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[Dan Smith]

Name: Roland Deschain
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190
Hair Color/Style: Black with grey, cut neat.
Eye Color: Pale blue, like well-worn denim.
Build: Lean and well-muscled; right hand is missing index and middle finger.
Origin: Stephen King's The Dark Tower
Strengths and Abilities: Roland is one of the fastest shooters in both his world and our own. His senses have been honed to a deadly edge, and he can observe more with a single glance then most can while concentrating. He has a remarkable resilience to pain and illness, both mental and physical.
Weaknesses: Those who live a tough life do not come through unscathed. In an accident, Roland lost both his index and middle finger, making his right hand useless in many ways, including shooting. Though he is cunning, Roland cannot, as he puts it, "think around corners". He has a tendency to make people feel like children when he speaks to them, hurting any friendship or relationship he has.
Biography: (Warning: May Contain Spoilers)

The story of Roland Deschain spans many places, both from his world and our own. He was born in the fair and noble city of Gilead, of the Barony of New Canaan, located in a region known as In-World, the son of the noble Steven and Gabrielle. At a young age, Roland was taught by two men, named Cort and Vannay. From Cort, Roland learned the art of the gun, of fighting, and how to raise himself from the maggot he was to an honorable gunslinger; from Vannay, Roland learned knowledge that only the privledged and well-to-do could learn.

Not all was well with the world in Roland's time. An outlaw named John Farson was sewing the seeds of rebellion across the land, spreading death and terror across the many baronies. It was a time where men of strength and wisdom were needed; men who could mediate in times of peace, and protect the innocent in times of war. They were feared by the wicked and considered saints by the good; they were the gunslingers. In Gilead, it was the task of Cort and Vannay to raise boys into men, to turn them into gunslingers. Those who succeeded would wear the guns that they had earned; those who failed were sent into the West, for failure was not accepted.

Roland would be remembered for many great deeds in his life, the first of which took place when he was only 14. It was during that time that Marten Brandcloak, Steven Deschain's sorcerer and advisor, seduced Gabrielle Deschain, and, when he deemed the time right, let his affair be known to young Roland. His goal was to drive Roland to challenge his teacher, Cort, to combat, the last rite of passage to becoming a gunslinger. Marten knew that should Roland challenge Cort, he would surely fail. Roland would have, too, had he not used a weapon his teacher would never expect; a trained eagle, named David. David was the first of many friends Roland would sacrifice to meet his ends; for, though the battle was won, the eagle was killed in the process. Before falling unconcious, Cort gave Roland a single piece of advice: wait to take revenge against Marten.

However, Roland was not given the chance to take this advice. Roland's father, fearing that Marten may come after Roland himself, sent the boy east, into the Barony of Mejis, to the small town of Hambry. Roland does not go alone; with him travels two of his best friends, Cuthbert and Alain. Using false names, they pretend to have been sent to Hambry as punishment for poor behavior and mischief. To use one of their own phrases, they had forgotten the faces of their fathers. It was in Hambry that Roland uncovered a secret pact between the nobles of Hambry and the Good Man, John Farson. It was also in Mejis that Roland met his first and only love, Susan Delgado.

The relationship of Roland and Susan was complicated, to say the least. In a nutshell, Susan had been promised to be a mistress of the mayor of Hambry, Hart Thorin, as a virgin. Fate brought Roland and Susan together, and it was to Roland that Susan lost her viginity. Though Roland vowed to protect Susan, he failed to save her. While he battled against the conspirators of John Farson, the people of Hambry burned Susan alive. Though she would not be the last person Roland would end up seeing dead along his path, her death was the hardest on him. It should be noted that, upon returning to Gilead, Roland murders his mother, believing her to be an assassin before he can recognize her.

As John Farson gained ground and power against the Affiliaton, Roland's life began to blur together. At the decisive battle on Jericho Hill, Roland and Cuthbert charged valiantly into battle against an entire legion of Farson's troops. Roland survived; Cuthbert didn't. In the final battle, the gunslingers of In-World and Mid-World sacrifice themselves in an attempt to stop Farson; they fail. It is after the battle on Jericho Hill that Roland begins a quest that will take him tens of thousands of miles across In-World, Mid-World, and End-World, to the center of all worlds; to the axis point on which fate, or ka as it is called in Roland's world, time, and all things revolve: the Dark Tower.

It is in the Mohaine Desert that we next meet up with Roland, as he follows and hunts the man in black. The path leads him far across the desert, and into the mountains. Along the way, Roland finds a boy named Jake, hiding in an abandoned waystation, who came from our world; specifically, from New York. When Roland hypnotizes Jake, he learns that Jake was pushed in front of a car and killed, and brought to the waystation. While at the waystation, Roland descends into an underground food storage, and finds a speaking-demon within the walls. The demon tells Roland several strange things before Roland removes the demon's jawbone. The gunslinger pockets this, not knowing quite why, and leaves the waystation.

The boy follows Roland across the remains of the desert, and into the mountains. As they cross over an old minecar bridge, the trestles break, and Jake is left hanging over a large chasm. Roland is left with a decision; save Jake, and forsake the Tower, or continue on and allow Jake to fall. Picking the latter, Roland is haunted by Jake's final words before his plunge to death: "Go, then; there are other worlds then these"
(Note: I apologize, the before quote may not be exact, for I can only use my mind as a reference point.)

It is in a golgotha that Roland finally catches the man in black; however, seeing as the man in black is sitting, waiting for Roland, it can be argued that Roland didn't really catch him at all. The man in black and Roland hold palaver for a long time under the stars, while the man in black gives the gunslinger a Tarot reading. Much that is told to the gunslinger is secret and menacing, and interests Roland very little. However, the things the man in black reveals to Roland come to pass in time.

When the gunslinger awakens, he has aged ten years, and what is left of the man in black is little more then bones. Having lost the jawbone of the speaking-demon, Roland pockets the man in black's in it's place. Before long, Roland finds himself at the Western Sea, a sight he'd never seen before. The gunslinger passes out on the beach, and doesn't awaken until a large, mutated lobster, which Roland dubs a lobstrositie, takes his index and middle finger from his right hand, and the big toe from his left foot. Sick with fever, Roland travels north across the beach, until he comes to something in the sand that he finds hard to believe. Standing in the middle of the sand, with nothing behind it or around it to support it, stood a door. The words that were printed on the door read THE PRISONER.

From that door Roland found himself in New York City; not only that, he found himself inside the body and mind of another man. That man was Eddie Dean, who Roland would later bring to his own world and train as a gunslinger. From another door far down the beach, he would draw a woman named Odetta Holmes and a woman named Detta Walker. Both women were black, and their legs were severed above the knees. Though their behavior and additudes were stark contrasts, there was much that was similar about them; for one, they shared the same body. At the third door, Roland encountered the man who pushed Jake in front of the car that would bring him to death and then to the desert; not only that, this man is also the man who already pushed Odetta in front of a subway train, causing her to split into two women. Roland takes control of the man, takes some supplies and ammo from that world, and leaves him to die in front of the same train that stole Odetta's legs and personality.

Roland succeeds in bringing Odetta and Detta together as one, named Susannah. Like Jake, they follow the gunslinger along the path to the Dark Tower. Along their way, they bring Jake back into the world of the gunslinger, befriend a billy bumbler (a mix between a dog and a raccoon), find themselves in a city that is constantly ripped apart by two warring, insane factions, riddle against a suicidal train that seems intent on taking them with him, and on and on towards the Dark Tower. Along the way, Roland loses all of them, and is left alone at the base of the Tower. There, he declares the names of all those he loved and lost to accomplish his goal. As he passes through the doorway, the Tower doors close, never to open again.

[Dan Smith]

Roland, Son of Steven Deschain

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Name: Roland Deschain
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190
Hair Color/Style: Black with grey, cut neat.
Eye Color: Pale blue, like well-worn denim.
Build: Lean and well-muscled; right hand is missing index and middle finger.
Origin: Stephen King's The Dark Tower
Strengths and Abilities: Roland is one of the fastest shooters in both his world and our own. His senses have been honed to a deadly edge, and he can observe more with a single glance then most can while concentrating. He has a remarkable resilience to pain and illness, both mental and physical.
Weaknesses: During his adventure, Roland lost both his index and middle finger to lobster-like beasts, making his right hand useless in many ways, including shooting. Though he is cunning, Roland cannot, as he puts it, "think around corners". He has a tendency to make people feel like children when he speaks to them, hurting any friendship or relationship he has.
Biography: (Warning: May Contain Spoilers)

The story of Roland Deschain spans many places, both from his world and our own. He was born in the fair and noble city of Gilead, of the Barony of New Canaan, located in a region known as In-World, the son of the noble Steven and Gabrielle. At a young age, Roland was taught by two men, named Cort and Vannay. From Cort, Roland learned the art of the gun, of fighting, and how to raise himself from the maggot he was to an honorable gunslinger; from Vannay, Roland learned knowledge that only the privledged and well-to-do could learn.

Not all was well with the world in Roland's time. An outlaw named John Farson was sewing the seeds of rebellion across the land, spreading death and terror across the many baronies. It was a time where men of strength and wisdom were needed; men who could mediate in times of peace, and protect the innocent in times of war. They were feared by the wicked and considered saints by the good; they were the gunslingers. In Gilead, it was the task of Cort and Vannay to raise boys into men, to turn them into gunslingers. Those who succeeded would wear the guns that they had earned; those who failed were sent into the West, for failure was not accepted.

Roland would be remembered for many great deeds in his life, the first of which took place when he was only 14. It was during that time that Marten Brandcloak, Steven Deschain's sorcerer and advisor, seduced Gabrielle Deschain, and, when he deemed the time right, let his affair be known to young Roland. His goal was to drive Roland to challenge his teacher, Cort, to combat, the last rite of passage to becoming a gunslinger. Marten knew that should Roland challenge Cort, he would surely fail. Roland would have, too, had he not used a weapon his teacher would never expect; a trained eagle, named David. David was the first of many friends Roland would sacrifice to meet his ends; for, though the battle was won, the eagle was killed in the process. Before falling unconcious, Cort gave Roland a single piece of advice: wait to take revenge against Marten.

However, Roland was not given the chance to take this advice. Roland's father, fearing that Marten may come after Roland himself, sent the boy east, into the Barony of Mejis, to the small town of Hambry. Roland does not go alone; with him travels two of his best friends, Cuthbert and Alain. Using false names, they pretend to have been sent to Hambry as punishment for poor behavior and mischief. To use one of their own phrases, they had forgotten the faces of their fathers. It was in Hambry that Roland uncovered a secret pact between the nobles of Hambry and the Good Man, John Farson. It was also in Mejis that Roland met his first and only love, Susan Delgado.

The relationship of Roland and Susan was complicated, to say the least. In a nutshell, Susan had been promised to be a mistress of the mayor of Hambry, Hart Thorin, as a virgin. Fate brought Roland and Susan together, and it was to Roland that Susan lost her viginity. Though Roland vowed to protect Susan, he failed to save her. While he battled against the conspirators of John Farson, the people of Hambry burned Susan alive. Though she would not be the last person Roland would end up seeing dead along his path, her death was the hardest on him. It should be noted that, upon returning to Gilead, Roland murders his mother, believing her to be an assassin before he can recognize her.

As John Farson gained ground and power against the Affiliaton, Roland's life began to blur together. At the decisive battle on Jericho Hill, Roland and Cuthbert charged valiantly into battle against an entire legion of Farson's troops. Roland survived; Cuthbert didn't. In the final battle, the gunslingers of In-World and Mid-World sacrifice themselves in an attempt to stop Farson; they fail. It is after the battle on Jericho Hill that Roland begins a quest that will take him tens of thousands of miles across In-World, Mid-World, and End-World, to the center of all worlds; to the axis point on which fate, or ka as it is called in Roland's world, time, and all things revolve: the Dark Tower.

It is in the Mohaine Desert that we next meet up with Roland, as he follows and hunts the man in black. The path leads him far across the desert, and into the mountains. Along the way, Roland finds a boy named Jake, hiding in an abandoned waystation, who came from our world; specifically, from New York. When Roland hypnotizes Jake, he learns that Jake was pushed in front of a car and killed, and brought to the waystation. While at the waystation, Roland descends into an underground food storage, and finds a speaking-demon within the walls. The demon tells Roland several strange things before Roland removes the demon's jawbone. The gunslinger pockets this, not knowing quite why, and leaves the waystation.

The boy follows Roland across the remains of the desert, and into the mountains. As they cross over an old minecar bridge, the trestles break, and Jake is left hanging over a large chasm. Roland is left with a decision; save Jake, and forsake the Tower, or continue on and allow Jake to fall. Picking the latter, Roland is haunted by Jake's final words before his plunge to death: "Go, then; there are other worlds then these"
(Note: I apologize, the before quote may not be exact, for I can only use my mind as a reference point.)

It is in a golgotha that Roland finally catches the man in black; however, seeing as the man in black is sitting, waiting for Roland, it can be argued that Roland didn't really catch him at all. The man in black and Roland hold palaver for a long time under the stars, while the man in black gives the gunslinger a Tarot reading. Much that is told to the gunslinger is secret and menacing, and interests Roland very little. However, the things the man in black reveals to Roland come to pass in time.

When the gunslinger awakens, he has aged ten years, and what is left of the man in black is little more then bones. Having lost the jawbone of the speaking-demon, Roland pockets the man in black's in it's place. Before long, Roland finds himself at the Western Sea, a sight he'd never seen before. The gunslinger passes out on the beach, and doesn't awaken until a large, mutated lobster, which Roland dubs a lobstrositie, takes his index and middle finger from his right hand, and the big toe from his left foot. Sick with fever, Roland travels north across the beach, until he comes to something in the sand that he finds hard to believe. Standing in the middle of the sand, with nothing behind it or around it to support it, stood a door. The words that were printed on the door read THE PRISONER.

From that door Roland found himself in New York City; not only that, he found himself inside the body and mind of another man. That man was Eddie Dean, who Roland would later bring to his own world and train as a gunslinger. From another door far down the beach, he would draw a woman named Odetta Holmes and a woman named Detta Walker. Both women were black, and their legs were severed above the knees. Though their behavior and additudes were stark contrasts, there was much that was similar about them; for one, they shared the same body. At the third door, Roland encountered the man who pushed Jake in front of the car that would bring him to death and then to the desert; not only that, this man is also the man who already pushed Odetta in front of a subway train, causing her to split into two women. Roland takes control of the man, takes some supplies and ammo from that world, and leaves him to die in front of the same train that stole Odetta's legs and personality.

Roland succeeds in bringing Odetta and Detta together as one, named Susannah. Like Jake, they follow the gunslinger along the path to the Dark Tower. As they continue along the path, eventually meeting a gigantic bear named Shardik, Roland realizes that he is losing his mind. When he stopped the man from pushing Jake in front of the car, he created a paradox within his mind, and it is slowly ripping him apart. It becomes obvious that they must bring Jake back into Roland's world to close off the parting, for they suspect(correctly) that Jake's mind is also being parted. The trial of drawing Jake into Roland's world is much harder then with Eddie and Susannah; the drawing almost claims their lives, for the doorway is located in the center of a demon's territory. When Jake is pulled from the door, he asks the gunslinger if he will let him fall again. The gunslinger tells him "No, never again." In the back of his mind, he knows that he is lying; that he will do anything to reach the Tower.

In the end, Roland loses every member of his group before reaching the Dark Tower. At the bottem of the Tower, Roland calls the names of those he lost or sacrificed to reach the Tower; it is not short. As he passes the archway, the doors close behind him, never to open again. No one knows what Roland found at the top of the Tower, or if it was worth everything he went through.

Yeah, the Dark Tower series, if anything, is incredibly confusing. The actual series is comprised of 7 books, but there are another 8 or 10 that tie into the series, like The Stand, It, and Insomnia.