Roleplay Practice Prompts: Character Development II

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Thain of The Mark
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Welcome to Character Development II!


Have you been participating in the previous thread? Check this post to see where you were in the prompts!



Not sure where to start with building a new character? Or how to mesh your old Plaza character with the NuPlaza, and how you've grown yourself in the intervening years? Or does your character keep running into situations you didn't expect and you're not quite sure how they should react?

If so, this is the thread for you!

This second thread will be mostly participant-run. Feel free to ask each other follow-up questions, or to state that you don't want follow-up questions and simply wish to work through the prompts yourself.

Seeking Character Dev Mentors!



So how is this going to work?


There are two available 'tracks': Basic Character Development and Advanced Character Development.

Basic Character Development is for those of you who have no idea where to start and need to work from the ground up. Usually you'll be starting with a brand new character, but not always.

Advanced Character Development is for those of you with established characters who want to delve deeper into your character's motivations, but want some guidance doing so.

For Basic, please fill out this short character questionnaire and answer the first set of questions. This is where those interested in that track should start. Feel free to answer any/all prompts as they become available, especially for those joining in later.

For Advanced, please start with an initial post where you either link to your existing character bio here on the Plaza OR fill out the basic questionnaire linked above, AND briefly explain what you're wanting to further explore with that character for development.


The Basic and Advanced Tracks consist of 15 questions each. This is self-paced, completely any/all that you wish to on your own time frame.


Jump in and out whenever you need to. Don't worry about completing every prompt, or doing them in order.



Posting Guidelines


1. New prompts and threadrunner updates will be posted in blue (#000080). Please refrain from using this color.
2. You are welcome to do both tracks at the same time for either the same character or different ones.
3. It is up to you when you switch a character from Basic to Advanced track, and you are also welcome to go from Advanced to Basic if you find that's what a particular character needs.
4. In each post, include the character name, which track you're working them through on, and include the relevant prompt.(see example below)
5. If part of your character development touches on any sensitive topics (Abuse: sexual, verbal, emotional; Violence: domestic, assault, etc.) please include a content warning (bold, in red) with the appropriate character portion of your post. Please white out the portion of your post where that content is contained, placing it between parentheses ((like this)). (see example below)


Post Example
Character Name: Taethowen
Track: Advanced
Prompt: #1 - Your character has just received tragic news about a dear friend or family member. How do they react? Are their inner reactions (emotions) and outer reactions (physical actions) different, even contrary, to each other? Why?

Response:

Content Warning: Domestic Violence

((Content requiring warning whited out)) Other part of the answer here. Or before the whited out part. Wherever it makes most sense. And of course, if your post does not require a content warning, no need to include that part at all.




Handy Resources

Fantasy Name Generators
Rinmaru Games Mega Fantasy Avatar Creator
The best way to 'save' your avatar from here if you make one is to screenshot it.
If you click the gold emblem in the upper left hand corner, it hides the creator menu.

Easy Damus D&D Alignments

5 Ways to Use the Enneagram to Write Better Characters
5 Ways to Use Myers-Briggs for Characters
Well-Storied.com - All Articles on Characterization
Last edited by Taethowen on Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:57 pm, edited 5 times in total.

Thain of The Mark
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Seeking Mentors!


I'd love to have some helpers here! I'm thinking possibly one person from each 'kingdom' and/or various Middle-Earth races to help those who are wanting to develop characters of different cultures than where they've RP'd in the past.

Please have a minimum of 15-20 posts in RP settings where your character(s) are interacting with other player's characters which can be referenced (preferably not game threads, please. There's usually minimal interaction with other player's characters in games). Thanks!

This post will be updated with the available mentors as people volunteer.

Mentors

@Fuin Elda - Elven Characters
@Nessa Saelind - General Character Dev
Last edited by Taethowen on Thu Dec 24, 2020 2:39 am, edited 4 times in total.

Thain of The Mark
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Basic Track Character Beginning Questionnaire:
Name:
Race:
Age:
Appearance:
Sex/Gender/Pronouns:

Where do they live? Is it different from where they were born?

Do they have any living family members or close friends?
If not, how long has it been since they died?

What does this character do to survive (occupation and/or lifestyle)? How do they feel about it?
What is their favorite way to relax? How often do they get to indulge in this?
What is the best thing that has ever happened to them?
What is the worst thing that has ever happened to them?



Basic Track Prompts
You may simply answer these questions, essay-ish style, or you are welcome to role-play it in a short scene, whichever helps you most.

1. What prompted your character to pursue their occupation? What do they enjoy most about it? What aspects of it do they dislike?

2. Who was your character's first love? Why were they drawn to them?

3. What is your character's relationship like with their family? If their family is deceased/absent, who do they consider to be most like family, and why? If they have no one, is it by choice, and what was the catalyst behind that choice?

4. Name 3 items your character always carries with them:

1 sentimental
1 practical
1 luxury

Briefly explain each item, or why there are no items your character carries. It's okay of an item meets multiple criteria (practical and sentimental, for example), but do try to have at least two items you describe, and they should not include basic clothing/supplies if at all possible. (Exceptions can be made for, say, the last piece of clothing someone was gifted by a parent/lover/etc. before that person died, especially if it was handmade.)

5. Does your character(s) have any pets/animal companions? How did they acquire them? What do they look like?

6. Is your character known by any nicknames or pseudonyms? What is the origin of them?

7. What are your character's money/financial habits like? Have they ever been wealthy or poor? Have they ever experienced a drastic change in financial status?

8. What is your character's favorite memory? Drawing from that memory, what are some of their other favorite things?


It would be lovely to see a story/RP of these favorite memories, but if you don't have the time or inspiration, I more than understand! A basic description of what happened in that memory is fine.

For determining your character's other favorite things through this memory, I want you to use your senses. Do they have a favorite meal because it's what their mom always cooked? What does that meal smell like? Do they seek out that smell when they need something comforting?

9. Who does your character dislike the most? Why?

10. Does your character have any physical or mental disabilities? What challenges are they struggling with, and/or what have they overcome?

11. What aspect of daily life does your character find most challenging?


Basically, what is their least favorite chore? Is there a reason why? What do they do to overcome it and get it done?

12. What is one odd habit/quirk that your character has? Is there a reason for that habit or quirk?

This might be something as simple as biting their nails, playing with their hair, or something more odd like never eating an apple if it hasn’t been sliced first.

13. What is the furthest your character has ever traveled from where they were born, or where they call home? Why?

14. Does your character have any special talents or skills, such as drawing, singing, etc.? Do they enjoy using that talent/skill, or do they feel self-conscious about it? Why?

15. If your character were to describe themselves with one word, what word would they choose, and why?


I know this one may be difficult, and it may take you some time. And for some of you, you may not be able to accomplish this. But do think about it. It can give you insight into how your characters truly see themselves.

Thain of The Mark
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Advanced Track Initial Post
Feel free to answer the Basic Questionnaire if you wish to do so!

Character Name:
Link to Bio:
What aspect of your character do you want to further explore?


Advanced Track Prompts
You may simply answer these questions, essay-ish style, or you are welcome to role-play it in a short scene, whichever helps you most.

1. What is the most selfish thing your character has ever done, and why? Did it hurt someone else, or were there few, if any, consequences?

2. What is the most truly selfless thing your character has ever done? Was it a conscious choice or an instinctual reflex? Did other people recognize it as selfless? If it happened publicly, how did it make your character feel?

3. Who would your character die for? Who would they kill for? Are the answers for each question the same or different? Why?

4. Describe two of your character's deepest fears:
1 rational (plausible: such as a fear of fire after having been trapped in a burning house or witnessing a fire where someone died, etc.)
1 irrational (such as a phobia with no known event that triggered it)

Have they ever had to face these fears? What was their response?

5. What is the most stupid or foolish thing your character has ever done? What were the repercussions?

6. What one thing* does your character want more than anything else? What are they willing to do to accomplish it?


*This can be a physical thing, or an idea or goal, or even something more ambiguous.

7. What moment in life did your character feel the most out of control and helpless? How did it end up shaping them? Did they grow, become stagnant, or regress?

8. If your character could go back in time to one moment in their life and change something, what moment would that be and what would they change?


This is kind of piggy-backing on Advanced #7, but I'd like you to really stop and think and determine if the moment when your character felt the most helpless is truly the moment in their life they would wish to change. Sometimes we learn things in our most vulnerable moments that we couldn't learn otherwise, even when it has a long-term negative effect.

9. What has been the happiest moment in your character’s life so far? Are they capable of truly letting themselves be happy, or do they feel that moments of happiness/contentment are always quickly followed by something going drastically wrong? Why?

10. Your character has just received tragic news about a dear friend or family member. How do they react? Are their inner reactions (emotions) and outer reactions (physical actions) different, even contrary, to each other? Why?

11. Has your character ever truly lost control (rage, addiction, etc.) of themselves, and sabotaged some part of their own life?


What did that set of circumstances look like? If they were able to pull out of that spiral, what helped them to do so? If they haven’t experienced this, what is the closest they’ve come to doing so?

12. A12. What is one core idea your character believes to be inherently true about themselves, whether it’s actually true or not? What would it take to shake that core belief?

13. Following up on Prompt #12, how did they come to believe this One Core Idea about themselves? Is this belief actually true, or is it a lie they’ve internalized?

14. If your character were to stop and think about who they truly are, in the present moment, what do they feel about themselves? Are they proud, ashamed? Do they love themselves? Are the reasons they have for these feelings realistic or skewed?

15. Looking forward to the future, what do they want from life? What are they willing to do to get it?


This is similar to Advanced Prompt #6, but I’d like you to look at it from a different perspective. You’ve explored your character a lot more now, and possibly have further insights into the wants/desires that they may not even be aware of yet. Instead of a singular thing that they want in a moment, this is looking forward to what they want from life. Who they want to be/become.

Thain of The Mark
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Prior Thread Participant Progress
This is a list of everyone participating in the last thread, and the most recent prompt(s) they've completed.
You can peruse the previous thread to find your answers yourself.
@Androthelm - Androthelm: Advanced #1

@Dimcairien Luiniel - Éomund: Advanced #9

@Ercassie - Addhor: Basic #6

@Fuin Elda - Afarafin/Miresurie: Basic #6

@Jenny Harper - Jenwyn: Basic #7

@Lady of Shadow - Talina: Basic #8, Naelia: Basic #9, Advanced #4

@Lailyn - Lailyn: Advanced #9

@Lirimaer - Daehaeron: Basic #6, Advanced #6; Liria: Advanced #4

@Nen - Hiruluin: Advanced Track Questionnaire; Rien/Sparrow: Basic Track Questionnaire

@Pele Alarion - Pele: Advanced #4; Shamara - Advanced #3

@Rior Laegiel - Faylinde: Basic Track Questionnaire

@Taethowen - Eldreda: Basic #7; Ceadda: Basic #4; Aldith: Basic #4; Taethowen: Basic #7, Advanced #7; Sighard: Basic Questionnaire

@Tarawen - Zorzimril: Basic #1, Advanced #3

@Thalionwen Hunigfolm - Thalionwen: Basic #8, Advanced #8

@Windowcel - Windhladen: Basic #1

Thain of The Mark
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@Lady of Shadow - No worries! Character Dev is open for any/all questions you'd like to respond to!

Now that you say it, I do briefly recall you talking about the kidnap and mistreatment before. I've slept many times over since then, lol.

(Reply to this post in Character Dev 1.)

Orc Chieftain
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I'd like to sign up to be a mentor as well. I mostly play in Mordor (Naelia, Orngor), but am thinking of getting Naelia's half-sister, Lathana, out of the Dark Land and into a safe Elven one (probably Imladris, since there she would be protected against the denizens of Mordor, including Naelia, who would rather put her out of her misery than recapture her, since Lathana would only try to escape again). As for Talina, I might have to move her to another kingdom, since I first envisioned her as a third age character, and since Gondor's in the fourth age, the only threads I could play as Talina are those that are set in the third age.
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Thain of The Mark
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@Lady of Shadow - I appreciate the offer. Looking through your past posts, though, you don't seem to have done any RP outside of game threads so far on NuPlaza. I'll keep you in mind for a future mentor position, but I'd like to see you doing some RP outside of games and interacting with other players first. At least 15 posts would be a good start!

Orc Chieftain
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I have a few posts in the Army thread in Mordor, but that mission kind of died. I have an idea that Naelia helps to go hunt down her half-sister, Lathana, after she finally manages to escape the Pits. I'll probably begin it in the Free RP thread in Mordor and move on from there (just in case the mission in the Army thread gets reinstated, I don't want confuse anyone by posting in the same thread). Anyone can join in, but perhaps I should post the idea in the Imladris OOC thread as well in case anybody else's Elven character wants to help protect Lathana from recapture or death (since I don't think Naelia will bother imprisoning her again, since Lathana will only try to escape again).
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New Soul
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@Taethowen - I'm not sure if I'd qualify myself as mentor material, but I do enjoy reading everyone's answers to the prompts... Would it be OK with everyone if I chime in from time to time with a comment, suggestion or something that I found interesting and think it would be worth developing?
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
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Thain of The Mark
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@Lady of Shadow - After you've been able to play some of that, you're welcome to re-apply for character dev mentor! I can't wait to see what you do!

@Nessa Saelind - It is more than ok with me if you contribute whenever you have input!

Warrior of Imladris
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RL has my attention full scale, I'm afraid. I may get back to writing some of this at some stage, but not sure when that'll be ... would like to tell the stories, but brain a bit too full rn.

Totally willing to accept comments, suggestions and somethings if people want to give me them!
The Wood-elves lingered in the twilight of our Sun and Moon, but loved best the stars.

Thain of The Mark
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@Lirimaer no worries! I just tagged people from the previous thread so that you all knew where you left off there, no matter when you can pick it back up!

Thain of The Mark
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Just fyi that this thread *will* be completely self-paced and self/mentor-run for several weeks, starting this next week. I'll be taking a Plaza sabbatical for a while, which anyone who wants to know more about why can read here.

And I do also want to clarify that *anyone* can give feedback/comments/suggestions to other participants, unless participants have specifically stated that they're not looking for any at that time. Mentors are more for specialized aspects of character development, such as within one of Middle-Earth's cultures.

High Lord of Imladris
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I will also leave comments for standard track if people would like. Maybe drag umoya to be cleaned out more

High Warden of Tower
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Character name: Shamara
Track: Basic
Prompt #4: Name 3 items your character always carries with them:
1 sentimental
1 practical
1 luxury

Sentimental: Since Shamara has not really experienced a real attachment and affection for anyone she does not have anything of a truly sentimental value. She kind of liked her new-found brother, but then again there was not enough time to form a bond before he disappeared out of her life again.

Practical: She always carries a small knife hidden away in her clothes, as well as a tiny vial of poison, which she considers both as the means to defend herself as well as the tools of her trade. Shamara likes being subtle and sly, relying mostly on her ability to charm people, so she does not like to carry anything large and cumbersome.

Luxury: Shamara greatly enjoys various fancy items to show off her wealth (unless required otherwise by immediate task), most often it is a piece of jewelry, such as a golden ring with a jewel, or a bracelet.
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New Soul
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@Pele Alarion regarding the sentimental item for Shamara your answer got me thinking about something. Sentimental objects don't always need to be connected to people; and since she's not very attached to people, perhaps for her an object of sentimental value is could be something that reminds her of an accomplishment?
She/her.
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Thain of The Mark
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@Pele Alarion - seconding what @Nessa Saelind said about sentimental objects. While I do have several keepsakes that I keep around because of how they remind me of other people, I also have things I treasure because of what they represent to me. Like all the garments I sewed while I was in 4-H, especially if I won awards for them. So sentimental doesn't have to be attached to a person, it can be because of an accomplishment. Does Shammara have any particular pieces of jewelry that she prefers for her 'luxury' item(s)? What do they look like?

@Nessa Saelind - I'm going to go ahead and add you to the mentor list just so people know to keep an eye out for your questions/comments. I've found your feedback to be very helpful and insightful in general, so far!


Important Announcement


I will be going on a Plaza sabbatical soon (as in today is my last day on the Plaza for a while), which is one of the reasons why this new Character Dev thread is going to be either self-paced or you can request help from a mentor if you get stuck somewhere along the way.

Anyone is also welcome to hit me up on discord (Rebekah Loper#4402 - you'll have to send me a friend request) if they're not sure about a question here.

I hope to be back around February-ish! See y'all next year!

High Warden of Tower
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Will answer the additional questions on Shamara, when her turn comes. :wink:

Character name: Pele Alarion
Track: Advanced
Prompt #4: Describe two of your character's deepest fears:
1 rational (plausible: such as a fear of fire after having been trapped in a burning house or witnessing a fire where someone died, etc.)
1 irrational (such as a phobia with no known event that triggered it)

Rational: Pele's deepest fears are that someone that is dear to her might die without her being able to do anything about - in a sense that either she is not present or unable to intervene even if she is present. It is easier for her to accept the loss of someone - either a fellow Ranger, a patient at the Houses of Healing, even a family member - when she can honestly admit that she did everything in her power to prevent the death or at least to ease the passing. However, after the death of her husband, she has taken on guilt for not being there to help him in any way, even when such guilt is rather unreasonable, and it feeds her fear that she might yet again lose someone the same way - without being able to intervene in any way.

Irrational: Pele believes that she can train herself out of any fear (maybe not the above-mentioned rational fear because she keeps denying it), and has overcome her fear of heights by rock climbing and similar activities. However... for one reason or another she is afraid of being caught up in a 'tickle ambush', i.e., someone suddenly tickling her without fair advance warning. Not that it causes any real harm, except a burst of laughter and perhaps an inadvertent counter-attack to slap or hit the tickler. And yet... she is afraid.
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Orc Chieftain
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Since I've abandoned the "escape attempt" scenario, it might be a while before I can apply to become a mentor again. Lathana was only ever created to be a victim (since I wasn't planning on killing off my main character in the thread on the Old Plaza where Lathana was first introduced), so I'm not planning on changing that anytime soon. I do have another idea where Naelia takes Lathana to Mordor's newest establishment (a spa run by those two goblin brothers that may be more "brothers in crime" than actual siblings) as punishment for attempting to escape, so perhaps I'll follow through on this scenario instead...

Continuing on with Character Development...

Talina

Prompt: Basic #10 - Does your character have any physical or mental disabilities? What challenges are they struggling with, and/or what have they overcome?

I'm not sure if you would call this any kind of disability, more like a bad experience. Like I mentioned in the Lhun Boat Race thread, when Talina was a youngster (which was before Pelargir was invaded by the Corsairs, so it was a happier time for Talina, except for this one experience), a friend of the family that was visiting asked Talina if she would like to learn how to pilot a watercraft (it was only a dinghy, not the sailboat she's piloting for the race). Talina seemed to take to it easily enough, but unfortunately, someone in a speedier boat raced past her causing the dinghy to tip over and threw the young lass into the sea. Luckily, her father saw the event and was able to borrow a rowboat to go and rescue her before it was too late. The experience left Talina scarred enough (more emotionally than physically, since she was only treading the frigid waters for about five minutes) to refuse to ever try to pilot any kind of watercraft again (at least until the recent Lhun Boat Race, since she found that the skills she learns might come in handy in her training to become "one of them Rangers..." as Butterbur would put it), even when asked on occasion if she would like to try it again. She only agreed to take part in the Lhun Boat Race if she was allowed to go at her own pace, in order to overcome this childhood fear, and if she comes in last can always ask the Elves if they would be willing to train her further so that she's not a bundle of nerves every time she's asked to pilot any kind of watercraft.


I'll move over to Naelia to answer the next question:

Naelia

Prompt: Basic #11 - What aspect of daily life does your character find most challenging?

Constantly being on the lookout for her half-sister, Lathana's latest escape attempt, since it often interrupts her other duties (most often when she's hunting down Mordor's latest thief, so it can get a little tiresome having to go back and forth all of the time). Ever since Lathana was first captured (when she was first accused of betraying the Dark Lord by deserting Mordor's army, the Black Guard), she has always tried to find ways to escape, mostly when Naelia is busy with other responsibilities so that she might not find out about it, but Naelia has many helpers (Orngor being her most trusted one), so this never succeeds, but Naelia has to admire her half-sister's determination (if little else). She has this notion to take Lathana to Mordor's newest establishment, so that the goblin brothers of chaos can monitor her more closely (rumor has it that they're looking for a receptionist, so Lathana could fill this position as long as she promises not to try and escape while she's under their employ). If she attempts to escape again, one of the brothers can simply feed her to one of the Wargs in the Warg Pits and be done with her (since then Naelia wouldn't have to wonder if she had escaped once again when someone is summoned down to the Pits).

Prompt: Advanced #5 - What is the most stupid or foolish thing your character has ever done? What were the repercussions?

Agreeing to going on that scouting mission close to Northern Mirkwood where her mother came from. She should have known that her mother would try to "rescue" her. Luckily, her father sent along some helpers just in case that "Elf woman" would try anything if she happened to be outside when Naelia was scouting on how best to launch an attack on the kingdom (which wasn't accomplished until after word got back to the Dark Tower that she had been kidnapped). Luckily, her father had this notion or else Naelia's kidnapping wouldn't have been known until she attempted to burn down their kingdom in an attempt to escape. Though this experience did result in her mistrusting all Elves (as well as shunning her own Elven heritage, but this might have happened anyway once she found out how much of a nuisance her half-sister would become), it did teach her a little about the Elven culture that she could use to her advantage if she were ever to capture and interrogate one (like her very own half-sister, for example) on how to drive a point home that it would leave them scarred for life if they ever were to survive the experience.
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High Warden of Tower
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Additional for Shamara (items): as for luxury items, she has a gold ring with a ruby cut in a form of rose; she likes it because it is more unusual in shape than the other rings she has, and she considers it a special mark of her affluence.
I still don't know about the sentimental items; it seems more likely that her tattoos and markings would rather be such than any actual items because each of these would hold meaning in her journey of life and signify a particular stage she has gone through, as well as her allegiance.

Character name: Shamara
Track: Advanced
Prompt #4: Describe two of your character's deepest fears:
1 rational (plausible: such as a fear of fire after having been trapped in a burning house or witnessing a fire where someone died, etc.)
1 irrational (such as a phobia with no known event that triggered it)

Rational fear: More than anything she is afraid to lose her life, or be maimed in any way - she has seen too many of her companions, enemies and random other people killed or sidelined because of being mutilated in some way, and she is determined to keep herself safe by any means possible.

Irrational fear: She is very much afraid of birds, and if anyone asked her what exactly is she afraid of that a bird could do to her she would not be able to provide any reasonable explanation; as much as she remembers there have been no encounters that could have caused this. Shamara does everything possible to avoid the creatures, and yet sometimes it is not possible, so she has learned to subdue the fear to some reasonable measure. After all, showing fear in the presence of certain people might be highly damaging.
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High Warden of Tower
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Character name: Pele Alarion
Track: Basic
Prompt #5: Does your character(s) have any pets/animal companions? How did they acquire them? What do they look like?

Probably horses count, though they are companions only for long travels and such. Pele has two currently:
Misty - a grey mare, approximately 17 years old, mostly 'retired' and living at her parents' farm.
Temper - a black stallion, some 6 years old; while trained and obedient at need, still can be rather mischievous now and then.
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New Soul
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@Pele Alarion well with a name like Temper what did you expect :lol:

BTW I've been thinking about your answer for Shamara re sentimental items, and the ring you described sounds like something sentimental to/for her. Especially since you mentioned that she "considers it a special mark of her affluence" :nod:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
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High Warden of Tower
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@Nessa Saelind Hmm, you might be right. Though I came up with the idea of that ring on the spot, so... Well, it can do.

Character name: Shamara
Track: Basic
Prompt #5: Does your character(s) have any pets/animal companions? How did they acquire them? What do they look like?

At the moment Shamara doesn't have any pets, though I can see her choosing a snake for a pet because she might feel that in some way her nature is similar to the snake's: it can suddenly strike with little warning. At any rate she would like to see herself as both subtle and dangerous, and is striving for it.
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High Warden of Tower
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Character name: Pele Alarion
Track: Advanced
Prompt #5: What is the most stupid or foolish thing your character has ever done? What were the repercussions?

I am not sure I can think of anything particularly stupid at the moment that would have had any serious consequences, as Pele is usually does her best to consider all pros and cons of decisions made. I might need to take some time to think more of this!

However, she definitely is able of random mischief. It was surely very foolish to get Kaylin involved into setting up a trap of a mound of horse dung just inside the stable door, for the purposes of catching a particular person. However, just about anyone could have stepped into it: the commander, king, or whoever else... @Ercassie Ilisys ended up being the one getting stuck in that dung pile. :tongue:
As for the consequences: suppressed laughter, pretending not to know anything about it, and a bath for the guest. Who knows what other consequences might follow should Ilisys be of a mind for revenge.
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Character name: Shamara
Track: Advanced
Prompt #5: What is the most stupid or foolish thing your character has ever done? What were the repercussions?

It was highly foolish of Shamara to think lightly of the task Relic had given her: she came to Gondor and for a long time simply idled around, enjoying herself and relaxing, and not doing what she had been sent for. Somehow she had imagined that she could get away with it and explain it as taking her time to perform the task well. This nearly cost her both her newly found job and her hand which bore the mark of her employment with Relic. It took a lot of humbling herself and pleading for Shamara to keep both her place and all her limbs, though the payment for work was cut. Yet, it remains to be seen if she can manage to avoid any further trouble in this area.
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Basic Track Character Beginning Questionnaire:

Name: Gladhrion (not to be confused with Gladhron, his nephew)
Race: Dunedain
Age: So I'm currently focusing on developing him from childhood through to a point in his life where he changes his name, after a major incident wherein he and his brother had a falling out and became estranged, so I'm not sure at what point that incident happened. Definitely after he was an adult though. Perhaps, for now, I'll just focus on him from childhood up through to a young adult?
Appearance: He has dark hair, tall..relevant to his age. Grey eyes. Typically wears foresty colors like you'd expect of a ranger.

Sex/Gender/Pronouns: Male. He/his

Where do they live? Is it different from where they were born?
From childhood, he lived with his mother and paternal grandfather, who used to be a ranger but was left with a crippling injury in the line of duty. I'm not sure where they lived. Perhaps a dunedain village?
Edit: I've decided that they definitely did live in a dunedain village

Do they have any living family members or close friends? If not, how long has it been since they died?
He has an older brother, who was already a teenager when Gladhrion was born. His father died at some point early in his life, but I'm undecided on when, whether it was before he was born or if he had a chance to know his father when he was very young. He's definitely gone by the time Gladhrion is 10, though. If he grew up in a village, he may have had a few friends but I'm not sure.
Edit: He had a very close friend from childhood, a girl whose name I haven't figured out yet. They were very close friends and became sweethearts once they got closer to adulthood. She shared his dream of becoming a ranger when she grew up.

What does this character do to survive (occupation and/or lifestyle)? How do they feel about it?
From the time he was a young child, he wanted to be a ranger and be like all the other men of his family, especially his brother, whom he greatly looked up to. By the time he's an adult, he has achieved this goal and enjoys it. Most of the time.

What is their favorite way to relax? How often do they get to indulge in this?
Child: Probably climbing trees, playing at fighting enemies, and other childlike games and such.
Adult: I really can't think of anything he might do for relaxation. :confused:

What is the best thing that has ever happened to them?
Child: For his birthday one year, he was given a real bow and a handful of practice arrows, and his brother and grandfather began teaching him how to shoot it, which he considered his first official steps toward being a ranger, like his brother.
Teen: The first time he kissed the girl he loves/loved
Adult: The first time he got to join his brother in doing actual ranger work, and was able to work with Gwedhion and achieve the goal, whatever it was.

What is the worst thing that has ever happened to them?
Childhood: When he was about 10, he was tired of being told he's too young to do things, and decided he was going to prove that he was able to handle himself out on his own. He ran away thinking he could absolutely survive in the wild on his own and fight bad guys and come home with his own amazing tales of all he'd done. This unfortunately did not go as planned and he not only got very lost, but nearly killed (undecided if he ran into bandits, orcs, wild animals, etc.. but he definitely had an encounter with some nasty enemy) and probably would not have survived if his brother hadn't happened to come home a short while after he'd left, and managed to locate him in time to rescue him from whatever it was. It was particularly upsetting because Gladhrion had hoped to do something great and impress his brother, and instead ended up having to be rescued by him and caused his entire family to be very disappointed in him for all the trouble and worry he caused.
Adult: When the girl he loved went missing, though i'm still working out the details on this.

side note: i wouldn't mind RPing some of this if someone would like to help :)
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Pele Alarion - for the life of me I can't remember if I made a comment on your answers to the Advanced prompt #5 for Pele and Shamara :confused: I think I didn't, so I'll remedy that now.

Firstly, it's really interesting to see answers to the same question for Pele and Shamara one after the other. Two very contrasting characters. :nod: Pele is very careful and thinks things through before she acts :nod: so it's interesting to see that you chose to show a mischievous incident. On the other hand, Shamara's foolish choice is somewhat more serious and has graver consequences. She didn't strike me as a person who underestimates people, so reading that she thought lightly of the assignment that Relic gave her is a surprising glimpse of another Shamara. This is very interesting and I'd love to see that situation RP-ed when you have the time. :nod:


@Rillewen - I've read your entry about Gladhrion a few times now to get a gist of the character you've created and want to develop further. After reading it seems to me you have a story formed that you want to insert him in and a vague sketch of the character but not (to paraphrase Alix Harrow) the "words and ways" to get him there.

Looking at your answers to the questions (including those added in later) it is clear that this character is just being formed and shaped and that when you started working on his creation you didn't have these questions in mind, or you didn't have enough time to think about it properly when you answered them. There's a lot of material that needs to be worked on and fleshed out and you need time to think about this - because creating and developing a character is a process that takes time. :nod:

If I may, I'd like to poke and prod some more and give you some food for thought in the shape of some questions and/or prompts.

You mentioned Gladhrion lived in a "dunedain village". Tell us something about this village: where is it located? Describe the geographical area and the climate? e.g. is it on a vast open plain or in the mountains, near the river or by the sea? What's the climate like: cold winters, mild summers or wet winters, dry summers? Who lives and that village and what's their culture like? Give us an example of everyday life or what festive days are like? The place Gladhrion lived in his childhood shaped him; the village helped form his attitudes, behaviour and reactions. It played and plays a vital role in your character's life so it's important for you and interesting for us to know what this place is like, who lives there and how things are done. :nod:

Regarding your answers about Gladhrion's family, they are kind of vague which is a signal that this character is a sketch in progress. Which is fine and that's the reason you are here for. So let's focus on what we have so far. From what you mentioned it looks like he is closest to his older brother - what was their relationship like? Much older sibling and a younger one; did the older brother (I don't see his name written, sorry, could have missed it. If I did, please correct me.) have to babysit the younger at times? When and why? Which brings us to the mother - what was her relationship with her children? Was she stern as she raised them? Did she raised both boys "equally" or was she sterner on one of the boys? When her husband died did she have to pick extra work for the family to survive or were they well off? Talk about the social-economic status of the family and village. How did the children in the village treat the two brothers? Did they play with them, or threw stones at them? Were they scorned or were they well accepted?

I'll stop here for now partly because I have to eat lunch :lol: and partly because I bombarded you with questions. You'll need to take your time to think about it :nod: and please don't rush. I like to rapid-fire things so I don't forget, but don't think you need to answer all of my questions at once. :winkkiss:
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a vague sketch of the character but not (to paraphrase Alix Harrow) the "words and ways" to get him there.
this character is just being formed and shaped and that when you started working on his creation you didn't have these questions in mind, or you didn't have enough time to think about it properly when you answered them.

@Nessa Saelind You have me pinned very well :lol:


So before you posted this, I actually did take a lot of time to think last night while I was at work, and I've got a lot more info on him than I did before :D

Tell us something about this village: where is it located? Describe the geographical area and the climate? e.g. is it on a vast open plain or in the mountains, near the river or by the sea? What's the climate like: cold winters, mild summers or wet winters, dry summers? Who lives and that village and what's their culture like? Give us an example of everyday life or what festive days are like?
Since I imagine there's probably several such villages scattered about, I'll take some liberties here and just make one up :) (I know they existed because I've read somewhere that that's where aragorn's mother was supposed to have grown up)
I imagine it's in a nice wooded area, probably somewhere close to some mountains. I don't know what region would be best for the location though. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be welcome to them. That in itself would help figure out what the climate would be, and what the seasons are like.


he is closest to his older brother - what was their relationship like?
The brother's name is Gwedhion. He acted as a role model for little brother, but as he was already a teenager when Gladhrion was born, he had ventured off on his own, being a ranger and being away from home a lot, by the time Gladhrion was a bit of an older child. When he was home, they got along well enough, but because of the age gap it was hard, then, for them to actually connect. Big brother would play with him much in the way an uncle or dad might, and gwedhion mostly just let him hang out with him to humor him, and would put up with little brother tagging along all the time. But to gladhrion, gwedhion was the most awesome person ever and he admired him like a hero. As he got older, Gladhrion and Gwedhion had more in common and eventually, Gwedhion took little brother along with him to teach him the ways of a ranger, and they grew much closer after that. Partly because they were both adults by that point, so it was less like an adult hanging out with a kid, but more like an adult hanging out with a young adult and mentoring/teaching him as they went.

Which brings us to the mother - what was her relationship with her children?
I have not yet given very much thought to the mother. I have yet to decide exactly when and how her husband died, either. But I can say this much; that raising gwedhion was easier for her, because she had the husband then. Later, after he died, she had to raise gladhrion on her own mostly. So she had a harder time, and while she had to take on more roles with gladhrion, she was probably a bit closer to him in a way, partly because he was the baby, but also a little bit because she was a bit more protective and fearful of losing him. But she probably also got exasperated at times. She often encouraged gwedhion to play with his little brother and try to bond with him, especially since he was often away from home. And she also had a different sort of bond with gwedhion because he was older, and because they shared memories of his father/her husband, so that would give them a different sort of dynamic than her interactions with the younger brother.

When her husband died did she have to pick extra work for the family to survive or were they well off?
She lived with her father in law. I haven't decided for sure if the family already lived with him, or if they moved in with him at that point. But it was partly to help him, because being crippled, he had some things that were hard to do, so it would be helpful to him to have family members around, but also helpful to the widow, because he surely had some sort of livlihood that he was able to do to support himself, so he could help support them as well. I need to figure out what he did. It would need to be something he could do without having to be on his feet/moving around and stuff, yet still have enough demand to keep him in business. It's also likely that Taethadis(the mother) could have done some sort of work.

How did the children in the village treat the two brothers?
I'm not really sure about gwedhion, i'm sure he didn't have enemies. I don't know if he had any friends, but he's a bit of a loner, so maybe he just didn't get out and make friends. Maybe when he was a kid, he was the only kid there. I'll explore that train of thought some other time :P
As for Gladhrion, he had plenty of friends, however many kids there were in the village. He had one particular best friend, a girl named Merilien, and they became sweethearts as they grew up into teenagers, and later, when they were adults, they were basically unofficial boyfriend/girlfriend, sort of an unspoken thing I guess, and she would periodically come along with the brothers when they went off to do ranger things, because she wanted to be a ranger as well.

Thanks for asking me this stuff! Some of these questions I wouldn't have thought of!
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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So before the Blip of doom Nessa suggested possibly looking at rewriting some of Afarfins prompts as the story has changed drastically in several cases from what was originally being written which I've shared again in the quote
Character: Afarfin
Basic Track Prompt 1

What prompted your character to pursue their occupation? What do they enjoy most about it? What aspects of it do they dislike?

He is currently working on regaining his former occupation, currently he is looking at joining the Lorien Guard to refresh his skills from his first life years ago in the First Age and before. He has only remembered his past life recently and has moved away from what he had been doing which was more scholarly work, it had always felt wrong to him. He is hoping that when he can meet up with some of his friends from ages ago he can perhaps get back to working with smelting and working with metals.

He enjoys working with his hands and defending those he cares about, and while he does not have enough patience to actually craft items with the metal but enjoys being able to help those that do have the patience to work with it.

Basic Track Prompt 1 - 2.0

He joined the Lorien Guard to refresh his skills but found that the incompetence of leadership almost getting him and many others killed he wasn't willing to risk staying after only having been reborn recently he wasn't willing to stay having only just found his wife. It was shortly after he left the guard that he discovered he was to have more family than just Fuin/Melviriel. This pushed him to return to the skills he had in Valinor as a miner and refiner of metals as well as a trader/merchant.

He enjoys this because it makes it so he can work with all of his family - Mylien and Ruindil are the Captains of the ships that transport the metals that he mines in the far east beyond Harad and his wife Fuin is a (to his surprise and pride) a Grandmaster smith. So he can trade her goods in Gondor and the Grey Havens, and supply her with the raw materials to make those goods to help further build up Bar-en Raveara.

The only time he does not like it is when something goes wrong and he has to be in the mines away from his family making sure things are working well, though often when that happens Mylien and Ruindil are with him as well, but he does worry about Fuin during those times.

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Hello everyone and welcome to another instalment of Nessa writes and essay, in which she will (hopefully) say something coherent. Grab a drink, grab a snack, go sit on a comfy chair because we're going to be here for a while.

Before I start I thought it would be a good idea to list a few excellent history books about everyday life in Europe through the ages that might be helpful as background research for RP purposes. There are many more books I could have put on this (Braudel, Herrin, Raukar and Roksandić come to mind), but they are academic and rather specific. But if you are interested in those books poke me on Discord and I’ll be happy to share.

  • Gies, Frances and Gies, Joseph. 2015. Life in a Medieval Castle. Harper Perennial.
  • Ibid. 2016. Life in a Medieval City. Harper Perennial.
  • Ibid. 2016. Life in a Medieval Village. Harper Perennial.
  • Jones, Terry and Ereira, Alan. 2005. Terry Jonses’ Medieval Lives. BBC Books.
  • Mortimer, Ian. 2009. The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England. Vintage.
  • Sarti, Raffaella. 2004. Europe at Home: Family and Material Culture, 1500-1800. Yale University Press.

@Rillewen - I'll start with you because I had some things I wanted to comment on yesterday from your first post (but didn't quite make it), and now you provided new information I want to touch on. I will try to group it thematically, so it makes sense, but knowing me, I shall go on a tangent so, please bear with me. There is a method to my madness. :lol:

Let's start with the village where they were born and raised and see where it takes us. By your description, the village should be somewhere in the former Kingdom of Arnor (now Eriador). Whenever I get stuck, or I just need more geographical details for the cultural development of a location my characters need, I reach for The Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad or maps of Middle Earth from the LotR online game. I use them as inspiration to see what setting – environment (forests, rivers, mountains, fields, seas etc.) and in what climate (tropical, desert, steppe, Mediterranean, continental etc.) my characters would live in. What types of settlements (hamlets, villages, towns, cities, forts, castles etc.) would be around? How far apart are those locations and how are they connected? What types of roads connect those places (if there are roads)? Are they well maintained? Or perhaps there's a river way or they are connected by the sea.

I think this is important because the setting and culture your character lives in shapes them and defines them. Their views, attitudes, perspectives, reactions etc. will be defined and shaped not only by how they were raised but also where they were raised. So parents + culture of the place they were raised greatly affects them. This influence can be seen in the most “simplest” things like clothing and jewellery. Do women wear trousers and what the general population thinks about a woman wearing trousers? In a village a woman wearing trousers can be seen as a practical thing, she is wearing them because she is working around the farm and it’s more practical to be dressed like that than in a skirt. However, in a large city that might be seen as scandalous. The colours of the clothes are also an interesting factor to look at, as well as available fabrics/materials for them. Another example, someone raised in a remote, isolated village might be less open to new ideas or change than someone who lives in a large city surrounded by people of different descent and exposed to different languages and cultures. Of course, this is not the norm, but it’s something to keep in mind.

This brings me to your characters’ home. You mentioned that you’re not sure when the family started living with their paternal grandfather (father-in-law). I know that most if not all of us have the attitude that when we’re of age we should move out of our parent's house and live alone or with a partner However (and this is the famous BUT), this was not the case in the past and especially in the Middle Ages; families lived together. So in the same household, you could have grandparents, parents and children, sometimes even aunts and uncles and their children. Since Gladhrion’s family lived in a village it’s more likely that upon their marriage Taethadis moved into her husband’s home where all of them (husband + in-laws) lived together.

Moving on to another topic of interest that is connected to the home situation. The age difference between Gladhrion and his brother Gwedhion. In your first post, you mentioned that Gwedhion was a teenager when Gladhrion was born. [CW: sensitive questions regarding childbirth, if uncomfortable, please skip] What’s the reason behind the huge age difference? Was their father frequently away from home? Were there other children born in between the two boys? Perhaps miscarriages, stillbirths or complications during the first birth made the couple a bit hesitant to go for a second child earlier? Of course, the reason could be just simple family planning based on their socio-economic conditions e.g. they knew they couldn’t “afford” another child, so they took precautions until they felt it was the right time.

The above remark is tied to the financial and social status of the family, so it’s another reason why it’s important to figure out where they come from and what was everyday life like for them. Side note: it’s interesting that everyone you mentioned in Gladhrion’s story (except the mother) is a ranger or wants to be a ranger. Are there any other occupations in that village? Because your village might actually not be a village, but rather a castle or a fort since everyone is a ranger.

Here’s also something of interest, that I forgot to mention: on the question related to relaxation you said you couldn’t think of anything Gladhrion does to relax as an adult. Why is that? He seemed like a very happy, well-adjusted child who had plenty of friends he played with during his childhood. Although you mention 2 very traumatic events (if you don’t count the death of his father) that happened to him, surely there is something that relaxes him. Perhaps fishing, or humming or carving something or telling stories?

That’s all that I have for now (says she, like she didn’t just write an 870-word essay. :lol: ) Hope that I at least provided some food for thought.


@Revered Grandmother – Oh Afarfin edits! Much love. OK, rapid-fire burning questions, go! Since Afarfin is a reborn soul who died a pretty violent death in the First Age, I’m kind of curious to know why did he choose to join the Lorien Guard after his rebirth? You said he wanted to refresh his skills, but how did his death and rebirth experience affect that? Was he hesitant when he joined the Guards (before being disappointed and leaving) or did he think that the need to refresh his skills and become the warrior he once was (in order to protect Fuin and those he loved/loves) outweighed his hesitation? Or he didn’t even think about it and joining the Guard just came naturally to him, regardless of his death?

In addition, if the leadership of the Lorien Guard wasn’t incompetent would he have stayed in his position after he reunited with his family (Fuin, Ruindil and Mylien) or would he have left anyway? And what does his family think about his choices regarding that matter?
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I'm not up for edit round two but these questions I do have answers for:

Rejoining of the guard:

He had no hesitation there for multiple reasons- Part of his memories is his family belief - which is stamped in the fuller of his sword (which he recovers from Arasorons tomb during his time in the guard) 'Watch All Ways' This absolutely is why he got killed - He was watching Aigrondings back who has a bad habit of leaving his back open in battle. While he knows how to fight and is happy to defend those he loves muscle memory is required to become GOOD at doing that something he is well aware his new body doesn't have even if his MIND has those memories his current body just isn't going to be able to do what he could when he was killed.

Would he have stayed:
Possibly - if Fuin was still in the Host he would no questions, he would want to be with her as often as he could to protect her even if she doesn't need his protection. He does view the Mordagnir clan as family and would want to protect them - Arasoron was his oath brother, at this point HE is not aware of Fuin or his new families (Ruindil and Mylien) history. When he finds out what they are/have done - especially Fuin- he's going to be conflicted and happy he's not a part of the guard as if he was he'd would feel bound to inform the leadership as he's not he still feels like he should but also doesn't want to as he honestly falls towards the Lawful good paladin type compared to Fuin and family Chaotic Neutral Rogue

What she has done over the years falls (at times) more inline with the Feanorians and their slaughter of the Teleri in the last two ages and is evil but it was done to do something good. However he also is able to see something that Ruindil and Mylien are not able to as elves - that something has harmed her spirit, and would be able to ask her about it knowing it wasn't from her near death experience and would be enraged at how she was treated especially immediately after his death and what/who twisted her mind just before it. Ruindil and Mylien are happy he's not in the Guard anymore - being pirates and it helps them keep an eye on Fuin they are much simpler in their needs from him.

Honestly he's going to end up falling towards the long suffering good guy with questionable morals family.

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Hi :) I don't have time right now to give an answer on some of the things, but the age gap one I can answer, as I had already been thinking on that one. I'm thinking that it was a mix of dad was away being a ranger a lot, and some miscarriages/stillborns and such. So when Taethadis became pregnant with gladhrion, she likely was quite worried about losing him too, and I imagine she was extra careful about things. Which gives me an idea even as I write this! I think during this pregnancy might be when her husband died, which caused her to be ultra careful to try and make sure she didn't lose this baby. So that when he was born she was greatly relieved, and then extremely nervous about whether he'd survive through infancy, and then as he grew older she was initially quite protective of him, and eventually began to relax, primarily because of her older son urging her to loosen up a little, that his little brother was a strong healthy kid and that having a scraped knee once in a while isn't going to kill him, etc...
But she was very protective because he was the last child she had her husband was gone now, etc..
Glad I finally decided on that detail!

As for living with the in-laws, that actually does make a lot of sense and ties in with sorta what I was leaning toward anyway. So yes, when they got married, she came to live with his family (which by then only consisted of her husband and father-in-law) and then later the sons came along. :)

The other things I'll be thinking on and get back to when I have more time.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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on the question related to relaxation you said you couldn’t think of anything Gladhrion does to relax as an adult. Why is that? He seemed like a very happy, well-adjusted child who had plenty of friends he played with during his childhood. Although you mention 2 very traumatic events (if you don’t count the death of his father) that happened to him, surely there is something that relaxes him. Perhaps fishing, or humming or carving something or telling stories?

I've thought of some stuff now! So I've decided that his grandfather became a beekeeper and candlemaker after being forced to retire from ranger-hood, and I figure when he had some downtime, he'd probably sit around whittling and making little novelty things that he could also sell. Maybe candleholders, or something, who knows. Anyway, I figured, with a grandson running around, he'd eventually sit him down and teach him about whittling, too. So that could be a thing that Gladh does now, as an adult. It would remind him of his grandpa too, so that's a nice sentimental thing as well as relaxation :) Perhaps he's even got his grandpa's favorite knife that he always used
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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New answer #4 being rewritten as first love... is still Fuin that hasn't changed, I'm trying to decide if I want to include is new chosen family as a new answer to #3 - his family life with both his original parents and his reborn parents has not changed.
Character Name: Afarfin
Track Basic
Prompt #4


So depending on which life it is depends on what he would carry. In the first age is sentimental item would be a lock of Melviriels hair, because he was a romantic fool and since Melviriel previously had the embroidary skills of a small child her making him a kerchief or anything of that sort was right out of the question and what she was good at was hunting and cooking and cooking did not last long and he was not about to carry the bones of a spruce grouse about.
His practical item would be his sword, he never went anywhere without it, it is a longsword with a fullered blade with the inscription on it to watch over the ones you love. It had an eagles head always facing left while in his right hand and a blue gem in the pommel grasped in an eagle claw.

His luxury item, most would not consider it a luxury item but a standard piece of equipment when one was traveling, but Afarfin had the motto of his familly engrained on his brain that having a bedroll or pillow which Arasoron his friend basically insisted he always carry would be the full definition of luxury in the first age.

THIRD age Afarfin
He doesn't have anything overly sentimental that he carries with him yet in the third age - but he will likely get himself a new lock of Melviriels hair (Fuins) he just hasn't managed to actually find her run into her yet.

Practical - At the moment he carries a sword, it is a long sword but it is not his sword, that blade is in the a mausoleum for Arasoron on Aigrondings land he is not terribly fond of the current sword so would very much like his back.

Luxury item waiting in the halls of Mandos taught him a fair bit, and now his luxury item that he doesn't leave home without (though it does not last terribly long) is some good cooked fowl to nibble on while he travels as it reminds him of the first meal that Melviriel made for him. His other luxury item is a very nice soft pillow and bed roll. Not just a standard basic one but extra soft and warm, because comfort especially when one is not at war is not a bad thing he has learned.

So First Age items are staying the same but Third age is changing because family.

So his sentimental item is actually a braid of locks, one lock from each of his family he did finally get something embroidered but it wasn't from Fuin or Mylien, but from Ruindil who made a very nice tatted handkerchief for him. With a Rose (for Ruindil) a hawthorn bloom (for Fuin)and Aster (for Mylien) and a Chysanthemum (for Afarfin)

Practical - His sword from Aman as well a dagger that Fuin crafted for him that matches his sword with an eagle motif and blue ray leather for the grip wrap.

Luxury - He still brings along a nice soft pillow and a fluffy warm bed roll, Since Ruindil gave him something sentimental and Fuin something practical, Mylien made him a seasoning pouch for cooking from spices she collects from the East when they are traveling around Harad including pepper corns, saffron, salt, ginger, and cumin.

High Warden of Tower
Points: 3 504 
Posts: 2316
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 2:58 pm
Hmmm, for some reason I had stopped doing these; perhaps it is time to return. Thanks for tagging me back here, @Nessa Saelind ! :grin: I sort of like doing the same question for both Pele and Shamara just because they are so different and requires me to switch back and forth to seek out the differences. About Shamara's foolish situation - me and Issy did play it out, but I am not really sure whether that was on the old plaza, or the other 'interim' site... So I don't know if I can even track it down any more.

Character name: Pele Alarion
Track: Basic
Prompt #6: Is your character known by any nicknames or pseudonyms? What is the origin of them? She does not have any currently; though it would be very nice to have Pele in a situation where someone gives her a nick name, or she earns it for one reason or another.
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High Warden of Tower
Points: 3 504 
Posts: 2316
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 2:58 pm
Character name: Shamara
Track: Basic
Prompt #6: Is your character known by any nicknames or pseudonyms? What is the origin of them? When being a little street urchin and running around with a band of thieves, she was called "Little Sneak" for her ability to blend in, and so easily come and go at will, sometimes taking with her some precious items from unsuspecting customers. However, currently she rather considers the nickname disdainful and would like to get rid of it, even though she has pretty much kept the sneaky nature and only implementing it in a different environment. Luckily, the people outside the band of thieves she was involved with are not that much aware of how she was called.
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High Warden of Tower
Points: 3 504 
Posts: 2316
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 2:58 pm
Character name: Pele Alarion
Track: Advanced
Prompt #6: What one thing* does your character want more than anything else? What are they willing to do to accomplish it?

Pele strives to find some ultimate purpose for her life, for everything she does, even though rather often than not she cannot clearly define it and only has a vague idea or direction to follow. The sense of purpose has carried her through the most difficult times and provided the reason to keep going when everything seems lost. Since her purpose is often related to service and helping others, she'd do everything to make herself useful in one way or another, and put in effort to avoid coming to a point when she is stripped of every possibility to do something and be of use.
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High Warden of Tower
Points: 3 504 
Posts: 2316
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 2:58 pm
Character name: Shamara
Track: Advanced
Prompt #6: What one thing* does your character want more than anything else? What are they willing to do to accomplish it?

A comfortable level of survival is what Shamara sees as her ultimate goal: she has been informed by her experiences that there nothing in life is for sure, and that neither a status or accumulated wealth can secure sufficient stability in life, for these, just as a life itself, can be taken away at any time by some lucky opponent. However, she does her best to gather enough of all these things so that she would not end back up on the streets where she came from, for she was reluctant to build up everything from scratch again, even though she had no doubt that she could do so.
Shamara could go to great lengths to ensure that her survival and well-being are unscathed, having learned from the mistakes she had made what should and should not be done. Whilst she would prefer benefitting from people by using subtle means and so achieving her aims, she could and would kill if the threat to her person was too serious and unavoidable.
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Guard of The Mark
Points: 128 
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:10 pm
Apologies for the thread necromancy, but having finished university at last (yay) and discovering this site isn't blocked on my work computer, I aim to be online a bit more... Plus I like developing my character.

Character name: Jenwyn
Track: Basic
Prompt #14. Does your character have any special talents or skills, such as drawing, singing, etc.? Do they enjoy using that talent/skill, or do they feel self-conscious about it? Why?

Jenwyn would probably argue that she does not have any particular talents or skills, however when working the fields alone and doing other chores by herself, Jenwyn likes to sing. She would argue her singing is not particularly special but if she allowed others to hear her voice, they would no doubt say she had a pleasant voice. However, due to a feeling of self-consciousness stemming from her childhood loss, Jenwyn only ever sings when she is alone, so very few people have heard her singing voice to be able to judge. To her, the act of singing in front of people is seen as form of opening up, something which she is averse to do.

In addition, Jenwyn has a modicum of skill with both a sword and a bow. Following the deaths of her family at the hands of Uruk-Hai, Jenwyn vowed to one day be strong enough to defend herself and to never again feel as powerless as she did the day her family were killed. When she was 14 she was taught to shoot by a girl her age called Hildelith with whom she shared a summer romance. Shooting did not come naturally to her, she initially struggled with being able to hit the target, let alone the centre of the target, despite Hildelith's patient instruction though she became a slightly better shooter by the end of the summer.

After Hildelith moved away, for a long time, Jenwyn did not practice shooting. The memories were too raw and the idea of shooting without the enthusiastic encouragement of her companion or the touch of her hand on Jenwny's shoulder as Hildelith tried to guide her movement and form while handling a bow felt too painful. Years past and as the pain grew more dull, Jenwyn's vow to become strong enough to defend herself began to grow in her mind. When she was 17, she asked her cousin to teach her how to fight with a sword. At around the same time, Jenwyn decided to once again take up archery. Regularly practising with the bow and sword in her spare time, in due course Jenwyn became reasonably accomplished at both.

Guard of The Mark
Points: 128 
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:10 pm
Character name: Jenwyn
Track: Basic
Prompt #10. Does your character have any physical or mental disabilities? What challenges are they struggling with, and/or what have they overcome?


In terms of physical disabilities, Jenwyn was mostly healthy by the standards of a peasant living in rural Rohan. With her family's livilhood (and that of her community) being reliant on farming, the physical health of that of herself, her family and her community was based on the success or otherwise of the farming season in any given year, either through substance farming or through trade. In years with a poor harvest, supplies would be lean and this would impact the physical health of the community. On occasion, this has led to Jenwyn becoming underweight for her age when supplies became scarce. With her cousins living a relatively comfortable lifestyle through owning a reasonable amount of land and lifestock, Jenwyn was for the most part cushioned from the worst of the effects during times of scarcity, but that did not make her immune to the tribultions of rural living and the fragile food security inherent with that.

In terms of mental disabilities, in the immediate aftermath of the attack on her village and the loss of her mum and siblings, Jenwyn suffered from post traumatic stress, often having flashbacks and nightmares, she would on occasion wake up screaming. Fortunately, over time through the support of her cousins, the immediate trauma of the events began to fade. Subsequently, Jenwyn has never recieved a diganosis of any condition, as mental health provision in rural Rohan is not comprehensive but if she were to recieve assessment from a mental health professional, some would say she has high-functioning depression although is not a recognised diagnosible condition and it is more likely she has persistant depressive disorder, meaning she has a persistant but fairly mild level of depression. This likely stemmed a result of her childhood trauma when her village was attacked by Uruk-Hai as well as the loss of the love of her life. Jenwyn is able to do her daily chores, whether tilling the fields, harvesting, looking after lifestock or selling goods, but finds the activities leave her very tired by the end of the day (moreso than would normally be the case for carrying out her daily activities) although she does not complain. Similarly, she has other similar symptoms of PDD, including an ongoing sense of hopelessness and sadness, which she has a tendency to internalise, and an avoidance of social activities, especially given the loss she felt when Hildelith moved away and her desire to avoid experiencing the pain of romantic loss again and thus actively avoids social situations beyond that which are necessary for her day to day life.

Guard of The Mark
Points: 128 
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:10 pm
Character name: Jenwyn
Track: Basic
Prompt #15: If your character were to describe themselves with one word, what word would they choose, and why?

If Jenwyn were to describe herself in one word, she would use the word quiet. In her daily life she carries on her daily chores with minimal fuss and complaint. Due to the trauma of her childhood experiences when Uruk-Hai attacked her village and killed her family, and the loss of her love, Hildelith, when the latter moved away, and the subsequent onset (though undiagnosed) of persistent depressive disorder, Jenwyn became withdrawn and quiet. She would rarely speak up or start a conversation. In social situations she would not talk any more than necessary for whatever interaction she was involved in (for example, while battering). She would not be rude, but simply to the point and said no more than was necessary. She herself would not link her quietness to any specific mental health issues stemming from her past, but simply as a facet of her personality, and indeed this was the views of most of those who knew her.

For many of her peers, they would use the word mysterious to describe her. Certainly as she grew into a young woman, her appearance caught the eye of more than one young man. In each case, she would politely decline any advances that might come her way. All the while she maintained her quiet demeanour and spoke little about herself to anyone in the community. As such, while known as a member of her community, few outside her cousins family knew much about her and her past and she was content to maintain this situation. As a result, some members of the community would perhaps use the word mysterious to describe this quiet, attractive woman about whom little was known about.

Guard of The Mark
Points: 128 
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:10 pm
Character name: Jenwyn
Track: Basic
Prompt #13: What is the furthest your character has ever traveled from where they were born, or where they call home? Why?


Jenwyn was born and grew up in a small village in the Westfold but her life there was all but ended after Uruk-Hai attacked and destroyed her village. After finding sanctuary with her cousins who happened to be temporarily staying in a farm in the Westfold which they had hired for the season, following the conclusion of the War of the Ring, Jenwyn joined her cousins in returning to their homestead and begin a new life with them. As such, Jenwyn travelled far from her home to the village of Bremesgraf in the Wold which would represent the furthest distance she'd travelled from where she grew up. From the age of 15, she travelled with her cousins to villages throughout the Wold, as well as East Emnet and West Emnet to sell surplus crops and produce, setting up a stall at the local market for a period of time, which formed an important part of their livelihood. One such village was Geoluraed, where her and her cousins stayed during her 14th summer and it was here she shared a brief but passionate relationship with a girl her age. During this time, her family also spent time in Smoltwaeter and Abrocenfla in West Emnet and East Emnet respectively, therefore Jenwyn is used to a living a migratory lifestyle and living in different places.

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After all this character development, I should actually roleplay with my character at some point.

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