Family:
Mother - Hecuba, house wife, also of unknown religious
affiliation. Has lived and prefers a rather more traditional
lifestyle than
her eldest daughter, Gabrielle. Being as she has two strong headed
daughters and a difficult husband, this implies a
strong will and great endurance. However, the development of her
character in the official Xenaverse has been minimal.
Father - Herodotus, a Greek freeman and farmer. A difficult
and domineering parent, he made every attempt to force Gabrielle
to
stop telling stories or acting in an untraditional manner. This
stance has made him unremittingly hostile to Xena for
helping Gabrielle defy his will, perhaps even more than for her
dark past.
Lila - Younger sister. So outstandingly different from
Gabrielle in personality and appearance that she seems to be of
different
parentage, Lila finds the traditional life of a a Greek peasant
woman more to her liking than her sister's wandering ways.
On the other hand, she loves her sister's stories, and admires her
determination and bravery.
Partner - Xena of Amphipolis. Just as her relationship with
Xena has changed her, Gabrielle has changed Xena. Few would
easily associate the heroic healer with a haunting singing voice
with the former destroyer of nations, a change in
character Gabrielle has helped Xena achieve.
Daughter - Hope, father Dahak. Deceased.
Short Biography:
Small rural villages don't make good homes for people of unusual
appearance, talent, or way of thinking. However, in a real sense
Gabrielle was all three of these things, and far too strongwilled
to merely buckle under her father's attempts to force her into the
mold of a proper Poteidaean, although it seemed she had for a
time. Like any child, she wanted to please both of her parents and
win their approval. But the effort and the things she had given up
to achieve this left her feeling empty and hopeless. Perhaps this
is what allowed a group of slavers to capture her along with her
sister and a few other villagers.
Yet when faced with the knowledge what the slavers intended to
do to the other Poteidaeans, to her sister, Gabrielle stood up to
them. After all, she didn't belong in Poteidaea, so being torn
away from the place wouldn't cause her the suffering it was bound
to for the others. And even slavery may have seemed better, or
perhaps less immediately real, than the life she had where she
was. The last thing Gabrielle expected was the sudden appearance
of a tall woman warrior in a shift, who recued them all. There was
something about her though, and even after going home, back to the
same four walls, Gabrielle found the warrior had ensnared her
imagination. But more importantly, the mysterious woman had given
her hope.
Now that she had begun, the Fates smiled on her and Gabrielle
was able to leave Poteidaea, heading toward Amphipolis and Xena...
ignoring the fact that Xena had already flatly refused to allow
her to travel with her. The Fates were still smiling when the
young woman encountered a blinded cyclops, for quick thinking and
quicker speech saved her from joining the various unfortunates on
the creature's menu. It took rather more quick talking to get the
rest of the way to Amphipolis, where she managed to save Xena's
life and win herself a place by the warrior's side. Or at least,
behind th warrior's horse.
The changes Gabrielle has experienced are expressed far more in
her appearance than Xena's in hers. The warrior bard has left
behind the wide eyed naivete and physical weaknesses of her past
utterly. In place of a clumsy girl is a woman of poise, grace, and
sttrength. And yet, she has not become so jaded as to be unable to
see goodness in others or hope in the middle of the darkest hour.
by Alexiares Thearktos
References:
Weisbrot, Robert - Xena: Warrior Princess, A Complete Guide to
the Xenaverse
Doubleday, NY. 1996.
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