Character Development Exercises

[Osu]

Buckley Overland-Woodscut. This was quite a bit harder than I thought it'd be.

1. Where were they born? Where did they grow up?
Born and raised at Salamandastron.

2. What were their parents/guardians like?
His mother (Penelope Overland-Woodscut) married young and had Buckley's older half-brother (Otto). When her first husband died, she remarried several years later into the Overland family, well known for their wealth and sense of self-entitlement. Penelope gave birth to Buckley over 20 years after Otto was born.
His father, Bentley Overland, was an officer and very much a Salamandastron hare in mind and manner, an oddity considering the family he came from.

Both of Buckley's parents were killed in action when he was still a leveret.

3. How did they get along with their family, growing up? How about now?
As a child, Buckley was extremely bright and independent, and rather hard-headed. This led to some friction between he and his parents, often culminating in loud rows. Despite this they all loved each other dearly, and when his parents were killed, Buckley was devastated. It took him quite a long time before he began to recover from his grief.

Up until the deaths of his parents, Buckley had only a passing familiarity with Otto and didn't commit much thought to him. When circumstances forced him in close quarters with Otto, their relationship was rocky at first, only smoothing out with hard-fought battles for respect.

4. What did they do for fun, when they were young? How about now?
As a leveret living with his parents, Buckley always knew he wanted to join the Long Patrol as an Officer, commanding warriors and marching into battle against the forces of evil. Owing to his unnatural intelligence, he often spent his days studying Patrol things, learning to wield a sword, and generally obsessing over his dream of becoming a Long Patrol officer.

Currently, having reached his childhood dream of attaining Officer status in the Patrol, Buckley has his sights set on promotion, and spends his time Patrolling, sparring, eating, and reading on occasion.

5. What has been the most important relationship in their life?
His relationship with his older half-brother, Donovan (Otto) Woodscut. When Buckley's parents were killed he was considered too young to do any leveret Patrol duties despite his brightness, and so Otto, being his closest living relative in the Mountain, took him in. They didn't really know each other, Otto having been long off and looking after himself. To complicate matters, Otto did not really want to be saddled with a child when he had so many other things to work on and for, and Buckley, who was still very depressed over the loss of his parents, was neither cooperative nor responsive to his new living arrangements.

After a while, though, the brothers grew to tolerate each other, and eventually became friends. Buckley's relationship with his brother is the closest relationship he has had with anybeast, and though he'll never say it out loud, he admires Otto greatly and still looks up to him.

6. How do they feel about love?
Uh... I, uh, don't know what Buckley thinks about love. I'm not sure if he's the romantic type or not, if y'know what I mean. I could see him happy with a family or without. Maybe he's open to the idea but doesn't really think about it...?

7. How do they feel about friendship?
Friendship is extremely important to Buckley. Being a Long Patrol hare, all of his faith, trust, and experience are trusted to his comrades in arms. The kind of friendship that comes from putting one's life in another's paws is very strong, and Buckley has a very tight-knit relationship with his fellow Patrollers.

8. Have they ever been in love? With who? What happened?
Again with the love questions! .....I'll just say "no" to this one for now. He's still young, I can worry about that later. XD

9. How do they feel about themself?
Very confident, a touch vain, even. Although Buckley respects his fellow Patrollers, he knows he has always been at a different mental level than most of them, and he can't help but look down on others a bit for it.

10. What is their biggest dream/goal in life?
To live a life of honor, serving the Long Patrol with every honest ounce of his being.

11. What is their worst fear?
When he was a child: losing his brother.
Currently: losing Salamandastron, or any settlement of goodbeasts, to vermin slavers and murderers.

12. If they had one wish, what would it be?
World peace.

13. What do they consider their greatest achievement?
Rising through the ranks of the Long Patrol as quickly as he did (and continues to do.)

14. Where would their ideal place to live be?
Salamandastron.

15. How would (or do) they feel about living at Redwall?
He's never been, but like all hares who hear tales of the Abbey victuals, he wouldn't mind visiting if the opportunity presented itself. He would not want to live there for any length of time, though: his home will always be the Mountain.

16. Have they ever killed anyone? How did they feel the first time they took a life?
Yes. Horrified.

17. How do they feel about the idea that all vermin are evil and all woodlanders are good? How about more specific species stereotypes?
Vermin are vermin because they're vermin. There might be stoats, weasels, ferrets, rats, etc., who keep themselves to themselves, and as long as they aren't causing misery Buckley has no interest in them. And vice versa for goodbeasts; not having much patience to begin with, Buckley won't hesitate to belt a woodlander for any reason he deems valid. This reason would consist of acting like a vermin.

[Faiyloe]

OOC: This is for a character named Vatra from the RP A Winter to Freeze Your Heart. I think I'll wright this a little differently then the others. Prepare to meet one messed up Squirrel.

BIC:

Vatra ran threw Mossflower woods, threw the snow and the cold of the morning. She ran from her life, from every thing that she had ever known and for the most part from herself. And again she was running like she had been ever since that awful day which seamed so long ago. The day her heart broke, and she had never stopped never stopped running. She had no coat she had left in to much of a hurry. The crisp wind wiped at her dark fur. It was cold. Midwinter snow laden on the skeleton trees and blanketing the ground but she barely felt it.

Vatra ran around a rock tears running down her face her vision blurred and then smack bang she ran in to something there was a shriek papers went flying and she fell over backwards into the snow.

"Oh my your in a hurry," She heard a voice say. She rubbed her eyes with the back of a paw and sat up. The voice had belonged to a very old grey mouse in a cores brown habit. He got up out of the snow and began to pick up the papers he had dropped. Vatra just sat there not saying any thing. "Now what were you running from,"  He said when she didn't answer he looked up "Oh dear you have been crying. I see," He went over and helped Vatra out of the snow " Come in side and maybe we can figure this out,"

"Who are you?" She said getting up. For some one who seemed so old he had a strong firm grip.

"Oh just an old hermit. Not very interesting little old me," He said. Vatra then noticed that there was a door in the rock. Which was not a rock as Vatra had thought but a cave. The hermit took out a key from where Vatra couldn't tell. He unlocked the door with his one free paw and pushed the door open with his sandaled foot. He must be cold. Vatra thought as she fallowed Him in.

It seemed a lot bigger on the inside then the out side but that was probably just an illusion. There was a fire place in one wall with a burning fire heating up the room and two arm chairs.

"If you are a hermit then why do you have two chairs?" She asked

"Why in case some one needs a friend," He said. There was also a table it looked hand made with, again, two wooden chairs around it. There was one bed in the back of the room and the entire room had rugs and warm quilts and things. The one other thing she noticed was all the books and papers. It reminded her of the Gatehouse back at the abbey.

The hermit indicated that Vatra should sit in one of the chairs with a wave of his paw as he went off the put his things away. She went over to the fire and sat in the big warm chair. Soon he came back with tea and cookies and sat in the chair across from her. He looked in to her eyes and said "You have sustained a great wound," Vatra looked startled

"Exscuse me?"

"The only way you can truly heal yourself  is if you know yourself. I can help you do that,"  

"But how can I know myself more than I already do?" She said confused.

"I'll show you. Lets start with something simple. (1.) Where were you born? Where did you grow up?"

"Well I, I was Born up north In a village with my mother and father. I grew up there too. Life was hard but it was a nice place all the same. We struggled for servile but we all chipped in and it wasn't so bad," She said her voice sounding more and more confident as she spoke.

"(2.) What about your parents, what where they like? (3.)Did you get along?"

"But wh-?" she said but was cut off.

"Like I said lets start simple,"

"Ok um, well my father was the leader of our village, He could be a little strict at times and we didn't always see eye to eye but he loved me more than any thing else in the world, besides my mother, She was lovely, she could sing and weave and dance and she had the softest fur. She always could make me feel better when I was little. but then I got older I started learning to fight and become a worrier to protect the village. This went along with my temper. But they didn't agree. I think they just didn't want to lose me I was there only daughter after all and I would take over for my father when he was to old but none of that ever happened,"

"(4.) What did you do for fun when you where little?"

"Why that is a silly question!"

"No it isn't. What defines a person better then how they played when they were a child,"

"In that case... I suppose, I played marbles and things with the other children but as I got older I wanted to be more and more alone I liked to read still do, but I readily enjoyed learning to fight with the sword and bow. Maybe to much so,"

"What about now what do you do now?"

"Well I sill read but I don't really have any friends any more... there... there scared of me," She said looking at the floor. "I should go," She said standing up.

"No sit, sit. Continue," He said grabbing Vatra's arm and puled her back in to her set and Vatra marveled again at his strength.

"Well I have stayed a way from weapons Ever since... I am afraid of what I could do with them,"

The hermit nodded understandingly and then said "Let's see now I for got it it was right here oh yes. (7.)Now How do you feel about friendship?"

"What I mean I don't really know... I never head a real friend I scare every one away they... Oh this is silly why am I telling you all this?"

"You are not your telling yourself,"

Vatra sighed again and bit her lip "Ok,"

"Now where where we Oh would you like some tea it is getting cold," He took one of the cups and Vatra took the other. He took a sip and then said "(10.) What is your biggest goal in life?"

"My goal in life? I don't know I... well actually the one thing... I have been trying to fix myself My awful temper... I... I get people hurt. That is why I came to the abbey cuz I thought they could help me, but it didn't. Nothing works,"

"Life isn't all that bad like... um... (13.) What is your biggest achievement, eh?"

"I am a mess! I can't do any thing right in life! every thing I do is a mistake! Becoming the best worrier in my village if you could call being able to kill an achievement!" her voice raised.

"Calm down now,' He said patting her arm, "Have a sip of tea it is good for the nerves," she took a deep breath and obliged then He continued. "Now here is something simpler, (14.) Where would the perfect place to live be?"

Vatra thought for a moment and then said "Some where where I can't hurt anyone. A place alone by my self, Maybe by the sea on a cliff top or deep in the forest like this place,"

" (17.) Do you think that all vermin are bad? and all Woodlanders are good?"

"Vermin..." She said gritting her teeth, " The scum of the earth they destroy defile everything That I don't. The only place for them Is hell gates. They are all the same, no reasoning with them, they took every thing from me. Every thing,"

"Calm down now. (15.) How do you feel about living in Redwall?"

"I... I feel trapped I thought it would help but it didn't. I feel like I can't breath or move freely. Every moment of every day is a struggle to keep control. Yet I can't I snap and then I ruin everything," She stooped and took a deep breath.

"(16.) Have you ever killed anyone? How did they feel the first time you took a life?"

Vatra was oddly unfazed by this question, "To many to count they are all the same I can't even remember the first time, but they were all vermin. Deserving it every last one of them,"

"(6.) On a different note how do you feel about love?"

"Love? I... It's... he... " Her voice was dreamy and soft but then it turned hard "It is something I no longer have."

"(5.) What about relationships what was the most important one?"

" There was Some one he... he was... but now there is someone else and I can't seem to figure out how he fits in. When I am a round him things just seem less messed up,"

" (8.) Who was it? What happened to him?"

"He... his name was Alec. I loved him more than than anything. We were going to get married. I went off travailing with him. We went everywhere together... fighting off vermin and having adventures," A tear ran down her face and she continued in a whisper which grew in to a yell, "Then one day we came across a fox and his band. We were out numbered we fought for our lives the sweet and the dust and we were growing weary yet they kept coming. Then Alec came face to face with the Fox I fought of the others to get to him but it was to late the Fox ran him threw!" Vatra dropped her teacup which shattered on the ground. "Alec Is dead but so are the Vermin that slew him. I flew into a bloodwrath and left none of them alive, I was never the same again,"  Vatra stared off in to nothingness not seeing the room but instead that day.

"(9.) How do they feel about yourself?" The Hermit asked.

There was a silence and then she answered still staring off in to the distance but this time threw the floor. "I don't. I... I guess I blame my self..." She looked at the Hermit  "I can't do anything right, My temper is uncontrollable and I hurt my friends even when I do not mean to, I have done so many things I regret, I... I can't..."

"It's Ok. (11.) What are you most afraid of?"

"My self Of hurting my friend's and of losing them," She said closing her eyes shut. "I can't... I can't control my self. I can't!"  She yelled.

He got up and put a paw on Vatra's shoulder and whispered in her ear "Now if you could have one wish what would it be?"

"To have Alec back," She said looking in to the hermits eyes they seemed deep like they had seen many thing yet they still sparkled with youth.

"Now that you know who you are you can fix you life," He said helping her out of the chair and handing her a book from a table. He led her back outside.

"Thank you," She said and started back the way she had come she would go back she would try and make things right once again and maybe just maybe she would find love again. She looked back over her shoulder but the Hermit was gone and so was the door. She looked down at the book he had given her and opened the first page and inside was a drawing of Alec with all the other pages blank, and at the bottom of the page was written For you happy ending.      

 

[Osu]

It's a shame SH never got the prompts up and running. I think that would be a lot of fun... I might make a new thread for that, if nobody else does it before me.

AND. I HAVE CREATED A SOCIALLY AWKWARD PATROL HARE. This calls for another exercise! I'm having way too much fun with this.

Everard Chant:

1. Where were they born? Where did they grow up?
Salamandastron.

2. What were their parents/guardians like?
Like many hares of the Mountain, Ev was orphaned at a young age. The Patrol has always been his family, or has been for as long as he could remember.

3. How did they get along with their family, growing up? How about now?
Everard has always been the type to put his head down and follow orders without question. Because of this, he generally didn't get into trouble as a leveret, nor as a young adult today. He's steadfastly loyal to his close friends, but often puts Patrol rules and etiquette before them. This has led to some friction between Evvy and his peers for times he told the Sergeant about their pranks or somesuch.

Presently, Ev keeps to himself and avoid extensive social situations because of his shyness. He doesn't have any enemies or rivalries, particularly, but he has very few close friends and doesn't spend much time with them. And he's afraid of girls.

4. What did they do for fun, when they were young? How about now?
He enjoyed reading, sketching, and playing games with his barrack-mates as a young 'un. As a young adult, he still enjoys reading, and also journals, and draws. He's quite the artist, talented enough that many of the few hares who are aware of his skill have commissioned portraits and paintings from him, which he enjoys working on immensely.

5. What has been the most important relationship in their life?
Although he treasures his friends, Ev tends to put more emphasis on his relationships (or really, lack thereof) with his commanding officers. He idolizes them, but since he doesn't stand out in any of his Patrol duties particularly, it's rare that anybeast above his rank pays him any mind.

6. How do they feel about love?
He thinks he's in love with one of his commanding officers. Predictably, she hardly knows he exists. Although Ev is both flighty and romantic with his feelings on the matter, he is under no illusion that anything will come out of his crush. Especially since he hasn't even worked up the courage to talk to her.

7. How do they feel about friendship?
He values it greatly, but when it comes right down to it, Ev is a loner at heart.

8. Have they ever been in love? With who? What happened?
Nah. He has a crush on one of his commanding officers, but he hasn't said anything about it. He probably never will.

9. How do they feel about themself?
He has some mild self-esteem issues born partly out of his natural introversion, and partly out of his mundane ability with just about everything apart from sketching. That said, he's proud to be a soldier of the Long Patrol and is both confident and realistic with his fighting abilities.

10. What is their biggest dream/goal in life?
To be respected by those he respects; to have those he idolizes be proud of him.

11. What is their worst fear?
To die and immediately be forgotten.

12. If they had one wish, what would it be?
For his crush to marry him. Probably right after he saves the day and gets promoted to General or something.

13. What do they consider their greatest achievement?
His drawing skills.

14. Where would their ideal place to live be?
Somewhere secluded and silent, like a small shack in Mossflower, perhaps. That's not to say he dislikes Salamandastron, it's just very crowded.

15. How would (or do) they feel about living at Redwall?
He's never been, but he probably wouldn't like it much; too many animals, everywhere, all the time.

16. Have they ever killed anyone? How did they feel the first time they took a life?
Yes. He felt guilty until a Sergeant lectured it out of him.

17. How do they feel about the idea that all vermin are evil and all woodlanders are good? How about more specific species stereotypes?
All vermin are evil and most woodlanders are goodbeasts; this is from his own experience, and since he hasn't done much patrolling, his opinions are limited to what he's gleaned from his time at Salamandastron.

[The Skarzs]

You definitely showed his awkwardness.

[Faiyloe]

It is funny how the more messed up a character is the funner they are to play. BTW I meant to say that I would like comments on my character is any one would like to give them. 

[The Skarzs]

Sure, I'll comment, as long as you comment on mine
Vatra is a very well-developed character, and you really captured her thoughts well. It is obvious that she is hurt in her mind and heart from the way she acts, not only from admitting that she had lost someone dear. I also really like the way you integrated the questions into a story. She needed someone to talk to, not just run from her problems, and that mysterious hermit was just the creature that could help her. Very well done; I'll have to look at that RP she is in.

[Jetthebinturong]

Any comments on my character?

[The Skarzs]

Well, you definitely made it apparent that you had a storyline in mind for your character, and you have also had a good amount of development go into him. There is great promise for this character I see, and I'd like to see more of him.

[Jetthebinturong]

Thanks

[Faiyloe]

Sure, I'll comment, as long as you comment on mine
Vatra is a very well-developed character, and you really captured her thoughts well. It is obvious that she is hurt in her mind and heart from the way she acts, not only from admitting that she had lost someone dear. I also really like the way you integrated the questions into a story. She needed someone to talk to, not just run from her problems, and that mysterious hermit was just the creature that could help her. Very well done; I'll have to look at that RP she is in.

Thanks. She is, I think, my deepest character. (If you ever do read the RP could you PM me and tell me what you think. (Including constructive criticism) You don't have to if you don't want to though.

I took a look at your character. He was allot like mine  . I though he was well rounded. Seemed a little hard on himself but over all a good character. From what I could tell he underestimated himself. He really isn't as bad as he thinks he is.

[The Skarzs]

Thank you for your review. I might PM you after I take a look at the RP.

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Ah've got tae dae vone o' zeze vhen ah 'ave nae juzt zpent zeveral 'ourz brin'in' mezelf up tae zpeed on ze RP zection o' ze forum. Ach tae lon'-term zpellz o' procraztination!