Dr. Gavin MacDonnell

• a.k.a. Doc
• Age: 35
• Marital Status: Single.
• Occupation: Veterinarian.
• Former Occupations: Veterinarian in a clinic on Vainwal. Veterinary student. Enlisted man in the Thendara Guards (starting 20 years ago and ending 10 years ago).
• Residence: Townhouse/veterinary clinic in Thendara.
• Laran gift and laran training: Very, very weak (but strengthening) MacAran gift, which manifests itself mostly as an intense dislike for seeing an animal in pain. No training.
• Politics: Likes some Terran technology, especially that which can be used to save animals' lives, but doesn't like the ways Terrans use their technology. Personally, is rather egalitarian, but respects the social order of Darkover. Other than that, tries to stay out of politics.
• Personality: Polite and reserved, with a quiet sense of humor. Has a strong sense of honor and responsibility.
• Strengths: Good with animals. Generally a polite, pleasant guy. Trustworthy and responsible.
• Weaknesses: Doesn't understand women. Uncomfortable with people who use laran.
• Combat training:
  Unarmed: Trained as a Guardsman.
  Armed: Learned sword-fighting in the Guards, but prefers not to fight.
• Horseback riding: Excellent.
• Appearance: 5'11", curly brown hair, hazel eyes that can look blue, grey, or green depending on the light and his mood. Terran women think he's graceful, though really it's just all the bowing and the ability to walk and dance while carrying a sword.
• Romantic relationships: None right now, though his ex-girlfriend Viviane, an animal-rights activist from Vainwal, left a couple of pets with him. Thinks Katie Rider is attractive, but since she's a co-worker, considers her officially off-limits.
• Human friends & acquaintances: Carolin Lanart, Lt. Rafael Castamir, Ranji Mitra, Kyril DiAsturien, Jake Ridenow, Katie Rider, Liriel (the girl), Jana McCarroll, 'Dani Harper, Alastair MacGareth. Currently re-evaluating Matthias Leynier.
• Family: Youngest of four children of a blacksmith. His sister Jani runs a meatpie stand in the market. Estranged from his oldest brother, Ian (45), for the last ten years, since the disappearance of Ian's daughter Gabriella (who would now be 25). Gavin is the great-uncle of Davil and Damien, Gabriella's sons by Matt Leynier.
• Pets: Four cats (Mormallor, Liriel, Idriel, and Kyrrdis), three dogs (Rafael, Gabriel, and Mikhael), a white rat that Viviane left behind, and a three-legged rabbithorn (Chiya) whose fourth leg had to be amputated after Viviane rescued her from a trap.
• Hobbies:
• Other Information: Gavin was raised as a cristoforo in a middle- to working-class family in Thendara. He joined the Guards as an enlisted man at 15 and was in the Guards until age 25. While patrolling the streets of Thendara, he met a Terran woman whose dog had been hit by a cart, and tried to help her save it. The woman offered to pay his way through veterinary school, and because his relations with his family were tense due to his role in the disappearance of his niece Gabriella, he decided to go. He completed veterinary school off-world, and the took a job in a clinic on Vainwal. Eventually he got sick of treating the bizarre, genetically-engineered pets that were in style on the pleasure-world, and came home to Darkover. He has been back for two years, during which time he has established a practice treating horses and chervines for the Guards and Thendara merchants, and treating pets of off-world tourists (which provides the Empire credits necessary to buy some off-world medicines and metal medical supplies).
• Family Tree:
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