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ETRAYA INBOX located here: link

⏵ player information
name and pronouns: Signal (she/her)
age: 21+
contact: DM

⏵ character information
name: Robert (Hob) Gadling
canon: The Sandman
age: appears to be mid-30s. Actually 600+.
canon point: End of season 1
history: Taken from canon with some comic history and a little headcanon to fill in gaps between 100 year periods that were not addressed. Not CRAU: https://sandman.fandom.com/wiki/Hob_Gadling_(Netflix)
abilities: Taken from canon with some comic history and a little headcanon.

Hob is, for the most part, a really normal guy. He is human, but he happens to be immortal due to a bet between Death and Dream of the Endless in the year 1389. Due to this bet, Hob cannot die unless he wishes for it to happen. This does not make him invulnerable or invincible, however. He can be harmed, captured, or worse. Hob has no power to heal himself if his body is damaged and recovers from injuries at the same rate as any mortal man, so he must take regular precautions regarding his safety just like everyone else.

Having grown up in the 14th century and having worked as a bandit and mercenary for a time, Hob does have skill with horses, riding, as well as medieval weaponry like swords, pikes, and bows. He fought as a soldier during a period of skirmishes between lords vying for power and survived, so he's a fairly capable fighter, or used to be. He's no doubt, out of practice, but he can still brawl a bit, shown when he fought off two of Constantine's goons in a tavern. Expanding on this concept of soldiering, Hob was also a participant in modern warfare and can use firearms. Having lived a rough lifestyle and having participated in war, Hob is also versed in some field medicine.

Hob can operate vehicles like a car or motorcycle (he's seen driving a Porsche in 1989). In addition, he spent many years on sailing vessels and has knowledge of boating and being at sea. Finally, as someone who is passionate about life and learning, he pursues new skills to pass the time and plays the guitar.

personality: (591 words)

When Hob attracted the attention of Death and Dream of the Endless, it's his personality that did it. Hob is a jovial man, prone to light joking, even about serious things like death. It isn't easy to make friends with someone as stoic as Dream, but over hundreds of years, Hob has managed to crack that stony exterior. He's quite good at reading people, like noticing how Dream was a lonely being who would benefit from having a real friend.

Hob's heart and his emotions are worn on his sleeve, and everything is filtered through his eyes and his face. He's a fairly bad liar, as a result, but he is adept at keeping his immortality a secret. When he feels or thinks something, generally, he must let it out.

A person doesn't live 600 years without making mistakes, and Hob has regrets, particularly due to the methods used to make his fortune. Because he has such a good heart, he now strives to live his immortal life to become a better man. Therefore, when faced with a choice or adversity, he seeks to do the right thing and will choose to help others, even if it puts himself at risk. If something bad were to happen to another and he did nothing to act on it, the regret would weigh heavily on him.

One of Hob's defining characteristics is his will to live. When Death and Dream first initiated their bet, Dream was certain immortality would break Hob. It surprised Dream to discover the joy Hob found in ever-lasting life. As the years passed, Hob marveled at the ways the world changed around him. Some might find themselves stuck in the past, but not Hob. He evolves to fit the era he lives in and does so very successfully. He grows as the centuries pass, going from a simple, illiterate soldier in 1389 to a modest history professor in modern day London. This shows Hob's strength; adapting to the times and the place where he finds himself, so he will adapt to a new adventure in Etraya, as well.

That is not to say the transition of living hundreds of years has been easy. Living so long does leave Hob feeling out of place in modern London. There are moments where he longs for the simplicity of the past. In his dreams, he prefers the era of horses and vast sailing ships. Of leagues of open land full of green hills and dark nights full of stars before the lights of the cities drowned them out.

Much like his friend Dream, Hob is also lonely and, from time to time, seeks companionship to ease his solitude. He's had several loves that have come and gone over the centuries. Being the sentimental man that he is, he continues to love and miss them all. There's a lot of heartache deep down for the friends and lovers he's seen pass on; those numbers only continue to grow. Some might swear off relationships entirely after so much loss, but Hob sees the value in companionship and connections. It's better to have loved and lost, after all, but it takes a special person for him to make that leap. The first few hundred years, Hob went wild with pleasure-seeking. These days, he's far more selective, with his last romance ending some eighty years ago.

In The Sandman, Hob represents all the beauty of humanity. It is reflected in him, and his purpose is to teach these things to Dream of the Endless.

samples:

From a previous game, where Hob is attacked by a werewolf: link

From the same game as above, Hob is visited by his romantic partner Loki after the attack: link

A texting thread with a comic book Dream: link