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Unrelated to holidays, but related to my writing concepts.
7 years ago
So I'm still in the middle of this bloody brutal block (not intentionally alliterative, by the way), but I'm still getting ideas that crop into my head. One of the most recent ones is a point-of-view sort of deal from the perspective of a group of misfits/monsters/villains in a fantasy setting, banding together to deal with the "heroes" that harass their communities. The heroes obviously don't know they're the bad guys to someone else, and most aren't interested in learning the truth. I've got ideas for some characters and their personalities, though, and I'm wondering how a couple of them sound. Let's start with one, and see what people think:
On the Heroes/Antagonist side, we've got Prince Caldwell. Tall, male model handsome, muscular without being "buff", blonde and blue eyed. He's the epitome of "Fantasy Protagonist", a seemingly selfless heroic figure whose one major flaw is a blindspot for the fact that monsters are people, too. Indoctrinated by his family and kingdom young, he believes that all monstrous races are to be eliminated due to the "threat" they pose to humans, Elves, and other allied races. He's a Spellsword, a master of both fire and lightning magics, and is most easily recognized on the field of battle by the Greatsword he wields, as well as his plate armor decorated with a golden rose motif. He's beloved by his people, and an all around nice guy...Unless you're one of those "lesser" races that cause trouble. Of the Heroes/Antagonists, he's the one most likely to actually realize that what he's doing is wrong and have a change of heart. Unlike several of the others I have in mind, he's genuinely unaware of the consequences of his actions, and the King (as well as the Church) act to keep it that way. He's a pretty face to parade in front of the public, and a weapon to keep races like Goblins, Trolls and Orc down, as well as suppressing Witches and other undesirable humans.
On the Villains/Protagonist side, we've got Wixette, a Clockwork Goblin. About three feet tall, bottom heavy and ostensibly feminine in design and personality, Wixette is a small, brass-constructed entity with the general appearance of a Goblinoid. Pointed ears, a long nose, large expressive eyes and sharp fangs are all standard signs of a Goblin heritage, but in this case the being was crafted, not born. Built by a Tinkerer and Artificer known to the general population of the kingdom as Mad Mortimer, Wixette was one of hundreds of clockwork creations made by her "father" to fill a void left in his life by the untimely death of his twin daughters. He imbued each of his creations with a little piece of her spirit, granting them life and self awareness. Unfortunately, Wixette was still in an unfinished state (missing her left arm) when a band of so-called "Heroes" broke into the lonely mountain tower Mortimer called home. False stories had been spread of mechanical monsters wreaking havoc, when in truth they had simply been gardening, tending the tower and helping Mortimer with his daily chores. Jealous mages and artificers spread lies, and for that he was condemned. Wixette was trapped in the collapsed beams of her father's inner sanctum, forced to watch helplessly as the man who had given her life was murdered by a group of self-aggrandizing "adventurers". Her mechanical siblings were likewise destroyed, leaving her all alone. It took days for her to dig her way out, given both her small size and her single functioning arm, but when she did get free she set about the task of burying her creator and salvaging what she could. Taking the most useful parts from her destroyed kin, the now one-of-a-kind little being set out into the world. Not just for revenge, but to find out where she really belongs. At some point she hooks up with the rest of the Villains/Protagonists and acts as the party healer/ranged support via use of gadgets. She's friendly, personable and cheerful, but a bit slow on the uptake and naive. She's also cute as a bug.
So, hey. There's some word vomit. More ideas in my head, but there y'go. Probably stupid, but what isn't, eh?
On the Heroes/Antagonist side, we've got Prince Caldwell. Tall, male model handsome, muscular without being "buff", blonde and blue eyed. He's the epitome of "Fantasy Protagonist", a seemingly selfless heroic figure whose one major flaw is a blindspot for the fact that monsters are people, too. Indoctrinated by his family and kingdom young, he believes that all monstrous races are to be eliminated due to the "threat" they pose to humans, Elves, and other allied races. He's a Spellsword, a master of both fire and lightning magics, and is most easily recognized on the field of battle by the Greatsword he wields, as well as his plate armor decorated with a golden rose motif. He's beloved by his people, and an all around nice guy...Unless you're one of those "lesser" races that cause trouble. Of the Heroes/Antagonists, he's the one most likely to actually realize that what he's doing is wrong and have a change of heart. Unlike several of the others I have in mind, he's genuinely unaware of the consequences of his actions, and the King (as well as the Church) act to keep it that way. He's a pretty face to parade in front of the public, and a weapon to keep races like Goblins, Trolls and Orc down, as well as suppressing Witches and other undesirable humans.
On the Villains/Protagonist side, we've got Wixette, a Clockwork Goblin. About three feet tall, bottom heavy and ostensibly feminine in design and personality, Wixette is a small, brass-constructed entity with the general appearance of a Goblinoid. Pointed ears, a long nose, large expressive eyes and sharp fangs are all standard signs of a Goblin heritage, but in this case the being was crafted, not born. Built by a Tinkerer and Artificer known to the general population of the kingdom as Mad Mortimer, Wixette was one of hundreds of clockwork creations made by her "father" to fill a void left in his life by the untimely death of his twin daughters. He imbued each of his creations with a little piece of her spirit, granting them life and self awareness. Unfortunately, Wixette was still in an unfinished state (missing her left arm) when a band of so-called "Heroes" broke into the lonely mountain tower Mortimer called home. False stories had been spread of mechanical monsters wreaking havoc, when in truth they had simply been gardening, tending the tower and helping Mortimer with his daily chores. Jealous mages and artificers spread lies, and for that he was condemned. Wixette was trapped in the collapsed beams of her father's inner sanctum, forced to watch helplessly as the man who had given her life was murdered by a group of self-aggrandizing "adventurers". Her mechanical siblings were likewise destroyed, leaving her all alone. It took days for her to dig her way out, given both her small size and her single functioning arm, but when she did get free she set about the task of burying her creator and salvaging what she could. Taking the most useful parts from her destroyed kin, the now one-of-a-kind little being set out into the world. Not just for revenge, but to find out where she really belongs. At some point she hooks up with the rest of the Villains/Protagonists and acts as the party healer/ranged support via use of gadgets. She's friendly, personable and cheerful, but a bit slow on the uptake and naive. She's also cute as a bug.
So, hey. There's some word vomit. More ideas in my head, but there y'go. Probably stupid, but what isn't, eh?
both in their own way seekers of meaning.
I had other character ideas, obviously, like a Villain/Protagonist Witch who just wants to be left in peace, a reluctant Bandit whose mentor was killed by Prince Caldwell, a Hero/Antagonist Rogue who's all about being a bastard to "monsters", and a genocidal Mage whose entire purpose is to see one particular race wiped out for personal reasons.