- Joined
- May 25, 2013
- Messages
- 52
Hey, Hive!
I'm an experienced writer myself. I've attempted novels, finished short stories and am even on the way to writing epics. I know the how, and I know the why. But I'm not very good at knowing the who.
Basically, I need your help to create a few three dimensional characters for my current project.
A three dimensional character is (no, not a cardboard figure) a character that has in depth history, back-story, descriptions and other features. A character from a children's picture book would be two dimensional (most of the time) because they usually don't need the whole back-story, in depth features and things like that. However, it is almost vital for novels to have three dimensional characters so that they can be seen as if they are real.
To create a character, I need you to supply me with a few details which I'll list later in a
I'm an experienced writer myself. I've attempted novels, finished short stories and am even on the way to writing epics. I know the how, and I know the why. But I'm not very good at knowing the who.
Basically, I need your help to create a few three dimensional characters for my current project.
A three dimensional character is (no, not a cardboard figure) a character that has in depth history, back-story, descriptions and other features. A character from a children's picture book would be two dimensional (most of the time) because they usually don't need the whole back-story, in depth features and things like that. However, it is almost vital for novels to have three dimensional characters so that they can be seen as if they are real.
To create a character, I need you to supply me with a few details which I'll list later in a
tag. First of all, you will need to know this: The story I am working on will be set in a dark, gloomy and sad atmosphere. I'll give an example character (the main protagonist) to show you how I shape this atmosphere into a character, and how the different categories are answered.
First, here is a few small details of the story to take into account. Secondly is the outline for creating a character. After it is an example: the main protagonist ('hero') of the story.
* The story is set in the future of our day Earth. World War Three has come swiftly after America declared their independence to the world and attacked Europe in quick, successful attacks. The PeaceKeep United, an organization born from America's old shock troopers and special operations forces, are an army that has America under it's control. They work in unison as one team and base their teachings and formations off of old Roman tactics. The Gyllie Cooperations (which is also the title of the story) is a band of assassins and mercenaries. The past of the Gyllie (pronounced as you will pronounce Ghillie: Gi-lee) is unknown and shrouded in mystery but it is well-known that they were once a purely scientific organization.
* Another thing to note about the Gyllie Co is that they are Earth's prime scientists and engineers, and are responsible for making the 'futuristic' items you'd expect: lasers, robotics (announced for cleaning and serving duties but under construction for war) and spacecraft (also announced, but war is still coming into it, i.e battleships and smaller assault crafts).
* The PeaceKeep aren't 'bad' in that sense, but they are extremely proud of their country.
* The final organization that plays a major role in the story is the Hand of Torment: basically America's terrorists. After a few plane crashes, killings and mass killings, the PeaceKeep had to turn their eye from the Hand and onto other matters like the European bombing (will be elaborated in the story) and India's announcement of neutrality. Because of the Hand of Torment being ignored, they have openly declared that their next target will be the President of the United States: Swan Gruuil. The PeaceKeep have ignored them still since the Hand haven't yet come near New Washington ('new' because of the European bombing, again will be elaborated more in the story).
Now you know the what and the why. Here is the template for creating a character. If you don't know what something means, read the Sample Character I've posted afterwards.
All right, this character sketch is based on a different template. You can use the one above or follow this one, up to you. I used the one below because I thought I needed more in depth questions and a guide for the main character.
First, here is a few small details of the story to take into account. Secondly is the outline for creating a character. After it is an example: the main protagonist ('hero') of the story.
* The story is set in the future of our day Earth. World War Three has come swiftly after America declared their independence to the world and attacked Europe in quick, successful attacks. The PeaceKeep United, an organization born from America's old shock troopers and special operations forces, are an army that has America under it's control. They work in unison as one team and base their teachings and formations off of old Roman tactics. The Gyllie Cooperations (which is also the title of the story) is a band of assassins and mercenaries. The past of the Gyllie (pronounced as you will pronounce Ghillie: Gi-lee) is unknown and shrouded in mystery but it is well-known that they were once a purely scientific organization.
* Another thing to note about the Gyllie Co is that they are Earth's prime scientists and engineers, and are responsible for making the 'futuristic' items you'd expect: lasers, robotics (announced for cleaning and serving duties but under construction for war) and spacecraft (also announced, but war is still coming into it, i.e battleships and smaller assault crafts).
* The PeaceKeep aren't 'bad' in that sense, but they are extremely proud of their country.
* The final organization that plays a major role in the story is the Hand of Torment: basically America's terrorists. After a few plane crashes, killings and mass killings, the PeaceKeep had to turn their eye from the Hand and onto other matters like the European bombing (will be elaborated in the story) and India's announcement of neutrality. Because of the Hand of Torment being ignored, they have openly declared that their next target will be the President of the United States: Swan Gruuil. The PeaceKeep have ignored them still since the Hand haven't yet come near New Washington ('new' because of the European bombing, again will be elaborated more in the story).
Now you know the what and the why. Here is the template for creating a character. If you don't know what something means, read the Sample Character I've posted afterwards.
* Name: (The character's name. Try to be original, but don't make it too out of place. First names, middle names, surnames and titles all fit under this category, but only the first name is required.)
* Birthplace/time: (When the character was born and where. Try not to make up places, but I'll accept created towns. Please try to restrict the character to Australian and North American cities, as that's where the story is set. Time is optional.)
* Occupation: (What and where the character works. Try to relate it to the story, for example a farmer isn't going anywhere in this book. Try to surround jobs near war-filled occupations, for example soldiers, engineers and doctors (field medics).
* Age: (I'm sure you can work this out yourself. If you are new to character creating try to make sure your age fits the occupation: don't have a 14 year old PeaceKeep engineer. Also, the majority of characters will be over 20 years old.)
* Likes/Dislikes: (Come on, this is easy too. What does the character like/dislike? Music, food, hobbies and other people are all accepted.)
* Friends: (Again, easy. This is optional unless you want to make up a couple more characters.)
* Family/Pets: (Anybody in their family including cousins, uncles, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, pets... anyone in their family. If you don't want to make up names/characters you can simply say: Father, 3 Brothers, Dog, etc. Another really important note is if anyone in the family is dead, list that here too.)
Alright, that was all the easy stuff. If I've forgotten something there, please tell me and I'll add it. Now, that previous stuff is usually everything you need to add a little 3D to your character... a little. So now we've got to guarantee our character's believability.
* Internal Conflicts: (Alright. An internal conflict is anything a character is thinking that stops, slows or weakens him. This is not physical. For example, a fairly good internal conflict is something like self-doubt. Any of the sins I will also accept here: gluttony, lust, envy etc. A better internal conflict would be something like a family member's death (I use this in my protagonist). Also, write in how it affects the character.)
For better understanding this is what the Internet says: "Internal conflict is a mental or emotional struggle that occurs within a character."
* External Conflicts: (Basically the opposite to Internal conflicts. This one is easier to understand then Internal. For example, an external conflict would be something physical that is stopping, slowing or weakening the character. An opponent in a fight is a good example. However, it doesn't just have to be other characters, it could be the environment around the character. For example, Boston (as in future-Boston) in the story is thick with pollution clouds and smoke because of the massive factories. Something as simple as cliffs could be an external conflict because it is slowing or stopping the character from reaching their destination.)
Here's what the Internet says again: "External conflict is a struggle that occurs between a character and outside forces."
* Descriptions: (I've put this here and not in the easy section because I need good descriptions. You can't say: "Brown hair, blue eyes." I mean, you can if you want. But to make a good 3D character, having a lot of detail is good. Here's a few aspects to think about: Hair color, eye color, skin color, hair style, any physical features (scars, broken noses, etc.), height, weight, glasses (yes or no), distinguishing features* (I'll explain afterwards below), clothing style, mannerisms*, habits (smoking, drinking, etc.), health status (healthy, obese, slightly overweight, skinny, etc.), favorite sayings (optional), disabilities (if any). You see, if you included all of this and explained it in detail you would have a solid 3D character. No, I don't expect you to answer each of these questions
.)
Distinguishing Features: What the character's most memorable feature is: for example Harry Potter's distinguishing feature is his glasses and his scar.
Mannerisms: How a character moves and talks. Left-handed or right-handed? How does he/she wave? When they talk, do they move their hand around?
* Education: (Where the character went to school and how intellectual (smart) they were when they were younger. Did they go to college/university? How intellectual are they now in their older years?
* Personality attributes: (Intelligence level, mental illnesses (if any), short-term goals, long-term goals, how the character sees themselves, how the character believes they are seen by others, how self-confident the character is and what the character would be embarrassed by.)
* Religion: (Is the character religious, does the character believe in spiritual beings. Is the character superstitious?)
* And lastly, the character's involvement in the story: (protagonist, antagonist, friend of protagonist/antagonist, companion, etc.)
* Birthplace/time: (When the character was born and where. Try not to make up places, but I'll accept created towns. Please try to restrict the character to Australian and North American cities, as that's where the story is set. Time is optional.)
* Occupation: (What and where the character works. Try to relate it to the story, for example a farmer isn't going anywhere in this book. Try to surround jobs near war-filled occupations, for example soldiers, engineers and doctors (field medics).
* Age: (I'm sure you can work this out yourself. If you are new to character creating try to make sure your age fits the occupation: don't have a 14 year old PeaceKeep engineer. Also, the majority of characters will be over 20 years old.)
* Likes/Dislikes: (Come on, this is easy too. What does the character like/dislike? Music, food, hobbies and other people are all accepted.)
* Friends: (Again, easy. This is optional unless you want to make up a couple more characters.)
* Family/Pets: (Anybody in their family including cousins, uncles, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, pets... anyone in their family. If you don't want to make up names/characters you can simply say: Father, 3 Brothers, Dog, etc. Another really important note is if anyone in the family is dead, list that here too.)
Alright, that was all the easy stuff. If I've forgotten something there, please tell me and I'll add it. Now, that previous stuff is usually everything you need to add a little 3D to your character... a little. So now we've got to guarantee our character's believability.
* Internal Conflicts: (Alright. An internal conflict is anything a character is thinking that stops, slows or weakens him. This is not physical. For example, a fairly good internal conflict is something like self-doubt. Any of the sins I will also accept here: gluttony, lust, envy etc. A better internal conflict would be something like a family member's death (I use this in my protagonist). Also, write in how it affects the character.)
For better understanding this is what the Internet says: "Internal conflict is a mental or emotional struggle that occurs within a character."
* External Conflicts: (Basically the opposite to Internal conflicts. This one is easier to understand then Internal. For example, an external conflict would be something physical that is stopping, slowing or weakening the character. An opponent in a fight is a good example. However, it doesn't just have to be other characters, it could be the environment around the character. For example, Boston (as in future-Boston) in the story is thick with pollution clouds and smoke because of the massive factories. Something as simple as cliffs could be an external conflict because it is slowing or stopping the character from reaching their destination.)
Here's what the Internet says again: "External conflict is a struggle that occurs between a character and outside forces."
* Descriptions: (I've put this here and not in the easy section because I need good descriptions. You can't say: "Brown hair, blue eyes." I mean, you can if you want. But to make a good 3D character, having a lot of detail is good. Here's a few aspects to think about: Hair color, eye color, skin color, hair style, any physical features (scars, broken noses, etc.), height, weight, glasses (yes or no), distinguishing features* (I'll explain afterwards below), clothing style, mannerisms*, habits (smoking, drinking, etc.), health status (healthy, obese, slightly overweight, skinny, etc.), favorite sayings (optional), disabilities (if any). You see, if you included all of this and explained it in detail you would have a solid 3D character. No, I don't expect you to answer each of these questions
.)Distinguishing Features: What the character's most memorable feature is: for example Harry Potter's distinguishing feature is his glasses and his scar.
Mannerisms: How a character moves and talks. Left-handed or right-handed? How does he/she wave? When they talk, do they move their hand around?
* Education: (Where the character went to school and how intellectual (smart) they were when they were younger. Did they go to college/university? How intellectual are they now in their older years?
* Personality attributes: (Intelligence level, mental illnesses (if any), short-term goals, long-term goals, how the character sees themselves, how the character believes they are seen by others, how self-confident the character is and what the character would be embarrassed by.)
* Religion: (Is the character religious, does the character believe in spiritual beings. Is the character superstitious?)
* And lastly, the character's involvement in the story: (protagonist, antagonist, friend of protagonist/antagonist, companion, etc.)
All right, this character sketch is based on a different template. You can use the one above or follow this one, up to you. I used the one below because I thought I needed more in depth questions and a guide for the main character.
Name: Varn Macare Richards (varn_ma-car_ri-ch-ards), Professor Richards (later)
Age: 23 years old to being with. Birthday turns him 24 mid-way through the story.
Nationality: North American.
Hometown: Boston
Current Residence: New Washington, moved when 21 after Jacob's death.
Occupation: Previously was a mechanical engineer, now works for PeaceKeep as an engineer.
Income: Previously when living in Boston: Just enough to live with. When working with PeaceKeep: Enough.
Talents/Skills: Good at his job: Engineering. Climbing he is also good at. Hates drawing but can draw designs/blueprints.
Birth order: Second.
Siblings (describe relationship): Jacob Lucus Richards, aged 16 when death. Jacob and Varn got on really good, being brothers. They were both good at engineering and both had a passion for climbing. Jacob was better at drawing then Varn, but not by much. They always were best friends and stuck up for one another always. When Jacob died, Varn's social life ended quickly. His older sister, Maree Jane Richards, is 26 years old and lives in San Francisco studying the wildlife and the effect humans have on surrondings. She was always unlike her brothers with their passion of engineering, but they still got along, and she could draw extremely better then them both. However, when Jacob died, Maree moved to San Francisco and only talked to Varn and their parents through letters and Email.
Spouse (describe relationship): None, Varn never married and hasn't found anyone he thinks he will.
Children (describe relationship): Has no children.
Grandparents (describe relationship): Varn's grandparents were dead before he was born. His grandfather worked in the United States special operations in his earlier years. Because of this, Mairn Richards was assassinated five years after retirement. Varn's grandmother, Jane Teao Su (later Richards), had moved to the United States from India, where she met Mairn and they married. After their marriage Mairn joined the U.S.A Special Operations forces and Jane decided to join with him, acting as a field medic for the team. She was assassinated at the same time as Mairn, five years after their retirement and three years after their child, Dantine.
Grandchildren (describe relationship): No grandchildren.
Significant Others (describe relationship): Varn's father's name is Dantine Richards. Dantine still lives in Boston because he runs the massive SuperCo oil rigs and facilities there. He is a moderatly rich man and lives in a nice sized house near the center of Boston. Dantine was taken when he was only two years old after his parents, Mairn and Jane, where assassinated. He was taken to an orphanage near the coast of Boston where he was raised. When he was sixteen he met Lilian (Lily) Hester. After seven years, when Dantine and Lily where 23 and 21 years old respectively, they had their first child and named her Maree Jane. Two years later when Dantine got a massive boost in his payment, they had their second child Varn Richards. Varn and Maree got along well, but their differences were obvious to the two parents. When Maree turned nine years old, and Varn was seven, Dantine and Lily had their third child, Jacob. Jacob and Varn got along better then Varn and Maree, being interested in much the same stuff. The years grew on until Jacob was 16 and Varn was 21. Jacob was killed and that was it for the couple, having no more children afterwards. About a month later, Varn moved out of the city much to Lily and Dantine's sorrow. A month after that, Maree at 23 years old moved to San Francisco. Three years passed then until the story's beginning. In that time, Dantine (47) and Lily (45) settled down into retirement and passed the SuperCo oil rigging to a friend of Dantine's, Josheph Farrow. However, Dantine still runs the company, but allows Josheph to oversee it's manufacturing.
The other relative to mention of Varn's is Amelia Pearl. Amelia is Lily's mother, which is Varn's grandmother on his mother's side. Amelia was always strange and mysterious. At 16 years old, she moved out and went to study physics at Boston University. She was extremely intellegent from early on. She met and married Ganan Hester, a fat buisnessman who tried to ruin Amelia's career as a geologist and volcanologist by introducing her to buisness. Despite this she had a child with him and named her Lily. However, after five more years of putting up with Ganan, Amelia moved out to Washington, leaving Lily with Ganan. After that, Amelia was forgotten.
Relationship skills: Previous to Jacob's death, Varn was great at his social life. He had lots of friends and got on well with new people. However, after his younger brother died, Varn lost his social skills and isolated himself in Washington.
Physical Characteristics
Height: Varn was always a tall person: he measures 1.82 meters.
Weight: It can't be said that Varn is of average weight, but he's not over either. He weighs 72 kilograms.
Eye Color: Casual dark-brown eyes.
Hair Color: Dark-brown.
Hair Style: Ruffled and uneven.
Glasses or contact lenses?: Neither. Varn has never had a trouble with eyesight.
Skin color: Olive.
Shape of Face: Slightly small ears and original round face. Nose is slightly long.
Distinguishing features: Nothing can be said 'Distinguishing' about Varn. He is casual and regularly seen. However, something that could be classed at Distinguishing is the fact that, despite wearing elegant black suits and ties, Varn leaves his hair unbrushed and random.
How does he/she dress?: Usually, when in public, Varn dresses in a suit and tie. Additionally, when in meetings and official areas he does tend to his hair slightly. Other times he is not so formal, leaving his hair untouched. Shorts are a favorite in the hot atmosphere of Boston and Washington. Since he is athletic, Varn usually dresses in shorts, T-shirts and runners.
Mannerisms: Sometimes when talking, Varn crosses his arms unintentionally. When running, his arms are firm by his side, but moving in almost identical actions everytime. When meeting with officials, he bows only slightly.
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.): Although Varn's father, Dantine, smokes, Varn never picked up that habit. His used to drink during the month or two after the death of his younger brother, but quit after seeing it deteriate his athletic nature.
Health: Varn is healthy, slightly skinny, but athletic. He eats enough of each vitaman and continues to sustain a good immune system.
Hobbies: Drawing is definatly not a hobby of Varn's, but he likes drawing diagrams and blueprints for engineering plans. He likes carpentry and occasionally fixes up the common broken table, chair leg, that sort of thing for his own private use. One of Varn's main hobbies, however, is his athleticsm and will to maintain a healthy body.
Favorite Sayings: "Revenge is driven by pain. Physical pain, mental pain, all contribute to the vengeance that one feels within one's heart." This is written on Jacob's gravestone with the initials V.R below it, and he also says it when filing in his PeaceKeep Sign-Up Papers, where it says: "What is your intention by joining the PeaceKeep United?".
Speech patterns: Varn usually loves to listen, not talk. He'll talk, but it'll usually be replying, not asking new questions or bringing up new subjects.
Disabilities: Hearing is slightly, only slightly, under average.
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.): Most of the time, elegant in public. Never really shabby, except for his hair.
Greatest flaw: His inability to lie. Because his speech pattern is so obvious, he can't lie. When he lies, he changes his speech pattern and can't proceed with the conversation afterwards like he normally would. However, if he was talking to a stranger, who knew nothing of his regular speech patterns, lying would be easy.
Best quality: His athletiscm and his ability to be able to understand situations better then most other people.
Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes
Educational Background: From the ages five to sixteen, Varn always did well in school. He listened carefully, wrote neatly and sophisticatedly and was always a good student. His primary focus was on science and woodwork in his earlier years, but once he reached twelve years old he realised that to become an engineer he needed a very good math standard. Varn hated maths then, but after a few lessons he found he liked it. At sixteen, in his final year, he moved on to college early because of his high achievements in science and maths. He continued on with engineering and, when he reached university, found he had it all covered. After four years he got he degree and was employed in his father's SuperCo Oil Rigging stations, fixing loose piping and rigs.
Intelligence Level: Intellegent. When Varn was younger, he always loved being smarter then everyone else. Not in the way that he loved being superior to everyone, in the way he loved showing the world that he understood. As he grew up this turned into a passion and fueled his intellegence throughout Boston University.
Any Mental Illnesses?: None.
Learning Experiences: In Year 10, his final year of school, he went on an excursion to his father's SuperCo Oil Rigging facilities with his classmates. They were showed how engineering affects life, and how without it many things would not be the same in this world. This was a learning curve for him, and he listened and observed throughout the entire trip. Then, when it ended, he asked his father if he could see the other underground levels they hadn't gone, with the actual piping and oil rigging. His father saw the passion for engineering and complied, allowing the 16-year-old under into the facilities. At 20 years old, just before the death of his brother Jacob, Varn was running his own engineering buisness called "Boston Engineering" where he worked as an electricion and fixed peoples' lights and shortages. However, when Jacob died and Varn moved to Washington to work with the PeaceKeep, the buisness died as well.
Character's short-term goals in life: To join the PeaceKeep United and help engineer some of the vehicles they use.
Character's long-term goals in life: Avenge Jacob.
How does Character see himself/herself?: As the one responsible for Jacob's death. Varn really believes that if they took more care, Jacob wouldn't be dead right now and they'd be running an engineering buisness together.
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?: Formal, and elegant. Intellegent and knowing. Varn isn't that stupid to think that others see him responsible for his brother's death.
How self-confident is the character?: Extremely self-confident in the profession he does: Engineering. However, when it comes to things he hasn't tried before, he is somewhat reluctant to try them.
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?: Yes. His actions (moving to Washington, isolating himself, shutting down his buisness) are all performed after Jacob's death and thus he is in an emotional turmoil.
What would most embarass this character?: Probably being asked a question which he didn't know the answer to, if around others. In his earlier ages at school people often called him 'smart' and 'intellegent', and he liked to live up to those words. However, whenever he couldn't answer a question in high school people would doubt his intellegence in that subject.
Emotional Characteristics
Strengths/Weaknesses: Varn is strong in phyiscal form. He knows how to solve puzzles and is very intellegent, with a great social life previous to Jacob's death. However, after his brother's death he lost his social life. Varn isn't very good at drawing, lying and is slightly stagefright.
Introvert or Extrovert?: Basically, before Jacob's death, Varn was slightly Extrovert. He was still majorly Introvert, liked being alone, but after Jacob's death his social life was ruined forever.
How does the character deal with anger?: Anger is usually, in Varn's words, "followed by revenge". As such, Varn probably deals with anger by punching it out on a punching bag, taking time to rest or taking revenge on whoever caused him anger (but this probably only relates to when he is extremely angry and hurt).
With sadness?: Spending time along and isolated from people. This is why he moved to Washington because he couldn't stand being asked so many questions about Jacob.
With conflict?: Whenever there is conflict, Varn hates it. He hates seeing people being hurt, even more seeing innocents being hurt. This is another reason he wants to take revenge on Jacob's killer.
With change? Varn doesn't mind change. In fact, he loves it in some of it's forms. His life is about trying to change things to make them better for others.
With loss? Isolation and stopping his social life. Also, sometimes Varn might drink to drown his sorrows, but isn't an alcoholic.
What does the character want out of life?: To be a prime engineer of the Gyllie Cooperations or the PeaceKeep United.
What would the character like to change in his/her life?: Jacob's death. If he could change that, he and Jacob would still be alive and running a buisness in Boston surronding Engineering, like they always planned in their childhood.
What motivates this character?: Engineering and knowing that he can get the most out of life by doing what he wants: Joining the PeaceKeep United as an engineer. Not on the front lines.
What frightens this character?: Life and how it weighs down on him. Also the fact that an assassin killed his brother. Why did that assassin want to kill Jacob? Was it to do with their family? Who's next?
What makes this character happy?: Engineering and drawing designs and blueprints.
Is the character judgmental of others?: Yes. For anyone, it's hard not to be. But Varn tries to not judge a person by what they look like, but it is hard for him not to.
Is the character generous or stingy?: Generous, but not too generous with his money.
Is the character generally polite or rude?: Polite.
Spiritual Characteristics
Does the character believe in God? No, Varn is not religious. His brother, Jacob, wasn't either, because they were both taught by their father who wasn't religious. However, Maree is because she learnt the religion from Lily, their mother, who was religious.
What are the character's spiritual beliefs? Varn has no spiritual beliefs. He does, however, believe that Jacob is still alive in his heart, which is more love then spirit.
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? No.
If so, what role does it play? None. However, he is affected by others view on religion. He finds it interesting that people are religious because he was brought up with science and engineering.
Age: 23 years old to being with. Birthday turns him 24 mid-way through the story.
Nationality: North American.
Hometown: Boston
Current Residence: New Washington, moved when 21 after Jacob's death.
Occupation: Previously was a mechanical engineer, now works for PeaceKeep as an engineer.
Income: Previously when living in Boston: Just enough to live with. When working with PeaceKeep: Enough.
Talents/Skills: Good at his job: Engineering. Climbing he is also good at. Hates drawing but can draw designs/blueprints.
Birth order: Second.
Siblings (describe relationship): Jacob Lucus Richards, aged 16 when death. Jacob and Varn got on really good, being brothers. They were both good at engineering and both had a passion for climbing. Jacob was better at drawing then Varn, but not by much. They always were best friends and stuck up for one another always. When Jacob died, Varn's social life ended quickly. His older sister, Maree Jane Richards, is 26 years old and lives in San Francisco studying the wildlife and the effect humans have on surrondings. She was always unlike her brothers with their passion of engineering, but they still got along, and she could draw extremely better then them both. However, when Jacob died, Maree moved to San Francisco and only talked to Varn and their parents through letters and Email.
Spouse (describe relationship): None, Varn never married and hasn't found anyone he thinks he will.
Children (describe relationship): Has no children.
Grandparents (describe relationship): Varn's grandparents were dead before he was born. His grandfather worked in the United States special operations in his earlier years. Because of this, Mairn Richards was assassinated five years after retirement. Varn's grandmother, Jane Teao Su (later Richards), had moved to the United States from India, where she met Mairn and they married. After their marriage Mairn joined the U.S.A Special Operations forces and Jane decided to join with him, acting as a field medic for the team. She was assassinated at the same time as Mairn, five years after their retirement and three years after their child, Dantine.
Grandchildren (describe relationship): No grandchildren.
Significant Others (describe relationship): Varn's father's name is Dantine Richards. Dantine still lives in Boston because he runs the massive SuperCo oil rigs and facilities there. He is a moderatly rich man and lives in a nice sized house near the center of Boston. Dantine was taken when he was only two years old after his parents, Mairn and Jane, where assassinated. He was taken to an orphanage near the coast of Boston where he was raised. When he was sixteen he met Lilian (Lily) Hester. After seven years, when Dantine and Lily where 23 and 21 years old respectively, they had their first child and named her Maree Jane. Two years later when Dantine got a massive boost in his payment, they had their second child Varn Richards. Varn and Maree got along well, but their differences were obvious to the two parents. When Maree turned nine years old, and Varn was seven, Dantine and Lily had their third child, Jacob. Jacob and Varn got along better then Varn and Maree, being interested in much the same stuff. The years grew on until Jacob was 16 and Varn was 21. Jacob was killed and that was it for the couple, having no more children afterwards. About a month later, Varn moved out of the city much to Lily and Dantine's sorrow. A month after that, Maree at 23 years old moved to San Francisco. Three years passed then until the story's beginning. In that time, Dantine (47) and Lily (45) settled down into retirement and passed the SuperCo oil rigging to a friend of Dantine's, Josheph Farrow. However, Dantine still runs the company, but allows Josheph to oversee it's manufacturing.
The other relative to mention of Varn's is Amelia Pearl. Amelia is Lily's mother, which is Varn's grandmother on his mother's side. Amelia was always strange and mysterious. At 16 years old, she moved out and went to study physics at Boston University. She was extremely intellegent from early on. She met and married Ganan Hester, a fat buisnessman who tried to ruin Amelia's career as a geologist and volcanologist by introducing her to buisness. Despite this she had a child with him and named her Lily. However, after five more years of putting up with Ganan, Amelia moved out to Washington, leaving Lily with Ganan. After that, Amelia was forgotten.
Relationship skills: Previous to Jacob's death, Varn was great at his social life. He had lots of friends and got on well with new people. However, after his younger brother died, Varn lost his social skills and isolated himself in Washington.
Physical Characteristics
Height: Varn was always a tall person: he measures 1.82 meters.
Weight: It can't be said that Varn is of average weight, but he's not over either. He weighs 72 kilograms.
Eye Color: Casual dark-brown eyes.
Hair Color: Dark-brown.
Hair Style: Ruffled and uneven.
Glasses or contact lenses?: Neither. Varn has never had a trouble with eyesight.
Skin color: Olive.
Shape of Face: Slightly small ears and original round face. Nose is slightly long.
Distinguishing features: Nothing can be said 'Distinguishing' about Varn. He is casual and regularly seen. However, something that could be classed at Distinguishing is the fact that, despite wearing elegant black suits and ties, Varn leaves his hair unbrushed and random.
How does he/she dress?: Usually, when in public, Varn dresses in a suit and tie. Additionally, when in meetings and official areas he does tend to his hair slightly. Other times he is not so formal, leaving his hair untouched. Shorts are a favorite in the hot atmosphere of Boston and Washington. Since he is athletic, Varn usually dresses in shorts, T-shirts and runners.
Mannerisms: Sometimes when talking, Varn crosses his arms unintentionally. When running, his arms are firm by his side, but moving in almost identical actions everytime. When meeting with officials, he bows only slightly.
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.): Although Varn's father, Dantine, smokes, Varn never picked up that habit. His used to drink during the month or two after the death of his younger brother, but quit after seeing it deteriate his athletic nature.
Health: Varn is healthy, slightly skinny, but athletic. He eats enough of each vitaman and continues to sustain a good immune system.
Hobbies: Drawing is definatly not a hobby of Varn's, but he likes drawing diagrams and blueprints for engineering plans. He likes carpentry and occasionally fixes up the common broken table, chair leg, that sort of thing for his own private use. One of Varn's main hobbies, however, is his athleticsm and will to maintain a healthy body.
Favorite Sayings: "Revenge is driven by pain. Physical pain, mental pain, all contribute to the vengeance that one feels within one's heart." This is written on Jacob's gravestone with the initials V.R below it, and he also says it when filing in his PeaceKeep Sign-Up Papers, where it says: "What is your intention by joining the PeaceKeep United?".
Speech patterns: Varn usually loves to listen, not talk. He'll talk, but it'll usually be replying, not asking new questions or bringing up new subjects.
Disabilities: Hearing is slightly, only slightly, under average.
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.): Most of the time, elegant in public. Never really shabby, except for his hair.
Greatest flaw: His inability to lie. Because his speech pattern is so obvious, he can't lie. When he lies, he changes his speech pattern and can't proceed with the conversation afterwards like he normally would. However, if he was talking to a stranger, who knew nothing of his regular speech patterns, lying would be easy.
Best quality: His athletiscm and his ability to be able to understand situations better then most other people.
Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes
Educational Background: From the ages five to sixteen, Varn always did well in school. He listened carefully, wrote neatly and sophisticatedly and was always a good student. His primary focus was on science and woodwork in his earlier years, but once he reached twelve years old he realised that to become an engineer he needed a very good math standard. Varn hated maths then, but after a few lessons he found he liked it. At sixteen, in his final year, he moved on to college early because of his high achievements in science and maths. He continued on with engineering and, when he reached university, found he had it all covered. After four years he got he degree and was employed in his father's SuperCo Oil Rigging stations, fixing loose piping and rigs.
Intelligence Level: Intellegent. When Varn was younger, he always loved being smarter then everyone else. Not in the way that he loved being superior to everyone, in the way he loved showing the world that he understood. As he grew up this turned into a passion and fueled his intellegence throughout Boston University.
Any Mental Illnesses?: None.
Learning Experiences: In Year 10, his final year of school, he went on an excursion to his father's SuperCo Oil Rigging facilities with his classmates. They were showed how engineering affects life, and how without it many things would not be the same in this world. This was a learning curve for him, and he listened and observed throughout the entire trip. Then, when it ended, he asked his father if he could see the other underground levels they hadn't gone, with the actual piping and oil rigging. His father saw the passion for engineering and complied, allowing the 16-year-old under into the facilities. At 20 years old, just before the death of his brother Jacob, Varn was running his own engineering buisness called "Boston Engineering" where he worked as an electricion and fixed peoples' lights and shortages. However, when Jacob died and Varn moved to Washington to work with the PeaceKeep, the buisness died as well.
Character's short-term goals in life: To join the PeaceKeep United and help engineer some of the vehicles they use.
Character's long-term goals in life: Avenge Jacob.
How does Character see himself/herself?: As the one responsible for Jacob's death. Varn really believes that if they took more care, Jacob wouldn't be dead right now and they'd be running an engineering buisness together.
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?: Formal, and elegant. Intellegent and knowing. Varn isn't that stupid to think that others see him responsible for his brother's death.
How self-confident is the character?: Extremely self-confident in the profession he does: Engineering. However, when it comes to things he hasn't tried before, he is somewhat reluctant to try them.
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?: Yes. His actions (moving to Washington, isolating himself, shutting down his buisness) are all performed after Jacob's death and thus he is in an emotional turmoil.
What would most embarass this character?: Probably being asked a question which he didn't know the answer to, if around others. In his earlier ages at school people often called him 'smart' and 'intellegent', and he liked to live up to those words. However, whenever he couldn't answer a question in high school people would doubt his intellegence in that subject.
Emotional Characteristics
Strengths/Weaknesses: Varn is strong in phyiscal form. He knows how to solve puzzles and is very intellegent, with a great social life previous to Jacob's death. However, after his brother's death he lost his social life. Varn isn't very good at drawing, lying and is slightly stagefright.
Introvert or Extrovert?: Basically, before Jacob's death, Varn was slightly Extrovert. He was still majorly Introvert, liked being alone, but after Jacob's death his social life was ruined forever.
How does the character deal with anger?: Anger is usually, in Varn's words, "followed by revenge". As such, Varn probably deals with anger by punching it out on a punching bag, taking time to rest or taking revenge on whoever caused him anger (but this probably only relates to when he is extremely angry and hurt).
With sadness?: Spending time along and isolated from people. This is why he moved to Washington because he couldn't stand being asked so many questions about Jacob.
With conflict?: Whenever there is conflict, Varn hates it. He hates seeing people being hurt, even more seeing innocents being hurt. This is another reason he wants to take revenge on Jacob's killer.
With change? Varn doesn't mind change. In fact, he loves it in some of it's forms. His life is about trying to change things to make them better for others.
With loss? Isolation and stopping his social life. Also, sometimes Varn might drink to drown his sorrows, but isn't an alcoholic.
What does the character want out of life?: To be a prime engineer of the Gyllie Cooperations or the PeaceKeep United.
What would the character like to change in his/her life?: Jacob's death. If he could change that, he and Jacob would still be alive and running a buisness in Boston surronding Engineering, like they always planned in their childhood.
What motivates this character?: Engineering and knowing that he can get the most out of life by doing what he wants: Joining the PeaceKeep United as an engineer. Not on the front lines.
What frightens this character?: Life and how it weighs down on him. Also the fact that an assassin killed his brother. Why did that assassin want to kill Jacob? Was it to do with their family? Who's next?
What makes this character happy?: Engineering and drawing designs and blueprints.
Is the character judgmental of others?: Yes. For anyone, it's hard not to be. But Varn tries to not judge a person by what they look like, but it is hard for him not to.
Is the character generous or stingy?: Generous, but not too generous with his money.
Is the character generally polite or rude?: Polite.
Spiritual Characteristics
Does the character believe in God? No, Varn is not religious. His brother, Jacob, wasn't either, because they were both taught by their father who wasn't religious. However, Maree is because she learnt the religion from Lily, their mother, who was religious.
What are the character's spiritual beliefs? Varn has no spiritual beliefs. He does, however, believe that Jacob is still alive in his heart, which is more love then spirit.
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? No.
If so, what role does it play? None. However, he is affected by others view on religion. He finds it interesting that people are religious because he was brought up with science and engineering.
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