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Character Development Thread--Discussion

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Millership from Kazakhstan Since: Jan, 2014
#35651: Apr 23rd 2018 at 9:49:35 AM

I need feedback.

The thing that I wanted to do with Parthenia is to try to make her unambiguously evil, at the same time not making her The Sociopath, if not in the clinical definition of psychopathy, then at least not in the Tv Tropes definition. I wanted to make her more or less sane person.

How am I doing so far? Or has she already crossed that line?

Spiral out, keep going.
Miss_Desperado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YD2i1FzUYA from somewhere getting rained on by Puget Sound Since: Sep, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#35652: Apr 23rd 2018 at 9:51:39 AM

[up] Parthenia is supposed to be evil? Either I was Comically Missing the Point or you didn't provide enough hints.

If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Millership from Kazakhstan Since: Jan, 2014
#35653: Apr 23rd 2018 at 10:16:43 AM

[up]Heh, apparently, it's the latter. Though now that you've mentioned it, I get how people might get confused by her.

And if we go by Sir Pterry's definition of what a good person is like from Men At Arms, then Parthenia is a saint. tongue

edited 23rd Apr '18 10:59:46 AM by Millership

Spiral out, keep going.
Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#35654: Apr 23rd 2018 at 12:20:37 PM

I find it hard to think in terms of 'good' and 'evil' characters as I don't believe in either. There are some actions that I would deem 'evil' or 'good' and if a person delighted in performing evil actions to the exclusion of all else, then I'd think them a nasty or horrible person, but not 'evil'.

Parthenia has come across as pragmatic and concerned more with being personally inconvenienced than any actual qualms against innocents being hurt, but I would count that more as sociopathic tendencies.

KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#35655: Apr 23rd 2018 at 4:01:49 PM

It's usually easy to sympathize with someone who has to deal with a squad of glorified, militarized rent-a-cops masquerading as legitimate law enforcement, but at least as I've seen it, the affair between her and Chaudhari has still come across as Evil Versus Evil. That said, she's also shown restraint and competence — she considers how her actions would be seen and refrains from things her conscience would freely permit because she understands others would be inclined to inconvenience her more than the inconvenience she'd remove.

edited 23rd Apr '18 4:04:17 PM by KillerClowns

DarkbloodCarnagefang They/Them from New Jersey Since: May, 2012
They/Them
#35656: Apr 23rd 2018 at 4:47:39 PM

Sorry for taking so long to make a posts in Adventure. I've been in a funk recently.

Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
EternaMemoria To dream is my right from Somewhere far away Since: Mar, 2016 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
To dream is my right
#35657: Apr 23rd 2018 at 5:14:28 PM

Wait the human hating monster that came from the coast of chills appeared before the necropolis duo? I thought it had set its sights on the Necropolis hill, but was still far from them.

ps: if this may affect the monster's behavior, know that the red wanderer may look human, but does not smell human.

"The dried flowers are so beautiful, and it applies to all things living and dead."
DarkbloodCarnagefang They/Them from New Jersey Since: May, 2012
They/Them
#35658: Apr 23rd 2018 at 5:27:03 PM

Technically my character isn't human either, even though she looks like one.

Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Millership from Kazakhstan Since: Jan, 2014
#35659: Apr 23rd 2018 at 7:16:02 PM

Hmm... Restraint and pragmatism are not something I would associate with The Sociopath, so I guess, as the things stand, Parthenia's either a very high-functioning one or her tendencies are not that pronounced. That's good enough.

KC, Wolf, Miss_Desperado, thank you all for taking the time to reply.

Spiral out, keep going.
Miss_Desperado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YD2i1FzUYA from somewhere getting rained on by Puget Sound Since: Sep, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#35660: Apr 23rd 2018 at 7:47:02 PM

[up] You're welcome.

[up][up] and [up][up][up] Woo, Pass the Popcorn and place your bets! In one corner, we have a ravenous humanoid, and in the other, a howling mad nuckelavee! Ahem...

With that bit of silliness out of the way, earlier I guessed that my vampire Rosalind was close enough to human for the nuckelavee to attack her on sight. I also have a story arc idea bouncing around in my head on the off chance that the nuckelavee encounters Rosalind or her mustangs.


@Killer Clowns and @Ladytanuki: OK, Space Liner may be languishing, but I'm still enjoying Syrni Sandra and Jen Jara's interactions with Gabriel Kardos, Lucina, and Winky... Oh, Crap! I forgot Winky! (belatedly rushes to edit Winky into the list of my post) Anyway, what I was going to say was, Jen Jara just invited Gabriel Kardos to do a friendly sparring match with her. If Gabriel goes for it, then we as the authors will have to PM each other to establish ground rules, and consolidate what we establish to write the characters' discussion of the ground rules, correct?

edited 23rd Apr '18 8:11:57 PM by Miss_Desperado

If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Slysheen Professional Recluse from My nerd cave Since: Sep, 2014 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Professional Recluse
#35661: Apr 23rd 2018 at 10:01:40 PM

@Lady

Not particularly. The existence of actual conscious spirits of the dead instead of something shaped by a necromancer's will is so far removed from Mina's concept of necromancy that I honestly couldn't think of a way for her to react, at the moment she isn't really developed enough for me to pull off a "shattered worldview" situation realistically or compellingly.

Also SL was meant mostly as a twiddling of the thumbs before Adventure and I regret bringing Mina in at the time I did, I'm usually pretty bad at judging thread lifespans and timing anyway.

Stoned hippie without the stoned. Or the hippie. My AO3 Page, grab a chair and relax.
ladytanuki Friendly Neighborhood Lich from SF, CA, US Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
#35662: Apr 24th 2018 at 1:13:52 AM

[up]You know, I was just now spending a ridiculous amount of time lying in bed and thinking about Nui (one of my characters in Adventure), and I came up with a bit of backstory for them that actually made me think of Mina, because it strongly resembles something from what little I know about Mina's backstory. Which reminds me, you could just port Mina over to Adventure if you wanted to, though I'm not sure if that's what you were going for. However, I think we have enough necromancers in the thread already. Which is mostly my fault.

Also, that thinking about Nui got me a bit excited about posting for them in Adventure, so I guess I'll be getting to that next.

And actually, on the contrary, I find a shattered worldview situation to be very conducive to character development, because it really helps define the character's viewpoints on things. Nui is a very new character concept (just came up with them like two days before their opening post), and already their views on magic and antimagic are being significantly challenged by the people in the hotel group, especially Alice and Justin/Vindex. And in fact the thinking about Nui's backstory started with my planning out how they'd react to Alice's business proposition as well as thoughts on the spell they almost cast in the previous post (which, as Kkutwar mentioned in his post, would in fact have shot Nui's soul like a bullet at UD Justin). But eh, that's just me.

@Miss Desperado: I just had a moment of Fridge Brilliance... what if the arrival of the d'voreem came immediately after Amaranth's mock whinny, so that Flashfoot would be standing there confused and then realize that Amaranth was (accidentally) signaling the d'voreem?

Also who's controlling the d'voreem anyway? I suppose I could if no one else wants to.

edited 24th Apr '18 2:21:16 AM by ladytanuki

Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#35663: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:11:24 AM

And actually, on the contrary, I find a shattered worldview situation to be very conducive to character development, because it really helps define the character's viewpoints on things. Nui is a very new character concept (just came up with them like two days before their opening post), and already their views on magic and antimagic are being significantly challenged by the people in the hotel group, especially Alice and Justin/Vindex.

I think it's worth noting, though, that the usefulness of this depends a lot on how relevant the challenge to a character's worldview is to a setting. As someone who's writing pretty much pure, albeit soft, science fiction, I usually just brush past my CDT characters going "huh, magic is real?" because it's not a thing that will ever come up when I'm actually writing their story. I can see Slysheen being a similar boat with the situation they describe.

(Note that this isn't an absolute statement - like I said before, I kinda enjoyed the subplot in Fair where Ghiln learned to channel mana).

Kkutwar The Prince of Foolish Relevations from A Place Beneath both Good & Evil Since: Feb, 2013 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Prince of Foolish Relevations
#35664: Apr 24th 2018 at 5:07:49 AM

Regarding Vindex, it is important to clarify his reaction to Nui is more a "What the hell is wrong with you" than anything. For Sindar, Vindex is primarily angry because he acted like UD Justin and Vindex are the same- Which isn't true.

"The Omniverse is the collection of all possibilities, and all possibilities must eventually come to pass."
Miss_Desperado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YD2i1FzUYA from somewhere getting rained on by Puget Sound Since: Sep, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#35665: Apr 24th 2018 at 8:24:33 AM

@ Ladytanuki: Wolf 1066 volunteered to control the D'voreem, as (s)he's the one who came up with them in the first place. I sent a private message. And your idea on the timing is brilliant, I love it!


Well, earlier I said Arilay might be mistaken for a homunculus. Now it's happened. She's in the form of a pudgy golden retriever, with a hysterical screaming local chasing her around the town square and whacking her with a broom. Arilay's current plan is to just let the local run out of steam until the local wonders, "Why Isn't It Attacking?"

edited 24th Apr '18 10:52:09 AM by Miss_Desperado

If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Masterofchaos Since: Dec, 2010
#35666: Apr 24th 2018 at 1:00:41 PM

I decided not to bring in my villain but I am going to try to do something regarding the gems. I know I did it in Dream but I didn't get the chance to completely get into them.

Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#35667: Apr 24th 2018 at 2:01:05 PM

@Miss_Desperado: To clarify: no sound is coming from Shale, just a synthesised voice from the dog's collar?

Today's ANZAC day so I have the day "off" - if having to act as taxi service for my son and his girlfriend counts as having "a day off" - so I hope to be able to get some writing done for the restaurant and the D'voreem attack.

Hoping to spin things so that there is sufficiently high grass in the "open" land around the horses to hide the D'voreem from sight. Does that sound reasonable?

edited 24th Apr '18 2:10:39 PM by Wolf1066

Miss_Desperado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YD2i1FzUYA from somewhere getting rained on by Puget Sound Since: Sep, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#35668: Apr 24th 2018 at 2:15:10 PM

[up] Regarding Shale, that's right. Arilay prepared ahead of time to be the Voice for the Voiceless.

Oh, that's why you asked how tall the grass was. If halfway up the horses' legs isn't high enough, just high enough to tickle their bellies would be my next suggestion. Any higher strains my Willing Suspension of Disbelief, I haven't seen grass grow that tall. Regardless of what height we decide on, at some point late in the fight the horses will cotton on to the D'voreem tactics and trample a circle of grass flat.

edited 24th Apr '18 2:16:01 PM by Miss_Desperado

If not for this anchor I'd be dancing between the stars. At least I can try to write better vampire stories than Twilight.
Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#35669: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:01:04 PM

High enough to tickle horse bellies would work - that's about as high as grasses I've seen grow (I'm also thinking in terms of something similar to wild rye or barley, which can grow reasonably high) and should be quite sufficient to hide a human-sized carnivore that's on all fours and keeping low.

I've written the D'voreem attack, still working on the Restaurant group.

WillDeRegio Since: Jan, 2015
#35670: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:01:31 PM

A quick jaunt over to The Other Wiki has provided me with a decent solution: tallgrass prairie or savanna (50% percent of the biome is trees), where the average height of the grass is between approximately 5 and 6 and a half feet (1.5 to 2 meters).

Is that tall enough for you guys?

edited 24th Apr '18 3:02:10 PM by WillDeRegio

EternaMemoria To dream is my right from Somewhere far away Since: Mar, 2016 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
To dream is my right
#35671: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:14:49 PM

Hi Will! Could you help clarifying the position of    It Came From The Sea   ?

Bat (Darkblood Carnagefang) seems to have assumed it was already in the Necropolis, and within view of our characters, which confused me.

"The dried flowers are so beautiful, and it applies to all things living and dead."
WillDeRegio Since: Jan, 2015
#35672: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:22:20 PM

I want to say that it hasn't reached the Necropolis yet, but the image of a crazed woman making a mad dash to presumably attempt to eat a demon horse is just hilarious.

I'm willing to move it the Necropolis proper in my next post.

edited 24th Apr '18 3:23:36 PM by WillDeRegio

Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#35673: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:24:25 PM

@Will: I'm assuming it's not quite that high, certainly high enough to allow horses a clear view out over it but enough that it would obscure anything keeping lower than a horse's belly that's carefully moving through it at a distance.

I've written the post so that the D'voreem spent some time getting carefully in position prior to the attack, staying out of range and safely downwind until the trap was ready and they could let the horses past the rearmost members of the pack.

Edit: Edited my post to include one for the Restaurant.

edited 24th Apr '18 3:43:09 PM by Wolf1066

Ryuhza Brother from San Diego County, California Since: Feb, 2012 Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
Brother
#35674: Apr 24th 2018 at 3:47:20 PM

Just finished re-reading City. Lot of really nice moments throughout, although it ended kind of suddenly and limply. I had some kind of mystery going on at the hotel, and now I'm a little upset that it was never revealed. I can't remember what I was planning either, so it's lost to the ether, that one.

More importantly, I think I'm feeling sufficiently refreshed on one of the characters that I was hoping to use for Adventure. Now it's just a matter of nailing down the second character (someone new) and figuring out where to put them.

They'll turn your world around
Masterofchaos Since: Dec, 2010
#35675: Apr 24th 2018 at 4:06:01 PM

[up]

Man, I loved City. I especially loved the Rachel/Joseph moments in the thread...they were so cute. I wish we got to finish it properly.


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