Introduce your side characters

I also realised that I haven't talked about any of my side characters yet XD

So, these are the main side characters:

Lothaire - Vampire, ruby red irises and black hair that looks like it holds the night sky. He walks the line of good and evil but he regularly steps into the evil side. His hunger controls him and he spends most of the book trying to do the right thing but succumbing to his hunger and mesmerising the main characters for their blood. His hunger controls him a little too much one day and he pisses Lumina off, she chases him, intent on killing him, but he gets away. From that point onwards, the vampire works behind the scenes to help Lumina in her plight because if the Lords of the Darkness invade the mortal realm, his food supply will also dry up, so it's in his interest to help her.

Milorth - Sea Dragon, sea green eyes with brown-shot green hair. He has a moustache and a goatee. Smug, pompous, rude. His personality is like a cat. He like dozing in the sun, flying with Lumina and teasing her. As with most of the immortals, he doesn't know much about phoenixes, so he's curious about her. He sees mortals as beneath his notice, unless they're particularly pretty women. He's also a flirt. He's assisting out of idle curiousity/boredom and a fear of Lord of the Darkness. (On a side note, Lumina refuses to call him by his name because he smirks every times she says it and she feels it's a little too close to "Milord".) Surprisingly, Milorth and Lothaire are unlikely allies.

Periolos - Forest nymph, tall, willowy, tree-like appearance (think vaguely like Sylvari from Guild Wars 2). Dislikes being around humans because they cut down forests. Has joined up with Lumina because he's very caring towards all of the creatures who live in the forests, and the Lords of the Darkness would likely eat every living being's soul... He struggles with his desire to help his forest creatures and with his desire to avoid humans. He only (willingly) shows up to the important meetings and (unwillingly) shows up when the Fae drag him there. He recognises that Lumina's fiery nature could become an issue, because he's made of wood, so he keeps his distance, but otherwise is respectful and helpful to her.

Sinnafain - Fae warrior, tall, ice blue eyes, blond hair pulled into a high pony tail. Enjoys enslaving humans, but as she's not allowed to do that during this particular war, she kills them instead. She's keen on witnessing history as it unfolds and the fae are aware that once the mortal realm has been overtaken by the Lords of the Darkness, the immortal realm will be the next to fall and by that time, there will be fewer who can fight for their cause. Hates Lothaire as much as Lumina does and regularly fights with him. She also doesn't get along well with the dragon and regularly threatens him too.

Estar - Unicorn, tall, silver eyes, whiter than white hair. Calm, peaceful, radiates her emotions and identity (or 'oozes them like a leaky sponge' according to the dragon). It takes a lot to irritate her, but Milorth manages to mildly irritate her. She enjoys nurturing young women and children, and offers assistance in the form of healing those who are injured on the battle field. She keeps the peace as best she can between the different species of immortals. Of all of the immortals, phoenixes and unicorns get on the best and have common goals. She's assisting for the greater good and wants to end all suffering.

All of these immortals speak with voices that rattle the bones of every mortal and when they're in the room, the mortals feel squished and intimidated by their sheer immortal presences. When the immortals have left the room, the mortals bask in the space that is suddenly available to them from simply being surrounded by mortals.

General Tullica - Tall, brown hair, blue eyes, good looking (I think, it's not explicitly stated). He's the love interest and the one who is standing in the way of the king taking over Bucansi. He's intelligent, patient, caring, bold. He's the main mortal liaison in Bucansi between the mortals and the immortals, so he knows how to deal with them but still feels the mortal shakes around them. Lumina spies on the king and sends him secret messages about what the king's next plot is and he helps her out whenever she has issues with the Avadierish prince.

Don't worry about length. XD Character creation is one of my favorite topics to discuss and answering questions can help me flesh out things or reiterate things for myself.

Poetic-Jessie wrote:Lenora sounds like an interesting character, we've spoken a bit about her. I like that she deals with her grief in a way that gives her meaning in life. Does she mind the fact that she's no longer queen and unable to obey her mother now? Is her mother a power hungry person? Or is she just more interested in mourning her lost child and husband? You mentioned that she might become an important character later on in the book. I'm interested in how this happens.

Lenora's biggest importance will probably be in harboring Sydelle's family while Vellith and Ellion get to Mirabel to explain the situation. She'll also help the escape. She'll also have asked some of the older Sisters about Mirabel's time in the orphanage and explain it to her adoptive sister-in-law. Mirabel will then feel the need to ask Vellith about it, who will reveal all.

As for her mother, she sees her duty to the woman as done. Her mother wanted her daughter to be queen and Lenora was, if only for two years. Also, she never had a true calling before finding the Sisters and that helps give her purpose beyond just doing what her mother wants. At this point, her mother isn't really around. I think I have her off at the family estate away from court.

Poetic-Jessie wrote:Sydelle's parents have an interesting dynamic. Her father seems to have no foresight, no understanding of the true situation and doesn't seem to listen to his wife. His wife seems to be very understanding of her husband and incredibly kind, not saying 'I told you so' even when their daughter has been kidnapped. I guess they wouldn't be able to do much about it now that they're in prison, so it would be a futile 'I told you so,' (but still, I would have said that in this situation, or at the very least assertively told him why I'm angry). I guess I'm surprised at her kindness, but this lends to the whole 'peaceful' person. Bayard seems a bit naive and Sutton seems to be the one who looks out for the family. I'm curious about what happens when one or both of them realise they won't get out and that Ulric won't let them out. How do they get out of the jail anyway? Do they escape or are they rescued or released? What happens to them when Mirabel 'abducts' their daughter? Does Bayard find out Mirabel has 'abducted' his daughter and hate Mirabel for it (because he believes the king will still come to his senses and Mirabel is interfering) or does he celebrate it? Does he even hear about it? What does Sutton think, if she even hears about it?

To understand Sutton and Bayard, you have to understand the history behind their little community. In the distant past, seers were once abundant in the kingdoms. They would offer their services to monarchs. But then monarchs became greedy and began treating them like slaves. Eventually a group of seers found a new seer kingdom on an island and most seers fled. But there was one group of seers that insisted what was going on was temporary, so they retreated to the nearby mountains. Essentially, they wanted to "wait it out". This was the mentality Bayard was raised in. Sutton came from a normal family in a village at the base of the mountains that knew of the seers. (It'll be a member of this village that reveals the seer community and leads to Sydelle's kidnapping). So they were both raised in relative isolation, but Sutton a bit less than her husband.

The timeline, so far, goes something like this. Vellith and Ellion rescue Sydelle's family, hide them in the convent, then arrive at the castle to inform Sydelle her family is safe (therefore freeing her from Ulric's influence) and explain the situation to Mirabel. This will be the catalyst to Mirabel to help abduct the child and reunite her with her family. Vellith (who has not yet revealed all the past, I'm saving that for the long journey to the seer island...crap, I still need a name for it XD) will try to convince her to come, but she insists that Erried is her home.

Poetic-Jessie wrote:In regards to Averet, is he separated from his parents in the prison or are they in this big family cell with other families around them? I like that he is artistic and doesn't fully understand what's going on. Not many children would understand being in prison and why they're in prison at his age. If he's artistic, does he make what is referred to in Australia as 'bush art' where you gather up leaves, twigs, flowers and such and arrange them decoratively. If they have like an exercise yard or are just permanently locked in a darkened cell, might he do this with the grass and random leaves/twigs that blow in from the outside? Or does he just not do art and cling to his mother because he doesn't understand and is scared?

They're all in a cell together, permanently. He'll have found a stick and be drawing in the ground with it. Ellion will use the stick to telepathically get a message through to the family. Something along the lines of "when chaos strikes, remain". So when the two free all the other prisoners and they go running out (with the guards chasing after them) the family knows to stay. Then they can basically stroll out. XD

Averet definitely clings to his parents. He's also going to be asking about Sydelle a lot, but his parents will most likely be lying to him. Something like "she's off doing very important things" or something. He's definitely scared, but Sutton is trying to keep him as calm as possible.

Poetic-Jessie wrote:Poor Peter, my heart goes out to him already. I get the feeling that I'd like him if I read the story. I suppose I like the tragic ones. But wow, I didn't realise Artemisia tries to kill Rosaline. That's a huge twist, I just thought she was the conniving one who gets others to do the dirty work for her, rather than taking it into her own hands. I guess when you introduced her, you did say she'd do anything to get power. Anyway, I've gone off topic. It seems as if Peter is a bit naive, like Bayard, and easily used. But it looks as if he does have enough influence in the court to save his unborn daughter's life. So, it seems he naive but still a good soul.

I definitely like him, even if I say so myself. Artemisia tries to kill Rosaline in a state of rage, once she realizes that everything has failed. By this point, the king has realized her pregnancy was a ruse. Lord Newell (Peter's father) is very reluctantly willing to let Peter marry her, but on the condition that she never returns to court again. Add to that, Thorsten and Rosaline will be engaged. It's the final nails in the coffin that was her dreams. She doesn't exactly plan to kill her ahead of time (Mirabel would see that) but is suddenly filled with rage. And Rosaline, unwilling to fight a pregnant woman, is kinda lost in the middle. It's Eda that thinks to push her into the wardrobe and lock it.

Peter is naive, but in a slightly different way than Bayard. Bayard is partially naive by nurture, Peter's is all nature. He was sent to the court to learn wisdom, but he never really learned how to navigate court intrigue His father is very sensible and it's thanks to Peter's obedience to his father that he hadn't married some gold digger long before. But he just wants to see the good in everyone. He's the kind of guy that would take the "it's not you, it's me" line at face value. And he does have some influence, but Thorsten also has a good sense of justice (and feels bad for the guy) so he wouldn't allow a child to die for the sins of the mother.[/quote]

Poetic-Jessie wrote:Vellith sounds like he has a fascinating power. I've never heard of a power like this before. (I've heard of Farseekers from Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn, but I think they can only communicate with people over long distances, rather than seeing people over long distances). I can see how this farseeing might be creepy, but it sounds as if he's not using it with creepy intent. He's also a bit of a tragic one, so my heart is already going out to him as well. I like that he feels fatherly towards Mirabel and looks out for her. It sounds as if he might come and aid her if things get out of hand (which, from what I've read so far, they do). Does he tell Mirabel who her mother was? (Does she know who her parents were?)

I got the idea for it from Eragon and other stories that use that pool effect, where a pool or a mirror suddenly becomes a way to see someone far away. I just tweaked it to become someone's personal ability. But Vellith, although he has yet to appear in the story, is already becoming my favorite. He saw when Britta's new husband abandoned her. He, and everyone else on the island, assumed Britta would realize her mistake and come back. He was still hopeful that he would return to him and he could become a father to her daughter. In a way, Mirabel represents the family life he never got to have. Watching over her from a distance was the closest to fatherhood he ever got.

He does reveal everything, as Mirabel travels with them to the island. Not only is it dramatic and intriguing, but it lets me show a long period of time passing during the journey without it becoming tedious. I have yet to decide if Mirabel has a grandparent still alive or not.

Poetic-Jessie wrote:Ellion (I love the name btw) sounds like a likeable character. I like characters who dislike seeing others being used. I like his character traits and I'm interested in the relationship between him and Vellith. Especially the slight creepiness of Vellith's obsession with Mirabel. Does he know about the history between Vellith and Britta? Does he know that Vellith thinks of Mirabel as a daughter? Does he question Vellith on his obsession? (I'm assuming that Vellith and Ellion are the ones who rescue Mirabel) I'm really interested in how Vellith and Ellion interact with each other especially when Mirabel is around. As for potential love interest for Mirabel, I can see why he'd be the potential love interest. He seems nice and likeable.

Honestly, I came up with that name because I was desperately for a name with the "ell" sound in it. Vellith is definitely the calming influence on Ellion. He's going to know something about it, but I think he'll discover the whole story when Mirabel does. He also has serious wanderlust. Everyone else looks at Mirabel like "yay, you're home now! you should stay and never leave!" whereas Ellion is more like "what was it like to grow up somewhere else? wanna know about these other places?" He doesn't fault her for not considering the island home. (Vellith doesn't either, but it still kinda breaks his heart).

Poetic-Jessie wrote:I take it Britta is more of a background information character rather than someone who shows up in the story. Or she might show up randomly when you get writer's block. I'm curious about what other life she fled to. She's already fled her life twice before, does she continue fleeing her past mistakes and feelings of being trapped forever, starting over every few years, or does she settle down somewhere and deal with her grief/shame etc? Does she find someone who makes her feel safe enough not to run away from? Does she have more children and, if so, are they seers? Or does she act like Lenora and do charity work to help her deal with her issues? She doesn't seem to have great taste in men (or at least her husband who left her doesn't seem like a catch...)

It wouldn't be the first time a random character showed up thanks to writer's block. But for right now, she's strictly background. At this point it would be cruel to Vellith to bring her back and give him hope yet again. And Mirabel had two loving parents for two decades. I mention at one point that she never gave much thought to her origins and calls it "the side-effect of a happy childhood". If she was to wish for a mother, she would wish for Theodora to be alive again, not her biological mother to come back around. But it's possible to have a scene where Vellith uses his far-sight to see her doing charity work somewhere and finally comes to grips with the fact it was never going to happen.

Speaking of which, I could always do yet another side-character post on the deceased royals. I may or may not have a seer that speaks to the dead. And if nothing else, the three of them were huge influence on my protagonist and her brother.

Oh wow, I totally forgot one of the biggest side characters. XD

Thorsten Redfield: Thorsten was happy to be a military man for all his life. He considered his older brother to be much better at ruling, as Frederic was infinitely more charming and better with people. When his brother died, the soldier was thrown into the place of a politician. The new king was awkward around people to begin with, but he became twice as aloof. He's struggling to be exactly the king everyone expects him to be. He feels as if he can't make on misstep. He feels the weight of the kings before him. His solaces are few and revolve around the two most important women in his life: his adoptive sister Mirabel and his eventual queen Rosaline.

[[Honestly, it's almost like he's a secondary protagonist. Not quite as important as Mirabel, but definitely up there.]]

Poetic-Jessie wrote:I also realised that I haven't talked about any of my side characters yet XD

So, these are the main side characters:

Lothaire - Vampire, ruby red irises and black hair that looks like it holds the night sky. He walks the line of good and evil but he regularly steps into the evil side. His hunger controls him and he spends most of the book trying to do the right thing but succumbing to his hunger and mesmerising the main characters for their blood. His hunger controls him a little too much one day and he pisses Lumina off, she chases him, intent on killing him, but he gets away. From that point onwards, the vampire works behind the scenes to help Lumina in her plight because if the Lords of the Darkness invade the mortal realm, his food supply will also dry up, so it's in his interest to help her.

Milorth - Sea Dragon, sea green eyes with brown-shot green hair. He has a moustache and a goatee. Smug, pompous, rude. His personality is like a cat. He like dozing in the sun, flying with Lumina and teasing her. As with most of the immortals, he doesn't know much about phoenixes, so he's curious about her. He sees mortals as beneath his notice, unless they're particularly pretty women. He's also a flirt. He's assisting out of idle curiousity/boredom and a fear of Lord of the Darkness. (On a side note, Lumina refuses to call him by his name because he smirks every times she says it and she feels it's a little too close to "Milord".) Surprisingly, Milorth and Lothaire are unlikely allies.

Periolos - Forest nymph, tall, willowy, tree-like appearance (think vaguely like Sylvari from Guild Wars 2). Dislikes being around humans because they cut down forests. Has joined up with Lumina because he's very caring towards all of the creatures who live in the forests, and the Lords of the Darkness would likely eat every living being's soul... He struggles with his desire to help his forest creatures and with his desire to avoid humans. He only (willingly) shows up to the important meetings and (unwillingly) shows up when the Fae drag him there. He recognises that Lumina's fiery nature could become an issue, because he's made of wood, so he keeps his distance, but otherwise is respectful and helpful to her.

Sinnafain - Fae warrior, tall, ice blue eyes, blond hair pulled into a high pony tail. Enjoys enslaving humans, but as she's not allowed to do that during this particular war, she kills them instead. She's keen on witnessing history as it unfolds and the fae are aware that once the mortal realm has been overtaken by the Lords of the Darkness, the immortal realm will be the next to fall and by that time, there will be fewer who can fight for their cause. Hates Lothaire as much as Lumina does and regularly fights with him. She also doesn't get along well with the dragon and regularly threatens him too.

Estar - Unicorn, tall, silver eyes, whiter than white hair. Calm, peaceful, radiates her emotions and identity (or 'oozes them like a leaky sponge' according to the dragon). It takes a lot to irritate her, but Milorth manages to mildly irritate her. She enjoys nurturing young women and children, and offers assistance in the form of healing those who are injured on the battle field. She keeps the peace as best she can between the different species of immortals. Of all of the immortals, phoenixes and unicorns get on the best and have common goals. She's assisting for the greater good and wants to end all suffering.

All of these immortals speak with voices that rattle the bones of every mortal and when they're in the room, the mortals feel squished and intimidated by their sheer immortal presences. When the immortals have left the room, the mortals bask in the space that is suddenly available to them from simply being surrounded by mortals.

General Tullica - Tall, brown hair, blue eyes, good looking (I think, it's not explicitly stated). He's the love interest and the one who is standing in the way of the king taking over Bucansi. He's intelligent, patient, caring, bold. He's the main mortal liaison in Bucansi between the mortals and the immortals, so he knows how to deal with them but still feels the mortal shakes around them. Lumina spies on the king and sends him secret messages about what the king's next plot is and he helps her out whenever she has issues with the Avadierish prince.

I like that your characters are all fighting the bad guy for different reasons. It's much more realistic for some people to be like "well crap, can't let this guy win" rather than having every character being a big, brave hero fighting for justice. Also, I am always a huge fan of those characters that walk the line between bad and good.

Does every character have a humanoid form, or is the unicorn a legit magical equestrian creature the entire time?

Also, I like the idea of immortals affecting mortals just by being in the room. It's an interesting concept. How do you explain it (or plan to explain it) in the story?

Call Me Nefret wrote:Oh wow, I totally forgot one of the biggest side characters. XD

Thorsten Redfield: Thorsten was happy to be a military man for all his life. He considered his older brother to be much better at ruling, as Frederic was infinitely more charming and better with people. When his brother died, the soldier was thrown into the place of a politician. The new king was awkward around people to begin with, but he became twice as aloof. He's struggling to be exactly the king everyone expects him to be. He feels as if he can't make on misstep. He feels the weight of the kings before him. His solaces are few and revolve around the two most important women in his life: his adoptive sister Mirabel and his eventual queen Rosaline.

[[Honestly, it's almost like he's a secondary protagonist. Not quite as important as Mirabel, but definitely up there.]]

I'm glad to know more about Thorsten. He sounds like a very interesting character now that you've explained him. It sounds as if he has a steep learning curve, going from military to politician. It also sounds as if he never wanted the throne for himself, and is unprepared for all of the power struggles that he now needs to deal with. I this makes him a more sympathetic character. His struggles with being exactly who others want him to be and not feeling like he can make a misstep is quite relateable and makes him more likeable.

Given how his few solaces in life revolve around his sister and Rosaline, I'm wondering how he felt when he had to order Mirabel's execution to appease the King and Queen. I imagine he'd be shattered, then relieved when she's rescued and doesn't put too much effort into tracking her down.

I can see why he'd be more like a secondary protagonist. Lots of plots revolve around him.

Hope this helps

Call Me Nefret wrote:
I like that your characters are all fighting the bad guy for different reasons. It's much more realistic for some people to be like "well crap, can't let this guy win" rather than having every character being a big, brave hero fighting for justice. Also, I am always a huge fan of those characters that walk the line between bad and good.

Does every character have a humanoid form, or is the unicorn a legit magical equestrian creature the entire time?

Also, I like the idea of immortals affecting mortals just by being in the room. It's an interesting concept. How do you explain it (or plan to explain it) in the story?

Every immortal, apart from my Lords of the Darkness, has a humanoid form. Some, like the dragon, the phoenix and the unicorn, have other forms (I've yet to decide whether the dragon is the western style of dragon or the eastern style). So far, the unicorns don't transform into their equine selves, they just hang out in their humanoid form (mainly becuase they don't want to make the mortals more uncomfortable with their presences).

The other immortals are humanoid by nature. The Fae, vampires etc. But the vampire can shape-shift into any person/creature they want (one of the reasons Lothaire causes so much trouble XD ).

There's no real explanation as to why immortals affect mortals this way. Other than that they're immortal, incredibly powerful forces of nature that feel oppressive (kind of like how some people feel around thunder storms, the air is oppressive and heavy, there's a silence and you can just feel that something is about to happen). I guess I could go into more detail about why they're oppressive (refer to their sheer number of years or something. I already refer to how mortals recognise that their lifetime is like a minute when compared to the lifetime of the immortals). It will probably add depth to the story.

Thanks for the feedback XD it was helpful

Poetic-Jessie wrote:
I'm glad to know more about Thorsten. He sounds like a very interesting character now that you've explained him. It sounds as if he has a steep learning curve, going from military to politician. It also sounds as if he never wanted the throne for himself, and is unprepared for all of the power struggles that he now needs to deal with. I this makes him a more sympathetic character. His struggles with being exactly who others want him to be and not feeling like he can make a misstep is quite relateable and makes him more likeable.

Given how his few solaces in life revolve around his sister and Rosaline, I'm wondering how he felt when he had to order Mirabel's execution to appease the King and Queen. I imagine he'd be shattered, then relieved when she's rescued and doesn't put too much effort into tracking her down.

I can see why he'd be more like a secondary protagonist. Lots of plots revolve around him.

Hope this helps

It definitely broke his heart to order his sister's execution, but he never intended to have her executed. While he publicly stated it, he then went behind the scenes to arrange for her rescue. He's the one that worked with Vellith, Ellion, and even Mirabel's maidservant Eda, to put the rescue together. After Ellion uses his telepathy to divert the sword about to behead the oracle, the king orders all the guards after the fleeing telepath, save for one (Vellith in disguise) who helps Mirabel escape. He saves face and manages to stave off war for awhile longer, and Mirabel is saved from death. He's rather clever like that.

Another side character coming up!

Briar

A blind elf girl who lives in one of the main locations (there will be some traveling but a good amount of the plot will happen here). She knows her way around, and under, the city like no one else. She'll probably first help infiltrating a fortress where we're rescuing a mage from, and then later tag along for some adventures. Not really a fighter so doesn't have a class, although she does have a dagger. Small, black, and cute as a button, also has a sharp tongue. Whenever the team needs someone who can come up with smart plans, they go to her, because most of their planning consists of "we go there, kill them and loot". Briar is essential when swords won't solve a problem.

Sieglinde wrote:Another side character coming up!

Briar

A blind elf girl who lives in one of the main locations (there will be some traveling but a good amount of the plot will happen here). She knows her way around, and under, the city like no one else. She'll probably first help infiltrating a fortress where we're rescuing a mage from, and then later tag along for some adventures. Not really a fighter so doesn't have a class, although she does have a dagger. Small, black, and cute as a button, also has a sharp tongue. Whenever the team needs someone who can come up with smart plans, they go to her, because most of their planning consists of "we go there, kill them and loot". Briar is essential when swords won't solve a problem.

Oooh, I love the blind, all knowing characters. Like Garret from Quest for Camelot.

Do any of the other characters give her shit for being blind? Do they question her abilities to helping them?

Sieglinde wrote:Another side character coming up!

Briar

A blind elf girl who lives in one of the main locations (there will be some traveling but a good amount of the plot will happen here). She knows her way around, and under, the city like no one else. She'll probably first help infiltrating a fortress where we're rescuing a mage from, and then later tag along for some adventures. Not really a fighter so doesn't have a class, although she does have a dagger. Small, black, and cute as a button, also has a sharp tongue. Whenever the team needs someone who can come up with smart plans, they go to her, because most of their planning consists of "we go there, kill them and loot". Briar is essential when swords won't solve a problem.

lol, I love how most of the plans involve killing and looting, with very little else XD I also like that she's sort of the brains of this group and it sounds as if she's a valuable addition to the party. Her character vaguely reminds me of Toph from Avatar the last airbender, also of Daredevil and hobbits (the sneaking and infiltration part), and I like the blind, intelligent characters.

She also sounds streetwise. I'm curious about her upbringing. Why is she on the human lands? Do her parents know she can sneak around and under the city with ease? I'm intrigued by her

She's probably an orphan. And people might try to give her shit, but it's usually not very wise. She's a master of getting back at them.

Bit of a trickster. Imagine Gavroche meets Toph. But, of course, I would never hurt her. She's definitely a survivor.

I forgot to mention something about two of my characters. Which might be handy to know now that I joined the IC chat. Mǽrwynn and Rainulf are both half bloods. They are half human half faie. The faie are a kind of nature spirits that have the ability to take on a human form. They live long lives and sometimes they fall in love with a human which can lead to half blood children. A half blood is always the same race as the non-faie and is always a mage. They have greater magical power than normal mages. When they use their primal magic, which they inherit from their faie parent, their eyes glow. Due to the nature of his magic Rainulf is able to hide the glowing of his eyes, Mǽrwynn is not.

Okay so here are my side characters! I wish mine were so deeply thought out as everyone else’s are! Also it makes me realise how under populated my world is! But I'm really glad for this board since now I have a basic list of all my characters (meanwhile before

The Great Wizard - The protector and bane of Momus; regardless of what the townspeople want, he moves the city around the world and through time. He is what makes Momus the 'curiously wandering city' it's known to be. He is abnormally intelligent; unfortunately, he is so intelligent that the less important bits of information like 'where he last left his glasses'(the correct answer to this being 'on one's head') and so on have been stuffed away, unable to be retrieved. He is incredibly obtuse.

Susan - A dog turned human in a spell gone wrong; he is distractingly handsome with extremely poor manners, and never ever wears a shirt. However he is brave and extremely loyal to his friends. However this also makes him quite gullible. He refers to everyone as ‘syr’ and ‘mym’ and has a very thick Al’ter(Elvish) accent. He is looking for his mother (owner) and wants Thomothy’s help turning her back into a human.

Mir’gak Vitt - A troll married to Fahris, she left to escape persecution and currently lives in the Mayan Forest and Great Underground Etonian Sewer System. She has flowers braided through her hair and incredible rippling muscles. Despite her immense strength she is a pacifist, and refuses to become involved in any forms of fighting unless completely necessary. She will happily stand by while her friends get the hell beaten out of them because of her strong morals. She is also a bit crass, being a troll.

Fahris Vitt - An eccentric inventor/painter who lives on the outskirts of the Mayan desert and keeps mostly to himself. He is incredibly charming, although his house is a total mess. He is very quick to see through lies, and will do anything to help someone in need. He misses his wife but feels helpless about their situation.

Jacephine “Jace” Dryden Quayle - One of the king’s personal guards. She is tall for a girl, has dark hair and a dot marking at her hairline. She is highly ambitious and enthusiastic but has misconceptions about her ability as a guard. While she’s brave and decent at sword fighting, she’s also loud, tactless and completely foolhardy. She’s always looking for action and adventure. She considers Yahra her closest friend (as they are often always on assignments together).

Captain Yahra (Yarurul) Thorne - Captain of the king’s guards. While definitely more mature than Jace, she is lazy, gluttonous and a bit of a drunk. While she wants to avoid adventure at all costs, she is a competent Captain. Her frame is very stocky, her hair is braided and she stands at around 5’1” - however if you mention her height she will quickly get very defensive and possibly knock you over the head - this is because she is secretly a dwarf and has been attempting to hide the fact for the past five years (luckily for her, most people forget that female dwarves exist and without a beard she’s almost unrecognisable as one - except of course to other dwarves).

Thaddeus Kane Siberius Khor the First - A handsome prince who lives with his uncle, the current King. Has appointed himself the Royal advisor (because he was too young to take the throne much to his chagrin). He has a magical, inverted twin that he hides from everyone and taught himself to learn magic from a young age despite being the most vocal about the ban on magic and imprisonment of all magical folk. He is handsome, clever and especially conniving considering he’s only 16.

Qain - Summoned from the void of Ono’k by Kane and thought to be a lost soul. This shadow takes Kane’s form (like a mirror image except his colours have been inverted as he is composed of inverted (black) magic). He calls himself Qain (which is Kane in old tongue) and they become friends of a sort. However Qain is actually a demon who plots to bridge the gap between the void of Ono’k and Anea so he can devour its essence and all the people living on it. His true name is the Devourer of Souls.

King Odius Syrus Rowavyr Khor the First - Kane’s father. He was more competent than the current king, and is not as self-absorbed but definitely more war hungry and quick to anger. After his wife went missing, he declared war on Al’ter (the Elvish land) and took 700 men to do battle. However once they entered the Mayan forest, they were never seen nor heard of again.

Queen Ymenia - Kane’s mother and King Odius’s wife. Was dragged through a portal by demons to the plane of Ono’k (which is a kind of hell), when Kane was messing around with the Sorceress Lihura’s spell book. Her current status is unknown. Her disappearance was blamed on The Sorceress.

The Sorceress Lihura - Was the Queen’s personal advisor, was also the royal sorceress until magic was outlawed and she was blamed for the Queen’s disappearance. She transformed herself into a dog to escape punishment and fled (I don’t know where yet).

The Spirit of the Mountain - An immense giant mountain-like being who broke free of the void. It is now wandering around the Mayan Forest and despises all living creatures because they are so ‘squishy’. It is helplessly attracted to magic, but in this magicless realm it is totally aimless.

Elowen-Astrid wrote:I forgot to mention something about two of my characters. Which might be handy to know now that I joined the IC chat. Mǽrwynn and Rainulf are both half bloods. They are half human half faie. The faie are a kind of nature spirits that have the ability to take on a human form. They live long lives and sometimes they fall in love with a human which can lead to half blood children. A half blood is always the same race as the non-faie and is always a mage. They have greater magical power than normal mages. When they use their primal magic, which they inherit from their faie parent, their eyes glow. Due to the nature of his magic Rainulf is able to hide the glowing of his eyes, Mǽrwynn is not.

Oh my gosh I love this and I also love the name for the 'faie' - it's so gentle and somehow descriptive that I understand what kind of people they are without you having to tell me. Are there any drawbacks to being half faie though? What kind of primal magic can they inherit and how is it different from normal mage magic?

Sophie wrote:Oh my gosh I love this and I also love the name for the 'faie' - it's so gentle and somehow descriptive that I understand what kind of people they are without you having to tell me. Are there any drawbacks to being half faie though? What kind of primal magic can they inherit and how is it different from normal mage magic?

Aside from the glowing eyes when they use magic, thus making them more visible, their magic is more raw and uncontrollable. Especially for elemental mages, and mages with affinity for dreams. Their element tends to respond to them when they are highly emotional. The more they are in control, the more precise their magic is. 

The magic they inherit depends on the faie parent. So if one if you parents is a water faie, your primal magic will be water. If one of you parents is a forest faie your primal magic will be earth with affinity for plans, which means you have some control over plants and the ability to "listen" to them. (I haven't worked this out completely). Mages of any kind are usually just limited by their type of primal magic and their imagination. 

At the moment I have: 

• Forrest faies (called Stredeos). Half bloods have Elemental earth magic with affinity for plants. 
  
• Lake faies (called Estral). Half bloods have Elemental water magic. 
  
• Faies who are the harbingers of death (called Esdemor). Half bloods have the sight, mainly in the form of seeing the future, but this is not necessarily the case. 
  
• Faies who are related to dreams (called Stormir). Half bloods have mind magic with an affinity for dreams. 
  

Normal mages have no control problems. They are less connected to nature or their primal form of magic, so it doesn't really react to them. Most mages actually descend from half bloods, even if it cannot be traced back, and half bloods are the main origin for magic among humans. The child of a half blood and a human becomes a mage with a chance of another form of primal magic (I haven't figured out how this works yet.) The further the bloodline goes from the half blood the fewer mages the bloodline produces. (It pretty much is some sort of repressive gene at this point in the history of my world, and I suppose this also can explain why the children of half blood can have other types of magic)

Just be aware, when roaming about in my lands. The faie may seem gentle and peaceful but they are spirits of nature and still can be wild and dangerous to those unprepared. 

Oops, this turned out longer than expected. 
(btw. I think the plural for faie in dutch would be faiën or faieën)

I just realized my king's daughter (and eventual successor after he's dealt with) is a mage. That would make his fears much worse, thinking she'll lead a coup. He has her locked up. He would've had her killed when her talent manifested, but Goraidh talked him out of it. Needless to say, she's pissed, and a pissed mage with raw, untrained talent is very dangerous.

Dude really needs to hear about self-fulfilling prophecies.

New characters just keep popping up...

I got a former mage hunter who dropped out because he saw some really bad shit he disagreed with. He's living in one of the main locations, in the worst slums, and is likely neighbours with my mage (the one with the angel). Despite their backgrounds, they get along. Ex-hunter fights a losing battle against addiction and my mage has his ptsd, the whole possession thing, and overall melancholy. So they try to help each other. Hunter still needs a name.

Since my story has quite a few characters, being of the travel-through-the-land-and-meet-people sort, I'll only list the ones that spend any significant length of time traveling with the protagonist. We have, in rough order of appearance:

Daudis A nostalgic old beggar whose logically questionable plan of shouting forbidden knowledge in the street unexpectedly paid off. Has been using magic under the nose of the Bordermen for many years by keeping the Else-bone in his shoe (unless they really suspect something, Bordermen normally only check the hands). He persuades Clewan to seek out Arjuba by telling extraordinary tales of magic, and accompanies him as far as the border town Laklei, beyond which is the swamp they must cross. Their zany scheme for hopping the border goes awry and Daudis, unfortunately, dies.
Tl;dr: Hobo who is secretly a magician.

Fhen Fhen is somewhat of a misfit among the eight wizards. Before his transformation, he was, in fact, the throne room janitor. Lured by the idea of witnessing a private ceremony only carried out by the royal family and a few select others, he hid behind a curtain at the far end of the hall. As a result, his abilities are, to put it kindly, unimpressive. Shortly after his transformation, he was so afraid of being found by the other wizards that he assumed the form of a rat. He lived in this form quite well, until the Ruining Day, at which point he decided to flee south with the rest of Arjuba's ordinary citizens.
Unfortunately (this word seems to come up a lot), when he was certain he was out of sight of any possible wizards and attempted to turn back into a human, he found he wasn't able to, although he did eventually manage a toad.
Tl;dr: Crappy wizard who is currently stuck as a talking toad.

Elver Elver is a man who hates everyone and everything. He is not entirely to blame for this, since either by magic or simple misfortune, from his birth he's been subject to a very strange phenomenon: no matter what he seemed to do, people found him absurdly funny. Suffering from a worsening attitude due to no one taking him seriously, the harder he tried to put people off, the more they loved him, until he was practically forced into the prestigious position of the mayor's personal jester. There he met the only person who never, ever laughed - the mayor's daughter. So, naturally, they fell in love and planned to elope together to the new swamp town that was just being built. They left in the night to avoid detection, and unfortunately (there's that word again), the mayor's daughter took a wrong step and drowned in the swamp.
Elver never settled in the swamp town but lived as a hermit on the outskirts for many years until encountering Clewan, who needs his help to find his way through the bog.
His favorite hobbies are pelting whoever is nearby with creative insults, mistrusting people, and assuming everyone is literally the worst.
Tl;dr: Asshole ex-jester.

Clewan's Hat It may or may not be sentient.

Swift Swift is the creation of one of the more unusual wizards. This wizard's hobby nowadays is attempting to resurrect legendary and historical heroes by recreating their armor and equipment, and bringing it to life (fittingly, he was once the royal blacksmith). Swift was meant to be a recreation of the Red Swift, a figure of myth, but was deemed inadequate and too passive by the blacksmith-wizard. Fortunately (!) this was the exact trait that made him particularly suited to what Clewan really needed.
Tl;dr: A very obliging, considerate, sensible suit of armor.

@Nekron, I love your discriptions and the fact you added tl;dr's under every part. Those actually got me reading all of it despite the fact I am very tired (which makes reading, and writing, English quite hard for me at the moment).

I like your characters, I think they are unusual and it works for them very well. Also, Swift reminds me of Aphonse Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. Did you happen to be inspired by the anime/manga?

@Elowen-Astrid I'm glad you enjoyed reading! And I've actually never seen or read Full Metal Alchemist. Just looked at his wiki page now and it's funny, they are quite similar, with the exception of the fact that Swift was never a human in the first place (only an imitation of one) and that he can't talk. Also doesn't experience the angsty bits or fears that Alphonse does. There should be more animated armor in fiction.

NPC development is going slower for me than I'd like; in particular I've yet to come up with a single character yet to inhabit my adventure's central village, Berg. I'm going to need a day (soon!) to sit down and figure out some NPCs for that place. In the meantime, here are some of my more important NPCs (I'm including characters that will probably be antagonists but have the option to become allies for... let's say an adventuring party that's short on heroics and even shorter on scruples.)

Kaeli
An elderly Half-Elf Druid (Circle of the Watcher), Kaeli has long ago retired from the adventuring life and had settled into a quiet life living off the land in the North Valley. When the first prospectors came to re-settle the region, Kaeli built the Deepwatch Inn, partially to cater to weary travelers but mostly to keep abreast of rumors and other assorted goings-on in the region. While well past her prime, she has not let her skills with the battleaxe fall by the wayside, and she is still dedicated to standing stalwart against the aberrant forces she knows dwells just below surface, testing its decaying prison. She is warm and friendly, though she has earned a reputation for paranoia. A potential PC background hook allows Kaeli to have been a mentor to the PCs in years past; and Kaeli can also serve to initiate Druid PCs into the Circle of the Watchers, if they are interested.

Simone
A travelling Tiefling Sorcerer (Wild Magic) and merchant who peddles her wares in the region. With far more business insight than scruples, Simone had intended to come to the region to make her fortune in poaching, but she found a more lucrative client in the barely sane wizard living in the basement of the old fortress at Bazarax. She doesn't know what the wizard wants with assorted goblin and wolf body parts and frankly she doesn't care to know. She'd assumed he just had unusual taste, though after meeting her first two-headed, four-armed goblin outside the Rabax Mine after the wizard sealed himself in the basement, she's soured just a little on the deal. Ultimately, as long she's paid she doesn't mind; in return for parts she receives the wizard's specially brewed sleeping potions, which she's learned to dilute to make a potent and addictive downer. She has the poachers she works with distribute the drug while she collects a cut of the profits. She'd be sad to see that arrangement disappear but would neither kill nor die to keep it in place; she's already planning her next business venture somewhere a little further south, preferably someplace with fewer two-headed monstrosities. Pragmatic and ruthless, she is always looking to find the way for her to profit from the situation.

Girix
A Goblin Rogue (Scout), Girix is the boss of a small tribe of Wolf Clan Goblins and the direct descendant of the last Governor of Bazarax. She wasn't sure she believed the stories she's heard passed down the family line has led her here, sure the key that had also been passed down was nothing more than a useless relic; but when she rediscovered the hidden path into the fortress she believed it was her legacy to restore her clan to greatness. She has little taste for conquest or marauding, believing her people, as the true rulers of the region, to be better than that. She has no antipathy for other races and she's willing to allow other peoples to settle her land, but she does consider the North Valley her land. Weary and cautious, she's always looking for the way out if things go poorly, but she's an able leader and diplomat, and can become a loyal ally.

The Rat Lord
The Rat Lord is a Wererat who wishes to install himself as lord of the North Valley, with the Fortress of Bazarax as his seat of power. He is cunning and conniving, but ultimately a coward. He challenged and overthrow the boss of a local tribe of Rat Clan goblins and now rules them mercilessly, seeing them as the fodder in his army to establish his rule. He'll try his best to use the adventurer's to serve his own ends, and will attempt to flee if threatened, fighting to the death only if cornered.

Gazer
A Halfling Warlock (Great Old One Pact) who led a cult dedicated to restoring the rule of the aberrations, Gazer once looked upon the Fleshweaver with pride as his greatest pupil. When the Fleshweaver betrayed the cult by sacrificing their bodies for the power he now wields, Gazer grew despondent and retreated within his madhouse of a tower. Gazer long ago sacrificed his own eyes and in return was granted a magical eye that he could control or form anywhere on his body. He had the eye permanently enlarged and likes to wear it on his chest, a symbol of his affinity for beholders. Gazer is clearly evil and dangerous, but he is not immediately hostile, especially to anyone looking to put a stop to the Fleshweaver, and can be a valuable, if cryptic, source of information. For those rare parties who'd actually like to serve the aberrations themselves, Gazer can even be an ally and mentor.