Example of Character Concept Development

Initial idea

(This example describes a hypothetical Player, Creator, and Land. No genuine gamers were harmed in the making of this example.)

A gamer named Alice looks over the K&H Web site. She reads the common knowledge about the different Lands and notes which Creators are accepting new Players.

One Land in particular, called Eruscia, appeals to her. It is a Land engulfed in civil war, partly ruled by an evil Sorcerer-King, and partly by a Republic. The common knowledge on the site mentions in passing that there is secret resistance to the Sorcerer's rule that persists under the Sorcerer's nose. Alice likes the idea of being a freedom-fighter, so she writes to the Creator of the Land, Creator Blackmane.

Blackmane likes her initial idea, and gives her more information about life under the Sorcerer and a little about the resistance. He gives her info on naming conventions, technology level, culture, and more. With this information, Alice develops her Character.

Sample Character Concept

The following is the Character Concept Alice sent to Creator Blackmane.

My character, Augusta Silvinius, is the daughter of a minor noble family who allied with the Sorcerer as he came to power 30 years ago. Augusta nurses a deep hatred for the Sorcerer's regime, but she must keep her hatred a secret from her family -- not just for fear of conventional betrayal, but because her grandfather regularly attends the King at court, and rumors say the Sorcerer-King can look into a person's eyes and read the secrets of their mind.

Family background

Before the Sorcerer ruled, nobles lived an easy life, and women were subordinate -- but with the war, now everyone works, and as men die in battle, women have been recruited both on the field of war and off. Augusta's father, Carolinius, is a captain in the Sorcerer's army and is seldom at home. Her mother, Marcia, works as a healer in an officers hospital here in the Capital. The household employs a few servants -- those too weak to be of use in the war, or crippled in the prosecution of it -- and Marcia often complains about them.

Augusta's grandfather, Justinian, is a widower, and family rumors say the Sorcerer killed his wife as punishment for some minor infraction. Justinian's three sons (Augusta's dad and two uncles) are all army officers; his only daughter (Augusta's aunt) is a priestess in the Sorcerer's new temple. Justinian is a royal counselor and helps oversee certain tax and monetary matters.

Augusta, who is 19, and her brother, Titian, 20, were trained from an early age in all the noble arts -- reading and writing, numbering, riding, governance, leadership, household management, and warfare. Titian, who is very handsome, has served as a squire at court. Augusta, who is rather plain, was not invited to do the same; for some unknown reason, the Sorcerer-King surrounds himself only with people who are fair to look on.

Augusta has also trained with her mother as a healer, but she has been an indifferent student, excelling only when her superb people skills come into play.

Augusta also has half a dozen cousins, but all are younger than she is, who mostly look up to her.

Natural talents and abilities

Augusta is naturally personable, empathic, and insightful. She is a good listener; she can make you feel like the center of the universe. She is also good at fading into the background and seeming uninvolved. She does not lose her temper, she is patient, and she is cool under pressure. She has an excellent bull-crap detector and can often tell if another person is lying to her or trying to manipulate her. Augusta has a innate sense of right and wrong, and she instinctively resents injustice.

Notable events

Maligned behind her back and to her face, ignored by most of her tutors, compared unfavorably with her brother, rejected as "not suitable" for court, Augusta has lived her entire life with petty slights and veiled insults. One particularly cruel governess habitually called her "Sails" in mockery of Augusta's large ears, and the name stuck. Many people, including her father, call her that as a nickname, not knowing or caring about the source of the name. Augusta now always wears her hair long and hides her ears.

In the last couple years, Augusta has grown closer to her mother. Titian joined the army as an officer-in-training, and as Augusta has worked and learned as a healer, she has impressed Marcia with her caring and empathy.

And Augusta has had other happy times and good experiences. Her grandfather, who is a somewhat distant figure, is nonetheless always gentle and caring with her. Her brother has always been a very close friend and her valiant defender. He would come to Augusta when the atrocities of court were too much to bear, when he needed relief from its foulnesses. She misses him.

But most of all, Augusta has cultivated many friendships with the servants and workers she has met. From them she hears the gossip and news, and she feels at home.

Once Augusta saved the stablehand from a beating by telling the head groom it was she who had lost a saddle blanket. Another time she brought her mother to treat a beggar suffering from the pox. And these common people have welcomed her in turn, bringing her small gifts, asking her advice, offering her friendship. This is not to say that she is a saint! Augusta gets mad, harbors grudges, and can be petty.

Skills developed

From her scholastic endeavors, Augusta has a modicum of skill in literacy and writing, arithmetic, horseback riding, and warfare. She can use a short light sword at need. Her mother has taught her the rudiments of the healing arts. And she has the leadership, governance, and ettiquette skills one would expect from the nobility. She has some small skill at managing household matters.

She is more talented at putting others at ease, at drawing them out, at dominating a conversation or slipping into the background. She is a people person.

Personality

As noted above, Augusta is calm, level-headed, friendly, patient, sympathetic, and kind. She is well organized and effective in a crisis. And she is trustworthy and good at keeping secrets. At the same time, she can be stiff-necked, slow to forgive, and remorseless.

Appearance

Augusta is not ugly or repulsive, but she is remarkably plain. Her ears are big and her chin, weak. Her figure is squarish, and her feet are large. But she has a pleasant voice and beautiful hair, which she wears long. Her hair is black, her skin, pale (too pale, some say, and she burns easily), and her eyes, brown. As with most nobles of her class and station, she wears short tunic-style dresses commonly and long toga-like clothes for formal occaisions.

Sample Character Story

This is Alice's story about Augusta.

(Note from Alice to Creator Blackmane: I've taken a few liberties and added ideas to the game that may not be appropriate, such as Idiot's Palsy and Coronation Day. Please let me know if these elements need alteration.)

The most important event in Augusta's life was her discovery of the people who struggle against the reign of the Sorcerer-King, and how she joined them.

It amuses the Sorcerer-King, on the day each year that marks his coronation, to declare his favor and disfavor. He issues two edicts, one of reward and one of punishment. For example, in the year Augusta turned 13, the evil ruler rewarded all fishers with a week of feasting, since the catch had been excellent that year, and he punished everyone in the town of Coramin by forbidding residents to wear clothes for a month, because tailors there had raised prices too high. In the year Augusta turned 18, the Sorcerer-King rewarded all army officers with enchanted swords, and he ordered all people with Idiot's Palsy to be slain.

Idiot's Palsy is a misnomer, of course. Those afflicted with it seem to be idiots -- they drool, tremble uncontrollably, and stammer, but their minds are as clear and sharp as anyone else's. Most are able to work in some capacity, and folk custom traditionally holds that they bring good luck to people around them. The disorder begins in youth, for causes unknown, and lasts a lifetime. Augusta personally knew two people afflicted with the Palsy: Simon, a cleaner and mover in her household, and Mariana, a wise woman and herbalist who lived alone on the edge of Augusta's family estate.

Augusta was haggling with the fruit merchant at the entrance of the family villa when she saw the royal messenger ride up through the gate. He was known to her because he had served with her father. "Mussius Aemilianus! Why are you riding like a madman?" she asked, teasing him. "You are going to make the fruit sour with your thunder!" Simon, who had the Palsy, was standing beside her, waiting to carry her purchases inside.

The Centurion did not laugh at her teasing. The look on his face was grim, and his sword was drawn. "It is Coronation Day, lady. I beg you to look over there." He pointed off in the distance. Augusta looked, and so did not see the moment in which Mussius cleaved Simon down, but she turned at the gruesome sound behind her. She could only stand in shock as the soldier read the King's declaration condemning all those with the Palsy. Then he entered the villa.

Augusta stepped backwards and sat on the villa steps as the fruit vendor made a hasty exit. She had seen wounded soldiers in the hospital, but she had led a somewhat sheltered life so far, and this was the first time she had seen violent death up close. She was stunned.

But years of training and a noble's pride came to her aid. She first went to Simon, but it was hopeless. Then she thought of Mariana. She knew it was only a matter of minutes before her mother told Mussius about the other Palsy victim on the estate. Quickly, she raced to the stable and leapt on her horse. Augusta plotted the quickest way to reach Mariana as she guided the gelding out of the stable and yard.

As she reached the clearing at the end of the path to wise woman's home, Augusta was already calling out to the wise woman. "Mariana! Mariana! They're coming!" She burst into the cottage.

"Who is c-c-coming, child?" She looked up from her pestal and mortar.

Augusta explained what had happened, gasping for breath. "And Mussius is sure to be here at any moment!"

"I know, young Aug-g-gusta. I have m-m-made preparations. But you know that if you are c-c-caught warning me, you c-c-could be slain yourself? Don't you c-c-c-c-care about the K-K-King's law?"

"I hate the King and all his works! And I don't care about the law either," said Augusta. She felt relieved to voice her feelings at last, although her own audacity startled her, and she laughed.

Mariana smiled. "I thought you m-m-might feel that way. I have a p-present for you, b-b-before I leave with m-my friends." The old woman reached deep into a chest on the floor, and Augusta now saw that much of the Mariana's herbs and tools were packed up, as if for a trip. As the woman handed her a parcel with a trembling hand, Augusta was shocked realizing that the woman had heard about the King's declaration already. er tone was almost accusing as she said, "You knew about this! You could have saved Simon!"

"N-n-no, young one. I was only t-t-told a short b-b-b-bit ago. And m-my friends risked m-much to warn me. T-t-take this and embrace me, f-for I f-fear this is our g-g-good-b-bye."

Augusta hugged Mariana fiercely, trying to still the Palsy she felt in her friend's body. Then she took the package, which felt like a book, well-wrapped.

"Now g-go b-b-by secret ways home," the woman said. "and read this b-b-book deep into your heart."

Away from the cottage, Augusta opened the package. It was clearly a forbidden book, titled "The Resistance." In the days that followed, she read the book over and over, learning more about the evil of the Sorcerer-King and something of the forces arrayed against him. She kept it secret and hidden, for she could be executed for owning such a book, she knew.

And she has not seen or heard of Mariana since, although she also has not heard that she was captured, either.

Response and Collaboration

Blackmane and Alice then work together on details.

Creator Black mane is very pleased with Alice's additions to the game. Both Idiot's Palsy and Coronation Day are fine additions to the Land. And they show Alice to be a creative Player, which is a valuable characteristic in a Player.

Privately, Blackmane notes a few things he disagrees with, for example, that the Sorcerer-King does not admit the homely to court. But he likes the idea that Alice and Augusta think it is true, so he does not contradict her. Also, Blackmane is not sure where the character will go from here. He is worried that the potential for interesting plot development is limited. But in thinking things over, he comes up with the idea that Augusta's grandfather may be sent away as ambassador to the Republic next door, and that the old man will ask Augusta to go along as his assistant. The Resistance would ask her to accompany him, with several missions to carry out on the way.And in the long term, it might be interesting, Blackmane thinks, to have her inherit her family's estate. But Blackmane tells none of that to Alice.

Blackmane also decides to advance the plot of Augusta's story a little farther before the game starts. He tells her that she has been contacted by the Resistance, and they detail a couple initial meetings she has had with Resistance members. So far, though, Augusta has not actually acted to support the Resistance in any way.

Finally, the Creator asks Alice to add a few more details to her Character Concept based on extra information he has in his files. And he awards her 2 Development Points to use in detailing Augusta's Traits, Skills, and Resources.