RpNation

Hah, what a coincidence. First I start off by saying that you read fast then you say that I write fast. Well, I wrote fast because I was waiting this entire time to show you all these ideas I had. It's a real shame that I can't post now, because I really put a lot of work into absorbing all this information.

Unwarranted violence you say? Well, that's not so far off from what Walter does. He's more likely to die of stab wounds inside a tavern than being chopped into pieces by a knight in battle. Additionally, Walter tends to knock someone out without warning if he feels that that person is a threat.

Walter is a hardened veteran and military commander of many campaigns. He is familiar with old medieval warfare and he knows enough to assemble an army of his own and be able to supply it for at least a year. Also, since Walter is a noble, he knows some things about management and administration. Though Francis does most of the work and handles the finances as well.

Francis is not only intelligent, he is also hard working and resourceful. You see, Francis is not just some ordinary genius or prodigy, he also has an unconventional way of thinking that others find strange, amusing, or dangerous. This is why some people can find Francis to be so off-putting while others like him. The thing is that Francis is only mildly aware of this fact.

Maybe a few local girls will have a crush on him and he wouldn't notice it. Walter knows his companion would probably not like it, but he wishes that Francis would lighten up and try it once in his lifetime. Maybe Francis would be accused of loving men if he showed absolutely no interest in girls. Serious accusation, Walter would probably beat up that punk.

Francis gaining popularity? Possible, but it would take a long long time for people to get used to him. Only people who are patient or people who have spent years around him would know him enough to accept him. If Francis was sent on a mission, it must be a "secret mission" because everyone who had half a brain would know why Francis was sent out if they found out why.

Francis the moral compass? Walter the practical/logical compass? Genius. They're not perfect, but they're a force to be reckoned with together. Though yeah, sometimes Walter forgets to remind Francis not to dissect corpses... which leads them to trouble. And Francis forgets to remind Walter not to beat up the town guards... which leads them to trouble.

Ok, you can reply now. Overall, I think the Walter and Francis duo can spice up the roleplay when it gets too boring. One more thing, I was thinking that Walter and Francis would get into debates once in a while about philosophy or politics or history or something.

Eleph, don't leave me!

... Well... shit... nobody to keep me company while I can't post.

One more thing. Walter is the kind of guy that thinks short-term while Francis thinks long-term. For example, Walter is more likely to raid or pillage a village to gain wealth in a short amount of time while Francis would capture the village, build improvements and stimulate trade to gain wealth in the long run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpCTzGs0v4g

Hmm, nice theme... maybe I can use this when Walter has his rare quiet moments.

I was still wondering whether Walter would be in his twenties, thirties, or forties. I'd like to pair him with that half-demon Aurelius or some of the other player characters.

Francis is, well, very non-traditional. I don't know how to explain it, but he has a very modern, progressive way of thinking. This has given him a lot of enemies, mainly the Abbott.

Everyone actually knows why he was really sent, but no one has the guts to challenge the (corrupt) Abbott. Francis realizes this, to some extent, but for the most part, he remains truly naive and ignorant. That will change in due time...

Both ways considered, they're both a stellar and troublesome duo. Francis is capable of solving Walter's problems. Walter is capable of solving Francis' problems. It's a good dynamic.

Indeed. Francis pitches his moralistic/ethical/cultural theories, while Walter disputes it with his pragmatic/objectivist/realist theories. These aren't aggressive debates, but more just a sharing of one another's thoughts.

Francis is more likely to win people over with his smarts and persuasion skills, while Walter 'wins' people over with brute force and a pair of (literal) iron fists.

Sounds like a very melancholic, almost cynical song, which points out Walter's secretive, lingering depression — something that he covers up with his crude extreme-vulgar behaviour.

I think mid/early thirties. Still young enough to be an eligible bachelor, but old enough to have seen his fair share of battles — and act very scruffy, in general.

I also found a song that might greatly suit Walter, in his usual form. Listen carefully and with great caution:

https://youtu.be/BU_fubj51jw