It comes in chunks, in shards of broken glass, fractions of screams, slivers of fear. He remembers shouting Elizabeth's name. There were -- visions. He thought he saw her there, in the darkness, and even though he knew it couldn't be her, knew she was safe on her island, he had been so afraid --
He still doesn't know how he got away from the ship. Maybe in his panic, he leapt overboard. But he doesn't remember his clothes being wet. Perhaps they were, though, and he's just forgotten. He'll write his father for a more complete explanation as to what happened.
Will digs the heel of a hand into his eye and blinks at the starbursts when he removes it. Unfortunately, it didn't help his headache as much as he'd hoped. He hasn't been getting enough sleep lately, and when he has slept, it hasn't been well. He survived the Mist. He escaped it, thanks to his father. But what it showed him, what he felt when he was lost in it, it all lingers. His nightmares of late... Foggy, hard to grasp, harder to recall, but an image sticks even now to his mind's eye: He was looking into a mirror, and his reflection was Jones.
He is fully aware the risk he is taking in this, coming to this school. Delaying his duty. It makes him cringe, but the souls lost at sea will not be without guidance. He trusts that his father will take care of what he can. He will ask for help when it is needed, and Will will answer. But already, things are wrong, wrong, because he is walking on land. He doubts the fact that it's floating makes it an exception to the rule. Something is wrong, and maybe that's what will keep the curse from activating.
But he can't know for certain. But, at the same time, what choice does he have? If he can find a way to stop the Mist, if this school is successful, then... There's no way he could have turned his back from the idea. The risk is one he accepts in its entirety. It is, ultimately, worth it. ... He hopes.
Name: Malathyne
Contact Info:
Other Characters: n/a
Character
Name: William Turner Jr.
Appearance: yoooooooo
Canon: Pirates of the Caribbean
History: canon wikia
Canon point: post-At World's End
Personality:
The first thing to understand about William Turner is that though he is initially quiet and respectful, and though there are people who could tell him to jump and he'd ask how high... He is not someone who is easily pushed around. He is an honorable man, adhering to his personal code at all times, even if it seems his actions are taken in contrary to his values. The reason why he is willing to take such actions is that he is a long-term planner; he is willing to make short-term sacrifices for the sake of the end goal. His end goals always adhere to his personal code.
For example, by the end of the second movie, Will had promised to his father to rescue him from his service on the Flying Dutchman, and he had come to the conclusion that Elizabeth no longer loved him, but instead loved Jack Sparrow. As a result, he began to make plans to where everyone else could have their happy endings: his father could be free, Davy Jones slain, and Elizabeth and Jack would be free to sail the seas together. The problem with this plan was that it would require him to take unsavory actions, such as committing mutiny after rescuing Jack and the Black Pearl, and striking deals with the East India Trading Company. However, because his end goal was in line with his personal code, and because those were the best ways he saw to reach that goal, he went ahead and set the plan into motion.
When it comes to his personal code, it in and of itself is fairly simple. However, his personal code represents each and every aspect of who he is. In turn, everything that has influenced him gets used as a foundation for his decision-making process. All of it can be broken down thus:
One:
When he makes promises, he keeps them, and he repays his debts when they are due. This was proven most prominently when he swore to his father that he would free him from his service to the Flying Dutchman after his father sacrificed his soul for Will in the game of Liar's Dice and was in the process of helping him escape from the ship. Even though he knew the actions he was taking was also taking him farther away from Elizabeth, he still persisted, and even refused to defend himself when his father attacked him. "I won't kill you. I made you a promise."
Another example of this is when Will rescued Jack from the gallows at the end of the first movie. While it's true that he made no promise to Jack to do so, he was still extremely conscious of everything that Jack did for Will, and, by extension, Elizabeth. And let's not forget the lessons that Will learned from Jack; if it weren't for Jack, then he never would have learned the truth about his father, nor come to terms with his status as a pirate. He wouldn't have learned that it is possible to be both a pirate and a good man. So, even though Will knew that he was committing a crime that would likely cost his life, he did it anyway, because he had a debt to repay to Jack. (This, of course, later came to bite him in the ass, because at the time Will hadn't considered the possibility that Elizabeth might come stand at his side during this stunt. This is what gave Beckett leverage over them at the beginning of the second movie.)
This part of his code is actually further proven during an unlikely event, shortly after Will leads a mutiny of all things to take the Black Pearl in the third movie. The reason why he immediately afterward lost the Pearl is because he didn't take into calculation the fact that he didn't actually hold any further value to Sao Feng and the East India Trading Company. He simply expected them to keep their promises, because he has the bad habit of forgetting that other people do not hold promises in nearly the same esteem he does.
He made a similar mistake in the first movie when he assumed that Barbossa would be respectable and let Elizabeth go free at a port, not maroon her. This incenses him to the point of even having an outburst: "Barbossa, you lying bastard!" These outbursts are very rare when it comes to Will, and only occurs when one of two hot-button topics are pressed: Elizabeth and his father. Dishonor them ("My father is NOT a pirate"), threaten their safety or their freedom ("That's not good enough!"; "Elizabeth goes free!")... Imply or directly suggest that he's not good enough for her ("Or! Perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found [a girl], and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet.")... And he's much more likely to fly off the handle.
Two:
He will not take action that will permanently take someone's freedom out of their hands. To Will, freedom is the opportunity to truly be yourself, and make decisions that are true to who you are and what you believe in, and pursue what you desire most. This is something that is harder to find examples for, because it is never outright stated. However, it becomes clear when you consider the society that Will grew up in and his character growth in the first movie.
Consider this: During the time period that the movies take place, England was a classist society. Will was raised by his mother, as his father was sailing the Caribbean as a pirate. This meant that she alone was responsible for putting food on the table, and the likelihood that they lived a high class lifestyle was very unlikely. Not to mention that in Port Royal, we see Will being treated as a part of the working class. Though blacksmiths played an important role, he was just an apprentice, and let's not forget his family background here -- or lack thereof. His mother died before Will sailed to the Caribbean, and his father had been entirely out of the picture for his entire life. All in all, Will may not be the bottom of the totem pole, but he's certainly not well-off by any means.
Consider the way we witness Will being treated not only in the first movie, but even the second. In the first, he is essentially treated as part of the help by Governor Swann, and his achievements and creations were always attributed to his master, because surely an apprentice wouldn't have crafted such beautiful swords. By that point, he had spent his life longing for Elizabeth, but despite how much he loved her, the large gap in their social classes kept them apart. In the second movie, even though Will had saved Elizabeth and Governor Swann even in the end approved of the methods he used, it is implied that the Governor still does not approve of his daughter's betrothal to him. Given the way Elizabeth was ready to jump on the argument to defend Will and the attitude with which she used to do so, it was not the first time the Governor's lack of faith and trust in Will was not a new problem.
Another important point here is the fact that when Will and Jack first met and their swords crossed, Will's tactics were initially measured and almost even cautious. He didn't start to get boastful or fighting to his full potential until Jack hit what was obviously a sore spot: "you already found [a girl], and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet." Will obviously knows what Jack is about to say before he even gets halfway through the sentence. When he realizes that, yes, Jack really is going to go there, that is when Will snaps off a threat and an insult ("so that if I met a pirate, I could kill it"), stops holding back, and starts actually fighting to win.
There is a marked, though subtle, difference in his personality between even just the end of the first movie and the rest of it. At first, he is obedient, and he keeps his head down, and obeys by society's norms. He believes in them strongly, that there is black and there is white, good and evil, proper and wrong. He does not try reaching for what he really wants, or try to make claim of his own achievements. But by the end of the movie, he is standing taller, and his posture suggests that he is more confident in his own decisions. He tells Elizabeth not only that he loves her now, but that he always has. He publicly defies the government -- society -- by rescuing Jack from the gallows. He stands his ground when challenged by both Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington, representatives and law-keepers of that very society. He does not hesitate to state what he believes is the right thing to do, and to throw the shades of grey that he learned from Jack into their faces.
So what does all of this come down to? Will grew up knowing that what he wanted was out of his reach. And why would that be? Because society had deemed him not good enough. By the end of the first movie, he had grown more into himself, and become more willing to stand by what he thinks is right. He isn't afraid to talk back. He is no longer afraid to show that this is who he was, this was who he wanted to be. And that is what defines freedom to Will. That is why freedom is, to him, the ability to be yourself and hold true to your values. And because it is important to him, that is what he wants for other people, especially the people he cares about.
Three:
"The only rules that matters are these: What a man can do, and what a man can't do." This is something else he takes into his decision making process, and it's something that he learned from Jack not long after they set out to rescue Elizabeth from Barbossa. Though Jack meant it in a more physical sense, proven by the example he uses of sailing the Pearl to Tortuga, Will ended up applying it to his morality in addition to what physically can be achieved. At the end of the day, he must always be willing to live with the decisions that he makes.
Will tries to drive this point home to Jack during their conversation after Will broke out of the brig in the third movie. When Jack suggested that Will let him stab the heart instead and become the next Ferryman, Will retorted that if Jack didn't stay true to the cause, then he would end up with a face like Davy Jones. Though Jack had his sights on immortality, at that point he wasn't taking into consideration the moral responsibility that comes along with being the Ferryman. Could Jack really live with it? The freedom Jack wanted would mean that he would turn his back on the souls lost at sea, just like Jones. Could Jack really live with it?
That was the point Will was trying to make, because he had considered it in his calculations, and already made up his mind that he was willing to make that sacrifice for his father's freedom. But this decision was first made when he still thought Elizabeth loved Jack, and her freedom would be best guaranteed if she was allowed to sail off into the sunset with him. When that was proven untrue, it made Will uncertain again. Here, his personal code came into conflict: As much as he intended to keep his promise to his father, he also did not want to lose Elizabeth. If the freedom she chose was with him, who was he to keep her from it? Could Will live with that? But, on the flip side, could he live knowing that he left his father to the Dutchman, never again to know peace?
Four:
He will not put the lives of those he cares about in danger where he cannot be there to protect them. The best example of this can be seen shortly after Will's mutiny to take the Pearl. Yes, the mutiny in and of itself posed a threat to Elizabeth. But the minute he had the opportunity, he stepped forward and tried to pull her into safety by getting her released. When this backfired and Sao Feng and Barbossa began to bargain Elizabeth for a truce, thus meaning that Elizabeth would be on Sao Feng's ship and entirely out of Will's protection, he protested loudly and then looked extremely concerned and guilty when he was shot down. His own actions, which were in part to keep Elizabeth safe, put her in a great deal of danger.
The reason why this gets mentioned as part of his personal code is the safety of his loved ones plays a huge role in his life. Again, threatening his loved ones is one of the surefire ways to get Will up in arms. He will do literally almost anything for his loved ones, as evidenced by the extremes Will went to save Elizabeth from Barbossa, Jack from the gallows, and his father from Davy Jones. Each and every time, Will risked life, livelihood, and limb with little to no care as to what the outcome for him turns out to be ("If this means the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it"). Let's not forget about the fact that Will was willing to become the Ferryman to free his father, even as he doubted whether or not it was the right path because it took him away from Elizabeth.
In the end, Jack had it quite right when he told Will that he was completely obsessed with treasure; after all, "not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
Powers/Special Abilities:
For most of his life, William Turner has been entirely a regular human. However, thanks to one Jack Sparrow, he is now Calypso's new psychopomp. He has been newly charged with the duty of guiding the souls who lost their lives at sea safely to the afterlife. Along with that duty comes with several perks.
Immortality: Will's mortality is connected to his physical heart, which was supernaturally removed from his chest and locked inside the Dead Man's Chest. The only way to kill him is to stab that heart, but there is a stipulation: yours must take it place, as the Dutchman must always have a captain. So this pretty much means that you can stab him, shoot him, whatever, and he'll still keep getting back up. (At one point, a part of Davy Jones' tentacle beard was cut off, and it continued to be animated... One assumes that if allowed, he would have either grown it back or it would have reunited with the original body. Which means that if something similar happened to Will... Creepy.)
To the Afterlife and Back: For mortals, traveling to the Land of the Dead requires precise knowledge of where to go, and leaving the Land of the Dead is even more difficult. However, going back and forth between the two is more like second nature for Will, and he can even sidestep into the Land of the Dead and re-emerge elsewhere, creating a teleportation-like effect. However, though this power is only used in canon to travel from one ship to another, it's hard to say if this is due to his inability to walk on land or if it's just a limitation of the power. The limitations of this can be determined by the mods.
Phasing: Will has inherited the ability of Jones and his crew to pass through walls and other solid objects without being hindered too badly, as evidenced when Jones passed through the bars of Tia Dalma's prison and approached Jack Sparrow menacingly through the capstan of the Dutchman. Pretty self-explanatory.
Davy Jones' Locker: A part of the Land of the Dead, but more of a purgatory than anything else. As Tia Dalma (Calypso herself) explains, it is a place of punishment, and it is entirely up to the Ferryman to determine who is sent there and when they are released. The likelihood of Will sending anyone to the Locker for any amount of time is extremely low. And considering the fact that the Kraken, which used to be the main way to send someone to the Locker, is now dead... Will would have to take them there himself.
Black Spot / the Kraken: The Kraken is dead, but since Davy Jones had the power to command it, one would assume that if it was still alive (or somehow became an undead zombie kraken, oh god), Will would, too. Will and his crew also have the power to mark people with the Black Spot, which is presumably a sort of magical tracking device. Will is the only one who can remove a Black Spot.
But for all of these powers, it's important to remember that there are also very large downsides to this job.
One Day per Ten Years: Will can only spend one day on land for every ten years at sea. He can't so much as set foot on dry soil. It isn't said what would happen if he ever did, but it's hinted that it's either incredibly unpleasant or actually physically impossible. Since Davy was able to stand in a bucket (clearly from the Dutchman, given its barnacle-encrusted state) of seawater during the parlay scene between Beckett and the Brethren, there are clearly loopholes, but they are very narrow ones.
Fishface Curse: If Will does not maintain his duties, he will succumb to the same curse that turned Jones into a tentacle-faced monster -- and this curse will apply to every soul that crews the Dutchman. It's questionable as to whether the curse was instated because Jones vehemently denied his duties, or if it's a built-in feature of the Ferryman's magic.
It is very important to remember that Will takes the power at his disposal very seriously. He is highly unlikely to just use his psychopomp powers left and right. He very much wants to be a proper Ferryman and restore the balance that Davy Jones upset.
In addition, he views the Locker as the incredibly terrible place that it is, and so will only fall back on sending someone there if he believes that there is no other way to make them see the error of their ways. He also will embrace someone who is willing to serve on his crew, but will only extend the offer if someone is wholly unprepared for their death, to give them the time they need to come to terms with it, or to give someone a chance to change their end destination (from, say, hell to heaven). As such, he's much more likely to have someone sail under him on the Dutchman to learn from their mistakes than to send them straight to the Locker.
If there comes a time when any of his more extreme powers may come into play, it will be discussed with all players involved and even the mods, depending on the situation.
On top of all of his supernatural powers, there are some of his ordinary skills that he is extraordinary at, enough so that they should be mentioned.
Blacksmithing: Will's incredible skills as a blacksmith are made quickly evident, as early as the second scene of CotBP we see him in. It's implied that Will's creations are frequently credited to his master, though, because he was just an apprentice at the time, so clearly he couldn't have made swords of such quality.
Swordfighting: Will is one of the best swordfighters of the main cast of the first three Pirates movies. This was revealed in the writers' commentary of CotBP, where they put Will at the top of the list of four characters. (The list goes: Will Turner, James Norrington and Hector Barbossa are at an even skill level, and Jack Sparrow is the last.) This list wasn't reshuffled for the sequels, but it's not hard to imagine that Davy Jones ranks higher than Will, due to sheer experience thanks to how long Jones has been 'alive.'
Inventory: Clothes on his back; a bag with the few changes of clothes he has; sword; pistol; key to the Dead Man's Chest; ring of keys to doors on the Flying Dutchman
Greatest Fear:
William is a man who is surprisingly emotionally prepared for all his fears to come to bear. He has already faced losing both his father and Elizabeth, the two most important people in his life, and he has already accidentally put Elizabeth in the line of danger as an unintended consequence of his plan to rescue his father. Though he still fears these things, they are not as sharp as they otherwise could be.
No, what Will fears is becoming Davy Jones. He is afraid of losing his humanity and his morality. Forgetting why he cares about the souls he's supposed to look after, about the world, about people in general... Becoming cold and bitter, and then letting that rule him until all he wants to do is make everyone around him suffer the pain that he feels inside, even the people he cares for the most. All of these things not only go against everything that Will wants to be, but everything he identifies as. To become someone like Jones would to lose everything that makes him him. And this isn't exactly a fear he's allowed himself to reflect on much.
How is your character appropriate for this game?
He has witnessed the release of the goddess Calypso, fought against zombie pirates and freed them from their curse, stared down Davy Jones face to face more than once, and traveled to the Locker and back... As a start. Will's life has not exactly been a happy one, and it's honed him to be a grounded, responsible person who faces life-threatening danger with a level head. This certainly isn't Will's first time looking into the depths of supernatural horror, and though he hasn't been emotionally or psychologically tested in the way that the Mist is going to push at him, he isn't exactly a stranger to facing his worst fears.
Rooming request section: Nothing specific. Open to a roommate if the opportunity arises
Year/Position: n/a, teacher -- swordfighting
AU Specific Section
AU history
Canon events proceeded as per usual, save for one thing: On the way to rescue Jack from the Locker, their ship passed through the Black Mist. However, Will has no memory of the Mist being there at that time. Otherwise, the only differences are geographical. The Davy Jones' Locker marked on the world map is (obviously) not the same location as the purgatory prison Jack was rescued from. The final maelstrom battle took place on the Triton Sea.
Due to being the Ferryman, Will has revisited the End of the World since that time, and as such has seen and dealt with the Mist firsthand. For a while, he used the End of the World to reach the afterlife, and so ferried souls through the Mist to the other side. The more he experienced of it, the less he liked it. When he finally -- mysteriously -- received his letter about the Academy, Will wanted to go. If there was something for him to do, a way for him to put an end to this new threat to his loved ones and the souls he is responsible to, a chance to prevent more to falling to it... He would do it, in a heartbeat. However, he was uncertain as to whether he would be allowed to even step foot on campus grounds, due to his new position as the Ferryman.
His travels through the Mist did not go well the first time, and as he continued to push through it, they went progressively worse, until finally there was one especially bad event. Will's memory of what happened is foggy at best, and he recalls the emotions of it all more than anything else, up until he found himself standing on a small floating island with no memory of how he got there, where exactly he was, how far the Dutchman was... and certainly no idea of how he was standing on dry land. For a time that felt longer than the couple of hours it really was, all Will knew was terror and hallucinations.
The next thing he knew, he was waking up on the deck of his ship, looking up at his father's face. Bill Turner had managed to rally the crew back together, find Will, and sail them out of the Mist. It was a very close call, as Bill himself almost succumbed to the Mist. This was what cemented Will's determination to attend the Academy; this, and the unsettling experience on the floating hunk of land. It was the only lucid memory Will has of the time, but if it hadn't been for Bill backing up that that was, in fact, where he was found, he'd believe that it was a part of the madness. But because of that experience, Will was more willing to leave the Dutchman in his father's hands, if only temporarily, and try setting foot on Academy grounds.
Luckily enough for him, it works. He's allowed to step there, allowed to be there, but Will isn't about to go pushing his luck and seeing if he could possibly go down to the mainland any time soon.
How has it affected them?
Having several run-ins with the Mist, in addition to ferrying souls who had found their deaths inside it, has served to sober him greatly towards the phenomenon. Will does not joke around about the Mist; Will does not tolerate joking around about the Mist; Will does not tolerate stupidity in regards to the Mist. He has learned just how dangerous it is and just what it can do to someone's mind. He understands the threat it poses on a very personal level -- and all this does is further motivate him to find a way to stop it. He does not want anyone else to suffer what he has or what he has heard. He especially does not want his father or Elizabeth to be subjected to it. He is not willing to accept the idea of losing either of them to it.
That said, Will is going to definitely struggle to adapt to... well, everything at the Academy. It's much more technologically advanced than he's used to dealing with, so it's going to be a good fumble for him to get used to it all.
Every now and then, Will is going to get restless and concerned about the Dutchman and his duties, and he won't be able to help the concern about the curse setting in if he puts off the job for too long. So, with mod permission, occasionally I'd like to have Will go down to his ship again and ferry some souls for a little while. This'll mostly happen if I need a hiatus or something similar.
Writing
First Person Sample
Good day. My name's William Turner, and I'll be serving as your swordfighting instructor, should you elect to take the course. I encourage it. [And here, he smiles, amused, because of course he'd suggest people take his class.] It could save your life some day, or the lives of others.
In addition to the regular classes, I also offer one-on-one training. Consider it tutoring, if you'd like, but please, do not hesitate to ask if it is something you are interested in. It doesn't matter if it's because you'd like the extra practice or if you feel you need a helping hand in order to succeed in the course. I am here to ensure that you are capable of defending yourselves and others when the time comes. [Another small, reassuring smile, but he's hesitating. This becomes clear when, after a moment, he doesn't end his broadcast.
His expression is quite somber when he starts talking again.] And... If there is anyone who is seeking first-hand information about the Black Mist, I would extend another offer. Meet with me in my office, and I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.
[There is a beat, and then Will nods, and tries again at a little smile.] Good luck to us all.
Third Person Sample
Sometimes, memory of what transpired in the Mist returns to him. It comes in chunks, in shards of broken glass, fractions of screams, slivers of fear. He remembers shouting Elizabeth's name. There were -- visions. He thought he saw her there, in the darkness, and even though he knew it couldn't be her, knew she was safe on her island, he had been so afraid --
He still doesn't know how he got away from the ship. Maybe in his panic, he leapt overboard. But he doesn't remember his clothes being wet. Perhaps they were, though, and he's just forgotten. He'll write his father for a more complete explanation as to what happened.
Will digs the heel of a hand into his eye and blinks at the starbursts when he removes it. Unfortunately, it didn't help his headache as much as he'd hoped. He hasn't been getting enough sleep lately, and when he has slept, it hasn't been well. He survived the Mist. He escaped it, thanks to his father. But what it showed him, what he felt when he was lost in it, it all lingers. His nightmares of late... Foggy, hard to grasp, harder to recall, but an image sticks even now to his mind's eye: He was looking into a mirror, and his reflection was Jones.
He is fully aware the risk he is taking in this, coming to this school. Delaying his duty. It makes him cringe, but the souls lost at sea will not be without guidance. He trusts that his father will take care of what he can. He will ask for help when it is needed, and Will will answer. But already, things are wrong, wrong, because he is walking on land. He doubts the fact that it's floating makes it an exception to the rule. Something is wrong, and maybe that's what will keep the curse from activating.
But he can't know for certain. But, at the same time, what choice does he have? If he can find a way to stop the Mist, if this school is successful, then... There's no way he could have turned his back from the idea. The risk is one he accepts in its entirety. It is, ultimately, worth it. ... He hopes.